Keith Lee Names “Mentor” He Wants Match Against In ROH
AEW star Keith Lee recently appeared on The Ringer's MackMania Podcast and delved into his decision to become 'All Elite', which according to Lee, is somewhere where he can focus on himself and have a much more balanced schedule. Something that Lee says was not possible in WWE due to the grueling touring schedule.
"Sometimes the thing we want doesn't always line up with what's in the cards," Lee explained. "So, the reality is, I don't really, truly know. I know that, right now, I'm focusing a lot on myself and I'm enjoying the fact that there's a schedule that I can train properly too because I didn't have that kind of freedom for a long time.
"Most people know, I spent five or six months just kind of trying to stay alive and when I got back, when I made that comeback, it was like four or five months on the road five or six days a week. I was home only 18 hours, sometimes I'd have up to a day and a half. The travel was taking its toll on me with being a larger human being and flying is tight, to say the least.
"So, a lot wore on me, and the lack of time to just dedicate to hey, I just got back, I need to keep training at a max level. Now, I'm at a point where, OK, I'm hovering around where I was cardio wise of what I'm capable of, which is a beautiful thing for me because it's a very long process and I struggled with some of those effects.
"So, right now, I'm just kind of in love with training, I think all the goals in pro wrestling are there and they're gonna stay there because it's in my nature to want to be THE guy. Everywhere I've gone, I was never chosen but I always fought to be either at the top or somewhere around that realm. I'd take it as far back as my main event with Drew McIntyre, like, no-one would've expected me to go 30 minutes with that guy or 25 minutes or whatever it was and us to push as hard as we did.
"But goals are things that bring me the most joy a lot of the time, like creating those special moments and I want to create more of them. So, I think it's in all of our natures, as entertainers to want to do that for people."
Before signing with WWE in 2018, Keith Lee was a staple of Ring Of Honor programming from 2015 to 2017 and now that AEW President and CEO, Tony Khan purchased ROH, Lee sees a potential match with fellow AEW-newcomer Samoa Joe, in the cards.
"I think that considering that I just joined AEW, I'm pretty committed to trying and raising the bar there in a multitude of ways. Something about more marketing or interest in just growing the name itself, is kind of my goal and purpose, right now. Ring Of Honor is something I haven't seen since 2017, I believe but I'd be willing to have a match there under the right circumstances.
"There are quite a few names there that are interesting, there's Samoa Joe, he's a circumstance because I consider him to be a bit of a mentor, especially from the business side of things, he taught me a lot. For all intents and purposes, he's the reason that I ever took a chance to come to the East coast. If it was not for his advice, his and one Mr. Brian Cage, I never would've gone to the East coast, I never would've had that match with [Donovan] Dijakovic, which changed the trajectory of my career as a whole.
"I could've just been another dude in Texas doing random stuff. Yeah, there's something special about those three letters, especially when you come from it and it helped you build who you are. So, yeah, I'd be open to fighting there."
Keith Lee is currently locked in a feud alongside Swerve Strickland against Team Taz's Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Ringer's MackMania Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.