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When WWE NXT returns to live broadcasts tomorrow, Italian star Fabian Aichner, a member of Imperium, will be facing Finn Balor in an attempt to deflect Balor's pursuit of WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER. Earlier today, Aicher sat down to discuss his opportunity against Balor, entering the company via the Cruiserweight Classic, Imperium, WWE NXT, the night Imperium appeared on Raw and more.
Mike Johnson: First of all, I hope you're well. As everyone knows, you're originally from Italy. I hope your family back home is doing okay. You are stepping in the ring with Finn Balor tomorrow. After the time off, how are you and are you excited to go back to work and get back in a ring on NXT tomorrow?
Fabian Aichner: I'm doing great, thanks for asking and yes, absolutely, because this whole quarantine and lock down kind of, I miss the action. I miss being in the ring, so I'm really, really looking forward to stepping inside the squared circle tomorrow night.
Mike Johnson: So the singles match with Finn Balor will be one of the biggest opportunities you've had as a singles performer in some time. You've recently had several NXT Tag Team championship matches against the Broserweights as part of Imperium but this match feeds into the main NXT UK story. Finn's been chasing WALTER for some time. So obviously your role here is to try and keep him away, to ward off his challenge for down the line. What we can expect out of your match from Finn tomorrow and how excited you are to step in the ring with a former WWE Universal Champion.
Fabian Aichner: I mean you hit the nail on the head when you said obviously Finn being former university champion. To me it's... Finn is among the biggest names that I've ever wrestled, with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens when we did Raw last year. But a match like that always takes me back to when I started working or started training for wrestling. Because obviously you think ahead to the future and you wonder what it's like to be in the ring with those big names. Now, that day's here. And the guy who trained me, Alex Wright, he told me from day one in this business, there's only so many opportunities that are going to come your way and you have to take advantage of them because they might not come again. And I look at tomorrow as exactly that. It's an opportunity for me to show on an even bigger scale what I can do against one of the biggest superstars in WWE right now. We all know Finn wants a piece of Walter, but in order to get that United Kingdom championship from Walter, he has to go through me and I'll bring my A game and I won't make it easy for him.
Mike Johnson: You mentioned that Raw over in Europe with Imperium showing up. What that was like that evening because I think that was one that... This was part of the NXT involvement in Survivor Series, which was a big step forward for the NXT brand. When did you find out, all right, Imperium's going to be part of this whole build and it's going to be in your home turf in Europe and obviously you're sort of knighted that night. Here's your chance to step out on the biggest television stage that WWE has, Monday Night Raw. What was your feelings and what were those memories like?
Fabian Aichner: It was crazy because none of us knew until one or maybe two days before. I remember we were in the Performance Center and all of a sudden we got a mail, okay, you got to step on that plane tonight, go to the UK. And then we got there and before you knew it, you're standing in the ring with Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and the Street Profits in front of 15,000 people in Manchester. And you don't even realize it at the time, but after, I just, when I sat in my hotel room, I was like, man, this is really... This is where I always wanted to go. This is Raw. Finally, it was a big check off my list, so to speak. But I've got the taste of it. I want more of that.
Mike Johnson: Well, your first taste in WWE that we saw was the Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network, which into 205 Live. What were your expectations when you first went for the tournament and what are your memories of working such a unique event for WWE and being part of the crew that brought the Cruiserweight Championship back?
Fabian Aichner: I remember back then I was still... I was trying to put on as much muscle as I possibly could and then I got invited to that tournament and I found out that the weight limit was 205 pounds. So I had to shred a little weight, but I knew in my head that I looked at that match back then exactly as I'm looking at the one tomorrow. I looked at it as one of those big opportunities and I was adamant to take advantage of it. There was no way I was going to let that opportunity slip through my fingers. So I really trained my butt off, harder than I ever did before. I made the weight limit and the reactions that I got after were obviously great because WWE decided to sign me after that match. So it just goes to show that if you have one of those opportunities and you really take advantage of them, big things can come from them. And it obviously feels good to be able to say that you were one of the guys that were in the original Cruiserweight tournament, which led to bringing the Cruiserweight Championship back, leading to a whole 205 division. So it's kind of cool to think back how everything started and yeah, like I said, I'm looking at that match tomorrow the same way. So you can only imagine what happens after tomorrow.
Mike Johnson: As we mentioned, Finn Balor has been chasing WALTER. What has Imperium has meant to you, because I feel like that's where really got to find your place in the NXT brand, being a member of Imperium with WALTER and Alexander Wolfe and Marcel Barthel. What was the importance of Imperium and the importance of having that group, not just for yourself but for the NXT UK brand?
Fabian Aichner: Yeah, I think absolutely. I mean, I think the reason why everything in Imperium work so well is A, because the timing was right and B, because everything is a natural fit. So before I got to NXT and before this whole round with Imperium and Marcel, I was actually used to being single's wrestler like 99% of the time. So it was a little different stepping from there into like a permanent tag team. But the chemistry between Marcel and I in the ring was undeniable. So I think it was a perfect fit, and the matches just went great. We got the timing more right every single time we stepped in the ring. And then, like I said before, it's all about timing. I always believe everything happens for a reason in life. So the move from NXT to NXT UK and Walter coming in at the same time, it was just like, again, a natural fit. And then Wolf joining us, it was just like it was a perfect fit and I think that's why Imperium is rocking and rolling right now. Like I said, I think I really did find my place in Imperium, getting more comfortable, more confident every time we step into the ring. So I think NXT and NXT UK, I think Imperium is a big asset to both shows and I think we're the only ones right now that actually doing both. So, that just goes to show to the reach of Imperium. And I really do think that sky's the limit for us.
Mike Johnson: You mentioned earlier that when they called you to do the Cruiserweight Classic, you realized that there was a strict weight limit and you had to cut weight. You had been putting on muscle at the time and then after Cruiserweight Classic, when we next saw you, you had put on like 25 or 35 pounds of muscle. When WWE came to bring you into the fold full-time, were you worried that hey, they're only going to want me for a cruiserweight? Or were you already very deep into the thought process of, 'all right, I'm going to put on more muscle mass and I'm going to carry myself with a lot more size?' What was the chicken and the egg there? Were you worried that by putting on the size, it would hurt you if they came to you, but wanted as a cruiserweight or were you just like, it's not going to matter. I'm going to get into the company and what they get, they're going to get?
Fabian Aichner: It's funny that you mentioned that because I really didn't know know where to go after the Cruiserweight Classic, because I finished the match; I got great feedback from it. So it was like, I don't really know what's going to happen now, but I'll stay around the same weight. I was maybe, I don't know, four or five pounds over, but I wanted to try and keep putting on muscle just in case they wanted to me bigger or whatever. But I also stayed at a weight where it was comfortable to me to lose a few pounds and still stay within the weight limits for the Cruiserweight Classic. Obviously now, we know that I became part of the regular NXT and there's some big dudes here. So I was like, as long as I can maintain my agility, why not put on a little bit more size and get a little bit stronger so I can throw these guys around in the ring. And I think right now, I've got a pretty good mix of size, strength, agility, and technique at the same time. So I think we're just trying to really perfect our craft right now. Obviously, Marcel and I working a lot with Shawn Michaels at the moment, new coach in the performance center, so you're getting taught by the greatest of all time, you don't really have a choice but to get better.
Mike Johnson: On NXT UK, Imperium and Gallus had kind of been at odds and it appeared that things were building up to a match at Takeover in Dublin, Ireland. Obviously NXT UK, in terms of storylines as they were originally envisioned, is on pause at the moment. I feel like NXT UK is the underrated brand here in the United States. Explain to fans why if they who are only paying attention to Raw, SmackDown, or NXT itself here in the States should be putting a closer eye on NXT UK?
Fabian Aichner: I think, like you said with the Cruiserweight Classic, NXT UK, I think it's a great platform for talent in the UK to show their skills. Right now on television with B team sports. And I think it's just a matter of getting more eyeballs on the product. Obviously it was the same at NXT. You have to start somewhere, right? So NXT UK is in progress right now. It's getting bigger every single time an episode airs, we'll get more eyeballs on the product, which is exactly what we want. And I think, I really do believe that NXT UK has the potential to become as big, if not bigger than the current NXT right now. But it just takes time. It doesn't happen... Rome wasn't built in a day. So, same as with a NXT in the U.S. It just takes a little bit time. But everybody over there has a crazy working spirit. Everybody's sticking together and Imperium is over there, and I think we're doing a pretty good job of getting more eyeballs on the product and we're going to keep rocking and rolling until we get there.
Mike Johnson: So Fabian, I know we're running out of time here. You're going to be in the ring tomorrow live on TV against Finn Balor. What can fans expect out of Fabian Aigner tomorrow on NXT?
Fabian Aichner: Well, they can definitely expect my A-Game. Like I said before, this is one of those big opportunities and I could not live with myself knowing that I could've done more in that match. So I'm going to give it my all and I'll give Finn a hard time going through me.
Mike Johnson: I want to thank you so much for sitting down and talking to us. Before we go, if you've got any messages for your fans back in Italy, I'd like to give you the forum to speak to them.
Fabian Aichner: Thank you very much. Yeah, I just hope everybody back in Italy and all around the world is staying safe. Stick to the rules, stay inside and always remember the matter is sacred.
Mike Johnson: Well, we certainly hope everyone in Italy as well as everyone else listening to this is doing well and obviously, listen to what Fabian has to say. Be safe and be careful. Fabian again, thank you so much for sitting in with us for a little bit.
Fabian Aichner: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
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