Tony Nese has talked himself up and is planning to prove it against any of his opponents in The Cruiserweight Classic tournament as he will be representing the greats of Long Island, New York.
The Premier Athlete is planning to represent his home city where many before him have made a name for themselves and believes his ability to adapt will see him through.
On being the 'Premier Athlete'
Nese has raised the bar for everyone, as rather than claiming to be an athlete he says he is the top athlete capable of beating all of his opponents thanks to his speed and strength making him ultimately, The Premier Athlete.
The 30-year-old says he is one of the 'strongest guys' in the tournament but can also move as fast as the quickest performers making him one of the best athletes in the competition.
He said, "I call myself the Premier athlete because pound for pound I am probably one of the strongest guys, on top of that I am one of the quickest guys."
The former Total Nonstop Action performer summed it up in less than ten words, about what being The Premier Athlete means as he said, "I move like a cruiserweight and hit like a heavyweight."
On representing Long Island, New York
New York was at one time the spiritual home of the WWF when times square was a prominent feature on the programming and it was even included in the video games; WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It and WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth.
Also, many performers have made their name arising from New York including legendary hardcore superstar Mick Foley and more recently the former Intercontinental Champion, Zack Ryder.
Nese is hoping to add his name to the list of athletes and he heaped special praise on his trainer and former Extreme Championship Wrestling star Mikey Whipwreck.
He said, "There is a lot of great wrestling that has come out of Long Island, you have Mick Foley, Zack Ryder and I was trained by Mikey Whipwreck who is an ECW Triplecrown champion."
On who he is representing the performer who was named number 249 in the list of top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 said he is not only representing his heroes and trainers of the past and present but also the cruiserweight style coming from 'New York'.
He said, "I am representing them as I am representing the cruiserweight style that is coming from New York."
His trainer's impact on his career is something that Nese seems to hold close to his heart as he is aiming to mimic Whipwreck's style within the squared circle and 'just keep getting up'.
He said, "Mikey Whipwreck's ability to take a beating and just keep getting up definitely rubbed off on me these guys are going to be coming in at all different sizes but I have dealt with guys are way bigger, anytime I feel like this speed is starting to get a little bit too much for me I am just going to stop them in their tracks and start throwing them around."
On hope for the tournament
Nese has already hyped his name up for the tournament and is looking increasingly like an imposing performer that no superstar will want to face however on life after The Cruiserweight Classic, The Premier Athlete is hoping for much bigger things.
The former Open the United Gate Champion believes that the tournament will be a 'proving ground' for him and that once it is over he will be the 'biggest name' in wrestling.
He finished with, "This tournament is definitely a proving ground for me, it is my time to show the world that by the end of the tournament I am definitely going to be the biggest name."