Former WWE superstar Scott Garland (Scotty 2 Hotty) recently appeared on Wrestling With Johners podcast to discuss his signature maneuver, The Worm. Garland explains how the move became so popular with the WWE Universe, and how its existence was due to an accident. Highlights from the interview are below.
Says him doing the move sort of became an accident:
“It was an accident, first time I did it was grade school — 4th or 5th grade — something we used to do. We’d breakdance at recess and try to do ‘the worm,’ try to do ‘the moonwalk,’ try to do ‘the backspin,’ and then years later I could do ‘the worm. I would do it during our entrance or during a match, I’d do ‘the worm’ and have a guy drop an elbow on me and I’d roll out of the way. I never did it on television but I was doing it, and I was starting to get a reaction. Every time I did it I got some kind of reaction. I just didn’t know what it would be and how big it would become.”
How the WWE Universe is responsible for getting the move over:
“I always say it’s not what I did that made ‘the worm’ as big as it was, it was what the crowd did. It was the crowd going ‘W-O-R-M’ and all of the stuff that goes along with it. That’s what made it fun. It wasn’t what I did. If it was just me hitting the ropes and worming across, it would’ve been a flash in the pan. I’ve never been the Austins or the Rocks. I mean we were climbing pretty high but to be 22 years later and there’s these [rappers like Migos and others] putting it in their songs is pretty cool. It’s mindblowing honestly.”
(H/T and transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)