The Young Bucks recently spoke with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated; you can read a few highlights below:
The Young Bucks comment on succeeding in light of having their detractors:
“People said our careers were over when the ‘Too Sweet’ hand gesture was taken from us,” said Matt. “Now, it doesn’t even feel strange not doing it. People said we only knew how to work one style. Then we switched it up completely. People said Bullet Club had peaked for years now. Yet, here we are, as we continue to help it stay interesting and popular.”
“We’re not everyone’s cup of tea,” added Nick. “But as long as you know we work hard, that’s all I’m looking for from the critics.”
“Maybe it’s not just us trying to prove the doubters wrong, but maybe it’s us wanting to prove something to ourselves as artists,” continued Matt. “We’re never not thinking about the next phase. I hope fans continue to enjoy how we feel wrestling should be viewed in 2018.”
Success of Being The Elite:
“I always knew it was going to be big for us, but I’m not sure that I thought it would be this big,” said Nick. “Originally I just wanted it all to be shot like a documentary on a weekly basis, but Matt thought of adding storylines and I think that’s what has brought it to heights we didn’t know it would reach. It’s pretty awesome to see and I’m flattered anytime someone says they watch every week.”
“We’re very proud of the way everything is going down,” continued Matt. “This is the most hands-on we’ve ever been with a wrestling angle, so to see people are enjoying it is very rewarding. When we first started using Being The Elite to supplement storylines, it was just a little extra bonus reward for the fans who watched. Something fun to follow along with. Whereas now, it feels like some of the stuff we’ve included on recent episodes are actually must-see, if you’re trying to follow along. Actually, recently, our show has given more detailed content than you might not see from watching only ROH or New Japan.”
The Bucks say wrestling fans are ready for long-term stories and feuds instead of just having great matches:
“We do not have the luxury of having a three hour weekly cable show seen by millions,” said Matt. “But we do have a 12-15 minute weekly YouTube series, we have ROH TV, New Japan World, and we all have Twitter accounts. We’re going to try to get the most out of all of those things. We’re going to provide continuity with content that doesn’t insult our viewers.
“I think the success of our angles have proven that wrestling fans are ready for long-term, sophisticated, multi-layered storylines. The wrestling ring is only one of the canvases to paint on. Having a great wrestling match will only get you so far these days, because everyone is a phenomenal wrestler.
“Great matches have the shortest shelf life in history,” said Matt. “Now, you’ve got to have an interesting story, to be remembered. We need to be thinking more like HBO and Netflix and less like wrestling.”
