Powerhouse Hobbs Tells Story Of Getting Fired From Facebook/Instagram, Joining AEW

During an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Powerhouse Hobbs spoke about what he did for a living before getting signed with All Elite Wrestling.

“I was working at Facebook and Instagram. I was running their facilities department, so I was running about four different buildings.”

“Then I got a call saying that we are going to give you a month off with pay, and I’m cool with it. I can take my son Bam Bam to school and look after my other son Julian. I got home about 2:30, then got a call about 3:45 saying that they were going to terminate my contract.”

“I’m like, f**k, but everything happens for a reason. I’m glad that I got let go and I’m living my dream.”

Hobbs spoke about his ring gear being a tribute to Harlem Heat.

“Yeah, those were my dudes growing up.”

“Just the intimidation factor and they talked like my grandparents did when I was growing up. Things like, ‘Neckbones, sucka;’ my grandpa said stuff to a tee.”

“So those were my dudes growing up. Plus they look like me, so that was a good thing.”

Hobbs spoke about when he decided he wanted to be a professional wrestler.

“I’ve always wanted to be a wrestler from when I was 5. That was all I ever cared about. I played football, basketball, and baseball, but wrestling was all that mattered.”

“I remember going to a live show and being like, ‘OK, I know what school to go to’, which was APW, which was in Beyond The Mat.”

“So I saved up the money, pulled the trigger, and that was it. We had 23 people start and there were only 2 people at the end.”

On getting onto AEW's radar:

“I know a phone call got called in, and next thing I know, I got a text from QT Marshall.”

“I looked at it, and I’m like, ‘This is bullsh*t.’ I sat on it for a little bit and I responded."

“It was one of those things where I’m like, do I risk flying to Jacksonville and possibly get COVID, or do I say, ‘Thank you, when things open back up…’ I’m like, I’m a fool if I say no to this. I remember QT asking me if I was local to Jacksonville. I said, ‘No, but I will find a way to get there’.”

“When I got there, I was amazed at Daily’s Place. Everyone was friendly to me. I looked on the board and I got a match with Orange Cassidy. I’m like, cool. I’ve been following the program and he has a feud with Chris Jericho. Then 12.36 seconds later, I lost to Orange Cassidy, but I couldn’t care less if I won or lost. My main thing was, ‘How can I help out this show?'”

“I knew the pay-per-view was coming up with him and Jericho, and I knew it was going on the highlight reel because of my size and his size, and it was.”

Hobbs revealed what he believes to be his breakout moment:

“I think it was the Battle Royal and that match on Saturday Night Dynamite with Darby (Allin) before the pay-per-view.”

“I think the local people in California knew who I was, but Florida, like people who have seen AEW Dark, know who Will Hobbs was.”

“That Battle Royal was crazy because it was the anniversary of my brother’s death. I was in the Battle Royal and one of the last six. When I had this moment with Matt Sydal and that spinebuster and I had that moment with Archer, I’m like, ‘I should be here.’ It all took off after that.”