Like many performers, Gallows had some growing pains.
Originally portraying a fake Kane, then Festus, eventually "Luke Gallows" emerged. In recent years, Gallows claimed that he didn't think Vince McMahon even remembered that he was Festus. But did he ever find out?
"So, that was—this is a funny thing to say—but, we always had a good relationship with Mark Carrano. I just remember we were in Gorilla on time and he was ribbing us before we went out, he goes, ‘I’m gonna tell Vince you’re Festus and he’s gonna fire you again.’ I was like, ‘Thanks, dick.’ But, I would assume he didn’t know and I don’t think that he ever probably did ‘cause why would he? At the time he knew that Festus turned into Luke Gallows, but I don’t think he remembered that seven / eight years later. Why would he? So many people come and go through there. It was a shame (Straight Edge Society) ended in the fashion that it did. I thought that had a lot of legs, too. But, Festus, I always get asked, ‘Were you embarrassed?’ Well, I mean, of course I wanted to be a long haired wrestler with a sweet robe on. But, you’re also 23 years old and buying a house ‘cause you get to play this wrestler character on TV. I wasn’t embarrassed by it. I was glad I was getting to do something, you know?"
Serena Deeb was another part of the Straight Edge Society, and another person, like Gallows, cut from WWE in 2020. However, she found her footing in All Elite Wrestling after taking several years off of in-ring work.
"I’m proud of her, too, man. She’s doing great. It’s crazy because she was a talented wrestler then when we did Straight Edge and just kinda got lost in the shuffles because she was the girl with her head shaved and all that. But, she could always go. I first saw her in OVW whenever we’d gotten called up to do Jesse and Festus and they moved everybody to Florida that wasn’t getting called up to TV. So, we got to go to OVW and that was the first time I got to see her. She was leading all the girls then. Working with them, putting time in in the longer matches and stuff and teaching them in the ring in front of the audience and stuff. She’s always been highly talented. So, I think it’s cool that she has an opportunity to showcase it now on TNT. It’s great," said Gallows.
You can see Gallows every Thursday night on AXS TV's IMPACT Wrestling, and hear him on Talk'N Shop.
