Posted on 9/01/126 by Colin Vassallo
Former WWE Superstar Dexter Lumis sat down with Chris Van
Vliet in Nashville, Tennessee to discuss why he didn’t talk
in WWE, the inspiration behind his psychotic character, how
he became a part of The Wyatt Sicks, being in one of the few
wrestling weddings that did not end in disaster, working
with The Miz, getting released by WWE, what’s next, and
more!
I was just thinking before we hit record, this is going to
be the first time that a lot of people hear your voice. You
didn’t talk a lot in WWE.
“I sure didn’t. It’s funny because fans come to me, like
last weekend at WrestleCon, or this appearance I did in
Phoenix. Randoms will come up to me and be like, ‘I loved
you on Tacoma FD.’ I’m like, ‘You watched that, so you heard
me speak.’ People are blown away by that. I do actually
speak, I was playing a character.”
Why didn’t that character speak?
“I don’t really know why they decided, hey, this is great if
he just doesn’t speak. But I had my mentality on it, and I
think what I was looking at is everybody talks, almost, in
my opinion, too much. So how can I be different? I’m always
thinking about that. How can I present myself on TV
differently than everybody else to catch the attention of
the fans in a different way? So I think it was striking in a
way: this guy, he’s just got a cold stare, and he doesn’t
speak. Then it became a challenge. Can I elicit emotion from
the fans without saying a word? Can I make them feel a
certain way? Can I get my emotion that I’m trying to get
across to these fans without saying anything? That became
kind of the goal, the mission.”
How are you feeling now, a few months removed from being let
go?
“I mean, I went through all the emotions, I guess you could
say. But my mentality is like, okay, that’s maybe done for
now, or forever. I can’t change what’s happened in the past.
The right now is what I’m focused on, and the future. I
don’t want to dwell on any negativity in that arena, but
yeah, it’s disheartening. I was there for seven years, and I
feel like I had a really unique, very fun career. I got to
see the world. I was in Poland on my birthday this year, and
I’m just sitting in the locker room. I had some downtime by
myself, and I’m just like, this is pretty amazing. I feel
like a real wrestler, like a real WWE Superstar. It’s those
things that really hit you. You’re so far away from your
family, but yet you still feel connected to this family.”
Does this release feel more final than that first one?
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“It does feel a little more final. You always hear, you
know, the door could always still be open. Never say never;
those types of things. But I feel like now, as opposed to
back then, I got to go out and prove myself a little bit
more.”
In NXT, the wedding with Indi Hartwell may be one of the
most successful wrestling weddings ever. Most of them end
disastrously.
“This one was not disastrous.”
Yeah, it was just like you said your first words in WWE.
“That’s it. ‘I do.’ That never happens. It could have gone
differently. There were ideas that were thrown around that
was going to go off way different, but I’m really happy with
that 10-minute wedding segment. I still have a little script
saved, so does Indi, because it was a very special thing for
us. Because how many people can say they were in WWE and
they had a wedding on TV that went off without a hitch, or
just had a wedding in general? You got to be, I think,
perceived a certain way to get that for yourself on a TV
that they’re giving you that time on TV because it’s
entertaining. We were entertaining enough to pull that off,
and we had a connection with the fans, and we had a
connection with each other. She would try and break me,
man.”
She ever get you?
“Close, but she was like the only one that could almost do
it because she was so ridiculous. I’d have to be in
character, like this stoic [person]. If we’re out there with
Johnny, for instance, and he’s having a match, and I’m just
standing there watching my friend wrestle, she’d be on the
apron just staring at me. I’m just like trying not to look
over there. During rehearsals, I’d break, but I’m like all
right, this is the time to get it out. When the red light’s
on, and we’re live, pal, you ain’t gonna break me.”
I don’t feel like you got the chance to show your full
potential in the seven years you were in WWE. I feel like
there’s so much more that you could do.
“I agree. I don’t know what else to say about that. I feel
like I could go with anybody you put me in front of. As a
matter of fact, I wish Brock Lesnar wasn’t retired because
that has been my absolute epitome of the match that I want.”
Why is that the dream match?
“Who’s more intimidating in the wrestling business that’s
still somewhat active? I know he just retired, but when that
guy comes out to the ring, everybody’s just floored. There
is a presence, and if he likes you, and you have a good
match with him, and you show him that you can carry the
ball. I feel like that’s the standard, you know. That’s the
guy. You should want your career to be like his. To get the
limited schedule, to get the money, to get the notoriety, to
be a badass, to be legit, but also to be so giving. I’ve had
conversations with Brock, and he might just be like oh, I
don’t remember that kid. But I feel like I was right there,
and I respect the hell out of him. I’m very happy that he’s
had such a great career. Oba Femi, what a great story those
two had. I’m not mad. I’m very happy for that situation and
Brock’s retiring and everything, but you know, I always
think, what if?”
Was there something that was supposed to happen, or were you
just hopeful that it could have?
“Well, I mentioned Paul Heyman earlier, and it’s having
conversations with him. I just didn’t beat around the bush.
I just said, ‘Hey, I want to wrestle Brock Lesnar. How do we
do that?’ And that’s when the conversation started shifting
towards you need to be a singles guy. I wanted the Wyatt six
to work, but how long can it last? You always kind of got to
be mindful of that.”