What’s the story?
In a recent interview with Bryan Saxton on WWE.com, NXT superstar Tye Dillinger spoke about his appearance in the Royal Rumble match this year and how it has added to his motivation at NXT.
In case you didn’t know…
Dillinger entered the 2017 Royal Rumble as the #10 participant and lasted for a little over 5 minutes. ‘The Perfect 10’ became the 8th man to be eliminated from the match and Braun Strowman was the one who tossed him over the top rope. He was the only superstar from the NXT roster to have appeared in this year’s Royal Rumble match.
The heart of the matter
The 35-year old revealed how it took him a lot of time to prepare himself mentally when he came to know that he was the surprise entrant in the Rumble. He said that he remembered the 15 years that he had spent in the process of having a moment like this. According to Dillinger, coming out to participate in the Royal Rumble match made him feel that all his hard work was worth it.
Here’s what Tye Dillinger had to say:
“I don't know if I could fully mentally prepare myself for that moment. I've replayed it over and over in my mind countless times and even now, it still feels surreal. Once I found out that I had officially been entered in the Royal Rumble, I took some time to myself to sit down and try to comprehend what was going to take place later that night. I couldn't.
All I could do was reflect on the past 15 years of my career, the paths I took at various times and the people who had helped me get to the point of performing in front of over 52,000 people at the 30th annual Royal Rumble.
But in those 15 years, I've learned to understand that anything worth chasing isn't easy and takes time. That one moment in the Royal Rumble Match, when I entered at No. 10, made every up, down and hardship absolutely worth it.”
When asked how his motivation in NXT has been impacted by the Royal Rumble, Dillinger claimed that it has always been high for him. However, the moment did mark the start of a new chapter in his career and made him believe that working hard eventually pays off. In his opinion, he has just been given a taste of the big stage by the WWE and has left him wanting for more. ‘The Perfect 10’ stated:
“My motivation level here in NXT has always been high. I believe it's one of my stronger attributes. Competing in the Royal Rumble capped off a chapter in my career that I feel was 15 years in the making.
That one moment, on that night, taught me that if you work hard enough when no one is watching, believe in yourself when others don't, be good to people even if they don't deserve it, and have incredible patience, eventually, something will roll your way.
The way I look at it now, that's just step one. WWE gave me a taste of what it's like on the big stage and I want more. So now, I'll work even harder.”
What next?
Although Tye Dillinger is back to performing in NXT despite having been part of the Royal Rumble, a switch to the main roster may be imminent for the highly talented superstar.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Dillinger has been around in NXT long enough for the WWE to consider him for bigger things such as giving him a shot at the NXT title and moving him to the main roster going forward.
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