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I like how you're taking that as a kind of method acting approach!
I did mention the beard - but if people don't follow you online, they might not recognise you, but the reason they should be following you online - you recently posted a video demanding competition from NXT UK. You're aware that you can't wrestle at a social distance but you challenged Walter to a contest, The Irish Ace Jordan Devlin to poker, and Tyler Bate to Snakes and Ladders.
Not restricting yourself to NXT UK, if you can challenge anyone in the world to a non- wrestling match, what kind of match are you choosing and who are the challenging?
It would be FIFA, has to be a game of FIFA, and if I have to challenge anyone in the world right now...
Are we talking non-wrestling here or wrestling specifically?
Whatever you want, whatever you want.
I'm going to challenge The Great Khali to a game of FIFA because I'm actually a FIFA Champion. I had an Up Up Down Down FIFA tournament a few years ago and I beat Apollo Crews, Becky Lynch, Fandango, Sheamus - easily. I feel like that is my area of expertise and if we're keeping the social distancing element to it, then it definitely has to be a game of FIFA versus The Great Khali.
Definitely not the name I expected but, man, I would watch that so I'm sold!
So, going back to the fact that we can't wrestle right now, there's nothing going on NXT UK apart from the fact that we're getting to see the history of the brand and everything which is great, but there are no fresh matches happening. I asked this question to Dave Mastiff and he gave me a brilliant answer about how British wrestling was a few years ago when no-one was watching it.
I need to ask yourself, when do you think you'll see yourself back in the ring and what would you think about the idea of wrestling in the front of no crowd if that was to happen?
It's hard to set a time of when we'll actually be competing back in the ring. Hopefully... Hoping in the next six weeks maybe, that would be an ideal situation.
I'm ready to go tomorrow. Like I said, this whole period of lockdown for me has been just staying focused and being introspective, staying sharp, staying fit, staying healthy. I'm ready to go. Not wrestling in front of a crowd definitely changes it, obviously the crowd adds so much to it and they are completely essential.
The crowd are an essential service to a wrestling show, however it means that you have to be more on the ball. You're not going to be able to get as much of an adrenaline dump. Audiences have emotional influences on people in the ring, sometimes that can take you off your game, sometimes it and help you. A lot of people use the crowd to their benefit. I really like the idea of doing a couple of shows with no audience and just really see who really wants it.
Next: Noam Dar discusses a dream match with Goldberg!
