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EC3 on The Importance of Mental Health, Braun Strowman and How To Free The Narrative
Today's guest is EC3. EC3 (real name Michael Hutter) is a professional wrestler and bodybuilder known for his time in WWE, IMPACT Wrestling and Ring of Honor (ROH). He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about his new project "Free The Narrative 2", working with Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr), the book and movies that inspire him, how he felt WWE dropped the ball with the EC3 character, his diet and workout regimen and much more!
“You said that I created something that will last forever. I think that was the purpose when I first created Control Your Narrative. [I was] Coming out of the WWE and the pandemic, but also re-creating myself as a character. One of the main things I wanted to drive home was to control your narrative and to tell your story. But the idea was to also create something that would last forever. So Control Your Narrative is the movement and Free The Narrative is the feature. The first one is me vs. Matt Cardona, and the second one is me vs. Braun Strowman/ Adam Scherr in his first match since leaving WWE in a dimly lit, disgusting bar. We put it out to the world and told a great story.”
“I guess in a sense. We have no formal training in that aspect, but it doesn’t seem that hard. 3 acts, cool dialogue, interesting people with stories to tell. But maybe not, because the head is being scratched as we expand with what we do, but perhaps. I also wouldn’t mind being in them, and learn the process on how people direct and produce etc.”
“I am most proud of this feature, Free The Narrative 2. There’s very few moments in my life where I felt like this was significant and felt great. I can actually sit here and breathe it, usually it’s like, OK cool what’s next? I remember that we put this together on short notice, all the people who came and helped out and donated their time and gave their trust to me. We film it and we have this experience where Adam literally became this new human being. I’m like this is insane, what’s happening? It’s like an exorcism of his past with a crappy wrestling ring. We are having a couple of drinks after and I’m like this is crazy. I walk back to the hotel and I think that this is the proudest thing I have ever done.”
“Storytelling. I think you can find a story within anything in wrestling. I think we are getting away from circumstantial storytelling in lieu of cool moves. Even if you have 5 minutes, there’s a story to be told, as opposed to going and hitting a bunch of moves in record time that people forget about immediately. It’s not always easy to find the story or delve into it. What suck’s, and what inspired this whole movement, is in the business of the 3 letter brands, no matter how much creative freedom you may have, at the end of the day, it’s still not yours. But that’s OK, you are paid to do your job for the people in charge. But creating this gives talent as much creative freedom as they want to tell their story. I can tell the difference, if I’m not interested in the story, everything hurts.”
“When you think of a guy like that, he was signed and put in the system. So he knows nothing but the system he is accustomed to, until he shows up to this dimly lit bar in downtown Orlando. Adam seeing that we had no catering, no locker room, he knows it going into it. But seeing him experience something different, it opens his eyes to see what else is out there and how does this work? What’s fortunate for him is that he had a great run and he is a great talent. He can pick anywhere to go and get a great reaction. But after a month, fans can go, ok, well what’s next? But his ability to re-create what he wants to be within the narrative, this is what he can bring to the table. As far as wrestling goes and where he goes, who’s to say?”
“I think the Tag Me In movement is doing a great job. Mental health issues are a plague on our society, not just the wrestling industry. Everyone goes through it and it’s OK to talk about it. Being able to discuss things and having someone who is there to listen, that’s really all we truly need in the most part.”
“I pitched the whole character that this started as. I pitched it verbally, written, and then I filmed the promo that I released on the day I was fired, because I sent it to them on the day I was fired. So I was like I cut this great promo and I cut my hair, but it was overshadowed by stupid Drake Maverick and his crocodile tears. No matter what happened, I didn’t want people to think that I didn’t try. There was a time and I didn’t care and I wasn’t trying, but that’s not me. I’d rather go down swinging than be shot. But yes that was pitched along with an underground fight club essence to it. Then I’m released and 90 days later I have my match, which took place in a dimly lit underground looking garage. Obviously it is Fight Club inspired. But then a week later they start Raw Underground, so I guess they found my pitch in the trash.”
“I think just the first segment where I come out and didn’t speak. I just let [Dean] Ambrose jab me a bit, it’s fun and whatever. He shouldn’t have been a babyface, but he had that great run with the company and now he is leaving, so people are cheering for him. I think the debut had no purpose. They called up a bunch of people in a rash decision, and I think they could have lived or died on their own, they didn’t need a bunch. But it doesn’t matter, there’s no point to any of it. On my end, dropping the ball was not doing anything to make them give it to me. I tried a few things, one thing I promised myself when I got there was I will never be that guy who is miserable and it doesn’t matter. And I became it, and that’s on me. But maybe it happened for a reason.”
“The people who have found themselves into my life, the trust people put in me and my aesthetics.”
