Omos Says Undertaker Has Been a Big Influence On His Career, Recalls Meeting Him

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet for Insight, Omos described his first meeting with the Undertaker and how the WWE Hall of Famer has been a huge influence on his career. Here are highlights:

On when he realized he was growing at an abnormal rate: “Not until I got to college in the States. It took me years of playing basketball, and then the doctor realized that what’s going on with you is not normal. I’d have been dead. So it’s kind of similar to what Andre The Giant had. It’s called acromegaly. I think Big Show has it as well. But mine is kind of unique, because I have acromegaly, I also have gigantism, just means that you just grow really, really tall, and I have what you call Partial Cushing’s disease. I don’t know how to explain, it’s kind of complicated, but I have all three combined, and it was the first time in endocrine history that they found a patient that has all three combined. So I’m a really, really rare case, to the point where they had a journal published about my case. Yes, it was a treat for endocrine doctors to say we have read about this in textbooks, but you’re the first person to admit that actually has this condition.”

On if he has pain: “I have no pain, I’m pain-free. I’m great. The thing about it is once you keep on growing your heart, your organs keep on growing too. Then it’s like cardiac arrest and things of sort. It’s a protein; you probably heard about this in bodybuilding. It’s called IGF-1 [Insulin Growth Factor]. My body produces too many growth hormones, so I have to take a medication to stop my body from using the growth hormones so that I don’t get any bigger.”

On getting advice from the Undertaker: “I’ve been blessed from the first day. I remember the first time I met him. I was at NXT, this is when we were still filming at Full Sail. I’m walking to Gorilla in the back, and I see Hunter. Hunter goes, ‘Hey, I have a special surprise for you.’ He [Undertaker] just walks out, and I rarely get star-struck. I just go oh it’s The Undertaker! He goes, ‘Hey big fella’, and he just gave me a big hug. I was shocked. I was shook. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and from that day it just became like a bond. He’s pretty much like a, because he can’t be my dad, sorry Taker, but he’s been such a great influence on me, and I appreciate him. We talk quite often. He gives me advice. Whenever I’m trying to figure out a match or a spot, I always ask, What would Undertaker do? Because I do admire how he’s been able to transcend the business, because he has built one of those characters that, even after he passes, that character is going to be forever.”

On going to Pro Wrestling NOAH: “What happened was I saw Tavion Heights of NXT and Josh Briggs go to Japan. I was just watching the videos and everything. Then, as they were doing shows in Japan, an interview came out with Great Muta, they asked him, Who would you love to have in Japan? The first name he mentions is me. I’m like, Oh, wow. That’s great. I didn’t think he would remember me, but he did. So I kind of threw the idea to a couple of guys about Japan. I remember seeing Road Dogg at the PC, ‘Hey, do you have a couple of minutes to chat? Not really busy right now, but I would love to go to Japan.’ He said, ‘You know what? Let me think about it.’ And then a couple months later, he was like, ‘Hey, you have an opportunity to go to Japan. Do you want to go?’ I was like, Yes! I want to go to Japan. To be honest, I am glad I did. I needed to go to Japan.”

On his wrestling style in Japan: “I would say a little bit [different]. I took a lot of things that I learned while I was working with MVP. There were a lot of things that we talked about when we were on the road together, because he taught me a lot. I just took all that style. When I was there I called him, because he wrestled in Japan. I called him. I called Shelton Benjamin, and they go, ‘Hey, in Japan, you’re a heel, be a heel. They love it, be the nastiest heel.’ I’m like, Oh, really? So I really got to embrace that. And they loved it.”

On when he will return to WWE: “I don’t know. I’m just waiting. I’m kind of in a scenario where I’m kind of like a special attraction. Whenever that time comes, I’m ready.”