QT Marshall discussed turning down an opportunity to work with Authors of Pain in NXT during a recent edition of Talk Is Jericho.
Here is what he had to say:
QT Marshall on not wanting to work with Authors of Pain in NXT after undergoing neck surgery: “After they told me the tryout was gone, I went and got my neck fixed. So, I had my surgery on my neck, and I had two of my discs taken out and fused up and stuff, and then I went back to do more extra work because I was like, ‘There’s nothing else. What am I gonna do?’ And then I spoke to Regal again and he was like, ‘Listen, you’re kind of a liability,’ and what happened was I got booked as an extra at NXT, and they wanted me to work with The Authors of Pain. I said no because I didn’t have anything to lose except my life and my career. Super big [guys] and it was a two-on-one. It was like me and another extra versus this one guy and I remember Scotty 2 Hotty came up and he was the agent. He was like, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be you two guys’ and I’m looking around and I asked the guy — he’s a nice guy too, but I could see he had already hurt somebody. Actually, he hurt the guy that we just signed, Anthony Bowens. He powerbombed one guy onto Anthony Bowens’ head. [It was] the shorter one. So, I said to him, I was like, ‘Hey, what moves do you think you’re gonna do to us?’ And he was like, ‘Well what does it matter?’ I was like, ‘Well, I was just curious.’
“I was trying to politic but I’d also like to know — he was like, ‘Oh, I’ll probably do this and then a powerbomb, then powerbomb the other guy on you and then I’ll DVD you guys.’ So the short of it was like, I literally just looked at him and I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’ Then I looked at Scotty 2 Hotty and was like, ‘Nope, not doing it.’ He was like, ‘What do you mean?’ ‘So I had this neck surgery’ and it turned into like, ‘Hey, don’t take the booking then’ which I was like, ‘You don’t even have to pay me. I’ll drive back to Atlanta now. I’m okay with it. Don’t ever book me again. It is what it is. We tried and I’ll get in the ring with anyone else. Put me with Bobby Roode, put me with these guys that aren’t gonna hurt me.’ The kid who took my place got hurt. He put him in a side headlock and he just picked him up and threw him into the aisleway. He didn’t mean to do it, but he’s just so strong. I remember telling Matt Bloom because he said, ‘We specifically chose you for this spot because you can sell’ and I was like, ‘Well I really appreciate it but here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna take these moves, and I’m either gonna get up and be okay and I’m gonna make two hundred dollars, or I’m never gonna walk again and I’m gonna make two hundred dollars.’ So to me, it’s just not worth it.”
On working with Ring of Honor: “When I first started with Ring of Honor, they offered me a contract. I did a paid tryout at first, but then it was a two-day tryout. By the end of day one – it was Jim Cornette, Delirious, and Kevin Kelly – they were like, ‘Hey, as long as you show up tomorrow, you’ve got a job.’ I was like that’s great. I get up there and I’d never been in a big company before, so I didn’t know the politics. Right away, I didn’t make any friends, and I always goof around. I ended up making a joke to someone about – this kid hurt me really bad, and I made him look really good. It was Jimmy Jacobs’ guy, so I knew he had all these friends. He kicked me in the head maybe five times. I gave him an Alabama Slam and I kind of hurt him, but I checked on him, and I called him the next day. Well, the next taping, someone came up to me, ‘You shouldn’t do that Alabama Slam, it looks like you’re hurting people.’ Where was everyone asking me when he kicked me in the head seven times? I had already followed up with the guy and him and I are real close because it was our first tryout together. That spread real quick.
“Plus, I was cutting promos on the world champion at the time behind the scenes. They never aired them, but they wanted to see because they really liked me. So, that was how it started. Then, third match in, I got hurt on my neck. Then, I broke my nose. Hangman Page and I had a match where I was supposed to squash him in four minutes and he broke my nose in 30 seconds……then I started to get fat because I was injured, and I had a lot of life stuff going on, and then I finally just asked for my release. I hated it that much where I was like, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ I’m making $150 a match. When they gave me the contract, I didn’t laugh, but I said, ‘Is this real?’ They were like, ‘What do you mean?’ I was like, ‘$150 a match, we work three times a month, that’s $450, and that doesn’t pay for my car.’ I’m like, ‘This isn’t a real job.’ So, when that happened, I asked for my release. They wouldn’t give it to me because I guess Shelton Benjamin had just asked for his release too.”
On ROH not re-signing him after breaching his contract to work an NXT show: “I was in Florida, and NXT called. They were just starting to use extras. I was like, ‘Hey, I’m under contract. When the episode airs, I won’t be under contract anymore, but I am right now.’ The girl at the office was like, ‘If you don’t care, we don’t care.’ Honestly, at the time, I was like I don’t care. She’s like, ‘I’ll book you for the next six you’ve asked for.’ Right away, I do the match and it’s a taped NXT show. Before I’m even out of the ring, my phone is blowing up. Jeff Jones, who working at ROH, and right away he was like, ‘Are you doing something you’re not supposed to be doing?’ I was like, ‘What are they gonna do? Take my $150? Fire me, I asked for my release.’ Then when the WWE thing didn’t work it, it was like, ‘That was dumb.’ I was young. And Delirious, he understood and was like, ‘Legally, I have to be mad at you because you breached your contract, but your contract is up in two weeks. It is what it is. Don’t worry about it, and we’re just not gonna re-sign you as a punishment.’ I continued to work with them on and off after that.”
H/T to 411 Mania
