Jeff Cobb was a feature interview with Uproxx ‘s Emily Pratt in which the recent PWG Battle Of Los Angeles Winner dismisses rumors of signing with ROH , talks the art of selling with an MMA background, working with Matt Riddle and gives some NJPW dream matches. You can read the entire interview by going here , but below are a few snippets:
Jeff Cobb dismisses rumors of signing with ROH:
Internet websites. Don’t get me started on that. Those guys were like, “Oh hey, Jeff Cobb signed with ROH?” Really, I did? I wish I would have known. That would’ve been great. But yeah, some people say I signed… When I called them out on it they said, “No, Dave Meltzer said you did.” I was like, “No, Dave Meltzer didn’t say I did. He said I’m working with them.” There’s a difference between working and signing with them.
On The Chosen Bros. & Matt Riddle:
I definitely wanted to do more with the Chosen Bros. Matt Riddle definitely wanted to do more with the Chosen Bros. The only thing is, promoters were afraid to book us together. Because realistically, I’m a former 2004 Olympic wrestler, Olympic athlete, Matt Riddle is a very accomplished amateur wrestler, an undefeated UFC fighter, and together we’re unstoppable, so promoters are afraid to put us together, because who could stop us, realistically, right? But PWG saw it, and we dominated the tag division for over a year, and we definitely would have, I think, if myself and Matt Riddle were paired up in the 2017 World Tag League we probably would have won it, and we probably would have won the IWGP Heavyweight tag belts at Wrestle Kingdom. But you never know. You can always play fantasy booking.
On if he’s looking to sign with a bigger company & the “cryptic Tweet” craze:
Yeah, something definitely – Follow my Twitter, @RealJeffCobb , and I’ll be saying something soon, real soon… hence my recent twitter post of “#CrypticTweet.” Because everybody wants to do that, right? I didn’t put out one of those tweets that’s like, “Hey, I plan to make an impact somewhere doing some entertainment, perhaps with some honor that’s new.” I didn’t put that kind of cryptic tweet, but yeah, you’ll see me pop up somewhere, sign somewhere.
On adjusting with the transition of working MMA to building a character:
That was tough… When you’re doing like the quote-unquote shoot, amateur wrestling you’re taught not to show weakness because, like, if my arm hurts, and I’m in a match, the guy’s going to go after my arm, or if my calves are cramping up or whatever, they’re going to go after my weakness and exploit it. Same thing with UFC. If you punch someone in the eye and their eye swells you’re going to attack that side because they can’t see. So that’s the same thing, but on the tail end of that, in pro wrestling, if you’re, like, hurt, instead of toughing up and not showing the weakness you’re going to exploit it and be that much more over the top about my arm or my leg or whatnot, so that was definitely the hard part of the transition to pro wrestling… to the quote-unquote selling side of it was very foreign to me.
On the hypothetical of actually wrestling Kurt Angle :
He won a gold medal. I didn’t. I got tin.
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Excellent interview by Emily here. The MMA selling talk is real good stuff. Go out of your way to read the whole sha-bang (here’s your second chance ).
NJPW G1 Climax Omega pt 1 Tanahashi Ishii Sabre Kushida Naito Ibushi Suzuki Mysterio Okada Evil LIJ Shibata Sanada Bushi
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Winner Hiroshi Tanahashi speaks during a press conference after winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Winner Hiroshi Tanahashi speaks during a press conference after winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Winner Hiroshi Tanahashi (R) and Kota Ibushi (R) interact after the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi compete in the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi compete in the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi compete in the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi compete in the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi compete in the tournament final during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Katsuyori Shibata, second of Hiroshi Tanahashi is seen at the ring side during the tournament final between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi talks with second Katsuyori Shibata prior to the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi appears to the ring prior to the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi appears to the ring prior to the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi appears to the ring prior to the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kota Ibushi appears to the ring prior to the tournament final against Hiroshi Tanahashi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Rey Mysterio Jr. celebrates his side's victory in the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Rey Mysterio Jr. dives on Yoh to win by a fall in the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kazuchika Okada appears on the ring prior to the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kazuchika Okada (L) and Rey Mysterio Jr. (R) compete in the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Rey Mysterio Jr. appears on the ring prior to the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kazuchika Okada appears on the ring prior to the the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kenny Omega (R) and Tomohiro Ishii (L) square off after the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kenny Omega stands after the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kenny Omega (L) and Tomohiro Ishii (R) compete in the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kenny Omega stands on the ring prior to the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: A general view during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Winner Hiroshi Tanahashi poses for photographs during a press conference after winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Winner Hiroshi Tanahashi speaks during a press conference after winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates winning the tournament final against Kota Ibushi during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: (L to R) Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI and SANADA celebrate their victory in the 8-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Tetsuya Naito (L) and Minoru Suzuki (R) compete in the 8-man tag team match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Kenny Omega stands on the ring prior to the 6-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Tetsuya Naito prepares prior to the 8-man tag team match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI and SANADA stand prior to the 8-man tag match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)
NJPW G1 Climax Finals
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Tetsuya Naito (L) and Minoru Suzuki (R) compete in the 8-man tag team match during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling G1 Climax 28 at Nippon Budokan on August 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New Japan Pro-Wrestling/Getty Images)