Apollo ‘I’m having the most fun I’ve had in WWE’

Since his call-up to the main roster nearly two years ago, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Apollo.

The thirty-year old has flirted with title opportunities on both Raw and SmackDown in that time, but struggled to get himself over as fans demanded more from Apollo the personality having already been impressed with Apollo the wrestler.

A storyline paring him with Titus O’Neil at first didn’t seem like the antidote into helping Apollo make that next step in his development, yet during their birth of Titus Worldwide something changed for the former NXT star. As a paring and now as tag team and stable we’ve seen the character within Apollo’s impressive ability rear it’s head and we’re finally getting the WWE Superstar we always knew was in his make up.

Now as attentions turn to WWE’s biggest event of the year, Apollo is hoping the more well-rounded version of himself will lead him to a WrestleMania meeting with the Raw Tag Team Champions - and you couldn’t say it hasn’t been deserving.

Apollo, you’re enjoying the most TV time you’ve had since joining the main roster in 2016 how much are you enjoying being part of Titus Worldwide?

I’m having the most fun I’ve had for while. It’s an interesting dynamic as we each have different styles for different situations and that seems to be working for us. You have to be different in WWE because there’s so much talent on the roster. I think as a package we’re doing something no one else is doing and getting a good response, so hopefully opportunities keep coming our way and we’ll take full advantage of anything we get. Right now I’m enjoying what we’re doing and I hope that continues because given a chance we can make things happen.

How big of a role has Titus O’Neil played in both the faction and your role within it on television?

Titus is an amazing guy both in and outside the ring and he’s taught me a lot, not just in WWE but in my real life too. He’s helped me be more relaxed, be more myself and show more personality and more character. He’s such an amazing human being that being around him on camera just allows me to be myself. He’s taught me to understand WWE it’s not all about wrestling and that I needed to learn to be an entertainer as well. I think when you’re having fun; people can feel that and have fun themselves. He’s taught me to go out there be more relaxed and not be scared to make a fool of myself. When I first got to WWE I think I took myself a bit too seriously and all I wanted to be was a great wrestler. But there’s a lot more than that when it comes to WWE, so he taught me to understand that. It’s worked out for me as I’ve shown I do have personality and I do have character, I’m thank him for that everyday.

It’s showing in your performances on Raw and the Apollo we are seeing right now. Would you say that’s because you were perhaps called-up too early from NXT to the main roster?

I can’t look on the past like that to be honest, everything happens for a reason. There’s an argument to say I could of stayed longer in NXT and became NXT Champion or for me to build up a character and a bigger fan base, but I don’t think about that now as it distracts me from my current goals. I try to always look to the future rather than the past because I could sit here all day and say oh I could have done this or I could have done that, but that just takes my focus away from what I’m trying to do now. I stay focused on what I’m going to do rather than what I could have done.

What would you say you’ve found the biggest difference has been from NXT and the main roster?

It’s a lot different, especially with the travel as that’s something I’d never done before. In NXT it was Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Orlando training and then travelling, but nowhere too far out of Orlando. When you get to WWE and literally every weekend your on a plane going state to state, so it’s really different - especially when you’re used to a certain structure. My eating, my training, it took me a while to work a schedule that works, but now I’m packing my meals on the road and training every moment I get. It’s like every single minute of your day is consumed and you have to plan accordingly otherwise you lose valuable time, so you have to plan and be organised.

Do you still keep an eye on NXT? Who would you like to see follow in your footsteps onto Raw and SmackDown Live? 

I keep a look out down there and I have genuine friends down there, one of them is No Way Jose. He’s an amazing talent and he’s one of the guys who I’d like to see show what he’s got in to offer in WWE. Both he and Ricochet are good friends and it’s nice to see them get opportunities down there, but there’s so much talent in NXT. You have to take full advantage of your spot, because if you don’t the next person will. I hope to see those guys get called-up sooner rather than later.

You mention Ricochet, a recent WWE signing and someone who you know well. What advice would you give him as someone who’s already made that jump to WWE?

The best advice I can give him is to be himself. He got there on his own merit, so he just needs to show the company and show the world why they signed him. He’s an amazing talent, an amazing athlete and as long as doesn’t try to be something he’s not and stays focused on his work, everyone will see that.

Like you, he’s part of a group of Superstars who have graduated from the Indies to WWE in recent years. How pleasing is it to see so many of you succeed and all at the same time?

It’s cool to see all your friends make it to that level, especially when it’s something you all talked about when your sitting in the dojo in Japan. We’d talk about being in WWE so much and then flash one year later, you blink your eyes and we’re all in WWE, it’s crazy to think about now. Time goes so quick and it you don’t time to enjoy every moment of it you kind of miss out. It’s very awesome to see all of the talent I used to see before WWE now part of this and here together. It’s an amazing thing.

Being part of WWE means WrestleMania, which is on the horizon. You had a taste of the event in Orlando last year, what is the WrestleMania experience like?

It’s not something you can really put into words. To walk out in the town I live in now, Orlando and to be at WrestleMania, it’s amazing. Not many people get the chance to be a part of WrestleMania, so for me to be in WWE for a year and then have my first WrestleMania, it’s unlike anything else. It’s the thing you dream about as a kid, because there’s nothing bigger. It’s our SuperBowl, it’s our World Series, and it’s what we all work for, to be part of WrestleMania. The energy is electric, everyone steps their game up to the next level because that’s what we work all year round for - we don’t have an off season. We grind hard everyday, but especially this time of year when we know it’s time for us to work even harder and put on a show.

Having traded wins with Raw Tag Team Champions The Bar in recent weeks, will Sheamus and Cesaro be your focus come WrestleMania and for you are they best tag team around right now?

There’s so much talent on Raw that it’s hard for me to say that they are the absolute best, but they are great competitors! Anytime I get to go against guys who’ve been around for so long like Sheamus and Cesaro it’s a blessing for me. It’s then up to Titus and myself to prove that we are competitors and that we’re here to stay, so hopefully the Tag Team Titles will be heading our way but we’ll see how it goes.

You can catch your favourite Superstars in person during the WWE UK Live Tour from 9 May - 18 May. To find your nearest show, visit