Although Luke Harper has been causing havoc in SmackDown Live's tag team division, he still has world title aspirations.
16-year veteran of the pro wrestling game Luke Harper has suddenly risen to the top of the SmackDown Live tag team division along with his partner Erick Rowan. Harper is not only taking names inside of the ring, but he is also making plays on the big screen as he recently starred in the film 'Mohawk' which is available for purchase on numerous platforms.
While speaking with Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports, Harper would go in detail about a number of topics regarding his pro wrestling career and his on-screen role in 'Mohawk'. He also revealed that he was rehabbing a serious injury during the shooting of the film.
"I had dislocated my patella and this was filmed in July, so I was in the middle of rehab at the time. So we’d film all day and then I would head to the gym and do rehab at night. The knee brace was actually written in before I was sought out for the part. And so he said “Hey, would you mind wearing a knee brace and limping?” I said “No, no, that should be fine.” Harper said.
There have been a few other WWE superstars who have made the transition to the movie screen. Names such as: The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Miz, Dean Ambrose and more have solidified that WWE/movie star connection. Although the names mentioned are extremely notable, especially Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Harper's favorite wrestler/actor is the former 4-time World Heavyweight Champion Batista.
"Clearly big Dave Batista," Harper revealed. "Just because my son adores the character and I think the movie’s awesome and I think big Dave’s awesome as a person. But outside of that, I would say that I’m a close number two."
After being off of WWE programming due to what Harper said was; "creative having nothing for him", he and Erick Rowan decided to take the initiative to get themselves off of the sidelines and approach the chairman Vince McMahon with an idea.
"It just came from the minds of Rowan and myself and actually Vince McMahon. We were all tired of seeing ’em sit on the sidelines and put this together and when Vince suggested that we carry giant mallets around, I was sold. I’ll tell you a little story. A couple weeks ago we had a match, and I messed up one of Rowan’s spots. We got to the back and I apologized. He said “Hey man, no problem.” And I watched it back and he just waited his turn and everything was better because of it. At that point, I knew when he didn’t get mad at me, that maybe we were supposed to be together."
With six months in the book as a team for the Bludgeon Brothers, Harper & Rowan are in position to get their hands on the SmackDown Live Tag Team Titles. Harper shared that with the help Vince McMahon, the duo's characters have been given new life, along with new ring gear and a new attitude.
"Yep, it’s a huge stamp of his." Harper said of Vince McMahon's role in helping putting together the 'Bludgeon Brothers' gimmick, "And then it’s just me and Rowan just being a couple of no-nonsense, don’t care about anybody, go to the ring and do what we wanna do kind of business now, and I’m way more comfortable with that. So I’m cool with it."
"The Backwoods Brawler" being a former WWE Intercontinental Champion in his own right shows that he is not just a tag team specialist. Although things are shaping up nice for Harper in the tag division, he has goals of becoming a world champion in WWE.
"Of course, and I had a run, a very small run with the Intercontinental title that I would love to redo, and me and Rowan have never won the championship, so that’s at the forefront right now. Long term, literally I wanna be able to support my wife and my two sons and be happy. A world championship would definitely help that."
Harper would further dive into his role in 'Mohawk', shared his thoughts on SmackDown Live's tag team division and much more. To read the rest of what Luke Harper had to say, click here.
