EC3 On How He Ended Up In TNA, Why He Returned To WWE

EC3 was recently a guest on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness (transcript via Wrestlinginc.com). Here are the highlights.

His Run In Impact Wrestling:

“I became champ and had a run with it.” EC3 recalled, “then, lose it, win it back, run with the Hardys. It was kind of a weird time especially within the company. I think it was the closest to ‘nobody knows what the hell is going on’ because there [were] always rumors and speculation and we were never really abreast. It could be real or it could be facetious. You never knew and all we could do is do our jobs and did them well. Then, I go from a heel to a babyface for a while. Management changes once, twice, and then, finally, a third time. There was new ownership and at the same time, in my life, I don’t know, my life plan did not work out and I can just probably leave it at that as far as personal things. I thought I had it figured out. I obviously didn’t. And I’m looking at everything and I definitely needed a change and the time seemed right. I loved the company. Impact was great to me. Management was nothing but wonderful and accommodating and I had a really sweet deal. But at the same time, I’ve done it. I don’t know what else I can do here besides this company becomes number one, which is not going to happen at all with me. I have unfinished business that I have to seek. Like Good Will Hunting, I had to see about a girl, but that girl was named Vince, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And she is beautiful! She is so hot! She’s not crazy at all! A little bit [boxy], yep. Yeah, thick around the shoulders… In the back of my mind, there were other options. I was going to leave regardless, before my time just because I had to do something with my life to change it.”

Why He Returned To WWE:

“When I pop in the [WWE] Performance Center or if I’m doing a live event, the local shows that we’ll do in Florida, and you get critiqued.” EC3 continued, “when I first started getting critiqued again, because Impact is all, for better or worse, like, ‘good job! You filled the time. Good job.’ ‘Ah, that wasn’t a good job!’ Or if it was a good job, I know if it was a good job or not. One of the main reasons I wanted to come back too was you’ve got to go to grow. And you need people telling you, ‘you suck’ or ‘this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this could be better’ and you didn’t get that as much over there.”

How He’s Changed:

“This time, I’m not afraid to fail. I’m not afraid to be bold and do what I think is right, which I think is a mentality that does lack there still to this day where people are just punching a clock and are just happy to be there, or they don’t want to rock the boat. I don’t care about rocking the boat! I’ve already been f–king shot off into the sun. I’ve already blown up in a fireworks factory. I’ve already been killed off in a sense that it can’t happen again. It won’t happen again because I believe in myself this time.”