Erick Redbeard will without end be an essential piece of The Wyatt Household.
As Erick Rowan, he performed an integral position beside Luke Harper as Bray Wyatt started his rise in WWE. Redbeard, whose actual title is Joseph Ruud, additionally shared quite a lot of success teaming with Harper (actual title Jon Huber, who wrestled in AEW as Brodie Lee till his sudden loss of life in December 2020). Along with their time collectively in The Wyatt Household, they have been additionally WWE tag workforce champions as The Bludgeon Brothers. When Braun Strowman was added to the Wyatts, the household was full, and the 4 created enduring moments collectively.
Redbeard reunites with Strowman, who’s now identified by his actual title of Adam Scherr, this weekend in Northeast Wrestling. They’ll workforce up at the Over the Prime present Friday evening in Waterbury, Conn., then have a giant conflict the next day towards Bully Ray and NZO on Saturday at WrestleFest XXVI in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., which will probably be streamed on the Highspots Wrestling Community.
Talking with Sports activities Illustrated, Ruud mentioned his recollections of The Wyatt Household, his farewell to Brodie Lee in AEW and the possibility to workforce up once more with Scherr.
Sports activities Illustrated: Earlier than we go deep into wrestling, you simply appeared on an episode of Mayor of Kingstown as a biker. How did that come collectively?
Erick Redbeard: I’m pursuing an appearing profession. One of many first initiatives I did was Ghosts of the Ozarks, which comes out Feb. 3. I’ve been engaged on my craft. Getting solid in one thing by [screenwriter] Taylor Sheridan, who’s an incredible author, is an honor. I’ll hold pushing, and we’ll see what’s subsequent.
SI: You’ve got the possibility to reunite this weekend at the Northeast Wrestling shows with Adam Scherr. You two know one another fairly nicely and have traveled collectively extensively. What excites you most about working with him once more?
ER: The final time we tagged collectively was in WWE in 2016. A lot has occurred since then. He went on this main-event run, and I’m actually joyful and pleased with all the things he has achieved. He’s somebody with this never-quit angle, and that’s one thing which doesn’t go unnoticed.
It’s been fairly a spot since we final teamed collectively, so there will probably be some nostalgia once we are again within the ring. We have been on the highway a lot collectively, and it’ll really feel like house once we get within the ring collectively.
SI: You’re working with Bully Ray, who’s a tag workforce icon for his work within the Dudley Boyz, and NZO, who was Enzo Amore and had a number of success partnering with Massive Cass after they have been collectively in WWE.
It’s so exhausting to have longevity in tag workforce wrestling since you’re compelled to spend a lot time along with your accomplice, whether or not you share something in widespread or not. At first, why didn’t you and Brodie Lee jel collectively? Have been you simply two totally different personalities?
ER: We have been too alike for our personal good. At first, we have been so protecting of our spots. When The Wyatt Household was put collectively, we have been the 2 background guys. We clearly wished extra, however that ended up serving to us develop. And we stored getting again collectively, and each time, we jelled much more. As time grew by, we revered the hell out of one another and have become nice pals.
SI: That friendship with Brodie grew over time to a bond that can by no means be damaged. Was there a second in time while you turned brothers, or it was a type of cases that developed over time?
ER: It was a type of issues the place the ice broke, and we each let our guards down. He was a very humorous man. I attempted to be humorous, too, however I ended up throwing a number of foul balls. For each 50 jokes, perhaps I’d get him to snicker at one. There was nobody like him. Not a day goes by I don’t take into consideration him.
SI: You made an look in AEW on Dynamite to pay your respects to Brodie’s reminiscence, and it was extraordinarily emotional.
ER: It was exhausting. To me, it’s one thing I needed to do. Although I’d by no means been there [to AEW], I knew a number of the individuals there. It felt like a giant household, and all of us stated goodbye.
SI: The Wyatt Household had an unimaginable run. When the idea was coming collectively in NXT again in 2012, did you suppose it may turn into one thing particular?
ER: I had no thought in anyway it will be that profitable. I wasn’t shut with Jon [Brodie/Luke] or Windham [Bray Wyatt] beforehand. When all of it got here collectively, I used to be the third wheel, which ended up working nice, and I actually obtained into the character.
SI: How did the sheep masks change into part of your ensemble?
ER: I used to be doing all these totally different gimmicks, and I attempted a Viking gimmick. I used to be informed that will by no means make any cash, which is humorous three or 4 years later, there’s the Viking Raiders and so they’re nice. So I attempted all these various things, and I did all these promos with Windham and Jon.
Windham went to a Halloween store and obtained all these masks—and one was a sheep masks. I attempted all of the masks on promo day, and I attempted all these totally different mannerisms and traits. However again then, Dusty Rhodes didn’t need me to cowl up my face. He stated I used to be ugly sufficient with out the masks [laughing], that means I had a singular face.
Quick-forward, I debuted with the Wyatts in NXT. Nobody informed me I used to be debuting that evening at Full Sail. I had blue denims, however I didn’t wish to try this as a result of that’s what Jon was sporting and I didn’t wish to put on trunks, however I used to be fortunate to have that jumpsuit in my trunk. It’s humorous how issues come collectively. After we filmed our Wyatt Household vignette, I made a decision to carry all these masks. So it simply occurred to be a collection of humorous coincidences.
SI: You achieved a lot in WWE, together with a run as Daniel Bryan’s tag workforce accomplice. You shared the ring with The Rock at WrestleMania 32, battled The New Day and The Protect, and also you have been a part of that Bray Wyatt–Daniel Bryan cage match in 2014 on Uncooked when Bryan turned on Wyatt and the group exploded. There have been so many nice moments, together with battling The Protect. Do you could have a favourite second out of your run in WWE?
ER: The “Sure!” nights have been at all times electrical throughout that point. I additionally particularly keep in mind Elimination Chamber [in 2014] in my hometown of Minneapolis the place we wrestled The Protect. That crowd was one of many loudest I ever heard.
SI: And now the possibility exists to make new recollections this weekend in Northeast Wrestling.
ER: I can’t wait to get my palms on NZO. Me and Adam are going to workforce up and handle Bubba, after which it’s throughout for NZO.
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Justin Barrasso could be reached at [email protected]. Observe him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
