Two times Tag Team Champion, one time Light Heavyweight Champion, member of one of the most famous stables of the Attitude Era. These are just some of the goals achieved by Scott Garland better known to WWE fans as Scotty 2 Hotty. The former champion was the protagonist of Fight Forever 30, a great show by Italian Championship Wrestling, and had an exclusive chat on the microphones of Pop Culture. Here's what he told us.
Our interview with Scotty 2 Hotty
Welcome back to Italy, Scotty. How long has it been since you fought in our country?
If I remember correctly, the only time I've been to Italy dates back to 2003/2004 for some WWE shows. It was a very quick tour and I didn't have much time to explore the country. That's why this trip was different, I was able to spend several days in Verona and enjoy the cities better. A fantastic experience.
You were one of the few to be part of both the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression in WWE. What was your favorite period?
The Attitude Era was an unrepeatable period, perhaps the pinnacle in the world of Wrestling. We had a full house almost every night and when we didn't, there were usually only 400 seats left to reach it. There were so many superstars and each of them had their own importance. As far as I'm concerned it was the best period of my career. Ruthless Agression instead represented the changing of the guard as new superstars entered the scene for the first time. Just think of people like Batista, Orton, Cena. And obviously I too have felt the weight of this generational change but, I repeat, the Attitude Era remains my favorite period.
You were part of a historic stable, namely Too Cool, with Rikishi and the late Grandmaster Sexay. Are you still friends with Rikishi and what do you think of the whole storyline of Roman Reigns and the Anoa'i family?
A phenomenal story, everyone talks about it, isn't it? I'm still very good friends with Rikishi, we recently met in Orlando to do something together. Storylines like the one we are talking about are the essence of Wrestling because they keep the fans in suspense and with maximum attention. Obviously the moves are also important, but the development of the characters and the stories are fundamental.
You have been a coach at the WWE Performance Center for several years. You had the opportunity to train, albeit for a short time, also some guys here in Italy for the ICW. What did you think?
I did three seminars with different guys and a girl. All fantastic, you could feel the passion and dedication in their eyes. In particular I was impressed by this eighteen year old boy who claimed to be a big fan of mine and was afraid of not being able to express his potential because of his physique. He felt too minute. I told him I had felt this way too early in my career, and I had started at an even younger age. My advice is to never give up, work hard to improve your physique in the gym and always be head and shoulders ahead of the others.
If WWE were to offer you induction into the Hall of Fame would you accept it? What are your future plans?
Obviously everyone sooner or later dreams of entering the Hall of Fame, but I think I did everything in my capacity. The decision now rests with those two who are in charge. I started in WWE at 18 working as an extra, then I entered the Light Heavyweight Decision and finally came the popularity with the Scotty 2 Hotty character and the stable Too Cool. Then I spent 6 years in WWE as a coach so, again, I think I did everything in my ability. As for my future plans, I always say that after leaving WWE last December I entered the best phase of my career because I get to meet people like you, who I assume is now in your 30s and who have started following the wrestling when they were still kids. I can happily travel around the world and enjoy the cities I visit as I did with Berlin, Malta, Verona and so on. And when you were constantly on the road with WWE you couldn't do that. So I'm very happy with my current situation and I hope I can continue like this.
ICW Fight Forever 30 Main Event
Scotty 2 Hotty wrestled ICW Champion Travis Montana in the Fight Forever 30 Main Event. ” due to a low blow, Scotty was acclaimed by the public of San Paolo d'Argon and followed his patented "Worm" in the post match, closing a historic evening.
