Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Tino Sabbatelli On Mandy Rose, AEW & His Untapped Potential in WWE

Episode Date: May 3, 2022

Sabby Piscitelli (@sabatinop24) is a professional wrestler known for his time in WWE & NXT as Tino Sabbatelli. He also played 6 seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about behind released from WWE during 2020 then re-hired then released again, what Triple H told him about his character, the praise he received from the late Scott Hall, the match he had on AEW Dark, the rumors that he leaked AEW spoilers, how he made the transition from the NFL to being signed by WWE, being part of a tag team with Riddick Moss, how he met his girlfriend Mandy Rose, what his workout routine looks like and much more! For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet CVV CLIPS: youtube.com/CVVCLIPS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Blurley. Here we go, my friends. Welcome back to another audio adventure here on Insight. I'm CVV, Chris Van Vle. Thank you so much for being with us on this episode, whether it's your first time here or whether you listen to every single episode.

Either way, I appreciate you. Although, if it is your first time here, I hope it's the first of many. Hit subscribe right now. follow wherever you're listening to this right now. I can't tell you how much that actually does help. And I know it's so simple, but please hit follow or subscribe if you haven't done that yet. You know, you take one look at Tino Sabatelli and the guy has star written all over him. Six foot four, an absolutely shredded 240 and a former NFL player. It seems like he ticks the boxes

of everything that WWE is looking for, but he just never really got a shot in WWE. for various reasons that we get into during this conversation. Actually, we get into a lot during this conversation, being signed to WWE from the NFL, being released from WW, being re-signed to WW. Oh, going to AEW in between there, and those rumors that he was leaking AEW spoilers. We talk about it all.

Hey, check him out on social media, on Instagram and Twitter. He's at Sabatino P-24. or if you're not following me at Chris Van Fleet, and take a screenshot right now. Let us know that you're listening to this episode and tag us so we can share it as well. Our fan of the week is Mr. Alfred Frammy.

He says, love, love, love. Such an amazing podcast. This has changed my life in so many ways. Wow. There's a heart emoji there as well. Mr. Alfred Frammy. Thank you so much. I read one review from Apple Podcasts on every single episode.

So if you haven't left one yet, go in there, leave a few words, leave a few emojis like the heart emoji here. And we'll shout you out on the show for free. And if you have left a review, go in there, type a few new words or take out a few words. It'll refresh it and move it to the top. So if you already got shouted out and want another one or you didn't get shouted out for whatever reason, go in there and pop it up to the top there. Spotify, people, if you're listening to you. on Spotify right now, they now have ratings. So go in there, leave a rating,

and it'd be so appreciated if you could do that. 660 ratings. I think that's what we have right now. Not bad, because they just released ratings, I think, for the first time. Like, they didn't have them. They just started them like four months ago. So, man, you guys are awesome.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for you. This isn't about me, though. Okay, let's get to our guests. Let's dive right into this. Please welcome Sabby Piscatelli, a.k.a. Tino Sabatelli. Thank you so much for joining me. Absolutely, man. It's a privilege, and I'm blessed, and I'm grateful that you have me on your show.

And like I said, I follow your Instagram, I see your YouTube, and congratulations with all your success and what you've been through. And I enjoy every interview you do, man. Well, I appreciate that, and I'm a big fan of yours. I remember seeing you on Breaking Ground years ago. I've always been attracted to the wrestlers who were just, like, stupidly jacked. I put you in that category of being stupidly jacked. And I remember seeing you on there and being like, yep, that guy. I remember that show.

That was a good show. I was excited to be on that. That was interesting show. But yeah, the jacked part, man, I just started to stay in good shape, man. It's kind of been my family. I think what you're in is better than just good shape. Yeah, I try. You know, I try.

So you've already been to the gym today? Oh, absolutely, man. I actually just built a brand new gym. in my garage and I absolutely love it. I finally got my dream home about six months ago, so I figured I put a nice little gym in there and that garage goes up every day, 8 o'clock. And for me, it's therapy. It's routine.

I need to really start my day with that and if I don't, my whole day feels off. For me, it's my balance in life. People still ask me today, you know, why are you still working outside? Why are you still look like this? For me, it's just like a lifestyle, right? I've had the privilege to be right. One of my closest friends and best friends, I've had a privilege and a mentor is Ray Lewis. And for me, it's like he really instilled that in me, that a lifestyle is what drives you in

every day. You know, you can't just turn on and off that switch and success, right? So for me, going to that gym, hour, hour 15 is just, I shut the world off. I had my music in. And it's how I start my day. And that's every day, seven days a week? Five days a week. Monday through Friday.

And then sometimes Saturday, Sunday, I'll do a cardio. But I'm big on like, I have an infrared sauna. I have a hot tub and a cold plunge in my house. So for me, all three of those necessities, probably three or four times a week. So in the weekends, I'll do like a nice sauna session, maybe some core. But I don't lift no weights on the weekend. I'm a big believer. If you train really hard Monday through Friday, you need those two days to recover, rest and kind of get your body back underneath you.

Yeah. Has this always been the way that you are? Or was this something at the NFL like instilled in you? No, you know what? Funny story. My dad used to make me do push-ups and sit-ups every night before I went to sleep. And you're how old at this point? Four, three, four.

And the funny thing was, some nights I would, like, not say your night to him. Like, I brushed my teeth and maybe jump in the bedhouse tired. And he'd literally knock on my door, but you didn't say, your night to me. And he's like, oh, give me to get that. I'm going to be 20 real quick. So it's just I started to fall in love with the with the with the with the grind. I started to fall in love with the results, the challenges. And for me, ever since I can remember, I mean, I want to be a professional athlete.

I love sports. I love competing. I remember I was about three or four, I think five years old. I had a friend who was about five years older than me in the neighborhood. And I would ask him every day to race. And every day he beat me. Every day. Because he was like six years older than me.

And finally to the one day I beat him. And I just realized right there and then I just always wanted competition. So for me, I just fell in love with the grind, the challenge, and just becoming a better version of myself. I know the rock said that, you know, you versus you. I'm a big advocate on all. I really believe it's don't go on Instagram. Don't compare yourself, anybody else.

Just be a better version of yourself yesterday. And to me, that's a constant wheel in motion, right? Because you're never really, you're never going to be better than yourself than you were, you know, but you always continue to try to be better, right? So for me, it's like a challenge. I'm so curious then. I mean, you grow up, you're playing sports. You get the amazing opportunity to play in the NFL.

Then you go to WWE. So it's all this competition. What are you doing now? You know, that's a great question. So, Chris, I'll tell you something. 20 years, I've been chasing it. 20 years. I left home at 18 years old,

went to Oregon State to chase the NFL tree. I was privileged. get drafted in the second round through Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then that was over a six-year journey. I get approached by WW. Then I got to live in Orlando for five years. So long story short, for 20 years, I left home and I was chasing the drink, chasing the money, chasing the competition, chasing everything. Finally, after 20 years, I moved back home to South Florida. I got my dream home and I'm just living day by day. Really, I am. I had investments. I have some businesses. the biggest key I preach when I was in the NFL, I live under my means.

You know, whatever you make, just try to live under your means. And you'll never have to be financially worried. So I have the privilege now at this part of my life to just honestly like enjoy life a little bit. I golf a lot. I train a lot. I do some business advocates. But for me, I just wanted to take a year to myself, to be honest with you. As weird as that sounds, it's just 20 years.

I mean, 18 years old, I just turned 38 and I bought my dream home back home. And for me, I've had a few properties in my day, but I never had a home, right? So now that I got a home base, I'm back home close to my family, close to my friends, back where I grew up at. So for me, I'm just enjoying a moment, taking the day by day to be honest with you. I've just heard a lot of athletes and a lot of musicians say that the most addictive drug is that that crowd reaction, right? And you have for 20 plus years, you probably had it since you were five years old, you know?

Absolutely. But like when that's not there as part of your job, what replaces it? You know what's funny you say that? I'm starting to get to it again a little bit, to be honest with you, like what my next challenge is going to be. And, you know, Mandy and I talk about it all the time. And I told Mandy that I was taking a, you know, take a year to myself after the whole, you know, because when we get into the story later about WW, you'll kind of realize after

I, you know, I wanted a year to myself. But I have it. You know, and for me, the answer to that question. question right now is golf. I know this funny sounds funny, but I'm obsessed with getting good at golf and I'm obsessed with challenging myself to be better because, you know, pro athletes have that obsessive personality, right? So if you have nowhere to put it, that's where like depression sets in, anxiety sets in. So you have to be able to compartmentalize that and put it somewhere. And then he makes a joke because I'm golfing three, four days a week and she's laughing at me.

She's like, no, but it kind of keeps me stimulating a little bit, right? So it's just for the moment. It's just in life. I know something. I'm excited for the next journey. Whatever comes next, I will attack it the same way. I attack the NFL, WWB, college football.

So, but yeah, to answer your question, it's just coming back a little bit. WrestleMania kind of hit me differently, to be honest with you. When I was watching Mandy, I was so happy. I'm her biggest fan, man. I'm really, I'm Mandy Rose's biggest fan. I'm so excited for her success. She's doing so well.

She's the champion. But when I watched WrestleMania, that was like, The first weekend we're like, I just had to like kind of go for a walk, go for a little run, you know, because it was just like, I know, I'm so competitive. And I know the character Tino had so much to bring to the table. And I know he was in his prime. And I'm just still a little bit, you know, like, it's just, it's like I know. Tino could have been on that on that stage in WrestleMania on the highest in the main event. And I truly believe that.

And that's why I stuck with it for so long. So that was, it came back up at the WrestleMania. after you're asking. So it did come. I mean, you were so close, right? With everything you were doing, and we'll get into this some more, but I feel like that must be difficult, especially when Mandy's just absolutely crushing it. And you're like, I want to be doing that too.

Well, absolutely. And you know what? Honestly, you're right. I do. But at the end of the day, I mean, I do think, obviously we could have been an incredible power couple in the industry. We could have done a lot of things maybe together. But that being said, I really am truly so happy for. I'm our biggest fan. I wish anybody success.

I wish everybody's success, right? And I try to help everybody become successful because I think that's what true success is. You help others become successful. So for me, it's like I love watching Mandy on the journey. I try to help her through the ins and outs of it financially, professionally. So that being said, but yeah, it's, um, I, uh, I try to be in a humble way, but yeah, it's, um, it's tough.

It's tough because, uh, it, you know, what teams, brought to the table I'm not sure if WWs ever seen it and I mean that in a humbling way so the stars were lined up and we can get deep into it I would love to tell some of my story because people don't know people they don't know what happened where I went and then I'm the only person they brought back so it's it's deep it's deep but uh yeah I see I see for sure I mean let's get into it where does that story do you think where does it begin oh you still got me I can hear you hold on I cut you off hold on oh the blue has died in his earphones.

No, I think I push my button. Let me see if I get this. There you go. Gotcha. All right. Gotcha. We're going to keep that in, too. For you, where do you think that that story begins then?

Well, let's go back to the beginning. Let's talk. Let's talk about the beginning. Let's put it on the table. The very beginning with WWU or the very, very beginning with football. No, WWE. Let's go with WWE. Let's go with WWE.

First off, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity because I was going through a transitional phase in my life. You know, I played six years in the NFL. I was very grateful, but I was very bitter because I was in my prime. I went through a couple of things. I didn't agree with. I never been cut. My kind of career ended like that. Like I literally started my last game, my national TV, had like eight tackles, had a hell of a game, and then never played again.

And it was a mental struggle for a year, let's say. So that being said, WWW came along. Canyon Seaman was the first person to call me. And he offered me the opportunity. And I was like, really? I was like, you know, I was a casual fan. I mean, I was a casual fan. I was so cold, the rock.

That wasn't a diehard. But I was a casual fan. So he offered me this opportunity. And they actually flew me out to Orlando. And I did a little tryout with them. And they offered me an opportunity. So I thought about, I thought about three months. And I said, you know what?

It would be an honor. I was extremely, I was extremely honored. It was a privilege to be another professional athlete, a whole different industry. So I took it. I humbled my. myself, I moved to Orlando. I started from the bottom. And the tough thing about that is, you suck, right? You're not good at something when you start something new. Right. You've just come from being one of the best football players in the world. Very few people make it to the

NFL. So that's, that's where it's struggling. You know, I was playing in front of 80,000 people, right? My, my, my, I had the banner on the stadium. My jersey was a number two seller in 2009, of a Tampa Bay hit. So I went from playing for an 80,000 to go into the PC and setting up rings in front of 100 people. And by the way, and I don't know if everybody talks about this, you go from being a millionaire, like making millions, to now making, you know, 50 grand or something. There's nothing wrong with making 50 grand, but what an adjustment. So I'm glad you said that because that's where I had to really, again, I mean, it's in a humbling way. I was extremely grateful. But I really had to humble myself because like you said, I was all in.

I bought I was all in. I told Triple H. I had a meeting with Triple H. And I said, I'm all in. And I knew I had to start at the bottom. So again, I humbled myself. I went to the PC. Whatever they asked me to do, I did.

I didn't know how to wrestle. I had to learn how to wrestle. Okay. Then I had to go set up rings in front of, you know, I was in locker rooms were like cockroaches. and, you know, I'm used to playing in front of 80, 90,000 people where I'm escorted to my car. So for me, it was like, okay, sad, stay the course, stay the course. And for me, I was just, like, again, I bought it. And I dedicated my life, so I moved to Orlando.

So I get started, I get started going. And I don't really know what to expect, right? So I developed this character that they kind of wanted me to be. And it was just kind of like, it was kind of a version of me, but turned way up and just kind of like, person you really you wish you could be a guess right so i start this character and uh i started getting booed out of arenas and i'm starting to think like wow okay like this is good this is good and but i'm learning the inside and out to rest and i'll tell you a funny story one of a good friends of mine when i when i told him i was signing with w w he goes to me i didn't know how to take this he goes to me i

think you're going to be really good at that and i said what do you mean that what do you mean that what He might say that. He goes, you just have a candid ability when you walk into a room. People don't like you. And I'm like, and I remember looking at him like, and you just said, I was kind of insulting. But it kind of carried over to the character, Tina. So fast forward a little bit.

You know, I pay my dues. I learn how to wrestle a couple years goes by. Triple H approaches me and says, listen, Tino, you look like a million bucks. You talk like a million bucks. You carry yourself like a million bucks. But I really want your wrestling to be. a million bucks because when you have a package like the character tino if you can't wrestle yet in the ring they'll kind of expose you and it won't be exactly where we know you can be as a star so for me i took

that personal like okay like let me really hone in and i'll tell you something that craft is hard it's it's not something you learn overnight it's not something you can just teach somebody and go out do it it is so many different aspects of playing a character wrestling in the ring listening to the And for me, it wasn't easy. It really wasn't. And it was almost like the reverse because being an explosive athlete, it's the opposite in the ring. It's like you pretend like you're moving fast, but you're not really moving fast.

So I said to age, I said, all right. I said, I take that as a child. And so he says to me, I'm going to team you up with Riddick Moss. He goes, he goes, Riddick Moss is good at what you need to work on. And he goes, you're good at what Riddick Moss needs to work on. I said, perfect. Let's team us up. And again, you know, Matt Cap, obviously, he's doing really well and I'm happy for him.

And it's another, it was another kind of alpha presence, right? Another athlete, another football player. So at first, we were kind of like button heads a little bit, right? But for me, I was very grateful because he taught me so much to be in a tag. He taught me so much about the psychology of wrestling, the pace of wrestling, how the flow of the match goes. And I was extremely grateful. I know he didn't really want to be in it at first. and maybe I didn't really want to be in at first because we thought we were stars, individual stars.

But as my career came, it really, really helped me. I feel like it started to catapult me. So fast forward about three years in, about three and a half years in, I came to a realization. I was like, okay, at the time I was like 35. And I said, I gave everything I had to WWE. So I wanted to sit down with Triple H. I said, H, you know, what's the plan? And I sat with H for 45 minutes in Atlanta.

I'll never forget it. he said, listen, Tino, he goes, I see you as a huge star. He goes, we just want the timing to be right with you because of your background, what you've accomplished. You know, we just don't want to throw you out there. We want to really make sure all the stars line up. So again, I bought into that. I was excited. So he says, this is what we're going to do. We're going to break you up on TV with Riddick Moss. And here we go. Let's go. Yeah. Well, that happens. I was in three, Three main events in a row against Alistair Black for the belt, Velvetine Dream, and then somebody else, I think.

And I was catching my pace. I was like, wow, I feel comfortable in the ring with really good wrestlers. I'm getting it. So I had a match with Alistair Black for the belt in Gainesville. And Terry Taylor was there. And at that time, he pulls me aside and he says, that's the best match I've seen you work ever. And I was really excited.

He goes, I'm telling Triple Age personally myself. So I'm sitting in the back and I'm excited. It's a Friday night. The next morning, Saturday, I had a day off. I get a phone call about 11 o'clock in the morning from Terry. He said, Tino, you want to work the main event tonight against Belveteen? Absolutely. So I'll be there.

All right, perfect. Get my car, drive over to, it was in Venice. No, sorry, it was in, um, no, I said that. It was in, uh, maybe Tampa somewhere, somewhere in Tampa. Long story short, getting the main event with Velvet Team. He started doing his comeback, and he drop kicks me right in my peck. And I went to brace for him a little bit, and his foot tore my peck. Like he just the way, if he did a thousand more times, he wouldn't do it again.

Freak accident. So now I have a tour pack. So now, like I said, I've been three main events in a row. Total Triple H is the best I looked against the title match. So I'm like on the way up. I'm about to get my singles debut. do, I get hurt. Tear my peck.

So long story short, get the peck, surgery repaired, great surgery. Everything was great. As I'm out, I tell WWE, I had a little bit of elbow problem, but just from lifting weights, football wear and tear. I said, let me get this elbow soaked out while I'm out. I'll come back. I'll be 100% with the ground running. Perfect.

Let's get it done. Right. Perfect. I go to the surgery. It's supposed to be a 30-minute surgery. This is what people don't know. So it was going to be a 30 minute scope. They got eight pieces of bone fragment out of my elbow.

The last fragment, the tweezer they were using snapped off inside me and vanished. I was on the table for five and a half hours while they were digging around trying to get the piece out. Now, I was obviously still sleeping out. They kept pumping me and pumping me. Finally, after five hours, they get the piece out. So I wake up and he tells me what happens. and I'm just like, no, that's not what happened. I know my body, something's wrong.

You know, nothing's wrong. I promise, no, I can't feel my hand. I can't feel nothing. It's one of the worst pains I've been through. Long story short, fast forward again. Two months later, my hand never comes back. My hand has like dropped in a hand. He would shake my hand and crush it.

I had no strength, nothing. Well, they compressed my owner nerve. So now I had no feeling of my hand. So I had a third surgery in the same year in December. And I go to the best nerve, neurosurgeon in the country. She does the surgery. She says, listen, it's either going to be three months or three years. I can't tell you when your strength comes back. I said, really? So that was, so that was a third surgery that year. So WW stood behind me. They paid for everything. They

paid me during the whole. I was on the shelf for two years. And it was discouraging, they to least, but I wanted to fight through it. I wanted to come back because I knew I was right there, right? I was right there to be that next, like I felt like that doesn't be that star. And for me, what kept me going was legends like Scott Hall. You know, he pulled me aside one day at a show, never met the guy. And a legend in the game, he pulls me aside. And he says, kid, he goes, you have an accountability for people to hate you. He goes, you got that it. He goes, don't let anybody tell you different. So for me, those were like the moments that kept me, you know what, maybe I should still chase this dream.

Let me chase this dream. And I also remember another one was the Great Dusty Rose before he passed. I had a privilege to sit with him a few times. And he pulled me in no office and said, son, you got the end, the way you carry yourself, your persona. So those conversations kept me going through the dark times, right? Because I could have easily walked away because financially I was okay, right? Eventually, I was struggling.

But for me, it was like, do I continue to, I started out. I started this journey out, let's finish this journey, right? So AAA says we want you to come back. So I worked my butt off. I got back in physical shape, mental shape. All of a sudden, I get cleared. I get cleared 2020, like end of February. Well, two weeks later, COVID hits.

So COVID hits now. Vince McMahon says, anybody's not on TV or hasn't been on TV, he's gone. So I get a phone call from Canyon Seaman. and he's like, Tina, I'm sorry, this is, this is bad news for us, you know,

we have to let you go. I'm like, let me go. I'm like, you guys just paid me for two years. I literally just got back up to character. And he's like, this is not our,

this is not my call. Trust me. They didn't really tell me much, kind of vague, but I was really like, wow, like I bought him, I bought in,

I gave anything I had for five years, and you guys just called me, let me go because of this. So I was struggling with. But that being said, Um, Canyon did text me almost every week. He's like, listen, we're going to get you back. We're going to get you back.

We're going to get you back. But I didn't, I didn't really believe it at the time, right? So long story short, then A.W comes in the play. Any W calls me. Um, it's actually Billy Gunn calls me. He says, hey, hey, savvy, show up to Jacksonville, so and so. So I show up. They don't tell me nothing.

He don't tell me nothing. I show up. I see my name on the board for a match, right? And I'm like, wow. I didn't even tell them. They didn't ask me, but I was like, yeah, I'll do it. side, let's go. Yeah.

So I have a tag match on A.W. I think it was A.W. Dark. Yeah. And it was a good match fun. But again, they didn't tell me anything, right? They didn't offer me nothing. They didn't tell me much.

It was kind of like a very vague trip. So that same week, my head was, Coach Bloom text me, a good friend of mine was ahead of the PC. Like, congratulations. And I think I shot him a text back. Like, thank you, but I didn't sign nothing yet. And the next thing you know, the next day, Triple H reaches out to me.

And so he starts thousands. And you know what's funny. Here's some comical. Canyon and Coach Bloom was trying to set up a meeting between me and Triple H for about two months. But again, you know, Triple H is so busy that, you know, it just kind of kept getting pushed to the back murder, which I was getting a little offended. But I know they were pushing for it. So it's just funny that he called me the week I went to AW. So long story short, I said.

with him. And he goes, you know what? You're the only person we're going to offer to bring back. We want to bring you back. I said, okay, age. I said, um, I'm again, I'm honored, privilege, but I got to be honest with you. I ask one thing. I bought into everything you asked me to do for five years. I humbled myself. I was extremely grateful. All I want is an opportunity, just an opportunity for the character Tino, because I felt like he was the dude that like everybody kind of talked about that. Oh, you know, wait to Vince's, Tino, wait, wait until this happened, wait until he gets this push.

And it was like one of those who that never really got to push yet, one because of the surgeries and one because of the surgeries. And then just bad timing. But now, here we go. They bring me back. So they signed me back. I'm the only person they brought back from like the first wave of releases. Triple Hs, okay, Tino, come back to the PC, get some ring rust knocked off.

And we're off and running. Yeah. Okay. I come back to the PC. This is, what is 20? So this is, what? Early, so this is early, this is late 20. Okay.

This 2020, early 21. So I come back and I'm in every main event that they were, we were doing like house shows to kind of emulate. We weren't having road shows, but we were doing house shows in-house to like kind of, you know, rehearse. We were big, there were big shows. And I was in like every main event. They had me against Chompah, Thatcher, everybody.

that every different skill set. So I'm like, okay, here we go. Like, I'm going to get the push. They keep saying, you know, we're packaging you, we're branding you. You're next. You know, Johnny Russo was texting me every week and he's so excited. But I kept getting put off. Like, oh, next week, next week, oh, this, this.

And I'm like, and then I started to start, and I thought I started getting a little upset because I'm like, hold on. I came back because we spoke about getting a big opportunity. Then I started to hear you don't fit on NXT. We're going to put. You write to Raw on SmackDown, you know, you don't really fit in this brand per se. I accept Sarah Annette. Like, okay.

I just want an opportunity. Yeah. So, again, this is probably the first time in my career that I felt fully confident in the ring. I thought I could wrestle with anybody. I felt like I could call a match on a fly. I was comfortable. So now I'm like, okay, Triple H told me I looked like a million bucks, talked like a million bucks, walk like a million bucks, carry myself like a million bucks.

Now I think I can wrestle with anybody. So I'm ready. All of a sudden, we have a match for, we had Jamie Noble come, we had Johnny Laurenitis, and we had another right-hand man from Vince. I'm going blank on his name right now. Pritcher, Pritcher. So they come to the PC, and they say, we want to see a match of your best talent. So they put me in the main event in front of them.

First they had promos at the main event. So I cut a promo. I'm in the main event, crush it. And I tell you this because it kind of piggybacks what's coming next. Jamie Noble, you remember Jamie Noble, obviously. Yes, yeah. Pulls me aside and says, he goes, that promo you cut? He goes, you can't teach that.

He goes, the confidence you speak with can't teach it. He goes, great best promo of the day. So I asked him, I said, what do you think about the match? He goes, two top guys going at it. I loved it. Physicality was great. He goes, you're my guy. I'm going to tell Vince.

So I'm like, good, here we go. We got somebody in the inside, seeing me in person. Let's go. You know, no one got me in front of Vince. I heard for years, Chris, years. Wait to Vince easy. Wait to Vince. You're a Vince guy.

So I'm like, okay, put me in front of Vince. Yeah. So Jamie Noble says that. Two weeks later, I get a phone call from Canyon Seaman. And I get released again. And I'm like, hold on. I literally thought he was calling me to tell me I was going to Smackdown and Raw. because for about three months, they kept saying,

you know, I think you're going to go right up. You're not going to go to NXT. We don't only have a story for you. I think you fit here. You fit here. So I get a call that I'm being released. I'm like, hold on, hold on. And me and Canyon had a really good relationship at the time.

But I could tell he couldn't tell me the reason. He was like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Tino. This is devastating to me. It hangs up on me. So I'm very like, I'm not at ease right now because I'm like, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm like, I didn't have to come back.

I was great. I was excited to come back. Triple H offered me another deal. It was kind of a man-to-man's handshake in an agreement. Yeah. And now I'm gone? And I'm like, hold on. So I was upset.

I didn't get no answers, Chris. That's what hurt me the most was like, I didn't get an answer. Like, I literally was just in every main event. I was in the main event for the biggest show you put on for Jamie Noble and Johnny Lauren Nitis who had Vince McMahon's right-hand man. So I'm like, where is the disconnect here? So I was struggling. So then I, this is what for me, I lost a little respect because I didn't get a call.

I didn't get a text from AAA. I called them and I reached out to him. And I didn't, I didn't respect that, man, because I felt like I gave him everything I had for five, six years. And, um, and he told me. And numerous people told me that my character had star main event caliber potential. But how do I never get a shot? Nothing? Like, so for me, the exit was, was rough.

And, what do you think happened then? I know what happened. But they're not allowed to publicly say it, I guess. Well, I mean, obviously you're watching an X team now. The whole thing is different, right? Everything's switched. So Vince is in a fad all of a sudden because I think it's a business plan, but he wants young, young, young, young. And I couldn't wrap my head around that for two reasons.

One, people will still think I'm in my 20s. And I said to him, is there anybody that looks like me here? If there's anybody built like Tino, then I'll walk away. If I'm old and out of shame, fine. But you're going to tell me I fall into age category. So for me, it was very unsettling because I had a conversation with Johnny Laurenitis. And let's say to the least that I want to be professional here. I actually, when he was done talking to me, I actually wanted to ask him, do you know who I am?

Because it was so generic, right? It was so like he was just talking to a script. And I'm like, like, no disrespect, but like this, you know, like, Tino, like, do you know what you talking to? Like, I felt like he was reading off the script. And I was like, and he told me like personally, he said something to me that I just, I couldn't fathom. And I didn't want to be disrespectful. But he just said to me, yeah, he didn't want to say age because supposedly they can't say age. Because that's like politically not correct.

But I knew it was age. I think there's like a lawsuit if there's ageism, I think. A hundred percent. Yeah. But it's an age, right? So I think Vince saw a name on a piece of paper. Tino six years in NXT hasn't been a star yet, 37 years old, get them out. And I know stories from Canyon who were in those war rooms who told me straight up,

there's people that fought for me, but he didn't want to hear it because he never saw me. And that's what is the unease that for me, it's like, how do I never get my shot to be in front of a guy that you told me for years was going to fall in love with me? And for me, that was tough, man, because, again, I mean, in a humbling way, I was extremely grateful for this whole opportunity to be in WW. And it's a privilege, man. It really is a privilege. Sure. But I also thought that I deserved a chance after buying it and doing it. everything they asked.

It was not to do with the money. Triple H guy. And then when Triple H wasn't the guy in charge anymore, you got forgotten about. Well, see, that's, there's no straight answers going on over there. Right. And now Triple H is out, right?

He don't run an XT no more. And that was his baby, which was confusing. I just, you know what the sad reality is? I don't know. I actually had other wrestlers come up to me and say,

you know, you don't really fit in NXT with your persona or what it is. Because if you look back a couple of years ago on NXT, NXT's brand, and Triple-A said this publicly, he was very adamant about being the best in-ring brand, right? The Johnny Wrestling, the Gargados, you know, the people who wrestled Indies their whole life that were really good at wrestling. They weren't really as much character-based.

They weren't really much as, you know, presence-based. So I didn't think I fit in for a while. I thought it went and did a little different direction because I was never a guy that was going to be the best wrestler in the ring. That's the best worker. I was a guy who just as a character, people hated. They hated.

I mean, I remember Dash and Dawson, who I look up to, FTR, who was the revival in NAC, who I think are the best in the business, not only from how they wrestle for how they approach the business. I really respect how they love the business. And I remember he pulled me aside one day. And he said to me, you get more heat I've ever seen from a character that hasn't even been pushed yet. So from a guy like that who's telling me a compliment, that's what kept me motivated to keep going.

Because I wasn't getting my, I wasn't getting a chance. But I was like, all these people are telling me what I have. Let me just get there. So when I got that crappy phone call last year, and then I just didn't sit with me well, man, because I'm just like, again, I mean this in a humbling way. I'm like, you have a character who's six four, six three, six four, 240, built like Superman, a real world class athlete, real world class athlete, been successful, live the life

that I'm trying to portray, knows how to carry himself in and out of the ring, knows how to publicly represent the company. and you don't want to get, like, I couldn't put it together. Like, I was like, hold on, hold on, hold on. And it's like, and everything in the world, right? And it's like, you have a guy like that. And sometimes you want to go with this guy that on the indie. Okay.

I guess I don't understand the industry, right? So I tried to be humble, but I'm like, come on. Like, really? And that's what for me was the disconnect, man. It was a disconnect that I just couldn't. I don't know. And that's just, that's the truth. I'm just talking me and you freely, man.

And I mean it in a humble way, but a lot of people don't know the story that Tino went through. Do you think the door is still open for you to go back to WWA? And, you know, the sad thing is what I heard about the age thing is I say no. I personally think if Vince ever saw me face to face and he saw me in a race, and he saw me in a ring and saw me how the audience used to boo or cheer or whatever it was, I would say I would hope so, man. I really do.

You know, if I ever saw Vince face to face, I don't know what I would say because for me it was like, I just felt like they hid me. They told me they hid me from Vince until I was 100% ready. Like, Triple-A would tell me this. It was when I give you to Vince, I want you to be that dude because you can be that dude. So you look like a million bucks. Like you were like the epitome of what Vince looks for, at least from all the stories that we've heard. You know, Chris, this is just my opinion from being in the business for six, seven years.

Oh, five, six years being around everybody. I want to say this with the right content. And I've had people say this to me. I'm not saying this because I just is my opinion. I've had people say this to me even now. I personally think the character Tino was a huge missed opportunity and a drop ball at WWFAR. My thing, and what I mean by that is not even to get like a push, not even to get like a real shot, right? I had like cameos here and there and like tag, but it wasn't never like what they were telling me behind the scenes.

And for me, it's like, how do I walk away now? Like, there's a part of me that doesn't want to walk away because I'm like, hold on, hold on, hold on. I learned this new craft. I fell in love with the business. I respect the business. I wanted to become great at the business, right? So for me, it was like, hold on. Really?

You guys almost like amp me up that I could be this next person but never even get a shot? Like, I think for me, if they gave me a push and I failed, I'd be like, hey, Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm so humbled. I'm so grateful. It didn't work out, but I'm on my next slide. But I didn't even get that like push anything, nothing, right?

And like, that's what kind of, kind of sometimes still eats me up inside. Is there the chance to go be that star in AEW? Is the door still up in there? You know, it's funny. You bring that up. And here's the thing. I don't know what happened or where I went wrong. And this is the truth of everything.

That bridge was burnt. And I don't know how because Tony Kahn, who has known me from football. Obviously, his dad owns a Jacksonville Jaguars. He knows me from NFL days. I met with him even when I was in NXT. I saw him when I went to AW. And when Triple H and WW offered me a contract, I actually text Billy Gunn about it, and they didn't put anything on paper.

They didn't offer me nothing. So it wasn't like I took their offer, threw it to the side and went back to WWE. Triple H was the first one to throw a number at me, throw an opportunity. I mean, I wanted to go back to where I got my first opportunity, right? Sure. So I went back, didn't think anything of it. I actually sent a very, very nice text to Billy Gunn thanking you for the opportunity, thank you to get me in the door.

I told him all signed him back with WW. He congratulated me. Everything I thought was good. Well, the funny thing is that the day I got released again, I had somebody reach out to AEW, Tony Con personally, and said, hey, you know, Tino's a free agent and this kid's going to be a star. And he said to him, again, I'm paraphrasing a little because he wouldn't really tell me. But basically, Tony was upset that I went back to WW.

And I thought, I didn't think, I didn't even believe it the first time I heard it. Right? I didn't believe it. Then about three. months ago, Andrade approached me, and he says he wants me to be in a group with him. And me and Adderde always had a tremendous relationship. I think he's one of the best workers I've ever seen in the ring by far. He texts me personally.

And we actually shot a vignette together, me and him. You want to be in this group. He wanted to bring back a group like, you know, like the Rick Flair, Randy Orr and Triple H days. He wanted to bring back that group to AEW. So we shot the video. Evolution, absolutely. Yes, like evolution. So we shot the video.

We spent a whole day in Miami together. We had the nice three-piece suits, the nice cars. We did a whole video. This is where I heard it the second time. Now I know it's true because I didn't think it was true. He texts me back and he says, Tony Kahn loves the idea, loves everything about it, but he kept saying, you know, no, no Tino, no Sadie.

And I'm like, what do you mean, no, Tino, no Savvy? He goes, he wouldn't tell me, would not tell me. He goes, let's just find somebody else. And I thought that was weird because I would love to sit and talk to Tony personally because I don't know if there was a disconnect between me and him, if somebody told him something that they didn't tell me. But I think he might have upset that I went there, did one match and then signed back with WW, which I hadn't intended.

I just wanted to wrestle. I just wanted an opportunity, right? So when AEW called me, I just wanted an opportunity. Yeah. So I thought that was a little strange. Then the story came out. Then your name got a tag. to about leaking storylines from AW.

Oh, man, Chris, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. I have to laugh. I had to laugh. And if anybody knows me, first of all, I don't even know what to begin with it. I don't even, first of all, I'm like, internet, like, kind of a dummy. I don't even know what a dirt sheet is. I don't even know

I don't even use Twitter I don't go on Instagram I don't go on internet I don't go at any of those things I'm not even one of those people even talk about that so I heard the rumor came out so I was getting like tagged and stuff

and I was like whatever not pay attention to it so somebody approached me and said you know you hear what Chris Jericho said about you? I said I don't know what was the quote do you remember the quote because it's something like you said an NXT reject yeah that someone was leaking a storyline

and the quote is that Jericho says it was an NXT reject. Yes. Okay. So I, again, I ignored it. Like, I was like, you know what? I'm not even going to get. I'm not even getting involved in this. Like, I don't even know what it's coming from.

So then I, people started bringing it up to me more. And what's I started looking into it? So I'm like, what is this dude talking about? So then I read it says something like that somebody leaked out. There was like a Hall of Famer or like a legend at AW, like some name. like some name or good like that. And I don't, and I, and I might sound stupid saying this, but like, I probably would have walked right by him and not even noticed some, to be honest with you.

But for me to go to the internet and speak on something I know nothing about, and I'm on disrespect, I don't care that much, bro. Like, I'm not that dude. Like, that was so mind-blowing me. And actually, when Impact called me, Impact called me, we thought Impact, Imped Pat called Terry Taylor and asked them about that. And Terry called me. I said, coach, I don't even know what he's talking about. Like, I would never, I don't even know what a dirt sheet is. Like, this is nonsense. So I never got to the bottom of it. Supposedly my name was involved because there was a couple of NXT guys there, the same week or month I was there. But I could tell you from a God honest truth, man, I don't even know what I would type in, type in, type it on dirt. I don't even know how it would do it. Honestly, I don't even know what I would say. I don't know what I would say. Where do I even go? So for me, that was mine.

Maybe that's what Tony Kahn is like me on. I don't know. That could be it too. Maybe. Does this mean there's a chance for you to then go to Impact? So I did speak to Impact about three, four months ago. Talk to Devon. I'm not Devon, sorry.

Delo. Delo, sorry. Yes, Delo. Talked to Delo. Great guy. Such a nice guy. Love Delo Brown. Yeah, I saw your interview with him.

Right. What a guy. He's amazing. What a guy. What a great guy, man. He, a couple good conversations with him. But that kind of faded out, man.

Again, here's the problem, Chris. Tito doesn't have a name at all. I was always like, I was always like that person, that next thing that was going to be pushed, that next big thing they were going to like surprise people with that never got an opportunity. So like for me,

it's not like everyone's knocking down my door because I don't only have a name in the wrestling world, right? And that's just a fact, right? I don't have a name to go anywhere I want. So that also hurt me because you never really built my name, right? Because you kept telling me, oh, we're going to make the perfect brand out of you. We're going to do this. We're going to do that.

We don't want to throw you out there. We want to make the right fit. Well, when was the right fit? We ran out of time. But if that's your question, I would absolutely entertain an opportunity if it was the right opportunity. Absolutely. The United States Soccer Federation present the U.S. Soccer Podcast.

My name is David Goss, and I'm joined by my co-host, Megan Klinemberg. And now we're giving people an inside look at the World Cup. Time's ticking. I think you can feel the intensity. All the guys are wanting to really take their claim, and they want to be on that World Cup roster. There's no doubt about it. Hosting the World Cup on the home soil comes with its pressures, but we're just really excited just as the people are.

The U.S. Soccer Podcast, presented by Henco. Follow and listen on your food. favorite platform. So when was the last time you were in the ring? Was it with WWE like a year ago? So my last match in the ring was like June 29th last year against Braun Breaker, the champion of NXT. And you want to know, you don't want to know something funny.

I'm so happy for that guy. I'm so proud of him. He's come so far in such a short amount of time. I had a match with him. and he was so green. I don't think he even knew how to sell a punch at this point. He was so, it was like his third match ever.

And Bloom asked me to work with him. And he was great, don't get me wrong, but he was just very, you know, wasn't there yet. Three months later, I see him in the title match with Champa on a paper view.

I was like, whoa. And that's how much time has changed. Because when I came in, dude, you weren't touching nothing for two years. That's what Triple-H. Triple-A says, you're going to sit in the PC, you're going to learn the way.

We want you to be. So that just shows you how much NXT has changed. That Brownbreaker went from like just signing to now he's champion in a year, which I'm happy for him. But that's how much has changed, right? So it's crazy. So, I mean, if you've been so successful in every other avenue of your life, and the fact that you can sign with WWE is massive, where do you go from here?

You and I are the exact same age so I can roll. relate a lot to the, you know, that big number, that big birthday we have coming up in like a year and a half, I can relate. It's like, where do you go from here? Chris, that's a great question, man. That really is. I don't know. I really don't. I, uh, it's scary a little bit because my whole life, I've lived off the challenge of, of a competitive edge of, you know, football and wrestling. And I still have it, man. I really, really do. I still. I look like I keep myself in elite shape, a competitor. I don't know.

I really don't know. Kind of like what we touched on earlier, I really do believe that character Tino could be really successful, the right opportunity. I just don't know, like you said, 38, haven't really had a huge name. I had a couple injuries, a bot surgery, bad timing. So, like, is that door closed?

I don't know. And to be honest with you, I would love an opportunity to expose to put Tino out there. But at this part of my life, it's not, I'm not just going to go to anything in Russell. You know what I'm saying? It's just not going to be something I'm not really interested in the sense of like, you want to do this little show for X amount of, you know, it's just like, I don't know, man. For me, it's like, it's always an end goal, right? For me, it's a challenge.

It's, for me, it was like, wow, I get to be in WWW. That's the mecca of professional wrestling. Like, that's it. You made it, right? That's my challenge. I want a main event, WrestleMania. That was my goal.

Like, if you're not trying to main event, WrestleMania, what are you doing in this industry? Right? So for me, it was like, that's the end goal. The end goal is to be the best. The end goal is to be the best I could be outwork everybody and main event, WrestleMania.

That's the goal. If that's not reality anymore, do I take my energy and do I take my challenge somewhere else? that's that's kind of where I'm at my life right now to be totally honest with it. Would you go and play football again? I mean, he always playing football again. Johnny Mansell's playing football right now.

No, I mean, I've been out of football for a while now, man. I'm sure you could still go. You know what? It's actually funny. I'm going this weekend. I'm leaving Friday with Ray Lewis.

He's got his camp in Cleveland. It's a top 75 high school running back. and linebackers in high school football. So the Under Armour puts on this big camp. So he actually asked me to come with him and help out with the linebackers. And I was making a joke with the other night. I was like, yo, can I put the cleats on a little bit? Can we hear you?

But, you know, I would love to. But, you know, it's scary, Chris. Like you said, we're at that age now. It's like, you know, what's next in my sense? Because that's kind of been my whole life, right? It's funny, though, because like I said, we're the same age. But I don't feel like there's anything I can't do at 38, that I couldn't do at 28, couldn't do it 18.

But I also understand that, you know, I'm not trying to be a pro athlete. And I can, I can understand that like, you know, we're getting close to 40 here. And it's, it's just,

it's a different mentality. But if I feel like there's nothing that I can't do at this age, I would imagine it's the same for you because you look, you know, 10 times better than me. You know, you say that, that's funny.

You say that because I'm a big believer. And that's why the age thing really rub me the wrong way, because it's a general, statement, right? But if you take pride in taking care of yourself, self-care, training, you know, recovery, eating right, drinking, you know, water. So for me, it's like, people don't realize I committed my whole life to being the best version of me as an athlete. You know, I always said to myself, if it doesn't make me better, don't do it. So never drank in high school, never drank in college, never drank in professional, never did drugs, never

smoke, not because I wanted that I was different or be better than anybody. I looked at it like, that's not going to make me better, right? Going out and partying is not going to make me a better football player. Going out and parties like making me a better athlete or a professional wrestler. So for me, I dedicated my whole life to be in the shape I'm in today. So for Vince or somebody to say to me, oh, you're getting too old. Oh, hold on, hold on, hold on. Show me a 23-year-old that looks better than me, who's more athletic than me,

and can do more than can because if you can't, I'll walk away. That was my outlook, right? And I approach life like that every day. Like, be the best version of yourself at whatever age you're at. Like, if you're at 40, be in elite shape at 40. If you're at 50 being an elite shape of 50, yeah, you can't look like you did at 20 at 50 maybe, but like you can be in the best shape of your life. So for me, it's like, do I think I can run circles around anybody in W&B?

Absolutely. Do I really think that I was one of the best elite athletes ever since? that put in WWE hands down. And if anybody wants to argue, go ahead and argue. I'll throw out stats right now. I set records at the NFL combine. Like, that's a fax, right? So for me, it's like, that rubbed me the wrong way.

Somebody said to me about age, right? I was like, no one's built like me. Who's built like me? Honestly, you love wrestling. Name one person who's built like Tino. Just in theory, I guess, is the first one that comes to mind for me. Okay. Awesome.

Great dude. Great athleticism. You know he's about 5-11, 6 foot. And he's like 200 pounds. I'm talking about 6-3-240. You know, world-class athlete. You remind me of in WCW, there was a faction called the Natural Born Thrillers. And it was Sean O'Hare, above average Mike Sanders, Sean Stasiak,

Chuck Palumbo, Mark Jindrake. I'm going to forget a name here, but like five super athletic, incredibly jacked dudes. And you would have been like the perfect member of like the 20-22 version of the natural born thrillers. Yeah, it's with an awesome. very listen that guy's got incredible upside he's young he's talented good looking dude looks great works hard um and but to me that'd be a challenge i got to be like okay that's that's your

benchmark right there there it is 20 how old is he 23 24 yeah it's like 24 yeah 24 yeah maybe 25 at the most okay look it up so that people won't get upset in the comments here no i mean he's probably incredible dude love the dude i think he's got i mean guys guys need be a star He is 24. 24. There you go. See how quick you are. 24.

See, for me, I'm 38. But if anybody challenged me, I'd stand center of the ring with that dude and go move from move with him athletically, athletically all day. Because you got to understand. I could say that with confidence because I put in the work. Right? I put in the work. And even to this day, I'm still in elite shape, right?

I think the only person who you would, I think, aesthetically look like would be Orton. But Orton has 20 years and, you know, the pedigree. Legend. Legend. Right. I remember, funny story. I remember the first person that said to me, you look like a little bit of Randy Orden.

And I was like, please, man, don't ever say that to me again. Number one, he's a legend, right? He's a pioneer. He's a guy who you're going to fail if you're getting compared to him, right? Per se. I mean, that dude is one of the best has ever done it. I had a privilege to watch him work in the ring a few times, like really up close. Actually, SummerSlam was one time I snuck out and the guy's unbelievable.

But I was getting a lot of comparisons, man, this is a little Randy Orton. This can be the next Randy. This looks like Randy Orrne. And it's, to me, it was like slow down because that was the same thing that happened to me in the NFL. That was kind of like a set up for failure, you know, a white safety. The next John Lynch, it's like, hold on, man. John Lynch is a legend. Like don't put that benchmark on somebody right now.

You know, and that's the same thing with Randy, man. That's his a legend man in the game. Did you feel more pressure in the NFL or in WWA? Pressure. That's a good question, Chris. You know, I think I was more nervous at the beginning because I wasn't good. You know, I was learning the craft. In WWA.

In WW, yes, in WAA because I was new, right? So you can't cheat experience. You can't cheat it. You have to do it. So you have to get match after match after match under your belt to progressively get more confident. So for me, I think I was a lot more nervous and pressure in wrestling because I just wasn't good yet. And I was trying to get better every day. So for me, like in football, it was like I remember in college football, I was had a privilege to start my sophomore year.

And my first start ever in college was against LSU in front of 98,000 people when they were the national champs the year before. So it was college game day, national TV. I was so nervous. I couldn't even drink my water bottle. I was like this on the sidelines before the first play. The second play of the game, I picked it off for the interception and ran it back like 20 yards. After that, I felt like I never had that nervous feeling again because I almost felt like, okay, I belong. I worked hard to get here and now I'm here.

Wrestling, it was like the moment, I remember the moment I had that was against Ty Dillinger. Remember him, he's A.A.W. now. Sean Spears. Sean Spears, great guy. He was the first match I've ever had where he really helped me. He really helped me through the match. And I actually went behind the curtain, Chris. And I actually cried.

I shed some tears, man, because it was like, wow, that's what it feels like to have a D. At that time, I said a good match, but it was probably only a decent match. But I was so grateful to Sean and Ty Dillinger was his name. But I was so grateful because he actually kind of took me under his wing a little bit and said, Hey, man, I got you, young pup. I got you. So we had a good match, like the crowd reaction, the booze, the cheers. I remember going back and I sat in the locker room and I just kind of started shedding

some tears. I was like, okay, sorry to pay off a little bit. Because it was frustrating. Chris, I'll tell you something, man. It was, it was tough. It was humbling. I went through a mental struggle because it was tough, man. I wasn't good.

It must have been a real struggle because I'm guessing football came probably pretty easy for you. You know, it's not that football came easy. Sports came easy. Being an athlete came easy. I loved it. I loved the challenge, right? So here's another story that's crazy that no one really believes or knows. I didn't start playing football until I was 17 years old.

90, 95% of all NFL players. You can probably look this up. I would say 90. 90% of all NFL players start by the age of seven. I didn't start playing until I was 17. So it was baseball before then, right? I actually got, would have got drafted coming out of high school to play professional baseball. But I actually fell in love with football my senior year.

And I had, so in high school, real quick, in high school, to get recruited to a big college, you got to have a really good junior year, right? We got to blow up and then go in your senior, everyone's looking at you. Well, my junior year was my first year playing. So I was a nobody. I was just running around out there. I didn't know what I was doing. So my senior year, I ended up blowing up. I got defensive player in the year in South Florida. I was the MVP of our team and we were like 10 and one. Long story short, I had zero big time scholarship offers. Zero, zero, zero, zero, zero. So now I'm like, hold on. Like, I fell in love with this, but I, no one was give me an opportunity. So for me, that was like, I wouldn't say it didn't come easy because it didn't

come easy, but like being a competitor came easy if that makes any sense, you know? Yeah, I got you. How did you and Mandy first meet? Mandy. Oh, man. Actually, what she was doing the show tough enough. Okay. So the first time I met Mandy, I remember when they were filming the show Tough enough, they had a little, they called it like a bunk, whatever it was next to the PC. They built out like a little warehouse right next to the PC in Orlando where they were keeping everybody for the show. So they had like no life. And I remember seeing them a couple times and walked through the PC. And I was like, wow, that girl was cute.

Like I was kind of checking her, like joking around with my buddies. And I've always thought she was beautiful. I really did. And I actually met her for the first time in the PC. and we were just talking briefly and then I watched her go through the show and she did great and then she got signed and I'll tell you one thing about Mandy

the what attracted to me here the most beautiful woman obviously everyone knows she's gorgeous her personality and her down-to-earth persona just drew me to her she was such so easy to talk to I was like wow like such a beautiful woman got everything together and she could have a conversation Like, and it sounds funny, but like, sometimes you see these pretty women.

They're kind of distant. They're stuck up. But she was just such a genuine person. And at the time, she had a serious boyfriend. She was engaged. So we were just friends. You know, we were just friends. And after she broke up, it kind of escalated from there, man.

So what was your first day? If I turned my phone, if I turn my phone, that's her wall. That's great. Wow. So this is, yeah, this is our office. Give us the full scope of your wall. We can only see what. was behind your head there.

By the way, I'm a Cleveland Browns fan. Really? I moved to Cleveland in 2010, which is when I became a Browns fan, which is, I think, the year that you played there. So funny about Cleveland. So I get traded to Cleveland. It's a true story. So I was trying to get, not to get deep into that, but I was trying to get traded the whole

year because it was my contract year. I got heard. They benched me. We had a problem the year before. So long story short, they wouldn't trade me. Finally, they trade me to Cleveland at all places. I was supposed to go to like New Orleans or Jackson. I go to Cleveland.

I'm like Cleveland. Okay. So I get on a plane. It's a true story. We play Sunday night football in Tampa against Baltimore. I like November 29th, like 80 degrees. I get traded to Cleveland. I fly up there.

It's like December 2nd. It's snowing. Okay? I leave December 7. It's still snowing. Like I lost my car in the parking lot three times under snow. under snow, right? I call my agent and I'm like, yo, I say, Kenna, I don't, it was in my contract here.

I was like, I don't know if I could sign back here. Like I was like, it's been snowing for five straight weeks. I was like, I was like, really? I mean, can we get a warmer, warmer team? So I was great. Again, I was actually, I was only there for five weeks, but they were a great organization, great team. It was actually, it was a privilege to be there as well.

It was fun of here. Where did you live in Cleveland, by the way? I didn't live anywhere. they actually put me in a condo because it was like there's only six weeks left in the season so they put me in like uh like uh like a like a like a like a one of a team condos down in area how to be honest with you chris or was it or was it downtown near the stadium it was downtown close to the stadium oh okay i think i know exactly where that is because barria was uh you know where they do all the practices yes yeah so like i'll tell you one thing that was the coldest game

i've ever played in my life and let me tell you something i was probably there so it was against the Pittsburgh Steelers, last game in the season. I can guess who won that game. Well, that being said, the most loyal and amazing fans, because, you know, there wasn't an empty seat in the stadium. And it was, I'll never forget it. It was 17 degrees. Wind chill was negative 17 degrees.

That was the first time, Chris, that I actually sat on the bench and was watching the clock tick. And I was like, come on, man. Can you click tick fast? You couldn't down faster, but you looked. Like, I didn't even want to hit nobody because it was like you would hit somebody and your whole bones were just like jar. It was unbelievable. It was, and that's when I called my age.

And I said, the name was Ken in time. I said, Ken, I don't know, man. I said, I mean, I don't mind the cold, but this is a whole different level. There is a direct correlation between how cold and miserable the weather is in a city and how much the people love the sports teams. Because think about it. Buffalo, Cleveland, a. Troy, Green Bay.

Love the teams. And no disrespect to your team, Tampa Bay, but like, there's a lot of other things to do in Tampa. You just hit the nail on the head, Chris. You got to understand what I think. There is no fan base like Green Bay, Buffalo, Kansas City, Cleveland. You know why? Because there's nothing to do on Sundays. That's like what they love.

That is. The towns, that's what they do. The Green Bay shuts down on Sundays, right? Kansas City didn't have an empty scene when I was at. for two years. They didn't have an empty seat in the stadium. But you got to think about it. The Dolphin Stadium, the Tampa Bay Stadium and Jackson. Arizona, yeah, Arizona, standing, they're all fair weather fans because on Sunday, let's go out in our boat on South Beach. Let's go to the beach, right? Nobody wants to sit in Miami Stadium at 90 degree weather with the sun

beat on them. So, and this is not a disrespectful thing. Like, they don't, Florida doesn't support their teams like up north. They just don't. There's no fair base like. Miami for five years. I get it. Also, you know, Miami Gardens is a tough sell. Absolutely. What do you live now? I was there from 2014 to 2019. I owned a house in Fort Lauderdale. Okay.

So where do you live now? You live in South Florida still? I'm in Los Angeles now. Oh, nice. Okay. Is this dream house you're talking about in Boka? It's actually in the border of Del Rey and Bois. You know what's funny, Chris?

You know, you know South Florida a little bit. You live in Miami. Did you live close to the beach? I was like two miles from the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Oh, where did you live in Fort Lauderdale? I was in Oakland Park. So I was just east of 95. So Mandy used to have a house in Victoria Park right there, right off sunrise.

Oh, no. She would have been five minutes from me. Yeah. So she actually just sold it because we actually, we got this house. We're in this house together. So we, you know, we made it our home. You know, this is actually the first time I've lived with a woman. I'm 38 years old.

So it's been the transitional phases, but she actually sold her house to Victoria Park. And I was living, I was going there a lot because I had my house in Tampa and she had her house in Florida. So we go back and forth. But that being said, I grew up in East poker, right? I grew up two miles from the beach. So I love East. So I love the beach. So that being said, I never bought my home East because obviously like to get what you really want East is big money.

And you don't get the land. So long story short, I never thought I'd go west. You know what I learned? When we moved down here and then we would go back east to go to Victoria Park, the traffic would drive me crazy. I said, I got to get out of here. It's ridiculous when you actually, you know, get away from it for a little bit and come back to you. You're like, whoa, this is, it's, that east is busy, man, busy, busy, busy out there.

You've mentioned Ray Lewis a few times and I'm just wondering how you guys connected in the first place. So I got lucky, man. It's a quick, funny story. in 2011. It was the year before he won the Super Bowl. Okay. So he got knocked out, remember he got knocked down

the NSC championship game against Tom Brady, the England Patriots? Remember the field will miss went wide, right? Okay. Literally, three days later, so he had an off-season house

in Del, right by me, in Highland Beach. And my off-season condo was in Del Rey by the water. So we were like a mile apart. But he didn't know my name, but he knew that I played in NFL. He would see me.

He'd be like, what's up, young pup, how you doing, blah, blah, blah. But he wouldn't, like, call me by my name. Sure. So one night I see him out and we were on the Atlantic Ave. You ever been to Atlantic Ave, right? Nice little chill spot. We were having dinner. And he saw me, gave me a hug.

And it was right after he lost to the Patriots. And I just said, you know, sorry about that, blah, blah, blah. Well, all of a sudden, he says to me, hey, young pup, you've got to come work out with me one day. And I was like a little kid in the candy store. I'm like, you're a legend. Like, of course, right? So that was a Friday night, Friday night. I'll never forget, get his number.

So I text him Sunday night, like a little kid. So I'm like, hey, what time Monday morning? He's like, be at the house at 9 a.m. Doesn't say anything. Just be at the house at 9 a.m. I'm like a little kid. I got my backpack on, got my workout. I'm like 30 years old.

I'm like six years in the lead, but I'm still like a little kid, right? So I knock on the door, big old house on the water. I'm like my dream house in the water, you know, ocean. Knock on the door. All of a sudden the garage opens beautiful gym, right? He's like, let's go, young pub. So the fast forward, nobody comes back to work out with Ray Lewis. He's that intense.

No, I'm being serious. Wow. I mean, even in my stent with him, Ed Reed, people would come and never come back. So long story short, every day, I'm texting him. What time tomorrow? What time tomorrow? And he's like, I could tell he was like slowly like, like looking at me sideways. Like, okay, this kid's serious.

Like, okay, this kid can be almost a little bit of. of a force, like a little bit of motivation for me. So long story short, Chris, we trained twice a day, every day, the whole offseason leading up where he won the Super Bowl. Okay. Every day. He actually, I started getting so close with him that he would bring me on his jet sometimes. He would bring me around his family. He never did that. Like Ray was obviously Ray Lewis. He's very close. Even like his closest childhood friends would be like, you must really like you because he's bringing you around like his family ready. Like so long, let's fast forward.

So every day he worked out. We won the Super Bowl. So again, I never knew like why he took a liking to me or like why we connected, but we just every day we trained. So he won the Super Bowl. It was kind of a good moment. You know, I was texting him. So his Hall of Fame speech a couple years ago, you know,

he invited me obviously. Now we're so close, but we're sitting at a table and I'll never forget this. And this was like, for me, it was like, I was just, I just felt like so, so humble and grateful for this moment. And we're sitting at a table and he's telling a story about his career. And like he said, nobody comes back to work out with it. So he looks, he doesn't even look at me. He points to me.

And he's like, this is one of the only athletes that ever came back every single day. And he goes, he actually pushed me the last year I won the Super Bowl. And he never said that to me before. Like he's never said it to me. But that's where it clicked. Like, I earned his respect in a sense was like, he was like, wow, this kid is he to work? like and he would text me at like six at night sometimes hey come over man let's get a beach workout

and i was always there so i think that's how we became close and then he just became one of my mentors and we just went on vacation like three weeks to go together and we're real close and we're going this weekend so like i'm just humbled to have a guy like that in my life because you know even when i was struggling with a transitional phase from out of the NFL he really kept me um focused They really kept me humbled. He kept me out of that depression state because it was just instilling the work ethic. Right. Like his quote that he told me, I'll never forget.

He said to me, he goes, the only thing that follows hard work is results. He said, it might not always be the result you're working for. He goes, but it's going to be a good result. And to me, that's something that I've kind of lived by because the perfect situation is WWE. I was in elite shape training every day to get back in the NFL, but NFL never called me. WWE called me because they saw me with my shirt off in a gym training, and they said, who was that? So the story I tell is like, I was working my butt off to become, you know, back in NFL,

but because I was such a good shape, I got an opportunity to go in another professional industry. So that's the perfect example of, you know, the only thing that follows hard work is results. So think about that. Such a great quote. That's such a good. All of this has been so good. Oh, man.

I love, again, man, it's privilege. Your podcast are good, man. I love them. Man. Was that really, is that really how you got discovered? You were working out with no shirt on and somebody. So Canyon Seaman saw me, supposedly. Canyon Seaman knew.

Okay, so another good friend of mine, a really good friend of mine. One of my closest friends is Rashad Evans, the old UFC fighter. Or sugar shot, yeah. Yeah, he's another guy who I'm really close with and just, just I talked to him three, four times a week. Just a just such a nice, humble, down-to-earth individual. But long story short, I was training with him one day. And we were in like the MMA gym. Back in the day, it was called like Black Zillions.

And Canyon was there trying to scout some like MMA fighters or whatever. And I had my shirt off and I was training with Rashar. We were hitting the mist. And he asked for Shah's agent, who the heck is this guy? And he told him, oh, no, X NFL, blah, blah, blah. So that's when Kahn, that's when his, Rashad's agent asked me if I could, like, if Kanyan gave my information, I said, yes,

but Kanyan called me. So, but again, that's how it kind of worked. Like, they saw me, my shirt off, like, you know, and they said, oh, X, NFL, ex-athlet. Okay, that's what, see, that's what, Kansen was hired by Vince to really get that portion of, you know, the ex-college athletes, the ex-athletes. And then even the older crowd.

So even when, like, Kanyan told me the story, when Vince said age, Canyon was like, hold on, like, you've been telling me that you want like older and more mature, like why you want young all of a sudden. So that was a big thing for him, too. That kind of threw him for a loop. Look, that may change in like the next six months and then you're back in that. 100%.

It's a fact. You know, it's funny. It's my brother who's a diehard wrestling fan. He said the same thing to me this weekend. He's like, it could be a fat. It's like Vince could change his idea next month. He can say, hey, you know what? I don't want no more young.

I want grown. You know, so you're absolutely 100% correct. Everybody's like saying that. You know? Look, I end every conversation with the same question. And I know you're going to love this because you posted a video on Instagram about this recently. I love gratitude. I know that you do as well.

I always end with the same question. What are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? That I'm grateful for right now. Mandy is number one. I'm extremely grateful for Mandy to have a woman like that in my life. I'm blessed. I'm extremely grateful for my health, man. my family.

What else? That's such a great question, actually, Chris. It really is a great question. I'm grateful for. I think that so often, and the reason I ask it, so often people focus on the things they don't have in their life,

rather than focusing on the things they do have in their life. And I think that if you can have that gratitude for the great things that you do have, you start to realize, well, I do actually have a lot of great things in my life. You know, Chris, that is 100% correct. I love that you said that man, because that's,

that's where this society is a little misconstrued, man. They look at Instagram, social media, and they think someone's happier than they are because they post these pictures and it's kind of a facade. And, you know, I think as you get older, like you said, you have to really look in your life and just be so grateful for what you have and what you're appreciative of, right? And if you focus on that, you won't focus on what you,

you always got to work for something, but if you're grateful for what you have, it'll make you appreciate everything so much more, right? Absolutely. And that's for me is, and the funny thing for me, man, it's, I know this is our first conversation, but the part of life I'm at right now is that's my number one thing I'm focused on. I have a morning routine that I'm big on.

And the first thing in my morning routine is I sit outside in my backyard for 10 minutes and I just thank God. I thank God for everything he's given me. I thank God for this beautiful house, Mandy. my family because sometimes when you're caught up in it, right, you don't appreciate what you've accomplished or what you've done or what you have because you always want more. You always want more, right? And I remember my mom used to tell me in college, she'd say, Sam, enjoy college.

No, mom, no, mom, want to get to the NFL, want to get to NFL. And I kind of regret it because those are the moments that you can never get back. And I actually, I always text Mandy every Tuesday night before our matches. And I always say something nice, but I always say, you know, live in the moment. Like, be grateful for the moment because you never know what it's going to end. Because it's going to end for everybody. Right. So if you really try to live in the moment and appreciate the moment, then you will enjoy the journey better.

And to answer your question, man, what I'm grateful for, honestly, is Mandy, my family, my health, and peace. I really, I feel like for the first time I'm a little bit, I'm at peace for my life. And that takes a long time to kind of get there, man. It really is that that, that peace part is people struggle with it. And I struggle with it every day. But peace is something that I think you need to find because peace will keep you in a positive outlook. Yeah. You know.

So this has been such a great conversation. Thank you for being so open, so honest and just also so awesome. Okay. No, man, I appreciate. Listen. I hope I, you know, I want to, when you, it's funny, you reached out to me. For some reason, I really wanted to get on your podcast when I saw it. And then you reached out.

Actually, a couple people reached out, like maybe the last couple weeks, I kind of turned them all down. But maybe I'll jump on a little more. I just, you know, you look like more like a nice interaction guy, not just wrestling, wrestling, wrestling, you know, life. And for me, it's like, I just want to be careful opening up so much because I want people to look at this and be like, oh, he's this, he's that, he's that, whatever. But it's about being yourself, man, too, right? You know, you just got to be open about it.

And I love having these conversations. And it's like people got to hear this stuff because some people don't understand what athletes or what entertainers have to go through or what they've been through or what they went through, right? They see on TV. They see this. They see that. They don't really know what they sacrifice.

They don't know how much commitment and work ethic they put in there, right? So for me, it's like, I love these kind of podcast, man. And honestly, congratulations on all your success. What you do is great. Man, I watch your Instagram. I see your YouTube, man. honestly it really is special to watch i i'm so glad we had this conversation so absolutely and i can't wait to see what's next for you in whatever it is that you want to do yeah i'm excited i

i uh i'm excited because i i'm a big believer i'm a really big believer that uh the harder you work the opportunities will open up so we'll see we'll see where i'm at in a year or two or three or whatever it is man i'm excited for the future though well sabby thank you so much man Hey, thank you. At any time, you want to be, I'll come on. I'll tell Mandy come on your show. She said she did a little clip of your show one time. She was on my show about two years ago when her fitness app was coming out.

She was on the show. Yes, as she said. So she'll have to come back on the show. Absolutely. I don't even know where she's at in the house or not. Well, tell her we say hello. I will. All right, man.

Again, thank you for having me. There we go, my friends. Big thank you to Sabby for being so open and so honest during this conversation. Of course, thank you. for joining us as well. I'd hope to be half as ripped as Sabby one day. Guys, a freaking beast. Take a screenshot.

Let us know that you're listening. Let us know what you should thought about this. And tag us on social media. Sabby is at Sabatino P24 on Instagram and Twitter. If you're not following me, at Chris Van Fleet. And just let us know. Let us know what stood out for you here. And since we talked about Ray Lewis,

I'll leave you with a quote from the legendary NFL. Hall of Famer. Never be comfortable with just good enough. Be great. Be grateful. We'll see you on the next one for some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why?

Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning. only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack.

Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.