New Intercontinental Champion Ryback was recently the subject of a short interview on the WWE Tough Enough website, talking about his time on the fourth season of the show.
Ryback talks about Tough Enough helping him get into WWE, his experience on a reality show, and advice for the new cast. You can read a few excerpts below:
Ryback Talks Tough Enough:
Tough Enough was my introduction into the world of WWE. Looking back, I was 22 years old, just a guy who played baseball and football my entire life, and was a fan of WWE from the age of 5 years old. Going into Tough Enough and into a WWE ring, I thought I was prepared, and I found out I had no clue, essentially.
His experience on the show, competing on a ‘reality’ formatted show:
While I was on Tough Enough, I was being rushed around from one thing to another. You’re being pulled for interviews constantly. We were training for eight hours a day at Trax in Stamford, Conn. We’d do interviews before, interviews after. The first time you step into a WWE ring and you land on your head, your head is throbbing for days. Your body is aching. Stuff we get accustomed to doing night in and night out, when you first experience that, it’s something else.
What advice does he have for new contestants?
I’ve seen guys who spent their entire lives in the military, who are considered “tough guys,” quit after two days. I’ve seen guys come from a mixed martial arts background quit after just a few days. It takes a special mindset, and you have to have a love and a passion for WWE. As long as you respect it when you step in the ring, you’ll be all right. It’s the guys who don’t who fall off.
