Pat Buck discussed his decision to come back to the ring for AEW and his approach to the player-coach position during an interview with NotSam Wrestling.
Buck worked a few wrestling matches since joining AEW even though he currently holds the position of Vice President of Talent Development for the company.
“I never really had [a run]. Of course, you want that, but I also would be so embarrassed to be the guy trying to get that. I know that’s wrestling. People say, ‘Don’t be in this unless you want to be world champion.’ I beg to differ. Myers [Brian Myers] always says, ‘There are only so many spots for this.’ Know where you are, it doesn’t mean you can’t rise to something. I came on board, it was a conversation with me and Tony [Tony Khan], in terms of wrestling, relating back to Create A Pro alumni, ‘Hey, we really don’t have a developmental place.’ I wasn’t pitching Create A Pro or anything, but I went, ‘You have these people that are basically champions. They didn’t come to be from me just coaching them, I did every drill with them, I wrestled them on shows. I wrestled them at birthday parties. I think I’m a proven asset in that.’ You have all these guys on the roster. I remember looking at Powerhouse Hobbs, Satnam Singh, and I went, ‘give them to me on dark matches or live events. I can get ten minutes out of Satnam Singh.’ You only get better from wrestling someone better than you. Let me be the person to do that. I want to be your Brad Armstrong, your Irish Barry Horowitz. On live events, I can go longer with people. That’s how it came to be, an actual player-coach. [Tony] thought I didn’t want to wrestle. I want to do it, but I want to do it from an actual benefit of the talent. Part of me, I wanted to show my kids, ‘Daddy does this.’ I don’t care about championships. I’m a coach, let me be a player-coach. I’m the only person who wasn’t pitching to wrestle. ‘I do want to wrestle, I love wrestling, but I can’t have it interfere with what I do full-time. Here is what I want to do because I want to wrestle from a coaching perspective, not winning titles, that ain’t me.“
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Pat Buck, the Vice President of Talent Development for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), recently discussed his decision to return to the ring and his approach to the player-coach position within the company. In an interview with NotSam Wrestling, Buck shared his thoughts on his wrestling career and how he balances it with his role in talent development.
Buck acknowledged that he never really had a significant run as a wrestler, but he didn’t feel embarrassed about it. He believes that not everyone in wrestling needs to be a world champion and that there are different roles and spots for individuals within the industry. Buck mentioned that Brian Myers, a fellow wrestler, often says that there are only so many spots available. However, Buck disagrees and believes that one can rise to something without necessarily becoming a world champion.
When Buck joined AEW, he had a conversation with Tony Khan, the company’s president, about the lack of a developmental place within the organization. Buck saw an opportunity to utilize his experience as a coach and wrestler to benefit the talent on the roster. He proposed the idea of being a player-coach, someone who could wrestle with and mentor the younger talent.
Buck expressed his desire to wrestle not for the purpose of winning titles but from a coaching perspective. He wanted to show his children that he is involved in wrestling and also wanted to help the talent improve by wrestling with them. Buck mentioned specific wrestlers on the roster, such as Powerhouse Hobbs and Satnam Singh, whom he believed he could have quality matches with and help them grow as performers.
His intention was not to let wrestling interfere with his full-time role in talent development but rather to use it as a tool to enhance his coaching abilities. Buck compared himself to Brad Armstrong and Irish Barry Horowitz, wrestlers who were known for their ability to elevate others in the ring.
In conclusion, Pat Buck’s decision to return to the ring for AEW as a player-coach showcases his dedication to the development of talent within the company. He sees wrestling as an opportunity to mentor and improve the younger talent on the roster, rather than pursuing personal championships. Buck’s approach highlights the importance of different roles within the wrestling industry and the value of experienced individuals guiding and supporting the next generation of wrestlers.