• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Pro Wrestler Loves Playing Villain

Posted: Sep 19th 2009 By: CMBurnham

Jack Swagger's nickname, The All-American American, ticks his competitors off before he even climbs into the ring. But the WWE star couldn't care less.

"If you don't like it, I really don't care," Swagger said from Oklahoma where he was visiting his parents.

Swagger will be at Harbour Station Friday when WWE Presents Raw Live at 7:30 p.m.

The Undertaker was never an undertaker and the wrestler Festus never appeared in a TV episode of Gunsmoke, but Swagger has more right than most to claim his ring name. In 2006, he was named All-American for wrestling.

"I worked very hard for that," Swagger said about being named All-American. It's something that I strived for and I was very fortunate enough to have the opportunity to achieve it."

Friday night's card features a championship match with John Cena taking on The Legend Killer Randy Orton. Others on the card include Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Carlito, Swagger, Mickie James, Primo, Santino Marella, Chavo Guerrero, Kelly Kelly and tag team matches between Mark Henry, who's billed as the world's strongest man, and Ted Di Biase and Cody Rhodes.

Swagger will face Primo on Friday.

Being the bad guy, or heel, is no problem for Swagger.

"I have a lot of fun with the character," said Swagger. "I think there's still miles, and miles more I can go with it."

Being a heel and taking the boos and cat calls from the crowd is easier, he said, than making the crowd love you.

"There's different aspects to both, but to get 15,000 people to like you at once, that's a healthy job."

For 104 days, Swagger went undefeated in the Extreme Championship Wrestling, a brand of WWE.

"Definitely, without a doubt," Swagger said when asked if he can top the streak.

The title shot will likely come against the current champion, Cena.

"That's what we're training for. That's what we're trying to get to, that's where everybody wants to be at."

Swagger said, though, he'll only wait for so long for Cena to face him.

"If he's smart, he would be avoiding me."

The next edition of Wrestlemania might be the venue for the showdown, he said. The biggest show on Earth, he calls it.

Sitting in the locker room with the legends of the sport, Swagger still finds himself in awe of those around him. A wrestler since he was five years old, It's a feeling he doesn't think will ever go away.

"I have such a great respect for wrestling and the people that do it, but when more time has passed I would like to think I'm an equal in the locker room," he said.

To prove his respect for the legends of wrestling he works with, Swagger further qualifies his answer.

"Not an equal, but a definite co-worker and I'm definitely a lot closer with everybody in there. You spend more time with these guys than you do your own family."

For local professional wrestling hopefuls, Swagger said unceasing desire will take them to the ring.

"See the finish and don't lose sight of what you're after. The road is long and very hard, especially trying to get into this business. Sometimes you're a lot closer to making it than you think and you just have to stay focused."

Tags: Jack Swagger, WWE, ECW