Real1 Recalls First Match In WWE NXT As Enzo Amore, Getting Praised Afterward

Real1 recently reflected on his first match in WWE on NXT TV as Enzo Amore and how he was praised for the match backstage afterward. Real1 appeared on Buff Bagwell’s YouTube channel and during the conversation with Bagwell he looked back at the 2013 match, which saw Mason Ryan defeat him in short order. You can see highlights below (per Wrestling Inc):

On his first match on NXT: “My first match was really a squash match for Mason Ryan on TV, NXT TV taping.”

On Dusty Rhodes pushing for him to get a promo before the match: “Dusty Rhodes apparently stood up [during the creative meeting] and said, ‘Give him a microphone and let him be the guy to go out there and get you up.’ Apparently, there was discussion as to whether or not I was ready ’cause I never had a match, and Dusty was like, ‘Why does he need to be ready? He’s going against Mason Ryan. Mason Ryan is 6-foot 8-inches, 300 pounds. If Enzo doesn’t want to cooperate, what’s he going to do? Mason’s probably going to squash him anyway, right?'”

On getting praised backstage afterward: “John Cena was backstage. When I came out, all the boys stood up to clap for me ’cause I debuted, they were standing up to put me over. All the boys knew that I show up to work at 5 a.m. every day and I get kicked out of the building and I’ve never had a match and I’m getting this debut spot. So, the boys, in like a moment of like f**k you to the system, stood up, like, almost like a f**k you to the coach at the time [Bill DeMott], ’cause he didn’t want me to wrestle. He never gave me a match.”

On not having animosity toward DeMott: “I have nothing but good things to say about the hell I went through under Bill DeMott because it made me the man I am. I don’t complain about that sh*t. So it should be tough. It should always be tough if you want to make it to the top.”