Last night on Raw, Vacant shocked the world when he once again became WWE World Heavyweight Champion. There just seems to be no stopping the juggernaut known as Vacant and he has proven to be a worthy champion over the course of his storied career. We were lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion who took the time to speak to us from his private jet about his rivalry with Daniel Bryan, his relationship with Vince McMahon and more.
Still Real To Us – First and foremost, we know media appearances are rare for you so we just want to say that we really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Second, congratulations on once again becoming WWE Champion. How are you feeling right now? What’s it like to be back on top of the WWE mountain?
Vacant: Thank you, thank you very much. It’s not a problem at all. I’m actually a HUGE fan of StillRealToUs.com so I was thrilled when you guys reached out for an interview. As far as becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion again, it feels great, I’m overwhelmed to say the least. This is my 10th reign with the title and every single time is just as magical as the first one. I plan on keeping this championship for a long time to come. This run specifically is about cementing my legacy as one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time.
Still Real To Us – That’s excellent, well said. Now let’s talk about your relationship with Daniel Bryan. It seems that you two have developed quite the rivalry since last fall. Be honest, let’s pull back the curtain a little bit, is there any animosity there between you two?
Vacant: Well the fact of the matter is this, everyone in this business wants to be the best but there’s only room for one man at the top of the WWE and right now that man is me. Daniel Bryan is a great competitor. Every single time he steps into the ring he gives it his all but when it comes to his rivalry with myself, his all just isn’t enough. I’ve been beaten by quite a few WWE superstars in my day but Daniel Bryan isn’t one of them.
As far as animosity between the two of us, I would say yes, there is a little bit of tension that’s been built up, but we keep it professional.
Still Real To Us – Looking ahead to the Money In the Bank pay-per-view, you’ll be defending your title in a ladder match against 7 other men. So far 4 competitors have been decided. Out of those 4 is there anyone specifically that you’re worried about?
Vacant: Listen, I understand that the other competitors in the match are like sharks and there’s blood in the water for sure. They all want what I have and it’s not going to be easy but I have a strategy. I won’t reveal what that strategy is at the moment but I’m confident that it will lead to victory for me.
As far as a specific competitor that I might be worried about, I’ve had my eye on Cesaro for a while now. Cesaro is talented on his own but now that he’s teamed up with Paul Heyman, he’s a lot more dangerous than he was before. With the Cesaro Swing in his arsenal everyone should be worried. The one thing I have going for me in regards to the Cesaro Swing is my weight and muscle mass. I’m not the easiest guy to take down and the chances of Cesaro getting me in a position where he can swing me are pretty slim.
Still Real To Us – Out of everyone on the WWE roster at the moment, you’ve been around the longest. Despite the longevity of your career, you look like you haven’t aged a day. What’s your secret? How do you stay in such great shape?
Vacant: Well first of all, thank you for saying something. I’ve got to be honest, you may have noticed that it was a pretty rough year for me. Last fall wasn’t the easiest of times for me and I kind of had a falling out with Vince. It put me in a dark place. I had a lot of demons to battle. Luckily I had a good friend on my side and I think you all know who I’m talking about. DDP took me in and kind of gave me the kick in the ass that I needed to pick myself up.
I was in terrible shape when he took me in which is when I really started taking his DDP Yoga system seriously. A lot of people talk DDP Yoga up but really, this system is no joke. DDP Yoga has been my workout for a while now and obviously it’s working. You yourself just said that I look like I haven’t aged a day and that’s a testament to just how good this system is.
Still Real To Us – Shifting gears now, there have been a lot of rumors over the past decade in regards to various storylines you may or may not have been involved in. If we name some off could you set the record straight?
Vacant: That’s what I’m here for brother.
Still Real To Us – Ok, well rumor had it that the original plan for the Vince McMahon illegitimate child storyline was for you to be revealed as his son. How much truth is there to that rumor?
Vacant: I’ve touched on it a little bit but Vince and I have a unique relationship. We had multiple lengthy conversations in regards to him bringing me into the storyline as his son. We knew at that point if I were to return to television as his son the fans would be shocked. We really felt like we were onto something there and although we don’t always see eye to eye, we knew we truly had something special with that angle.
With that being said, I already mentioned that I’ve battled some demons in the past and we all know that summer the WWE was rocked by the Signature Pharmacy scandal. I wasn’t on the list of names that was released and I can’t believe I’m about to reveal this for the first time but I was involved in the scandal as well. I wasn’t officially with the company at the time but there were some documents leading back to me and that kind of ended any discussion of me making my return as Vince’s son. In the end Hornswoggle got the gig and that’s that.
Still Real To Us – Wow, we’re shocked. That’s quite the revelation there. Another storyline fans have been talking about for a long time is the Anonymous GM angle. It seemed really obvious that they were setting you up to be the big reveal but once again they went with Hornswoggle. What happened there?
Vacant: Look, like I said, me and Vince don’t always see eye to eye and I guess that was just one of those times where we couldn’t meet in the middle. I wanted the role, the fans had a feeling it was going to be me and there was a lot of anticipation there. To be honest, I wanted a little bit of creative control. I’ve been with the company for a long time and I’ve been loyal so I thought I had earned that much. Vince didn’t feel the same way. Once again he gave the gig to Hornswoggle which I think was out of spite towards me but we have yet to set the record straight as far as that’s concerned.
Still Real To Us – Well this has been quite the interview. We know you’re making the rounds today so once again we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Congratulations on becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion once again and we wish you a lot of success in the future.
Vacant: I appreciate that. Before I go I just want to give a shout out to all of my fans for their continued support. I’ve had my ups and downs with the WWE throughout the years but it’s the fans that keep bringing me back. There’s a reason why I’ve held the title so many times and that’s because you guys demand it. The company might not always be on my side but you guys are and I’m forever grateful.
I promise to be the fighting champion you deserve.
