On the latest “Keepin’ It 100” podcast, Konnan talked about his experience at the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame, his first time appearing in a WWE ring since his dark matches as Max Moon in the early 90s.
On the speech he wrote for Rey Mysterio:
“I had written my speech like three days before because I was really, really busy. The way I work is I can talk right off the top of my head, because that’s what we do on the podcast, but when I do a promo, usually I’ve gone over it in my head a couple of times. I like to memorize it so I can own it because that’s something that I learned from actors, that when you memorize your lines, you’re not thinking about them so you can do other stuff and you’re not just like, trying to remember the lines and you’re kinda like one dimensional.”
“They actually gave me a speech writer, and I want to shout out this guy, Brian Yang. He was fu**ing incredible. He was very professional. He was very accommodating. I had written out three days before what I wanted to say. They were like, ‘Oh, we need to see whatever it is you’re gonna say’. I had like a seven minute thing, and they were like, ‘Oh, you only have three minutes’, and I go, ‘Bro, there’s no way I can properly represent this fu**ing legend in three fu**ing minutes.’ So the guy goes, ‘Well, let me see if I can get you five’, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Alright, give me five because I’m gonna take seven.’ Here’s my thing. If I was gonna get heat, I get heat. I don’t give a sh*t. I’m gonna properly introduce my boy.”
If he met Triple H:
“Yes, I did. He was very nice. I don’t want to get into it, but it looks like we might have another conversation.”
On meeting Pat McAfee backstage:
“This was one of my highlights. So I’m in the back and I see they’re hiding some guy because they don’t want anybody to see him, and he just goes, ‘F**k this’, and he takes off his fu**ing cape, and it’s Pat McAfee. He goes, ‘I’m not gonna pass by the OG and not say hi.’ He goes, ‘Hey, What’s up Konnan?’, so he’ll be on the show. My boy Spiff goes, ‘Why don’t you go on his podcast? He goes, ‘I’d love to.’ He goes, ‘Why don’t you have him on your podcast?’ He goes, ‘You’re invited whenever you want.’ I go, ‘Alright, well give me your phone number.’ So we exchanged numbers. He gave it to me, obviously. I haven’t called him yet, but he will be on the show soon.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Keepin’ It 100 with Konnan with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.