Rob Terry On WWE Hiring Him Because He Was Natural, Not Being Able To Show His Personality
Hearing Rob Terry on the documentary "Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life" you'd wonder why he never was given the opportunity to speak more in WWE or Impact Wrestling. The Welsh star is a championship bodybuilder who juggles being a dad and firefighting in Florida these days.
"It was frustrating. Sometimes you are put in the role. As a performer, it can be frustrating," he said. "I just feel like from the day I started I've grown so much. It would have been a great opportunity for me to really evolve and do something worth more personality driven rather than be stereotyped as this muscle bound guy.
"I think about that a lot. Maybe in the future I'll get a chance to try something out."
Terry leaves the door of pro wrestling opened for the future. The lifelong fan remains just that.
"It was such a huge thrill to actually get into the industry growing up in Wales. There was a time difference, but we'd stay up till four in the morning to watch the pay-per-views," he reminisced. " It was kind of this religious thing. I would tell friends way back when. I was a big dude then in my early 20s, I would say this is my dream. This is what I wanted to do. I was used to people laughing in my face?.For me, to work with WWE and all these guys. I was a big fan, so it was monumental. I will always be a fan.
"...I think it's great. Competition really makes the products step up. Having these different brands really elevate the game of each company. There are a lot of opportunities. A lot of growth. Obviously, with this COVID situation and no crowds that goes with that is not a good thing right now. All these companies are in a great situation to step up."
Following Terry on social media, you'd see he remains connected to the wrestling world. One of his hangout buddies is NXT's own Robert Stone. The two were opponents and tag partners in Impact Wrestling. Terry has fond memories of being a BroMan.
"He's the very reason I say bro way too much in my life. I never used to say bro before I met that guy," he said. "It's really cool to stay in touch with those guys. I try to stay connected with what they're doing. It's really good to see them all do well."
The hulking 40-year-old knows much like bodybuilding, there are assumptions made in the world of pro wrestling because of his physique. He is proud to call himself natural.
"I got my opportunity with WWE in 2006 because I was natural. The company needed natural athletes," he said. "They had a wellness policy in place... There are a few tragic events that happened prior to my hiring with the company which led to that wellness policy to take effect. I was there and a perfect candidate. I think a lot of people when they saw me on TV they made assumptions that I was enhanced when in reality I was a natural athlete."
"Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life" is available on VOD starting Friday, July 31.
Rob's full interview aired as part of a recent episode of our podcast, The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as it's released Monday – Friday afternoon by clicking here.