Rhyno Talks TNA Attempting to Reincarnate ECW, Returning to TNA for Last Year’s New York Events, Working w/Flair & Nash, More

November 29, 2015

rhyno WWE NXT star Rhyno recently spoke with CultofWhatever.com and below are some interview highlights:

TNA attempted a reincarnation of ECW, what were your thoughts on that show?

I don’t necessarily think it was ECW, I think it was more the hardcore element and fans really enjoyed that moment. ECW was basically a group of men and women that were rejected and told they weren’t good enough and they were either let go from WCW/WWE or they couldn’t even get looked at by those two companies. ECW took in all the guys that were rejected and we all had something to prove and I think the fans could relate to it.

What was it like when you returned to TNA for their shows in New York last year?

It was great; everybody started chanting ‘You Sold Out’ at me because I teamed up with Ethan Carter. What that gave me the opportunity to do was show a different side of me where I could be entertaining and funny. I was basically a hired hand, you pay me and I would fight your battles. What was funny is I would go out there with the intension to make myself laugh inside and my buddies would watch the show and they would call me up and say there were laughing so hard.

If you can entertain yourself you can definitely entertain the live audience and the audience watching at home. I just had so much fun with that.

What were some of your highlights from your time in TNA?

Again I had a fantastic time in TNA, I got to share a locker room with legends of the industry, Ric Flair and Kevin Nash. I got to pick their brains, Kevin and I became really good friends, it was quite surreal to be standing there with Ric Flair and just picking his brains. After several months I asked Ric if he knew what I was doing and he said yeah you’re picking my brain and that’s how you learn in this industry.

I talked to Ric about the matches with him and Harley Race and how they worked and he was just so generous with the information, I was soaking it all in and trying to figure out how I could fit it into my work.

Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.

Nick attended New York University and graduated in 2001 with a degree in Drama.

Nick first entered the internet wrestling community back in 2004 when he became the co-host of The Voice of Wrestling Radio Show. From there, Nick made the transition from radio personality to editor when he began working with WrestleZone in 2008.

Nick is a member of two Off-Broadway theatre companies, Another Urban Riff, and the Drama Desk Award winning Godlight Theatre Company. Nick has appeared in over a dozen Off-Broadway plays since he moved to New York City, and has shot several short and feature length films. In 2010, he completed principle photography on a film titled "How to Score Your Life," which also features TNA Knockout ODB.

Inspiration in his life has come from many people including his family, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson, The Beatles, and of course, Lassie.