"It was a life changing moment" - Reggie reveals how he rediscovered his love for wrestling
WWE Superstar Reggie has opened up about growing up as a wrestling fan and why he eventually took a break from watching the sport.
The former 24/7 Champion performed in Cirque du Soleil before signing with WWE. He was introduced as Carmella's sommelier and later embarked on a solo run as an in-ring performer.
The 28-year-old star is currently signed to Monday Night RAW and is involved in the 24/7 Title picture. During an interview with Metro, Reggie revealed that he had been a wrestling fan from his childhood, watching it with his uncle.
"I was a huge fan. I was a fan when I was very young. it was something my uncle and I did – we watched SmackDown, RAW, and it was a moment that we shared together. At that age, being a wrestling fan wasn’t cool, so I did it with my uncle. Unfortunately my uncle was shot and killed, and that’s when I stopped watching it. Fast forward 16 down the road, got back into it, had a tryout, and being part of it is incredible," said Reggie.
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Reggie recalls how he got into WWE
Reggie made his WWE in-ring debut on the January 22 episode of SmackDown this year, where he faced Sasha Banks. Interestingly, he was never performed on NXT TV like other aspiring superstars. Instead, he went straight to the main roster.
When he was in the circus, Reggie caught up with wrestling from time to time by watching YouTube. He got a chance to be in WWE during a talent exchange between Cirque de Soleil and Performance Centre.
When he stepped inside the WWE ring, Reggie decided to make WWE his "next adventure."
"I was in the circus for 16 years. I would occasionally watch it, but I was on the road so much that I would only catch YouTube clips and what not. But then I had a show in Orlando with Cirque du Soleil and they had an exchange with the Performance Center, NXT. I was a part of that exchange. First ever time stepping into a wrestling ring, I said, 'I am never gonna let this chance pass me by again. I’m gonna go full throttle into this. This is what I wanna do, this is my next adventure,'” said Reggie.
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His adventure has been moderately successful. Reggie is a two-time WWE 24/7 Champion. His first reign lasted 112 days, making him the longest-reigning Champion in the title's history.