Quotes from Rich Swann

I was always myself and was respectful to anybody I was around in this business.

There are so many scandals in professional wrestling. People have lost their job in this business.

My father was murdered when I was 12 years old. It was just me and my mother and my brother at the time. My brother was a little bit older than me and he left, so it was just me and my mom for a bit in Baltimore.

I always kept my nose to the grindstone and I always waited for my opportunity patiently. That's what I feel you have to do in WWE to succeed.

You know I can handle the pressure. There ain't no sleep, there ain't no breaks and that's what I love about this business. That's what I love - I'm always on the go, baby!

I've always been somebody who was just bouncing off the walls and high tension, hyperactive, you know what I'm saying?

Bobby Lashley was the first and to have the opportunity to challenge for the championship when it is even rare to see an African American even headline a pay-per-view; it makes my heart soar. I'm able to be in this position to make everyone who supported me proud.

I know people don't want to compare UFC to professional wrestling, but there are people who are featherweights that are selling pay-per-views. I don't think there's anything wrong with a branded division like that.

In my case, I never really thought about what it would be like in the WWE. I never thought I could make it to the WWE? especially being a Black man who is 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds.

But I'm 185 pounds and 5'8'. I can't be a powerhouse, I can't be powerbombing people everywhere. That doesn't make sense.

Guys like Rey Mysterio Jr., Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, guys like that, they've inspired me. They made me want to do this. Those guys were three of the top cruiserweights that you can name.

I grew up with my friends, wrestling around, imitating guys like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko.

When you set a goal in your mind of what you want to be and you actually achieve that, it's a feeling that's very hard to describe.

As far as working against Finn Balor, I always idolized him. I looked up to him. When I was in Dragon Gate Pro Wrestling, he came to Dragon Gate, and was the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.

I've never had to make weight for any sport before. Because, get this, I was not allowed to do any sports in school because I was a professional athlete. I was doing wrestling at the age of 15, so the school districts and the board of directors said that because I was a professional athlete that I couldn't do anything.

The thing is you can never sugarcoat anything, If you're going to tell a story, tell the truth. If you're going to tell something, why not tell it all?

To actually be able to live out my dream and be in the WWE, be in the cruiserweight division, have the opportunity bring it to the forefront and show the WWE universe what we're about, there's no better feeling in the world.

The one thing you can't do to me is tell me that I'm not going to be able to do something because I'm going to do everything that I can to prove you wrong.

I think the WWE has really rounded my skills as a sports-entertainer. It's been a great experience.

I'm Rich Swann all day... You have to have fun.

When I was finally able to wrestle in Baltimore, it was huge for me.

My mom found a wrestling school that was in Maryland, and she told me to go down there. From there, I really got my head out of any negativity, and I focused on trying to become a professional wrestler, living my dream from when I was a kid. Wrestling saved my life.

Wrestlers were my role models. And now to think that I am that person to somebody, that brings me joy.

Impact has some of the most exciting wrestlers and performers and some of the greatest people in our industry.