WWE Interview With “Cowboy” James Storm: What Led Him To NXT, Backstage Reaction, When Will He Be Back

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, “Cowboy” James Storm spoke to WWE.com after he made his NXT debut. Below is some highlights from the interview:

WWE.com – Can you walk us through how the conversation of you coming to NXT began?

James Storm – “It came about because I’m good friends with road Dogg and Billy Gunn. They put it in Triple H’s ear that I was free and clear of all contracts, to see if there’s some interest there. I actually called Road Dogg to see if it was OK that I went up to the NXT Nashville show not too long ago. He said, ‘Yeah, just try to stay out of sight.’ So, I stayed in the locker room. There were reports that I was sitting in the front row at an NXT show, and I didn’t deny that I was there. I just said, ‘I saw the reports and I’m sorry, but that was not me sitting in the front row.’ [Laughs.]

Then, [WWE Performance Center Head Coach] Matt Bloom pulled me aside and asked if I was available to come down that Wednesday and Thursday to Orlando. I went down and talked to Triple H at the NXT TakeOver: Respect special. Then the next night, he asked if I was willing to appear, and I said yes.”

WWE.com – What were you thinking as you walked into the NXT locker room in Nashville that first day?

Storm – “I really didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t know if these guys were looking at me, going, ‘Here’s a guy coming in, trying to take my job.’ Basically, that’s what I’m doing. I’m trying to find a spot. i learned a long time ago that you don’t have to worry about your spot if you’re doing your job right. But all the guys were so cool. All of them came up to me; a couple of them made me feel kinda of old, like, ‘Hey, I used to watch you 10 years ago.’ [Laughs.] But nobody said a negative word or gave me a dirty look, or anything like that. Everybody was super-cool and actually welcoming me in with open arms.”

WWE.com – The million-dollar question: When will we see you back in NXT or even WWE?

Storm – “That’s the million-dollar question. That’s not really up to me. My job is to go out and get myself over, as they say. And it’s up to what we call ‘the suits’ to make the decision of whether to bring me back to NXT or the WWE main roster. I got so many people all the time saying, ‘We want to see you and Bray Wyatt go at it on the microphone.’ I always say that you never know what’s going to happen in wrestling. And I just take one day at a time.”

You can see the full interview at WWE.com.

 

Sheamus To Be Out 4 To 6 Months

WWE.com is reporting that Sheamus suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the Money In The Bank pay-per-view. He will be having surgery next week & he will be out 4 to 6 months.

This Week’s Power Rankings from WWE.com

POWER RANKINGS: JULY 7, 2012

25-Rank / – Previous

Diamond Dallas Page

Yo, it’s him, it’s him. A swift Diamond Cutter to Heath Slater earns Diamond Dallas Page a self-high five and a spot at No. 25. BANG.

24-Rank / 24-Previous
Antonio Cesaro

He lost a Mixed Tag Match, but a strong showing against The Great Khali keeps him from dropping off the rankings.

23-Rank / 20-Previous
Tensai

Not the best of weeks for the mighty expatriate, who drops three spots following his loss to Tyson Kidd and elimination by John Cena in the SmackDown Battle Royal.

22-Rank / – Previous
Zack Ryder

Woo Woo Woo! The Ultimate Broski won his way into the General Manager’s office for next week’s SmackDown, giving him a #SSSSSIIIIIIICCCCKKKK boost back onto the rankings.

21-Rank / 21 -Previous
Chris Jericho

He made an ignominious exit from the tag match on Raw as John Cena chased him away, but breaking out his old catchphrases gave Y2J enough traction to claim the 21 spot once a-GAIN.

20-Rank / 19-Previous
Sin Cara

A sneak attack from Alberto Del Rio cost the masked man a match with The Essence of Excellence, and knocked him down a spot in the rankings as well.

19-Rank / – Previous
Tyson Kidd

The underdog rolled on with a big win over Tensai, boosting him up four spots in the P25.

18-Rank / 17-Previous
Damien Sandow

The self-proclaimed “savior’s” latest pontifications earned him a great American beat down from Zack Ryder, costing “The Enlightened One” a spot on the rankings.

17-Rank / 15-Previous
Prime Time Players

The Prime Time Players looked sharp on Raw SuperShow, but ducked out of the Eight-Man Tag Match before the job was done, dropping them from No. 15 to 17.

16-Rank / 14-Previous
Brodus Clay

He got some hard-earned retribution against David Otunga, but general inactivity prevented The Funkasaurus from maintaining his No. 14 spot.

15-Rank / 18-Previous
Cody Rhodes

He finagled his way into another Money in the Bank Qualifying Match and won, while finally getting a victory over Christian. Seems like Cody Rhodes earned the jump from No. 18 to 15.

14-Rank / 16-Previous
Dolph Ziggler

The Showoff moves up two spots after winning his way into Money in the Bank in convincing fashion.

13-Rank / 12-Previous
Layla

She notched a mixed-tag win and busted a move with Khali. Solid week, but not as solid as …

12-Rank / 13-Previous
AJ

The Geek Goddess’ rankings climb continues after she put WWE Champion CM Punk and Daniel Bryan through a table on Raw SuperShow.

11-Rank /11-Previous
Kofi Kingston & R-Truth

A win in an Eight-Man Tag Match on Raw SuperShow helps the dynamic Tag Champs, Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, maintain their No. 11 spot from last week.

10-Rank / 6-Previous
Kane

While still in the top 10 this week, The Big Red Monster Kane falls four spots after being eliminated by Zack Ryder in the 20-Man Battle Royal on SuperSmackDown LIVE: The Great American Bash.

9-Rank / 10-Previous
Ryback

The carnages continues. This week, Ryback took the fight to Curt Hawkins, making quick work of the overmatched Superstar in a typically brutal and impressive victory.

8-Rank / 7-Previous
Christian

The Intercontinental Champion falls one slot this week after suffering a loss to Cody Rhodes on SmackDown.

7-Rank / 8-Previous
Santino Marella

The Milan Miracle racked up a good week thanks to tag team victories on both Raw and SmackDown. His Tuesday night win was especially noteworthy, as he did so at the side of two WWE Hall of Famers.

6-Rank / 9-Previous
Alberto Del Rio

The Mexican Aristocrat jumps up three places on the Rankings this week thanks to consecutive nights of vicious assaults on would-be opponents, including a brutal beating of Sheamus just one week before they square off at Money in the Bank.

5-Rank / 5-Previous

Despite not racking up a victory this week, the Cenation leader holds strong in the five spot on the Rankings. As John Cena readies for Money in the Bank and its epic WWE Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match, the entire WWE Universe wonders how Cena will fare in the unique landscape of that particular stipulation.

4-Rank / 2-Previous

The submission specialist drops two spots, but remains in the top five as an ever-present threat to CM Punk and his WWE Championship. Bryan’s tag team bout Monday night against Punk & John Cena may have ended in a No Contest, but thanks to his former flame, AJ, the No. 1 contender for Punk’s illustrious title found himself lying in the wreckage of a shattered table by night’s end.

3-Rank / 4-Previous

The WWE Champion moves up one spot this week as his WWE Championship Match against Daniel Bryan looms large. With the seemingly always there AJ playing a so-far confusing role, however, can The Second City Saint stay in the top five of the Rankings, or will the unstable Diva be the end of him and his title reign?

2-Rank / 3-Previous

After laying waste to The Big Red Monster in a brutal No Disqualification Match on Raw SuperShow, The World’s Largest Athlete reminded the entire WWE Universe why he is a monumental force to be feared. His decimation of The Devil’s Favorite Demon ensures that the gigantic Superstar moves up one spot and inches closer to the top of the list.

1-Rank / 1-Previous

By picking up a Mixed Tag Team victory on Raw SuperShow, The Great White holds his top spot again this week. But after the vicious assault by Alberto Del Rio left the World Heavyweight Champion in a bad way on SuperSmackDown LIVE, the WWE Universe is left to wonder if Sheamus can bounce back and deliver some comeuppance to the No. 1 contender