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Butch Describes How Fatherhood Has Changed His Priorities

Butch is now a softie?

The former “Bruiserweight” has taken over the main roster since moving up to SmackDown earlier this year. Butch recently aligned with Sheamus and Ridge Holland, collectively the Brawling Brutes. In addition, he shied away from his Pete Dunne ring name. Besides the on-screen character change, Butch has since become a father in real life as well.

In speaking on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, Butch explained how fatherhood not only changed his on-screen approach, but his nature as a person as well. “Things changed on much of my life over the past few years,” he said. “Now I have a daughter who’s about to turn four years old. I have this life in Florida with this young family, so I’m changing as a person too.”

“When I first started doing the ‘Bruiserweight’ stuff and got brought into NXT, I had a chip on my shoulder. I probably was a bit more angry, a bit more moody. I probably didn’t come across that way a little bit more. But as I mature and get older and obviously raising a child, especially a little girl, it definitely softens you up. I think I’m probably quite a lot different to how I’m perceived on TV these days.”

Butch then confirmed he is a little bit of a “softie,” at least around the house.

“It’s harder to leave too now. Before my life was wrestling, and that changes a lot, too. Now I’m wrestling, but it’s for them to provide for them and give them the best life that I can,” he explained. “I’m grateful that I get to do that through the WWE and through wrestling. But yeah, I’m definitely a lot softer, at least in the home life than I used to be. You’ve got to embrace it. I love wrestling, and I always will, but being a dad is a million times better than that, right?

When asked about his favorite aspect of fatherhood, the former NXT UK Champion responded: “Just seeing her (his daughter) grow up and actually starting to get that personality.”

“I was just down there doing a workout in the house, and she’s in the garage gym with me doing the same thing, setting up little obstacles and stuff that she can jump off and starting to develop that bond even now where there’s a bit of a friendship coming on. Obviously, the past few years, raising a baby has its own challenges, but now she’s coming into her own and just seeing that personality develop and she’s making us laugh every day. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, but the whole experience has just been incredible.”

RELATED: Butch Reflects On His Name Change, Says He Has Come To Love Parts Of The Character

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