Q: Are you now at the point where you want WWE or TNA to take notice of what you’re doing again so you can get back on TV, or how long do you want to keep working the independents before you get back to the WWE or TNA level?
A: Well luckily for me I do have youth on my side, that is an advantage. I’m definitely at a point now, a year and a half after the fact, where I’ve been able to look back and kind of see the big picture. The thing is I broke into WWE and debuted on raw right around 20 years old going on 21, so it’s a lot of responsibility and a lot to take on, and now 5 years later I’m 26, I think it’s been a humbling experience working the indys and doing this, but it’s also been very good for me. It’s given me a chance to do a lot of other things like work as a babyface and also get the chance to carry guys that, you know in WWE I got to work such great talent, and not to say there’s not a lot of great workers on the indys, but I’ve had the opportunity where I’ve had to lead a lot of guys out there. And even a situation like this where I can only use my left arm and I’m having to work with guys in Australia and New Zealand who don’t necessarily know as much about the philosophy and psychology of pro wrestling like they do in the states, it’s been a challenge for me but at the same time if I was mapping my life out like a book I’d say this was something that was probably necessary for me in my quest to get back to WWE or wherever it might be but it is definitely something I’m setting my sights on because I love this business, I’m dedicated to it, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.
Q: You’ve never denied taking steroids at this point obviously correct?
A: Oh no, I mean that’s something that was obviously a big thing in pro wrestling, especially when I initially broke in around those years before the whole Eddie Guerrero thing happened.
Q: Is it hard to adjust to [not taking steriods] something like that, when you’re used to taking the enhancement drugs and then trying to simply stop?
A: This is the thing, a lot of people don’t understand, people typically think based on my persona that it was steroids, my issue was that it was more, I had fallen into pain killer addiction. That’s a tougher thing to battle than people, you know automatically because of the media they point the finger at steroids, and think that’s a big issue, the issue was that it was more the prescription medication and what that was doing to the guys and that was an issue that I fell victim to and I’ve overcome in the last yeart and a half and that was more my battle to fight. I’ve always been able to maintain my body with or without any kind of enhancement.. God blessed me with good genetics. I will say that. So as much as they do help they’re not much of a necessity to me. I can hold 260 pounds without taking anything.
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.
