Lance Archer

That's the cool part about it is AEW is a very open company to moving forward and changing wrestling as a whole.

Luckily, I have been a part of New Japan Pro Wrestling for eight years and it's been a great run with a lot of cool things and amazing experiences.

Everything that was happening with AEW in the world of professional wrestling and the worldwide attention that it was grabbing, for me, like I said, when it all came about, when the opportunity to sign with AEW came, and it came like out of nowhere.

I'll just say it was a combination of a lot of people within the AEW upper office that decided that it was a good idea to have the 'Murder Hawk Monster' on AEW television.

I work with kids in camps and help in training seminars and situations going to schools and stuff like that, there's guys and girls that do some amazing, amazing wrestling.

So it was really cool just reinventing myself, changing my look, my image, my intensity, my ring-work style, everything that went along with it.

You had to have two VCRs, and you had to tape everything, and you had to make a choice - you either watch WWF or you watch WCW, or you watch one half of one show and the last half of the second show or whatever the case was back then.

When I started with New Japan in 2011, there was a total of five or six foreigners on the roster.

I think that's the most interesting part about social media these days. You have such direct contact with anybody and everybody.

Michael Hayes was the one that brought me up to be part of ECW. I had long hair, a braided goatee.

I have had some amazing opportunities. I don't take anyway anything that I have had from my past but I think I am really capitalizing on it.

I had some amazing opportunities through TNA, even my time in WWE. Just to be able to go out there and walk out there in a WWE arena is an opportunity in itself but I don't think I was ready to capitalize on that.

This business changes on a dime daily. You have your ups and downs, goods and bads.

For me, it's always just taking your time, biding your time, doing what you can when you can with what you got.

I really hope with New Japan - I was really considered a tag team guy, Killer Elite Squad had an amazing run for seven years.

You see people come in and out of WWE and the business all the time in different situations.

One of the bigger things, I think, was learning and trying to find out who Vance Archer was, and who Vance Archer is, and who Vance Archer would end up being.

I simply believe that I am that star that WWE is looking for. But in this business you have to be put in the right spotlight for that to be recognized. Give me that spotlight and you won't be able to look away.

It's never a good feeling when leaving your dream job.

The only semi serious injury I have had was when I strained my MCL. But I'm always beat up in some form or another.

My interpermotional dream match would be with Undertaker. I respect who he is and what he has done in this buisnesss and is someone I've tried to mold myself after in many ways. I think it would be a classic Big man match.

Global Force is creating a product that has people from independents, and guys who people know are good in their area, and they'll take on guys from around the world in New Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia.

I was actually in Japan when I had the conversation with the TNA brass about my situation coming to an end with them.

I've been battling a sciatic issue for a long time. It comes and goes, goes up and down, but I've already worked through it.

AEW is creating more eyes and more opportunities and more chances for the business to grow.