James Ellsworth discusses Gillberg's retirement match and talks WWE

James Ellsworth is best known for his time in WWE. Ellsworth had two runs with WWE from 2016-2017 and in 2018. During his first run, Ellsworth faced Braun Strowman to which Ellsworth caught everyone's attention in his promo before Strowman said, "Any man with two hands has a fighting chance."

Ellsworth would go on to be part of the main event scene working with Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles. After feuding with Styles, Ellsworth would go on to manage Carmella to her first WWE SmackDown Women's Championship. Ellsworth was let go in November 2017 but would resurface seven months later in June 2018 for a second run with WWE briefly managing Carmella again.

After leaving the company a second time, Ellsworth would form an unlikely tag team with Gillberg. Gillberg, a former WWF/E professional wrestler himself, is a former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. The two would go on to become Adrenaline Championship Wrestling Tag-Team Champions together. On February 28th, 2020, James Ellsworth took on Gillberg in Gillberg's retirement match.

Below is the interview with James Ellsworth with a video at the end of the interview.

SK: Hey, what's going on Sportskeeda fans? It's Lee Walker here, and I am here with James Ellsworth. James, how are you doing today?

Ellsworth: I'm good man. You asked me if I'm ready. I'm always ready!

SK: You recently wrestled Gillberg in his retirement match. How did you find out that was his last match, and how did all that come about?

Ellsworth: Well, a couple of months ago, he said to me, "Yeah, I'm getting older," Wrestling on the indies is fun and everything, but as you get older your body breaks down. "I'm going to have my last match soon." I said, "Alright." So we set up a show for him in Baltimore, Maryland. I said, "Alright Duane, we have a show set up for you with Adrenaline Championship Wrestling," adrenalinewrestling.com, "and you can wrestle whoever you want." He said, "Well, I'm definitely wrestling you." I was like, Oh, okay."

I didn't expect him to pick me. I expected him to pick somebody he broke in with or something like that, but it was cool that he picked me. We had a lot of fun doing it.

SK: What were the emotions like after the match, especially it being his last match?

Ellsworth: It's one of those things, like he had a really good run in WWE, as did I, and it's kind of similar. He was an extra talent or enhancement talent for a while, then he got his big break. The same thing happened with me. It just didn't take me as long as it took him.

Him and I are friends. Again, for him to pick me in his last match was really cool. Then when it was over, I was like, "Man, he's never gonna wrestle ever again." He rode with me a lot on the independence, so I'm not going to have my riding buddy anymore. He's never going to get in the ring and do what he loves to do anymore. As you get older, you have to stop at some point.

I had a lot of mixed emotions. I was happy for him. He got to do it the right way. It was a big house that night with a sold-out crowd in his hometown. It was good he got to do it that way in front of his home people, a big crowd, but at the same time, I'm going to miss working with him.

SK: James, I want to thank you for speaking with me today.

Ellsworth: Thank you.