This Charming Man

Let me start off by saying that I was pleasantly surprised by the positive response to my last blog.  Having anticipated some abuse from certain sections of the WWE Universe, very little emerged.  It just goes to show that it is very difficult to dismiss a well thought-out, logical argument.  Take that as a life lesson.

Anyway, I have been receiving a lot of questions on here and on my twitter (twitter.com/wadebarrett) regarding my ring jacket and flower ensemble.  Some love it, some not so much, but everyone notices it.  Well, here is the story behind it:

Firstly, the jacket.  Obviously, I wear it to keep my muscles warm prior to a bout.  Now comes the crucial part though – why do I wear it ’over the shoulders’?  Well, if you have ever been in a fight in the street, the pub or in a car park, you will know that trying to fight effectively with a thick jacket on is almost impossible.  It slows you down and restricts your movement.  The best piece of advice I have ever received when it comes to fighting came from a tough Gypsy fighter in Wigan, England.  He told me that whenever I was faced with a confrontation, I should make sure to get the first three punches in on my opponent.  BANG-BANG-BANG.  Do that and you are almost guaranteed to come out on top in any ugly situation.  The way I wear my jacket, I can slip it off my shoulders and throw a punch simultaneously.  I’m ever-ready, and in an environment like NXT where the financial stakes are so high, there is always going to be someone looking to take a cheap shot at me.  Well, BANG, BANG, BANG.  Just try your luck, mate.

Now onto the flower.  Some think it looks soft.  I can understand why.  Maybe if the wrong guy wore it, it would be.  But Wade Barrett is 6’7”, 265lbs and has broken his nose more times than you have washed your hair.  When a man like me wears a flower, it just oozes class.  No challenge should be faced without a little charm and a lot of style, and I have both in abundance.  I always make sure to wear an English rose – an all time classic.

I’m not much of a horticulturalist, but I do know that different colored roses have specific meanings.  For example, the white rose that I wore in week 1 is given to say ‘I’m sorry’.  Wearing that on my lapel was my apology to the other 7 rookies on NXT.  Sorry that your dreams end here and sorry that I am going to do whatever I have to do to push my way to the front of the line.  With a big-money contract on RAW at stake, my morals have gone out of the window.  Hard luck, ladies.

In week 2, I wore a purple rose.  The purple rose is used to indicate falling in love.  Well, I fell in love with the thought of my first winner’s cheque on NXT.  So much so in fact, that I destroyed my opponent in under three minutes.  What better motivation to perform well than money?  I don’t get paid for overtime, so I don’t work overtime.  BANG, BANG, BANG. It’s over and I‘m off to pick up my cheque.  I’m not yet sure what color of rose I will wear next week, but see if you can figure out why I chose it.  There is always a reason.

Hopefully that explains a few things to everyone and now that this blog is out, maybe the WWE Universe can start being a little more imaginative with their questions.  Next week, I intend to write a blog about my relationship with my mentor – The World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho.  Until then, make sure you check out week 3 of NXT.

Friday, March 5, 2010, 10:42 PM EST