Elias Says Comparisons To The Rock Get Him "Fired Up"
WWE has never shied away from merging wrestling with music in terms of Superstars' gimmicks. The 1980s brought us The Honky Tonk Man and the 1990s gave us Jeff Jarrett. Elias is the latest in that mold but he dismissed comparisons to those singing Superstars that came before him.
"Not at all," Elias said to CBS Sports when asked if Honky Tonk Man or Jarrett were in his stratosphere. "They've got a great wrestling background, but when it comes to wrestling and entertainment there's nothing like it.
"For the record, Jeff Jarret cannot play guitar. Honky Tonk Man cannot play guitar. Elias? Guitar, piano, harmonica, drums, you name it. I can do anything. I even wrote a song on my album called "Nothing I Can't Do" that just lists off a bunch of things I can do.
"When I hear the comparisons, I get it because they carried a guitar around, but when you look at us individually there's just no comparison."
Perhaps the interviewer set the bar too low by bringing up those wrestlers, so he then asked Elias about comparisons to The Rock.
"That's another thing and I hear [comparisons to] The Rock? That's a subject that gets me fired up," Elias said. "He came out, he played guitar. First off, he did cover songs, I'm doing originals. That's one little thing. He did these concerts, "Rock Concerts," maybe five, six times throughout his career. I am performing on a nightly basis for WWE. I'm doing it in front of tens of thousands of people at the live events then millions on Monday Night Raw.
"The Rock can not do what I do," said Elias. "The Rock had plenty of catchphrases but my performances are on a different level. If The Rock ever wants to come and walk with Elias, he knows exactly where to find me. It's my show on Monday Night Raw. Rock, I know he's a busy man, but I'm a busy man too and I would make time for The Rock if he shows up."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit CBS Sports with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.