Ryback Said He Had to Shut Off NXT Takeover After a Couple of Matches

– Ryback discussed NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV in the latest episode of his Conversation with the Big Guy podcast. Highlights are below, courtesy of Wrestling Inc:

On NXT Takeover: “I watched a couple of matches but then I had to shut it off. The guys there are incredible. It seems like the different guys and wrestlers I talk to – it’s different. I can’t explain it. I don’t know where the not selling moves or the psychology of selling or having to do 3,4,5 moves in place of one really impressive move. For example, Ricochet doing the backflips off of the ropes and Adam Cole hitting the superkick perfectly timed in place. If you listen to the reaction of the move and the crowd reaction, I would say you go for the cover there why do you pick the guy up after hitting an impressive finisher on the guy when you are already letting him kick out of it? I just think there are ways around that stuff rather than letting someone stack moves. If you are going to do it do it later on in the match.”

On NXT matches vs. WWE matches: “It’s weird that you see that style on NXT but all those NXT guys that go to the main roster they don’t do that for the most part. Not to say from time to time something will get thrown in there. Sometimes, Seth Rollins will throw a double stack in there, but it’s usually placed a little differently, but I feel like watching it on NXT it will be – there’s no build up to it. Also, there may have been a 20-30 move sequence during a match where there was no selling. That, I don’t understand. Call me crazy, but it seems like everybody that I talk to that has a know all about pro wrestling doesn’t understand it. I try to understand it. I try to put it in my mind that everything evolves, but I can’t understand this because there is nowhere to go from that, and to me that is a disconnect where you hit someone with 20 moves and you don’t hurt each other. I just don’t know. I think if you were a small guy working with a bigger guy, that makes sense that you have to throw more things to try and hurt that guy, but two guys of the same size I just don’t know. That is just my opinion on it, but I know a lot of people share that, and a lot of people that are casually watching it don’t understand it. To me it exposes the business a little too much. Again, everybody can do that and no-sell anything, they really can. Athletically it’s great, everything they do, but if it takes 4-5 superkicks to get a guy down then what does that say about your superkicks?”

On wrestlers taking unnecessary risks: “I feel like with the wrestlers – the whole point of professional wrestling is to not hurt each other, but I feel like now more than ever guys are doing more dangerous things to try to convince the people that they are hurting each other, but it’s part of the ring or the floor that really hurt you. I’ve noticed in NXT they had pulled back the canvas and are now doing spots on the boards. I’ve seen some guys that are doing moves on top of ladders and taking a** bumps and spiking the guy on the back of the head in the independent circuit, but you’re not going to make any money if you can’t wrestle, and the human body – it just takes one thing. That to me, that is not the pro wrestling that i grew up watching. I am not a fan of it because if you do it you better make sure you are getting one hell of a paycheck that will cover your medical bills afterwards. There are a million other things that you can do, there really is. I am seeing more and more guys do things on the floor. I was wondering when this became an actual thing? You are legitimately f—ing yourself up. I don’t know. I just don’t know what to say to that. You watch a match like The Miz and Daniel Bryan; one of the best matches on the show and there was none of that. There was a story and great wrestling, and I think that it will always stand the test of time if you have that.”

On Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam: “I caught a good portion of their match. The crowd was so into that match compared to the crowd of the main event match. I will have to say, SummerSlam, I had watched a lot of it. I couldn’t sit and watch the whole thing. It was a really long show. The crowd was noticeably dead for some of the matches. I thought the crowd was kind of down for The Miz and Daniel Bryan, and not because of the match itself, but when you put on that much pro wrestling it is really tough. I think it’s best to be first on the card from a crowd when you have time. Dolph and Seth Rollins are known to do that. When they are on the show and they put on that opening match, it’s really hard to go on after that. The crowd is really emotionally so invested right in that first match. Those guys are unbelievable every time they step in the ring.”