Barri Griffiths (Mason Ryan) reflects on his WWE run.
Ryan, real name Barri Griffiths, had a memorable run in WWE, as he was a member of the New Nexus. He has not wrestled since 2015, and he has since transitioned to Cirque du Soleil.
Speaking with Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Ryan looked back on his debut on the main roster in 2011, when he helped CM Punk attack John Cena.
"I guess you’re never really ready for it. I was very new, but I really fit the mold of what they were looking for – tall and pretty jacked, just had a certain look to me. So I was thrown in pretty soon – maybe too soon, I don’t know," Ryan said.
Ryan also commented on suffering a torn hamstring in May 2011; the injury came at a time when he was set to wrestle John Cena on a tour of Australia, and he noted that setbacks like that can really affect your career.
"These little things can really affect your career. If Roman Reigns had an injury, or something happened at the wrong time, he could have just been be nothing," Ryan said.
Ryan went on to reflect on the end of his time in WWE, as he was released in 2014 after an unsuccessful return to FCW/NXT and a string of live event partners. He then detailed how he joined Cirque Du Soleil, and he stated that it all worked out.
"At that point, I was 33, 34. Going to work for Cirque Du Soleil, doing five shows a week, that would probably be the end of my wrestling career. It wasn’t an easy decision, because obviously, I’ve worked work really hard to get where I was. I loved wrestling. Everything works out,’ he smiled. I’m working for an amazing company in Cirque du Soleil, putting on an amazing show every night. It’s not over yet. I’ve still got a long way to go," Ryan said.
In 2018, Mason Ryan discussed joining Cirque Du Soleil. Click here to see what he had to say.
Fred Rosser previously commented on the Nexus documentary getting shelved. Check out his comments here.
