WWE star and former United States champion Apollo Crews was the latest guest on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast to discuss all things pro-wrestling, including his thoughts on what’s holding him back and how he had a difficult relationship with his parents. Highlights are below.
On his rough relationship with his parents:
“I was about 10 years old and my parents had split up and my mom took my little sister and moved back to Atlanta. It was rough. All I knew at that time was my parents had been together. I didn’t know if I would see her or who I was going to live with.”
Says he doesn’t really communicate with them anymore:
“I don’t have that relationship with them. I go to my friends for advice. I go to my best friend who I’ve had for 18 years. I’ve never been the type of person to go to my parents for advice or sit down and have a long, deep conversation with them. I’ve never felt that close to them personally. With my kids, I let them know they can come to me for anything.”
How it’s important to try and take risks:
“I feel like being that with them has carried over in my older years. My wife has helped me grow and helps push me outside my comfort zone. I struggled with always staying with what I feel comfortable with. I think that’s what holds me back sometimes is that it’s hard to step out of that comfort zone. Trying something different, if it maybe an outlandish character, I think I should just be me on TV and maybe that doesn’t translate well to the fans. Maybe that’s why they don’t understand who I am. It’s when you see people break outside that comfort zone is when they see a lot of success in life in general. You have to take those risks and I’ve always been timid with that. I think that’s what has held me back. I feel like somewhere along the way, I got too comfortable and I lost that drive. Winning the title did actually put me back on track. This isn’t it. The hard work is going to begin now. Let’s see what you are made of. It’s not like I can go back and kick my feet up. The next day I’m back to square one and I’ll say I know what I have to do to get back there and I’m going to make it happen.”
Full interview can be found here. (H/T and transcribed by Wrestling News)