WWE star Dean Ambrose appeared on Live Audio Wrestling this week to promote WrestleMania 32, and below are some interview highlights, transcribed by Sam Pierce:
On working with Terry Funk on Raw:
“Yes, it was very cool. Terry Funk is a legend and he’s a real pro wrestler, one of the greatest pro wrestlers ever. For a guy walking into WWE today, he probably had no idea what was going on and was like what is all this crap? But that red light goes on, he just becomes Terry Funk. He’s Terry Funk 24/7 and that’s what I love about him. He’s been the real deal, his whole life. He can talk circles around anyone in the freakin’ company today so, just to have a real outlaw cowboy in the room for five minutes was great. I said to all the camera guys, you see that? That’s how it’s done. That’s the real deal right there.”
On his match at WWE Roadblock:
“I tend to get a lot of love from the old school guys. I think they get a kick out of me because I’m an old school guy. I’m staying old school, I was brought up that way. I just have a different mindset than a lot of people probably and I think they see a little bit of what pro wrestling used to be when they see me. I had a personal conversation with him, something I wouldn’t share with you, that’s between us. Just to do that makes me feel good, makes me feel like I’m on the right track, I’ve done things my way. It’s definitely very cool.
“I don’t think I look at goals the same way as other people. I don’t think I look at what I want to do in the ring the same as other people. In Toronto, a couple of weeks ago, I wrestled Triple H, it was very cool to me because it was a lower-key situation, a bare-bones situation, it wasn’t all the bells and whistles and the sparks and crap. It was just a more intimate arena at Ricoh, a bare set, just a ramp. I showed up to the building at 6 o’clock, you had two dudes, he’s an old school kind of guy too and I shared the ring with him. It was just two guys working, two guys wrestling, just feeling it and doing it old school style. Having that classic style match that you don’t really get to do anymore because now we’re out there doing TV style stuff. Now it’s sports entertainment. To be able to travel back in time and take everyone on a retro night, it was like retro night. This is what it would be like if it was still pro wrestling. Just for one night, we’re going to turn the clock back and I was so happy to be able to do that.”
What separates him from other talents on the WWE roster:
“I’m not trying very hard at all. I’m just going out there and doing what I do. It’s just where the chips fall. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But sometimes the whole world just falls apart around me and the only thing still standing is Dean Ambrose. The company would fall apart without me. I’m the guy who’s the work-horse on the road, there are other guys too. I’m doing 300 days a year, main-eventing Raw, main-eventing SmackDown, I’m constantly in a state of readiness, I’m just constantly throwing punches, I’m constantly getting beat up, I’m constantly getting thrown around, I’m constantly against the most ridiculous litany of opponents in Braun Strowman to Dolph Ziggler to Kevin Owens to whoever in tags, singles, triple threats, whatever. I do it all. Even though I’m a thousand times better of a wrestler after being here at this level for three years, I came in ready to adapt to anything. Just as the river has flown in many different directions, I’ve just constantly been able to survive and thrive in any situation.”
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.
