Kazarian Talks Working With John Cena, UPW, Ring Of Honor, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, More
Ring of Honor Tag Team Champion Kazarian spoke to The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast recently about several aspects of his career. You can see the highlights below, or the full podcast at this link.
The Addiction as a team and working with Christopher Daniels:
"It is hard to put in one short answer. The guy is my best friend, I've known him for pretty much the better part of the 17 years of my career. It's great having somebody that you can rely on not just in the context of a wrestling match but also on the road, traveling here and there. We are best friends, tag team partners, our train of thought is very similar when it comes to wrestling matches and the whole business. It's a real confidence booster knowing he's there and takes a lot of stress off knowing how professional he is and knowing where we both are going to need to be. It's almost like we are on cruise-control at this point, we know each other so well. When it comes to tag team wrestling all those thing make an awesome package."
Being revealed as the KRD, what makes this story different:
"If I can say that one thing Ring of Honor is not lacking, but is not necessarily focused on is angles like the KRD one and Ring of Honor is top notch in every aspect, especially match quality and there is nothing to compare it to. But, angles being played out like that is something you necessarily saw a lot on Ring of Honor previously and being a fan of cool well put together angles I was psyched to be a part of it. I was thrilled to become tag team champions that way and I hope that now on Destination America we can continue to do some outside-of-the-box kind of things in terms of Ring of Honor's previous business model."
If he prefers to work babyface or heel:
"Without question we are in our wheel-house when are bad guys. The act really got some steam when we were doing dastardly things over in TNA in 2012. It really fits our personalities so much better portraying the bad guys, it's just right and it's us. We got a lot of real positive reactions when we came to Ring of Honor and I think because people were happy to see us but after a while it's going to wear off and if any team is going to be the working heels and the bad guys of the company I can't think of anyone better then Chris Daniels and myself."
Working Samoa Joe's final Ring of Honor match in NYC with AJ Styles and Daniels:
"Those three gentleman stood up with me at my wedding. That says it all right there. Those are three guys that I've traveled with and known longer than anyone else in the business and are my three best friends in the business. We all have come up together, all of our families know each other so it was a very special moment. The match we knew match quality wise was going to be there but it was afterwards really taking it in and I got to share the ring one last time with my three best friends in the business for Ring of Honor especially it was really cool and I was very aware because I used to take moments like that in my career for granted. The whole day was a great moment, especially after the match when Ring of Honor gave Joe the sendoff that he so richly deserved."
Samoa Joe in NXT:
"I guess that all depends on how he is utilized. If they know how to use Joe the way that I hope and think that they do then I think he will be very successful. Joe is one of the most unique professional wrestlers to come around in years and he is one of the best, that's not news and not because he's a friend it is a fact. In the past in different places Joe has been he wasn't utilized right and I don't think that is going to be the case and they are going to use him and let him play to all of his strengths and let him bring out the best in himself and the wrestlers around him and I'm looking forward to it. I hope he really is unleashed and is allowed to be the bad-ass "Samoan-Submission Machine" we all know and love.
Working with John Cena in UPW, and his success:
"I can tell you this and I lived about two hours from where the (UPW) building was and every time I went to train, there constantly was Samoa Joe and John Cena. Seeing where John is now I've always said that his best asset was his attitude. If he couldn't out wrestle you he would out work you because his work ethic is second to none. His success doesn't surprise me but maybe the magnitude and the fact he became the global star that he has is pretty astonishing but not surprising. You can like who you like and hate you hate but I can never understand the hatred for this guy. I've never seen the guy s–t the bed in the ring, I've never seen not elevate the guy he's in the ring with. He is not boring, I don't understand the hate. I get not liking the guy but there are people who just despise him. He is doing something, he is touching some nerve inside you. I'm a John Cena fan and I think he is quite good for the professional wrestling business."
Frankie Kazarian also discusses the tag team scene in ROH, his entire TNA run, what he did and didn't like about creative, The management changes of TNA, Hogan and Bischoff coming in, Ric Flair and Fourtune, The Claire Lynch storyline, The X-Divison, Signing with WWE in 05, What led to his release, How all established stars will have to go to NXT, Training with Killer Kowalski, His love of heavy metal and what is next for The Addiction.