I made good money at WWE and traveled the world and interacted with my fans, but I missed a lot of family time. That really hits me.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I had a great run with WWE. WWE gave me great visibility. I met my wife there, and I got paid a lot of money; it was just my time to go. I sensed it. I was smart enough to leave. That's the bottom line.
I'm a family man. I have a daughter and a wife, and I spend more time on the road with my wrestling family than I do with my actual household and my immediate family.
In 1999, I had my back against the wall, and WWE had a ghostwriter working on an autobiography for me. He was halfway through, and it was awful, just boring. I took over as a way of trying to fix things, as I thought I could probably do a better job.
My family was amazing; they exposed me to the world of show business, and, boy, it was the '70s and I got to spend a lot of time backstage at theaters and see the inner workings of how this entertainment industry is really put together.
I was an amateur wrestler, which I loved. It was my passion, but I started really late; I was a junior in high school when I began.
My life is with WWE.
WWE is a space where I thrived, and I loved, and I still do. I love connecting with an audience; that is the greatest thing about going back to WWE.
I'm lucky I've been able to spend a lot of time with my family.
I was miserable in WCW. I knew I wasn't going to go any higher there, and jumping to WWE hadn't even crossed my mind. I couldn't stop wondering, 'Is this it? Is this what I worked my whole life for?'
I was lucky enough to watch my son hit a grand slam at sports camp, and that was great. Yes, I may miss some things, but honestly, I think I get to see more than a dad who works a daily 9 to 5.