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Former WWE Superstar Austin Aries spoke about being a true heel in the wrestling business and the old-school mentality of working the gimmick outside the ring.
This week, he was in conversation with Dr. Chris Featherstone on Sportskeeda Wrestling's UnSkripted podcast and answered some fan questions.
Austin Aries stated that the legendary Eddie Sharkey trained him. He would always hold on to his heel persona in his early days, even if he were out grabbing a drink or at a gas station. But the former IMPACT Champion acknowledged that now fans know what is happening behind the scenes.
Here's what Austin Aries had to say:
"Things change. Cultures have changed and business has changed. When I broke in, I was trained by Eddie Sharkey which is as old school as it gets. So the mentality was that when I walked out the door, I had to assume the role. And even when the show was done, if I was at the bar afterwards or if the fans saw me at a gas station, I wanted to give them a little bit of that heel character. I wanted them to believe. I think nowadays it's difficult since we've broken the fourth wall and we've peeled the curtain back and I don't know if it does anyone favors to keep this persona to really make people believe because once they really believe, it kind of colors your reputation a little bit."
You can watch the full video here:
Austin Aries on the magic of pro wrestling
During the interview, Austin Aries proclaimed that he was an old-school wrestling fan. With the rise of social media, fans are smarter, but the magic of wrestling was in making people believe, despite its scripted nature.
Aries mentioned that he was an 80s wrestling fan that grew up believing the whole thing. He stated that he would adjust his character to the changing times and make fans believe in the magic of pro wrestling the same way he did as a kid.
If any quotes are used from this article, please add a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.
