- 05/18/2018 (1:47:00 pm)
Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio
Guest: Andrew Everett
Your Host: James Walsh
Andrew Everett is “Hilariously Athletic” and he and DJZ, collectively Z&E, are now Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions!
In his first interview since capturing the Tag Team Gold, Everett discusses the win, his roots with the Hardy Boys and Gregory Shane Helms, his dare-devil style, Star Wars, and the feeling of relief that Impact Wrestling has “stability”, to use his word. This is a great interview with rising young star. And, if his hang time is any indication, he’ll be rising for a long time to come!
“Just to touch on Scott Steiner, like you said, one of the best tag team wrestlers to ever walk on the face of the planet. A legend in his own right. It is weird being in there with a guy that you saw growing up dominate the tag team division. Pulling out a win against someone like Steiner is a big deal! On the other hand, Eli Drake is so damn large and powerful and so damn fast too! People sometimes don’t realize… YOu’ve seen Eli do springboard moonsaults and all that. He can go! He can fly! A little bit of miscommunication on their part helped us out. But, you know, we got the win and now we’ve got the titles!”
On this being his biggest wrestling accomplishment to date:
“Oh definitely! And to do it with somebody like Z is just an honor. He’s probably one of the better guys I’ve ever met in wrestling. He just inspires me, man! Becoming a tag team champion with him, my first Impact gold, is a big deal!”
On how the Z&E Team with DJZ Was Formed:
“Necessity, I would say. We both had similar pasts in Impact. Setbacks with injuries… I’ve had three episodes with knee injuries. He almost died last year, ya know, no big deal! (laughs) Setbacks! We came together and we both wanted to push it even further. Like I said, he’s a big inspiration to me. He has no quit. He just keeps going. He comes back from injury and there is no taking it easy. He’s 100% out the gate all the time. We tagged at (AAA) TripleMania last year. We tagged in the Lucha Libre World Cup at the Korakuen Hall in Japan. We thought we might as well bring it State side and see what we can do with it at Impact!”
On training under the Hardy Boys:
“Yeah, they had a hand in training me. People like to say that they trained me but they had a hand in training me. I was trained by a guy named Jeff Rudd at CWA Mid Atlantic. But, yes, the Hardy’s had hands in developing who I was. They definitely had a HUGE influence on who I became and my style. You’ve got to be crazy not to see the influence they had on me.”
On any fears before taking a huge risk in the air:
“No. In wrestling, honestly, it is the easiest thing that comes to me. Someone on the Internet coined the phrase for me “Hilariously Athletic” and I’m running with it. I’ve always been that. As long as I can remember, I’ve always been a guy doing flips. My dad tells me that I was 4 years old doing backflips off his head-board! I don’t remember that (laughs) but that was a thing. I’ve always taken those risks and I’ve never really had jitters on anything.”
On staying with Impact when the Hardy Boys and Gregory Shane Helms Left:
“I just felt that what I was trying to do wasn’t done yet at Impact. And, it still isn’t by any means. I’ve known Shane (Helms) for a long time and he’s been very, very, very influential on my career. He is one of the guys who is probably most influential on me. While it was tough seeing them go, it was one of those things where buckling down, put your nose to the ground and power through. That is what I’ve always done. And, I’m glad that I did. Because, now I’m having some of the most fun I’ve had in at least a couple of years wrestling. It is tough seeing those guys leave but I still stay in contact with those guys. They’re great people.”
On the new Impact owners and creative direction:
“Finally there is some stability and that is something that we, as performers, weren’t guaranteed for a while. It is nice to see. ANd, they have thought enough of me and Z to let us run with this tag team and let us give the best performances we can and that they are confident we can. It is a breath of fresh air. It is the most fun I’ve had in wrestling in a long time!”
On talent he’d like to see come to Impact Wrestling:
“There’s so much talent in professional wrestling right now. It is ridiculous! I particularly find the UK, the British, to be so damn good. Guys that have the character and the skill and I find that coming out of England more and more.”
On the current state of wrestling with so many promotions to choose from:
“I ust think this is the most exciting time to be a wrestler since, probably, the Monday Night Wars. You have options to go out and make money now. For a while there, it was just WWE or nothing. I mean, Impact was always around. But, with the influx of New Japan becoming more and more popular States side, It has to be the most interesting time to be a professional wrestler that I can think of. At least in my career, I know that for a fact. All In! They sold out 10,000 seats in under 30 minutes! That’s proposterous! It is a sign that, and I think thise whole heartedly, being a professional wrestling fan is becoming cool again.”
On if “Sky-Walker” Means He’s a Star Wars Fan:
“I’m not that big of a fan (of Star Wars). It was something that was said and kind of stuck. People noted that I tend to hang there in the air and not come down for a little bit. It just took! (laughs)”
On his future plans at Impact Wrestling:
“Slammiversary! July 22nd! It is going to be a really big deal. 16 years in the making! 16 years!”
