WWE superstar Keith Lee spoke with Bleacher Report to hype up tonight’s edition of Monday Night Raw, where Lee will be challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship. Highlights are below.
On changing up his ring attire:
I wanted to do something different and what I had was supposed to be a trial thing to see how it looked. I was going to train in it and just kind of see, but personally, the sleeveless shirt look is something I actually like and have worn before. I didn’t mind it. The shorts, that was a flop and no one knew it would be because they were rushed. From the side, it didn’t look that bad. From the front, it looked like this situation that was unfavorable and unsavory. As soon as I wore them, I said, ‘This was all I had, I’m sorry. I was not prepared.’ Nobody really cared, it was just a chuckle for me and the boys, but the fans, it was like, ‘Oh my god!’ ‘All right, I got the boys to laugh for the night and I tried these things out.’ I committed, but I knew I was switching the moment I [wore] them. As soon as my match was over, I texted my gear lady and said, ‘Hey, we got to get these shorts back. I have to get the tights going because these shirts are not going to cut it.’ She said, ‘Already on it!’ She was a sweetheart and I was grateful for her because the hectic-ness of being on Raw was unruly, man.
How his 24 special was originally just supposed to cover his debut on Raw:
I honestly didn’t know much about it at all and really, it wasn’t supposed to be anything other than, ‘This is his debut on Raw and this is how he got here.’ As I had conversations with people and as we talked about more things, more opportunities came about to talk to family and they were like, ‘Listen, this can turn into something really cool if you’re up for it.’ That team, I give them all the credit because they were great and fun to work with, my family enjoyed them and I enjoyed them. I gave the reins to them and it became so much more than a WWE 24 of Keith Lee debuting on Raw. This became a 24 of here’s how Keith Lee got here. This is what he went through to get here. This is where he came from, this is how he grew up. You’re seeing a man that is a culmination of all of these things. To me, that is such a cool approach to it and being able to include friends and peers and people who have been mentors in the documentary itself was super touching. It was magic.
On facing Drew McIntyre:
I would say that it’s a little nerve-wracking and somewhat surreal considering the names that you mentioned previously and the history behind it,” he said. “To an extent, it kind of feels natural because somehow, some way, I tend to find my way into opportunities. It’s never easy, but one way or another, I manage to find a way and here we are again with another opportunity to start off the year strong. I’m excited about it. The biggest difference that in this match where we met, Drew was injured and that was something that was difficult to deal with,” he said. “In this match, number one, Drew is not injured, and at this point, I’m a little peeved at the situation with Sheamus. I think there’s going to be less hesitation and a little more intention, especially with the goals that I have in mind for myself.
On dream opponents in WWE:
I think Brock Lesnar has to be at the top of the list based on the people,” he said. “Obviously, there’s been some inconclusive things with Brock and with Roman, and those are two things I know they want. For me, at some point, if I had my choice…Thanks to [Baron] Corbin, my number one is gone, which is Kurt Angle. If I could have a knockdown, drag-out battle with Cesaro, that is one thing that I want. There’s other guys. I’d be honored to battle it out with Shinsuke Nakamura, but I want the handcuffs off,” he revealed. “I know what these guys are capable of when they can cut loose. I want the battles that are top tier at all times. That’s just how I feel. That’s just what makes my engine go. I feel like when I came out of NXT and came here, the most exciting thing is that I hadn’t fought a majority of the guys on this roster. You can say, dude, that I just want to fight everybody that I haven’t fought. That includes legends, but I know not everyone is available. I’d love to step in the ring with any and everyone, that’s just my nature. Competition is just what makes my blood boil.
