After the tremendous feedback I got following my recent interview with current TNA wrestler Manik (which you can read here), I recently got in touch with another star of TNA’s X-Division, Kenny King, and asked him to be my next interviewee. Happily, Kenny was good enough to spend some time answering a few questions for me, talking about his career so far, and his hopes for the future.
He might be a fairly new face on the block for TNA fans, but it’s not his first foray into the world of professional wrestling, having spent some time on the independent circuit, notably with Ring of Honor.
Without any further ado, let’s get to know Kenny King, in his words.
To start things off, tell us a little about yourself
I didn’t know this was a dating website profile haha! I think all the “getting to know you” stuff is all over the internet.
Was getting involved in wrestling always a goal of yours growing up?
No, wrestling was just something I loved to watch. I loved the athleticism and showmanship of it all, but I had no plans to pursue it as a kid.
I read that you were interested in (American) college football. Was there a reason you didn’t pursue that?
I was going to school to play football. At the time, I was enrolled at UNLV in Las Vegas. Tough Enough had started on TV just around the time that I was supposed to start spring football practice, so I made the call to choose pro wrestling.
What attracted you to appear on WWE’s Tough Enough, and what did you need to do to qualify?
I watched the tryouts of the first season and said “I know I can do that”, so when I had the opportunity to try out for the second season, I knew I had a good shot. The tryout consisted of in-ring promos followed by this crazy run up this mountain in Las Vegas.
I have to ask, is it true that you still work with the Chippendales or is that just a rumour?
Hahaha. Well, I am a former Chippendale. I parted ways with the company over the summer. Much like pro wrestling, there’s a huge misconception about what it actually is. It’s not a strip club with lap dances and dollar bills. It’s an actual staged, choreographed show. I’ve had Divas and Knockouts come and they’ve loved it. It’s a dream gig, screaming horny women every night?
How was your time in Ring of Honor and did you achieve everything you wanted to?
I loved, and still love, Ring of Honor. It was a very special time in my career. It was a time where it was sink or swim in a shark-tank of the best wrestlers in the world. Obviously, my tag title reign was cut short. I would have liked the prestige of being World Champion to my repertoire as well.
You claimed gold in TNA after a fairly short time. Have you got your eyes set on the X-Division title again, or are you aiming higher?
The X-Division Championship is one of the most respected and prestigious belts in pro wrestling, based on the men who have held it. So anytime I get a shot at it again, you know I’m going to take it. My goal is to be a triple-crown champion – to claim the tag titles, and then eventually the World Heavyweight Championship.
I asked the same question to TJ Perkins (Manik), but if you could wrestle anybody past or present, who would you choose, and for what reason?
I’d like to wrestle Chris Jericho and “Mr Perfect” Curt Hennig.
Who do you look up to most in the wrestling industry?
I look up to a lot of guys who have paved the way – The Rock, Randy Savage and Rob Van Dam to name a few.
Where do you see yourself within the next 5 years? Do you hope to carry on in the ring, or is there something else you would like to achieve?
In the next 5 years I will definitely be a World Champion. I would for certain like to expand on my entertainment career. TV…movies…the sky’s the limit!
There we go. That’s just a small insight into the mind of one of TNA’s X-Division superstars, Kenny King. As you can tell, it looks like he is going to be a very busy man over the next few months and years! I’d like to thank Kenny for taking the time to do this interview with us. It was an honour and a privilege to interview him and hopefully, 2014 is a successful year for Kenny.
If you’ve got any feedback, let me know on Twitter (I’m @ecwdave) or leave a comment below.
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