Former WWE Superstar Jack Swagger recently did an interview with FloSlam where he discussed a number of topics, such as the support from fans, leaving WWE and more. Check out the highlights below:

On support from fans and coworkers, and starting over from scratch:

“I mean, in essence it’s almost like starting all over again,” Swagger said. “To get back your momentum, you have to reach all fans bases and it really did feel like starting again from scratch. But as of now, everything has been exactly what I had expected. A majority of the fans are glad to see me and I have been getting good receptions which I am happy with and it hasn’t deflated my ego.

“The hospitality I have received from every single roster I have been a part of has been amazing. This is a brand new side of things that I am learning and I am having to learn on my feet and it’s awesome. So many of the guys and girls have been so helpful at letting me pick their brains and every show has been so different.”

Jack reveals that the first person he reached out to was Matt Hardy:

“I have been fortunate to work with so many great guys and lot of them have come and gone,” Swagger said. “The first guy that I reached out to was Matt Hardy because I started at WWE with him and we had some great storylines including the ECW one. We became great friends. I also called Konnan and Rey Mysterio who were beyond helpful to me.”

On how it is to work outside of the WWE:

“Being able to work with my wife is one of the main pros and one of the factors why I wanted to leave. It can be a very lonely business at times so it’s nice to be able to be with her and travel with her and also she is one hot momma.

I also like working the smaller shows because they are much more intimate and intense and you can feel that. Everyone is on top of each other and that’s awesome. You can interact with the same so much easier and do stuff right in front of their faces and I enjoy that side of it. I also like the challenge of learning the style of wrestling for these shows and being able to make it my own. I think the only downside to being an independent wrestler that I have noticed so far is making sure you stay healthy. Like I am out there Friday to Sunday and you have to go out there and put on a hell of a match each and every time.

It is definitely a great bonus to be home more and was a big reason to consider when I left,” he said. “On the flip side, now that you are home more you still have to make a living. But my son just turned six and is real big into Disney and we were lucky enough to go there last week. He is big on the entertainment side of things and he can cut promo’s and knows how to stand and all that stuff. My daughter is two and a half and she is just super freakishly strong. Both of them are great swimmers so I love taking them swimming.”

Jack has some advice to others who are looking to work outside the WWE:

“You just have to remember that when you are with the WWE, it is a corporate job so you have certain benefits you need to get in line before you lose them. It’s real important to get stuff like your mortgage and insurance in check before you decide to leave. Stuff like that becomes very difficult when you become an independent star.”

You can check out the interview here.

The post Jack Swagger Reveals Who He Reached Out To After WWE Departure appeared first on Wrestling News & WWE News, Rumors & Spoilers.

Photo: Twitter

Candice LeRae Talks Wrestling

In a recent appearance on Ring Rust Radio, Candice LeRae talked all things wrestling. One thing she addressed was misogynist fans and how she deals with the negativity she sometimes faces from rude fans.

I kind of have a different mindset I think than some people do because my own tag-team partner [Joey Ryan] is one of the people that is first in line to speak out against such actions. I tend to try to ignore people because I feel like I’d rather focus on the positives than the negatives. I feel as though if we shed light on that individual or those individuals they’re getting what they want. People just want some kind of reaction or they want some kind a spotlight on them and I just don’t care to give that to them. I do think that it’s ridiculous that it still exists. It’s kind of what I tell Joey all the time because he gets really revved up over it and it really bothers him. I just tell him, “You know what? At one point in life people thought man was never going to be able to fly and that the world was flat so let them just keep believing what they want and let’s just keep doing what we’re doing and focus on the good not the bad.” People are so stubborn that you telling them to change their perspective is not going to fix anything. They’re going to keep on believing what they want and no matter what we say or do it’s not going to change their opinion. They may see it as fact, but it’s an opinion and let them have it. I don’t need them to tell me that I’m wrong. I won’t tell them they’re wrong and they won’t tell me I’m wrong.

She also talked about whether she wants to work full-time in WWE in the future.

I would love to end up there. I’ve turned down other opportunities just in hopes of the opportunity to come to the WWE someday. Obviously, my dream has always been to wrestle for WWE and have a full-time contract there so I kind of felt if I was going to go anywhere else or do anything else I was cheating myself out of my lifelong dream. It is still to this day my ultimate goal so I’m being very hopeful and taking it day by day and crossing my fingers.

Jack Swagger On WWE’s Going Head To Head With Indies

Former WWE star Jack Swagger took to social media to address WWE’s practice of running head-to-head with indie promotions and some of their bigger yearly shows (how WWE will announce special cards or shows or big non-televised matches for their shows in the same area as the indie events). He’s using the hashtag #StandUp4TheIndies to try to spread his message, which is (in part):

But What is even more possible is WWE saw the card for The Wrestling Revolver and said, “Oh sh*t! That’s a great roster! This is going to be a big show! Indies are hot! We should get some of that! We should try and sign all the indie talent to our brand! So they can’t compete with us!” I am not here to talk sh*t but I’m sorry I am taking this personally. To me this is a slap in the face. Typical WWE saying they are a bigger company and they can come into your market and push you around and run a show whenever they like. You want to compete? Fine. Real wrestling fans, indie fans, it is time to stand up for independent wrestling.

#Standup4theIndies … pic.twitter.com/rSP6KiMEed

— You Dont Know Jack (@RealJackSwagger) October 19, 2017

…cont. #Standup4theIndies pic.twitter.com/OEtTzXTdEG

— You Dont Know Jack (@RealJackSwagger) October 19, 2017

The post Candice LeRae Talks Misogynist Fans & WWE; Jack Swagger On Supporting The Indies appeared first on TopRopePress.com – Wrestling News, WWE News, TNA News, Wrestling Results.

“It’s still kind of an ongoing process right now,” Swagger told host Chael Sonnen Wednesday. “Basically, it came down to contract negotiations, and we were way off. They didn’t value me at what I thought I was valued at.”

The two-time WWE Champion said it came down to a “business decision.”

He added, “They weren’t giving me the opportunity to make the full amount of income I could for my family, so when you put it like that — it’s time to go.”

Swagger admitted it was “very frustrating” to perform every night and “entertain these fans” and not get the salary he wanted.

“We want to know we’re working towards something,” he explained.
Swagger has only left WWE but not pro-wrestling. He will be there as a free agent and work for other promotions in UK, Mexico and Japan. Also MMA is on his mind.