Black Widow
10-06-2010, 11:48 PM
WWE returns to UK shores this autumn - and Raw superstar Evan Bourne is determined to make an impression.
The high flyer has won over fans in his native USA with his swashbuckling manoeuvres - including his spectacular finishing move, the Shooting Star Press - or as he calls it, Air Bourne.
And now the effervescent fighter has vowed to wow live audiences this side of the Atlantic when he and the rest of the WWE heads overseas in November.
In an exclusive interview with skysports.com, the 183-pound grappler told us how excited he was about crossing the pond to perform and just why he loves UK supporters.
With the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view happening this Sunday, the former ECW star also gave his thoughts on the big bouts taking place, while he also revealed who he would like to face at next year's WrestleMania - and why being small is not always a burden in the WWE...
skysports.com: Hi Evan, How much are you looking forward to WWE's upcoming tour of the United Kingdom?
EVAN BOURNE: It's great for everybody on the roster. We love heading overseas and especially to the UK. We are always given a great welcome because the UK has such a special feeling for wrestling. They are some of our toughest fans but also some of the most energetic and knowledgeable ones. The audiences are always buzzing and we get a great reception when we land. The competition is at its peak with all the new superstars making an impact and the WWE is improving every single day, so when we come to the UK we'll put on an even better show than last time. And hopefully we'll bring another pay-per-view over here in the future. SummerSlam was held at Wembley way back in 1992, so you're definitely due another one!
skysports.com: What do you think are the main differences between fans in the US and fans in the UK?
EVAN: There are obviously some differences because it depends on what type of wrestling you grew up on. Some people in the UK grew up watching Big Daddy, while most fans in the US grew up watching Hulk Hogan. But whatever you saw from an early age, there is a deep love and history of wrestling in both countries. Some of that British passion has now come to the WWE with wrestlers like William Regal and Wade Barrett, while we still have home-grown guys like Evan 'Air' Bourne and my good friend Rey Mysterio. The fans are great on both sides of the ocean.
skysports.com: The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view is this Sunday. What matches stand out for you?
EVAN: For me the choice match at Hell in a Cell is John Cena v Wade Barrett. If Cena wins, Nexus is over but if he loses he must join Nexus. A lot of the guys on Raw are rooting for Cena because he is standing up for us and our brand, so we really hope he can win on Sunday. People are saying that Nexus have been impressive, but I haven't been that impressed with them. It's not hard for a group of seven guys to make waves and until they achieve something individually, they'll just be a gang of thugs.
skysports.com: Another match on the card is Kane v The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship. Those two have been feuding on and off for years, so it must be a rivalry that you grew up watching?
EVAN: I attended the very first Hell in a Cell match in St. Louis, Missouri in 1997 when The Undertaker faced Shawn Michaels. That was when Kane made his debut and it will come full circle when he fights The Undertaker on Sunday. Thirteen years later, inside the demonic Hell in a Cell - it's going to be unbelievable. And with Paul Bearer returning, that adds another exciting variable into the equation.
skysports.com: Your finisher Air Bourne is one of the most captivating moves around. How long did it take you to perfect it?
EVAN: It took me quite a while to have the nerve to do that move, and even when I was confident enough to try, it still took me a few years to visualise how I wanted it to look and to master it on a repetitive basis. There is always that thought in the back of your head that it might not be the safest idea and that you could hurt yourself, but I feel confident that it will be perfect. When I get to the top rope, the fans demand that I hit Air Bourne and I know that there's only me, and the great Jushin Liger who invented it, who can do the move justice.
skysports.com: You are one of the smallest competitors in the WWE. Have you ever viewed your size as a hindrance in your quest to get to the top?
EVAN: I always turn any disadvantage into an advantage, and being a smaller competitor opens up variables that other wrestlers don't have. I can duck and dive, zig and zag and come off the top rope and do more damage than some of the bigger guys can. What's great about the WWE is that there is no cookie-cutter image of how a wrestler should look nowadays. I'm just a regular guy who got my nose down, worked hard and became a star.
skysports.com: Another 'small' guy to achieve a lot of success recently is Daniel Bryan. He was revered on the independent scene and has made a huge impact in his short time with the WWE, hasn't he?
EVAN: Daniel Bryan and I worked a number of independent shows together, fought a couple of times and he always stood out. He is often voted the best technical wrestler in the world and I certainly think he has the credentials to merit that tag. He has wrestled all over the world for a number of organisations and he has dominated wherever he has been. He is making waves in the WWE now and fully deserves to be the United States Champion.
skysports.com: As one year draws to a close, thoughts inevitably turn to the next WrestleMania. Who would be your ideal opponent at that showpiece event?
EVAN: Wow, that's a tough question. There are so many guys over the years that I would love to have faced at WrestleMania, but one man that stands out for me on the current roster is CM Punk. Like me, he has worked his way up from the bottom and I think we would steal the show if we ever competed against each other at WrestleMania.
skysports.com: And finally, between now and this time next year, what do you hope to have achieved?
EVAN: A year is a long time but I can tell you what I hope to achieve in a few months time and that's wow the fans across the United Kingdom. I hope I can give them the great show they deserve and impress them every single night. I'm not a guy who is looking to pick fights, I just want to earn the fans' respect and make them remember that I'm exciting, I'm innovative and I'm Evan 'Air' Bourne!
Sky Sports
The high flyer has won over fans in his native USA with his swashbuckling manoeuvres - including his spectacular finishing move, the Shooting Star Press - or as he calls it, Air Bourne.
And now the effervescent fighter has vowed to wow live audiences this side of the Atlantic when he and the rest of the WWE heads overseas in November.
In an exclusive interview with skysports.com, the 183-pound grappler told us how excited he was about crossing the pond to perform and just why he loves UK supporters.
With the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view happening this Sunday, the former ECW star also gave his thoughts on the big bouts taking place, while he also revealed who he would like to face at next year's WrestleMania - and why being small is not always a burden in the WWE...
skysports.com: Hi Evan, How much are you looking forward to WWE's upcoming tour of the United Kingdom?
EVAN BOURNE: It's great for everybody on the roster. We love heading overseas and especially to the UK. We are always given a great welcome because the UK has such a special feeling for wrestling. They are some of our toughest fans but also some of the most energetic and knowledgeable ones. The audiences are always buzzing and we get a great reception when we land. The competition is at its peak with all the new superstars making an impact and the WWE is improving every single day, so when we come to the UK we'll put on an even better show than last time. And hopefully we'll bring another pay-per-view over here in the future. SummerSlam was held at Wembley way back in 1992, so you're definitely due another one!
skysports.com: What do you think are the main differences between fans in the US and fans in the UK?
EVAN: There are obviously some differences because it depends on what type of wrestling you grew up on. Some people in the UK grew up watching Big Daddy, while most fans in the US grew up watching Hulk Hogan. But whatever you saw from an early age, there is a deep love and history of wrestling in both countries. Some of that British passion has now come to the WWE with wrestlers like William Regal and Wade Barrett, while we still have home-grown guys like Evan 'Air' Bourne and my good friend Rey Mysterio. The fans are great on both sides of the ocean.
skysports.com: The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view is this Sunday. What matches stand out for you?
EVAN: For me the choice match at Hell in a Cell is John Cena v Wade Barrett. If Cena wins, Nexus is over but if he loses he must join Nexus. A lot of the guys on Raw are rooting for Cena because he is standing up for us and our brand, so we really hope he can win on Sunday. People are saying that Nexus have been impressive, but I haven't been that impressed with them. It's not hard for a group of seven guys to make waves and until they achieve something individually, they'll just be a gang of thugs.
skysports.com: Another match on the card is Kane v The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship. Those two have been feuding on and off for years, so it must be a rivalry that you grew up watching?
EVAN: I attended the very first Hell in a Cell match in St. Louis, Missouri in 1997 when The Undertaker faced Shawn Michaels. That was when Kane made his debut and it will come full circle when he fights The Undertaker on Sunday. Thirteen years later, inside the demonic Hell in a Cell - it's going to be unbelievable. And with Paul Bearer returning, that adds another exciting variable into the equation.
skysports.com: Your finisher Air Bourne is one of the most captivating moves around. How long did it take you to perfect it?
EVAN: It took me quite a while to have the nerve to do that move, and even when I was confident enough to try, it still took me a few years to visualise how I wanted it to look and to master it on a repetitive basis. There is always that thought in the back of your head that it might not be the safest idea and that you could hurt yourself, but I feel confident that it will be perfect. When I get to the top rope, the fans demand that I hit Air Bourne and I know that there's only me, and the great Jushin Liger who invented it, who can do the move justice.
skysports.com: You are one of the smallest competitors in the WWE. Have you ever viewed your size as a hindrance in your quest to get to the top?
EVAN: I always turn any disadvantage into an advantage, and being a smaller competitor opens up variables that other wrestlers don't have. I can duck and dive, zig and zag and come off the top rope and do more damage than some of the bigger guys can. What's great about the WWE is that there is no cookie-cutter image of how a wrestler should look nowadays. I'm just a regular guy who got my nose down, worked hard and became a star.
skysports.com: Another 'small' guy to achieve a lot of success recently is Daniel Bryan. He was revered on the independent scene and has made a huge impact in his short time with the WWE, hasn't he?
EVAN: Daniel Bryan and I worked a number of independent shows together, fought a couple of times and he always stood out. He is often voted the best technical wrestler in the world and I certainly think he has the credentials to merit that tag. He has wrestled all over the world for a number of organisations and he has dominated wherever he has been. He is making waves in the WWE now and fully deserves to be the United States Champion.
skysports.com: As one year draws to a close, thoughts inevitably turn to the next WrestleMania. Who would be your ideal opponent at that showpiece event?
EVAN: Wow, that's a tough question. There are so many guys over the years that I would love to have faced at WrestleMania, but one man that stands out for me on the current roster is CM Punk. Like me, he has worked his way up from the bottom and I think we would steal the show if we ever competed against each other at WrestleMania.
skysports.com: And finally, between now and this time next year, what do you hope to have achieved?
EVAN: A year is a long time but I can tell you what I hope to achieve in a few months time and that's wow the fans across the United Kingdom. I hope I can give them the great show they deserve and impress them every single night. I'm not a guy who is looking to pick fights, I just want to earn the fans' respect and make them remember that I'm exciting, I'm innovative and I'm Evan 'Air' Bourne!
Sky Sports