NXT General Manager William Regal believes less is more for his on-screen role – admitting he’s asked to be taken out of some shows.
The British icon has been the on-screen authority for WWE’s black and yellow brand since 2014, by far the longest reigning of any such figure in the company.
Fans know that when Regal appears, he means business – and it’s clear this is key to the longevity he’s enjoyed in the role.
This week I spoke at length to the 52-year-old on a range of topics, including the regularity in which we see him appear in front of the camera.
He admitted that to ensure his persona retains its myth and believability, he’s even had to go as far as to ask that he not be used when the creative team have pitched for him to appear.
Regal said: “I have to ask the creative sometimes ‘don’t put me on!’
“I think sometimes they put me on too much, and I don’t need to be on because this is not about me, it’s about the talent.
“I think sometimes they put me on too much, and I don’t need to be on because this is not about me, it’s about the talent." - William Regal
“Most of it is myth, but I’ve built but whatever credibility that I’ve built up, and whether you’ve ever seen me or heard about me, I read things about me and think ‘I’ve never done that!’
“It all adds layers and the things that makes up the character of William Regal; and now being a General Manager that won’t stand for any messing around, and someone who has been around for a long time!”
The former Intercontinental Champion added the GM role is one that more closely matches the man behind it, saying: “It just works in that role, and I’m very glad that I’ve got that role, but it is also somewhat the only time that I am [on screen] what I am in real life!”
Get more from my chat with William Regal this week courtesy of this in-depth feature in The Independent:
(c) 2021, The Wrestling Notebook; Matty Paddock
Image - WWE
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