A former WWE wrestler has undergone a drastic change in both appearance and career choice following their exit from the company.
Debuting on Raw in 2011, Mason Ryan interfered in a match between CM Punk and John Cena and was presented with a Nexus armband by Punk shortly afterwards. At first a prominent part of TV given his association with the faction, Ryan was used less frequently when he left Nexus 5 months later.
Remaining with the company until 2014, Ryan had a brief run on the independents before competing in his final match in November 2015. In the present day, Ryan now performs as the chief archer in KÀ by Cirque du Soleil.
Speaking with Alistair McGeorge of Metro about the career switch, Ryan stated that he is now 30 pounds lighter since leaving the wrestling world and that his focus has shifted more to longevity as opposed to looking physically impressive:
“I’m still 6’6″, about 260, whereas when I was with WWE – I was still 6’6″, I’ve got a little bit older, hopefully, I haven’t lost much height,’ he quipped. ‘I was about 290, on average, when I was with the WWE.’”
“It’s more about injury prevention. Yes, being in good shape, but having that longevity on stage, because we perform 10 times a week,’ he explained. ‘I’m trying to take care of my body in a different way. Of course, you have to be in good physical shape and you have to be able to perform.”
Looking back on his career in the interview, the former Nexus member spoke about his sudden rise and if it might have happened too quickly:
‘I guess you’re never really ready for it,’ he said of his sudden success. ‘I was very new, but I really fit the mold of what they were looking for – tall and pretty jacked, just had a certain look to me. So I was thrown in pretty soon – maybe too soon, I don’t know.’
Former WWE Star Mason Ryan Now Regular Performer For Cirque Du Soleil
When discussing his change in career and joining Cirque Du Soleil, Ryan admitted that at first it was a tough choice to make:
“At that point [2015], I was 33, 34,’ he recalled. ‘Going to work for Cirque Du Soleil, doing five shows a week, that would probably be the end of my wrestling career. It wasn’t an easy decision, because obviously, I’ve worked work really hard to get where I was. And I loved wrestling.”
Despite the change in career, Ryan ended the interview by saying that he has no regrets over the decisions he made:
‘Everything works out,’ he smiled. ‘I’m working for an amazing company in Cirque du Soleil, putting on an amazing show every night.’
In other WWE news, a former champion has teased a future in-ring comeback.