EC3 recently spoke with the Toronto Sun to discuss a variety of topics, including the current state of the wrestling business.
Additionally, the reigning NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion commented on his ‘Control Your Narrative’ promotion, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On the state of the wrestling business: “I think if the business was as healthy as we want to perceive it, then I don’t think it would be an arms race on a Tuesday night. I think there would be consistent and continuous growth in numbers in attendance and I don’t know if I necessarily see that. Perhaps within our wrestling bubble in our wrestling community, we see a growth in competition, but I think there’s a gigantic portion of the fanbase that is missing out on what professional is and should be and we do not try to attract them because we’re trying to appease a more vocal minority.”
On his Control Your Narrative initiative: “Control Your Narrative is mine and mine alone. It was my conception, my idea and my forte. People did jump on, and with people jumping on came people who wanted to profit off of it and turn it into something it wasn’t. Control Your Narrative was never a promotion. Control Your Narrative was an ideal and a mindset, and that goes on… What (Control Your Narrative) was, was creating a platform for talent that is undiscovered or for talent that wants reinvention, they’ve got that platform to tell their story. Control Your Narrative means tell your story, so everything people think they know about Control Your Narrative was shrouded in lies and misconceptions. It is an ideal, it is a mindset, and if you’re going to ask me if it’s still going on, I’m pretty much through that movement, that ideal and that mindset.”
On Exodus Pro Wrestling becoming the first regional territory for Billy Corgan’s NWA: “I’ve created a platform for undiscovered talent or talent seeking reinvention, yes, that goes on, and I’ve been successful, especially when I do it my way.”
On giving advice to younger talent: “What I’m trying to tell young talent is that sometimes who you want to be and what will get you there are two different things. For example, I’m not Derek Bateman. I was never Derek Bateman. Derek Bateman was an idea and a way to stand out and be different in a certain scenario I was put in to hopefully someday become who I wanted to be, which is variations of EC3. Talent does rely on complacency and comfort of what they’re doing and I think another way to attract that fanbase I discussed earlier is by providing them with true creativity. True creativity isn’t necessarily giving people what they want. ‘Yeah, bring back the top One Percent [theme song],’ I’ve heard that a couple of times. Pure creativity isn’t giving people what they want, it’s giving people what they didn’t know they needed. And sometimes you miss, but when you hit, that’s how you become who you’re supposed to be.”
On Bray Wyatt: “Wyndham, we were friends, we were close, I might get a little emotional talking about it, but he certainly lived by that motto. The tortured mind is often the most creative. He’s probably the most creative person I know, the way he was able to create himself in different variations. The thing about him is that when it became successful, when he was doing him his way, unfortunately he was in the position where a lot of people need to put their hands on what is already working and kind of muck it up, so his true vision becomes lost. This is part of the deal with playing the corporate wrestling game and you cash you the cheques and you have to understand that. But he truly reinvented himself countless times, and when he had free reign, sometimes it is way too far out there and it may turn people off, but you don’t know that unless you have the courage to try.”
On winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship: “I’m so focused on purposes and missions and goals that it really didn’t hit me until I held it. And then understanding A) the lineage, the legacy and the nostalgia of what I had, but then B) what I’ve really had to go through to get back to something like that. We talked about Control Your Narrative, I was unjustly cancelled because of lies, my name was spread in the mud, it cost me greatly financially and people not wanting to work with me because of (f—ing) Internet lies. Having your name dragged through the mud when all you were trying to do was create something for others to become themselves. But you stay the course and it ends up working out and you’re proven right. Holding that title A) with what it means and B) with what it means to me; didn’t set in until I did, and now it’s motivation to keep going forward.”
On Billy Corgan: “The fact that a man of that stature and calibre has the faith and the trust in me to A) put his championship on me and B) put me in the position to win it, because, you know, I won it because wrestling is real, but also to be part of a brand vision we both kind of share. We have that same vision that kind of met in different ways, with what I wanted to do with who I am, what he wants to do with the NWA and how when I started that maybe didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. It worked out perfectly because it put me in the position to be a part of this.”
On the NWA re-establishing territories: “Re-establishing the territorial base just provides more opportunity. If we circle all the way back to the first question about the state of the industry, I think beyond what we see in cable wars and ratings wars, who are fighting over the same small pie, I think regional grassroots, guerrilla warfare is what can attract people to what we all love, that’s professional wrestling.”
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EC3, the reigning NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, recently sat down with the Toronto Sun for an interview where he discussed various topics, including the current state of the wrestling business. He also talked about his ‘Control Your Narrative’ initiative and gave advice to younger talent. Additionally, EC3 shared his thoughts on Bray Wyatt, winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and his relationship with Billy Corgan.
When asked about the state of the wrestling business, EC3 expressed his belief that there is an arms race happening in the industry. He mentioned that while there may be growth and competition within the wrestling community, there is a significant portion of the fanbase that is missing out on what professional wrestling should be. He believes that the industry is trying to appease a more vocal minority instead of attracting a broader audience.
EC3 also discussed his Control Your Narrative initiative, clarifying that it was never meant to be a promotion but rather an ideal and a mindset. He created a platform for undiscovered talent or those seeking reinvention to tell their stories. However, he mentioned that some people tried to profit off of it and turned it into something it wasn’t. Despite the misconceptions surrounding Control Your Narrative, EC3 stated that he has moved on from that movement.
The interview touched upon Exodus Pro Wrestling becoming the first regional territory for Billy Corgan’s NWA. EC3 mentioned that he has successfully created a platform for undiscovered talent or those seeking reinvention, emphasizing that he has done it his way.
When asked about giving advice to younger talent, EC3 highlighted the importance of understanding that who you want to be and what will get you there are often two different things. He encouraged young talent to provide true creativity to attract a broader fanbase, stating that true creativity means giving people what they didn’t know they needed.
EC3 also spoke about Bray Wyatt, expressing his admiration for his creativity and ability to reinvent himself. He mentioned that Wyatt’s true vision sometimes gets lost when others try to interfere, but he commended Wyatt for having the courage to try new things.
Regarding his NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship win, EC3 revealed that it didn’t fully hit him until he held the title. He reflected on the challenges he faced, including being unjustly canceled due to internet lies, and how it motivated him to stay the course and prove himself right. He expressed gratitude towards Billy Corgan for having faith in him and allowing him to be part of the NWA’s brand vision.
Finally, EC3 discussed the NWA’s efforts to re-establish territories, stating that it provides more opportunities for talent. He believes that regional grassroots and guerrilla warfare can attract people to professional wrestling beyond the cable and ratings wars.
In conclusion, EC3’s interview with the Toronto Sun shed light on various aspects of the wrestling business, including his Control Your Narrative initiative, advice for young talent, his thoughts on Bray Wyatt, winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA’s efforts to re-establish territories.