Adam Rose: “I was an idiot at the end”
Adam Rose spoke with the Orlando Sentinel ahead of his retirement match this weekend and discussed the end of his WWE run, plus more. Highlights are below:
On the end of his run in WWE: “I was an idiot at the end – a moron, a bumbling buffoon. I made mistake after mistake, a lot of them out of self-sabotage because I was so unhappy. I developed a drug addiction and just acted out in every way. The fact that WWE let me leave on what I consider good terms and helped me get clean is a miracle.”
On his move to the main roster being bad for him: “When they told me [I was going to the main roster], I was petrified. NXT saw Adam Rose at his best; they saw the character grow up, all the way back from when I was [former character] Leo Kruger. Everyone who goes to Full Sail knows how special it is there. For some of us, it’s the best place for us, because once the [WWE] machine eats you up and spits you out, you know it. Nothing prepares you for the day-to-day life on the road. But how many people get the opportunity to have that opportunity?”
On the rise of AEW and independent promotions: “I’m really happy that more companies are coming up to compete with WWE. Everything is better when there’s competition – the creative teams push each other, wages go up, everybody’s happier, so they work harder.”
On facing Bull James as the final opponent in his career: “We haven’t seen each other in a while, but I couldn’t have picked anyone better to do it with. He was there for the birth of Adam Rose, and in a world where you make many acquaintances, he’s one of the few true friends I’ve made in the wrestling business. It hasn’t hit me yet that this is the end. I think I’ll be more emotional when I’m in the ring and it actually happens. But it’s time to go.”
