WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews recently spoke to Sporting News to talk all things pro-wrestling, including his early expectations when signing with WWE and a possible reboot of the Nation of Domination faction. Highlights from the interview are below.
Early expectations when coming to WWE:
I feel like anybody who comes to WWE enters with the mindset where you picture yourself winning multiple titles, headlining WrestleMania and pay per views, having dream matches and becoming the ultimate superstar. But things don’t always pan out how you picture them. So, for me, I didn’t realize that my time in NXT was going to be so short. When I look back on things, I wish I got to spend a little more time figuring out who Apollo Crews was and developing my character. When you’re being pulled to Monday Night Raw, the last thing that crosses your mind is saying that you want to stay where you’re at so you can develop. I came into NXT hot and I was in a great situation having matches with Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin. But the past four years of my career have been very different. I had to keep the mindset that I had to keep hustling and believe in myself no matter how low I got.
Talks about returning to NXT:
I did have a few conversations, but not about going back to NXT full time. I had a match with Kushida a year ago in front of the crowd at Full Sail and it was amazing. I told Triple H that if there ever was a time that he needed me to come back, I’d definitely be up for it. At the time I wasn’t doing too much on SmackDown so I just wanted to be involved and help out any way I could. We never had much of a conversation about it after that. But the talent that has come through there is insane and I’d definitely love to work with some of those guys.
Who he would choose for his 2020 Nation of Domination:
I’d definitely have to put me in there. You’ve gotta have MVP and Bobby Lashley. I’m going to have some extra group members with Shelton Benjamin, Ricochet and Cedric Alexander. That’s a solid group right there.
Whether the group would be a heel faction:
No way. I feel like everyone would love to see something like that today. I would have to be a part of it. I wouldn’t want to be on the outside looking in at that faction. I saw everyone talking about it and it would be dope. That’s what so many people want to see. Not only myself, but I know a few guys backstage would want to be in it. Thinking about those possibilities is really cool. But it would have to be a babyface stable today.