Bully Ray spoke about his in-ring retirement on the latest episode of Busted Open Radio; you can read transcribed highlights (credit Bill Pritchard / Wrestlezone.com) and listen to the audio clip from the show below:
Bully Ray on if Sunday night’s Global Wars appearance marked the final time we’ll see him in a wrestling ring:
Most definitely. As far as what I said in the ring, what you heard me say is about as legit as it gets. There’s more to it than just the injury. One of the reasons I don’t think I’m going to be making it back in the ring is because when you have an injury like this, you have to take a significant amount of time away. Ring rust sets in really quick, and if you’re 30 years old and you have an injury, it’s easy to come back, but I’m 46, so it takes a bit longer to come back.
I know the amount of ring rust that will end up setting in because of my injury, and I don’t know if I want to start from zero again and get moving. I want to be able to perform at a certain level, and if I can’t perform at that level, I don’t want to perform anymore. So, it’s kind of lining up to be the time to step away, so that’s why you heard what you heard, and it is what it is.
I’m not sad, I don’t want anybody to be sad. It’s been… ‘thank you Lord for thinking about me, I’m alive and doing fine.’ It’s one of my favorite lines from a Tesla [cover] songs, and I’ll quote it on social media sometimes, I really feel that way. I’ve had an incredible career, I’ve had an incredible life and I have a bright future in front of me.
I get to concentrate on Busted Open Radio, I get to concentrate on the Team 3D Academy in Florida and in Connecticut, and listen, I’m still under contract to Ring Of Honor. I actually will be at Ring Of Honor on Friday for their show [Philadelphia Excellence] down at the ECW area, they have television tapings there. I’m still under contract to them so I’ll be there, I’ll be doing an autograph signing, I’ll be meeting fans. Honestly, I plan on being at the front door. The minute the open the doors at the ECW Arena I am going to do my best to shake everybody’s hand that walks into the ECW Arena that night for Ring Of Honor. This way, I can look everybody in the eye and tell them thank you, because I think if there’s one place that deserves it, it’s there.
Bully on how difficult it will be to stay out of the ring:
It’s not going to be that difficult because I’ve had such a great career, there really is nothing left for me to do. I’m so happy… the last thing I said the other night in Chicago was ‘thank you God for allowing me to be in a Ring Of Honor ring’ and I meant that. Listen, I planned on staying a lot longer, looks like it’s gonna get cut a little short. I’m OK with that. Things happen. There’s nothing I can do about it. Hopefully I can stay out on the road with Ring Of Honor and I can do some meet and greets and help some of the guys in the back. I have such a great relationship with a lot of these guys. I’d like to help them become better versions of themselves, maybe help create some new personalities and do whatever I can to move a company forward that I truly believe in. I don’t just say this; Ring Of Honor is a special company. From the shows they put on, to the talent in the back to the fan interaction, and they by far have the most over act on the planet right now. I know we spoke about it last week but the Bullet Club, more specifically the [Young Bucks] and Kenny Omega, The Elite… these guys are stupid over. Stupid over. Their fanbase is growing, you saw the fans lined up around the block at Pro Wrestling Tees. It’s so pure and organic and just to be able to hang out on the sidelines, to watch this all go on, it’s awesome.
Busted Open with Dave Lagreca & co-hosts Bully Ray & Larry Dallas can be heard weekdays from 2p-4p Eastern Time only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 and is available any time on demand on the SiriusXM App.
