WWE Superstar Jack Swagger Talks Wrestlemania 31, His 'Controversial' Real American Character, When Does He Think PPV's Will Return To The UK?

WWE Superstar Jack Swagger Talks Wrestlemania 31, His ‘Controversial’ Real American Character, When Does He Think PPV’s Will Return To The UK?

Complex UK recently talked with Jack Swagger while he was promoting this weekend’s Wrestlemania 31 pay-per-view.

Swagger talks about competing at Wrestlemania and how big a win that night could be, his Real American character and the reaction to it, the possibility of a pay-per-view event being hosted in Europe, and much more. You can read a few excerpts below:

Jack Swagger Talks Wrestlemania 31, Competing In The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal:

“First of all, it’s such a huge match because it’s dedicated to the career of Andre the Giant, who’s an absolute icon in our business. Secondly, it’s on the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania – which makes it bigger and better.

Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way of knowing what type of momentum that can generate for 2015. If Jack Swagger were to win it, one thing you can’t fake in our business is interest and I think that’d be generated, especially in the fans’ eyes.”

On controversy of playing the right-wing ‘Real American’:

“The great thing about the WWE is we continue to push the envelope and if what we do is topical or social, we’re not afraid to use it. It [the far right ‘Real American’] was very different – it was real. No matter where you go, or whatever country you’re in, there’s always going to be an issue that the character related to.

There are some places though, when Zeb would grab the mic, I would get worried about the reactions. It’s crazy to me how the ‘We the People’ catchphrase started as such a negative thing – now it stands for anything that’s good and positive.”

On WWE bringing a PPV back to the UK for the first time in over ten years:

“I’ve gotten a lot of questions about that since I’ve been here, actually. If there’s one country that we would go to for a PPV first it would be the UK, it just makes the most sense. Who knows, with all the transition amongst the NBA and NFL of trying to get teams over here, I can definitely see Vince following suit and I’d bet within the next five years London will be hosting a PPV again.”