JD Drake recently appeared as a guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast for an in-depth interview covering all things pro wrestling.
During the discussion, the pro wrestling veteran reflected on his breakout match in All Elite Wrestling against Darby Allin, as well as how it was the popular face-painted performer who pushed for them to have extra television time for their AEW match.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On how it was Darby Allin who was the one who pitched for their bout to get a good amount of time: “Yeah, my match with Darby. I don’t think anybody expected me and Darby to work that well together. Again, another one of those where I showed up and we knew each other from elsewhere. He said ‘Hey, I’m going to Tony soon and I’m gonna tell him I want at least ten minutes with you.’ Apparently, he hadn’t worked anybody big for the belt by then. He said ‘I wanna go in and show that I can hang with somebody big, and I don’t trust anybody more than I do you, so why not?’”
On how despite the loss, Drake feels like the match legitimized him for the AEW fans: “Then we went out and had… it was so much fun. So much fun. I feel like that match legitimized me for some of the fans of AEW. Now they know I’m not just a big guy that’s there to… I can go in there and go. I can still go now. I’m a three hundred pound guy that doesn’t look like a Greek god, who gives a shit. That match, for me, meant a lot.”
Check out the complete interview at Apple.com. H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.