"He was playing my character" – Ex-WWE star says Madcap Moss has finally found the perfect gimmick (Exclusive)
Tino Sabbatelli recently opened up about Madcap Moss' WWE success and was glad to see his former partner develop a gimmick that fits him perfectly.
Sabbatelli appeared on Sportskeeda Wrestling's UnSKripted, where he spoke about his backstage relationship with Moss and how the SmackDown star has evolved in WWE.
Moss and Sabbatelli teamed up while working in NXT. Instead of having his own character, Moss unintentionally played his tag team partner's persona on TV, as Tino explained.
Sabbatteli said Madcap Moss didn't get a positive reaction from the crowd as he was least comfortable with his on-screen gimmick:
"I think he found his character now, which I'm excited about because when I kind of fell for him a little bit when Triple H teamed us up, he was kind of playing my character. He was playing the 'Tino' character, and I could tell like he wasn't in his comfortable suit," recalled Tino Sabbatelli. "I felt like some of the fans saw through it. He didn't really get the reaction he deserved. He didn't get the reaction he should have gotten in the ring as much because he was almost; he was trying to play Tino's character a little too much." (from 8:45 to 9:08)
Sabbatelli was lucky enough to live a lavish life as a former NFL player and noted that Madcap Moss didn't come from a similar background.
Sabbatelli detailed the significant traits of his character and how his career as a pro footballer influenced them. While Moss did play college football, he didn't experience the same lifestyle as his former NXT tag team partner:
Tino continued:
"When we teamed up, my character was, you know, the arrogant, rich, cocky, built like superman, you know, athlete from NFL," stated Tino. "I really have the money and girls. So it was like, I feel like I played that character really well because I lived it, right? I was lucky enough to live that lifestyle. He played college ball, but I don't think he ever knew what it was like to be in that area of life, that persona of life. It wasn't connecting." (from 9:42 to 10:24)
Tino Sabbatelli on how Madcap Moss is in real life
Madcap Moss has portrayed different personas since joining WWE in 2014 and is inarguably having the best run of his career on SmackDown.
Moss rose to prominence during his goofy angle with Baron Corbin, showcasing his comical side to the WWE Universe. Tino Sabbatelli noted that Moss was quite a cheerful and funny guy in real life and praised the superstar for his recent work in the company:
"And again, he did a great job of what they asked him to do, but I think the character he is playing now and even the character he played with Baron Corbin, the comedian, and the jokester. That's him," Sabbatelli added. "If you met him in person, you know, physically, he looks like a very intimidating guy, but he is actually a nice guy. He is funny. He likes to laugh. So, he played that character very, very well, if you ask me. I'm happy, man." (from 9:12 to 9:34)
Did you know that Tino Sabbatelli is dating a top WWE female star? Here's what he had to say about his relationship during Sportskeeda's weekly live Q&A session.
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