WWE NXT star Tyler Breeze recently spoke with Scott Fishman of Channel Guide Magazine, and below are some interview highlights:
On the evolution of NXT:
“I’ve gotten to see it go from FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling) and something that was very small,” Breeze recalled.
“We had FCW TV, but the audience wasn’t the same. A lot of people didn’t even know it was on TV. It was just local Florida stuff. The production wasn’t what it is today. I was watching these matches with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. They were great matches then, but nobody was watching because nobody knew we even existed.
“There was no WWE Network back then, so you couldn’t even watch what you wanted to unless you were local. I was part of the initial pilot episode to test out Full Sail University to see if it would work for our NXT tapings. I watched the entire transition from something small to something that now millions of people can watch on WWE Network each week. Just the production alone is fascinating.
On being one of NXT’s veterans, but not being called up yet:
“You can’t get frustrated by stuff like that,” he said.
“It’s been like that since I got down here at FCW. I was the one who had Cesaro’s first match. I’ve watched Seth go. I’ve watched Ambrose go. I’ve watched [Erick] Rowan and [Luke] Harper go. I’ve seen everyone kind of come and go. The thing is these are my friends. These are people who I am happy for. I’m not going to have any ill will toward them.
“They just happen to be ready quicker or what WWE needed at the time. It’s nothing that frustrates me because it’s not like Harper and Rowan are taking a spot that Tyler Breeze would be in. We are completely different marketable assets to the company. It’s just a matter of time before Tyler Breeze is what they are looking for and need. Then nobody else is going to take that spot but me. So it’s not a frustrating thing for me, but I’m happy for my friends who go on and succeed and make it all comfortable for me when I get up there.”
On his inspirations:
“Earlier in my career I was very much Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and other guys in the ring who were untouchable,” he said.
“Everything they did was so crisp and clean. I loved the athletic part. I just wanted to see everything they did. As I kind of made the transition to Tyler Breeze, I decided to look at the other end of the spectrum. I looked at the character and the over-the-top flamboyant gestures and mannerisms. I watched a lot of Buddy Rogers and Gorgeous George and took from them.”
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.
