LJ Cleary Reflects on Attending WWE Tryout, Getting To Hear From John Cena

– As previously reported, LJ Cleary attended the WWE tryout session that took place during SummerSlam Week in New Jersey. Speaking to Bodyslam.net, the wrestler discussed the WWE tryout experience. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

LJ Cleary on the WWE Tryout experience: “The tryout itself, unreal experience. Like I could say that again, like I talked about- I’m not the most, I’m not a very anxious or stressed person. Like I was just like, ‘I’m just gonna go’ and the way I had it in my head was like, I’m just gonna go and do some wrestling training for a few days for the biggest company in the world. Like, you know, for me, I’m very much like, once I’m in a ring, like it doesn’t matter, like who I’m wrestling or like what the logo is on the turnbuckles or on the canvas. Like it’s, I’m just doing the thing that I love.”

On John Cena speaking at the event: “Then to have the experience of, I’m pretty sure I posted publicly where I’m pretty sure there’s a video out there as well, that on the last day, John Cena came and gave us (a talk), and me being the type of person and fan that I am as well. Like Cena is- I always say like, my three favorite wrestlers are like Cena, Jericho and Zack Ryder, like all for different reasons, Zack Ryder, Matt Cardona, all for very different reasons. But Cena is like my childhood hero. Like I am the target audience for like when John Cena was becoming the guy, I was six when the spinner belt was (debuted) and like, like that’s my WWE title. It’s so funny. Obviously there’s the argument of like, you know, I completely understand it, another generation may be like it’s the worst looking thing ever but to me like that’s mine and the stubbornness in me being over the years I would tell myself well, like I started being like this…because I had the proof of wrestling the likes of Cardona and Nemeth and Pac right but like well I’m gonna wrestle these people, it’s just gonna happen so when obviously I have to come to terms with well, I won’t get to wrestle John Cena like I just have to accept that and that was hard like, and some people might listen to this be like ‘what? like obviously!'”

On thinking in his head he might someday wrestle John Cena: “Like some of the people might listen to this being like, ‘obviously you weren’t gonna anyway’, but like, in my head, like, up until he said he was gonna retire, the option was there. As long as the option was there, like, I can make it happen. So to come to terms with that I’ll likely never, ever get that. Having him be at my trial in his last year as, you know as an as an active performer while he’s WWE champion, I was very lucky. Again, you’ve seen me, I’m first down the line. There’s no way I’m standing at the back of a queue any time, but definitely not when the greatest of all time is there. If that’s what my experience is with him, if I don’t get to wrestle him, then I’m very happy.”

On how the experience came off to him: “Like, it felt like very much so like it was meant to happen that way. So the tryout in general was, it was class. To do it, like, on SummerSlam week for, like, I’m a kid from the Liberties in Dublin, has really, like, no reason to… on paper, there’s no way, like, I get there, and it’s the same with CBL as well. It’s the same with Anita. Like, CBL’s from Granard, Longford. I didn’t even know where that was until I met him, you know? There’s no way, like, he should be there, and there’s no way, like, me, like, on paper should be there. But it’s- you can make these things happen if you really want to.”

As noted, Cleary is engaged to WWE Superstar and former Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria.