Longtime wrestling veteran Jack Evans recently spoke with PW Mania about a wide range of topics, including his thoughts on his stint in AEW, some of his fondest memories of working Ring of Honor, and how he came up with his signature catchphrases. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
On the creation of his Smokey catchphrase:
“I had joined the show Mat Rats and when they found out I could breakdance, they wanted to give me a Malibu’s Most Wanted gimmick. So I had that “yo yo yo wuzzup” thing going, but it was just so over the top and cheesy. So I tried to take the gimmick and still have it be funny but also cool. I was like “I just wanna be Smokey.” ROH wasn’t gonna let me come out with a blunt though, so I incorporated Smokey into my character with that catchphrase. What’s funny is a lot of younger fans think “And you know this, man!” is a Jack Evans quote because they haven’t seen Friday. And my girl actually loves Friday, even though she hates American comedies.”
Names his favorite moments from Ring of Honor:
“Teaming with Generation Next was a really good time. But overall, it was just a fun locker room to hang out in. The thing is though, because it was ROH, there was a lot of pressure to put on a great show, or else Gabe wouldn’t be happy. Gabe was usually a nice guy but there were certain spots or angles that you could NOT mess up or he would spaz out. And when that would happen, he’d become the most intimidating person in the world. Especially if it was a Japanese fly-in where they spent a lot of money.”
Enjoyed his time in AEW, but doesn’t think he performed as well as he could have:
“Honestly, one of the things that has motivated me recently was my AEW stint. I didn’t do as well there as I could’ve, but nonetheless, I was grateful for the experience. I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll be back there, even though I would love to. It’s a very sought-after promotion that everyone’s trying to go to.”