UFC fighter and pro wrestler “Filthy” Tom Lawlor recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast to promote next week’s big MLW: One-Shot event.
Here are some highlights of what Lawlor said about:
On wrestling Jeff Cobb at the upcoming MLW: One-Shot event: “Jeff Cobb is a fight that I’ve been looking forward to since I returned to the professional wrestling squared circle. He’s a guy that I’ve enjoyed watching and has been making a name for himself not only in the US and the Independent scene but throughout the world as a top notch talent. He comes from an amateur wrestling background and is a former Olympian and has the same aura of legitimacy that I do and think it was a natural matchup and I am glad it is happening in MLW.”
On returning to the pro wrestling world: “This is something that I’ve looked forward to do in being able to get back into the ring and luckily I am able to get back in there and I feel like I am living in a fantasy camp. I always think I am really here in this show and am I really wrestling (for instance) Kyle O’ Reilly or really wrestling Eddie Kingston right now so it has been really awesome for me.”
On if he prefers working pro wrestling or competing in MMA: “Either way honestly, I had a match against Mike Bailey who is a much larger guy but he does a lot of high flying and I had a blast doing that. It honestly doesn’t really matter to me but one of the biggest challenges to me is trying to fit my style with somebody else’s to a certain extent. To go work against a guy like Matt Riddle or a Dan Severn and somebody with that same style it is not too tough to plan out. When you have to work a high flyer and you are trying to do your submission game you have to work all that stuff in together so that is kind of the big challenge but it also keeps me motivated as well.
“Some crowds know what they are getting into and some crowds are there just to see professional wrestling. I have to read the crowd a little bit and see what I can get away with and as far as the submission game and that kind of style and I adjust from there. Some places love it and some places hate it.”
On if he plans to return to the UFC after his suspension is over: “Honestly I don’t know. My weight has kind of stabilized and now that I am a little bit older, I may be able to cut down to 85 again and I am going to have to kind of take a look at the landscape in a year. Maybe I won’t even be wanting to go back to the UFC. Maybe I will have opportunities in wrestling that will keep me there which I am hopefully looking forward to that happening.”
On if he feels WWE is in his future: “The schedule is not really appealing. In the long run when you factor in the money and the costs associated with traveling all year. I am at a point in my life where I can make some money doing multiple things and I can teach mixed martial arts and I can teach jiu jitsu and I can be involved with stuff like that and also fight and wrestle at the same time and be involved with all those other things. I don’t need to be on the road all year and I don’t desire that lifestyle so I am kind of happy essentially with being in the Independent scene but like I said I am not happy with where I am at right now (work wise).”
Check out the complete episode of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast featuring the “Filthy” Tom Lawlor interview at Podomatic.com.
