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WWE has a star-studded roster comprising performers from different pro wrestling backgrounds. NXT's Joe Gacy recently opened up about the backstage reaction to his past work before he joined the Stamford-based promotion.
The 36-year-old star is the leader of Schism in NXT. But before joining WWE in 2020, Gacy performed in CZW (Combat Zone Wrestling), where he had some of the most brutal matches of his career. The Delaware-based promotion booked Gacy in bouts reminiscent of the hardcore matches in ECW.
On a recent episode of the Out of Character podcast, Joe Gacy mentioned that he used to enjoy his "brutal" matches in CZW because he was fond of the hardcore wrestling style.
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"Before I got to CZW, I was a big CZW fan, and growing up an ECW fan, I was like, 'Yeah, I want to go out there, and I want to do this and this and prove that I belong in hardcore wrestling.' So there was a point where I really wanted to go out there and try to do the most brutal stuff that I could. Now part of me is kind of happy I don't do that anymore, but it was fun while I did it." [H/T Wrestling INC]
Gacy further said that his WWE colleagues were shocked to see clips of some of his barbaric matches in Combat Zone Wrestling. He added that his fellow performers jokingly teased him after watching his hard-hitting bouts and wanted him to compete in more such contests.
You can check out the whole podcast below:
WWE star Joe Gacy wouldn't mind doing the stuff he used to do in CZW if an opportunity arose
In the same podcast, Joe Gacy said he missed doing the physical in-ring stuff he did in CZW. He also addressed the possibility of engaging in such matches again.
"I would say that if there was a time in your career that you've done that, there is maybe a little bit inside of you that does miss it. I don't want to go back and do all the things I have done again, but I wouldn't mind dabbling in some stuff again if the opportunity arose." [H/T Wrestling INC]
The up-and-coming star is trying to establish himself as a permanent fixture in NXT's main event scene. It will be interesting to see if he can capture a major championship soon.
What do you think about Joe Gacy's run in WWE NXT? Let us know in the comments section below.
