Mojo Rawley spoke with The Green Bay Press Gazette while promoting this week’s WWE Smackdown Live TV taping in Green Bay, at the Resch Center.
Rawley, a former Packers defensive lineman, spoke about his time in the NFL before his WWE career, returning to the city after seven years with WWE and more. You can read a few excerpts below:
Mojo Rawley says his stint in Green Bay prepared him for his WWE career:
“My opportunity with Green Bay was essentially a springboard for the rest of my life. I was able to parlay that opportunity into a career with the WWE. This is it for me. This is the pinnacle for me, personally. This is the best utilization of all of my assets of just who I am as a person. Without that chance in Green Bay, maybe this whole opportunity with the WWE doesn’t arrive.”
Mojo talks about a career-ending injury, creating his ‘Stay Hyped’ catchphrase:
“Essentially what happened was the lateral head of my (gastrocnemius) tore off and rolled up into the back of my knee like a window shade. There was a 5-inch deficit. For a professional athlete, especially one that was a heavier interior defensive lineman, where explosive calf muscles are essentially a must, doctors said it was career-ending.
“Every day I would get home around midnight or 1 a.m. from the metro buses after late-night classes, and then I would be up at 4:30 to go to rehab and workouts to prepare myself. That was a brutal schedule, but it needed to be done. That kind of lifestyle my whole life is essentially where I came up with my ‘Stay Hyped’ mantra. I’ve never had a choice not to ‘Stay Hyped.’ I’ve always had to.”
Mojo says he hasn’t been back to Green Bay since being cut, but the time is right:
“It’s been a long time coming. I can’t wait to come back to Green Bay. I’ve been avoiding coming back to Green Bay until it was under the right circumstances. Now, we’re firing on all cylinders. We’re ready to go and geared up for this show.”
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