Interview: Eli Drake talks about Impact in India, Grand Championship aspirations, love for spicy food, and more
Eli Drake is hungry with his eyes on the Grand Championship, and he’s even hungrier for spicy Indian food! The Namer Of Dummies spoke to us about India, Impact in India, how he was scared for his life in Indian traffic, and so much more!
Sportskeeda: I'm with Impact Wrestling's own Eli Drake! How's it going, Eli? How's India treated you so far?
Eli Drake: Everything's been great, been loving it here so far. Let me tell you something, downstairs they have some delicious egg curry, wonderful. I love that, a little spice in my life.
SK: Is there any particular type of food you're looking forward to eating?
Eli: Well I've got to get my protein, you know. So a little chicken, who knows? You never know. It’s getting loud over here (Chelsea Green, Kongo Kong, Sienna and Kevin Matthews were shouting in the background).
SK: What are your thoughts on your maiden trip to India?
Eli: It’s the first time coming over here. The flight alone was so daunting. I had never had the feeling of being stuck in a can for 15 hours, but it’s cool. Once you get off the plane and see this world, it’s so different but yet so similar. It’s cool though, I really dig it. But it was really scary when we were on the bus. I swear we were about to get bumped a 100 different times. I don’t know how there aren’t 20 car pile-ups on these freeways!
SK: That’s a big welcome to India for you. It’s absolutely bonkers. The traffic is bizarre, the drivers can be even crazier, but somehow the accidents are not as frequent as you’d think they’d be. But you’ll have to get used to it because it’s a pretty crazy (but great) city.
Eli: It’s wild! I can see how populated it is.
SK: How much does being a grand champion mean to you? Do you feel like Moose is an undeserving champion?
Eli: You got to look at it this way when it comes to championships. When I came to Impact, it was a matter of cementing myself as one of the best. And to do that, I’ve got to collect gold: Grand Championships, World Championships and whatever I can get my hands on. As for Moose, he got a little too self important, he took himself a little too seriously.
*more screaming and noises in the background. Eli interjects and shouts back, saying that he’s talking*
- So then, what ended up happening was that this guy, he found himself in collateral damage. He got involved in something that had nothing to do with him and now he’s made it about him, so I guess if I need to take a title off him, I got no problem doing that.
SK: If someone is going to watch Impact for the first time in India and if they haven’t seen your body of work, what can they expect from Eli Drake?
Eli Drake: I’m going to tell you right now, you’re gonna see a guy who makes a whole lot of noise, you’re gonna see a guy who walks, who talks, who does everything. You’re talking about a guy who’s going to entertain you, you’re going to have quotes to go home with, you’re going to remember the things that I said, the things that I did.
Every week you might say “let me talk to ya”, you might say “that’s not an insult, that is just a fact of life”. You might talk about the undeniable Kavorka of Eli Drake, and as a matter of fact it’s that very kavorka, that animalistic lure, that magnetism that draws people in, and that’s exactly what’s going to be, when we’re in India or anywhere else in the world, and that’s what you’re going to get with E-L-I Drake! Yeah!
SK: Are you going to host “Fact Of Life” here in India?
Eli Drake: Now that’s a hell of an idea actually. A little India Fact Of Life. Who knows? It’s always a possibility!
SK: Do you have any parting words for Impact fans here in India?
*Noise continues in the background, with Kevin Matthews screaming about being asked stupid questions*
Eli Drake: *Laughing* Anyway, what I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted across the room...
*The noise once again distracts Eli*
Eli: I’ll tell you this, you got to get out, you got to see this. Mumbai, we’re about to take it over. Impact is about to go worldwide, India come on out and see us, I guarantee you. Don’t be a dummy, come out and see Impact, come out and see E-L-I Drake, and you’re going to see one hell of a show, and that’s just a fact of life!
SK: What are your plans for Slammiversary?
Eli: You know what? That’s still a ways away, but what I plan on doing here is having some spicy food and finding some spicy women! Yeah!
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