Jay Lethal Says He Freaked Out Over Working With Ric Flair

– Jay Lethal spoke with Paste Magazine for a new interview. Highlights are below:

On his Macho Man impression: “Ok, so the Macho Man impression I’ve always known. And I really feel like that Black Machismo character is what put Jay Lethal on the map. If it weren’t for that Machismo character, I’m sure I would have been looked over. Because I really had no character, I was just plain Jane wrestler. I was actually still in a shell too, kind of shy. That character really broke me out of that shell, man. Same with the Ric Flair stint that I did. It really made me loose and relaxed in front of a crowd. Because with that Ric Flair promo that I had with him, before then, I had never been given a microphone in front of a live crowd. That was my first time. All the Macho Man stuff I was doing—all that stuff was filmed in the locker room. And it was all “one take” stuff, because even if I said “banana” by mistake, they just let it go because it’s the character. I could almost say anything and get away with it. So I had never been in front of a live crowd with a live microphone until I got in the ring with Ric Flair.”

On working with Flair: “How stressful was that? I mean, I was freaking out. But I love my time working in that company. I have no regrets. The only negative thing I have to say is that they released me at a time where I thought that I was doing really good. I feel that the Machismo character and the Flair character not only put me on the map, but prepared me for a lot of the stressful roles, or roles that could have been stressful for me. Here in Ring of Honor, for instance, being in the main event. Having to cut these promos, not selfishly [but] having to carry the company on my back—I had both singles titles at the same time. I really feel like those two characters prepared me for everything that I had to do later on in the wrestling business and I will be forever grateful for working there.”