For the majority of my career, I worked everywhere but the WWE.
Anytime I've travelled to the Middle East, I've always experience the very best in hospitality. They are some of the most kind and wonderful people I've had the chance to meet, and I feel that Saudi Arabia shares those same qualities.
No matter what your background or where you are from, the one thing we can all respect is when great athletes and great passion leads to great achievements.
I love professional wrestling, and I love sports entertainment.
I've seen the struggles and the heartache and the pain that goes along with being in the fight game.
For me, if you are not in it to be champion, you shouldn't be in it at all.
There has never been a company that has wanted me, which sounds insane.
I always tell guys to get paid what you are worth and know what you are worth so that if you are worth it, you will get that number.
This is a dream match to many people in this world... Me vs. Brock Lesnar is what people really want.
My relationship with Shinsuke - I mean, he's a tremendous guy, we've maintained our friendship for well over a decade, and he's one of those incredible, rare, once-in-a-lifetime athletes whose ability transcends international border, which is something that's not often able to be done.
The biggest thing here in WWE is that if they see some really valuable qualities in you, they're really going to do their best to maximize them and put you into the scenarios and into the situations where that's going to make the most impact. For me, they've definitely done that.
For me, I've always been confident in my ability and what I've been able to bring to the table - what I can bring to a Brock Lesnar matchup.
You never know with Punk. He is definitely somebody who does things his own way, and I think the biggest thing is that you can never count out what his next move will be. I think no one would have predicted his move to UFC - nobody would have predicted a lot of things he does - so whatever he chooses to do, he will do what feels best in the moment.
They've kind of backed off and allowed me to do what I do. I think that's the biggest testament is that they know when to have a hand in things, and they know when to back off, let me work, and let me do my thing. During my time in NXT, they have definitely done that.
People understand the simplicity of violence, and martial arts has always been about the more efficient way to deliver said violence upon an adversary. I've kept that philosophy as the focal point of what I do.
As long as you're confident in your skill set and what you can do, you're usually good to go.
