Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with former WWE Superstar Brad Maddox on his time in WWE, his depature from the company, and more

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with former WWE Superstar Brad Maddox. Maddox made his debut on the main roster working with CM Punk and Paul Heyman and in addition to speaking about his recent departure from WWE, Maddox talks about his roles in the company, working with legends like The Under taker, his future after WWE and more.

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Otherwise, continue on and you can read the entire interview here!

Ring Rust Radio: The biggest topic of conversation for you recently has been your release from WWE. Will you explain why you were let go by the company and if there are any hard feelings regarding your departure?

Brad Maddox: Well at least I’m making news now. You guys know what it was all about at this point. I called the Indianapolis crowd pricks in the dark match of a SmackDown taping, which I didn’t consider inappropriate or a bad word knowing that it was a dark match. My job is to go out there and work up the crowd get them warmed up. You don’t have the rules you have while on TV. There I can talk to the crowd directly, make fun of their football or basketball team, tell them that they smell bad, and whatever you want to use to get them worked up. I just kind of threw that in there and was going to call them losers, but thought that was a little lame. So instead I called them pricks, and Vince did not take it as lightly as I did.

Ring Rust Radio: If WWE came back to you and said enough time has passed, would you be open to going back to them?

Brad Maddox: Depends on what I am doing. I am certainly not going to close any doors. I have enough experience in my 31 years to know you can never say never. We will see what happens, I have some other plans and things I am working on, but I am not opposed to it.

Ring Rust Radio: You debuted on the WWE main roster in a pretty high-profile spot getting involved with CM Punk as a referee in his world title match and then doing stuff with Paul Heyman and The Shield, but as a fan it didn’t seem like the payoff was everything it could have been. What was your expectation for how that angle was going to play out, and looking back, what do you think could have potentially been done better or differently?

Brad Maddox: I agree with you as far it could have led some where better than it did, but that is where I messed up early on. I wasn’t proactive enough. I didn’t go to Vince in those days or knock on his door; I didn’t go ask questions to the right people or ask where this is going or say, “Hey did you guys know that I can wrestle and came up through your developmental program?” I did all the things there that they said I had to do to get moved up and show that I am qualified. It was a lack of communication on my part with Vince and Hunter and the right people. It probably would have had a totally different impact instead of just sitting around and waiting on the writers to come hand me my script and assuming they had some grand plan for little old me. I can definitely say I could have been more proactive in those early days. I did love working with Paul and working with Vince in his office and working on promos in his office. It was a really cool experience.

Ring Rust Radio: WWE's creative team has been under fire not just from fans recently, but also former WWE legends. What was your experience like with the creative team and what are your thoughts of the creative process as a whole in WWE?

Brad Maddox: I mean, I got along with all those guys really well. It’s a matter that they have a lot of content to get through every week and have a lot story and a roster full of guys to write for. Obviously, I was in a pretty good spot, but I wasn’t one of the most important guys. They are focused on the main angles that are going to make money for the show and then of course everything has to be run through Vince, so there is a limited amount of time there. You can’t rely on someone else to handle your career for you. You have to go knock on Vince’s door and say “this is what I want to do” or “what do you think about this.” That’s where I should have taken care of business for myself. I am no John Cena and not making a ton of money for the company, so I am not going to be a priority upfront.

Ring Rust Radio: While everyone watched The Undertaker on The Tonight Show, starring Jimmy Fallon last month, it was your role as the turkey that really stole the show. How did you get the honor of working with Undertaker on national TV?

Brad Maddox: I knew the Undertaker was there, but I was a turkey on Thanksgiving, I felt that there is no higher honor. It was like, “Let’s book this turkey and see if we can get anyone to work with him.”  It was fun, and I might have been the only guy left in the states at that time since everyone was working the European tour. I don’t know why I was picked for it, but I had fun with it. I assumed at the time that it was going to be a full turkey mask. When I got there they showed me the outfit and I thought, “Where is the rest of it?” I guess everyone is going to know I am a turkey and that’s awesome. I did get to meet Jimmy Fallon and he let me know I had made it in show business. We were talking to their writers and to see what they were thinking about us. There wasn’t much for Taker and I to talk about. We pretty much walked around and just tried not to laugh about it. Then during rehearsal he said this is the part where he was going to tombstone me. I thought that yeah, this is the Undertaker, I’m sure he has done enough tombstones to where he doesn’t have to practice it and I was pretty sure I could trust him. I will say that I didn’t envision my first tombstone from the Undertaker being in that environment. If someone had told me nine years ago when I started wrestling that I was going to be tombstone by the Undertaker but it’s going to be on 30 Rock on late night television I wouldn’t have believed it.

Ring Rust Radio: You weren't given many opportunities to showcase your skills in the ring as a wrestler, but you were certainly able to generate a reaction from the crowd with your speaking skills and natural charisma. Do you think you would have excelled as a manager and why do you think WWE never tried to put you in that position?

Brad Maddox: I would never have stuck around to be a manger. I just wouldn’t have. I love wrestling and that’s why I started. I watched guys like Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho be entertaining in the ring and that’s what I wanted to do. If I had gotten pinned into that role, I wouldn’t have made it very long because I wouldn’t have been happy.

Ring Rust Radio: Now that the WWE chapter in your career is closed, at least for now, what are you hoping to accomplish in the wrestling business. Where do you see yourself going over the next year or more?

Brad Maddox: I plan onto diving into acting. I don’t want to say that’s a priority because I want to do both. I am excited to get back into working on a regular basis and getting into ring shape. Being in ring shape is so much different than being in regular shape, and you can’t accomplish that working a dark match once every two weeks. I have no idea where I am going wrestling yet, but I know I will do both. I am going to focus a lot more on acting now that I have the freedom to do that.

Exclusive interview with former WWE star and current TNA World Champion EC3, Ethan Carter the 3rd

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with former WWE star and current TNA World Champion, Ethan Carter the 3^rd – also known as EC3. Having won the title from Olympic gold medalist and wrestling legend Kurt Angle, EC3 has been a dominant force in TNA. EC3 defends his title against Drew Galloway in the main event of Bound for Glory and you can hear his opinion on his opponent, the current state of TNA as well as its future in the YouTube link below or continue past to read the entire interview here!

Ring Rust Radio: It was just announced that you will be defending the world title against Drew Galloway in the main event of Bound for Glory on October 4. How are you approaching a match of this magnitude and what does it mean to you to be main eventing the company’s biggest PPV?

Ethan Carter III: Well I just mentioned how my sports car is European, and that is the extent of how I like Europeans, is in my cars.  Professional wrestlers that are European I don’t care for.  Drew Galloway hails from Scotland, he is six foot 5, weighs 260, and is one of the toughest guys in wrestling. For me to have the chance to main event Bound for Glory with him is a huge opportunity and I couldn’t be more excited for it.  It is the biggest show of the year for TNA and I am the biggest thing in TNA, seeing it as I am the world heavyweight champion, I am unbendable, unbreakable, unbeatable, undefeated, and undisputed it only makes sense.  It’s only fitting that I main event Bound for Glory but it is still a great honor and responsibility to deliver.

Ring Rust Radio: Many fans felt yourself and Drew Galloway didn't get a fair shot in WWE, so heading into the Bound for Glory main event, so have you two spoken about the faith and support you've received from TNA to give you two the chance many feel you deserve?

ECIII: Yes, I would say that.  You caught me off guard with a serious question of that nature.  This has been an opportunity for us and we have proved our detractors wrong since we stepped foot in TNA.  It’s just another opportunity to exploit that chip on your shoulder that helps make you great in this business.  I think you need the angst and energy to motivate your performance.  Not that that would motivate me more than I was previously motivated, but it’s there and real and we are ready for that chance.

Ring Rust Radio: You still haven’t lost a televised singles match in TNA by pinfall or submission. Long undefeated streaks can lead to some backlash from fans from time to time, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for you as a heel, but how do you go about keeping things fresh and ensuring that the streak doesn’t become a detriment?

ECIII: Man, this is a championship caliber question!  There has not been a pinfall or submission on me since my debut with TNA as a singles wrestler.  It was kind of happenstance and also unique what we have going on.  As an antagonist, it’s a great boasting point for me to constantly refer to me as being undefeated while most of my wins come at dastardly deeds.  As far as a detriment, I could see that more so if I was being portrayed as an unconquerable world beater like a Bill Goldberg when he was undefeated.  As far as me, I think there is an opportunity for when that time does come; they must absolutely create a brand new star out of that.

Ring Rust Radio: During your run with TNA, you have worked against Kurt Angle, Bobby Lashley and some of the top talents in the business. Who have you enjoyed working with the most and how has the talent around you helped elevate your game?

ECIII: You mentioned three names that are pretty significant in the industry.  Kurt Angle definitely, that title match with him and being able to defeat him was a dream match come true to me.  One guy you didn’t mention is Matt Hardy.  Matt came over to TNA and he was the first credible challenger for my title.  He helped bring the best out of me in different way from working a full metal mayhem match to other natures.  Being able to be in the ring with those guys and TNA giving me the chance has helped in making me great.

Ring Rust Radio: I say it on this show all the time, but I consider you a top talent in the wrestling industry due to your mic skills and ability to generate heat. Why do you think WWE never gave you the proper chance to shine and what has TNA done to help you become a top star in the business?

ECIII: As far as what happened in the past, there is an old saying, “I heard from someone over there” and it is what it is.  Why didn’t I get the chance?  Maybe I did something wrong, maybe I didn’t hold up my end, or maybe I held in a little too much as opposed to being more who I am.  TNA has given me the opportunity to creatively express myself and the freedom to go out there and try something whether it fails or succeeds.  I’m the first one to know if I did something good or bad out there.  Having the ability to go out there and do that, coming to the back and it’s not something you’re being modest about. That’s where constructive criticism helps.  Basically I feel you get better in wrestling through having more confidence and TNA has done everything to give me great confidence by giving me a great opportunity and the best opponents.  Everything they have given to me has been so good, pure, pristine, and awesome to where if it didn’t succeed it would be because I suck, and clearly I don’t.

Ring Rust Radio: There’s been a lot written and said about TNA regarding its future, specifically with Destination America. As the world champion and top guy in the company right now, how do the rumors and speculation impact you, and what are your overall thoughts on them?

ECIII: They are just rumors and speculation, my only problem is when people portray those as facts.  I do not know our future besides Aunt Dixie telling me we are on Destination America through the end of the year, I have full confidence in the higher ups and the office and my sweet Aunt D that we will be well taken care of and somewhere on television.