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Mike Johnson: This is a big week besides Carpool Karaoke popping up. Dynamite this Wednesday you're going to be at ringside when Ricky Starks wrestles Shane Strickland and Jungle Boy in a three-way preview of the Tag Team Championship Match we'll see Sunday in Vegas at Double Or Nothing. Thoughts on what fans can expect from that match and from Dynamite as we lead into Double Or Nothing weekend
Will Hobbs: The only thing you can expect is me and Ricky walking out with the Tag Team Championships at Double Or Nothing. Ricky has already beat Jungle Boy, he has already beat Swerve, I don't know why he has to step in the ring again but he'll just prove again why he's Ricky Starks and why he's the FTW Champion and why he's going to be one half of the new AEW World Tag Team Champions.
Mike Johnson: It sounds weird to say this but in some ways your personal main event might not even be Double Or Nothing, it might be the following Wednesday when AEW debuts in Los Angeles. You're no stranger to California, that's where you're originally from - the Bay Area a couple hours away from LA but still your home state and it's the first time AEW has ever gotten to go to that state. Thoughts on your excitement or what you hope for when AEW gets to California in a week or so.
Will Hobbs: Anytime we can go to the West Coast I get happy, I've got a lot of family down in LA. On the West Coast we do things a little bit different, we get things popping so I expect the whole house to be rocking that night. It's going to be a different vibe.
Mike Johsnon: When you think about to the old days, you know, we joked earlier about Gym Wars and Hayward, California and APW and the late Roland Alexander and guys like Donovan Morgan and Mike Modest and Marcus Mack and all those who made such a big for the area, when you think back to those early days like what are your favorite memories of breaking in working in that area?
Will Hobbs: I used to go to APW shows when I was younger, so I knew there was a time when I was going to have to sign up and get some training there. My earliest memories were watching Robert Thompson, Michael Modest, Donovan Morgan, Max Justice, watching those guys, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Bryan Danielson has been through there, used to be a trainer there. So many names came out of that small garage. I'm glad I got to train there and add my name to that list of people that have been successful.
Mike Johnson: If there was anybody from the California indy scene today or maybe some of the talents who are APW alumni who are still doing that grind, who would you like to see AEW give an opportunity to from that side of the country?
Will Hobbs: I would love to see the Reno Scum.
Mike Johnson: Ah, great choice.
Will Hobbs: Those guys have taught me so much, from the time I got thrown into a battle royal when I was training. I would love to see those guys in action in an AEW ring.
Mike Johnson: We mentioned the chemistry as part of Team Taz. What do you think is the reason that that chemistry just clicked immediately? Why do you think you and Ricky Starks have just almost out of the gate had this great bond on AEW television?
Will Hobbs: I just think it's our personalities. He knows what I'm thinking before I can even say it and vice versa. Before we got together, I've known Ricky on the indies and now that we get to beat people up on national TV it makes things more fun. We've had our biggest moments together, we got signed about a month and a half apart from each other, birthdays are about 5 weeks from each other, that's my brother. I'm glad to be doing what I'm doing with him and Hook and Taz. I don't know what it was - we just gelled, I can't really explain it.
Mike Johnson: And Taz, what's it like being under that learning tree for him cause he's got such a wealth of knowledge and such a unique laser pointed way of how he looks at the business. What's it like learning from him and what's some of the best advice you think he's given you?
Will Hobbs: The best advice he's given me is to go out and be myself, be who I am, be that assassin that I am. Taz will let you know when you're right and he'll let you know when you're wrong. He just reminds me of one of those OGs that you respect on the block, you just shut up and listen when he's talking, and you can take his advice or not, but you see how many years Taz has been in the business, what he's done in the business, and I would be a fool not to listen to him.
Mike Johnson: When you think about the big weekend we've got coming up with AEW, obviously Dynamite on Wednesday, we've got a live Rampage taping on Friday and in Vegas the Double Or Nothing fan fest and then obviously the pay-per-view on Sunday and you look back on this run that you had thus far in the company, you know, it seems like it just started yesterday but you've been with the company for quite a while and you see the opportunities that they're giving you with Carpool Karaoke this week, in the Tag Team Championship Match, and there will be far more coming in the future. If you look at yourself, do you feel satisfied yet or do you still have that you feel hungrier because now you're getting the opportunities in the spotlight like, some guys get like "Oh I'm on TV I'm cool" you know, like they kind of just, not complacent but they get comfortable . As someone who's worked so hard to get to where they are, do you feel a level of comfort or do you feel like something's coming up behind you and you gotta keep racing harder?
Will Hobbs: I don't feel comfortable at all. I've been told this before - I'm greedy, I want it all. I'm never happy where I'm at, I'm grateful for every opportunity that has been provided to me, but I want it all. There's so much more that I want to accomplish, so much more that I am going to accomplish. I do look back to see who's behind me to shift to a different gear, but... how do I put this? I just want it all - there's so much more that I wanna do. I've struggled and I don't wanna go back there, so I just keep putting one front in front of the other and keep moving and moving.
Mike Johnson: When you look at future goals in AEW, are there like certain talents you look at and you're like, "All right, I know at some point when we get back to Arthur Ashe Stadium in my mind I want that" or "I want to be...I want to have a long title run and represent the company" or "I want more opportunities Ilike Carpool Karaoke," like I'm sure you want all of that, every wrestler want all of that, but do you have specific goals in mind that you're like, I gotta hit this certain checklist sooner than later?
Will Hobbs: Yeah, I do want to be World Champion. I do wanna put the company on my back, that's definitely a goal. I wanna be the first African American World Champion, that's a big goal of mine. I do wanna go back to Arthur Ashe and wrestle anyone that's in front of me. I want to stand victorious in that ring. There's so many goals that I have, I just can't put a stamp on all of them, but the few that I named are definitely at the top of my list.
Mike Johnson: Every so often online I see the comparison between yourself and Hacksaw Butch Reed. I wanted to know what you think of that cause I can see it but you're a different sort of personality in terms of your explosive nature compared to how Butch Reed wrestled in the ring so I don't know how often you've heard the comparison made but I wanted to get your thoughts on that compliment of the comparison between you and Hacksaw Reed.
Will Hobbs: It's an honor. You may have heard the story about him being a fan of mine, and that was an honor. I do hopefully one day wanna carry the Hacksaw name on in his honor, if the opportunity ever presents itself. I actually got to meet Ron Simmons for the first time and he was telling me how he's a fan of mine, and how he had heard Butch was. Just the fact that both guys, what they've meant to the business and the African American community, them looking at me - hopefully I can carry some things on for them and make them proud but one day hopefully I have the opportunity to take the Hacksaw name on.
Mike Johnson: I do hope that happens for you. I know we are starting to run out of time here so I want to hit you with one more Carpool Karaoke question. What do you think is going to be the most surprising thing that you think fans will find watching the Carpool Karaoke The Series episode with yourself and the other AEW personalities? Like obviously you know what was filmed, you don't know how the final product is going to come across in the editing but what do you think's going to be the most surprising thing that anyone who watches wrestling are going to get to discover?
Will Hobbs: I think they're going to discover, each person, another side of their personality, some people that are so serious, you'll see everyone step outside the box, I think everyone will be surprised by that.
Mike Johnson: All right, so last question will be the easiest - why should fans make sure they're watching Double Or Nothing this Sunday evening on Fite.tv, pay per view and Bleacher Report?
Will Hobbs: Because they get to see Ricky Starks and I beat the hell out of Kenan and Kel.
Mike Johnson: [Laughs] Wow, I did not expect that reference.
Will Hobbs: And Tarzan and the dinosaur. I'm going out saying it - Ricky Starks and I will be the new AEW World Tag Team Champions. My daughter's right here, I think she agrees with me too.
Mike Johnson: Well who's going to argue with her? She knows better than anybody.
Will Hobbs: She's tough.
Mike Johnson: There's going to be a lot of AEW content this week. It all starts this Wednesday, AEW Dynamite live from Las Vegas with the aforementioned three-way match that Will Hobbs will be at ringside for, then Friday will be Rampage live and also in Vegas Double Or Nothing Fan Fest on Saturday, Sunday Double Or Nothing live on Pay-Per-View, Fite.tv, Bleacher Report and then of course they had to The Forum in Los Angeles the following Wednesday as AEW finally makes its long-awaited debut in California. For all things Powerhouse Hobbs you can follow him on Twitter @TrueWillyHobbs. We thank you so much for sitting down and talking with us a little bit. Before we go, if you got anything else you want to plug or anything else you'd like to say to the audience, let's talk about it.
Will Hobbs: Just know that some new champions are coming.
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