Matt Morgan Shoot Interview

When Matt Morgan was first called up to the WWE ten years ago, many believed he was about to embark on what was sure to be a long and prosperous career with the global leader in sports entertainment. Upon his debut, he was thrown right into the fire, working with the biggest names in the business atop the biggest events in the industry. What happened in the years to follow was a roller coaster of roadblocks and obstacles, but the whole way Morgan remained optimistic that his time would come. A decade later, Matt Morgan has enjoyed extended success in the world of professional wrestling, but he still hasn’t reached the very top of the business with the WWE, or come even close to reaching the potential that many believe he had and still has. Both in and outside the ring, Matt has had a life full of ups and downs, and his journey is both heartbreaking at times and also inspirational. In late 2013, Matt’s seven year run with TNA came to a very surprising and controversial end, and for the first time, Morgan has decided to sit down exclusively for the RF Video cameras and tell all about a very accomplished, and also frustrating run as one of wrestling’s biggest (literally) stars. When we sat down with Matt, we had no idea what to expect and we knew very little about the real Matt Morgan away from bright lights and tv cameras. In the 4+ hours that followed, we came to respect Morgan as a man who has been through more adversity than most and lived to tell about it. Matt went into excrutiating detail about the life of an addict, a disease he struggled with everyday for nearly five years at a time when his career was just starting to take off. In this video, you will learn what substances Matt’s struggled with, how he got it, what life in the WWE and international locker rooms is like as an addict and just what happened that caused him to hit rock bottom and turn his life around. Matt also talked about helping many of his brothers in the business who have had similar struggles, including Kurt Angle, a man who has publically battled his demons for nearly a decade. Matt also had a very traumatic childhood in the classroom, and bounced from school to school until participating in an experimental program that will shock you when you hear just what it entailed. Morgan’s story of persevereance in the face of ADHD, learning disabilities and drug addiction is both heartbreaking and inspiring, and it’s a story you need to hear. Of course, this was just a fraction of the topics we covered with Matt during his first sitdown in front of the RF Video cameras…. We also discussed Matt’s entire WWE run, from his chance meeting with Vince McMahon in the WWE gym before he ever began training to be a wrestler, to his initial introduction to the WWE Universe as part of MTV’s ‘Tough Enough’ reality show, and his arrival in OVW and eventually the bright lights of Monday Night RAW and Smackdown. Matt will tell you what went on behind the scenes with his development, and who was instrumental in helping guide him through the early stages of his career. Matt worked at OVW with some of the biggest names in the business, including John Cena, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow and many more. What were these superstars like before hitting the big time? Matt will tell you. Matt’s WWE run came to an abrupt and shocking end in 2005 before he fully reached his potential, and Matt himself was caught by surprise by his release. Matt will tell you all about that difficult day and who told him he was out, and what they told him he needed to do to return. After his relase, Matt went international, working extensively in Japan for All Japan, New Japan and HUSTLE, and worked with the country’s biggest names and icons, and he’ll tell you all about life as a gaijin in the land of the Rising Sun. Matt also of course had a long run with TNA, where he worked nearly everyone on the roster and was part of the company during their expansion to Spike, live tv tapings, the introduction of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, and everything else in between. Matt will take you behind the scenes of the Impact Zone and tell you what life is like at TNA and how it compares to his time and life in the WWE. Here are just a few of the other topics and questions we covered with Matt Morgan: – What does he remember about his first meeting with Vince McMahon in the WWE gym? – His memories of playing Division 1 NCAA basketball and participating in the 1996 NCAA Tourney – How ‘real’ was Tough Enough and what happened behind the scenes of MTV’s “reality show”? – His relationship with WWE Superstars Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, Big Show, Kane and others – What happened on his tag partner Nathan Jones final day in the WWE and why did he leave? – What was it like working with Chris Benoit and was he surprised when he heard about the Benoit Tragedy? – Who’s idea was it to give Matt the infamous stuttering gimmick, and did he like the gimmick? – What was it like being an outsider at the ECW One Night Stand PPV in NYC in 2005? – What was going on up in the balcony of the Hammerstein Ballroom when the cameras weren’t rolling and what did Gene Stinsky do that surprised and grossed Matt out? – What does Matt remember about the JBL/Blue Meanie fight at the end of the ECW ppv? – Who told Matt he was being released and what were his initial feelings that day? – How did Matt become addicted to painkillers and where was he getting them? – How did Matt get clean from drugs and just how difficult was it? – Matt details his entire run in Japan with AJPW, NJPW and Hustle – How did Matt end up at TNA and who first introduced him to Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett? – What were his first impressions of Dixie Carter and TNA management? – Does he ‘love’ or ‘hate’ Vince Russo and his controversial style of booking at TNA? – What were his first impressions of the TNA locker room and how was he treated when he first arrived? – Does Matt think the legends and former WWE stars that come to TNA are there to work or collect a paycheck? – What was the talk in the TNA locker room when they learned that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff were coming aboard? What were Matt’s personal thoughts on the hirings? – How did things change when Hulk and Eric came aboard and how were the changes received? – What does Matt think about the TNA Impact Zone and the fans that attend the tapings there? – What was it like in TNA when they took the show on the road? How did attendance affect the morale? – What were Matt’s thoughts on the TNA creative process? How involved was he in his storylines? – How involved were Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in the day to day operations of TNA wrestling? – What was his personal relationship with Hulk Hogan, Sting and Ric Flair? – How did Dixie Carter change over the years and does Matt think she’s qualified to run a wrestling promotion? – What was it like in the TNA locker room when Kurt Angle was going thru his messy divorce and his wife ended up with Jeff Jarrett? – When did Matt first become frustrated with his role in TNA storylines and does he think he should have a run on top as TNA Champion? – What are Matt’s memories of working with TNA stars like Team 3D, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Abyss, Hernandez, Mr Anderson, Scott Steiner, Samoa Joe, Kevin Nash, Bobby Roode, James Storm and more? – What does Matt think about the treatment of the TNA knockouts and the difference in the pay scale between the male and female talent at TNA? – What is Matt’s opinion on the controversial treatment of Jesse Sorenson, Zema Ion, Daffney and others? – What does Matt think about the rising concern over concussions suffered by professional wrestlers? – What is Matt’s take on steroids and does he think they have their place in today’s wrestling? – What does Matt think about the WWE’s Wellness Policy and drug testing? Is it real? – What are Matt’s memories of his season as a gladiator on ‘American Gladiators’? – and many more! These are just a few of the topics and questions we discussed with the ‘Blueprint’ and Matt answered them all honestly and openly in his first exclusive interview since his release from TNA. This is another interview that will have people buzzing and you won’t want to miss it!