Shotgun Wrestling Radio with Zach Gowen
Interview available at Recordings.talkshoe.com.

When did you decide you want to become a pro wrestler? "When I was 16, I wanted to become a pro wrestler. I lost my leg when I was eight years old and when I was 16, I grew up a huge wrestling fan. I used it as a form of escape as a kid. Coming from a broken home, when I would watch wrestling that would all go away. That's why I'm so grateful for wrestling, because it touches people in different ways."

Who were some of your influences growing up?: When I was a kid, I was a fan of everybody. I loved whoever they were showcasing on TV whether that was Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. I grew up in Detroit, which is WWE country. I loved Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Legion Of Doom, Earthquake. When I wanted to be a wrestler, guys like Rey Mysterio, Sabu, Rob Van Dam all inspired me because of my size.

When you lost your leg did you think you'd never be able to become a wrestler? "I didn't wanna be a wrestler when I was eight years old. I wanted to be a NBA basketball player, and there was a depression because I couldn't play sports the way I use to. I don't think I would even be in wrestling had I not lost my leg.

On joining TNA: "I had about 20 matches under me when I went to TNA. I sent an e-mail to Bill Berhens, who handled the dark matches, and he saw my tape and called me up and asked me to come to  their PPV on Wednesday. I got a great reception from the fans, the office, and the boys in the back, which created a pretty big buzz and WWE tried to sign me without knowing who I was, and actually ended up signing the wrong one-legged guy. It was a great feeling to wrestle in front of that many people and get that good of a response." 

Thoughts on the Jarretts: "The Jarretts were awesome. They were always very very good to me. They were disappointed when I signed with WWE, but they've always been very good to me."

Reception of the WWE locker room: "I walked in and was super nervous, I remember I saw Rhino and Spanky and they took me under their wing and introduced me to everybody. Then I went to Hulk Hogan's locker room to talk about the angle and to say hello to Vince, Piper, and Hogan comes out of the shower naked and that was my first impression was a big naked Hulk Hogan."

First impressions of Vince McMahon: "He's Vince McMahon. He was super friendly, which took me by surprise. He was very friendly and super helpful, which took me by surprise, and he was very cool."

Thoughts on Stephanie McMahon: "She's one of the smartest women I've ever met. She's witty, she's very, very nice. We would travel together to do media and she was very helpful with doing interviews for the media. She helped me out tremendously."

Other Topics

Working with Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar, Matt Hardy, his new book, and how the WWE rehab program saved his life.

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