James Ellsworth recently spoke with CBS Boston to promote tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. Here are the highlights.
You’re new to the WWE Universe, but not new to the wrestling business. You’ve been around for 14 years. Does that give you a great appreciation for this opportunity?
I’m glad it happened now and not five or 10 years ago. I’m in a better place now than I was five or 10 years ago with my career. If this were to have happened five or seven years into my career, I don’t think I would have been as prepared for it.
Obviously, I am nervous. You’re wrestling, in my opinion, the best wrestler in the world in AJ Styles for the biggest championship in the world, the WWE World Championship. Yeah, the nerves are there. I’m trying to stay as calm and collected as I can right now at this time, but tomorrow I’m sure I’ll be very nervous.
Your path to WWE wasn’t through NXT or anything like that. How did you break in there?
Years ago I went on WWE.com and kept on sending them my resume and my pictures and videos of matches. Finally, in 2014 they called me to be an extra talent. I got to be a rosebud with Adam Rose. Ever since then, every time they were 250 miles from where I live in Baltimore, they would contact me to be an enhancement talent for their shows.
Who was the first in WWE to take you under their wing and show you how everything runs?
That is definitely 100 percent Chris Jericho. The day after I did the match with Braun Strowman he contacted me on Twitter and wanted me on his podcast (Talk Is Jericho). I went in and did the podcast with him the next time I was at TV. Ever since then we text all the time. He gives me advice and helps me out. He’s just an outstanding human being.
