Bronson Reed was interviewed on the “Out of Character” podcast this week. We have some highlights below. Scroll down to listen to the entire interview.
Bronson Reed on if he felt complacent before being released by WWE during his first run:
“At the time, like being honest with myself, I didn’t think so. I thought like, you know, I’m killing it. I’m doing all of this, and I was. I had some great matches. I became the champion. I had a good run against Johnny Gargano and stuff like that, but I still think that I was lacking something and I found that in my time away. I never look at that release as something as a negative, but more something that I found myself in.”
On fans not liking him for beating Okada in New Japan and then returning to WWE:
“I beat Okada and now I’m back in WWE. People were like, ‘Ah, he could have done this with this company, but now he’s here.’ To me, I went to Japan and I did something pretty incredible that a lot of men haven’t done in the past 10 years, and that’s pin Okada in the G1. I was a standout in that tournament and I made sure to stamp my name in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Now that chapter is shot, and now I’m back in WWE, and I want to do the same thing. I want to come to WWE and wrestle guys like Bobby Lashley, maybe future world champions and things like that and stamp the Bronson Reed name here in WWE. You’re always gonna have those haters that hate you either way. I had the same thing when I was released and I was being put in a place like New Japan. People were like, ‘Oh, he doesn’t deserve to be here, or or go back to WWE or whatever.’ Then I come back to the WWE and it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. You should have been in New Japan.’ There’s always someone hating you for something, but I feel like if you don’t have any haters, you’re not successful, so I’m doing pretty good.”
If he was hesitant to return to WWE:
“No. It is something I weighed up. I did have an offer from them as well as at the same time speaking with Hunter and WWE. For me, it was the unknown that attracted me so much to WWE. There was so much that I wanted to do my initial run. I got to NXT, I’d become North American champion, but I never got to be in a RAW or SmackDown or do any of the premium live events like a Royal Rumble or WrestleMania, Backlash, any of these things. So that was the big thing that persuaded me is I wanted to be a part of those things and see how I go because I feel like WWE is obviously the mecca of pro wrestling, but it’s also the place where people can either become something really special, or they can sort of stay stagnant, and I want to see if I can become special. That’s why I came back and already I’ve been at Elimination Chamber, about to be on Backlash, and I’m going to keep gunning for more.”
On if he would rather be the first to hold the new World Heavyweight Championship or beat Roman Reigns:
“I would say be the first just because once you’ve done that, there’s no one else that can ever say they could do that. Obviously, once Roman Reigns is dethroned, if he’s ever dethroned, you’re going to be the one and only to do that as well, but with this new championship, you can build a whole new legacy and etch out how you see a champion being fit and how they should be a world champion.”
If he had input on being called Mr. Nice Guy:
“That wasn’t actually my idea, but it is sort of my input. I’ve been watching a few different television shows that has a character that’s sort of similar to what I do, Australian TV shows. The Mr. Nice Guy was actually Paul Heyman. He suggested that and obviously when such a great mind of the business like Paul Heyman suggests anything, you should go with it because he knows what he’s talking about. But yeah, Mr. Nice Guy, and it is representative of what you see like us chatting right now. I am that nice guy. You can speak to me. It’s just when I step into the ring, that’s when the beast is unleashed. That’s when things change. I got to make my money and my money is by cracking skulls.
Reed was asked what Australian show he was watching that has influenced the character a little bit?
“Mr. Inbetween.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Out of Character with Ryan Satin with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
