Shane Taylor on Final Battle, Big Man Athleticism and Growing Up in Cleveland

Fred: We have a very special guest you may have seen in Ring of Honor Wrestling. He’s getting ready for the final pay-per-view of the year, Final Battle, taking place right here in New York City. We’re talking to Shane Taylor. Shane, how’s it going, man?

Shane Taylor: It’s going great, man. Thank you for having me.

Fred: We’re a New York-based show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and I’m assuming that since you’re from Cleveland, you’re a Cavs fan. This is Knicks and Nets territory, so it might be a little hostile for you, but your Cavs are doing pretty well right now.

Shane Taylor: We’re doing good. Being a Knicks or a Nets fan, you probably need some good news right now, so I’m able to lend my joy for the Cavs to you, free of charge. You’re welcome. And we don’t hate the Knicks. Back in the day, we didn’t like the Knicks, but that was just because they were beating us in the playoffs all the time.

Fred: One thing we have in common sports-wise is that none of our football teams are making the playoffs.

Shane Taylor: I don’t even know if the Browns are going to win a game, which is crazy. They were close against Green Bay, and I was hoping, but it’s the Browns, man.

Fred: On a lighter note, Final Battle is coming up in just 24 hours. Tell us a little about that.

Shane Taylor: Final Battle is Ring of Honor’s biggest show of the year, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, with tons of incredible matches. The main event, ROH World Champion Cody against Dalton Castle, promises to be one hell of a match. There’s Jay Lethal against Marty Scurll, and Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer against the Briscoes, along with mine, the four-way elimination match for the World Television Championship with myself, Silas Young, Punishment Martinez and, of course, the TV champion, Kenny King. I’m definitely looking forward to that.

Fred: We had Punishment Martinez on a few months back. You’re a pretty big dude yourself, but that guy’s got some hops for his size.

Shane Taylor: He’s one of the most agile big men in the business right now, and he uses that to his advantage. It’s a great weapon he brings to the table, and it’s one I’m preparing for and have seen firsthand. When you can scout beforehand and be in there with somebody, it gives you a better chance to prepare.

Fred: When I think of you and Punishment Martinez, I think of guys who break the mold of the typical big man in pro wrestling. Usually big guys are plodding and do power moves, but you guys are super athletic. It feels like a big man renaissance in wrestling right now. You’ve had the Undertaker and Kane, but now Braun Strowman has been killing it, and your old tag partner Keith Lee has been killing it on the indies. Why do you think there’s an abundance of big men who can work beyond the box the traditional big man was put in?

Shane Taylor: I think it’s a societal and cultural change. People’s attention spans are shorter nowadays, so you have to keep them on the edge of their seats and focused on you, and the best way to do that is with showcases of athleticism. Every sport evolves, and you have to adjust. Look at the evolution of basketball right now, with teams going small ball and centers and power forwards extending their game to shoot the three and stretch the floor. It’s not like back in the day, when you’d give it to your center with his back to the basket, Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon style. Same thing in wrestling. Guys now see that’s the standard. You have to be able to do those things to contend for these jobs and get noticed, so guys are putting that into their game plans because they know it’s necessary.

Fred: When you first started training, were you put in that box, or were you given the freedom to be you? A lot of trainers focus on the basics and fundamentals, which are obviously very important, but at some point you have to stand out.

Shane Taylor: I was given some of that advice. I was trained by Ray Rowe, a two-time IWGP tag team champ, who’ll be at Final Battle too, I think with War Machine against the Addiction. Because of my background in boxing and different things, and growing up where I grew up, a lot of what I was told was to just be myself: “You’ve lived enough of a life and you’re enough of a character yourself that that’s what you’re going to present to people.” Then I was taught how to protect my size and make the most of it.

Fred: For fans just discovering you, where did you get that athleticism and hone your craft? You mentioned boxing, and I understand you also have a football background.

Shane Taylor: I played football all through middle school, high school and college, and I wrestled in college as well. My athleticism is really genetics. I come from a very athletic family. All of my uncles were Golden Gloves boxers, and my dad was an All-Army boxer when he served, so it’s just something we did. Growing up on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, you had to learn how to fight at a very young age, or you weren’t going to make it. When you grow up in those situations, you have to grow up very fast, which can lead to a lot of anger and frustration, so I went into sports to relieve that. It definitely changed my life for the better.

Fred: Was pro wrestling always your ultimate goal, or did you fall into it after your athletic career was over?

Shane Taylor: Pro wrestling was something I always wanted to do but never really knew how to get into. Then you start playing football, wrestling and doing track and field and the whole nine. When I left college, I had a few choices. I could have trained for the Olympics or tried out for the NFL as a long snapper, which I could still do. I practice all the time, just in case. Or I could chase my dream of being a professional wrestler, and I’m glad I made this choice.

Fred: Who were some of your early influences?

Shane Taylor: Guys like Vader, Stan Hansen and of course the Undertaker. I’d see tapes of Bobo Brazil. I was never the guy with the six-pack. I’ve always been a big kid, so the guys I related to were the ones where I’d think, “He doesn’t have an 18-pack, but he’s a big dude who can hit hard and knock your block off. That I can do.” Those were my influences, and I still incorporate some of that into my move set and my strategy.

Fred: Was there anybody outside of wrestling, like a musician, rapper or actor, whose elements you took and made your own?

Shane Taylor: There are some guys I sample things from. I’m a huge fan of Mike Tyson and the way he carried himself. Not the things that got him in trouble, of course, but the intensity and how he approached a fight. One of his famous quotes is about being afraid walking to the ring. He’s afraid of his opponent, and he’s envisioned losing to this guy and this guy hurting him, but he’s still supremely confident in his own ability, and with each step to the ring, he becomes more and more confident. When he steps through the ropes, he’s a god, and no one can touch him. Having that faith and confidence in your abilities and being that strong-willed is something I draw from. Then there’s Floyd Mayweather, being the ultimate showman and still a master of your craft, and Roy Jones. Outside of combat sports, there’s DMX, one of the most underrated rappers in history, if not the most underrated, in my opinion. He has range in the things he says, does and is about. Whether other people understand it or not, that’s his lane, and he’s being the best he can possibly be.

Fred: I love DMX. Please tell me you’ve heard his “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Shane Taylor: Oh my God, but that’s exactly what I’m saying. There aren’t too many guys who can make “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” sound tough. Shoutout to Yonkers, by the way, since we’re going to be in New York. The guy can talk about the craziest stuff and then make you cry in the very next song talking about his grandmother, because you can relate to that. He’s one of the best for sure.

Fred: Off the air, we were talking about how you’re now living in the suburbs of Houston, and how surreal it is to go from where you grew up in Cleveland to having a steady pro wrestling gig, wrestling all over the country. How important is it for you to maintain that perspective and pass it along to kids growing up in places that aren’t so great, to give them hope?

Shane Taylor: That’s what I’m all about. Perspective is everything, man. Kids see so many things that lead them down a path of destruction that other people make money off of, and I’m just not about it. The cycle has to stop somewhere. Someone has to be the one to say, “I’m not going to let that continue to happen.” Every time I’m out there performing or get to go to a school and talk to kids, I use myself as the example: There are different options, different routes and different ways to carry yourself. You don’t have to believe the only thing you can be good at is the most destructive aspects of our culture. There are things you can do to elevate yourself and those around you and be a leader. I take that very seriously in any way I’m portrayed in the public eye or on TV, because I don’t just represent myself. I represent my family and a whole community of people who are looking to me to be that example.

Fred: You’ve led by example in and out of the ring, and in the ring you’ve had a pretty good year. You had a big match earlier this year with Hirooki Goto, a New Japan Pro-Wrestling veteran and multi-time champion who, as some younger fans may remember, had an awesome feud with Nakamura a couple of years back. What was it like mixing it up with Goto?

Shane Taylor: It was surreal, man. I’ve studied tape, and I know the reputation of all these guys. He’s one of the legends, and he’s done just about everything there is to do except one thing. To go in there, test myself against him, hold my own and prove to myself, to him, to the fans and to management that Shane Taylor is the real deal was very, very important to me. Honestly, I can’t wait for the rematch, if we can make that happen.

Fred: I understand you’ve worked for Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Booker T’s promotion. Booker T, a WWE Hall of Famer, was mentored by the late, great Paul Boesch, who spearheaded the whole Houston wrestling movement. What’s your evaluation of the Houston wrestling scene compared to Cleveland and what you’ve seen in New York?

Shane Taylor: I don’t get to wrestle in New York as much as I’d like to, but from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of great talent and a lot of guys who are hungry and ready to show the world what they’ve got. The only issue Texas has is that it’s such a large state that it becomes its own world when it comes to wrestling. A lot of things happen here that just don’t get seen outside of Texas, and that’s unfortunate for a lot of guys who have something to offer. Cleveland has produced some of the best talent ever. Look at the landscape right now of guys from Cleveland and the Ohio area and what they’re doing: Sami Callihan, myself, Chris Hero, Ray Rowe, Johnny Gargano, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz. You can go on and on about guys from Cleveland and Ohio who are just tearing it up, so we’ve got to be doing something right.

Fred: Is there something in the water there?

Shane Taylor: Maybe. They put stuff in the lake all the time, so I don’t know. We’ll see.

Fred: Loaded question, but since you’re from Cleveland: Is LeBron James going to leave next year?

Shane Taylor: That’s the million-dollar one. I can’t speak for other folks, but I feel like if LeBron wants to leave, nobody should stand in his way. He did everything he said he was going to do. He said he would bring us a championship, and he did. He didn’t say he’d bring us the ring and then stay the rest of his career. I hope he stays, first off, but if he decides to go, I hope he goes to a team like the Spurs, where he can finally have a Hall of Fame coach and talent around him, so he can chase the ghost of Jordan and get that fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh ring and people can finally end the debate about who’s the best player.

Fred: Well said. We’ve got a few rapid-fire questions. Who’s the funniest wrestler in the ROH locker room?

Shane Taylor: That’s a good one. You’re putting me on the spot. Maybe Dalton Castle. I’ll go with Dalton.

Fred: Other than yourself, who’s the most underrated wrestler on the roster?

Shane Taylor: Beer City Bruiser.

Fred: Who’s somebody under the radar, maybe someone you’ve wrestled or seen at an independent show, we should look out for in 2018?

Shane Taylor: Bill Collier. I believe he works for Maryland Championship Wrestling now, and he also works for Pro Wrestling Rampage in Erie, Pennsylvania, and a few other places. I’ve known him for years. He’s always been a stud, great in the ring and great on the mic, a big dude, jacked to the gills, and he could impress a lot of people if he had a bigger platform.

Fred: What’s your go-to album or song before a match?

Shane Taylor: It varies depending on the mood I want to be in, but typically it’s something from DMX, probably “Look Thru My Eyes,” because that’s kind of how I grew up: people hearing your name and wanting to come get a piece of you and test you, and having to prove yourself over and over again. Getting into that mindset brings it all back into focus for me.

Fred: What’s the worst or wackiest injury you’ve ever had?

Shane Taylor: Knock on wood, I’ve been very blessed to be injury-free throughout my 10 years of doing this, outside of a few sprains. I did slap the mat one time and bruise the tips of three of my fingers, and it was hard to make a fist. It was the most ridiculous thing ever, because the match was insanely physical, and nothing else got hurt except the tips of my fingers, because I slapped the mat like an idiot.

Fred: Have you always been Shane Taylor, or did you go through phases with some awkward gimmicks?

Shane Taylor: Of course. Everybody has that, especially when you first start, because you’re trying to find yourself. Some of the first ones I came up with were T-Bone and Jack Frost, and those weren’t me. They didn’t fit. Once I decided to be Shane Taylor and understood I was just presenting who I was with the volume turned up, it was very easy to make the character relatable and have people love me or hate me.

Fred: What are your goals for 2018 and beyond?

Shane Taylor: To dominate Ring of Honor and completely own everything. I’ve gone on record saying I’m very greedy when it comes to that, and I have a strong fire inside to prove people wrong and also to prove a lot of people right. Kevin Kelly tweeted that he believes I’m going to be the breakout star in Ring of Honor for 2018, and I told him I was going to make him look like Nostradamus, and I fully intend to win every championship and every accolade. One of my biggest goals is also to go to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and compete there, competing in Japan and with Ring of Honor and other places around the world. Long term, I want to use that platform to instill the hope we talked about earlier, maybe set up some sort of training center to help my community and maybe even retire back in Cleveland and bring it full circle.

Fred: That’s awesome, man, kicking ass in the ring and paying it forward out of the ring. Where can fans find you online, and where can we find you in the ring?

Shane Taylor: Twitter and Instagram at Shane216Taylor. You’ll be able to find me anywhere Ring of Honor is, as well as WildKat Sports in New Orleans, VIP Wrestling in Dallas and a few other places. Definitely check me out at Ring of Honor. Go to ROHWrestling.com. And this Friday night is Final Battle, with a 9 p.m. bell time, if I’m not mistaken. Check out the best wrestling on the planet.

Fred: And don’t forget to bump some DMX when you get your Shane Taylor T-shirt.

Shane Taylor: Oh, for sure. You have to.