Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com recently spoke with Dean Ambrose to promote WrestleMania 31. The full interview can be found at this link. Below are highlights:
Going from a fan and student of the game to WrestleMania 31:
Obviously it’s really cool. It’s still like a little bit surreal and it’s weird that it’s so regular for me now. Like we were talking about Bret Hart. If I were to run into Bret Hart backstage at a show or if I run by Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper and say ‘hey man, what’s up?’. They’re like — not that we’re buddies — but I have a friendly relationship with them. (laughs) They’re just regular people. Like if I walk by Hulk Hogan in the hallway it’s like ‘what’s up brother?’ ‘What’s up brother?’. All of that stuff is very surreal. WrestleMania is coming up and it’s my third one and I know the routine. The week is kind of a circus and you’ve got stuff to do. There’s a lot going on. Now I know the routine and I’m prepared for it. I’m very relaxed. I’ve always pictured myself on this stage so being here is very comfortable for me. Being in the main event on Raw is jarring probably at first but also, from the moment I got here, I was ready for this and was hungry enough and ready for it . Finally. Finally I can be in the main event on Raw. Let’s get down to it. It was never to me ‘oh my God I’m so nervous, it’s such a big opportunity I hope I don’t screw it up’. It was never anything like that to me. It was always like alright, FINALLY I’m going to get this freaking shot. Let’s get to work. I feel like I belong here.
If he’s gotten used to fans cheering him:
I’ve gotten used to it to a point. It’s very weird for me to get used to … Not so much the crowd cheering for you in a match because have cheered for me and I’ve spent my time as a fan favorite here and there. But I’ve always enjoyed more being hated and was always comfortable in that role. I’ve always found my best work feeding off negativity and loving in a — this sounds weird — living in a negative kind of mindset in space and using that as fuel. I feel that some of my best work has come from that. For me, kids and dudes are like ‘Yeah! You’re the man!’ And teenage girls or chicks are like ‘oh, Dean Ambrose’ and I’m like yeah, OK, that’s normal. But when kids are like ‘Dean Ambrose you’re my favorite’ and like the kid has the shirt and he’s dressed like me that like whoa, that’s trippy. Like little ten years old girls are like ‘oh my God, I love you Dean’ I’m like what? What? What happened to me? What’s going on? This is weird right? Anybody showing me super levels of attention or positivity … it’s takes a while to get used to.
The fan backlash against Roman Reigns:
To me on the whole, it’s funny. I was in the tin at the Royal Rumble when that was an issue, right in everybody’s face but at the same time is it really an issue because they’re making noise. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are going to fight at the MGM Grand finally. Which sound is the crowd going to be on? Who are the people going to be behind? Who cares? You’re not even thinking about it. You just want to see the product. Nobody’s considering who the fans are going to be behind in this match. Nobody cares. So to me, as long as their in to it and making noise, cheer for whoever you want. John Cena has been steadily booed in arenas for ten years. It doesn’t mean he’s any less popular. It just means sometimes people boo him because he’s that big of a star. The bigger of a star you are, the more backlash and hate you’re going to get. So, it’s not really that big of a deal to me
