WWE NXT Champion Bobby Roode recently spoke with Mike Jones of DC101 to promote NXT Takeover Orlando. You can listen to the full interview in the audio player below, and they sent us the following highlights:
Didn’t give up after not being signed to WWE in early 2000s:
“In this industry timing is everything. Things happen for a reason in every walk of life. It happened for a reason. It wasn’t the right time for me back in the early 2000s. I managed to go other places and make a name for myself and to gain experience and to be in the ring with a lot of talented of knowledgeable people.”
Excited for his NXT Takeover entrance:
“I’m looking forward to the entrance as well. And every entrance that I’ve had at Takeover has outdone the others. Being WrestleMania weekend and the biggest Takeover of all time, I feel like this is gonna be a pretty special entrance.”
Expecting to go even bigger with his championship rematch with Shinsuke Nakamura:
“We set the bar high. Being in the ring with him, who also brings a ton of experience, our styles are bit of a clash of styles that makes it interesting and much better. Takeover San Antonio set the bar high and we plan to destroy that and take it to an entirely new level at Takeover Orlando.”
Now it’s time to work even harder as NXT Champion:
“This past year has been extremely successful for me and the hard work, its time to begin. Being champion, there are a lot of things expected of you and a lot of pressure that comes along with it. A lot of pressure, that I thrive on, and look forward to whatever challenges lie ahead.”
NXT Superstars want to be the talk of WrestleMania Weekend:
“It’s WrestleMania weekend and we are at a sold out Amway Center and it’s an opportunity for us to go out there and not only steal the show but to try to steal the entire weekend… not just Shinsuke and I, but the entire NXT roster.”
Praise for The Revival:
“The Revival, in my opinion, are the best tag team in the world right now. Every match that they have been a part of, especially at Takeovers, they’ve stole the show. I expected nothing less from those guys.”
Kurt Angle is very deserving of his spot in the WWE HOF:
“Kurt and I have stayed friends for a long time. He was one of those guys that I got a chance to learn from. Kurt is an amazing competitor and was a great competitor and for a guy that was an Olympic athlete and Olympic wrestler, and then to be able to come to the WWE and just be so successful as a professional wrestler is just mind blowing.”
Watching WrestleMania 1 as a kid:
“As far as memories go, I was around for the very first WrestleMania. I was a young kid upstairs at my Uncle’s restaurant in a change room or staff room watching it, I THINK illegally on a black and white television. I was watching it and thinking ‘this is what I wanna do when I get older.'”
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.
