When I get into 'Lucha Underground,' now it feels like I'm part of a collaboration. And I'm talking about storylines; I'm talking about how we can put matches together, where we're going to go, what's going to happen to 'Lucha Underground' as a promotion; what's going to happen with my character; and I was back in suddenly.
'Lucha Underground' really is the first episodic professional wrestling show. There are storylines in every promotion, but the way 'Lucha Underground' is crafted really is more of a TV show than your traditional wrestling show.
I left for Fiji 36 hours after we wrapped 'Lucha Underground' season 4. The producers of 'Lucha Underground' had to bend over backwards to get me wrapped out of the season to leave for 'Survivor.'
The creative autonomy in 'Lucha Underground' is more than I felt in WWE. There is more willingness from the creative and production team to listen to input from the wrestlers in 'Lucha Underground.'
My favorite part of working with 'Lucha Underground' is learning more Lucha, combining that with my WWE psychology, and taking wrestling to a place we've never seen before in the evolution of wrestling.
There are people who haven't faced the reality of what has gone on in Iraq. They still think that the old central state is going to be put back together again. It's not going to happen in Kurdistan. It's not going to happen in the south. It's not going to happen in Baghdad.
'Lucha Underground' is like a combination of Lucha Libre, American Pro Wrestling, and gridy action films. It's got a lot of things I like - action, wrestling, and really good storytelling.
'Lucha Underground' is the evolution of wrestling. It's high-style, high-flying, fast-paced hybrid style wrestling, and we're actually paying homage to lucha libre for the first time.
The roster of 'Lucha Underground' would definitely be excited about a fifth season. Same thing with the producers and everybody.
I am excited by the opportunity to join such an extraordinary group of athletes and be a part of the 'Lucha Underground' family.
When I was 34, people would say, What's going to happen to you when you're 40? What are you going to do? You don't have much time left. And I was like, what are you talking about?
Hopefully, when people watch 'Lucha Underground' and WWE, Ring of Honor, New Japan, AAA, and any other promotion out there, they fall in love with pro wrestling. Pro wrestling, as it affects pop culture, is bigger than any one promotion.
Like AEW, it kind of feels like they're treating you like a professional athlete, and Lucha Underground is like a lot of TV production stuff. It felt like they treated you like a professional actor. The treatment was just above that for a wrestler.
You go through things in life where you're not always going to get what you want, but if God feels it's supposed to happen, it's going to happen.
You guys are always going off about how much money you have. Do you realize what's going on in this world right now?' All these black rappers? African rappers? Talking about how much money they have. Do you realize what's going on in Africa right now? It's just like, you guys are disgusting. Talking about billions and billions of dollars you have. And spending it frivolously, when you know, the Motherland is suffering beyond belief right now.
I'm a fan of Lucha Underground and hope they are successful.