Paul Walter Hauser Reflects on His Favorite Wrestling Storylines, Compares Austin vs. McMahon to ‘R-Rated Looney Tunes’

ROH and MLW in-ring veteran and award-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser recently joined Insight with Chris Van Vliet, where he discussed some of his all-time favorite wrestling angles, storylines, and more. Below are some highlights from Insight:

Paul Walter Hauser on His Favorite Wrestling Storylines

“If that’s a story or a movie, the movie of McMahon Austin is kind of like R-rated Looney Tunes, almost. It’s kind of just bizarro set piece, absurdity stuff, but it’s also hyper violent woth the stuff they’re doing to each other. I think for me, I always go back to, can I say a handful? I don’t think I can choose one. But I would say, like, Ric Flair and Vader in 94 at I think it was SuperBrawl [AN: It was WCW Starrcade 1993]. Flair is saying goodbye to his kids and being documented in the car, in the limousine, going to the fight. And it’s kind of like him saying, like, I might die in that ring, that’s the best acting Ric Flair ever did, you believe everything he’s saying, and you believe that Vader is this other worldly power that kind of can’t be beat, and that he’s the savior at WCW, in this moment.

“That I think was tremendous, albeit kind of brief. I don’t think that dragged out longer. I honestly think that my favorite story lines have been Sting and Darby Allin teaming up and him having that third act in wrestling. I think that is an awesome story, and how it started as one cinematic match, and then it just grew and grew and grew. Another one I’m obsessed with is Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. That lasted a while, and I never got sick of it. I always liked it. I always cared about both guys, even if I was mad at one or the other.”

On Being Most Associated for His Role in Cobra Kai

“It’s definitely Cobra Kai, the stingray character, that would be number one. Number two is probably Richard Jewell. That movie’s really grown on people in a sense of like, I think people found that on Amazon Prime to rent, or it was free if you have the subscription. And then Airplanes, people were watching Richard Jewell on Airplanes. It’s still on Delta. I was flying Delta the other day, and they had I Tonya, Richard Jewell, and Luckiest Man in America.”

On If He Ever Puts One of His Movies On While Onboard a Plane

“No, can you imagine? I did it once with I, Tonya, though, where I did purposely, but it was me going, Oh, I haven’t watched this in a minute. So I threw it on. Was like, it’s such a weird little movie.”

Paul Walter Hauser last stepped into the ring at ROH Death Before Dishonor in August, where he lost a Fight Without Honor to QT Marshall. He also recently appeared in the film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, opposite Jeremy Allen White.