Elias recently sat down with “Commercial Appeal”. During the conversation, he discussed John Cena, what he is looking to accomplish in 2019 and more. Here are highlights from the interview:
On Feuding With Bobby Lashley:
I’ve had to deal with Bobby Lashley the majority of 2018, and it’s taken years off my life, I’m sure, but to finally get in there and do a little Christmas street fight where I dropped him on a bunch of Legos, blasted him in the face with a fire extinguisher and rolled a bowling ball into his (nether region), it felt great.
On What He Expects For Himself In 2019:
The performances need to get bigger, more grand and in front of more people. Secondly, as hard as it may be to believe, I have not yet captured any sort of championship title in my career. Now, I’m not out here plotting my way to steal the title on Monday night, but I’ve got no desire to go the long route.
Whatever opportunities come my way, I’ll make the most of them.
On His Feelings Towards John Cena:
John Cena has been a thorn in my side almost my entire career. It seems like every big event, whatever it may be, he seems to pop up and make life tough for Elias. It probably comes down to jealousy. There are a lot of similarities in our careers: the music, the crowd (reactions), things like that. But the difference is our mentalities. He’s got the ‘never give up’ mentality. It’s a very self-involved mentality. Whereas, I’m saying, ‘Walk with Elias. I’ll take care of you.’ It’s just clashing philosophies.
On Being In Memphis (The Host Of This Monday’s Raw):
Memphis gets me right off the bat because it’s got such a rich music history. Elvis (Presley), B.B. King. These guys are legends. Of course, everything in music is influenced by someone else. I used to fall asleep listening to (Eric) Clapton as a teenager, and he was influenced by guys like B.B. King. And now I’m influencing legions of people.
On How He Makes His Music:
I kind of wait til I’m in the city, wherever I’ll be that night for that show. I’ll take in the sights and scenes and whatever’s going on there and start formulating what I’m going to write. (As far as the music goes), that’s just me picking up the guitar and letting loose. Going wherever my mind and my ears take me.
The Meaning Behind “The Ballad Of Every Town I’ve Been To”:
In that song, I say I’m searching for a town that’s not such a disgrace. Throughout my career, there’ve been few and far between. There are some out there, and I’m hoping Memphis proves not to be a disgrace.
It’s not necessarily me being insulting. I am the living truth. I’m going up there and speaking the truth. Whether people like it or not, I can’t change who I am. I have to speak my truth and sometimes it can hurt. (But) that’s Elias for you.
You can read the full interview by clicking HERE
Credit: Commercial Appeal
