When Ivar’s tag team partner in the Viking Raiders went down with an injury, he could have easily faded away into obscurity. Instead, the beefy big man has turned heads with some strong matches on not only WWE Raw but on NXT as well.
An argument can be made that the 40-year-old is among the most underrated talents on the roster today. Win or lose, Ivar has been able to make every battle memorable against everyone from Sheamus to Ricochet to emerging talent like Oba Femi.
We caught up with the multi-faceted athlete to talk about returning to his roots in the ring.
How was it making the transition to the singles ranks?
Ivar: At first, it happened organically. Erik got pulled from the competition on Monday Night Raw. We had 2 out of 3 falls scheduled with New Day. He got pulled, and it ended up being a singles match between me and Kofi Kingston. We went out there and killed it. After a lightbulb went off from people saying, “How about you stick around and do some singles stuff?” I thought, “Let’s do it.” At first, it was pretty nerve-wracking because it had been so long since I’d done singles stuff.
A very long time. Erik and I have been a team together for a decade. The first time Erik and I ever teamed together was in Philadelphia for Ring of Honor. So, it was great to be in a city like Philly again [for WrestleMania]. It was nerve-wracking, but I feel like I’m starting to catch my groove and remember how to do it. Every time I go out there it’s exciting.
Ivar and Bachelor Nation’s Demi Burnett (WWE)
What’s the status of Erik right now?
It’s slow and steady. It’s a neck injury. I had a neck injury a few years ago. Necks are weird. We all know with Big E, his neck was weird. It’s a matter of how you heal and recover. He is doing great, but it’s slow and steady. It’s a matter of time before he is back.
The perception of the big man has changed over the years. Back in the days of Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow, it wasn’t common for these guys to move around like they were. Now there are so many athletic big men. Usually, they’d be put in this box. Now more than ever, that’s not true.
I feel like for so many years the big guys were very one-dimensional, especially in WWE. For a long time, we haven’t seen big men that can go. The last ones were like Big Boss Man and Bam Bam. It has been at least 20 years or more since many of them have been in the ring. Even Yokozuna could move for a guy his size. Now here we are and guys like me and Otis and Bronson Reed are taking the perception of the big man and completely changing it. I feel like it’s an amazing responsibility to change the industry for the better. It’s an exciting thing.
WWE
Bray Wyatt’s documentary came out earlier this year. There is a lot of talk about what WWE might do to continue to honor his legacy. You sent out what he meant to you after his passing last year. Have you seen the doc yet?
I haven’t seen the documentary yet. I’m excited to see it. It’s an emotional thing for us guys. Man, he was so special. Not just for the fans or family or the boys. Just everyone. He was a special human being. When I do watch it, I think it would be by myself on the couch with my dogs around me just so I can feel it. To feel him again. Feel his presence again.
He was a great character. I also love the presentation of the Viking Raiders. Talk about how being a Viking for you is more than just a persona.
We watch every Viking movie and TV show that comes out. Just to be able to create and expand on what we see. We want to take things we see and morph them into whatever we want it to be for our characters. A lot of people may hate it, but it’s cool to us that we have this gimmick and nobody else does. We are the sole gimmick in WWE right now really, so it’s fun to play with that and do Viking things.
WWE Raw, Mondays, 8/7c, USA Network
WWE NXT Tuesdays, 8/7c, USA Network