Grayson Waller Cites Muhammad Ali As Huge Inspiration On His Character

Grayson Waller could float like a Butterfly and sting like a Bee on WWE’s main roster, considering that Muhammad Ali is a huge inspiration on his character.

Waller was called up to WWE’s main roster during this year’s WWE Draft and has quickly risen the ranks of SmackDown to become a prominent heel on the blue brand.

Appearing on “The MMA Hour,” Waller recalled a conversation with Dave ‘Fit’ Finlay who encouraged the Australian to follow in the legendary boxer’s footsteps. He said,

“Earlier in the year, [Finlay] pulled me aside and gave me a serious talk that was looking like maybe I’m going to the main roster. He goes, ‘You need to go in there with these people and act like you’re Muhammad Ali. You need to believe in yourself.’ And he gave me this photo. Obviously, I’ve seen it. He was like, ‘You need to stand there above them and show that you’re better than them.’

“So as soon as he told me that, I took that to heart. I went and bought it and put it up in my house so every day I think about the fact that I need to act like Muhammad Ali. When I go in there, I need to feel like I’m the best, not just say it.”

Waller went on to address his boxing trunks attire and other inspirations for his character. He said,

“The boxing trunks are mainly because I wanna look different, I wanna stand out, and I think the boxing trunks make me stand out. But my actual character is based on Prince Naseem. The leopard print and all those things. He was Conor [McGregor] and Chael [Sonnen] before Conor and Chael. I think Prince Naseem was the OG trash talker and flashy fighter. You can even see it in the way I move in the ring. It’s very Prince Naseem.”

The Australian Superstar added that the lunges during his entrance are a tribute to another influence on his career: AEW producer Chris Hero.

Waller has shared the ring with Edge, had a segment with John Cena at WWE Money in the Bank, and has teased something with The Rock in recent weeks.

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