In a fresh conversation with TV Insider, Ivar shed light on his individual career journey and his efforts towards redefining the stereotypical image linked to larger wrestlers’ athletic potential.
The discussion led to several noteworthy remarks:
Erik, Ivar’s tag team partner, is recovering from a neck injury, according to him. The pace of recovery is slow but consistent. Having personally suffered a similar injury years ago, Ivar empathizes and is confident that Erik will return in due course. He said, “Neck injuries are unpredictable, as was evident from Big E’s unexpected situation. Recovery is entirely dependent on individual healing patterns. Erik is making excellent progress, even if it’s slow.”
Ivar also shared his thoughts about the prevailing archetype of the larger wrestler, confessing that he feels these larger athletes have been portrayed somewhat one-dimensionally in WWE for years. “The last few wrestlers of a bigger size who had mobility were Big Boss Man and Bam Bam. It’s been over two decades since we’ve seen many of them in action,” he noted. However, Ivar, along with Otis and Bronson Reed, are determined to redefine this image. “It’s an enormous responsibility and an exhilarating experience to make a beneficial impact on the industry,” he stated.
On the subject of his Viking persona, Ivar revealed his extensive engagement with Viking films and tv series for character development. “We aim to modify and adapt what we view into content for our roles,” he explained. Despite varied reactions from fans, he takes pride in having a unique identity, which is unusual in current WWE scenarios. He loves experimenting with the Viking persona, and in his words: “we enjoy dabbling with the Viking aspects of our characters.”