Luther Reigns released

[Jericholic82 0]

Well havent seen Luther on tv lately so no surprise.

 

 

too bad his memorable moment was trying to knock over the jeep.

[Golgo 13 0]

Luther is better than Batista.

[Jericholic82 0]

Well havent seen Luther on tv lately so no surprise.

 

 

too bad his memorable moment was trying to knock over the jeep.

and of course cutting a great promo about Taker and immediately being made to look like a bitch.

 

 

 

sorry about quoting myself.

[Team Angle Pusher 0]

Should have released Kenzo Suzuki. At least you can use Reigns as a manager/bodyguard because he cuts amazing promos.

[Jericholic82 0]

Should have released Kenzo Suzuki. At least you can use Reigns as a manager/bodyguard because he cuts amazing promos.

he might be next I guess.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Meh. After he got KOed by one punch from Mark Jindrak, he was as good as done, so I kinda saw it coming. There wasn't much chance of rebuilding his reputation after that.

 

BUT...I thought he was tight with Angle backstage? That's the only reason I thought he'd be kept around. Obviously not.

[Carnival 0]

I'm glad. now they just need to fire snitsky and hiedy.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Kenzo will never get over. I want to like the guy, I almost liked him doing the comedy team with Dupree, but both guys are awful on their own.

 

And there is NO firing Snitsky!

[RedJed 0]

Just got this from the Torch VIP area - they did an audio interview w/ him last night that lasted 80 min. Listening to it now but here is Keller's notes from it - how is this guy getting all of the shoot inteviews lately, he's going to be doing the DVD shoot for Matt and Jeff Hardy next too.

 

- ON WHERE HIS FORMER WRESTLING HANDLE, "HORSHU," CAME FROM:

 

Reigns says his nickname came from being named "Horshu" in prison when he was lucky even to make it to prison after surviving several personal issues such as a near drug overdose, being stabbed in the throat, and being left for dead. WCW never understood what the nickname was about, but WWE was familiar with where the nickname came from.

 

- ON HOW LONG IN ADVANCE HE KNEW ABOUT HIS RESIGNATION AND WHETHER HE CAN COME BACK:

 

Reigns says his departure from WWE has been coming for some time now. Reigns says he expressed concerns to Vince McMahon and John Laurenaitis about not being used correctly some time ago. The decision became final on Wednesday, but he knew for the last week that he was going to lean towards walking away. Reigns says he's relieved to be home in order to take care of his personal business, but there are aspects of the business he will miss.

 

Reigns says he spoke with John Laurenaitis on the phone about the release. Laurenaitis expressed knowledge that Reigns's head wasn't into wrestling and Laurenaitis told him to take six months off, and then see if he was ready to come back to the business. Reigns says he's not sure if he'll have a second chance. "This was my second chance in wrestling; I had a chance with WCW with past years and blew that over with a drug habit," he says. "If I never get that second chance, I'm okay with that."

 

- ON WHETHER THERE ARE ANY ILL FEELINGS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND WWE:

 

Reigns says there are absolutely no ill feelings towards WWE because it was a mutual split, and he's not just saying that because he hopes to get a job back there one day, but is forever grateful to WWE because, "They put food on my table, they put money in my pocket, and they gave me a great jumpstart on life again."

 

Reigns says he knows Vince must have felt as if he lost an investment, and probably would be hesitant to rehire him if he came back. Reigns says he has other obligations to tend to and may have been wrong to tend to other investments while still being part of WWE, but WWE does the same kind of business to make sure other investments are available if the WWE were to fall on hard times. Reigns says he doesn't blame Vince if he doesn't want to rehire him in the future, but at the same time, hopes Vince understands why he walked away in that he had to take care of his personal business.

 

- ON HOW WWE PROVIDED HIM THE RESOURCES FOR LIFE AFTER WWE:

 

Reigns says he was able to use the payoffs from WWE to invest money in real estate and start his own salon. Reigns says that, before road expenses, he earned well over $175,000 for a full year of work from Judgment Day 2004 until his very recent departure. Reigns says his near-the-top billing at February's No Way Out PPV against the Undertaker contributed a great deal to his salary. Reigns says he had to consider what the most important thing for himself is and he decided that tending to his investments - a basic guarantee - was more important than trying to chase payoffs in WWE, which are far from guaranteed.

 

- ON WHETHER WWE WRESTLERS ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR PAYOFFS:

 

Reigns says the wrestlers have to pay road expenses and taxes because of the Independent Contractor status, meaning less money in their pockets. The majority of WWE wrestlers are happy with pay, but even when they're not happy with pay, that doesn't mean they're going to do anything about it. Reigns says, "If I wasn't happy, I would leave. But you don't see that many guys leaving; they stay." Many guys choose to stay because they don't have an Option B to work with.

 

- ON HOW HE THOUGHT HIS POSITIONING IN THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED:

 

Reigns says there are many guys giving their all for the WWE - even some breaking their necks for WWE - and they deserve a chance to be on the top spot, as long as they can carry the ball. There are many younger wrestlers coming up from OVW, but Reigns feels like he should have been used ahead of them because his time to contribute is very limited because, "I'm a used car with a few good years left on it."

 

Reigns says he never received the opportunity he wanted, but maybe Vince had an idea for something big to happen six months or year from now, but he needed something "sooner rather than later." Reigns says he had a solid meeting with Vince and told Vince there was something they could do together to make some money with him, to which Vince agreed, but Vince never could quite come up with a solid plan to make things work out.

 

Reigns says his promos and his ability to speak is his best asset and "a gift from God." Reigns says he had so many one-liners, nicknames, and clichés that he could utilize, but WWE never let him be who he really is as a performer. Reigns says he knows how to beat someone up and knows how to talk, and just wanted an opening to make a solid run with his talents. There are plenty of agents in WWE who tried to tell him what to do, how to wrestle, and what to work on to where he felt like he had to please twenty different people every night. Reigns says he just wanted to be himself and not a person who had to please everyone.

 

- ON WHETHER HE WANTED TV TIME AS COMPARED TO OTHER WRESTLERS:

 

Reigns says many guys crave the attention of being on TV and, "they would wrestle for no money just so their face could be seen on TV and they can walk around town and sign autographs." Reigns says he wasn't dying to be on TV or didn't have the desire to brag to others about being a pro wrestler. The wrestling business was just a way to put food on his table, so he treated it as a job.

 

- ON WHETHER THERE IS A SYSTEM IN PLACE IN WWE TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER PUSHES OR TV TIME:

 

Reigns says the philosophy in management is that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease." Essentially, those who speak up get the push, and he's the type of guy who doesn't mind speaking up or telling management what he thinks, while others are from the school of thought where they should "keep their mouths shut and do what you're told."

 

- ON HIS FAVORITE MOMENT BEING PART OF THE WWE ROSTER:

 

Reigns says he thought the program with the Undertaker went well and he says it was an honor to wrestle him in the ring. On the quality of the match he had with Undertaker at No Way Out, Reigns says, "I blew up in that match; I was not prepared going into that match." In addition to Undertaker, Reigns says he was honored to work with Kurt Angle. Reigns says he enjoyed the few times he was able to do some promo work, while also loving the opportunity to wrestle in the ring.

 

- ON WHEN HE FIRST DECIDED TO BECOME A WRESTLER AND HOW HE GOT INVOLVED:

 

Reigns says he grew up in the same town in Illinois as current WWE referees, Jack Doane and Chad Patton. Reigns says he was trying to straighten up his life by getting his degree in college while also traveling around with Jack Doane to hang around with some of the wrestlers before heading to the WCW Power Plant in 1996.

 

Reigns says he went through the brutal three day training period at the Power Plant and loved the work outs because he was in great shape and was motivated to succeed. He says he enjoyed learning the ropes, taking bumps, and getting some ring work and ring experience. Reigns says he learned a great deal from Fit Finlay and Ricky Steamboat despite their styles being completely different. Reigns says he'll never be like Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero - a great technical wrestler - and just wants to work his style of being a brawler.

 

- ON WHEN HE FIRST WAS SENT TO WORK LIVE CROWDS IN WCW:

 

Reigns says he tried to send some tapes of him working out in the Power Plant to WWF, but it was to no avail. In early 1997, he was put on Nitro straight out of the Plant, and immediately after being placed on TV, WWF called and brought him up to Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut where he worked out in the ring with Dr. Tom Prichard. Prichard helped bring Reigns to where is now and he helped guide him to success - both with his wrestling skills and being a man. Reigns says Prichard helped get his life straight after years of misdirection.

 

- ON HIS FIRST CONTRACT AND WHETHER HE REGRETS SIGNING IT:

 

Reigns says WWF offered him a deal after working out with Dr. Prichard and he took the offer to Eric Bischoff at WCW, who offered Reigns even more money to stay put in WCW. Reigns says he ended up signing with WCW because of the substantial monetary offer. "Looking back at the time, it probably wasn't a bad decision, but it probably wasn't the best decision," he says.

 

Reigns says that had he signed with WWF, he probably would have turned into a major talent, going back to the old saying, "Vince makes talent; Ted Turner buys it." In hindsight, Reigns says he wishes he had signed with WWF back in 1997.

 

Reigns says his first WCW deal was for three years, but it had a roll over clause to where they could release him within thirty days. Bischoff was an innovator in creating competition for Vince, and had a hand in creating some of the best times for the business during the Monday Night Wars. Yet, in the end, Vince won the War because, "You're never going to shut Vince down; Vince had the last laugh."

 

- ON LIFE IN WCW AND WHETHER HE BENEFITED FROM HIS TIME THERE:

 

Reigns says his growth as a wrestler was absolutely stunted because WCW management was primarily concerned with making their friends and the top guys happy, ensuring that most of the mid-card level wrestlers weren't given the time of day to develop programs around their characters.

 

Reigns says he befriended Chris Benoit, who still calls him up to ask how he's doing and whether things are going well. He says Benoit is a "true gentleman" in the business, and is sincere in his concerns and contacts with others.

 

- ON WCW'S GUARANTEED CONTRACTS:

 

Reigns says he received a deal calling for $75,000 guaranteed for the first year, but with stipulations including PPV appearances and signs of improvement as it pertains to moving up the card. The $75,000 deal was a trading contract where he was supposed to show up at the Power Plant, work out, and make appearances on TV.

 

- ON WHETHER WCW HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIS DRUG USE AND WHETHER THE PROBLEMS DERAILED HIS PROGRESS:

 

Reigns says the atmosphere of WCW had nothing to do with his drug abuse because it was all about him dealing with the drugs, and he takes all the blame for the drug abuse. Reigns says he's seemingly always followed a pattern of going four or five years without problems, only to fall into the trap one way or another.

 

Reigns says drugs absolutely hindered his progress as a wrestler. Reigns says it was all fault because, "No one put a gun to my head and told me: here, smoke this crack pipe." Reigns says, "In September, I'll be six years clean and sober, and I can honestly say I'll never go back to that life again." Reigns says his addiction in June of 1998 was so bad, that WCW had no choice but to release him because they didn't want him to die in the middle of the ring because of how much cocaine he had in his system.

 

- ON THE PERSONAL AFFLICTIONS HE HAS OVERCOME:

 

Reigns says that within a year of his release, he was back in Phoenix broke and homeless committing crimes here and there. His time in prison saved his life to where now he has a million dollar mansion on the side of a mountain. Reigns says being locked down in prison gave him time to find the light at the end of the tunnel to straighten his life out.

 

He says he got back on his feet after being in prison and worked his way back to where he could approach WWE for being hired. The time it took to get another shot with WWE was so lengthy probably because they knew about the drug problems he had in WCW. Reigns says Vince never had to worry about him relapsing into the drug use because he's learned his lesson and isn't going to fall into the traps again.

 

- ON WHY HE WOULD WALK AWAY AFTER DOING SO MUCH TO GET HIS LIFE BACK IN ORDER:

 

Reigns says family members have pointed out that it makes no sense for him to walk away after watching him put so much effort and energy into making it back to the business. It may look ludicrous to walk away when looking at his decision from the outside, but considering the grueling travel schedule and the long time away from home, those factors combine to form an ability to break wrestlers. It's a difficult climb to make day in and day out.

 

- ON THE REACTION TO WWE DROPPING FIRST CLASS FLIGHTS FOR WRESTLERS AND PLACING THEM IN COACH.

 

Reigns says the decision to drop first class flights absolutely hurts moral and causes resentment. He says, "It causes an aura in the locker room that is not conducive to a productive work environment." Reigns asks how WWE can justify this decision when these huge wrestlers - who already have injuries that aren't going to be healed by being cramped up for 14 hours - are expected to go wrestle right after getting off the plane. It's not feasible to expect wrestlers to work under those conditions.

 

Reigns says the decision is looked at very negatively within the circle of wrestlers. There were ten or twelve guys who were adamant about this not happening, and Reigns isn't sure if management understands the concept of being forced to fly coach. It may be possible that the people in the office who made the decision are the ones who have never wrestled and do not understand what it's like to "fly 30,000 miles in two weeks." The upgrades from coach to business are expensive and that it would probably cost many of the lower card wrestlers their entire overseas trip pay off just to upgrade on every flight.

 

Looking at the decision from Vince McMahon's perspective, Reigns says that if the company truly need to save money to allow everyone to keep their job, receive payoffs, and put food on the table, then "maybe that's a cutback that needs to be made." However, Reigns says he isn't sold on that being a decision that should be considered.

 

- ON THE IMAGE WWE WANTS TO PORTRAY TO BY HAVING WRESTLERS DRESS IN SUITS:

 

Reigns says he always wore suits to TV even before the mandatory dress code was implemented, so it didn't bother him, personally. To play into the decision to drop first class, Reigns says that if he walks onto a plane dressed to the hilt and then sits in Coach, it doesn't just add up to the people sitting around him. For instance, If Ric Flair were to walk to Coach, people would wonder and speculate why Flair is sitting in coach because he just doesn't belong there based on the image portrayed on TV.

 

Reigns says, "Perception is reality." If people perceive you as a superstar, people are going to see you a superstar, which leads to more revenue for the company. WWE needs to perceive their wrestlers as superstars who are "larger than life, unapproachable, and unattainable to the public," he says. "Putting them in a dress shirt and coat in coach is absurd!" Reigns says many wrestlers can't afford to buy nice new suits in order to dress for the part because they have to spend their payoffs to provide for their family.

 

Reigns says many wrestlers don't understand fashion and that could have played into why WWE management decided to implement the policy. Reigns says that many of the less-stylish wrestlers thought, "Skechers boots were dress shoes." In comparison, Reigns points to his sharp dress on TV as proof that he has a great sense of style.

 

- ON WHETHER HE IS IN FAVOR OR AGAINST THE DRESS CODE POLICY, AS IT WAS IMPLEMENTED:

 

Reigns says he is against the way the dress code policy was executed, mainly because it doesn't even meet the demographic WWE is trying to reach out to. "Suits and ties don't always mean anything in our demographic," he says. "They don't mean anything to our fans...our fans don't relate to suits and ties." Reigns says WWE needs to let the wrestlers be who they are because the perception on TV should be translated to the perception outside of the arena.

 

- ON INITIATIONS AND RIBBING IN LOCKER ROOMS:

 

Reigns says it all comes down to the "boys being the boys." There's a certain code that has to be followed and if people who step in the business don't follow the code, "you're going to get your ass handed to you." He says some of the boys may have gone too far, but he doesn't have a real opinion on it.

 

Reigns says he didn't face the ribbing issue because he knew almost everyone in the WWE locker room upon being called up from OVW, mainly from working with a lot of WCW guys who crossed over to WWE. The WWE guys had seen him before, so he wasn't just another "brand new face coming out of Louisville."

 

- ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF WWE WRESTLERS AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND HOW IT AFFECTS COVERAGE:

 

Reigns says wrestlers have insurance to cover anything that happens in-ring and coverage on any medical expenses for times when they get sick. However, there isn't coverage on anything that happens away from WWE, such as personal insurance. It's a chief concern for a lot of the boys, mainly for the ones who don't own their own business and don't understand the business side of treating employees as Independent Contractors.

 

Luther says the very nature of the business and being classified as Independent Contractors is "a double edged sword." He says it comes down to WWE telling wrestlers, "You are an independent contractor, but we own you." It's been an unpleasant fact for so long that the boys have just accepted it because you have to live with the classification if you want to make money and live a good life.

 

- ON WHETHER PROMOS ARE OVER-SCRIPTED TO WHERE WRESTLERS CANNOT BE THEMSELVES:

 

Reigns says the writers work hard and have good intentions to do the best they possibly can for the wrestlers, but on the other hand, asks whether any of them have ever been in the limelight to experience a "rock star" environment where things are out of control and life is lived as wild and crazy as possible. "I've got photo albums of hot bitches," he says. They don't understand what it's like to have the rock star status.

 

Reigns says that during the Monday Night Wars, WWF and WCW were letting guys be themselves where people like Steve Austin could throw out cuss words and The Rock could talk trash to everyone, basically in an effort to push the envelope as far as possible. Now, the "let it fly" concept has been lost, allowing the writers to be given too much power. Reigns says he has a great story to tell that could be turned into something to WWE could make money off, but the writers never realized that. "Let me be me or I got to go," he says.

 

- ON THE DRUG SITUATION IN WWE COMPARED TO WCW:

 

Reigns says WWE's drug situation is substantially cleaner - almost non-existent - as compared to WCW. Nowadays, wrestlers have nowhere else to go, so they are walking the fine line to make sure they don't creep into drug problems that could lead to losing a job. The fact there is nowhere else to go has caused the business clean up, and that has had an effect of limiting the edginess and racy content that used to make WWE such a hot product.

 

Reigns says Vince McMahon does not condone drug use or any type of atmosphere that encourages drug use. He promotes a "clean, professional environment to the fullest." Reigns says the guys who have been down the road of drug use are the ones who should be making money for WWE because they have the best stories to tell in the ring and on the mic.

 

- ON HIS BIGGEST WEAKNESS AS A PERFORMER:

 

Reigns says his conditioning was a problem, but that came from not receiving many matches to work on his wrestling skills, while being limited to just doing a promo here or there. Then, all of a sudden, he was expected to compete in a 15 minute match out of nowhere with the Undertaker. Reigns says he needed to be in the ring every night to get the conditioning needed. "Professional wrestling is the hardest thing I have ever done," he says.

 

Reigns says that if he could have gone 10-12 minutes on house shows every night, he would have been in fine condition to wrestle, because the only way a wrestler can get into ring shape is by wrestling night in and night out. He just didn't know how WWE wanted to use him, so he could never get his feet set and get behind something. He just wanted WWE to allow him to tell his story and make some money off that.

 

- ON WHETHER HE WOULD WORK ANY INDY DATES IN THE FUTURE:

 

Reigns says it doesn't make any sense at this stage in his career because of wanting to tend to his investments. However, Reigns says, "I don't mind working 250 nights a year." He says he's not going to say no to working in TNA or on Japan tour.

 

- ON WORKING WITH JOHN LAURENAITIS:

 

Reigns says he absolutely liked working with Laurenaitis. Luther says he might still be in Louisville if Laurenaitis and Dr. Prichard did not request him to be brought up. On Laurenaitis's influence, Reigns says, "He's a big part of where I am."

 

- ON LOCKER ROOM LEADERSHIP AMONGST THE SMACKDOWN WORKERS:

 

Reigns says the Undertaker will always offer an opinion or guidance if he's asked for help. He shoots straight from the hip and is a good guy to have in the locker room. Reigns says Kurt Angle taught Reigns many of the nuisances of the business while on the road together. Angle and Undertaker have a great synergy in the locker room, "like a well-oiled machine."

 

- ON JOHN CENA'S PROGRESSION TO A LEADERSHIP ROLE:

 

Reigns says Cena is a guy who has come a very long time in a short amount of time. He keeps to himself most of the time, but he really impressed the locker room when he confronted the decision by WWE to remove the first class plane tickets. The decision was announced shortly after WrestleMania when Cena just won the World Title. Cena took center stage to stand up for the boys and showed himself to be a true leader.

 

- ON MARK JINDRAK'S PERSONALITY AND HIS POTENTIAL IN THE BUSINESS:

 

Reigns says Jindrak is always looking in the mirror, checking to see if his abs are still in place. Jindrak has one of the best bodies in the business and is an overall good guy. WWE just isn't sure about Jindrak and the "light bulb needs to go off" between him and management before he can move up to the next level.

 

- ON JBL PROVING THE CRITICS WRONG:

 

Reigns says he was a big fan of Bradshaw's work in the APA, and actually wanted to debut in WWE as a recruit for the APA because their style of drinking beer and playing cards fits his style perfectly. Many critics said he wasn't worthy of the top spot, but he proved them all wrong. Reigns says JBL is "one of the best promo guys in the business." Reigns says success has not changed JBL and he is the same exact person as he has always been.

 

- ON WHETHER STEPHANIE MCMAHON HAS THE RESPECT OF THE WRESTLERS:

 

Reigns says Stephanie McMahon is a true businesswoman just like her dad. She was in charge of some of Reigns's backstage vignettes and always brought out the best in Reigns. She has certainly earned the respect of the locker room, and the respect isn't merely a result of her being the boss's daughter.

[iliketurtles 0]

"I've got photo albums of hot bitches," he says.

Re-hire him. Now.

 

Great interview. And I had no idea that WWE took away the right to have First Class seating. That's fucking ridlicious.

[geniusMoment 0]

I liked in the audio interview when talking about Gerwitz and the writers he said something to the effect of, "Have they ever kicked anyone's ass. Have they ever made some slut cum by eating out her pussy. Hell, no. I have even before I became famous. I always fucked the hottest bitches, and always got the VIP treatment at clubs just because I am 6'5" 300 pounds. I always get the hottest bitches." He describes going to strip clubs with hot bitches.

 

Also, he said his entrance should have been him pulling up in a lowrider with 4 hot bitches on his arm and a baseball bat. He would then beat the shit out of everyone with the bat, and then go into the ring and tell everyone to go fuck themselves.

[iliketurtles 0]

LMAO.. That made me spit my water all over the computer screen.

[Downhome 0]

14 people want him back in WWE!

 

http://www.petitiononline.com/reigns/petition.html

[Guest news_gimmick]

Make it 15

[Eclipse 0]

That was a pretty sweet interview. Very informative about the happenings in the WWE.

 

Though it sucks when once you speak up, the WWE feels like you should be fired for doing so, in a way.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

WWE will resign him tomorrow once they realize there is an online petition for his return AND it was signed by BIGNSASSY.

[Guest news_gimmick]

Hey, I'm feelin the results with the petition. Really.

[geniusMoment 0]

Apparantly a group of hot bitches have banded together and signed the petition. They are upset that without luther around there will be no one to eat their pussy.

[Guest Ransome]

Great interview. And I had no idea that WWE took away the right to have First Class seating. That's fucking ridlicious.

You're not the only one, according to 411 (which got it from PWtorch):

 

- John Cena has been vocally against WWE's policy to not give wrestlers first class or business class seats on overseas flights. WWE decided that the seats was a good area to cutback on. While WWE Title holders are expected to take a leadership role backstage, many were surprised that Cena was vocal about the issue due to his usually laid back attitude.