>> We talked about how quickly it seemed that you went from the independence
to, NXT.
And the web Performance Center.
You had a pretty rapid ascent from NXT to the main roster,
when it was still called that.
<< Yeah. >> And I hate to sort of gloss over this
chunk of your career, but I want to discuss with you the in between
because right now I want to get to, what we're dealing with on Friday nights.
We'll talk about that in a second.
But I wanna talk about the last few years of Apollo Cruz career in WWE.
You've had start stop.
It looks like he's gonna do something up not quite lost in the shuffle.
You've literally done just about everything that you don't, want to do.
>> Yeah. >> Talk to me about how you've,
stayed strong through this period.
>> Man, I think as far as say strong goes, I've just always been that.
My dad always said there's no substitute for hard work.
And I believe that's my core.
And I feel like this is something that, I am extremely passionate about and
I know, in my heart, what I'm capable of and what I can do,
on this platform and with this platform.
So, and then, the last five, six years is like, when you look back,
people ask me what I've said at NXT and
it's not something that I can be like, yeah, I would have no I wouldn't.
Because, I don't know what would have happened if I stayed.
>> Right. >> Would I have ever got the opportunity
to even come to the main roster?
Would I have been fired?
I don't know, so it's not like, anything that I really want to dwell upon.
Do I think that, I wish I would have done more in NEC?
Of course.
You know I would have loved to held the title.
At that time was so many, people getting caught up pretty quick at the time.
I would have said quick, but it was like,
a lot of the guys that I was with, were getting caught up.
>> Mm-hm.
>> Lot of people that I would have loved to, have matches with of course, but,
I can't sit here and
dwell on the fact that my time was short there, I had fun when I was there.
And who's gonna pass up an opportunity when Triple H comes to you and
says hey man, You're debuting on Monday Night Raw tomorrow.
>> Right, [CROSSTALK] say no.
>> Not a soul.
>> No, you know what, I think I'm just gonna hang here for a while.
>> Yeah, and you see people you should have stayed in it,
you should have said that.
Not that there's anything, bad with staying NXT at all.
>> Right.
>> But it's like here's this opportunity of okay, this is the dream.
>> Right. >> It's what you work so hard for.
And of course I got here and, it wasn't, I think I was too, humble.
I think my humbleness, worked against me at times.
You know, I was just too happy.
I think and I didn't, have the attitude of I, belong here.
I deserve to be here.
You know what I mean?
I think, I wasn't, a relentless as far as in my pursuit to be,
the best suicide that I could be I kinda just, I took things as they came,
I didn't really challenge anything I didn't and
I'm still kinda like that this way but,
I look at things in a different mindset but at the time I was just like,
It was just like, whatever you guys need me to do, that`s what m gonna do.
>> Mh-hm. You been the utility men.
>> Yeah, and i think that kinda worked against me where-
>> Well that`s goes back to where,
I kinda, wanted to start the interview on instead of massaging it but
ended up holding back tongue because, [CROSSTALK] you and
I had a lot of conversations in catering, the locker room, parking lots hotel.
>> All the time.
>> And I would hear what you would say to me.
And I knew how passionate you were man.
How hard was it, not to just switch a gear five years ago, four years ago,
three years ago and, express that as it is now looking back?
>> It's so, hard and I look back at this and I see other guys coming out dealing
with the same thing I did and I tell them I'm like, look man.
This is the mistake that I made.
I'm telling you right now, I can't force you to do it.
But I'm telling you, do not settle.
Do not get complacent.
Like don't, wait for these opportunities to call you have to be.
Aggressive. You have to ask questions.
You have to go talk to, you have to, instead of looking back, okay.
I'm not on TV today.
Okay. I'm just gonna sit here and
be on my phone.
Okay. Let me, figure out why I'm on a TV.
What, am I doing wrong?
It's not anybody else's fault.
I had to take a hard look at the mirror of myself and realize like, hey,
maybe you're the one who's, messing up.
Maybe, it's not, the blame shouldn't be pointed out other people
what can you do better with yourself to, make them have to put you on TV or
make them have a spot for you regularly on TV?
What I mean.
And, I see a lot of it now and I'm like mad guys like,
I can tell you from experience you don't want to get caught up.
[MUSIC]
>> Like what you hear?
Catch full episodes of after the bell on Spotify.
Follow us now and never miss an episode.
[MUSIC]