Rocky Romero On Why He Didn't Take WWE Job, What Wrestlers Should Be On "205 Live," Quitting AAA
Rocky Romero joins Sean Waltman on the latest episode of X-Pac 12360, offering insight into their time as D-Generation Mex, talking about working alongside future Superstars at the New Japan Dojo, and revealing why he didn't take a job at the WWE Performance Center. You can watch the interview in the video above or download the podcast version on iTunes, they sent us these highlights:
Working at the New Japan Dojo in Santa Monica, alongside many familiar faces:
"[Training] responsibilities came between me and Bryan Danielson, or Daniel Bryan. we were the two that were kind of responsible for some of the training and things? Sara Del Rey, myself, Danielson, TJ Perkins, Iseman, there was a bunch of guys that ended up doing a lot of stuff after that. We didn't do it for the money or anything, we were just looking for the opportunity. We were all just hungry, young guys."
His thoughts on 205 Live:
"I think the idea is cool. I like that they're giving them a space to show what they have. But I just think that the timing of it is really bad. Once you see John Cena and Randy Orton, then you have to wait around and then you're watching these guys. I think that they should be on before. I think that just making that small switch, keep the live, but just making that small switch is going to do a lot better for everyone."
What Rocky thinks was the problem with the Cruiserweight Classic:
"Besides TJ and Brian Kendrick and some of the guys, I personally think that there were a lot better cruiserweights, to be honest. But this is what was available. Not taking away from these guys, the guys are great. But I think that because of the way the world is in wrestling right now is a lot of guys have contracts to other places. So this was the best that they could kind of put together, and they tried to sell it and package it as these are the best cruiserweights in the world, which wasn't true."
Who should have been there:
"Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, myself, The Young Bucks, Trent Barreta? But I mean I do like that they gave a lot of guys opportunities that probably wouldn't have gotten the opportunity or the call. It definitely gives them a lot of room to grow with the product."
Rocky credits Sean for lessons he learned while working in AAA:
"I don't feel like I ever gave you enough props for what you taught me during that time. That's the stuff that, after Mexico and D-Mex, the words that you gave me resonated so much. That's my mantra now. That's what I use in all my matches, and how I think I've kind of like resparked my career is all off of the things you've taught me. Like how important the comeback is. I'm like the comeback kid now! At least in my world, it's a cruiserweight type world and everybody wants to do all these big moves and stuff and I'm just like, I'm just going to do the same thing where I jump off the top, I do a billion clotheslines, but it's what people know. I don't have to do anything spectacular. I don't have to do a triple moonsault. I don't have to do anything cool. It's just the fire, the feeling, and what I do is just exciting because I'm pumped and excited for it."
Quitting AAA:
"We had a little party to say goodbye, with me, [Alex] Koslov and [Mark] Jindrak. I packed up my stuff and I went home. I was like, I'm just going to get a real job, you know, I guess this wrestling thing is kind of over for now, because I didn't know where I was going to go. I quit because I just couldn't do it anymore. So I was like, I don't care what I have to do. I just don't want to be here anymore."
Rocky reveals whether reports that WWE wanted to sign him as a trainer are true:
"I went down there and I did the weeklong guest trainer spot, and it was great. It was something that I was considering at the time. I'm always considering something, like what the evolution is going to be. Obviously I'm not going to wrestle forever. I'm getting tired of people asking me about it. I was open to it but then I realized that I still want to perform, I still enjoy it. I'm thirty-four now and I'm not really ready to walk away from that side yet. Taking that job would be a big responsibility. I would take it seriously. But if I'm not happy doing it, and not ready for it, then why would I take it? There's somebody else that can use it better than I could."
What else he's working on:
"I just wrote a little web series that I'm going to do, hopefully this year. It's called Chico El Luchador. It's about a luchador that's about to retire at thirty-five? his story and basically what happens from then on. It'll be cool."