Enzo Amore Reveals How WWE Legends Like Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Stone Cold Inspired Him

WWE superstar Enzo Amore says wrestling legends like Shawn Michael, The Rock, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin inspired him.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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With SummerSlam touching down at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Sunday, it was high time we got a chance to speak with one of the most captivating Superstars on the WWE's main roster: Enzo Amore. Enzo, who made a name for himself in the WWE's developmental federation NXT before making the leap to the main roster in April with his partner Big Cass, has used his over-the-top style to make his mark in the WWE. Enzo and Cass have already taken part in storylines with the Dudley Boyz, Chris Jericho, and John Cena and established themselves as two of the WWE's top young talents. And Enzo has found a loyal fan base in the sneaker community. His sneakers aren't quite on Shane McMahon's level yet, but he's a huge Jordan head and rocks a different pair of Js on his feet every week.

Enzo told us all about his love for all things Jordan for a feature that ran on Sole Collector early Wednesday. But during our discussion with him, he spoke about more than just sneakers. In addition to making a splash in the WWE with his kicks, Enzo has also made noise with, well, his mouth. His microphone skills are second-to-none right now (I told him about how his promo during WWE's recent Battleground made my wife go from "Huh?" to "Hahaha" within just a few seconds), and when Enzo takes the mic, he reminds many fans of the days of the WWE's Attitude Era, which frequently featured crowd-pleasing promos from Superstars like The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. That's not an accident. Enzo told us that he was inspired by wrestling legends like Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Stone Cold, and more when he was a kid.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to be given the blessing by Triple H down at NXT to start coming out to the ring with a microphone in my hand," Amore said. "As a fan growing up and watching [pro wrestling], I always had an infatuation with the guys who are entertainers. When I was young, a lot of the guys could sell themselves to me on the way to the ring with the way they acted and their mannerisms."

"Guys like Shawn Michaels, who I loved growing up," he continued. "They were just loud. They didn't even need to say a word because they came out and had this crazy ring gear on. You had Razor Ramon, who had the Mr. T starter kit going on. Diesel coming down with shades, being seven feet tall with an all-black outfit on and the gloves. The Rock when he was wearing $800 Versace shirts. And Stone Cold, obviously, with the way he carried himself and the way he spoke and holding the microphone. These are the things that made me want to become a pro wrestler. It wasn't the hour-long matches, the Iron Man match with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. I loved all the wrestling going on in the ring—I wouldn't be into it as much if I didn't care about that—but I always had an infatuation with the performers and the entertainers."

When you see Enzo's ring attire—all-leopard-everything, all-Jordan-everything—and take a few minutes to soak in the mic work he's doing, it's not hard to see the influence that the legends had on him. With their guidance and Enzo's passion for pro wrestling, he's clearly a Superstar cut from a special cloth who is bound to have a long future in the business.

For more on Enzo, check out his Sole Collector feature here.

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