Luke Gallows on Vince McMahon Pitching Him The Festus Character

Luke Gallows recently spoke about when Vince McMahon pitched the Festus character to him.

WWE tried Luke Gallows out under a few different characters after he was first signed in 2005. In Deep South Wrestling he was known as “The Freakin’ Deacon.” His first experience on the main roster was as an imposter Kane in a short-lived angle. Then in 2007, Gallows formed a team with Ray Gordy known as “Jesse and Festus.”

Gallows recently spoke about how Vince McMahon pitched him the Festus character during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.

“I was 23-years-old and basically they told me to kind of get out of shape and this was the character they had for me,” Gallows said. “Originally, we were going to be hillbillies. I mean, how far is this hillbilly thing going to be able to go?”

“We’re getting ready to debut, we’re in the ring saying we’re going to do this, this and this, it’s like 20 minutes before doors and they go ‘Vince McMahon wants you guys in his office.’ Are we getting fired already? So we go in the office and Vince is literally like ‘hey, big man, can you do this?” Then Vince did the face Festus was known for. Gallows continued to say that he and Vince then made the Festus face back at each other for ten minutes or so.

“When you grow up thinking you’re going to be a long-haired wrestler with a beautiful robe and this cool guy and you become Festus, it’s not exactly ideal.”

Vince McMahon Didn’t Realize Gallows Was Festus

In an interview on the Sam Roberts podcast in 2016, Anderson and Gallows mentioned that when Gallows returned to WWE, Vince McMahon had no idea he was the one who played Festus.

“The best part of the Festus character is that we heard from Talent Relations, or the Head of Talent Relations is that Vince doesn’t even remember that he was Festus,” Anderson said on the Sam Roberts podcast.

Gallows’ comments can be heard in the player below:

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