It has been a family affair on WWE NXT lately for Mr. Robert Stone. The veteran wrestler and manager saw his twin sons Carter and Cash on the show. They’ve had a hand helping Stone’s client Von Wagner prepare for his big match this week for the Heritage Cup against Noam Dar. I recently spoke with the proud dad, who says it’s gratifying to see his boys go on this ride.
“They are like the coolest kids in their school,” Stone said. “I try to think back. When I was seven years old, my older brother loved wrestling, so I was obsessed with professional wrestling if I could have been on TV and shown up at school and showed all my friends myself on TV.
How cool would that have been? They are going through that now.They’ve been on twice in the past two months or so, and it is the coolest thing. The parents watch. The teachers know. It’s a lot of fun for them. I’m happy for them.”
Stone isn’t sure who initially had the idea to get the kids a role on the show. At the same time, he isn’t surprised about it either as he describes them as naturals in front of the camera.
“When you meet them, you just say these kids should probably be on TV,” he said. “They are pretty wild. I think everyone was on board when they heard it b because why not? You never don’t like something when children are involved. This is such a big match for them. They’ve been rooting for Von so much. They helped him train. They called themselves his coaches. They’ll be watching, at least from the audience. As long as the matches aren’t too late and it’s not past their bedtime I think my wife will let it happen.”
Robert Stone On His Time With WWE
It’s been quite the journey for Stone, who spent almost 20 years putting in the work before getting a WWE contract in 2019. The former TNA Impact Wrestling star has managed to find his footing in a very competitive atmosphere and stay in the mix. He takes pride in being a personality on the show, even described by Shawn Michaels as this new age Bobby Heenan or Jimmy Hart.
“It’s crazy when you say 2019. There have been so many changes in NXT since that time,” Stone said. “I’m actually one of the longest people within the locker room since that time that is still in NXT, which is crazy when you think about it. I went from Black and Gold to 2.0 to kind of Black and Gold again. It is a family. You train together. You do the weekend shows together. We do the PLEs on the road together. It’s a very tight locker room.
“Everyone is rooting for one another. Everyone works together at TV to make the best possible product, which I think is coming out now. NXT is hotter than ever. It’s a cool thing to be a part of. I have been in the industry for so long and locker rooms are not always like that. They are very cutthroat and everyone is out for themselves. It’s not like that here. It shouldn’t be any other way. It’s great to be a part of.”
Transitioning to a Personality
The 40-year-old credits his longevity to his ability to evolve and adapt. He is always looking at taking on another skill set or challenge to be a valuable asset to WWE. And that often means not lacing up the boots but being the guy ringside and still being an important part of the presentation.
“I wrestled in 2000, so when 2019 came around my body has been beat up. I’ve been doing this for a long time. So when it got offered to me this role where I’m not wrestling so much and was a manager, I was the right guy to come to. I feel like to be an on-air character and not have to do all the physical stuff as often, I’m the perfect guy for that. As I get older, with my body it’s harder to handle wrestling. As they say, this isn’t ballet. I was pretty beat up, so it was nice to do something different.
I like learning different things. I commentated on Level Up a few times, so I’m learning commentary. Now I’m doing a little producing and coaching matches. I’m always down to learn something different, so I wanted to take this head-on…”
Working With Chelsea Green and Von Wagner
Before being linked to Wagner, Stone worked with a number of talents. Among them was Chelsea Green, who is currently been making the most of her second chance with WWE. Stone couldn’t be happier to see her success. And if she really needs a manager, he is still one call away.
“When I first debuted on TV, me and Chelsea were together. It was short-lived. We were actually in the 2020 Royal Rumble. It was three or four months we worked together. We really bonded. We still have a connection. We’re still pretty close. I’m obviously excited for her and how great she is shining right now.”
Stone’s focus remains on building up Wagner. Someone who had all the physical tools and potential to be a major WWE superstar. What the standout athlete has missed is a connection to the audience. However, through vignettes and Stone as his mouthpiece, he has been able to come out of his shell a little more.
“I think it has been the best thing for him. When they see him. A big guy. A monster who screams. He is like everyone else. Why should we like this guy or be interested in him or why deserve to be here? Fans thought this without knowing him. He had that story about his head. When he was born and had multiple surgeries on his head and battled through that. It shows you what he has been through a lot. A reason to like him.”
Like a great manager/agent, Stone sells his client’s credentials and upside.
They also don’t know he is a second-generation wrestler. He was an amazing athlete in college. He was a Division 1 football player at UCF, a three-sport athlete in high school They don’t know he genuinely cares about this industry. He grew up in it. His dad wrestled. He absorbs and wants to learn and regularly trains and is not just the guy who is going through the motions. He wants to keep getting better. He is continuously getting better with every match. He has a bright future, and now people are starting to get that.”
Follow Mr. Robert Stone on Twitter @MrStoneWWE and Instagram @MrStoneWWE.
