Marty Scurll Explains Why “The Villain” Resonates With The Fans

ROH TV Champion Marty Scurll was interviewed by ESPN ahead of his successful title defense at Manhattan Mayhem. 

Does he find his busier schedule daunting at all?:

"I've always been wrestling every week, [since I started]. I guess now it just seems quite a lot more extreme because, obviously, there's a hell of a lot more of these longer flights involved. Let's say, living in the U.K. as well, if you put the dates down on paper, it might look easy. But then, for example, let's say Ring of Honor has shows on a Saturday and Sunday, they might want me to fly in on a Friday to do a day of pre-tapes. Being the TV champion, I have to be there. I'll probably leave on the Thursday morning, get to whatever state the show is in on a Thursday night. Go to bed so I'm up ready for pre-tapes on the Friday and then do the show Saturday, do the show Sunday. Fly home that Monday, and obviously because of the time difference, don't get back to England until Tuesday, still jet-lagged. Wednesday to myself, and then it's Thursday again. There's a lot more that's involved than just kind of putting on a pair of pants, showing up and beating someone up for 15 minutes."

How has he liked wrestling in Ring of Honor so far?:

"The whole concept of Ring of Honor, to me, is super exciting, because it is a whole new fan base of wrestling fans who have no idea who I am. And that's why it's so good for me to go on to something with a bigger platform like the Ring of Honor. Whereas fans in the U.K. maybe saw the character, the production of "The Villain" in its earlier stages, now it's a much more polished act, and these new people are getting to see it for the first time. It's really cool for me when people say, "What the hell is this guy?" It makes me laugh when I hear fans be like, "Oh, I want to see you wrestle on TV for this company or that company." Watch me on Ring of Honor. Right now, I'm wrestling the best wrestlers in the world. The wide range of places I am going and people I am wrestling, these are people from all different areas and different countries."

How has he been able to build his fan base?:

"I mean, I'd like to think my match is as exciting as anything else, but it's less based on the kind of moves there are and more about the whole kind of overall presentation. And I wouldn't say it's an act, because it's very much me. But I guess the whole kind of package and the production and everything behind it, again I feel like it's something fans can easily resonate with and get behind. I feel like for years and years it's been where fans are supposed to cheer a really good-looking, bodybuilder type. And that's just not who wrestling fans are or who they relate to. They're normally dressed in black and nothing like those traditional good guys. What do they have in common with a jacked bodybuilder? Why would they want to get behind them? What I represent is something the fans can get behind more organically."

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Scurll defends his title against Lio Rush at ROH's 15th Anniversary Pay-Per-View this Friday, March 10th. Fightful will have Live Coverage and a Viewing Party.