Exclusive: Former WWE Star on the Current State of the Wrestling and Why Internet Fans Should Be Ignored

Tyrus may best be known these days as being a contributor on the Greg Gutfeld Show and for his other endeavours such as his podcast and comedy work, but many know him for his pro wrestling career.

The 6-foot-7 Tyrus has made a name for himself for his career as a regular contributor for the Greg Gutfeld Show over the past decade. However, it was his work as a WWE superstar during the early 2010's that made him a notable name.

The 52-year-old made his debut in the WWE as Alberto Del Rio's bodyguard, Brodus Clay. He eventually reached a new level of popularity after breaking off from Deli Rio as The Funkasaurus, a funk dancer who was often accompanied by dancers while making his way to the ring.

Keeping an Eye on Today’s WWE

While Tyrus is busy running his new podcast, Planet Tyrus, he still keeps tabs on the current product. 

The former NWA World Heavyweight Champion said that he's a fan of the current product and names Drew McIntyre, the new Undisputed WWE Champion, as "one of the favourite guys" he's ever been in the ring with.

"Love Drew, one of my favourite guys to be in the ring with," Tyrus told SportsBoom.us. 

"He brings it every night. He has done the work and he should be (World Champ). Hats off to Cody (Rhodes) and what they're doing. I think the product is great. (Bron) Breaker. I think he's special." 

Tag Teams, Veterans and Rising Stars

"Tag Team division is cool, Kofi (Kingston) is always gonna be Kofi. Austin Creed [Xavier Woods] stole my gimmick," Tyrus continued to say while laughing. 

"But those guys are super talented, and they're my favourite tag team. You got the Miz who is still doing it, Randy Orton. The young guys, they're coming up, and there's going to be changes, and there's going to be things that are different. Every generation is going to think the newer generation is the sh*t."

Why WWE Shouldn’t Listen to the Internet

Tyrus said that he's glad the WWE, which is now run by TKO, doesn't always listen to the fans. He said that the internet is the "worst thing" in the world for wrestling.

"I'm glad that they don't listen to fans and stopped doing that stuff," said Tyrus. 

"The internet's the worst thing in the world for wrestling. It's also the worst thing for magic shows, for basketball. Everybody wants it now, and if their guy doesn't get it. Everybody's a writer, a director, a producer and a worker. It's just that part of it kind of puts a damper on the magic show a little bit."

More Options Than Ever for Wrestlers

Tyrus, who originally signed a contract with WWE and began work in their developmental territory in 2006 and worked with them until 2014, said that the wrestling business is in a great place right now because of the number of promotions available for wrestlers to work in. 

Companies such as AEW and TNA are doing well as secondary companies, not to mention New Japan Pro Wrestling and work in the indies.

"WWE is not going anywhere, and wrestling is in a great place right now," said Tyrus. 

"NWA is doing great. TNA is doing great. New Japan. A lot of the indies are pretty substantial now. Wrestling is in great shape. People always want to hate people. Anytime there's change or different, everyone's quick to point out what you're not doing as opposed to what you are doing. Wrestling is always going to be there, and there's always going to be new stars, and you might like some, and you might not some. There might be a little downtime, then out of nowhere, lightning in a bottle, somebody will show up, and next thing you know, you're saying your prayers, eating your vitamins and tuning in every night."

During Tyrus' run in the WWE, there were only two real viable wrestling promotions in the United States in the WWE and TNA. Now there are a number of options for wrestlers to work for.

"There are a lot of options for the boys, and that's great, because that means better pay checks, more opportunities you get, your contracts coming up, and you feel like you're kind of running underwater," said Tyrus. 

"You can ask for your release, or whenever your deal's up. You can go over to another company and get reborn again. That's how the old territories used to work too. Guys who come in work for a while, feud's over, go to the next That's a great option for the boys," he concluded.