The Former Enzo Amore Found The Indie Scene To Be A Humbling Experience Post-WWE

Real1, formerly known as Enzo Amore in WWE, received something of a culture shock navigating the waters of the independent wrestling circuit after his release from WWE in 2018. Since then the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion has been appearing in places like ROH, Northeast Wrestling, and Major League Wrestling. According to Real1, he's worked hard to show his growth in MLW.

"[My growth] is on display in Major League Wrestling," Real1 told "Under The Ring" recently. "If you watch the first 6-7 months of Major League Wrestling, I didn't even pick up a microphone. When I busted through the door, I wanted to have some matches against some credible opponents, I stacked some wins under my belt and had a lot of fun." Real1 believes that the strategy has helped not only reform his character but also help him get a better footing in pro wrestling, having never wrestled independently before WWE.

"I got hired based on a workout video where I was talking smack on YouTube," Real1 explained. "That went viral, and I never wrestled before in my life, so to go from YouTube to WWE and college football."

Real1 says that his college football to wrestling journey is akin to WWE's NIL program, but also notes that being a viral sensation that was brought into WWE puts him on the same level as a recent controversial WWE Superstar. "I was Logan Paul before Logan Paul."

According to Real1, the indie wrestling world was an "eye-opening" experience post-WWE. "The guys that are on that card, some of them are making $10." Real1 says he's grateful that his independent experience is different, noting he has occasionally made more wrestling in an armory than he did on "WWE Raw."