Comedian Gabriel Iglesias on Bringing Wrestling Fandom to ‘WWE Rivals’ Panel

There are not many celebrities that wave their pro wrestling fan flag more than Gabriel Iglesias. “Fluffy” has been a fixture on WWE television including guest host of SmackDown and appearing on shows like WrestleMania. This made the popular comedian perfect to tag in as the new lead panelist of WWE Rivals.

The A&E series, first hosted by Freddie Prinze Jr. features a roundtable of stars of today and yesterday talking about the biggest feuds in history. New episodes include Hulk Hogan vs. Randy “Macho Man” Randy Savage, John Cena vs. Batista, Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan vs. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and more iconic showdowns.

Here Iglesias talks about his WWE fandom and reveals his favorite rivalries.

How did this opportunity come about to join WWE Rivals? 

Gabriel Iglesias: I’ve just been hanging out and going to events and little functions here and there for almost 15 years. I think they realized we got to put this dude on payroll because he’s not going anywhere. I always get annoyed when I see actors or singers or whoever it is participating in something WWE-related and not being real fans. Just there to promote whatever and then they’re gone. With me, it’s like why don’t they give me a chance? Eventually, it got to the point I wound up being ringside, then backstage, and pretty much the rest is history. So when I got the call, it was a no-brainer. Usually, you show up on a set and you have to get acquainted with everyone. With this, I showed up to the WWE Performance Center to tape the show and already knew everyone. That was the coolest thing. You hang out long enough eventually they will start paying you.

What would you say makes you different from Freddie Prinze Jr.? 

Much love to Freddie Prinze. I know him, and we’re very cool. He loves this business. I feel that he is super analytical because he was actually involved in storylines and wrote a lot of them. When you’re doing something long enough, you kind of get jaded. I think that is what happened to me and comedy. I needed to do something that would refresh myself. So when I got this opportunity to step outside my box and participate in this, I was all about it. What I’m bringing to the table versus what Freddie brought to the table is a very different perspective. I am a superfan. As a superfan, I know my lane. I’m not going in there acting like I know everything about the business. I’m approaching it from the I’m still in awe that I’m here. I’m in awe that I get to watch these events and stories and remember how they made me feel.

WWE Rivals is about these stories from the past. That’s when I was really into it one hundred percent. A lot of these stories happened before I had a job and was doing comedy. I may have been a kid sitting on the couch. For me to discuss these stories get me very nostalgic. I got to give my insight into what I was doing at this time as a fan. There are a lot of great memories. That’s my two cents. It doesn’t hurt you put this funny dude in there. I’m a kid in a candy store with all these superstars.

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Tell me about the panel. There is everyone from Natalya and Cody Rhodes to Kevin Nash and John “Bradshaw” Layfield. 

I love that this panel has superstars from yesterday to now at one table. Everyone on the panels I’ve spent time with individually. To sit at a table together and have discussions and conversations on and off camera was so much fun. Everyone was happy to be there, even Kevin. With Kevin, it’s usually how much am I getting paid to be here. Kevin was actually really happy to be around everyone. I’ve worked with Kevin on a couple of different projects. The fact he was having a good time considering all the things he has gone through the last couple of years. He like everyone else was just great to be around.

I’ve had some nice conversations with Nattie. She is awesome. Every time I see her she gives me a great big hug. I love being around that kind of energy. Cody, Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, JBL. I thought I was going to have an issue with JBL because of who I saw on TV growing up all these years. I thought he was going to be a pill. Turns out JBL and I, we’re like BFFs now. He texts me with random jokes now. This dude is hysterical. It was really cool to be around all these people. I was just geeking out.

How was it being at the WWE Performance Center? Did you get a chance to tour around? 

You know I got in the ring. I was inside, outside. They were showing me where Dusty Rhodes used to go to the bathroom. I was using Dusty Rhodes’ bathroom. I was like, “This is where the ‘American Dream’ used to blow it up?’” They were like, “That’s where he blew it up.” If it was good enough for Dusty, it was good enough for me. I’m geeking out in a bathroom. That doesn’t happen. I was all over that Performance Center. It’s funny because people like to hang out in the parking lot. Fans know where Performance Center is, so you get people hanging out in the parking lot hoping to see a superstar. It was pretty cool because I felt like them.

WWE

A lot of times pro wrestling doesn’t get props for its long-term storytelling, but this show shines a light on that. We’re talking about rivalries with Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair and “Macho Man” and Hulk Hogan. What rivalry were you most excited to tackle? 

For me, it’s talking about the rivalries that I grew up watching. Don’t get me wrong I think the rivalry between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes is incredible, but that was before I got into it. I watched the Hogan and “Macho Man” rivalry live. I saw it unfold every week as a kid, whether it was on Superstars or Saturday Night’s Main Event, or Prime Time Wrestling. My connections to those rivalries are the ones I got so excited about. All of them are incredible. It triggers great memories for me.

Do you look at these rivalries from childhood differently as an adult? 

Watching it as a kid versus now is one of those things whereas as a kid there is an innocence behind it. I didn’t know how the magician did the trick. I would get into actual arguments about what was going on but now I appreciate it for a whole different reason. I know the ins and outs of the business. I still love it, but I do miss the way I looked at it when I was a kid.

You were at WrestleMania 40. Talk about long-term rivalries. What did you think of Cody Rhodes finishing the story and finally defeating Roman Reigns? 

It was a trip. One of the rivalries we’re talking about on the show down the line is Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns and how this rivalry is just one of those that continues to go and go. This was before it was announced that it was going to be Seth and Roman being a part of that main event tag match at Mania. We taped it, and this popped up. That rivalry will not go away. I thought Cody and Roman were awesome. The build for Cody and Roman will no doubt be an episode in itself.

The show also airs alongside WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures. Is there any piece of your own wrestling collection that you find particularly valuable? 

I own a pair of Chris Jericho tights and the covers that go over the boots that match. I want to say he wore them at a WrestleMania, and he gave them to me. I got pictures. He autographed them for me, so that was really cool. I have a bunch of wrestling stuff and photos, autographs, and belts, but the Chris Jericho tights I thought were pretty awesome.

We’ve seen so many wrestlers enter the standup comedy world. Is there anyone that you think would have the goods to step inside your ring? 

I know he’ll never do it because of his position, but I’ve always said The Rock has an incredible level of confidence and wit and can think super fast on his feet. If he wanted to do standup comedy, I know he could. He has the humor for it, the timing, and the mic skills to pull it off.

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And you’d be willing to work with him I’m sure. 

Oh yeah. I’m manifesting that right now. If it happens, remember this. I had never met him before. I saw him at a WWE 2K event. I was stalking him while I recorded saying, “Hey, there he is.” He has more security than the president, so trying to get close to him is really challenging. My whole story was that I was going to get my picture with him during WrestleMania weekend. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I would.

Sure as sh*t the last night of Mania I got my photo with him. I thought it was really cool that he stopped and was able to take a photo with him. When I looked at him and went to shake his hand, he said, “Oh hey.” He knew me! He asked what I thought of Mania so far. I was like, “Oh my God. Now he wants to talk.” His handlers then said he had to go. I had my friends with me and said, “Did you see that?” That was our big victory for the weekend.

WWE Rivals returns April 21, 8/7c, A&E