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WWE 2K, Tough Enough and TNA Gut Check alum AJ Kirsch joined “In the Room” on VOC Nation to talk about and more.
You can hear the entire interview at http://vocnation.com; here are some highlights of what AJ Kirsch had to say:
On working with WWE recently as part of the YOLO tag team champions: “That was an amazing experience and the reception from fans at independent shows for weeks after that was just heartwarming. It had been eight years since I was last on WWE programming, so it was nice to be part of the machine again even if it was just for one night. Every time they come to the west coast I always make it clear that I’m interested in working as an extra.”
On his Tough Enough experience and the varied experience of his particular class: “They wanted to get people with a variety of experience. They had some people who had never been in a ring before, and then they had people like Matt Cross (who was very experienced). Experience didn’t have any impact on how long they kept you. Cross was eliminated because he was respectful and quiet. It sucked seeing him go that early because he was just doing what he was taught, which is to be respectful. Part of the appeal of the show was seeing how everyone took to the training, especially those who were unacquainted.”
On working with The Rock on different projects: “He was just so approachable. He came across as a humble, hard working, nice guy. It was after that conversation that (I realized) everyone in a celebrated position are just people; they are people who are good at what they do. They just found what they are super talented at, and have found away to bring attention to them for that talent.”
On wrestling vs working on television: “A pro wrestling show is live in front of a live audience. There is no substitute for working in front of a live crowd. The energy is like nothing I’ve ever felt. That live environment makes all the difference in the world.”
On his career aspirations: “My first choice would be to either sign with WWE or AEW as some type of mouthpiece position. My top choice would be some type of managerial role. There’s not a lot of those in WWE right now, although they are experimenting with it in NXT. We haven’t seen what AEW’s television looks like yet, but the appropriate parties know that I’m interested.”
On AEW: “There’s a lot wrong with sports entertainment today, and I feel like AEW is making a deliberate effort to offer an alternative that might right some of that, or at least to give people a choice when it comes to big budget weekly televised professional wrestling. I think AEW can present a more competitive product with more emphasis on wins and losses. It always bothered me that pro wrestling relies on storylines. Everybody relates to competition; you can tell a good story without making the issue between two wrestlers any more than that they’re trying to win.”
On the WWE Product: “I compare WWE to pop music because it’s so well produced; it’s shiny and it’s sparkly and it’s made to appeal to as many people as possible. There are enough people that are tired of that genre of sports entertainment and are looking for a pro wrestling alternative. WWE fans today are wrestling fans without options. (For many years) there weren’t nearly the options that there are now.”
On the state of the wrestling business: “I think it’s the most exciting times in professional wrestling since the Monday night wars. When the biggest dog in the yard is changing the way they do things, you know that we’re on the right track.”
In the Room airs live on VOC Nation every Tuesday night at 9PM ET with Pro Wrestling Illustrated contributor Brady Hicks and crew, legendary guests, and listener calls.
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