As a child, Bronson Reed got his “Mr. Nice Guy” nickname from his mother.
… or did he?
That's right, despite cutting a special video package to introduce his new character, noting the motherly origin of the moniker, as it turns out, that was all a lie, a classic case of Kayfabe that seemed so natural that it couldn't possibly be fabricated but was nonetheless.
Appearing on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, Reed explained that, despite being into the character, it wasn't his original idea but instead one from none other than Paul Heyman, the ECW promoter-turned-WWE mouthpiece who currently spends his time as “The Wiseman” of The Bloodline. After being responsible for making some of the greatest characters in wrestling over the last three decades, Reed leaned into the suggestion to make something all his own.
“That wasn't actually my idea,” Reed said via Fightful. “I've been watching a few different Australian television shows that has a character that's sort of similar to what I do, and the ‘Mr. Nice Guy' was actually Paul Heyman. He suggested that. Obviously, when such a great mind of the business like Paul Heyman suggests anything, you should go with it because he knows what he's talking about. Huge ECW fan, so if he has an idea, of course. Of course, that's what I'm gonna go with. But yeah, Mr. Nice Guy, it is representative of what you see, like is chatting right now. I am that nice guy, you can speak to me. It's just, when I step into the ring, that's when the beast is unleashed. That's when things change, and I gotta make my money. My money is by cracking skulls.”
Will Reed's new character stand up with some of the other all-time legendary acts Heyman has helped to shepherd, from “The Beast Incarnate” to “The Tribal Chief,” to the legions of acts he helped to shepherd along in ECW? Only time will tell; since that fateful promo, Reed has only been called “Mr. Nice Guy” in passing, with no clear push to get the moniker over. Still, with each Reed match, more and more fans are catching ten on the “Tsunami's” wave, which should spell well for his forthcoming run on RAW.
Bronson Reed weighs in on the great WWE wrestler-turned-actor debate.
Bronson Reed is a movie buff. He tried to go to the cinema at least once a week, usually on Thursdays, since he often works house shows and travels from Friday through Tuesdays, and has been drawing inspiration from the craft both inside the ring and out of it as a result.
Elsewhere in his conversation with Satin, Reed noted this very connection in a tangible way, suggesting that professional wrestling is at its best when it takes influence from other outside mediums.
“I love television shows, but I'm a huge movie buff as well. I'm constantly watching movies and television shows, and I try to sort of take from them as well because as much as I love pro wrestling, I feel like when the guys take from other pro wrestlers, especially if it's current guys that you're working with, it just becomes a lot of the same. I think we need to try and take from other avenues or be inspired from other forms of art, and that's how we sort of get the best stuff going in pro wrestling,” Reed said.
Turning their attention to Dave Bautista – aka WWE's Batista – after a minor stop in Guardians of the Galaxy land, Reed decided to make a bold claim about where “The Animal” stands in the greater rankings of WWE Superstars-turned-Hollywood actors.
“I'm a big fan of Batista and his acting work. I really like the Knock at the Cabin, that came out this year as well, Reed said. “I think I'm gonna go out and be controversial, get some heat for this, but I think he's the best wrestler-turned-actor there is.”
A bold claim? Eh, maybe a little bit, but when comparing the careers of the “Big 3,” John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Batista, it really shouldn't be; Batista has acted in prestige pictures like Blade Rummer 2049, Glass Onion, and Dune and even suggested he's done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he wants to focus on more “artistic” roles. If Reed can see the talent Batista channels onto the screen in his incredibly varied performances, maybe he really can get over the “Mr. Nice Guy” persona, as one needs to be able to acknowledge greatness to achieve it.
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