The Young Bucks recently spoke with Sean Neumann for Rolling Stone; you can read a few highlights below:
The Young Bucks comment on when they really knew using social media would grow their brand:
Nick: I think after we asked for our release in TNA, because we realized we’re not going to be on Spike TV every week now. We didn’t have anything, and we had to use what we had and that was social media. We knew that we were outgoing – and our personalities are pretty out there and kind of crazy – so we were like, let’s just up it up a little on Twitter. It sort of happened that at that time we had a little incident backstage with WWE and Booker T and he didn’t like us. He said we were disrespecting all the veterans backstage, which was pretty far-fetched. From there it added to our characters, so we were like, “You know what, the Internet thinks we’re cocky and arrogant, let’s just act like we are and make it a whole gimmick.” At that time, no one was doing it on Twitter, so we tried that, and it worked. We were getting bookings just because how arrogant and cocky we were acting.
Matt: It’s funny because I think I’ve been privy to social media. I think I was the first person that had my Twitter handle on my gear, and I’m talking TNA days. I had @GenMeMax on my pants. [The Young Bucks’ were known in TNA as Max and Jeremy Buck with the team name, “Generation Me.”] As far as playing a character, like Nick said, I think it was when that Booker T incident happened. We decided not only to not deny what everybody was talking about but embrace it in a way. Again, we don’t have the luxury of cable television and all this TV time to get over a character. However, we do have 140 characters – now 280 characters – to get ourselves over. You better believe we’re going to use those tools. Every picture we post, every Tweet we post – it’s all building blocks to what we’re making a creating as characters. We always joke around that, no matter what, if we’re booked weak somewhere, it doesn’t matter. We want to be bullet proof, because ultimately, we have control over our characters and we will book ourselves as the strongest wrestlers in the world as long as we’re in control. And with the way we do things, we’re in full control. If you’re a wrestler and are only as over as your push, you’re in big trouble. You have to control your own destiny. Nick and I decided a long time ago that we’re tired of anyone controlling our destiny. That was one thing we learned in TNA – they didn’t book us right and we weren’t over, so who’s fault is that? Theirs a little bit, but ours, too.
The Bucks comment on WWE’s level of interest despite their recent issues with a cease and desist:
Nick: We have 13 months left on our current contract, and I have no idea what we’re going to be doing in 13 months. [Editor’s note: The Young Bucks have a written contract with Ring of Honor and a “handshake contract” with New Japan Pro Wrestling, according to Nick.]
Matt: What’s so funny is that, only in pro wrestling, can a company threaten legal action on you, but then probably offer you a job a year later. Of course [the WWE] is interested. They’d be interested in just taking us just so New Japan and ROH doesn’t have us. In no other business would that be a thing.
Matt comments on proving you don’t necessarily need to go to WWE to make it in wrestling:
Matt: If there’s any lasting impression that we’ve had on the business is you don’t have to go there to make it. There’s a different route you can take and we’ve finally carved our own path and I hope that motivates some of the other guys and makes them realize. Some of the guys who don’t make it [in the WWE], don’t be heartbroken. It’s OK. You’re fine. More people than ever, than I can remember in the business before, are realizing that. People are walking away from that place now. What we do in Ring of Honor and New Japan is more attractive than ever. We just landed Chris Jericho, you know? Cody coming in has been big, because I think a lot of people there are going, “Oh my god, you can not only leave this place, but you can survive and do well?” Cody is a pioneer and what he’s done has been incredible for the business. This movement that we’re trying to make, he’s been a big part of that. I think that being successful in wrestling like us has helped other people go, “I don’t have to go there to possibly get a T-shirt in every mall in America. Or I can make my own show too and I can get 100,000 views in 24 hours and people can see me.” I hope people see what we’re doing as we’re trying to lead the next crop of guys and let them know. I call this the “DIY Era.” More guys are investing in themselves and betting on themselves more than ever before. I love that, and guys like us are at the forefront of that movement.
Matt comments on trying to talk to CM Punk about returning to wrestling:
Matt: I talk to him a lot. I bugged him for like, I don’t know, a year or two? I was really aggressive and at one point I realized that I should probably let him make his own decisions. He knows that there’s an offer there and he knows that I’m the first phone call that he should make if he decides to get back into the business. He’s told me that, he says when or if or ever he does decide to possibly get back into it, I’ll be the first guy he calls. It’ll be interesting. Whether or not he plays on our team or an opposing team, it’d be fun. When we’re talking about guys, another guy would be Bryan Danielson [WWE’s Daniel Bryan]. I don’t see him necessarily joining Bullet Club, but he’d be a fun guy to wrestle or to work with or whatever. Just to have him in the ring with us would be incredible.
Nick comments on WWE talents being aware of what could be in their future outside of the company:
Nick: They have to realize it at this point. If they don’t, then they must be just so into their own product and that they’re actually blind to what’s outside of it. I can see sometimes why that happens, because when you’re a WWE superstar, you live and breathe WWE and it’s hard to see outside of that because five-to-six days out of the week you’re on the road wrestling and doing things for the WWE, so that’s all you can see. I totally get it and understand why, but if they don’t see that there’s a wrestling movement outside of that then it’d be crazy to me.
