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Austin Aries Reveals His Frustration On Being In 205 Live

Austin Aries

During a recent appearance on Old School WWF Legend Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, former WWE Superstar Austin Aries revealed his frustration on being in 205 Live. Below is their discussion:

Jericho: Was the end game the whole time for you to do commentary, to heal up and then end up getting into the ring and challenging for the title or whatever?

Austin: Yeah, originally I think how it played out was pretty much what was the idea. At that point, it wasn’t known was how well Neville was gonna do in his role. And it changed things because if you listen to my commentary, I wasn’t coming off as a sweet guy.

So at that point, they had to make a decision like – Well listen, Neville’s at another level man, completely another level, and I’m not just talking about in the cruiserweight division, I’m just saying in the company, so let’s not mess with that. But now we already kind of have this in place, so we’re gonna just switch it which isn’t always easy.

Now I’m sure you know as much as anyone, jumping back and forth. And then, correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like you maybe feel more comfortable having more fun on the heel side of things. It’s so much easier. And I’m at a point of my career where I don’t need to be the focal point of the guy. So if I can be in that role it’s so much easier to help other guys.

Jericho: Yeah and it’s way easier as a heel to get over and stay over because you don’t have to win ever. All you have to do is get a microphone and get a couple cheap shots. As a babyface in the WWE, either you’re the champion or you just start working your way down the card.

Austin: And, right or wrong, the first four things I did as a babyface there was fail. My first four attempts with Neville, I’ve failed at accomplishing the job. I believe there’s four. The one time I beat him by disqualification. So again, that’s fine.

You can do that, but I don’t have any worth anymore as a babyface. So now there has to be a catalyst for something. Whether it’s me turn it on the other side, whether it’s me doing something outside of the 205 Live, whether it’s to put me back in NXT, whether it’s making me a mouthpiece for somebody, like I’m literally open to anything.

But I don’t have any value left as a babyface because I failed at the first four things anyone has ever seen me do. I talked to the big game, commentary and then I came I failed repeatedly. That’s hard to overcome.

So that was the situation and you roll with it. And I would have relished the opportunity to do what I think I do well – which is get under people’s skin and then have it shoved up my a$$.

Jericho: So when you got brought to the main roster, did you know you’re gonna be a Cruiserweight on 205 Live? Did you think you should have been something else? Were you cool with being in the Cruiserweight division?

Austin: I was totally down for it. When you say we want to make this a brand, we want to market it, we want to run it on its own and we’re looking at you as one of the guys that’s gonna help us do that, that’s a great chance for me. Absolutely, give me. I wish that I would have felt like that was really what the intention was. Because the frustrations that I had were necessarily with myself.

But you go out there, do the best you can with what you’re given. As you know, what you’re given depends on where you are on the totem pole. So that leaves you with what you have to work with and you do the best you can.

Jericho: Who were your favorite guys to watch to wrestle in that division and think should have been higher up on the card?

Austin: All those guys have potential and you know because they all have great stories. Rich Swann, who’s so charismatic and athletic and has such a powerful story that help people, inspire people to overcome. If you want to highlight that you could. He’s so young. He’s got so much in front of him.

I love Brian Kendrick. I’ve always enjoyed anything I’ve done with him. And then there was a lot of young guys, newer guys who maybe newer to the scene like Mustafa Ali.

The cool thing was there was a lot of diversity and there are a lot of talented guys, characters from different backgrounds, but it does take time and you can’t do 10 at once. You need those couple of guys to help lift guys up. I figured that was my role. My role wasn’t to be the dude. My role is to be the dude to help the next guy.

It didn’t seem like they had a clear direction of where do we go which was frustrating because I feel like I’m more than just a good match guy. Like you could literally use me anywhere and I’m open to be used anywhere.


        
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