James Ellsworth on Who Has Helped Him Backstage, Competing for the WWE World Title Tonight, More

James Ellsworth recently sat down with CBS Boston to promote his upcoming championship match against AJ Styles on tonight’s episode of Smackdown Live. The full interview can be found HERE and below are highlights:

Your path to WWE wasn’t through NXT or anything like that. How did you break in there?

Years ago I went on WWE.com and kept on sending them my resume and my pictures and videos of matches. Finally, in 2014 they called me to be an extra talent. I got to be a rosebud with Adam Rose. Ever since then, every time they were 250 miles from where I live in Baltimore, they would contact me to be an enhancement talent for their shows.

Who was the first in WWE to take you under their wing and show you how everything runs?

That is definitely 100 percent Chris Jericho. The day after I did the match with Braun Strowman he contacted me on Twitter and wanted me on his podcast (Talk Is Jericho). I went in and did the podcast with him the next time I was at TV. Ever since then we text all the time. He gives me advice and helps me out. He’s just an outstanding human being.

Who else backstage has lent a helping hand?

Everybody is very nice. The agents like Arn Anderson have helped me a lot. He usually has my matches and helps us with everything. He’s very cool, and he’s helped me. I get treated well. They’re all very cool. I don’t consider myself to be “one of the boys.” I really think I have to earn having that title, but they’re all very nice to me.

You’re still wrestling on the independents each week too. How has your time in WWE affected your work there?

It’s a lot more. I’ve always stayed busy. I’ve always wrestled a lot. But now it’s a lot more inquiries for a lot more money. I’m very blessed by the whole thing. It’s taking off, and I’m going to run with it for however long as it lasts. Whether it be in the WWE or on the independent level I’m going to ride this for however long it goes and wrestle as James Ellsworth.

You’re a wrestler and a promoter. You run Adrenaline Championship Wrestling. Tell us a little about that.

We run shows in Maryland as well as Pennsylvania. I’m actually a licensed wrestling promoter in both states. I run 20 shows a year. We actually have a show coming up in Denton, Maryland. That’s our Halloween show called Halloween Heat on October 28. You can get tickets on AdrenalineWrestling.com.

What’s more nerve-racking, trying to fill the stands as a promoter or wrestling for the WWE World Championship?

[laughs] Going out wrestling for the WWE Championship, because I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be possible for me to get that far. I’m there tomorrow, and I’m very nervous, very anxious. In a lot of ways, I can’t wait to get out there. I had so much fun last week being out there in front of the crowd and listening to how they reacted to it. They reacted really well to it last week in San Jose, California, and I’m anxious to see if they do it again in Denver.

Has there been any talk from WWE about possibly bringing you back after your title match against AJ Styles?

I have an idea, but I don’t really know. I don’t think it will be the last you see of me, but I don’t know. They really keep me in the dark about everything until I get there at TV. I have a little hint that it might happen, but I really am 100 percent not sure.

Check out Ellsworth’s full interview with Chuck Carroll at this link.

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