Joe Rogan Experience #2423 - John Cena

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>> The Joe Rogan Experience.

>> TRAIN BY DAY. JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY NIGHT. All day.

NIGHT. All day.

>> We're rolling. What's up, John Cena in the [ __ ] house on? Yeah.

>> Yeah. Let's put these on. Pretend we're

professional. What's up? Good to see you man.

>> Thanks so much for having me. Appreciate

my pleasure being here.

>> And there's no way I'm having a pro wrestler on without Tony Hinchcliffe.

possible. He's the expert. He knows more about pro wrestling than I know about UFC.

>> Yeah, sometimes I translate little things here and there.

>> That's cool. It's all right.

>> Yeah, he has to. He has to. And he's a giant fan of yours, too. You know, a giant fan of yours is Brian Simpson.

Brian Simpson was going on last night about how intelligent you are. It was

really interesting, you know.

>> Sure was me.

>> Yeah, man.

>> Well, you do speak [ __ ] Mandarin, which is kind of crazy.

>> Uh, yeah. Yeah.

>> How long did it take you to learn that?

Uh man, I I was I was doing that for quite a long time. I've since kind of um kind of declined on the studies. Uh I a wonderful takeaway from the study of

Mandarin. Um just because you know a

Mandarin. Um just because you know a language doesn't mean you know the culture.

>> Ah >> so that was a fantastic experience with I but I I studied Mandarin for like a decade and I would say like um not even conversationally fluent. It was a really

conversationally fluent. It was a really tough hill to climb for me. But it seems like a really big hill.

>> Just it's it's just different. You know,

you get used to the language and the structure.

>> You read it, you know, the reading.

>> No, I didn't even bother to read and uh like reading all the characters, understanding everything. Yeah.

understanding everything. Yeah.

>> How long did it take you to learn?

>> Around 10 years.

>> Whoa.

>> Yeah. And then like I mean I I would dream in Mandarin and like have conversations and kick down and that. So

it became like a like a a second language. But you know I I lived in

language. But you know I I lived in China for a little bit. I filmed a movie with Jackie Chan. So I was there for like six or seven months. I lived there in um man we were in Inner Mongolia, Yinchuan Province. So like like in

Yinchuan Province. So like like in China.

>> Wow.

>> And uh it was fun. Yeah. Yeah.

>> You were in Mongolia.

>> Inner Inner Mongolia. Yeah.

>> What's the difference?

>> Uh I don't know cuz I've never I've never been in Mongolia, but Inner Mongolia was uh man I was I was the only person that looked like me there. Uh and

everyone would say look it's it's big white guy Hyundai Byron. and that would call me.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah.

>> Wow. So, what motivated you to learn that? It seems like such a task.

that? It seems like such a task.

>> Honestly, man, it was everything in my life seems to be wrestling related. It

was wrestling related. Like WWE's um reach spread everywhere. I mean, I' I've been able to lucky enough to perform everywhere from like Moscow, Philippines, South Africa, Bangor,

Maine, you every place in between except China. China was like the one place that

China. China was like the one place that didn't understand what we did. So it

it's literally like it's a it's a universal language because you can turn it's like UFC like you turn the volume down but you can see like oh this is two guys best guy wins. I get it. Uh ch the

Chinese didn't get it. So I figured if like one of our superstars spoke the language maybe that would help break down the barrier. And we got in >> your idea.

>> Uh it was my idea but the WWE offers and I think they still offer it. they they

offer a free second language program. So

like when they rolled out the initiative of like financial advice and um you know uh they'll pay for portions of your secondary education and free second

language. This is like 2011

language. This is like 2011 2012 big talent meeting in like an auditorium. I'm one of the old guys at

auditorium. I'm one of the old guys at the time sitting in the front being like these kids don't know how good they have it. I should stand up and tell them to

it. I should stand up and tell them to like no [ __ ] that. I'm actually going to lead by example and take a language. So

I signed up right then then and there for China Chinese because I wanted to get us into China.

>> Wow.

>> And like I said, it worked, but it kind of only worked. And they I think I think actually right now China is experiencing what wrestling is to them cuz like there's I've read articles that there's

promotions over there that are thriving.

So like now they get it.

>> Oh, so they have their own promotions.

>> Yeah. Yeah. This is a fairly recent thing, >> I think. So, like I just read recent articles that like pro wrestling is thriving in China and they have their own like their own way of doing it.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Wow. That's wild. It's wild how like expansive the pro wrestling business is that they would be that o-minded to say

like let's let's give second language programs to the athletes.

>> Well, and you know, I just it's it's weird. The origins of the business are

weird. The origins of the business are carnival related. it as like a carnival

carnival related. it as like a carnival attraction and then uh it it was like ruthlessly territorial >> and then when it became national it was still trying to find its way. It's it's

almost like you see pro sports doing it.

You know the more a sport succeeds the more benefits they offer to their competitors and athletes. So you know WWE kind of hit that stride. Yeah.

>> It's just such a smart thing to do you know.

>> Yeah. Well, you give your ch give your talent the opportunities to to gain knowledge and and wisdom. And the sad thing is I don't know how many people did it or or do it still, you know.

>> Was there anybody other than you that you know of that >> two other people?

>> Who?

>> Uh Clauddio Castnoli who speaks I think four or five languages already and he just wanted to take like a brush up course and uh Natty Nightheart.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah, >> that's it. Everybody else is like >> not going to do it.

>> Too much work.

>> Yeah. What was the not knowing the culture aspect of that?

>> So, man, I got I got put in a bit of a hot spot with um uh I I I I made a a pack to myself when I was like, "Okay, I feel fluent." We would do these global

feel fluent." We would do these global press tours and I just happened to be on a global press tour and I'm like, "You know what? I'm going to do 70% of my

know what? I'm going to do 70% of my media in Mandarin, like in dialogue."

And I got to say, I did it. Like I went over there, spoke, people were taking off the translator headphones. Like life

was good, everything was great. And at

the very end of the day, as with all these press tours, you do like a bunch of prompter reads. So I'm doing prompter reads for everywhere. And it's like, um, hey, go this place and see this movie.

Go this place and see this movie. And

no, my bad. I didn't check the reads because it's like an end of a 10-hour day. You do a million of these things.

day. You do a million of these things.

And one of them said like, "Hey, uh, Taiwan, see this this and and uh the the it was all in Mandarin and the opinion described Taiwan as a country. So be the

first country to see this." Now over there, they they look through a different lens like geopolitics are murky waters, man. And that's what when I learned of like I just said it, left,

everybody was cool, I did my thing. Like

I I read the prompt. It was like a Ron Burgundy moment. Like go [ __ ] yourself,

Burgundy moment. Like go [ __ ] yourself, San Diego. was like the most offensive

San Diego. was like the most offensive thing you can say.

>> So I'm like, man, you know, good job, John. You you said you you did 70% and

John. You you said you you did 70% and people understood what you were talking about. And then they put that out and

about. And then they put that out and everybody was like, what the [ __ ] did you just say? We don't that's not how we do it over here. And again, just cuz like my takeaway and it was a it it was

a pretty tense moment for me. Like I had to apologize to China. And in

apologizing to China, I I pissed off my home country. I'm a patriot. I love the

home country. I'm a patriot. I love the United States of America and everything it stands for, but like no one it was never enough. Nobody was happy.

never enough. Nobody was happy.

Everybody was [ __ ] up. And it was it was it was like murky waters for me personally. And I it was weird. Like I'm

personally. And I it was weird. Like I'm

the I think I might have been the only guy almost to get cancelceled for doing his homework, >> you know, like for trying to like learn like learn and and try to do something.

But the cool takeaway, you know, we can learn from every mistake. My mistake was just because you know the language doesn't mean you know the culture. Do

they even refer to as Taiwan? I think

they referred to as Chinese Taipei, right?

>> Man, what was in the I know what I read in in the thing. So that's again I don't know enough depth to know >> that and now like people like oh man can you can you speak Mandarin for this? I

just won't do it.

>> It's a skill that I have and it's but it's a skill that's going to remain with me because it's I don't understand. I

don't have the depth of field to know what to call that place in that region of the world and I haven't done enough research and I don't have the wisdom and I don't have like the the cultural fluency, you know.

>> So, it was a cool lesson. It it sucked >> cuz I thought I was just trying to do something good, but it was it was a cool lesson.

>> Was it really that big of a deal, >> man? I thought like I I I was filming

>> man? I thought like I I I was filming Peacemaker season 1 and when they came out with all of this stuff, I went directly to James Gunn and was like, "Hey man, if you have to fire me, I I understand."

understand." >> Wow.

>> And uh >> it was that serious. But it wasn't even words that you wrote. Someone the WWE wrote it.

>> That doesn't No, no, it was it was for the movie I was promoting, >> right? So the movie the people that made

>> right? So the movie the people that made the movie wrote it. So I don't know like when you do these press tours let's say if I'm doing a movie for Warner Brothers let's say let's use Peacemaker as an example I'm doing a global Peacemaker tour

>> and we go into China or we go into South America >> you meet like the PR person there and they have all the stuff you're supposed to do and they curate your experience and they hold your hand you like okay now we're going to go to this station

then by the way they just want you to do some shoutouts. So anytime I go anywhere

some shoutouts. So anytime I go anywhere globally now, as much as I want to um thank fans for their attention and you know investing in the product, I really shy away from

like speaking the language because I don't understand the cultural nuance.

You know, I just I just want to be like, yo, thanks for watching what we do and I love the fact that you're entertained, >> but I want to speak to you at a level that I understand that I'm fluent cuz your boots on the ground here every day and I might say something that's a nice

gesture but completely [ __ ] offend you. And that's that's not good. That's

you. And that's that's not good. That's

not good for anybody.

>> So, was the teleprompter in English and you translate to >> No, everything was in Mandarin. And in

uh in Chinese, they have the characters, which are virtually impossible for me to learn. There's like an infinite number,

learn. There's like an infinite number, but they have they also have what's called pin yin, which is it's kind of spelled out in English with phonetics.

So, it has the four tones.

>> Okay.

>> So, if you were to put something in front of me in pinion right now, I could definitely read it.

>> And I got good at reading pin yin. So I

was like, man, I could I could send all these messages in manner and then more people will know about this movie and more people will know about me and more people will know about wrestling and more people be excited. Looked good on

paper. It just my followrough was a bit

paper. It just my followrough was a bit weak. You know,

weak. You know, >> it doesn't even seem like that was your fault, >> right? It's probably a PR's assistant

>> right? It's probably a PR's assistant assistant that's type that's probably in charge of doing the grunt work of typing in all the different languages and the different countries. Like it's tedious.

different countries. Like it's tedious.

you uh uh from from what I know I know I'm going to learn a lot about you guys in this episode, but from what I know about you, you're you're into looking at looking at things through different lenses and different perspectives. It

also could have been somebody being like I'm going to get this kid.

>> Oo, >> but here's the thing. I I do appreciate you saying like it's not your fault.

That's not true. It was my fault. And I

think that's when I can start to work on like, well, what did I learn from this?

And I could easily blame a PR, an assistant. I could say somebody had a

assistant. I could say somebody had a target on my back. All that stuff. I

[ __ ] up.

>> Did you suspect that somebody might have set you up?

>> No.

>> Well, you're saying it like it's a possibility.

>> Well, man, when it happened, every every theory came like here's the thing. The

world doesn't revolve around me, but my little world, everybody was like, "They [ __ ] up. They did this on purpose." I

was like, "Well, first of all, who's they?" So, I was able to kind of

they?" So, I was able to kind of eliminate all that. And once I realized I could still go on working, uh, I I really made a lot of people angry. And

for that, that then I'm sorry. Like

again, I was just trying to >> That's crazy just by saying that Taiwan's a country >> in in Chinese though, >> right?

>> You know, like those are murky waters to begin with, you know, like I >> I'm not even thoroughly fluent on the US policy. I think it's like

policy. I think it's like >> like a territorial ambiguity or some [ __ ] like that. Like it's it's so weird and it's it's so fragile and >> I I uh I got into some water I shouldn't

have been swimming in. But that's that's on me. It's not it was my fault

on me. It's not it was my fault >> and and I think that's important for me to bear the burden of that and be like, "Yo, what how can I course correct? What

did I learn? Who do I really really genuinely have to apologize for offending?" The the biggest thing that

offending?" The the biggest thing that was a kick to the nuts is when like people state side got pissed off >> because you apologized.

>> Yes. in in Chinese and and I understand it. I mean, completely like

it. I mean, completely like >> bowing down to the demand of this that gosh, what a what a shitty move by me.

Like I just I should have taken a breath. Again, what did I learn? Don't

breath. Again, what did I learn? Don't

be reactive.

>> Mhm.

>> Take a breath, find out what's going on, find out the best path of action, maybe give it a few days, maybe give it a hot second um >> and then move forward. But immediately I

was like, "Oh, they're mad. You want us to do this? Fine, no problem. I'll fix

it right now. Man, that not only did I not try to fix the hole in the boat, I sunk the Titanic. So, it was But again, it was a learning experience.

>> Well, it speaks to your character that you don't blame anybody else cuz I blame everybody else. I'm like, who [ __ ]

everybody else. I'm like, who [ __ ] wrote that?

Don't you don't you know what you're saying or what you're making me say?

>> Uh, the the release you guys have for the show, I I read it and you're >> You might be the only person. So that

was that was whoever handed it to me.

That was what they said. Like I think you might be the only person that's ever read it.

>> Yeah.

>> Man, if if if you're gonna if you're gonna take liberties with me, at least I want to be able to read that you are.

>> Right.

>> You know what I'm saying? And I I can't say I'm perfect with doing that, but like I was handed a release. I'm like,

"Man, can I just glance this over for Oh, this says what I think it says.

Okay, let's go."

>> Trump didn't even read it. Just

>> to each their own.

>> Yeah. know it's very smart of you to read it. You know who who knows, you

read it. You know who who knows, you know.

>> Who knows?

>> So, this is uh Tony, is this is this the full trifecta now? Is like if you've gotten all of your heroes on this podcast now?

>> There's a couple more we could knock off out of the pro wrestling world. There's

a couple more.

>> Talk, if if you don't mind, if I can indulge, talk pro wrestling heroes. Who

Who do we need to knock off? Who do we need?

>> Well, I mean, in all reality, and it's a diabolical diabolical And he can he kind of invite he you can't you can invite anyone you want in here. You just kind of got to get him the wish list.

>> I mean you got to you got to start with the number one without a doubt Vince McMahon who started this gangster [ __ ] and spread it around.

>> I would definitely have him is a little >> man I he would be great.

>> Yes.

>> I whatever magic you have out there and you have a lot of gravity.

>> Do you think he'd be interested in doing it?

>> Are you kidding me? I think he would love it.

>> Really?

>> I think he would love it. I I don't know when the right time is, >> but man, don't don't miss out on that.

At least at least send it out to the universe.

>> Yeah. Well, I would definitely Vince, if you're listening, >> Vince, if you're listening, >> let's go.

>> I think this would be a great I think this experience would be a great one for you.

>> Is he still involved? Is he out? Is he

in? He's out.

>> He's out.

>> He's out totally.

>> Yep.

>> It seems like he's a guy that'll be out for a little while and then something will happen that'll bring him back in.

>> No, I Well, >> well, >> I don't know. again. That's that's way we were talking about like >> why is your last event in this place?

I'm like, man, because I don't choose the events. Like I don't that all that

the events. Like I don't that all that stuff is so far above me, but I know now he's out. I I in my eyes, I I'd like to

he's out. I I in my eyes, I I'd like to think that like time heals everything and I believe in forgiveness and uh I also believe in like looking at the body

of work, but I also know there's a lot of fragile stuff going on there. I don't

know. I don't know, man. I don't know.

Yeah, it's a hot subject. It It can get us into another Chinese Taipei incident.

>> Well, no, no, I man, I'm I'm again I've I've learned to become a little bit more accountable for for what I say and and just how just because I feel a certain way about a person doesn't exonerate them from being accountable for their actions,

>> right?

>> And just because >> he did start quote unquote all this gangster [ __ ] >> uh that doesn't that doesn't mean he doesn't need to be accountable for his actions. So, let's let's figure out what

actions. So, let's let's figure out what that means and then figure out if we can if we can move forward and and and bring that back in the fold or if if it stays the way it is.

>> What do you think, Tony? You think he's coming back?

>> I think he would come here.

>> Yeah, I think he would come here, too.

And I think he you know, that's one of the more entertaining people of all time. He created the entire universe.

time. He created the entire universe.

So, you got to remember Hogan's Hogan because of him. Cena is seen because of him.

>> Yeah. Every single stone cold he's like, "That sounds good. Yeah, keep it going.

We'll do the glass breaks thing and they'll throw you beers. I like it.

Let's do it again next week. So

everything that we think >> when he sits here, you got to do that impression.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Uh

yeah. Stone Cold's another one that hasn't been on.

>> Steve would be great. I think you you would >> you would dig Steve.

>> Oh yeah, >> I'm sure. Yeah. He lives out here, too, doesn't he?

>> Yep.

>> Does he?

>> Well, actually, no.

>> Doesn't he have a ranch out here?

>> I think he does somewhere. I

>> think he does.

>> Yeah, but I think he's based out of somewhere else now. New Mexico or Arizona. He's on the He like He's like

Arizona. He's on the He like He's like kind of cool and reclusive. He like

doesn't really do a lot. It's amazing.

>> He'd be a good get and I I'm pretty I guarantee you he would do it. Yeah.

>> Steve, if you're I know you're watching.

Come on.

>> Come on. Come on in.

>> Let's talk Let's talk some wrestling.

>> The man. I mean, everyone has him on the, you know, the Mount Rushmore. Uh

Triple H, who runs it now, the son-in-law of Vince McMahon. Yeah.

>> I mean, he runs the entire thing. I

mean, you want you want answers to those highle questions. There's your guy.

highle questions. There's your guy.

>> Yeah, >> that's the guy you need to get in. A lot

of the stuff you'll probably you probably ask today, I'll be like, "That's way above my pay grade."

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drinkagg.com/joan or visit the link in the description to get started. Well, you don't if you

get started. Well, you don't if you don't know the history, Tony at one point in time was offered a job with the WWE before he really made it.

>> No way.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was offered a job to write for the WWE because, you know, Tony was a giant pro wrestling fan and you know, he'd already had a Netflix special so he was known as a Before

that.

>> Was it before the Netflix special?

>> The first one? The one that you released yourself?

>> Yeah.

>> Really?

>> Yeah. It was only a couple years into me doing standup like seven nights a week at the comedy store all the time. And

somehow I ended up someone's like, "Hey, I have a friend in WWE if you want to have a meeting with them and just talk."

And I went in with straight up ideas.

This that the undertaker's brother comes back again. This that the next like

back again. This that the next like everything back and forth. I can't even remember any of them. It's been so long.

But I went in with the whole thing. This

guy's like, "Where the hell did you like what? This is crazy. You just like did

what? This is crazy. You just like did this." I'm like, "Yeah, I found out a

this." I'm like, "Yeah, I found out a couple days ago we were going to talk."

So, but yeah, they offered it, but I would have had to move to Connecticut and take a train to New York every night to do go do standup. And that would have just been exhausting. And everything I

heard because Patrice O'Neal, the late great Patrice O'Neal, wrote for WWE for a while.

>> Did he really?

>> Yeah. Yeah. For like a couple years, I think.

>> What did he just wrote lines for them?

Like, what did he do?

>> The whole shebang. When you're a WWE writer, they they make you write. It's

not like a cute job at all. No, there's

a lot of there's a lot of television or there's a lot of content every week.

>> Yeah.

>> Right now, I think they got they have three weekly shows.

>> So, that's 20 I think one of them's going back to three hours, 16 like it's like 50 segments of TV.

>> Yeah.

>> Every week.

>> Yeah. But I remember when you were talking about it.

>> Yeah.

>> When you're talking about potentially doing it, I was like, >> Yeah. It was tricky.

>> Yeah. It was tricky.

>> And I was like, dude, you do not want to live in Connecticut.

>> No. That's the main thing. If it was anywhere else other than Connecticut, it kind of m would have made more sense. If

it was in New York City, it would have been a no-brainer. If it was in LA, definitely.

>> But like, fast forward now. You're

you're more and more involved.

>> Yes.

>> Well, this is the crazy thing. Like, we

had talked like during the the old days, like we would talk in the green room.

I'd be like, that would be your ultimate dream job, like to make it as a comedian and somehow be involved in the UFC the way I or excuse me, in WWE the way I'm involved in the UFC. like very similar.

>> Yeah, it's look >> crazy. It's insane.

>> crazy. It's insane.

>> I'm going tomorrow night. I'm going to be in the front row at the arena in my hometown.

>> Are they here at the moment?

>> Oh, man.

>> Are you messing with me? Are you going to Is your music going to hit your >> No, I'm not there. I'm I got one.

>> This is what This is what they do, by the way.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Oh, yeah. This is what I didn't even know they were going to be in town.

>> He's correct. There's a lot of You mess with people. You're right. But then

with people. You're right. But then

somebody like me will actually shoot you straight and be like, "I'm not going to be there and I won't be there." And

you'll be like, "Ah, now I'm just I'm building the equity for people to mess with people." I'm giving 20 20 mulligans

with people." I'm giving 20 20 mulligans out there >> tomorrow.

Not a chance.

>> Exactly. I heard a great story. You'll

probably love this. You might even know this story, but um the Undertaker, his wife, and his podcast co-host went to Wrestlemania. They're up in a fancy

Wrestlemania. They're up in a fancy suite. This was um which one was it? The

suite. This was um which one was it? The

Rock made an appearance. Did you? Yes,

you were there, right? This that huge finish at Wrestlemania like three years ago where it was just boom boom boom boom and all these legends were coming out this huge finish just like they they

can't even like follow it. The ultimate

climax of a Wrestlemania and one wrestler comes out interrupts this huge main event and then another one then another one. Anyway, the Undertaker, his

another one. Anyway, the Undertaker, his wife and his podcast co-host were up in the suite. Undertaker goes, "I'm going

the suite. Undertaker goes, "I'm going to go use the restroom." They're like, "He's been gone a while." The lights go out, the bell tools. They're watching

from the suite. He's been gone for like 10 minutes, 20 minutes. He went and changed real quick. And then now he's >> came out as the Undertaker.

>> Yeah. Came out as the Undertaker.

They're in the suite like, "OH MY GOD, IT'S the Undertaker."

>> Like they don't tell anybody. It's so

old school and awesome that they keep secrets so locked up that their own loved ones, his wife, didn't even know.

>> That's hilarious. That is so crazy.

>> It's It's fun to be able to surprise a live audience. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I mean,

live audience. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I mean,

it's got to be a big part of it. How did

you get involved in pro wrestling? Were

you Were you a fan as a kid and then?

>> I sure was. I I think we have the same gravity of like, man, I was a super fan as a kid, but then I fell out of it admittedly kind of when Hogan went to WCW.

Um, so like I was into wrestling and then I wasn't. Then I got into sports or whatever. Uh, and then I got back into

whatever. Uh, and then I got back into wrestling when everyone else did when like Stone Cold Steve Austin became big.

the rock became big. The attitude era hit >> and I was just um working a dead end job over at Gold's Gym Venice and like didn't know what I wanted to do with my life.

>> How old were you?

>> Uh 21.

>> Wow.

>> 21. I'd moved out to to California not to be famous or anything. My degree was in Kinesise and I wanted to like that was the center of the fitness universe in 99 2000. So like all equipment

manufacturers are there. I'm like, man, I'll go get a job with Hammer Strength or Cybex or like >> maybe Golds or like put that piece of paper to on the wall to to like get a

good paying job. It did not work.

>> So, I ended up like front desk cleaning toilets, selling protein bars in that order. So, don't ever buy a protein bar.

order. So, don't ever buy a protein bar.

I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. But

no, I was kind of like a jack of all trades over there. Um and a a friend of mine, um Chris Bell and Mark Bell.

>> Oh, I know those guys.

>> Yeah. Yeah. They literally were like, "Dude, you talk about WWF all the time.

You know, we train down in Orange County." And at that time, Chris Bell

County." And at that time, Chris Bell was kind of like writing for this promotion.

>> Like, would you want to do it? And I,

man, I that doesn't happen without them accidentally saying like, "Yo, we we trained to do this." So,

>> his documentaries are [ __ ] incredible. Bigger, stronger, faster.

incredible. Bigger, stronger, faster.

>> And then the other one, the pill one.

What was that one called?

>> Magic pill. No. What was the one the the addiction one uh that Chris released? But um Bigger, Stronger, Faster is such a [ __ ] great documentary.

>> The Bell family. I've been I've been friends with them for a long time.

>> Great guys.

>> Yeah, >> that that documentary like blew the lid off of like the reality of steroids.

Prescription Thugscription is another great one.

>> Yeah. Crazy thing is he got addicted to pills while he was doing that because he had surgery while he was doing that and got addicted to pills while he's making a [ __ ] documentary on people being

addicted to pills. That's how potent pills are. A guy making a documentary

pills are. A guy making a documentary about addiction.

He just thinks, "Well, I'm just taking these cuz I got hip surgery and I'm in in [ __ ] agony." And then gets hooked.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Like that's how crazy it is.

>> Yeah. They're strong.

>> Yeah. I would imagine.

Did you ever have an issue?

>> No. No. As a matter of fact, uh I've I've had fusion in my neck, right pec completely detached, reattached, both triceps reattached. Uh both triceps

triceps reattached. Uh both triceps scoped.

>> Um nose relocated. Like I I got I probably

nose relocated. Like I I got I probably I'm in like 10 physical surgeries where they got to go and correct something.

Never taken one uh pain pill.

>> Wow. I have all the prescriptions in the bottom drawer of my house filled. And

and it's weird because at every facility, the first thing they the first hill they climb is pain management.

>> You wake up from anesthesia, you're like gray and murky. And I've been in a bunch of surgeries at a bunch of different facilities. The protocol is always the

facilities. The protocol is always the same. Do you want something for the

same. Do you want something for the pain? Here, we got to make sure you take

pain? Here, we got to make sure you take this with you because you're not in any pain.

>> Yeah. Like I I understand because you if you leave, if you're feeling okay, maybe you're high off adrenaline, I don't know. And then the operation sets in of

know. And then the operation sets in of like, holy [ __ ] this is a 10 out of 10.

I can't I need something. I get that.

But I I guess from falling down and hurting my body a lot, like I know my pain threshold.

>> Yeah. And when I the the worst one was probably the putting the whole pec back on and then attaching it, but when I woke up I was able to like mess around with the stress ball and I never took one pill.

>> That's amazing.

>> And I I still have the the full bottles of like some are labeled 2008 is when I had my first surgery and they're just all there.

>> There's a lot of people listening right now going >> count them all if they're still good.

>> But the find out where John Cena stores to them. Yeah,

to them. Yeah, >> it was weird because the medical staff couldn't couldn't believe it. Like

they're like, "You don't want anything."

No, because man, it's a I know how I am with this.

>> It's Yeah, it's a [ __ ] slippery road.

>> And I would just I'd be high on opiates.

All opioids all the time.

>> I got my first knee surgery, I think, in 93 or 94, and they gave me I got an ACL reconstruction, and they gave me Vicodin, I think. Pretty sure it was

Vicodin. I took one one day, and I felt

Vicodin. I took one one day, and I felt so stupid. I was lying on lying on my

so stupid. I was lying on lying on my couch watching TV and I felt so dumb.

And my knee still hurt, you know? It was

just like it was distracting me from the fact that my knee hurt, but I'm like, I can't be this dumb. I'm dumb enough as it is. I can't add to my dumbness with

it is. I can't add to my dumbness with pills. Like, I just saw it coming, you

pills. Like, I just saw it coming, you know? And also, I knew a bunch of guys

know? And also, I knew a bunch of guys who had pill problems. I w up selling my pills to a friend of mine that would sell pills.

>> Gosh, I I should have taken your idea.

Could have made some cash. I only made like a couple hundred bucks or something. I don't even remember. It was

something. I don't even remember. It was

like in the 90s. But but I remember just that one pill. And so then every surgery I've had ever since then. They always

offered me stuff and I never took anything. I got my other ACL

anything. I got my other ACL reconstructed in 2003. Never took

anything. I got in my nose fixed. It's

like 2008. I got my nose reconstructed, deviated septum. The guy was insisting

deviated septum. The guy was insisting that I he gave me two prescriptions for pain med medicine. And I was like, I don't want anything. I was like, "Is it going to get worse than this?" He's

like, "It could get." I go, "Right now, it feels like nothing."

>> Yeah.

>> It's like, but if you've been, again, like you, you've been beaten up so many times your body, you're so used to just being in pain. And I think for some people just the the daunting anxiety of

pain itself. It's like they just want a

pain itself. It's like they just want a pill before they even realize like I could kind of just Yeah, it sucks, but it's not going to suck forever. It's

going to heal. So, let's just deal with the suck and just lay here. put some ice on it or whatever and just relax.

>> And uh along with that, it's kind of like your your body's natural way of saying like, "Okay, maybe push a little bit more. Try to get a few more degrees

bit more. Try to get a few more degrees of range of motion in physical therapy."

Like >> if if those senses are numbed, >> right, >> and like shut off, >> right?

>> First of all, you you do feel just like I don't want to do anything. you won't

work or in many cases you won't work to do the work to get better to get or >> you just numb.

>> You don't know the messaging. You can't

listen to your body.

>> Like if it's really really in pain, maybe it's maybe your body's trying to tell you something. I don't know.

>> I always assume that people feel pain differently. I mean, I just would

differently. I mean, I just would imagine like like people feel hot sauce differently. Like some people they can't

differently. Like some people they can't have any spice. Some people [ __ ] can have like, you know, death peppers and they're fine.

>> So, all right. I'll throw that out to the group. Is pain a personal

the group. Is pain a personal experience?

>> I mean, there's no way I'm as tough as you guys. So, yeah, it has to be.

you guys. So, yeah, it has to be.

>> But I think in other dimensions you might be way tougher. I don't know.

>> I don't know. Maybe I think I think there's something.

>> You don't know, Tony.

>> I can't imagine the dimension.

>> I went and visited a firehouse the other day and I was going down the pole going wee. Like you guys wouldn't do that.

wee. Like you guys wouldn't do that.

>> I would do that.

>> So, so in that in that aspect, you're tougher than me.

>> Yeah. It can take ridicule and we can take ridicule really easily, but I don't know how what it feels like for other people. You know what I'm saying? I

people. You know what I'm saying? I

mean, I would assume that everybody feels the same. But, you know, one of the reasons why I think maybe it is like it's different, but because my mom my

mom has a crazy tolerance to pain. Like

my guy who uh my stem cell guy in LA uh my mom had a real knee issue and he was treating her as well. And he goes, "It's hilarious. Your mother's just like you.

hilarious. Your mother's just like you.

She just takes it like she doesn't even flinch. She just stick it like he's like

flinch. She just stick it like he's like that doesn't happen with like 75year-old ladies like take a needle and shove it in their knee and and push it and she just doesn't move >> and you know she's like oh it wasn't

painful. It was no big deal. It's like

painful. It was no big deal. It's like

you know a lot of 75 year old ladies would be [ __ ] sweating and freaking out and seeing the needle.

>> Pretty sure I would be. Yeah.

>> But I I I I don't know you know I don't know what it feels like to other people.

But like when I got my ACL, my right ACL reconstructed, it was a lot easier because it was a cadaavver. And I

recommend it to anybody. The difference

between a patella tendon graph recovery and a cadaavver recovery is literally like six months. The difference is it's the cadaavver was so much quicker.

>> Wow.

>> Oh my god. Because the cadaavver they take it I mean it's all swollen and everything afterwards, but it's somebody else's tendon. They take an Achilles

else's tendon. They take an Achilles tendon off of a cadaavver. So it's 150% stronger than an ACL. They [ __ ] screw that sucker in place. Little tiny

orthoscopic holes, not nearly as invasive. And then five days later, you

invasive. And then five days later, you know, Matt Likenberg, I went to his party for his birthday party 5 days later just walking around and he was like, "Did you just have surgery?" I go, "Yeah, like it's not that big a deal, >> man. It feels fine."

>> man. It feels fine."

>> You know, it's it was so much easier.

The left one was brutal cuz they take a slice out of your patella tendon and then they could take a chunk out of your shin bone and a chunk out of your kneecap and then they use those to screw

this new tendon that they created into the shin bone and into your your thigh bone. That was rough.

bone. That was rough.

>> That one was painful as [ __ ] And it took a long time before it felt normal.

Took a long time before I could go down on one knee again.

>> When was that pain? That was in the 90s.

>> And then the other one was >> 2000 early 2000s. 200 like twoish somewhere around that two three >> I mean 10 more years of performing surgeries 10 more years of >> medical I just think it's the diff

because they still do that patella tendon graph and I think George St.

Pierre had it done that way. I know a bunch of people that I I'm friends with had it done that way and I was like, "Oh, don't do that one." Yeah,

>> do the cadaavver. But people are worried like, "What if you get AIDS?" Like,

you're not Jesus Christ, you're not going to get AIDS from it. Stop. And

it's also it's like >> you feel better before you are better, unfortunately, because the way the tendon works. So, when they replace a

tendon works. So, when they replace a tendon with a cadaavver, it's not like you have this guy's tendon in your body.

What it is like is that tendon is a scaffolding and then your body repoliferates that with your own cells.

So over the course of six months, my body had filled in all of what used to be a cadaavver with my own cells. So you

have you you'll feel like it's better before it's better. So a lot of MMA fighters, they re they start training too quickly and they blow it out again because it's still soft.

>> That's always the concern. It's always

>> in any you feel good and you're like, man, I can >> I can do this.

>> Especially animals, you know, guys who are just used to pain and used and used to pushing, you know, and they just pop it out again. I know multiple MMA fighters that have had knee surgery and

then blew it out while they were recovering >> and just a few months more, they could just they'd be all right. But it's

impatience. You want to get back in there. And then it's even worse because

there. And then it's even worse because you got to drill into the same holes and pull it out and open you up and it's more invasive surgery. They got to remove the screws and

>> [ __ ] Yeah. But I just I don't think everybody feels pain the same. I think

it's a genetic thing. I I'm It's just an assumption obviously because I don't feel what other people feel. But I think some people just any kind of pain is just they can't function. They're

they're just in agony. And I think those people are way more vulnerable to the pills.

That's just my assumption.

>> That's a decent perspective. I

definitely I I would agree with pain is is a is a personal experience.

Like there there are people who I mean I've seen people like I can't believe you go through that. And then

people be like but you get the [ __ ] kicked out of you. I can't believe you do that. It's all it's all relative. I

do that. It's all it's all relative. I

would I would be >> [ __ ] in cufflinks if you get that stem cell needle out. I would be sweating right until the [ __ ] final moment.

Like some some stuff I can't take, you know? So I guess it is

know? So I guess it is >> it could be combined with like what we fear in life or maybe >> maybe fear of hard work or fear of effort. Who knows? I don't know. I don't

effort. Who knows? I don't know. I don't

know.

>> I think it's also being accustomed to pain, >> you know. So if you did you wrestle when you were younger?

>> No, I uh played football.

>> You played football. Well, that's just like that in that you're always in pain.

I mean, if you're playing football, you're always colliding with people.

You're always you got to have shoulders [ __ ] with you, your backs [ __ ] with you. It's like it's never ending.

you. It's like it's never ending.

>> I' I've always said that there's something there's some value into losing a fight.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Like I grew up with four brothers and we kicked the [ __ ] out of each other and I'm I I was not always on the winning side. So very early on in my life as a

side. So very early on in my life as a young person. You know what it's like to

young person. You know what it's like to lose a fight.

>> Oh, it's very valuable. And I think that that's there's a lot maybe to do with the pain conversation there of like just flat out getting your ass kicked and then being able to dust yourself off and be like, I'll get you next time. You

know like >> it's not over. You know what I'm saying?

We're brothers. We're going to fight again. You know, like

again. You know, like >> that's also knowing like why did he beat me? What can I do to beat him next time?

me? What can I do to beat him next time?

You know, like if you don't have that in your life, also if you don't know what it feels like to get your ass kicked, you get a little mouthy. I mean, how many mouthy people do we know that have

never been [ __ ] up? And I think that's why like there's real consequences if it actually comes down. You start yelling and you get mouthy. If it actually comes down to it, and we've all seen many of these videos on the internet where

someone just >> don't they don't know what the [ __ ] they're asking for, what they're getting into, and then all a sudden they're getting hit. And man, I I'm not perfect

getting hit. And man, I I'm not perfect and there are days where I'm short of patience, but when it gets to that weird spot of like, yo, someone's gonna get hit in the face. I always try to like lean on diplomacy.

>> Always. Always. Yeah.

>> Please, let's not do that cuz that [ __ ] sucks.

>> And I bet a lot of people say to you, "Man, if I was you, I'd be [ __ ] everybody up." That's the dumb people

everybody up." That's the dumb people always say that. Like, it doesn't end with that. Then this guy gets his

with that. Then this guy gets his brother or he shoots you or they run you over with a car >> or you think you're going to [ __ ] somebody up and you get [ __ ] handled, >> right?

>> Like you never know, man. You never know anybody else's story >> day. You never know

>> day. You never know >> to so many people out there that train today. It's so much different than when

today. It's so much different than when I was younger. Like you would assume that like I assume that a good solid 10% of all men you meet have martial arts skills now >> because of the UFC

>> popularity of it. Certainly certainly in in western society it's you know the gym there's a gym every plaza >> also there's so many kids that like watch UFC and then play practice with

themselves and you could learn a lot just doing that you guys learn a lot just watching it on TV and then emulating it at home with their friends >> can tell those who watch WWE because when those moments happen they try to do

some crazy move doesn't work doesn't >> how many guys have [ __ ] thrown their buddy onto a conference table or something because they thought they thought it was the way into it.

>> It's crazy, >> you know? I mean, the [ __ ] sheer amount of punishment you guys put yourself through is staggering. I mean,

it really is staggering.

>> But, uh, thank you very much. Uh, it is is all for the good. Like, it's like a a pro football player, pro hockey player, UFC. I think I think the beautiful

UFC. I think I think the beautiful advantage that we have is that it's we can we can make choices on what we do.

So when you're in UFC and they close the door, it's kind of [ __ ] best person wins. You know, you gota it's it's

wins. You know, you gota it's it's survival. When we're in WWE and we both

survival. When we're in WWE and we both step in the ring and they ring the bell, we're working together, working together to put on the best show for the audience. And in that process, you can

audience. And in that process, you can calculate the risks you want to take.

>> And I think that's what allows somebody to be able to perform for 23 years. You

know, I I don't know. I know that that um age-old stat that everybody says about like the average NFL career is what two and a half years or three and a half years. I don't know what the stat

half years. I don't know what the stat is on average UFC career like how long when what's your window to be functionally profitable in UFC. But I

know because our risks are calculated and we're working together rather than against each other. The math is is way higher for you to have like a 10, 15, 20

year career >> in WWE. But that also is 10 more years have fallen down, 15 more years have fallen down. So you

fallen down. So you >> it's weird like you can choreograph the risk, but you have to do it time and time again. And and the schedule in WWE

time again. And and the schedule in WWE just changed like >> to do 70 matches a year now in WWE is like, man, you you're a workhorse. We

used to do 220 230 >> which is so crazy.

>> It's 220 days of trauma in a year cuz you're getting no matter what you're getting some trauma. No matter what a guy body slams you, something hap, you're colliding, you go off the ropes,

you're smashing into each other.

>> I get such a warm feeling when uh first timers go into the ring for the first time.

>> It's like, oh, it's like a it's like a bouncy floor and then they fall down once and like the wind's knocked out of them. and they're like, "My brain

them. and they're like, "My brain moved." I'm like, "Yeah, yeah, now you

moved." I'm like, "Yeah, yeah, now you got to do that again and again." But

it's weird. I've I've uh I've gotten to work with a lot of standups. And WWE is kind of changing. I I would say it's on the progression of a standup making it

to just like a stadium tour. But man,

when I performed, my sweet spot, we ran very parallel lives. Like you I've worked every city Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom to Madison Square Garden like

to the Saitama Super Arena to AT&T Stadium to Bangor Maine or to Valparezo Indiana. Like you you go to all of these

Indiana. Like you you go to all of these places and it's like >> Friday you're in one place, Saturday you're in another place, Sunday you're in another place, Monday you're in another place, Tuesday you're in another place. One day to drop your [ __ ] one

place. One day to drop your [ __ ] one day to catch your flight out, do it again.

>> Like it's it's it's kind of we we're kind of like touring standups in that regard.

>> Very similar. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

>> And you're you're responsible for your own trans like and I'm speaking from mighty I don't know how it is now cuz I got one left and then I'm done. But uh

you were responsible for your own transportation booking your own hotels like you you were they were just like hey we're starting here running here.

Good luck. Which is awesome because you create you people are really independent when they when they go through that fire and you weed out the people who don't want to be there.

>> Yeah. Because the just the sheer work the sheer workload >> making those clubs and like making doing a tour. It's Also the adrenaline like

a tour. It's Also the adrenaline like it's like what do you do after a night like that? Most jobs people can't wait

like that? Most jobs people can't wait to be done and then go home and relax and fall asleep where if you're doing standup or obviously wrestling you were just >> you're done late at night and you're

like man let the water rush.

>> Yeah.

>> [ __ ] What can I do better? This [ __ ] killed. And then it's 4 in the morning.

killed. And then it's 4 in the morning.

>> Yeah. You're buzzing. Yep. You're

buzzing. And it's also it's really hard to have any kind of a normal relationship because you're just constantly not home. You're constantly

gone. Like even your friends like you you really as a touring comic, the best thing that I ever did is start taking friends with me on the road. Yeah.

Instead of just working with like random guys that I didn't know in different towns.

>> Those are fun sometimes. Sometimes like

you know two out of 10 times you meet a new friend.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Eight out of 10 times you're with some annoying alcoholic who, you know, who [ __ ] sucks and and they're annoying and then they want to take you someplace and, you know, you get in trouble.

>> Yeah. Yeah. I I mean that that's certainly um the the normal life aspect of it. It's also

of it. It's also like at full tilt. It's a it's a very absorbing thing. It's a very selfish

absorbing thing. It's a very selfish thing. So, I think not only you don't

thing. So, I think not only you don't work regular office hours and you're a nomad, a gypsy, but especially from a WWE perspective, you you have to like

you're you're a startup founder. You

have to wake up thinking about it. You

have to think about it all day. You have

to go to sleep thinking about it. Wake

up in in the two hours of sleep that you get being like, I remember this line or maybe we can do this stunt or whatever.

>> Right? And it's people who are in your sphere. At least through my perspective

sphere. At least through my perspective and my journey, man, if if you were in my gravity from like 2002 to like 2019,

I wasn't a part of a team. You did it my way. Like bus leaves at 10. If you're

way. Like bus leaves at 10. If you're

there at 10:01, you're [ __ ] left.

Like we're doing this and we're training here and we're doing this and but it's it's so it's so the end product is good.

So, like the dream job of like, man, I never the the six-year-old kid holding the paper belt can be an adult holding the real belt and get shekels for doing that. And I don't ever want to I don't

that. And I don't ever want to I don't want to put that in jeopardy. So, you

[ __ ] are going to have to get in line and we're just going to have to go.

Like, it you you know, I I I was absent a lot in relationships because if it wasn't on my terms, it didn't exist, >> you know, because here you got you you catch lightning out of a jar. I'm a kid

from West Newberry who's, you know, come from a family of five and we there's always more broke, but man, we were a good level of broke and then now like,

hey, if you just work hard at this thing, you can kind of not ever be that again. All right, [ __ ] this. I'm doing

again. All right, [ __ ] this. I'm doing

this thing all the time. But that comes with, hey, I'm getting married or like my grandfather died or I got a birthday coming up or like, hey man, you missed another Thanksgiving. You're damn right

another Thanksgiving. You're damn right I did because I'm doing the thing.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, so that it's al for me at least it was it was that as well of like laser focus all things WWE.

>> Well, it's that in everything that you do where you want to really be successful.

>> It takes saying yes to the thing means no to everything else.

>> I had Jensen Hang on the podcast the other day who's the CEO of Nvidia and like one of the biggest companies on planet Earth. Huge company. [ __ ] dude

planet Earth. Huge company. [ __ ] dude still to this day works seven days a week. And he was talking about when he

week. And he was talking about when he goes on vacation, I go, "Do you go on vacation and just put it all down?" He

goes, "No, I work." He goes, "Even when I'm with my family, I have to work. I'm

working. I work seven days a week. I

don't take a day off. I love it." And he goes, "And I'm terrified of failure." He

goes, "That's my motivation. My

motivation is not I want to succeed. My

motivation is fear of failure." Yeah.

Every day I show up saying, "If I don't do this, we could fail and I'm going to work seven days a week."

>> Everybody thinks they want to be a CEO.

You think you want to be a billionaire?

Like, you want to do that? You want to do that when you're 60 years old? Do you

want to be working seven days a week all day long from the moment you wake up? He

wakes up at 4:30 in the morning. He says

he answers thousands of emails a day.

I'm like, what? How are you? How is that even [ __ ] possible? gets up at 4:30 in the morning, answers all these emails, works all day long, constantly problem solving, making AI chips. It's

[ __ ] crazy, right? Yeah. But that's

with everything. You want to be at the top of the heap.

>> There's only one way.

>> Yeah. When you see something difficult look easy, >> there's a bunch of 4:30 in the morning wakeups that made that happen.

>> You know, >> I think with everything in life Yeah.

anything in life where you really want to excel at it, there's no shortcuts.

Yeah. doesn't exist. That weeds a lot of people out.

>> It does. It does. And there's a lot of, man, armchair quarterback is the easiest and best position on the field.

>> Yeah.

>> I can do that. All I needed to do is do this.

>> Sure. Go right ahead.

>> Yeah.

>> Take your best shot.

>> Yeah. Good luck.

>> Yeah.

>> It's It's interesting because it must weed out so many talented people.

There's probably a lot of talented people that you've seen over the years that just didn't have that drive to constantly improve and succeed and really be thinking about what they're

doing all the time. I I like that statement because I think the talent is doing it all. You could you could have a >> No, you can have one. You could smoke if

you want. I don't care.

you want. I don't care.

>> We have fans in here.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. With fans suck all the smoke.

>> Okay.

>> I think this the statement of um man so many talented people didn't make it.

They may have they may be an acrobat.

>> They may be a fast talker, but that's not the only attribute that makes one special. Uh, you may be a great joke

special. Uh, you may be a great joke writer, but man, if if you don't master stage presence and you be a joke a great joke writer with stage presence, but if you can't lug the tour, >> yeah,

>> you're not you're not talented for it.

>> Well, it's it's really the grind.

>> It is everything the all-encompassing thing. So when someone with great

thing. So when someone with great athletic ability decides that it's not for them because eventually that is we one thing about WWE um for all the

arguments of like backstage politico everybody understands the sound of money >> and no one refuses it like I [ __ ]

hate this guy but I got to give him another match. It may not be, but I now

another match. It may not be, but I now have to give them a 10-year contract.

But when they go out there, if the noise is there, even if the they [ __ ] hate you, you get another match. I'm I am proof positive of that meritocracy at work.

>> Yeah.

>> Like everybody [ __ ] hated me.

>> Why' they hate you?

>> I was just real different. Like I

>> I was just really different. In what

way?

>> Um >> so I didn't rock I didn't ruffle any feathers when I kind of uh entered the business. kept quiet, did my stuff, but

business. kept quiet, did my stuff, but I also didn't connect with the audience and and and I don't know, maybe you guys see this in standup or not, but then I got like a personality of like the the white rap guy, like the the white hip-hop guy.

>> You know about that?

>> Yeah.

>> But like I [ __ ] went I [ __ ] went all in, >> you know, urban gear, like and I'm a hip-hop head, so it's like, oh man, this is my sweet spot. This is the the the avenue. This isn't all of my

avenue. This isn't all of my personality, but this is one level that I can show that I think everyone will get. So, if you go to Madison Square

get. So, if you go to Madison Square Garden, you get it. But if we go to Wheeling, West Virginia, you'll also get it. And you may like it in some places

it. And you may like it in some places and hate it in some places, but everyone will get it. I will not be selling apathy.

But in doing that, >> I never followed dress code. I was

saying disrespectful [ __ ] about my peers. Like, I kind of did it my own

peers. Like, I kind of did it my own way. M.

way. M.

>> So, I was I was kind of ruffling some feathers backstage or just I was taking big swings cuz I was going to [ __ ] get fired anyway. The alternative was lose my job. So, I was like, "Fuck it.

I'm going down swinging."

>> Yeah.

>> And then the people behind the curtain were like, "Ah, the kid's disrespectful to the business. He doesn't care about the business." All the while, I just

the business." All the while, I just want to keep my [ __ ] job, you know?

So the they behind the curtain weren't really invested, but they were also humble enough to be like, "There's noise out there. Got to give them another

out there. Got to give them another match and one match at a time. Times 23

years of compounding interest. We're

here."

>> What did Vince think about your hip-hop?

>> Hated it and then loved it.

>> He hated it and then loved it. And and I think I think I'm thinking for somebody, but I think from his perspective is like when I hear somebody's idea for a personality, man, I want to be this

sports agent guy or whatever. Oh, yo, I have I have the idea of what that is in my head. And if their projection of that

my head. And if their projection of that idea doesn't match my projection that idea, I'm like, ah, [ __ ] I hate it. But

that doesn't mean it can't work. So, I

think what maybe what happened was my perspective of the white hip hop guy from the mean street of West Newberry and Vince's perspective of John Cena the

rapper we probably missed. Like he had an idea and I had an idea and usually he will craft it to to his vision. I got to give him respect for allowing me to to

kind of to run with it, you know. Well,

it's probably that fear of fire being fired that like keeps you on the edge.

>> Dude, that was it. Of like uh the Nvidia guy of like I don't want to fail. Yeah,

I I got the sit down of like, hey, we're going to cut you >> cuz it's not working. Like you you're out there for your matches. You hear the same. It's not working. And I there's no

same. It's not working. And I there's no argument there. I'm like [ __ ] all

argument there. I'm like [ __ ] all right. I got to touch the sun. I got to

right. I got to touch the sun. I got to make it. I got to play for the Yankees.

make it. I got to play for the Yankees.

I got my one at bat. I'm Moonlight

Graham. And then they heard me rap in the back of the bus and was like, "Man, Stephanie heard me rap in the back of the bus."

the bus." >> Yeah.

>> And was like, "Yo, you want to do that on TV?" I'm like, "Lose my job or

on TV?" I'm like, "Lose my job or [ __ ] rap?" "Yeah, let's go. Let's

Let's do this."

>> Yeah.

>> So, it was Stephanie's idea.

>> And it was a [ __ ] accident, dude. It

was an accident. It's my final my final overseas tour for the WWE.

>> And the boys just spend time. Like,

that's the one time they get the whole group together is overseas because you don't want to be hurting cats like in Amsterdam or something. Everybody rides

on the bus. You go from town to town. So

like to pass the time, the boys just do whatever. And they were freestyling in

whatever. And they were freestyling in the back of the bus. And I normally just [ __ ] kept to myself because I was raised in the environment of like keep your ears open, keep your mouth shut, don't do anything unless spoken to. So I

I did that, but I didn't I also didn't make any connections with people who were putting their lives on the line for me.

>> You know, some of the guys you you really beat the [ __ ] out of in the rings are like your best friends. Uh, so I didn't have any of those connections and I heard these guys rapping. I just

remember playing Roller Coaster Tycoon on my laptop, fold that [ __ ] up, putting it away and be like, I'm going to the back of the bus and just waited my turn and then filleted like 12 guys.

>> Yeah.

>> And Stephanie was like, "How the [ __ ] did you remember all that?" I'm like, "No, no, it's freestyle. You just make it up." And she's like, "Well, make up

it up." And she's like, "Well, make up something about me." And we were boarding a plane. And I literally like utilized the plane, the people getting on the plane, what she was wearing, what she was eating. She's like, "Would you do this on TV?"

>> And that's where we got a chance.

>> Wow. That's

>> It wasn't like off to the moon. Like, I

got a a shitty chance on a small spot and that worked.

>> So then I got moved to like the dog [ __ ] Saturday night program that nobody watches. But the cool thing is no one's

watches. But the cool thing is no one's watching. So like I could do whatever I

watching. So like I could do whatever I wanted. So, I started saying more racy

wanted. So, I started saying more racy [ __ ] and dressing more outlandish and having more personality and like claiming ownership of the show. I call

myself Mr. Saturday Night and it's the shitty show. You don't want to be Mr.

shitty show. You don't want to be Mr. Saturday Night, but I did >> and then I got another match and got another match and one by one it kind of brought me here.

>> Wow.

>> Just a [ __ ] happy accident, man.

>> That's crazy.

>> All the way to >> even when the bells were like, "Hey, you want the whole thing's a [ __ ] accident. You want to start training?

accident. You want to start training?

[ __ ] yeah, sure." All right, great. And

you want to start rapping? Yeah, [ __ ] it. Sure. Let's see what happens.

it. Sure. Let's see what happens.

>> That's amazing.

>> It's a happy accident.

>> And for it to go all the way to last year's massive heel turn. He went heel, >> dude. And I

>> dude. And I >> That was this year, by the way.

>> Yeah. Yeah, that was this year. Yeah,

it's been a it's crazy year.

>> Yeah, that was I was at Mania and man, one literally perhaps I other than maybe Hogan, right? The greatest heel turn in

Hogan, right? The greatest heel turn in wrestling history when a good good good good crowd-pleasing guy goes bad bad and dark. You had moments the things you

dark. You had moments the things you were saying, the way you were saying them. Epic, iconic, iconic heel turn.

them. Epic, iconic, iconic heel turn.

Cold, dark, working with the rock. He

was in cahoots. That's the good guy, Cody.

>> You can like see the people's faces.

That That's the fun thing. It's like uh the stuff is so simple, but it's it's the if you take out the crowd in that situation and just put those three guys, it is really [ __ ] up what we do. But

when you add the audience in the back and all of their faces and what's going on, that's what makes >> Bro, even your face, you you you got like a mean guy face all of a sudden.

It's like you look like a different person.

>> That's interesting.

>> I was having a bad day.

>> Well, this is also when you'd already done a bunch of acting.

>> Uh, yes. Like this is this year.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. This is uh February this year.

Yeah.

>> How much of the creative control do you have over the aspects of that heel turn?

Like for example, one thing that I thought was the coolest, I was I was in the front row of WrestleMania behind the Spanish announce table. So I'm directly

across from the entrance, you know, the giant Wrestleman is a football stadium in Las Vegas and there was no music and it was a black background. Normally he's

the most color with the most iconic >> loud wild music. No music, black background, and in white letters it just

said Cena. And you just walked out with

said Cena. And you just walked out with literally the statement was I'm not here to entertain you people basically is what it felt like. And I loved it. I

mean, this is the main event of Mania.

>> You are so entertained. I mean, I want to entertain you. [ __ ] I [ __ ] up.

>> Yeah, I have a I'm a I have a the degree in pro wrestling, but my masters is in healom. Like it's like the bad I just

healom. Like it's like the bad I just love a bad guy. And even ever since that bad guy turn I feel like and I feel like

most bad guy fans do now newly connected with the back to the return of the good guy scene.

>> Yeah. There it is.

>> Oh, I mean it's it was literally just >> I used to come out like a Tasmanian devil and then just just reversed it all.

>> And it seems like nothing but it's iconic.

just cold as ice. Everyone else for four hours coming out with colorful music and pyro and all this stuff. And there's the guy that normally did it the best and the biggest just really not giving a

[ __ ] >> And Wrestlemania, if you're going to do it, like you you'd give your best entrance for Wrestlemania. And this was I guess we were going for the shittiest one.

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Limited time offer. So like for example those things those details that's you mostly pitching to the creative team like like for example like the even just

the white letters the black entrance is that how does that kind of come together?

>> So I think that's um I and I've been lucky enough to kind of take this perspective of not knowing everything and realizing that even even with 23 years of fluency I'm not the smartest

guy in the room. I don't know the technology they have and what they can do. Now granted, a black LED board, I I

do. Now granted, a black LED board, I I could probably come up with that, but what I what I'd like to do is lean on my resources. Like, hey, let's go to

resources. Like, hey, let's go to production and see what production is thinking. And I I don't want to tell

thinking. And I I don't want to tell them what to do because I want to hear their ideas first.

>> Yeah.

>> And production was like, what if we just went basic? I'm like, how basic can you

went basic? I'm like, how basic can you go?

>> Yeah.

>> What if we just blacked everything out?

Yeah. But I know from what you guys have said, you also like to light the No. No.

What if we just black everything out?

You guys would do that. Oh, that sucks.

Yeah, let's do that.

>> Yeah.

>> So, it's not it's not me with all of these things. I don't I don't have

these things. I don't I don't have enough depth of field to touch all the bases, but I will go to every department.

>> Yeah.

>> And say like, okay, entrance is a big part of what we do. What do we do for lighting? What do we do for production?

lighting? What do we do for production?

Go to camera. Like, how do you guys want to shoot it? And then it trickles down when you talk to the talent you're working with. How do we portray this

working with. How do we portray this message? Uh and then of course it starts

message? Uh and then of course it starts at the top with creatively, I want to make you a bad guy, so we're going to do that. Okay, sure. We're going to do

that. Okay, sure. We're going to do that. How do you want to do that? But

that. How do you want to do that? But

it's I think it's getting we have a lot of talented people and just allowing them to do their job and and let you know like, oh, I was kind of thinking this and then tell them, yeah, that's a good idea. Let's do that.

good idea. Let's do that.

>> Yeah. You know,

>> it's amazing >> because I don't know what I don't know what I miss if I'm making all the demands.

>> To show you the contrast, his opponent that night came out to I think it was 40 people on red, white, and blue dirt bikes all dressed like American people.

He comes out >> elevated from inside of the stage wearing this super goddy mask that he has to take off. Fireworks, fireworks,

fire, sparks, smoke, all of these different things. And he just comes out

different things. And he just comes out blankfaced. I just got my bunk sock on

blankfaced. I just got my bunk sock on the back. Just

the back. Just >> run on.

>> There you go.

>> It's so funny hearing Tony talk about this because for people who don't know, the way Tony runs Kill Tony is basically

a version of a WWE event. I mean, it really is like when he does the arena shows, he's has everything set up like a WWE event.

>> Yeah. I mean, even the thing we did with Shane when when Shane was playing when Shane was playing Trump when Trump and I were supposedly feuding online, Trump had said something about me online and

then uh Trump's talking [ __ ] like as Shane's talking [ __ ] and then the music plays and I show up behind him. It's

pure pro wrestling.

>> Oh yeah, >> it's pure pro wrestling.

>> And MSG's on their feet shocked. You

know, you're surprising this crowd that thinks they're just there for a comedy show and well there's the panel. I guess

that's what we're going to have tonight.

But the surprises, the ups, the downs.

And then he brings up Joey Diaz. So it's

like boom boom. Kind of like that big finish at Mania that I was talking about like superstar bringing up a superstar, you know, music, music, smoke, fire.

>> Yes.

>> All these little things.

>> The more the more you make it important, the more important it becomes.

>> Yeah. As when what he's saying is like when Trump was there, this was as Trump was running for president and Trump thought that I was endorsing RFK. So he

got mad at me. So I said I am here to endorse someone and I brought out Joey Diaz. I mean

Diaz. I mean >> which is great because you're going to get a reveal but you get a different reveal and it's like >> and everybody went nuts and but it's like the audience they are into it like they're into pro wrestling. They want

all the heel turns. They want all the chaos. They want all the the the

chaos. They want all the the the pageantry and the the fire and the explosions and all the [ __ ] >> Man, you get you get any live audience, they're into all that. Like watch a

college football game, watch a soccer game overseas or or football as they would say. Like

would say. Like >> the fans, it's it's like a group think of energy.

>> Mhm.

>> That's [ __ ] nuts.

>> Like audiences want it. It doesn't

matter where you're at. Like what

>> man, when comics just go out and light up a stage and they have that [ __ ] stage presence and they just slay a set, the [ __ ] audience is rolling in the aisles. like they you you let the you

aisles. like they you you let the you let them in and they they can help make a joke that might not hit the night before. Slay like it's it's all about

before. Slay like it's it's all about the moment. It's all about being there

the moment. It's all about being there and and reading the people. And the the fun thing about WWE is you can you can go out there with an idea and and kind I can only imagine this as kind of like

standup where if you got your set and you tell the first joke to crickets, >> you may try another joke and if that's crickets, you got to [ __ ] pivot.

>> Yeah. So, we go out, we go out and do something >> and oh man, they're into it. Great. All

right, we have them. We just got to maintain their attention until we get to act three essentially.

>> But if you hear [ __ ] crickets, you're like, "All right, we're switching it up.

[ __ ] pivot right now."

>> And you That's the beauty. That's That's

one of the things that I love the most is the >> It's not just me and the other person out there. Like the audience is the act

out there. Like the audience is the act every like that moment only means something. If you put a blue screen

something. If you put a blue screen behind the people, it is super [ __ ] up. Like, what the [ __ ] are they doing

up. Like, what the [ __ ] are they doing and why does that mean anything, >> right?

>> But when you let the level of the audience and everybody's on their feet and they go, "No." Like,

>> it's [ __ ] everything. It's

everything.

>> That's why Tonyy's so interested in the coordination of it all and the setting and the sabotage and all the chaos that's involved in all of it.

>> But these are these are human emotions that are universal. Mhm.

>> Everyone understands betrayal, jealousy, anger disappointment failure excitement. Like

excitement. Like >> these are universal things that you don't if we don't speak the same language, you still have felt these things. And you could watch that. No one

things. And you could watch that. No one

spoke in that clip. But you could watch that in anywhere in the world and be like, "That kid just got [ __ ] over, >> right?

>> Oh, what what's going to happen next?"

>> Like that's the beautiful appeal of it, you know? It's it's we don't hit too far

you know? It's it's we don't hit too far above our weight class. Like we we try to send largecale universal messages based on true real human emotion that we all know.

>> Yeah. And up to that day, that moment, like even that thing that we were just telling you about me bringing uh him coming out, that being a reveal, him

bringing up Diaz was coordinated literally I think 15 minutes before go time. like literally me with a with a

time. like literally me with a with a big piece of paper going, "Hey Joe, what if we did this?" He confirms it. So I go to hair and makeup where they're

finishing up Shane as Trump, which in itself is just hysterical. I pitch it to him. He loves it. I go to Diaz, I say

him. He loves it. I go to Diaz, I say Rogan's going to bring you up and and the thing happens quick. Whereas with

you know every form of entertainment that we're used to other than wrestling and like kind of you know Kill Tony in this instance everything's so

pre-planned that if we over pre-planned it we wouldn't have had the topical RFK endorsement because it was like news that day. Sure. And uh so again that

that day. Sure. And uh so again that inspiration you know totally comes from there because what else is doing that at MSG 10 minutes before the show

reorganizing things. So now we have to

reorganizing things. So now we have to go to production and go have Rogan's >> uh LED ready and then Diaz in that order. You know

order. You know >> it literally comes from that >> and when it goes right there's not a better feeling in the world.

>> Exactly. I just get to sit back and watch.

>> Yeah. But it's so funny that that connection with pro wrestling is really why you've made Kill Tony the way it is.

>> Yeah.

>> Like without your love of pro wrestling, it would be such a different show. Like

if it was just run like a traditional standup show, right, >> it's there's so much else going on that makes it the biggest show.

>> Yeah. Well, it's long-term storytelling.

We had a guy on on Monday that had been doing it 14 years and man, he just his timing was off. He struggled even after the minute. I go, "You've been doing it

the minute. I go, "You've been doing it 14 years." He goes, "Yeah, man." I go,

14 years." He goes, "Yeah, man." I go, "What do you how do you make money?" He

goes, "I do this." I go, "You do this for a living." He goes, "Yeah." I go, "You must have better material. I'm

going to give you another shot. Do

another minute. Here we go, ladies and gentlemen." And I introduce him again.

gentlemen." And I introduce him again.

And he bombs again. And literally um I was talking with it about it with Stephanie after the show because she just happened to be at Kil Tony on Monday and she goes a guy like that you

know what h you know what happens next I go hopefully hopefully the guy gets pulled out of the bucket in a month or two has a great set puts it together realizes oh his timing was off he wasn't

taking a breath he wasn't connecting with the crowd he was just memorizing his stuff and it the story begins to be told about this guy. And sometimes it

happens in reverse. Sometimes somebody

starts off, you know, fire hot, >> rocket strap to the back.

>> Yep. And then that's kind of the sadder thing, right? Is starting hot and then

thing, right? Is starting hot and then never being able to touch that again.

Have a moment like your first time.

>> Well, it's like we were talking about people with talent. We all know someone who killed during open mic days that we were like, "Wow, this guy's going to be huge." They have like undeniable talent

huge." They have like undeniable talent and they just can't manage it. They

can't figure it out. They self-sabotage.

They get addicted to drugs or alcohol or whatever it is.

>> There are so many things.

>> Yeah.

>> It's not just the ability to go out and do the task. Well, there's so many variables that will [ __ ] you up.

>> Yeah.

>> Dude, >> you're right. So many

>> so many gifted people have just just have that roadblock in front of them.

>> Which is why I think conversations with successful people are so important because you get to hear those stories.

You get to hear like with Jensen the other day, he was talking about how Nvidia was basically bankrupt. They were

they were on their way out and someone gave them a chance. Like some some one guy that was an investor gave him a chance and then they wound up becoming successful. And then there was this

successful. And then there was this these moments and people need to know that you're going to have those hurdles there. You're going to have those

there. You're going to have those roadblocks. You're going to have to

roadblocks. You're going to have to figure out how to adjust. It's not easy.

None of no one who's been successful at anything will tell you the whole ride was easy.

>> Yeah. But a lot of the times sometime man sometimes we'll be in it. I

So I've been through like three generations of knowledge and learning uh 23 years in in the business at operating at a high level. I have seen thousands

and like it is the man if you're a stud in peewee football league then you go to this junior high school and then you're the number one player in college and then you're the number one number one player high school number one player in

college >> eke out a spot in the NFL and then a year later you're gone because the funnel just gets so thin >> like WWE has like 200 personnel in their

NXT development program right now >> maybe 10 will make Maybe. And of those 10, like really

Maybe. And of those 10, like really honestly, maybe one will make it. And

what the hope is is over a six-year period of those classes of 200 that get metriculated probably every four months, so we're talking 6,000 people.

>> I'm I'm hoping one makes it.

>> Wow. in in five or six years, I need one because my top guy right now, my Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodess and and the Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynches of the world, like um they'll they'll last half

a decade to draw. Maybe if if we're lucky, maybe we'll we'll get it more.

They can, you know, maybe parlay it into a decade or two, but that's an anomaly.

You got to play the the legit math of like after five years, I better have somebody in the on deck circle. M.

>> So, out of like 5 6,000, I just need one. But it's still everybody's biting

one. But it's still everybody's biting their fingernails of like we don't have the person yet. It's so many folks just don't make it. Just don't make it.

>> Yeah. That's that's the parallel to standup.

>> Yeah. It's man,

>> so that you know, there's so many people that we we were talking last night in the green room.

>> Thousands. And when I see them like in the ring do stuff, I'm like, I could never do that. But they just won't they just don't make it. It's just there's so many things that [ __ ] people up. So much

self- sabotage. So much inability to to stay the course >> in our own worst enemy.

>> You know, I don't know.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't know.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Happy accidents, though.

[ __ ] it.

>> Well, yeah. Happy accidents. But not

just that. It's you being able to stay on course and you being able to recognize that, you know, okay, this didn't work. What do I do? You want me

didn't work. What do I do? You want me to rap? Okay, I'll [ __ ] rap. Like a

to rap? Okay, I'll [ __ ] rap. Like a

lot of people would have been like, "I'm not [ __ ] rapping.

>> That's beneath me. I'm here to be a wrestler. I'm not a gimmick.

wrestler. I'm not a gimmick.

>> I'm not going to be a buffoon."

>> Yeah. I'll be a buffoon >> cuz it beats working a real job.

>> It's not only that. It's part of the entertainment of it all. Even the cringe aspect of it where people ARE LIKE, "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" LIKE, it's great. He loves that [ __ ]

great. He loves that [ __ ] >> Oh, it's the best. The best. You know

who my guy is right now? Dominic

Mysterio.

>> Love Dom. Oh my god. So he's

>> Were you?

>> Uh, no. You're here. I was going to You weren't at Petco, were you?

>> No.

>> Ah gosh, we had fun over there.

>> I bet I was. I I caught a lot of it.

Yeah, >> man. That kid's good, too. Like good

>> man. That kid's good, too. Like good

good human being.

>> I happen to be in um Salt Lake City doing a gig. I was doing standup in one arena and the WWE happened to be in the other arena in Salt Lake City just a few

weeks ago. And I'm like, "Ah, darn." But

weeks ago. And I'm like, "Ah, darn." But

I look it up and it's a 5:00 pm taping of WWE. So I hit up my friends at WWE. I

of WWE. So I hit up my friends at WWE. I

go, I'm coming in. I'm bringing my openers, right? Uh anyway, Dominic

openers, right? Uh anyway, Dominic Mysterio is in a triple threat match and his whole thing is he's wrestling royalties. He's Rey Mysterio's son, but

royalties. He's Rey Mysterio's son, but he claims that he might be Eddie Guerrero's son because he because his father's, you know, one of the ultimate good guys of all time.

So basically he takes on uh the the the traits of Eddie Guerrero whose whole thing was cheating and lying and stealing, breaking the rules in original

ways all the time. And he's doing a triple threat match which means there's three guys at once, right? But if the if someone beats anybody, you could lose your belt. And his Intercontinental

your belt. And his Intercontinental Champion, I think it's Intercontinental, right? is on the line and he gets thrown

right? is on the line and he gets thrown outside the ring and I'm having fun, right? I go, "Dominic, cheat. Do

right? I go, "Dominic, cheat. Do

something." Right? And he's kind of on the other side of the thing and he lifts up his head and looks at me and goes like that. He gives a big wink and then

like that. He gives a big wink and then he goes back down again and I'm cracking up. I go, "Did you see that?" I'm next

up. I go, "Did you see that?" I'm next to Paulie Shore. I go, "Did you just see him wink?" He goes, "Yeah, man. What's

him wink?" He goes, "Yeah, man. What's

he going to do, bro?" I don't know. But

these two guys in the ring are wrestling and one of them has the other one in a submission hold a camel clutch. I can't

remember who it was but anyway. And I'm

like you I literally even me watching since I was a kid and even though he just winked at me it was just enough time I forgot that Dominic was over there cuz this action in the ring is

really happening. Something's about to

really happening. Something's about to happen and you hear the bell ring and I look over and there's Dominic with the hammer in his hand ringing the bell and the guy lets go with a submission and

the referee goes, "What the hell?" And

something I hadn't seen in 35 years of watching this thing. He was He's innovative enough to find a brand new way to cheat in this

>> twice.

A brand new way to cheat. and the crowd, everybody's cracking up. It's a whole new right when you think you've seen it all.

>> This guy who you would love, he's literally like built like me. He flexes

like Nate Diaz without flexing and he's just braggadocious.

Oh yeah. He thinks, see, he thinks he won, but the ref's like, "No." And hold on, they got to cut to Dominic.

>> He just loves it.

Yep.

>> There's our guy.

>> Dirty Dom.

>> Yeah.

>> And the crowd just loves him. That's all

of us right there. That's Matty Edgar, Joe D. Rosa, Paulie Shore, me. It was D.

Joe D. Rosa, Paulie Shore, me. It was D.

Roza's first real wrestling event. He

had the time of his life. Childlike

wonder.

>> I I love getting people in there live for the first time.

>> Yes. There's something funny about a pro wrestler that's not built to >> Oh. Oh yeah. And he's the champ. And all

>> Oh. Oh yeah. And he's the champ. And all

all these other guys. That guy pent.

>> Man, he just whipped my ass. Dirty dump.

He just whipped my ass.

>> Yeah, >> for real. I just lost the Intercontinental Championship to that son of a [ __ ] >> Look at him.

>> Covered in gold.

>> Yeah.

>> Probably what 5'9.

>> No, he's a tall drink of water. He's

taller than me, but he's 170 lbs.

Soaking wet.

>> Yeah, exactly. Such a uniquely American form of art. Yeah,

>> it really is. It's weird because um in pockets of the world like it's uh Japan has their own style of doing it. Um

Latin America has their own style of doing it. The UK has their own style of

doing it. The UK has their own style of doing it. But this

doing it. But this >> Yeah.

>> Like the Japanese is very strong style with respect to martial art. Um the

English style is very like catches catch can, a real like technical expose. The

Latin American style, the Mexican style is high-flying. Mhm.

is high-flying. Mhm.

>> The the American offering of like steak, sizzle, apple pie, ice cream, Fourth of July, everything like huge.

>> And that's all Vince, right?

>> A lot of it.

>> So, is it all ever one person?

>> Right. It's not.

>> A lot of it is. A lot of it is. But like

uh promotions like World Class Championship Wrestling were were some of the first to use music.

>> Vince was the first to be like, "Rock and roll. Get over here and get on cable

and roll. Get over here and get on cable and let's let's blow this thing out. I

want to do it. It's It's not just something we have in a local VFW with cigar smoke and guys taking side action on carnival tricks. No, this is a [ __ ] thing and we are going to make

this a [ __ ] thing.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, >> it's also a [ __ ] thing where it's a lot of it is not televised cuz you're just traveling around the country doing these shows.

>> Yeah. So that that the business model has kind of changed where media content is king now. So uh from what I understand from TKO and I know their

executives will correct me but from my perspective we have scaled back on the live event only uh offerings which helps you know uh lick the wounds. It's weird

it like you don't bump enough or you don't bump as much but you kind of need to get in there and bump to get your callous and to get your wind and timing.

So it's it's kind of you get your signals crossed. But anyhow, um the

signals crossed. But anyhow, um the content that is provided is always available for media or or 99% where it used to be the opposite. We used to do

like four live shows, one TV taping. So

you'd have four live shows under your match, you know, you do you do like um >> Lafayette, Little Rock, Pensacola, and then TV in Orlando, you know, and that

would be the end of the run. And then

you'd do it again of like Bangor, Portsmith, um, Providence, TV in Boston, you know, like, and then you'd go for another week and go somewhere else. But it's it's

different now. It's like every piece is

different now. It's like every piece is televised for the media, which is great because we get a lot out to our fans across the world, but like I learned I learned how to fail in those non-televised events. M

non-televised events. M >> I could take big swings cuz it's like, man, if I'm on the the middle of a card in in Valareerezo and I kind of [ __ ] up

in a gymnasium with 3,500 people, they might they might tell me to [ __ ] off, but there's also the last match that's going to send them home happy. So, let's

try this new weird thing. And that's

where like me being invisible starts, you know? It's just like, ah, [ __ ]

you know? It's just like, ah, [ __ ] try it. Who cares? Because it's it's an

try it. Who cares? Because it's it's an environment where you don't want to fail. Now it's we there's way more

fail. Now it's we there's way more advantage on getting our content out there, but production is super slick.

It's like really precise. It everyone's

really good. And um I don't know how many people go out there and just like like Dom. Like that was an example of

like Dom. Like that was an example of swinging big.

>> I'm going to fake ring the bell, >> right?

>> Will people even get that? Who cares?

Let's try it. like he's he's the only one of those guys who will or very few of those guys will stand on an idea like that where the other guys are like no I want to have a good choreographed performance >> because I want my stuff to look good

because it's on television and going around the world >> you know I loved the non-televised events but there's just there's not there's not it's not a good business model the

>> so how does a young person coming up now learn how to fail >> that is I think a conundrum that we're facing um because you you're failing in front of the world, >> right?

>> You know, um >> it's it's weird. You can have >> you can it's like you work out your set, but you can't do it on small clubs before you go to an arena.

>> It's like you would you would work out your set at home and then you just play the in it dome or you play Barclay Center. Like you don't have a small room

Center. Like you don't have a small room to be like, >> "All right, it landed. Oh man, I got to [ __ ] rework that one." You don't ever have that. You just have this. You put

have that. You just have this. You put

it together in your head. Do you think it's okay? And then you're out there.

it's okay? And then you're out there.

So, I I I don't know. Um I'm not saying it can't work. I think it can because analytics show that it it does work and we we have a lot of people watching now.

But from my perspective, I really enjoyed the carefree nature of just going out and being ready for anything and and it being okay if I I [ __ ] up

and I failed. If I told some bad jokes, I could come back and be like, "That didn't work. That didn't work." And then

didn't work. That didn't work." And then you have a partner to be like, "Oh, and this didn't work, but this slayed. Why

don't you do this again?" Like,

literally, that's where this came from.

Just [ __ ] around at live events. And,

"Oh my god, there's noise. I'll do it tomorrow night. We're in a different

tomorrow night. We're in a different town. Let's see if they get

town. Let's see if they get >> How did you come up with that?"

>> It was a dare. My brother a happy [ __ ] accident. My brother dared me to do it. Like, when we um when I was in

do it. Like, when we um when I was in the middle of the the rapping wormhole, I made I I'm a platinum rapper. I made

my own album. So, like in in making Yes, this is >> amazing.

>> Drink it in. Drink it in. Uh, in uh in making the album, we would bring home all the tracks and like my little brother was our test audience and he would do this dance where he would like shake his head and keep his hand in

front of him like that is man, look at you. He's like, you won't do that on TV.

you. He's like, you won't do that on TV.

And again, I was on the programs that no one was watching. So, it's like no one's watching anyway. Yeah, [ __ ] you. I will

watching anyway. Yeah, [ __ ] you. I will

do it on TV. And I did it on some meaningless Saturday show and there was a little bit of noise. So I took it with me on the road for the next week and did it on the live events that weren't televised. There's a little bit of

televised. There's a little bit of noise. Okay. Like this is my thing now.

noise. Okay. Like this is my thing now.

This is my thing. And I just You can't see me. And like that's

see me. And like that's >> now it's a thing.

>> Yeah.

>> Amazing.

>> Yeah. So it's I did it on a dare.

>> Wow. But like I also had I was in a place to be able to tell my brother, "Okay, I can waste two seconds on an inside joke between you and I." That's

the dare. It's not going to ruin the match, but if you're watching, if you're the only one person watching Velocity that night, you'll be like, "Inside joke. Got it. All right. It's like

joke. Got it. All right. It's like

shouting out your gaming group." Like

seven people get the joke, but this is one of those things where it kind of fit and it stuck.

>> Wow. It's just so many of those things in your life. so many of those like fortuitous moments.

>> Well, I you know um admittedly I I have a I have an optimism bias. I I I will admit that. But life will will deal

admit that. But life will will deal opportunity. It's a it's

opportunity. It's a it's it's a matter of understanding that it's happening. You know, don't get in your

happening. You know, don't get in your own way.

>> Yeah.

>> Like say, "Yeah, come here. Sit with you guys. This is a new experience for me."

guys. This is a new experience for me."

Uh like, "Yeah, let's do it." Okay,

great. Um, man, first wrestler to ever retire. Yes, that's a good idea. We're

retire. Yes, that's a good idea. We're

just gonna do it. Yeah, but you'll never be able to come back. Yes, but the let's just do this thing. Like, life is throwing me an opportunity to create a year's worth of programming narrative that I think will be interesting. The

alternative is to do what everybody else has done and maybe hang on too long and people like, man, you should have left a few years ago. Now, let's let's let's do this rap. Let's do this. Do you want to

this rap. Let's do this. Do you want to train? It involves you working at this

train? It involves you working at this shitty job where you're probably gonna I tried to be a cop and failed. I was

going to go down and join the Marines.

That's lifelong employment. I'm I'm

really good with structure. I dig

uniform. Like I give me what to do and like a a code of conduct to live by. I

have a feeling I would have fit in there great. I love being in shape. They they

great. I love being in shape. They they

feed you over there. Like I I think I would have done okay. But life put an opportunity in front of me and I was stupid enough to say yes. Going out

naked in the Oscars. I was just on Jimmy Kimmel last night. He's like, "Man, you want to do this bit?" I'm like, "Dude, I am super tired. I'm on I'm on a different coast." He's like, "Let me

different coast." He's like, "Let me send you the bit." And I read it. I'm

like "Yo [ __ ] All right. I'm going to do it."

All right. I'm going to do it."

>> What'd you do?

>> I shuffled out there with an index card over my dick.

>> Oh, that that thing. Yeah, that's

>> But like, man, in a room full of not even peers or contemporaries, like the pantheon of the professional goal that you try to reach. I don't know any of these [ __ ] people. I don't belong in that room.

>> Right?

>> And he's like, "Yeah, man. Just kind of walk out there naked. It'll be a fun bit." And he's right. It would be a

bit." And he's right. It would be a funny bit, but I could have got in my own way of like, "Now I got to fly. I'm

exhausted. I'm going to make a fool on myself. I don't know any one of these

myself. I don't know any one of these people. It's my first impression. I can

people. It's my first impression. I can

I can sit on the couch. Like that's the easy part. The tough part is like life

easy part. The tough part is like life has dealt you this opportunity. [ __ ] say yes. 15 minutes before the show when

say yes. 15 minutes before the show when you get a good idea. The easy thing to do is be like, "Do the show."

>> The hard thing to do is be like, "Yo, let's let's [ __ ] swing. Let's go for it."

it." >> Yeah.

>> So, it's it's not like I I think those moments happen to a lot of us.

>> And it doesn't have to be a lottery ticket. Granted,

ticket. Granted, holy hell, I've been given a lot of lottery tickets, but it could be something as simple as like, "Yo, you're in a crummy mood. Find a way to be kind."

kind." Like, life just gave you an opportunity.

The person getting your coffee is like, "Yo, have a nice day."

You could stay crummy or you could be like, "Fuck, thank you very much.

Appreciate that.

>> Appreciate your time." Like that's an opportunity. You know, life is just a

opportunity. You know, life is just a matter of like us reacting to what life throws at at us.

>> Pivotal decisions >> and it doesn't need to be a worldchanging decision. I think now I

worldchanging decision. I think now I don't want to say nowadays. I think we always think that like the decision needs to change the world. No, it's you just need to [ __ ] commit and do

something. As a 12-year-old, I want to

something. As a 12-year-old, I want to start working out and I liked it and I just [ __ ] keep working out. And now

now I can't live without it. It's part

of my life. It's a fabric of my life.

But in working out, I've learned structure and discipline, accountability, essentially budget. You

if you take in too much and you don't spend enough, you're going to have some excess. Like the these lessons that

excess. Like the these lessons that opportunity can teach you if you allow it. Me [ __ ] up. the the thing I spoke

it. Me [ __ ] up. the the thing I spoke about at the beginning like the easiest thing to do is your fault, but if I take it as an opportunity of like, all right, you missed. What did we learn? Where's

you missed. What did we learn? Where's

the gain?

>> Yeah, >> you can move forward and I can move forward and wholeheartedly apologize to those I've hurt along the way. And they

don't need to forgive me. That's on

their terms. I can't control that. But

man, this the sleep is a little more sound at night knowing like in learning this lesson or having this opportunity.

[ __ ] dude. I kind of trampled on your [ __ ] and I'm so sorry. Like, I had had such a shitty relationship with my dad and just recently we've mended fences and he's 80, so I'm glad I've done this

cuz I mean, we don't last forever. He's

going, we're all going in the dirt soon, you know? But I just wanted him to be

you know? But I just wanted him to be something else. I always wanted that

something else. I always wanted that [ __ ] to change. I wanted him to be something else. And finally, I got out of my own way. The hard thing is meeting that guy where he's at. The hard

thing is allowing him to be who he is.

take the weight off my backpack and say like, "Yo, I might have needed you to be this in my life, but because you weren't, man, because of your absence in

being uh the dad that I had in my mind, I got all these [ __ ] cool male mentors >> who kept gave me a key to the gym at 15 and said, "You better [ __ ] be here in the morning." And like, dude, I still

the morning." And like, dude, I still can feel a key in my hand from Dave Knock. Um the the dean of students at

Knock. Um the the dean of students at Coaching Academy who who bet on me. He

was like, "Man, if you get your grades from C's to A's and you play two varsity sports, this place cost in 94, this place cost 35 grand a year. We will give you aid and you will have a place to

learn." And that allowed me to become an

learn." And that allowed me to become an adult. It allowed me to the opportunity

adult. It allowed me to the opportunity of being in a diverse group of students who, man, there's like royalty that goes to that school and then there's [ __ ] poor kids. My roommate was a basketball

poor kids. My roommate was a basketball player from Compton and then we got kids with generational wealth through their name in buildings after. But when it's just like 450 kids in a social experiment, money goes away and you just

you you just kick it. So I learned to be friends with everybody. But I wouldn't have learned that in West Newbury where it's 99.9% white, 1200 people in the small town, no stop lightss, you either leave or you never leave. Like just

little little things like that. You know

what I'm saying? Like little

>> like man I should do this. and

deciding to meet my dad where he's at and be like, "Dude, I whatever I thought you were, you're not. You're just you and I love you for you." And man, when we sit, there's some [ __ ] that he'll say that's all [ __ ] up. You know, he said

some [ __ ] yesterday that like I don't think John's last opponent should be there. And people listen to him because

there. And people listen to him because he's a wrestling fan. He's like in the kind of like the weird subculture zeitgeist. And I want to call my dad and

zeitgeist. And I want to call my dad and be like, "What the [ __ ] are you doing?"

But then like no, he's doing what he does. this is him.

does. this is him.

>> This is the dad I This is the John Cena I love. This is this is the guy I can

I love. This is this is the guy I can sit down with and and and part of that is >> being able to process all that. But the

opportunity I get from that. I've

learned about my father's story. I've

learned about what he what he wants to do with his life, why he does what he does, maybe what he wanted to do, dreams he didn't have, so I can gain wisdom from there. But it's just that's the

from there. But it's just that's the hard part. is like getting out of your

hard part. is like getting out of your own [ __ ] way >> to do the thing you really want to do.

The easy thing to do is to hold a grudge against my dad. What I really wanted to do was tell my dad I love him and sit down with him and be like, "Yo, let's [ __ ] break bread."

>> Yeah.

>> Talk about whatever you want. And now we do that. And it's great. But that's like

do that. And it's great. But that's like that's a small example of >> the easy thing to do is sit on the couch and say, "Fuck it. Somebody else's

fault."

>> Right?

>> The tough thing to do is like life is handing me a moment right now. And dude,

I don't bat a thousand. I mean, it's more like Major League Baseball. I'm

hoping 300 gets me in the Hall of Fame.

Like, if I can capitalize on 30% of the moments that life gives me and squander the other 70%, I believe I will go into the ground being like, man, I earned life.

>> If you can capitalize on 30% of the moments, you are in the 1% of human beings that have ever lived.

>> I earned life. Yeah.

>> So, I'm I'm just trying to get that make it to Coopertown.

>> Yeah. That's that's the reality. And the

also the reality is if someone doesn't give you what you need, it it gives you a desire to get what you need.

>> So many >> sometimes it's a gift to not have like doting parents like >> I'm like, "Oh my goodness." Like I said, I I would never have gotten those the beautiful guidance I got in life. I

always had father figures >> because I was searching for it and they they found me. And I was also savvy enough to be like, "This guy needs to stick in my life for a little bit. I

that sucks and he [ __ ] pushes me but I got to keep this guy around.

>> Like just weird stuff like that. I hear

a lot of wrestlers a lot of times.

>> What do you want to do here? I want to be champion. Okay. The math of that

be champion. Okay. The math of that really slim. I never wanted to be a

really slim. I never wanted to be a [ __ ] champion. I just wanted to wrestle. And if you're good, it'll take

wrestle. And if you're good, it'll take you places where one day you can hold one of those. But if you start with a goal of I want to hold one of those, man, am I pigeon holeing my goal. What

the [ __ ] do you really want to do? I

just wanted to wrestle and if I got fired by WWE, I would have tried to go to Japan. I would have tried to go to

to Japan. I would have tried to go to Mexico. I would have tried to go to the

Mexico. I would have tried to go to the UK.

>> [ __ ] it. I because I just wanted to do it. But that also meant I would put my

it. But that also meant I would put my best foot forward. And I wasn't shackled to I need to be champion or I'm not validated. I'm not successful,

validated. I'm not successful, >> right?

>> You know what I'm saying?

>> Yeah.

>> Just give me a chance to go out there and get the noise and whatever else falls into place, [ __ ] it. Cool. Because

what I want to do is just go out there and be in the arena. It's funny because they talk about the noise the way we talk about the laughs. Yeah.

>> It's the same thing.

>> It's the same thing.

>> Totally.

>> It's the same thing.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, and I don't need to be the most decorated person, but it's weird because in not even trying. I have a resume that people will now measure up against like, oh, that's you got to win

x amount to to pass the hurdle. So, it's

weird. Like, I didn't I didn't even try to do any of that. All I tried to do is like, you'll just get me out there. And

and when you look at what I've done and and you've you've followed a bit like um it was weird. I was in the main event of Wrestlemania this year >> and to talk to people they were like oh

man that's crazy. The last main event of Wrestlemania I was in was 2012.

So you'd think that like oh John Cena this guy is everything handed to him.

He's always at the top. That was my first main event Wrestlemania appearance as an attraction in like 13 years. And

in that span, I worked new wrestlers. I

worked for lower level titles. I sat

ringside and crushed three beers and then got [ __ ] squashed by the Undertaker as a fan.

>> Yeah.

>> Like I did all sorts of [ __ ] you know?

But it because it was never about like I'm not a success unless I'm in the main event of Wrestlemania. No, that's just a position with a ton of stress. Just

[ __ ] get me out in the course. Just

get me in the arena.

have me in section one shaking hands with people from Australia and I'll make it the best [ __ ] time they ever had.

It doesn't matter. Like just get me out there. What I don't want to do is sit on

there. What I don't want to do is sit on the bench, >> right?

>> You know, so how did you go from that into acting? Like what was your first

into acting? Like what was your first >> So originally it was a a business choice. Vince opened WWE Studios and

choice. Vince opened WWE Studios and with the idea of if we make these guys movie stars, more people come to the arena. M

arena. M >> now as a young 20some on the road people chant your name every night I'm like more people in the arena that sounds [ __ ] great and his first movie was

supposed to be with Steve Austin and the it it fell through they were about to shoot in two weeks so movie pre-production is way longer than that but he was like you're going to

Australia to film this movie the Marine and it it was tough it was tough I went from arrive in a town at noon work out

get a good meal in, crush the show, have some beers on the ride to the next town, fall asleep, do it all again. And it's

like this whirlwind of electricity to, okay, you're in hair and makeup at 6:00.

We're doing an explosion today, so the lights are going to be weird, and we probably will get to you around 5:30 p.m. You just said it's 6:00 in the

p.m. You just said it's 6:00 in the morning. Yeah.

morning. Yeah.

So, what the [ __ ] you want me to do from here until 5:30? I just hang out. And I

couldn't like as a young 20some, I wanted to be in the electricity. I

couldn't handle the the nature of the business.

>> Yeah.

>> And therefore, my passion wasn't in it.

I wasn't fully invested in it. I am I am [ __ ] here with you guys right now. We

are talking about this. My my mind isn't elsewhere on other [ __ ] I I want this to be what I want to give you all I got.

So, I'm here with you. I was never there in those movies. I was always back in [ __ ] maybe if I had the feud with this guy or if I could have done this. I was

never there. and you could see it in the performance.

>> So, I kind of got run out of the movie business. I did so many shitty movies in

business. I did so many shitty movies in like 2009 10. My my best friend agent Dan Bame at the time I was like, "Man, we're never doing movies again." Right?

And you know, as an agent is supposed to be the guy to pick you up, he looks at me dead. He goes, "Nope, we will find

me dead. He goes, "Nope, we will find another way though." He was honest. We

are never do we run out of town, >> but we'll find another way. So, we did.

We did um hosted some live shows. Uh um

hosted some game shows. did little

appearances here and there and then uh Jud Appattow and Amy Schumer gave me a chance on um uh gosh, Train Wreck and it was a very

small part but again like just just get out in the arena and do your best and and look I was in a [ __ ] room with comics like funny people. I don't belong

there. But they they created an

there. But they they created an environment where I wasn't judged. They

only showed the good jokes. that didn't

they didn't show the [ __ ] 20 takes or I tried to tell jokes that sucked. The

only ones that made the final cut were the ones that made people laugh. So they

they provided an opportunity for failure. And at that point I've been

failure. And at that point I've been playing the same character. This is 2014 15. I've been playing the same character

15. I've been playing the same character on TV for 15 [ __ ] years. And now I'm like, yo, I get to do something different. I can do this for 12 hours.

different. I can do this for 12 hours.

You want me to sit? I'll go [ __ ] read a book. I don't care. I'm in. So I

a book. I don't care. I'm in. So I

accepted the patient process of movies.

M >> and then after that I I I got a little bit of noise and train wreck and then Jud sent word to Tina Fay and Amy Polar who were filming up the road in Long Island be like if you got a spot you

should hire the kid and they made me a drug dealer and their thing and then like things started to roll downhill but it was very very small parts at a time

and here I am that was 2015 here I am a decade later and I'm still trying to advance to fluency. By no means am I like I'm the the 17time champ of the the acting community. Those were the

acting community. Those were the [ __ ] I was looking at when I was naked, you know, >> right?

>> I'm aspiring to try to be that. But it's

basically the pivot happened when I was like, yo, if you just invest in this, the hustle you and patience you put into wrestling,

at least you know, you gave it your all.

you know, be coachable, be professional, be reliable, be interested, and and see where the chips fly and and [ __ ] say yes.

>> Well, it's also you had the the objectivity, like the the introspective objectivity to look at your past performances and say, I wasn't really in there.

>> I wasn't. And I got run out of town.

>> Yeah.

>> I lost the job. So, like, here's that here's that mulligan. What? [ __ ] I'm I'll I'll never work in this town again.

I will. All right, let's go. Let's try.

What else could go wrong? They've

already fired me, >> you know? So, again, an environment and no one does it alone. The the people I was around, uh Tina and Amy are the same way. Like, only show the funny [ __ ] but

way. Like, only show the funny [ __ ] but try whatever you want. Like, fail. It's

okay. And just because you're around people who do comedy for a living, all we need is three seconds, and we'll be patient enough to give you what you need to give us that 3 seconds, >> you know?

>> Yeah. It's uh it's just such a fun story, you know, and there's so there's only a few guys that have managed to make that leap from WWE. Obviously, The

Rock is the big one.

>> Sure.

>> You know, I mean, he's the biggest one to make that leap and now become a giant movie star.

>> Well, I think it's a I think it's a leap a lot of people can make. Uh it's not from from lack of talent. We talk about like obstacles and like we're in our own way.

>> WWE is all consuming. And you got to remember like I I was their biggest act.

So at 220 shows a year for me to be like, "Hey, I need six months off to film this action movie." That really [ __ ] with the bottom line.

>> Like >> Oh, yeah.

>> So So the answer is no.

>> Right.

>> You know, and and and now with less live events, it's still you you want to be on television. It's like, okay, I need to

television. It's like, okay, I need to somehow leverage my relevance with this to the what it's going to do to film that in WWE. If you're not, I'm going to retire on the 13th.

They will be moved on by the Royal Rumble. And that's that is real facts. I

Rumble. And that's that is real facts. I

will be forgotten. That is not a plea of sympathy of like always remember me by the Royal Rumble and the Road Wrestlemania. Nobody gives a [ __ ]

Wrestlemania. Nobody gives a [ __ ] because they're focusing on what the show is. That's like three weeks after I

show is. That's like three weeks after I retire.

three weeks after I retire, nobody's gonna give a [ __ ] And that's not I'm not saying like what I did was meaningless. I've lived the moments.

meaningless. I've lived the moments.

They're great. People move on. So when

if I'm a talent who's on TV and finally got one of those spots and edged my way in, do I is this the right time to leverage taking myself off of TV to do

four months on something that isn't going to come out for another 18 months and then I got to go back to TV hoping people still care that my my ring work is still polished that I still have my

finger on the pulse. Like it's it is we can get in our own way sometimes. You

know what I'm saying?

>> Yeah. So I I I was just at the point in 15 16 17 where I was like, man, my body's kind of banged up. I'm a little older. I would

banged up. I'm a little older. I would

like to take some time off. And how I talked about like every five years we needed somebody in the on deck circle.

So I'm I'm running at the front for like 15. They needed someone in the on deck

15. They needed someone in the on deck circle and then they finally got some folks. So they're like, "Yo, we got we

folks. So they're like, "Yo, we got we got folks. Yeah, go do the thing. It's

got folks. Yeah, go do the thing. It's

fine. Go do it." So my my passion for it was ignited at the perfect time when when the office side of it was like that won't affect our bottom line too much.

Go give this thing a try.

>> So >> it it again just happy accident man and I'm I'm grateful for it.

>> So now you're in the situation you're going to retire.

>> Yep.

>> And then are you just going to go all in on acting now?

>> So that's again beyond my control. If I

could if I could >> Is that the goal though? Is that what you would like?

>> Uh the the goal is to live useful.

That's it. The goal is to live useful and and not lack like a depth of purpose in my life, >> you know? I can't control if the phone rings and they say, "We want the kid in the picture." That's way beyond me. What

the picture." That's way beyond me. What

I can do is when someone bets on me, do my [ __ ] damnest. For every dollar, I want to give him 10 back. I want to show them that you I want to show you your time was well spent today. I want to give you by heart and soul. And when I

leave here, you may be like, uh, not my cup of tea, but the [ __ ] kid's all right. You know, like that's that's all

right. You know, like that's that's all I'm trying to do. So, if I can do that, maybe I get another maybe I get another match. Maybe I get another phone call.

match. Maybe I get another phone call.

But I also realize my mortality in in the retirement, like it's over. But

also, there'll come a day where y'all out there are like, "Ah, the kid's not not cool anymore. I'm done. I'm on to the next shiny thing." I'm grateful for what I got. And I know I don't control how many times the phone rings. I just

wanna I never want to phone it in, >> right?

>> And and when my time is up, it's over with, man. I like I'll I'll do the rest

with, man. I like I'll I'll do the rest of whatever life is.

>> So, >> do you think about that? Like what the rest of life is? Do you have other interests? I

interests? I >> sure do. Sure do. Um love messing around with music. I I never read as a kid, so

with music. I I never read as a kid, so I'm reading more than I ever have. Um

love cars. Love to I'd love to just drive the like just being in a car and driving. not track stuff, just like

driving. not track stuff, just like going on long drives. Love that. I see a bunch of sticks. I love an occasional stick with some conversation. Uh I love

boy did I miss out on loving connections in my life. So I'm like I have them now and they're [ __ ] so cool. So if if a

day is just spent with friends or a week or like man with WWE, I've been around the world like 12 times. I haven't seen [ __ ] I've seen the inside of arenas, a

hotel bar, and a [ __ ] airport.

>> Yeah.

>> I want to know what Tokyo is all about.

I've been there like 20 times. I haven't

seen [ __ ] you know? Like I And and I don't know if I'll ever get tired of that. Like um I always have a curious

that. Like um I always have a curious nature on to to what's next. I don't

know what that'll be, but I'm I never want to wake up and be like, man, life's taking forever.

>> You know what I'm saying? I think

there's always something to do with the day. So, I don't I don't know. Would I

day. So, I don't I don't know. Would I

love to continue to tell stories and get paid for it? [ __ ] that's a great gig, >> but it's also beyond my control. So,

instead of being like, I'm going all in on acting and I want to do this and one day I want to win an Oscar. And I'm not saying that approach is bad. I'm just

saying my approach is like, man, when they do call, be grateful. And don't be grateful in the easy times. Be grateful

when they ask you to work a 16 hour day or be grateful in that press tour when you have to read off the or when you get to read off the prompter and you're doing 86 reads and the reads are so you can dress up in the costume and all that

other [ __ ] Like that's that's kind of more where I'm at. That's a great approach to life. How did you develop this philosophy is dude I'm not supposed to be here. Like I'm from [ __ ] West

Newbury, Massachusetts. I'm not supposed

Newbury, Massachusetts. I'm not supposed to be here. And and that's another thing. There's not a day that doesn't go

thing. There's not a day that doesn't go by where I look at someone I love and connect with and be like, "Man, what a life." I I understand how lucky I am,

life." I I understand how lucky I am, and I understand I have been awarded more opportunity than one human being should get. And

it's it's um from what I've tried to boil down to it, the best way to honor that opportunity is to do your best to try to live a good life.

And a good life isn't it's that that's almost like pain. Everybody's

perspective of a good life is different.

I've come up with core values and I try to live by those. [ __ ] I'm human. I

ain't perfect. But like again, if when I go into the dirt, I feel as if I didn't waste it. And I don't mean grind. Like homeboy from Nvidia, that's

grind. Like homeboy from Nvidia, that's that's a grind. And I think a lot of him there's fear there, but also a lot of a lot of that effort, he loves it. And

that's what that's what an ideal life to him is about. And if he goes in the ground working 70 hours a week, he'll go in with a smile on his face, you know? I

just want to go in when it's my time, I want to know that I honored the luck I was given by not [ __ ] squandering it, by not wasting it.

>> And that doesn't mean grind to a monetary number. It just means live a

monetary number. It just means live a fulfilled life where the sleep is sound, the love is real, and every day you're driven with curiosity and purpose. And I

don't know what the [ __ ] that is. And it

could change. Man, I thought I was born to be a WWE superstar. And then the elbows start hurting a little bit and you're like, "Ah, man. I'm born to be a storyteller."

storyteller." And then you realize that like I'm not in control of any of that [ __ ] That's just luck. That's somebody being like,

just luck. That's somebody being like, "I liked him in this. Put him in that."

Yes, no problem. Well, I think a key factor you're talking about here is gratitude.

>> I was born to to honor the luck that I've been given.

>> Yeah.

>> And just try to do my best to live a full life.

>> Like that's it.

>> Yeah. And that having gratitude about the life that you live and being happy.

God, it's so hard but so important.

>> And it it's tough when you use that word because it's such a >> I know it's a new age.

>> Think outside the box like but no man.

Like >> it's a real word though.

>> Real thanks.

>> Yes. is hard.

>> Yeah.

>> Because you have to be thankful for the suck, for the pain.

>> You have to be thankful for the lesson, for the journey. Like, and these are again, these are all like slangy hashtaggy terms. I don't know what the [ __ ] else to call it, so I'm just calling it what it is.

>> They've been they've been co-opted by people that just sort of [ __ ] and use those words. But the reality of those words is strong. It's very

powerful.

>> It's like like grind. Grind is another hashtag word, you know, but like >> there is there is some realism to it.

But that that From what I figured it out thus far, that's my path. And uh when the facts change, so does my opinion. So

we could come back here in a few years and I I'd be on some other [ __ ] But right now, that's kind of where I'm at.

>> Well, it's such a the the gratitude word has been really co-opted by goofy people, unfortunately. But it doesn't

people, unfortunately. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't use it.

>> It's the real word.

>> And and if if if the word makes you feel weird, come up with your own word.

>> Right. Thanks. Yeah. Whatever. Having

thanks. I'm with you there. Some

>> some words make me feel gross just about how overused they've been, but like I I I can't stray away from that one.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. I mean, we talk about gratitude all the time. We We're always like >> talking about how we're living the dream.

>> Yeah.

>> Like just being >> What are we doing? We're just shooting the [ __ ] >> I know.

>> People are paying attention.

>> I know.

>> The [ __ ] you guys doing?

>> A lot a lot of people. If you're still with us, I can't believe it. This is

great.

>> Yeah. I was thinking uh I was talking to my buddy the other day, Peter Shore, the owner of the comedy store, and I was telling him about how just a few weeks ago because I'm now that I have a place

that I like and a car that I like and a job and everything, everything's finally it appears how I have always considered

what the dream is. that uh I was saying to my buddy the other day who I came up with who I really started with and I'm talking about like 14 16-hour days at the comedy store. I'd answer the phone

at 11:00 a.m. because back then they didn't even have a website. Hello, you

want to you want tickets tonight? Blah

blah blah blah. Work all night, put on the t-shirt at 8:00 p.m. tear tickets

and check IDs until 2:30 in the morning.

So I would hit ex I would hit overtime by like Wednesday or Thursday, but they couldn't pay overtime because the comedy store in 2007 was half to quarter empty.

Anyway, so they would cut my hours and I was paying $400 a month to sleep on my buddy's couch in his living room and he had a bedroom and my other buddy Maddie

had a bedroom, but Sandy was like, you know, he was like the apartment was registered in his name. And I mean, terrible couch, terrible setup. I'd have

to go through one of their bedrooms to go to the bathroom. So, if you have to pee in the middle of the night, you're kind of tiptoeing >> through, you know, you don't want to make noise. You don't know what you're

make noise. You don't know what you're gonna see, whatever.

>> And I was talking to Matt a month or so ago and I go, I think I still owe Sandy a little bit of rent money because I just simply didn't have it back then.

Isn't that crazy? He goes, you do. I He

mentioned it last time as we were talking about how successful you are.

>> There's an accountant right there.

>> So, I Venmoed him out of nowhere. I

haven't even we haven't even talked since pre- pandemic. He's got a family.

I'm out here. This that I Venmo him a thousand bucks out of nowhere. And I go 2007 rent money as the uh as the um the

memo part of it. And he hits me up saying thanks and we're communicating.

And then I remembered that at one point I couldn't even afford the $400 a month uh for the couch. And there was another comedian that was a door guy at the store that did have the 400 a month

because he was getting help from his parents. So I got downgraded to a bean

parents. So I got downgraded to a bean bag for like a month or two. I was

sleeping. Oh, just horrendous. Exactly.

A sore back for two months just in pain all the time but doing what I loved. So

much of what you're saying about enjoying the process. Enjoy what you're doing because I really did back then.

And I think about that now more. I've

been thinking about that bean bag and that couch and that living room more than ever the last few months. You know,

it's like that's talking about gratitude. It's like those are the

gratitude. It's like those are the things that that's who you are is enjoying that process, >> you know, and making the best out of it.

>> And in in in my case of a similar story and from what I'm hearing from you is like you you wanted to be there. You you

were not going to give up the bean bag.

>> Oh yeah. There's there's a lot of folks out there who are put behind the eightball and really have to dig themselves out of a trench. When I moved out to Venice and I was working at Golds, I was sleeping in the parking lot in my 91 Continental

>> and everybody's like, "Oh man, you were homeless." I'm like, "No, no choice. It

homeless." I'm like, "No, no choice. It

was my choice."

>> Yeah.

>> I didn't want to leave. My old man had a room for me. Nobody ever leaves West Newbury. My dad was like, "Yo, come

Newbury. My dad was like, "Yo, come back. You got a roof over your head. You

back. You got a roof over your head. You

get some [ __ ] up job over here. You

don't have to pay rent." So, I had choice. I stayed in the car cuz I wanted

choice. I stayed in the car cuz I wanted to.

>> Yeah.

>> Life was great. I got to see like the bodybuilders of the 2000s. I got to train at the gym and shower at the gym and the rock came through. There's like

a old picture of me in the rock somewhere where I'm in my gold gym club store shirt and he's [ __ ] doing the the this one and like I got to see all these people and it was [ __ ] cool.

And I I wouldn't have left if they took the car away and I got to sleep in the parking lot. Like I I was by choice, you

parking lot. Like I I was by choice, you know? You you slept on the bean bag cuz

know? You you slept on the bean bag cuz you wanted to be there. And the fun fact is >> look at that.

>> That's uh that's that's that's me in the background right there. No, no, no. Keep

that. Hold on. I'm taking the phones off. I'm going in. Yeah,

off. I'm going in. Yeah,

>> that's me right there. He had just taken a photo with me and that's me.

>> Wow.

>> That's DJ.

>> Wow.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah, >> that's crazy.

>> That's 1999.

>> Wow.

>> [ __ ] rock was white hot. Selling out

every place. Probably Staple Center Anaheim coming in to press some weights.

Wow.

>> Wow.

>> That's crazy.

>> Yeah. What a what a That So, like that's where the perspective is exists.

>> Yeah.

>> Because I shouldn't have even been in the [ __ ] club store selling candy bars. I should be, you know, in in in

bars. I should be, you know, in in in West Newberry doing what everyone else does. Like, that's the that's the tale,

does. Like, that's the that's the tale, you know, and I'm not. So, I'm grateful for it.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. There's a lot of people out there on bean bags right now listening to this. You need to hear.

this. You need to hear.

>> Stay on the bean bag.

24 more hours. Who knows? 24 more hours, something could happen.

>> Yeah. And the the success would be so much sweeter.

>> All so much sweeter if you do it that way. I mean, if you were a trust fund

way. I mean, if you were a trust fund kid and you had plenty of money and your parents gave you 100 grand a year to go out and pursue your dreams and they paid for your apartment and >> man, you know, I don't want to [ __ ] on

anybody's flex. You You're right. But at

anybody's flex. You You're right. But at

the same time, >> same >> if if you understand that, right? If you

understand I was put on the board ahead of everybody else. I was born on third base.

>> That's again that shit's beyond your control, >> right? But I think you need some failure

>> right? But I think you need some failure to understand that.

>> So if you're grateful for what you have, you will swing and miss and and be accountable. I think

accountable. I think >> because you can't really control what you have.

>> You can't control where you start, >> right?

>> You can't control your start. You

control where you're going.

>> So if >> or how you respond along the way.

>> Yeah. and and the kind of person you are to somebody who was born on third base I think also will dictate your perception

uh from the from the eyes of others. If

you feel you are greater than, [ __ ] we're all human beings, dog. Like,

nobody greater than nobody, >> right?

>> You know, uh, everybody's out there struggling and and all of us, especially in this area of the the pale blue dot.

>> We all believe in capitalism. So, so the fact that you were born on third base means everybody's doing their job and the whole system's working. Like, you

can't think you're when you start getting the like I I never use this word. I feel bad even saying it.

word. I feel bad even saying it.

Deserve. When you start getting the deserve mentality of I deserve this.

[ __ ] it. What the [ __ ] do you deserve, man?

>> Yeah, that's crazy.

>> You know, have you earned this? Have you

earned it? And if you feel as if you haven't, what steps are you going to take to earn it? If you're born on third and you feel bad about it, take some steps to feel good about it. I don't

know what that is, but if you're born on third and you feel you deserve it >> to me, that's [ __ ] sprinting through a minefield, dog.

>> Yeah, that's not a good path. And I

don't I don't ever I don't ever want to [ __ ] with somebody who turns like a hundred,000 into 10 million or a million into a billion. That's good investing.

>> That's I mean that that's the system.

You you you learned how to work the system. It's just in the process if you

system. It's just in the process if you think you think you're better than Yeah.

murky waters, man. In in in my perspective.

>> Well, it's just a terrible perspective anyway.

>> Like you're just like >> cuz it's all right.

>> It's all kind of fugazy. Like it's all just paper IUs or whatever. It's digital

ones and zeros like are if it melts down are you really better than anybody? You

know, >> well a lot of times it's also a defense mechanism.

>> You know, you pretend that you deserve it. You pretend you're better than other

it. You pretend you're better than other people >> because maybe you don't feel enough or again everybody's walking through their own mile, but like I don't feel validated or or I want attention or I don't know. I don't know, man. I don't

don't know. I don't know, man. I don't

know.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. It was crazy hanging out with Steph McMahon and how human she was and hilarious and human. I was telling her cuz I was telling her like, man, you know, I always wanted to be a pro

wrestler when I was a kid. And then I realized I wasn't going to be tall enough and I wasn't going to be big enough. And then lately I've been

enough. And then lately I've been meeting these guys and they're not that huge. And when I tell them that they go,

huge. And when I tell them that they go, "Look at me." You know, Sami Zayn, hilarious guy, >> literally told me that. He's like, "You could have done it." I'm like, "Yeah, I guess I could have actually done it.

>> You could probably still do it." And I was telling Steph that she goes, "Do you think you can do a little something?" I

go, "I can hit a super kick on anybody at any time from any place."

>> It's Shawn Michaels finishing move. It's

like kick.

>> You would literally you would faint from laughter because you actually know how to [ __ ] kick through a wall, >> but it's a it's a it's a kick and

>> and the goal is not to hit the guy to come real close. Y

>> and she's so cool. She goes, "Oh, that'd be funny if next time, you know, I'm with Triple H, you just super kick me out of nowhere. I'll sell it. I'll fall

down the whole thing." I'm like, "I know, Stephanie. This is crazy."

know, Stephanie. This is crazy."

>> There we go. There it is.

>> That's a perfect example.

>> Come on. There it is, man. This is

You're on it.

>> Okay. So, a guy flies through the air and you kind of catch him.

>> That's just one example. Like, that's a that's a really good example right here.

But it could be from It could be from standing anywhere. It's just a pretty

standing anywhere. It's just a pretty much that high that high kick.

>> You can do that.

>> I can do that. I can

>> You're flexible like that. I'm flexible.

At least I think I am. I don't know.

We'll see. I wasn't th was throwing a rock at the tree the other day for the first time in forever and I coming up about 15 ft shorter than ever before.

There.

>> That's what she looks like.

>> Yep.

>> Whoa. That looks real.

>> Yep.

>> Yeah, it's on there.

>> Looks like it's really hit.

>> It's on there.

>> Two of the best right there.

>> It's on there.

>> Yep.

>> You really got that kind of flexibility?

>> Yep. You slap your leg at the same time and it makes everybody actually think that you did it. Like if I did it to somebody, you'd be like, "Dude, you just [ __ ] kicked them because >> slap the like stomp around when you punch."

punch." >> Yeah. Yeah. Slide a hand.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Slide a hand.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> There's magic in the business, man.

>> There is.

>> I want to see you out there.

>> Hey, I wrestled with my pillow for like eight hours a day as a kid. I would do the entrances. I would record off of the

the entrances. I would record off of the cassette player. Remember how you used

cassette player. Remember how you used to have to record? Dude, I had a whole We had a whole league in our basement.

>> Yeah.

>> With I I didn't need the pillows cuz I had four brothers. We had belts, a league, personas like >> And in one persona, I would get my ass kicked all the time. And then there was one persona that could not [ __ ] lose.

Like we kept standings and stuff.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. It's It's

>> Oh, yeah.

>> I don't know, man. I don't know.

>> That's amazing.

>> My brothers and sisters were all much older, but we had a music class teacher in my grade school that didn't give a [ __ ] about his job. We would just sit in the corner and play piano the whole time and let the kids do whatever we wanted.

And again, we had entrance music. We

were all different people all the time.

We'd run it back again. The entire 45 minutes jumping off of desks, cabinets, chairs. It's crazy how many injuries

chairs. It's crazy how many injuries didn't happen. It's amazing how

didn't happen. It's amazing how resilient uh kids can be when we were that >> the energy of youth just bulletproof.

>> God.

>> Yeah. It doesn't make sense how arms and legs and heads and necks weren't broken.

>> You also don't weigh that much back then. That's part of who you're Man,

then. That's part of who you're Man, you're so full of energy.

>> Man, I I can tell I'm getting old cuz I can be like, "Is that chair okay?

>> Is it I'm I'm going to be sitting for a while. Am I going to be all right? Is

while. Am I going to be all right? Is

everything going to be good?" I'm like, "Oh, man. This bed's going to kill me."

"Oh, man. This bed's going to kill me."

>> Yeah.

>> Just laying down like this. The bean

bag. Oh my god.

>> Oh, >> I'd spend four hours in that thing. You

have to cart me off.

>> I think I'd just sleep on the ground rather than the bean bag.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

>> Yeah. Back then it seemed like the better option.

>> It was the better option.

>> Yeah, probably. That's hilarious though.

>> Yeah.

>> Have you talked to them about possibly doing something?

>> Uh, I mean, no, not exactly. At one point there was a little a little chatter, but >> come on, dude. I think you can come up with an

>> Royal Rumble right around the corner. I

have big shoes to fill over here.

>> Sturdy entrance. We need We need bodies.

Yeah, I show Speed did a good job at that, >> man. He got drilled out of his boots.

>> man. He got drilled out of his boots.

>> He took uh uh the streamer, famous streamer, internet guy. He took what's called a bump from hell.

>> Uh he got speared at the Was that the Rumble? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he was. The

Rumble? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he was. The

other spontaneous >> guy. He does some wild [ __ ]

>> guy. He does some wild [ __ ] >> He does.

>> He got in the cage with Dan uh the hangman hooker.

>> Yeah. And he's he's like he's game for anything. Yeah.

anything. Yeah.

>> He has like um like a kinesthetic awareness. Like he's he's obviously an

awareness. Like he's he's obviously an athlete.

>> Yeah.

>> And he's brave. Like

>> look at this [ __ ] Watch this mother just leave screen.

>> SAY IT.

>> OH MAN.

>> Oh my god.

>> You can't fake that.

>> Oh my god.

>> But like you also have to the reason that looks so good. A lot of that is because of Braun, but also a lot of that is because of I show speed. He committed

to the fall and really tried to fall with snap and with quickness. Like he's

he's good, man. He really is good. And

like you said, like I I've seen a lot of the other stuff he does. He he does well. He'll get in there and mess

well. He'll get in there and mess around, you know.

>> Oh, yeah. Well, he really sparred with Dan Hooker and Dan beat the [ __ ] out of him, but he hung in there.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. It's just it's >> crazy enough to try, you know.

>> It's also interesting these YouTube guys, they're just becoming famous and there was no avenue for them before. you

know, they would have had to have been cast in a TV show or become something else.

>> Limited spots.

>> Yeah. And now they're doing it completely on their own and becoming huge. I mean, he's got like 50 million

huge. I mean, he's got like 50 million Instagram followers or something crazy.

>> Yeah. And and a bunch of content and a bunch of revenue to match that. And like

>> and always working, always doing something, puts himself out there.

>> Those guys hustle and it's all all the content creators out there.

>> People don't understand the hours.

They're they they may end up getting some financial reward, but when you break it down to hourly wage, they're working 24 hours a day, >> 7 days a week. Like they don't stop

because it's a lot of the content they make will have short shelf life. It's

not they're not they're not essentially putting Gone with the Wind out in the universe. Like it's like you got you're

universe. Like it's like you got you're only as good as your next one, not the your last one or the one you did. It's

like you're only as good as what you're doing five minutes from now. And if you drop off the map, someone will replace you like there's so many [ __ ] streamers. There's so many people that

streamers. There's so many people that are doing content.

>> And they they work hard. They do. They

work hard. And even even the the ones where it seems like, man, to a a perspective of like, I don't understand this. Still the effort that

understand this. Still the effort that goes into that. And it's not just what you saw. It's like, okay, you got to

you saw. It's like, okay, you got to have a repeat performance and then you got to keep coming and keep coming and keep coming. Like I do a movie and like

keep coming. Like I do a movie and like I said, it's out in 18 months. In 18

months, they've already put out 10,000 videos, >> right?

>> Like it's it's bananas.

>> It is interesting that nobody saw that coming, too. Nobody ever thought that

coming, too. Nobody ever thought that that was going to be a thing.

>> I just think it's cuz we get so used to stuff.

>> Mhm.

>> We get so used to consuming in a certain way. When something is new for us, it's

way. When something is new for us, it's like, ah man, I don't know if that's going to take off. But there are young people who are experiencing everything at the same time and like, no, this is cooler, >> right?

>> It's way easier to do this. Also, he's

really young and when you start young, there's not a lot of expectations on you.

>> No, >> you you can kind of just do whatever you want >> and if it works, great.

>> Not young and courageous, too. Like, go

just go for it.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> It's it's And it's also a great example for other people that that are thinking like, I'm kind of entertaining. I just

don't have an avenue. Let me just start making videos.

>> You got a phone?

>> Yeah.

>> You got a chance.

>> Isn't that crazy? That's all you have to do is have a phone.

>> It's nuts. You see the videos where he was uh sprinting with uh Ashton Forbes, you know that super jacked guy >> that does that morning routine that everybody made fun of because he has this like morning routine where he dunks

his face in water and then he someone hands him his gold watch and he puts it on. It's like really kind of silly.

on. It's like really kind of silly.

>> Yeah.

>> Huh. you know, and he had a whole series of races with him because he he couldn't believe that this YouTuber guy could beat him because he's like this [ __ ] superjed ripped guy who a lot of his

online content is him running and he just looks like a force of nature and I show speed beat him like three times in these races, but he didn't want to a believe that he lost so he wanted to do

it again. Let's do it again. Let's do it

it again. Let's do it again. Let's do it again. I show Speed's talking [ __ ] to

again. I show Speed's talking [ __ ] to him. He did it again.

him. He did it again.

>> Sorry. See if you can find it. It's very

funny. It's very funny because when you look at the the guy like this guy looks like he could run like a horse and I show speed is actually faster than him.

>> I think he he sprinted an actual Olympic sprinter. I mean he started [ __ ]

sprinter. I mean he started [ __ ] around a little bit but he held his own.

>> That's crazy.

>> Yeah.

>> That's crazy. He was like right there with an Olympic sprinter. That's nuts. I

>> think he won the gold the guy that he raced.

>> Really?

>> That's He's like right next to him.

That's crazy. Like and he's not even [ __ ] training like that guy is.

Imagine if he was like that [ __ ] guy if he wanted to like fully invest himself into sprinting.

>> Imag he's only what >> 20 20 years old.

>> That's wild.

>> Wow. Really?

>> Imagine if that kid fully invested in that and then became an Olympic gold medalist as well.

>> So that's that's where that's where my mind goes as well. It seems like he can.

>> But also, why?

>> Why not? Cuz it'll make his dreams even bigger.

>> Will it?

>> I don't know. I mean,

>> or will sprinting against a gold medalist, getting in the cage with a fighter, getting in the ring with a champion, uh going to that guy's house and and besting him at his own thing,

like he should keep doing that.

>> He shouldn't he shouldn't go into one the lane he's in.

>> I think he's doing pretty well, >> right? It's almost better losing to the

>> right? It's almost better losing to the fastest man alive by that much >> or like so I can tell by watching that you like I love potential.

>> Mhm.

>> And you see that you're like, "Oh my god potential right?

>> This guy could he could win it all."

>> Find a video of him uh sprinting against uh that Ashton guy cuz it's it's kind >> for what?

>> This guy's got the world by the nuts, >> right?

>> He should He should do what he's doing.

Exactly what he's saying.

>> I only know him from that appearance at the Royal Rumble. like he got booked on the Rumble because he has a big following. I'm watching the Rumble. I

following. I'm watching the Rumble. I

go, "Who's this ice show speed guy?" And

I go, "Wow, that kid took a hell of a bump." So I know him from

bump." So I know him from >> this Ashton Forbes guy. Now look at the way this guy's built.

>> Oh my.

>> He's talking [ __ ] WHILE HE'S RUNNING.

>> OH MAN.

>> AND he fell. He's yelling.

>> 40 million people. Is that right? The

number of views in the corner. 40

million.

>> Unbelievable.

>> Wow. No,

>> man. Look at that.

>> Wow.

>> They raced a couple times.

>> Yeah, they raced a bunch of times.

>> And the the other didn't that other guy, he played football, right?

>> Not in the NFL, but I think like college football or something.

>> Look at this [ __ ] size of him, too.

The other guy's [ __ ] super jacked.

Like, that's his whole thing. His online

content is him running, being super jacked, and he has to deal with I show speed talking [ __ ] to him. And he's

saying like, "Look, play some of this."

>> The first one I slip. Second one, you barely beat me. Let's run it again. Do I

got to beat you three times?

>> Come on, let's do it.

>> See, see, when I see that, right, >> let's go again.

>> Excuses.

>> What is it? 25.

>> 26.

>> That's hilarious. It's talking so much [ __ ] >> So, I see this and be like, "This kid should be a wrestler, >> right? Yeah,

>> right? Yeah, >> because he is athletic and he can talk [ __ ] and back it up. My god, this kid would he would be a 20 time champion.

Whatever. No, he should do this.

>> Are they running barefoot on the [ __ ] concrete? They have shoes on.

concrete? They have shoes on.

>> Oh, really?

>> Yeah.

>> Uh, bad bad decision.

>> I think >> that was pretty close. Yeah, but he started before. Yeah.

started before. Yeah.

>> For me is still lost.

>> For me is still lost.

>> Like he should he should be doing that.

>> Yeah.

>> But like you see the sprinting potential. I see the WWE potential. He

potential. I see the WWE potential. He

should do neither. He should just do that, >> right? He's already done. I can't

>> right? He's already done. I can't

probably want him to do it again.

>> Oh my I I think he did a thing. He just

went to like the Performance Center and did a thing and like >> Yeah.

>> He's really good.

>> Really good.

>> He's got great instincts. He's got great timing.

>> That's amazing.

>> Yeah. and he's only 20.

>> I mean, there's now like this is like full multi- camera really good shooting and he's speed versus pros, I think, cuz he's kind of doing that idea you just said.

>> Yeah. Like where he goes he goes to people's uh >> Look at that. 46.2 million subscribers on YouTube. That's wild.

on YouTube. That's wild.

>> Yeah. So, I think I think like he should just do that, you know, whatever whatever he's doing.

>> I mean, he's obviously doing it. Does he

have like a team behind him? That's [ __ ] now.

>> Probably. Oh, look at that. He's

learning how to do flips.

>> Oh, that's crazy. So, he's really in it.

>> Yeah. And I think it's just like show up for a few days and then go on to the next discipline.

>> Wow.

>> So, he he does everything.

>> Smart. Very smart.

>> He spent all summer going to a city every day. Everything was live stream

every day. Everything was live stream for like 24 hours straight. They'd go to a city, show up. What's the coolest thing to do in the city >> and do it?

>> Do it. That's

>> like what kind of [ __ ] was he doing?

>> Go to the fair, go ride all rides, try all the games. There's a bunch of kids following around. Next day they were

following around. Next day they were here in Austin going to Terry Blacks.

>> I think he went and did standup with Mark Norman at like in New York City.

>> Like that's a very cool he went on stage for a second.

>> That's wild that he's so young, too.

Only 20.

>> Yeah.

>> That talented >> and just just brave and courageous and going for it. Like that's

>> regardless of what you and I think he's doing exactly what he should be doing, you No, you should just keep doing that.

>> And obviously not getting in his own way.

>> Not right at all. All the things you're saying like capitalizing on every opportunity.

>> Story yet to be told.

>> Yeah.

>> Story yet still got a still got a lot of life left.

>> Oh yeah. A lot of life left. Yeah.

>> We'll see. He's doing he's doing great so far.

>> Yeah. Amazing.

>> Uh I think we wrap this up. It [ __ ] awesome podcast. I really enjoyed it.

awesome podcast. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you very much. It is um it is a real a real big opportunity for you to have me on here because uh the the the WWE folks that you have had. I think I'm

still I only got one date left, but I still think I'm the active one. I hope

uh this experience has been good for you guys.

>> Oh, it's been amazing.

>> I hope you have more of the the guys and gals from us in on your show.

Absolutely. Every one of them's got a great story.

>> Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think your philosophy is contagious and I think it's really good for people to hear and I think there's a lot of young people out there that are really going to benefit from a lot of the things you said cuz I think it's rock solid.

>> That means a lot coming from you. Thank

you so much. I appreciate it.

>> My pleasure.

>> Tony, you're the man.

>> Awesome. Thank you guys.

>> Appreciate you.

>> Just call it.

>> Bye everybody. Pow.