Grayson Waller was called up to the WWE main roster earlier this year when he was drafted to SmackDown.
Waller has had many intense matches in WWE. He feuded with former NXT Champion Bron Breakker from the end of 2022 to the start of 2023, and lost to Breakker when he challenged for the NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil back in January.
Breakker also retained the title against Waller in a Steel Cage match at NXT Vengeance Day in February.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out Of Character podcast, Waller said that the Spear of Bron Breakker is the most painful move he’s been at the receiving end of in WWE.
“There [are] so many. I took that Powerbomb from Edge … on the floor. That wasn’t fun. But, you know, the answer has to be Bron Breakker’s spear.
Dude, it’s like — I’ve been hit hard before. I’ve been in the ring with some wild guys who hit very hard, but Bron Breakker’s spear is [on] a different level.
His intensity from this far away, that explosive power, man — no fun. Absolutely zero fun. Would not recommend it.”
While speaking on The MMA Hour, Waller revealed the inspiration behind his WWE character.
Below is what he said:
“Earlier in the year, (Finlay) pulled me aside and gave me a serious talk that was looking like maybe I’m going to the main roster.
He goes, ‘You need to go in there with these people and act like you’re Muhammad Ali. You need to believe in yourself.’ And he gave me this photo. Obviously, I’ve seen it. He was like, ‘You need to stand there above them and show that you’re better than them.’
So as soon as he told me that, I took that to heart. I went and bought it and put it up in my house so every day I think about the fact that I need to act like Muhammad Ali. When I go in there, I need to feel like I’m the best, not just say it.
The boxing trunks are mainly because I wanna look different, I wanna stand out, and I think the boxing trunks make me stand out. But my actual character is based on Prince Naseem. The leopard print and all those things.
He was Conor (McGregor) and Chael (Sonnen) before Conor and Chael. I think Prince Naseem was the OG trash talker and flashy fighter. You can even see it in the way I move in the ring. It’s very Prince Naseem.”
Waller also stated that he uses AEW Producer Chris Hero’s (fka Kassius Ohno in NXT) lunges as part of his entrance to pay tribute to him.
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