No Way Jose didn’t have a great WWE run, but Dax Harwood doesn’t believe it had anything to do with the gimmick, as it was an extension of himself.
On the latest episode of FTR with Dax Harwood, the subject of No Way Jose’s run in NXT came up, and Dax was asked if he thought that gimmick made him dead on arrival as a member of the WWE roster. Harwood said he didn’t think so because, as far as he’s concerned, that gimmick was exactly who he is.
“I don’t think it was Dead on Arrival? No, I knew No Way Jose from a while back. He came from North Carolina indies, where he wrestled as Manny Venezuela; I can’t remember, I’m sorry. But he actually came to my house in 2013,” Dax Harwood said. “He drove from North Carolina to Florida to watch wrestling with me one night. And I’ll never forget that because he wanted to be better.
“Not because he was looking to suck up to me, because god dang, 2013, I was nobody to be sucking up to, you know? 2023, I’m nobody to be sucking up to, but I’m saying I couldn’t help him out then. But he came down just to learn, you know what I mean? And I’ve always respected him because of that. As far as his gimmick, that’s him. I don’t think it’s a gimmick. So that’s why I think there was room to grow for him.
“You know, if you compare it to Tyrus, what was his name in WWE? Brodus Clay, there we go. If you compare it to that, there are distinct differences because that was not Brodus Clay, you know what I mean? That wasn’t the man, you know, he was given a gimmick, and he was having to play that gimmick out on television; that was not him. So I do think there was a ceiling for him. Because, again, that was not him.
“But as far as Manny, No Way Jose, that’s him every day, dude. Like that’s how he projects himself in real life. He’s that positive; he loves to dance, he loves to have fun. So I don’t think that there was a ceiling, per se, I think he could have still grown, and it would have been just as easy to show his fiery Dominican side because he does have that; I’ve seen it. If he showed that, then there we go; there’s another avenue. But I just think that somewhere along the way, someone stuck him in that category or stuck him in that position and didn’t let him grow from that.
“And also, I think he could have spent a little more money on better-looking gear [laughs]. But that comes with making more money, with the opportunity to grow, which is what it’s all about. But the Road Dogg situation, if I’m going to be stuck down here, my money is going to be down here. But if I can grow here, my money is going to be here, and then I can buy a shit ton of gear, and there we go.
READ MORE: Dax Harwood Recalls His Initial Impression After Meeting Sami Zayn For The First Time
What do you make of Dax Harwood’s comments? Do you enjoy the No Way Jose character in WWE? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
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