Diamond Dallas Page discusses WWE, AEW, Chris Jericho, MJF, Drew McIntyre, Big Cass & more (Exclusive)
On the latest episode of Dropkick DiSKussions, I had the pleasure of catching up with the very first ever wrestler I got the opportunity to interview, and a man who knows all about both going to "war" with WWE and being a part of the company - WCW legend and WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.
DDP has recently appeared on AEW and, of course, has a very close relationship with Cody Rhodes. We spoke to the former WCW Heavyweight Champion all about how AEW Dynamite has been doing in his opinion, and revealed how he believes Vince McMahon's XFL resurgence is comparable to that of All Elite Wrestling!
You can watch the entire video below, or continue reading for the full article.
Last time we spoke, a year and a bit ago, one of the main takeaways that I took from our conversation was you mentioning Drew McIntyre being the next big thing. For me, he's one of the best talents in the world but just hasn't quite managed to reach the Universal or WWE Championship just yet.
Do you still think he's the next big thing and, if so, how far away do you think it is before he is the top guy?
I think that he still is. I think they just have to let him be himself, you know? With WWE, it's a lot of stories. Guys have different stories that they have to live out. Like, I never saw him as a psychopath. Do you know what I mean? A warrior? Okay, but psychopath? I never saw that.
You know, so, I think that, in the big picture, they've just got to let him be himself, and sometimes it takes time.
Look at Stone Cold Steve Austin. When he came in, when he was the Ringmaster, and he was working with Ted DiBiase, he was the same wrestler. He just wasn't the same guy. They had to let Steve be Steve, and eventually they did. And we know what happened.
The reason I ask that, I have to thank you for sharing a Sportskeeda article recently about MJF, a man with the world in his hands right now and a man you've worked with very, very closely.
What's your opinion on his journey so far and the potential he has?
Well, it's funny you say that because he's my pick for the hottest up-and-coming guy in 2020. You know, I think that he's got a lot of natural ability. You can tell he loves being a heel but there is going to come a time - and when he went out there to save Cody out there, it lit the place up, and the crowd popped bigger than they have for anybody.
Being able to do the moves and the high spots, and the big oohs and ahhs, that's definitely what wrestling is about today but who can grab and captivate the people by their charisma? A la Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Steve Austin, the Rock... DDP! You know, whatever, to grab the people and make them react. That's what MJF has.
He's just another guy that I put under my wing a little bit because when I see someone who wants it as bad as he does, but is willing to put the work in. That's the part that's pivotal to me.
He'll do an interview or something and he'll go, "What did you think?" I will tell him and he'll go, "What did you really think?" He really wants to know!
He just, a lot of it is just natural ability. He grew up in... There was a video on YouTube of him on the Rosie O'Donnell show. He's five years old, and he does what he calls opera. He's five. He says on the show with Rosie, "I'm going to be an opera singer when I grow up and a wrestler." I mean, that's the vision. Again, he gets it.
Couldn't say enough good things about the kid. As long as he can keep his feet on the ground as he's reaching for the stars, the world is his oyster, literally. As long as he can do that. You know, never believe your own hype because that p****s people off.
NEXT: DDP speaks about Chris Jericho!
COMING UP: Will DDP be appearing in WWE or AEW any time soon?