PJ Black Says Rey Mysterio Paid Him an Amazing Compliment
Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio
Guest: PJ Black
Date: 07/25/18
Your Host: James Walsh
Lucha Underground’s “Darewolf” PJ Black, FKA WWE’s Justin Gabriel, joined us live from the San Diego Comic Con recently to discuss his recovery from his horrific accident last year that saw him with a compound fracture of his leg and minus a digit on his hand. PJ discusses his long road to recovery from his injuries, stepping back into the ring, and Lucha Underground Season 4!
“Oh, bro. It has literally been the hardest year of my life. I was out the whole year. Six months in the hospital… I had to re-learn how to walk. It was literally the toughest year of my life. But, this year has been the msot rewarding year of my life! I’m back to 100%! I don’t think I’ll ever be back to a full range of motion in my leg but that hasn’t stopped me from doing anything. But, right now, I’m great! I’m super happy to be alive. I’m super happy to be working! I’m super happy for the new season of Lucha Underground to be airing!”
On getting the call that Season 4 was happening:
“Dude, it was amazing. Especially because I was like 80 to 90% at the time. I twas like, “Yes! Perfect timing!” But, it also made me work even harder in the gym and in the ring physically, mentally, and emotionally in a way to get me to where I am now. It kind of was a blessing in disguise. It knocked me out for a year, it sucks to get injured. But, I read a lot of books. I studied a lot of guys that I grew up watching. Like I said, it was a blessing in disguise. Everything does happen for a reason! If that didn’t happen to me, I wouldn’t be the person that I am right now.”
On if he’s taken any “Darewolf” risks since the injury:
“Of course. I went skydiving a couple of months ago. I haven’t done anything really that crazy like I used to. I’m more calculated. But, I’m definitely 100% back to my old self!”
On the best matches of his Lucha Underground run:
“The match against Rey Mysterio. Obviously, that was like a dream come true. I was like a little kid again! I was wrestling Rey Mysterio but I was being a fan as well because he was doing stuff that he hasn’t done in years – All the stuff off the top rope, the stuff to the floor, the tint-a-whirl-ranas, the DDT’s… All that stuff. That’s the Rey Mysterio I knew. He wasn’t doing that stuff for years. I was the transition back into that. After the match, he came to me and said, “Man, thanks for making me feel like a kid again!” That made me feel AMAZING, by the way! And look at him now, he’s doing the best work of his life, he’s in phenomenal shape, he’s got his cofidence back… That’s a big thing and that’s where I’m at too. I’ve got my confidence back.”
On his critically praised match with “Prince Puma” Ricochet:
“Then there was the Ricochet match which I loved. That is one of my favorites…. I mean Prince Puma, I’m sorry! (laughs) I guess that match went too long because they actually cut 5 or 6 minutes out of that match. I wish there was an unedited version of that match because we actually told a little different story there which never made it to TV. Hey, that’s what happens when it is a recorded show, right? It was still a great match, one of my favorites.”
On Impact airing GFW Amped last year:
“Yeah, it was cool! It was dope! I was on like 2 or 3 TV shows at the same time! There’s still a lot of that stuff that they (Impact) didn’t air. A lot of that stuff got lost in translation, some guys couldn’t be seen on TV for political reasons. I’m just glad people got to see some of the stuff that we did and the stories that we got to tell.”
On if we’ll see PJ Black on other televised wrestling than Lucha Underground:
“Yes! I’m working on a bunch of stuff right now. I cannot say too much because nothing is set in stone yet. There’s so many different territories… I feel like this is the era of “Cyber Territories”. Im going to claim that, by the way! (laughs) It is cool because you can see all these guys pop up in MLW, Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground, and DEFY… A lot of cyber territories! I think it is great. I love it. It is a great time to be a wrestler but also an even better time to be a fan right now.”
On his future plans for Lucha Underground Season 4:
“Definitely a lot of interesting matches and a lot of character development. At the end of the day, I did not do as much as I wanted to because they (Lucha) still felt that I was injured and I had to prove to them that I wasn’t injured. No one thought I was going to come back from this injury and I feel like I’ve come back better than ever from it. So, I had something to prove. But, not only that, the evolution of the character… It is a completely different look, a completely different wrestling style, a completely different style. And, next season, it is going to be even better!”