Paul London knows different. He's unlike anyone else in the wrestling world, and thinks Lucha Underground is the right fit for him.
When speaking to The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast recently, London said that he's excited to make a splash in Lucha Underground, but thinks the WWE's Cruiserweight Classic is an answer to the El Rey Show. Two Man Power Trip sent along these highlights, transcribed by Chad and John. You can hear the full podcast at this link.
His initial impressions of Lucha Underground:
“I'll be honest, when I first saw Lucha Underground I was living in Austin (Texas) at the time and that was in Season One. I don't own a television, I still don't so I was watching it on my friend’s television and I was really impressed with how different it was. You can't really categorize it and say oh, it is a wrestling show (but ) what you can say is it is episodic, what you can say is it is thrilling, what you can say is it is engaging, what you can say is it is intriguing, it is obviously unique, it is a completely different rainbow full of completely different colors that remain to be seen, So all of those aspects were completely intriguing to me. I think I really enjoyed and I do enjoy the emphasis they do put on each individual.”
Adding something different to their product
“As a performer you want to add to something, you don't want to take away from it. I was pretty burnt out on wrestling for a long time and in some ways I still am. Just on how boring it was, not Lucha Underground specifically but wrestling in general is just like looking at the same flipbook. No matter how slow or how fast you flip it; it is still the same images. When I started speaking with them and we started talking and having a mutual flirtation, I emphasized this and that is I am not into head dropping and I don't want to do anything that I've already done, I don't want to look how I've looked before and I don't want to do anything that people recognize. They asked if I wanted to keep my name and I said well it is my real name so we might as well use it. I'm not really into wearing masks (unless there is a female involved) and I'm not really interested in being a toy and they completely agreed which was music to my ears.”
Will LU bring out a new side of Paul London:
“Believe it or not I actually came on board at the beginning of Season 2 and there was some initial thought and discussion to come in as a performer in ring and I've since become very selective with dates and accepting bookings and as I mentioned I know what I can do and what I am capable of on one end and what I've already done. But what else can I do? What other muscles can I flex? These are all things that were mutual thoughts and it was why would I want to come to Lucha Underground and present something that was left over? Leftovers are good for a day or two and go bad real fast.”
His relationship with former tag team partner and friend Brian Kendrick:
“I haven't spoken to him in over a year. When you love something, as they say you let it go and if it was meant to be it will come back. That's all I really have to say about Brian. “
Is he familiar with the Cruiserweight Classic:
“I've heard about it and I've seen a few matches here and there and if you want my honest opinion on what it is all about? There timing is laughable because before then what other show would appear on a Wednesday night? What other show is on that Wednesday night (Lucha Underground) is an actual threat? They didn't specifically make a tournament of heavyweights on Wednesday night because heavyweight wrestling is boring and is limited. What are you going to watch Zeke or whatever against some muscle head and lets tune in Wednesday night for this sh*t. No. The fact that they created this cruiserweight whatever and decided to rape the independents of talent and dangle all of these carrots to these independent guys and (say) that you are part of the family now (not really) but we are going to use you so we can shine up our product in hopes that people choose us as the alternative on Wednesday nights because the truth is we don't have a leg to stand on and they don't.”
Seeing his long time friend Kevin Steen (Owens) win the WWE Universal Title and HHH’s involvement:
“The thing that really kind of disgusts me is Kevin Steen (Owens) who is one of my favorite people in the world and it really disgusts me is to see Triple H with his phony, fat smile draping all over Kevin Steen and saying that I believed in this guy all along. You know the body-builder, "the game" himself, Mr. Arnold Classic, Mr. Shredded is now super endorsing this non body-builder and who is kind of the anti-pro wrestler if you think about it (and from an attitude standpoint Kevin is amazing) but from that ideal WWE body that they valued and cherished for decades, he doesn't fit the mold and I love that about him because cookie-cutter is boring. But I just think that this Hunter feigning over him is bullsh*t. It is just that, I think it is bullish*t. I think Hunter just does that to keep himself relevant at these new guys expense. It is almost like he is trying to give himself a rub off of these guys and it disgusts me.”
