AR Fox Recalls His FCW Tryouts, Stint With Dragon Gate

On a recent edition of the “Talk is Jericho” podcast, AR Fox discussed his time in Dragon Gate, his FCW tryout years, learning in-ring psychology, and more.

You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:

On working with CIMA: “Well the main person I was working with, I was working with CIMA a lot. He’s [was] their guy. He [was] up there up there, he took me under his wing and we were teaming up and we had tag belts and everything. Yeah, he was the guy I was working with the most. I worked with Shingo [Takagi], YAMATO, I worked with the entire roster, I did two three-month tours.”

On what he learned from CIMA: “One thing I kind of learned from CIMA was just taking time. It’s hard to explain it, but just to hold his ground he would hit somebody with something, and then he’d stand there and fix his elbow pad. It just looked so cool. Sometimes he’d fix his waistband in between doing [things], but he’d just look cool. He claps whatever strike he does, so when I was in Japan, I asked if I could do that alongside him. He was sitting there thinking about it and he’s like, ‘Okay, okay.’ I was like, ‘Cool’ and he was like the coolest guy to me. I clap with all of my strikes to be like CIMA, to pay homage or whatever. So that’s why I clap on my strikes, I’m not doing it for sound. Let me get that out there [laughs].”

On his FCW tryout: “I did a tryout for FCW when I was super new. I think that was the one they hired Tyler Breeze. And I’m still not sure if it’s a work or not — the tryout.. I really thought I was up there, you know? I was pretty heartbroken, you know? Kind of. … I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Tony Nese was also in it, and I remember not really knowing him. I know him now. … I [was] like, ‘Dang, if I’m not gonna get it, that guy’s gonna get it, man. Crap.’ And then Tyler Breeze got it.’”

On maturing in the years after: “I really matured, and I understood that wrestling doesn’t owe me anything. I remember really understanding that … probably like four or five years into my career.”

On learning psychology by studying AJ Styles: “I don’t wanna say this because I don’t want other people to think it’s that much of a thing, but I’m gonna say I taught myself. I mean, I was obsessive with it. Very obsessive with it. I would say I learned a lot [of it] hands-on. Chris Hero helped me out a lot, and this is in one match when I’ve felt like I learned a lot. But yeah, I feel like I taught psychology to myself by watching it and really dissecting it. And not watching just anything but trying to watch the best guys. Not watching CZW and stuff, not a knock to them, but watching main events, pay-per-view matches, and watching a lot of old Ring of Honor.

“I feel like writing AJ Styles’ matches [out] in full, it’s seven [or] eight pages, everything that’s happening. I’d write AJ Styles’ matches out and I felt like it taught me psychology.”

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