ROH World Champion Dalton Castle spoke with Chris Van Vliet at the Bound By Honor event in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Party Peacock spoke on The Boys, watching the WWE product, and Bullet Club’s effect on professional wrestling.
The pressures of being ROH Champion:
Before I was Champion, it didn’t matter if I messed up. I could go out there and if I pulled off a really great match, that was great, but if I don’t… that’s fine. There’s no risk because right now I’m trying to be champion. Now that I’m the Champion, I feel like every time I’m out in the ring I have to prove to everybody that I belong there.
There’s no room for error anymore. I have to be the best wrestler I can be every time I hit the ring because as long as that Championship is around my waist, people are going to be doubting me or looking at me or wondering why.
On his entrance:
I take the entrance seriously, regardless of how silly you think something looks or how fun it is, and it is fun. This is what I love and I put a lot of work into everything I do. The jumpsuits, the entrance…every movement I make out there is because I feel like I’m the best and I want to look the best and be the best.
On his former job as a radio DJ:
That was one of the jobs, I started at WZNE in Rochester, took a job in Albany and…it was fun, man. I love it. Same reason I love wrestling. I love entertaining.
Does he watch WWE?
I watch all wrestling, no matter what company it is. I know I’m the ROH World Champion and I love this place and I’m very proud to be a part of it, but let’s not forget. I’m a wrestling fan, so if there’s wrestling to be seen, I’m gonna watch it.
On the Bullet Club:
It’s mathematically impossible for every member of the Bullet Club to be cool, but they’re all great wrestlers. I respect the hell out of all of them. The Young Bucks have taken all of us and wrestling in general to the next level.
To see how they’ve elevated themselves on their own and as they’ve elevated, I feel like all wrestling around them has elevated and I feel like we all owe them a great gratitude for that.
Is Velveteen Dream taking some of your gimmick?
I don’t see that. He’s kind of playing up a Prince thing, right? Is he coming out with Boys? Alright, then. We’re cool.
On being a homegrown ROH talent:
They took a big gamble on hiring me…just giving me a shot. It took years for me to get an opportunity in Ring of Honor. I went to their tryout camps, I developed this look on my own outside and brought it to them, and they said ‘Alright, I guess we’ll put you in the Top Prospect Tournament.’
I showed them what I had, and fortunately they agreed with me, and they gave me another chance.
You can check out the rest of the interview in the video above.
