Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Kalisto recently appeared as a guest on CBS Sports’ In This Corner podcast for an interview. Below are some of the highlights.
On having high-hopes for WWE’s Cruiserweight division and the possibility of Cruiserweights headlining a WWE pay-per-view in the future: “I think [the Cruiserweight division] is great. When it first opened, I felt that it was the best thing because I felt that those Cruiserweights are going to display their art inside and outside the ring; meaning, they are going to display the best of the best, and now, who knew we were going to close out Monday Night Raw? We’ve been headlining Monday Night Raw; it’s been surreal as I never imagined that it would happen but it’s just happened, so we actually work hard and keep working hard, things happen.
“It might take some time and hard work but things do happen. I saw my opportunity and the unfairness that was happening I just took a stand. I know and worked with almost half of the roster of 205 Live and I know them before WWE, and I know what they can do, and know the new talent, which is great. I believe that 205 Live can take it to another level, and who knows? Maybe 205 Live can headline a WWE Pay-Per-View? Who knows? Anything is possible. That is the thing about WWE that I love.”
On Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio being two of his biggest influences and also being high on Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit’s in-ring work: “I always say that they [Guerrero, Mysterio, Jericho and Benoit] changed the game. They are the reason why we are here because not only did they do amazing stuff, but we are taking it to another level. We are taking it to a level people haven’t seen it. There is still more to show. The Cruiserweights in the 90’s and from then on, they motivated us to push even more harder because they are great inspiration. Like you said, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, they were my inspirations. There are so many Cruiserweights that inspired me, but Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio made an impact on everybody. I believe that they are the reason why we are here because we want to make a name for ourselves and make a big noise. I believe this is a start.”
On Rob Van Dam and Hayabusa: “I am a big Rob Van Dam fan. I’m a big fan of every style. Like, Rey Mysterio had his own style; Rob Van Dam had his own style, even a wrestler from Japan that I also admired was Hyabusa; he also had his own style, but Rob Van Dam, like his entrance is one of a kind. He is one of a kind. He is one of the guy’s too that inspired me where I said, wow, this guy can go. I was a fan of Jean Claude Van Damme movies and how he does the splits, and I can do the splits, it inspired me and helped me push. I guess you can say there is a little bit of Jean Claude in me because I was a fan. Everybody in the company grew up as a fan and they were inspired somehow and somewhere and were inspired differently and are now working their dream job.”
Check out the complete Kalisto interview from the CBS Sports podcast at CBSSports.com.
