Interview: TNA Impact Wrestling Star Robbie E. Speaks To WhatCulture

By Simon Cassidy /

In a drastic change of pace from fist pumping on the Jersey Shore, TNA Impact Wrestling star Robbie E. recently made an appearance at Pro-Wrestling Elite in Scotland. Prior to an intense contest for the heavyweight championship, Robbie E. sat down with WhatCulture€™s Simon Cassidy to discuss his beginings in the world of pro-wrestling, his influences, aspirations and some misconceptions about his €œmovie career€. So first of all, how did you get your start in professional wrestling? Well of course when I was a young Robbie E. I knew I was destined to be a star in this world somehow and I assumed that it would be as a pro-wrestler, because I loved wrestling. So at the age of 16, while still in high school, I began training three times a week. I didn€™t even have my driver€™s licence yet; my parents had to drive me to a school that was about an hour from my house. I trained for six months, I had my first match and two months later my principle in high school was fist pumpin€™ bro! So who were your earlier influences when you were training? I trained with a small school in New Jersey called IWF, it€™s actually closed down now, it was good training; guys like Steve Corino and Simon Diamond frequented there. I would really credit those two, mainly Simon Diamond with my training. As far as who influenced me as a kid obviously I was into Hulk Hogan, but to be honest there wasn€™t like one guy that really stood out to me as the reason I got into wrestling so it€™s kind of hard to answer that. What would you say were the highlights of your time on the independent circuit? I was on the independent circuit for ten years. I did TNA matches in the early years, in Nashville on Explosion and things like that and over the years I had other tryouts, WWE tryouts, those kind of huge opportunities will always stand out in my memory. But my big break came ten years into my pro-wrestling career when I signed with Impact Wrestling and to be honest that€™s where I will always consider my memories as having started. Speaking of opportunities, according to Wikipedia you were in The Wrestler with Mickie Rourke€ You know, I was but I wasn€™t. Here€™s a little secret; I was planned to be in it, my name was listed and everything, but I actually ended up getting an overseas tour. So like a few days before, I wasn€™t able to be there for filming, but somehow my name still ended up in the credits, so I kind of got the best of both worlds. All of the credit, none of the work? They said my name in the movie and everything and I wasn€™t even there: so let€™s just keep pretending I was in that locker room scene. So how did your big break with TNA come about? I had a tryout with them through Terry Taylor, and at the time they were looking for€the Jersey Shore Show was big, I€™m from there: you€™re sitting here€look at me! So they kind of just put two and two together and when they said €œOK let€™s see if he can get it done in the ring€ and fortunately enough for me it clicked, they offered me a contract the day of my try out match. When you first came in you were with Cookie€ Actually no, at first it was just me then a few weeks later they flew me back down and they had her in, tried us together and they liked it. So what was it like working extensively with a female wrestler? I don€™t mind working with a female, but I don€™t think I would count her as a female. I would consider her a monster, it was the worst year of my life and I€™m glad she€™s gone. Following that, you€™ve had quite a lot of success, X-Division and Television Champion, what would you class as the highlight of that period? Honestly, the highlights were of course the days that I won them: beating Jay Lethal for the X-Division title at Turning Point and then one year later beating Eric Young for the Television Title. But through my TV Title run I had great runs with RVD and D-Von, I got some wins€which I haven€™t gotten in a while. As you mentioned earlier you were influenced by Hulk Hogan, and now throwing in names like RVD: what is it like working on the same show as these people you looked up to? At this point, it almost doesn€™t matter who I€™m in the ring with. I€™ve kind of stopped looking at it that way. As far as the likes of Hulk Hogan and RVD I really just want to take their spots, take their jobs and make all the money that they have made. That€™s how I look at it now€fist bumping to the top. It€™s all about the money bro. Well in recent years you have been closely associated with Tag Teams, are the tag titles a goal of yours? Well a goal of mine is to hold every title, so yeah the tag belts are definitely a goal of mine. They are a prize I€™ve had my eyes on, alongside Mr Pectacular Jessie Godders. After that though, I€™d like to focus on the World Heavyweight Championship. Do you see this as an attainable goal in the coming years? Sure, as time goes on I will get a lot more opportunities to prove myself. And the thing about Robbie E: when I get that ball, I will run with it. So to begin wrapping up, there are a few questions which have to be asked: number 1) what goes into your choice of cardigan? Actually, now that I€™m an official Bro-Man I€™m kind of moving away from the Cardigan. I mean Big Rob kind of killed that, I mean did you see that guy in a cardigan? But I liked bright colours, I liked the way they fit, but like I said: Big Rob killed that for all of us€I€™m sorry. Finally, what is your true opinion of the Jersey Shore? The Jersey Shore is the greatest place in the world. It€™s where I grew up, it€™s where I party, it€™s where I tan, it€™s where I pick up chicks. It€™s life for me bro, I love it. For more information on Robbie E and Impact Wrestling, head over to www.ImpactWrestling.com