Freak On A Leash! Interview with Rob Terry (Issue 57; Aug/Sept 2010)

FSM: Now, Rob, you're not only the TNA Global Champion but as far as we're aware, you're also the first Welshman to hold a major wrestling championship in the US - how does that make you feel?
Rob Terry: You know, it makes me feel great; I've worked really hard to get where I am, so it's the biggest honour that I could have right now, to achieve TNA Global Champion status... it means everything to me.

Of course, the Global Title used to be the Legends Title which would have meant yourself (along with many others) wouldn't have had much of a chance of holding it. Do you think that effectively pigeonholed the belt and made it too focused on the older guys?
Quite possibly, although it's still a massive privilege to hold it, whatever the title might be called, especially considering how long I've been part of TNA.

Since you won the belt, you've been headlining TV shows, appearing on pay-per-views and working alongside some true top stars. What was it like for you when you first appeared in the Impact Zone?
It was crazy... it was kind of surreal, I've got to be honest. At the time, it all happened so fast and before I knew it, I was part of the British Invasion and that was the best feeling in the world. It was a great stepping stone and I learnt a lot from the guys I was with; obviously, Doug Williams is so established with the British scene and Nick's got tons of charisma, so I think we had so much to offer and I loved being part of it.

You mentioned Nick and Doug there - how did they feel when they found out you were moving away from them and taking a title for yourself?
I think they were really pleased once I achieved the title; the British Invasion achieved so many titles themselves in such a short amount of time, so they were happy for me to get that title during the UK tour.

There's been something of a rise to prominence of late on the US scene of European wrestlers, both in WWE and TNA - you've got the likes of Sheamus, Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett, and then people like yourself, Desmond Wolfe and the Invasion too. What do you think has led to European talent getting more respect in the US?
I think it's about time that it happened, to be honest. Certainly, when I watch it, the European style is so much different to the US style, plus you've got the personalities too - I mean, Desmond Wolfe is great, for instance. It's a great privilege to be working alongside these guys and I try to learn as much from them as I can at the same time, so I know I benefit too.

You're obviously proud to be British then, but when you came back to these shores for the Maximum Impact tour in January, you were playing a heel and had to be 'bad'. Did that frustrate you at all, that you had to react negatively to a British crowd for the majority of the tour?
Not really... well, sort of. [Laughs] It was just great to be part of the tour, because a couple of months before it was looking like I wasn't going to be on it, and then I was announced just shortly before it. Even though we were playing heels, it was so great to be back and meet the fans, because the Invasion had such a solid fanbase, so it was wonderful to talk to them about it before and after the shows. That was what meant the most to me, to see how much of a fanbase we had.

What did it feel like going out in Cardiff, in front of your home fans, and winning the TNA Global Title from Eric Young?
I can't put it into words! At the time, so many of my friends and family were there, plus you had the BBC following me around and doing interviews, so it was one of the busiest days of my life, one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life and one of the best days of my life. To achieve that with all those people watching me, the true feelings are almost impossible to describe... it was definitely the biggest day of my wrestling history so far.

You've come a long way though; back in the beginning of your career, you worked in FCW as part of WWE's developmental programme and then worked in the Team 3D Academy while under TNA contract. How would you compare the two places and the style of training at each?
First of all, I think the developmental system at FCW was great - jumping back, before I moved out to the US I did a little bit of training in Wales at a very, very small school and it closed after I'd been going there for only three or four weeks. Moving out to FCW, the school there was great but there were so many guys there who were way more experienced than me and at the time, it was hard for me to get the kind of one-on-one attention that I needed to develop. At the Team 3D Academy though, they singled me out and really gave me that attention which I needed; plus, the training methods there are second-to-none. You've got the trainers, who concentrate on getting you to your physical peak and then Bubba and Devon offer their psychology and technical know-how, so it's just an all-round school that really puts you where you need to be to advance in the world of pro wrestling.

Did Doug and Nick give you training tips and advice too during your time in the Invasion too?
I'll always go to Doug and Nick and ask them about things that I could do better; I really want to progress as much as I can and it's always best to go to the people that you can trust and believe in to help you progress. Doug is very much experienced in the ring and has a lot of knowledge to pass on, so that was great.

Since you debuted and, more importantly, since you won the belt, people have compared you to the likes of Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Batista. How do you react to such comparisons?
It's a big privilege for me, I guess; when I was growing up, I used to very much compare myself to these guys before I even stepped into the ring. I'd see these guys on TV and they totally inspired me in what I wanted to do, so to be compared to them is a big thing for me. If I can better myself and be like the people I've looked up to, that'll be great.

Of course, Lesnar's now moved away from wrestling and has gone into MMA, which is something quite a few wrestlers have done in the past; would you ever consider a similar move into the Octagon?
Not at all! The way I feel right now, I've got such a passion for wrestling and I really can't see myself doing anything else. I spend every single moment of every single day just educating myself as much as I can in the business, and trying to step forward and improve my game as much as I can - that's what I'm about right now and I can't see anything else but pro wrestling for me.

Thinking about your TNA opponents as of late, one of your main rivals has been Orlando Jordan - a man who divides opinions across the internet and among fans simply because of his character. What's your take on him and the way his character is portrayed?
I have to say, he's a talented guy - he's got a great mind for the business and is definitely someone I've learnt from, because he's been in the business for so long. I realise that his whole persona is very out there and maybe a lot of people question it, but you can't take away from the fact that he's a very talented individual.

Looking at TNA so far this year, it's been quite a tumultuous year for the company - you went to Monday nights, you went live and you had Hulk Hogan coming in. What was it like, sitting in the back over the past six months, seeing the changes to the product and the arrival of people like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair?
Personally, I think that TNA is going from strength to strength - since Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff came to the company, especially for someone like myself who's pretty new to the business, it's nothing but motivation to really just step up and improve my game. I think that's the general feeling in the locker room too, that it's just a motivational and inspirational feeling to have these figures who are so established in the wrestling business with us, and I think that translates both into TV and on pay-per-views, that we're pushing ourselves more than ever.

Of course, things have settled down a lot recently and it seems the talent influx has died down a bit. Saying that though, is there anyone you can think of that's floating around right now that you'd like to see on the TNA roster?
Well, when I look at the TNA roster, there's just so much talent on there already, from the people that actually started the company like AJ Styles to everyone else... there are so many people there already, I really can't think of anyone else that would be able to do what we can't already.

What about the move to Monday nights, going live - doing PPVs is obviously good experience for that, but was there an added edge knowing that you were going head-to-head with Raw?
That was great... it was definitely a new element for me, but it's just great to be part of a show for me, full stop. It doesn't matter to me if it's a live Monday night or a pre-recorded Thursday, it's just wonderful to be part of the action. I want to compete every week, so every appearance counts.

We've seen you develop a lot recently, moving from an enforcer-type over to a singles competitor, although you've now got yourself the moniker of 'The Freak', which is apt considering your size and physique. Who came up with the name?
I think it was the creative team - they looked into my past and realised that I was well-developed from an early age, as well as my competitive history in sports, and they just thought 'This guy's a freak!'. And before I knew it, I was being called The Freak!

It's a shame that you just missed working with the Genetic Freak, Scott Steiner - he was on his way out as you were coming in. Do you regret not getting to work with him more?
Absolutely; I would have loved to have worked with Scott. He's been around for so long and I hope in the future it'll happen... you certainly couldn't get two bigger guys in the ring together!

What about the future then - where can you see Rob Terry being in five years time?
Well, I'd certainly like to be one of the names of TNA and one of the most dominant characters in wrestling, but it's only a matter of time before I'm a contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Title so that's definitely in my future...