AEW star Juice Robinson has declared that he is done being a “symbol-crashing monkey” and is ready to be taken seriously as a top-tier competitor in All Elite Wrestling. During an interview on Up Close w/ Renee Paquette, a newly focused Robinson expressed his deep frustration with his comedic persona and laid out his new goal for the next chapter of his career: to win a championship and leave a meaningful mark on the company.
Robinson, who has been sidelined with major injuries for the better part of two years, was candid about the self-reflection he has done during his time away. He revealed that he is dissatisfied with how he has been perceived by fans and is determined to change that narrative.
A Newfound Seriousness
“Do I want to be the guy that fake dog pees on people or gyrates his hip or just screams profanity all the time?” he asked rhetorically. “You log on to the internet and you see how people feel about you, and it’s like, ‘Do I want to be known as the honeycomb mascot or the Geico caveman?’ Is that why I got into this? It’s not.”
The former IWGP United States Champion stated that his focus is now solely on his in-ring performance and proving his worth as one of the best wrestlers in the world. He feels that the comedic elements of his character have overshadowed his wrestling ability and that a change is necessary. “I want to be the greatest wrestler I can be. And I feel like the last couple of years, maybe I lost track of that,” he admitted. “Maybe I was, I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t taking the business as seriously as I should be and as seriously as I will from here on out.”
Mental Gymnastics and a Desire for Gold
The time away from the ring forced Robinson into a period of deep thought about his legacy and his place in the industry after 17 years. “A lot of introspection. What am I doing? How long have I been doing this? You know, yeah, what’s where am I at in my career? What’s left?” he said. “A lot of those, a lot of mental gymnastics, I guess, just trying to make sense of things, trying to, you know, be at peace with where I am, where I want to go.”
This self-reflection has led him to a singular goal. “Everybody says it’s not about wins and losses, but it is. It is about wins and losses and championships,” he declared. “How many did you win in your career? Or were you just a f—ing symbol-crashing monkey with a pull string? You know, am I a mall Santa or am I a serious pro wrestler? And I want to show everybody that I am a SERIOUS pro wrestler.”
A Chip on His Shoulder
Robinson admitted that he was surprised by the positive reaction he received from the AEW fans upon his return at All In: Texas because he feels he has yet to have a signature accomplishment in the company to warrant such a response. “I was like, ‘What have I ever done in AEW that’s like, really, really something to be like, yeah, that was an AEW accomplishment?’ I can’t think of one,” he said. “I’ve had some matches that people say were good, awesome, great, yay. But, like, what has that gotten me? I want to leave my mark.”
He continued, stating that the only way to leave that mark is by winning a title. “I need some… I need a championship. I need to prove myself, not only to myself, but to the audience,” he said. Robinson now sees his career as a two-part story, and he is determined to make this second chapter about serious, high-level competition. He compared his current mindset to the period when he left NXT and reinvented himself as a top star in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. “I had a little bit of ‘motherf—er’ going is when I left NXT and went to New Japan,” he said. “And I know it won’t be easy, but I can control and change the narrative that might be on me… I just want to show people you think you know wrestling, you think you love wrestling? Well, I know wrestling, and I love wrestling. So let me show you how good I can be.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Up Close with Renee Paquette with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
