Raven explains why he likes the idea of going back to work for MLW and speaks about the immediate future of his career as an in-ring competitor and what those kinds of appearances will look like for him moving forward.
Raven is one of the most pivotal characters of the 1990s wrestling scene. The character, portrayed by Scott Levy, first came to life in ECW. Eventually, Raven would move on to World Championship Wrestling before continuing in the next decade as a WWE Superstar and a wrestler for TNA, Ring of Honor, MLW, and more.
In 2023, Raven is looking to return to work for MLW and explains why he enjoys working for MLW during a new interview with Sean Ross Sapp.
"I like going back for MLW because they always aspired to be ECW-like," Raven said. "They aspired for it, but they weren’t like some of the other aspirants where they were claiming to be the new [ECW]. So I always liked that about them. They didn’t overpress their own coverage, you know what I mean? They didn’t out-kick the coverage. They knew what they were, and they didn’t have to over-brag about it, overhype it.
"So I like working for them. I’m really glad I got to go back ‘cause I always liked Court. I always felt like I helped him a little bit, and he’s always said that," Raven continued. "So that’s probably where I got it from. I like working for people that have a knowledge and a joy for my character, which he really does. [Paul E.] really did, but other people didn’t. I really love working for Court, and I really like what we’re doing, which I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say."
Continuing on, Raven says that the nature of his appearances is supposed to be a surprise, and therefore, he isn't sure how much he can talk about, but he is really proud of the work he was able to put together that will soon be appearing on MLW programming.
"How I’m going to appear, I suppose I can’t really talk about. But it’s really good. The stuff we shot was really, really good. That’s not just hyperbole. I can embellish to an extent, but I’m not going to lie and just say things that aren’t true to get ratings. All ego aside, they did some really cool shit with me," said Raven.
As for a potential future between the ropes, the former ECW World Champion says that once he gets another surgery on his shoulder, he will feel comfortable wrestling out his days in tag team matches.
"I’d been working off and on until I had my knees replaced. I had them replaced last year. [I gotta get my shoulder replaced. I had the left shoulder replaced in 2013. I gotta get the right shoulder replaced sometime in this year. Hopefully, in the fall. Once my knees are healed up completely and my shoulder is healed up completely.] Once that’s done, I’ll probably still do tags," said Raven. "That’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t like being a babyface but on the indies, I have to be. The fans come to see the stars. It’s not fair to just turn yourself to make them boo you even though they don’t want to. Especially for a couple hundred people, it’s just not worth it.
"But as a babyface, I can tag with somebody. I come in on the shine, I beat the guy up, I don’t get touched," he continued. "Then I tag in my partner in, he gets beat up, he makes the hot tag to me, I bump the other guys and go into the finish. So I don’t have to take any bumps. But nobody knows because nobody realizes I’m not bumping because the way the storyline is set-up. Look at the Rock ’n’ Roll Express. Ricky bumped all the time and Robert just came in and got the hot tag. Instead of doing a bunch of false finishes, which everybody does anyway, I just go right to the finish."
Raven explains that because of the condition of his shoulders, he was avoiding doing his signature DDT. While he would compensate for the DDT with one of his signature spots, a Drop Toe Hold onto a steel chair, Raven explained that his current condition allowed him to continue to work smarter not harder.
"I don’t even use my finish, the Raven Effect DDT, because of the bumping in it, because of my shoulder. What I would do is, I would do the drop toe hold into the chair, which gets the same pop, and then I either let my partner do the DDT because he’s a local guy and he gets the rub or I just pin the guy after the drop toe hold into the chair. That way nobody’s going, ‘Oh, we didn’t get the DDT,’ you know what I mean? So all the bases are covered. It’s all psychology. If you work smart, you don’t have to work as hard. You can have a career forever if you work the babyface in tags," Raven said.
Raven was recently honored by IMPACT Wrestling when he joined their Hall of Fame in 2022. Learn more here.
Fightful will have live coverage of MLW Underground when it airs on Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on REELZ
