A fierce-looking Lance Archer really hammered the point home that “Everybody Dies” this past Saturday in the opening match of the G1 Climax. Archer exacted his revenge in his very backyard of Dallas, TX as he defeated Will Ospreay, who arguably has been the wrestler of the year so far in 2019, after what was a wildly climatic battle between the two athletes of different sizes and styles.
The big man spoke with me before Saturday about how his size and his character are two of the most important aspects he’s taken with him over the course of his 19 years in the squared circle. Quotes are below:
“(A) being a big man and (B), being a character that everybody wants to see and everybody wants to see again. I work with kids in camps and help in training seminars and situations going to schools and stuff like that, there’s guys and girls that do some amazing, amazing wrestling. Do some moves and spots and stuff that will just wow you to no end, but if people leave whatever show you’re on and all they can remember is the move you did or the spot you did and not necessarily you as the wrestler, then I think you’re not succeeding in this business.
“I think it’s the ones who can be both sides of that coin that truly leave a mark on this business cause if you that building and everybody remembers your name and they want to see you again, then you’ve accomplished something. If you leave and if everybody’s going, ‘Yeah, yeah that one guy that did that amazing move at the top of the ladder or whatever the case was,’ but they can’t remember your name, well then I think you’re failing and unfortunately, there’s a lot of guys and girls in this business who are only focused on the wrestling aspect and going out there and having these amazing matches and stuff like that and that’s good, it is 2019, it’s a different era, I get that. I’m even having to adapt to it as well and if I don’t then it’s that whole ‘adapt or die.’ but at the same time, like I said, if you don’t create a personality and a character that truly stands out and is memorable and people aren’t remembering your name when you leave, then I think you’re not succeeding in our business and that’s the one thing I think that I truly learned over the time in my 19 years in wrestling and especially my last eight years in New Japan is being that monster, being ‘The American Psycho’ Lance Archer, being that big man that can get in there with guys like Will Ospreay who are ‘top of the game, holy crap high-flyers” to Okada, who’s a proven champion, to Tanahashi, ‘The Ace’ of New Japan and so on and so forth. Or Fale, the monster general for The Bullet Club…
“Basically leaving my mark so that when I leave that match, when I leave that situation, when I leave that show people are remembering me and myself they’re going, ‘Man…Lance Archer. That thing that Lance Archer did.’ Not necessarily a spot or a move, but ‘Lance Archer.’ If I’m leaving that building and they’re going, ‘The American Psycho Lance Archer, I’ve gotta see what he does next,’ that’s what I’m excited about.”
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone)
Listen to WrestleZone’s full exclusive interview below:
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