The following is an exclusive interview granted to WrestleZone Radio with TNA Superstar Aiden O’Shea. Aiden is interviewed by WrestleZone Radio’s Nick Hausman.
Aiden talks with Nick about his new Chicago Southside Irish persona, competing in TNA’s World Title Series Tournament, training in the Steel Domain in Chicago with CM Punk, whether he thought Punk would become the personality he has, his time in WWE under a developmental deal in Deep South & Ohio Valley Wrestling, being the last contracted WWE performer to hold the OVW Championship, his time on the WWE main roster as Ryan Braddock, a Smackdown what led to his departure from the WWE, his relationship with Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan leading to his hiring at TNA, more
You can find the full audio of the interview and transcribed quotes below:
On why and how he came up with his TNA persona Aiden O’Shea:
AO: There was always something with me that just wasn’t sticking when I would get a chance to dance on the big stage for whatever reason. So Billy (Corgan) and I had started coming up with stuff saying, “Let’s change the look up a little bit.” We knew the promo and the talking was there. We knew the in-ring ability was there. Let’s not make me just be another wrestler in tights and boots. Let’s see what else I can do and be presented as to stand out. I look at TNA’s roster, even WWE’s roster to an extent, a lot of guy’s wrestle very, very similarly. They have very similar looks.
On training at the Steel Domain in Chicago alongside CM Punk and whether he thought Punk would get to where he is today:
AO: No. You never really can tell. He always had the personality. Both the good and bad of it. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum with Punk. There’s been times where we are really, really close and right now I haven’t talked to the guy in years. He always had the personality that people gravitated towards. You wanna call it that “it factor” or that “x factor.” Whatever it is. He just had it. Some people have it and they know how to work with it from the beginning. Some people have to find it and develop it and then figure out how it works for them later. He was always just one of those people. He could get people to sway his way or at least pay attention to him. When you get in to an environment like WWE that can equate to ticket sales, merchandise sales and PPV buys.
On being the final OVW Champion under a WWE contact before OVW was no longer a WWE developmental territory:
AO: I actually won it, I won the belt, I defeated Evan Bourne for it and I was the last contracted talent to hold the OVW title. A little bizarre notch on my belt where in wrestling trivia I think I am the only talent that was WWE contracted to hold two belts in developmental. Random bar trivia that no one else will ever know but it makes me smirk when I think about the little bit that I’ve done.
On not having the most impactful run on the WWE roster as Ryan Braddock:
AO: There were some ideas for me on Smackdown! I don’t know that I’ve ever mentioned this one. They didn’t do a whole lot with me at the beginning. Kinda on purpose. Just to throw me out there to see if I was going to swim. Vince had taken a liking to me because, you know, he was like, “You’re very rugged, you wrestle rugged and you look rugged. It all fits. I like this. You have legs. We can do something. Let me get my mind going.” Where it was all supposed to head is me and Bam Neely, who was Chavo’s bodyguard at the time, were supposed to become a tag team. The inspiration was almost “The Bash Brothers” from the Mighty Ducks movie. He’s legit from Minnesota and I am legit from Chicago. Just like the two kids in the movie were just the goons for the Mighty Ducks. Check people and knock them off the ice.
You can find the full audio from the interview by clicking HERE or listening in the embedded player at the top of the page.
A portion of Ryan’s interview was also played earlier today on WrestleZone Daily. You can listen to that episode in the embedded player below:
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