JAKARTA - Mixed martial arts (MMA) artist Paige VanZant revealed the reason why he chose AEW over WWE. Turns out, it's all about commitment.
VanZant made his first AEW appearance last September as the rising star of Dan Lambert's MMA American Top Team.
"I'm still continuing my MMA/bare-knuckle boxing career. So, I'm not ready to end that to pursue professional wrestling. AEW is very flexible with me," he said in The Sun.
VanZant briefly held talks to move to WWE after leaving the UFC in 2020. There he wanted to be an exclusive signing.
However, AEW's flexibility to let him continue to fight while wrestling on a part-time basis is a shame to resist.
"Now that I have an upcoming fight schedule, I have stepped away to focus on this fight and really balance my schedule well where I can do both," he said.
"I can still make these appearances and fights for AEW, but I can be very dedicated to bare-knuckle boxing."
"WWE is more exclusive, they want you as a full-time athlete and I'm not ready to commit to that yet," he added.
At AEW VanZant faces no light challenge. He faced much more painful training despite being used to fighting in MMA and boxing naked.
VanZant said training at AEW was much more painful than expected. However, he enjoyed the practice.
"Training and preparation for the first match, it was very difficult. Every professional wrestler out there, they are athletes beyond belief," he said.
"It's amazing what they can do with their bodies, because after just one game I feel sick and sore."
"And then they go and have a game every weekend. So I feel very honored to go out there and do what they do."
VanZant lost both of BKFC's opening matches, against Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich. He will return on August 20 in London seeking his first win in naked boxing.
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