Former WWE star Heath Slater recently appeared on Brisco and Big Ace from VOC Nation to talk all things pro wrestling. Highlights can be found below.
On being mentored by Dusty Rhodes:
Dusty would – everytime we had promo class – he would literally just tell me to be myself. He was like ‘oh baby you’ve got so much charisma just let it go, just let it come up. Flap that hair, move those hips, do your thing!’ That’s when I was Handsome Heath, this wild man shaking the ring posts… I’d come out with long hair, flapping my hair, shaking my hips… Dusty was like ‘come on, keep going’, Dusty was loving it.
On making the most out of his roles:
I had so many gimmicks that were legit chicken s**t that I had to turn into chicken salad… I remember John Cena telling me, ‘they always give you an inch, but somehow you bring it to a mile.’ I don’t know, I just try to take ideas and do it… What I loved about being a heel is that I’d go out, and people would see me out in a restaurant and say ‘I know you’re a bad guy, but I just want you to know that we love hating you. We love booing you. You’re just a fun bad guy.’ I love having a good chat with the fans. Even if it’s just like having a couple drinks…I’ve done that in so many bars it’s not even funny…. Over the years of just connecting on the screen and off the screen, it’s just really cool.
On Wes Brisco:
Everyone was intimidated by Wes a little bit, (that’s) what it was. He comes in being a little shooter, and we all know he is. Plus he’s on this wake board doing flips in the daggone water and all this crazy (stuff). He’s in magazines and all this other stuff being put over… Then his family’s legacy, and everyone is like ‘watch out, he might shoot on you.’ But you know, Wes came in genuine, nice, humble, and a cool dude, so of course I said ‘hey man, what’s up’ and we just got to know each other. Now (it’s) 12 years later (and we’re still friends.
On Doctor Tom Pritchard:
I have nothing but good things to say about Dr Tom… Dr Tom liked what I was doing (in the ring) but he would take it and say ‘ try to do that, clean this up, mold this here’ and I would just listen to him. If he saw something in you he would help you… His confidence in me made my confidence grow to where I thought I was unstoppable down there.
Check out the full interview below.