EXCLUSIVE: Riley Osborne Reveals Scrapped Plan To Be A Power Rangers-Esque Wrestler On WWE EVOLVE

Josh Terry - also known in WWE as Riley Osborne - spoke recently to Cultaholic about a number of topics, including the circumstances of his WWE release.

Terry was one of the Superstars released from WWE post-WrestleMania. One of the more unusual aspects of the interview was his revelation that an idea was pitched to have him wrestle in a full Power Rangers-style bodysuit on the EVOLVE brand. He explained:

"There were a few different ideas thrown around. [...] At one point they were talking about me being under a mask and I think like a full bodysuit, like a full Power Ranger. I thought that would be crazy. But I don’t know how keen I was. I did speak to creative about this and I was just like leaning towards not wanting to wear a mask because I’ve been on TV all this time. I was like why then do I cover my whole body and stuff, and I was getting in better shape as well. I don’t kind of want to cover my face, unless I’m really f***ing ugly then I understand. But yeah, that was one thing."

Terry also spoke more generally about his release, going into detail on the topic:

"They rang me and I knew it was cut day, and I was like 'I know what that is.' I missed the call. Not on purpose, I kind of saw it and I was doing something. I was like 'I’m going out on my terms, I’m ringing them back.'

"It was like, 'Oh, unfortunately we’re going to go a different way' sort of thing. And I was like, ‘Ah, right no worries’, boom, I went out on my terms. I rang them to get fired [laughs].

"No, it very much came out of the blue. I knew I was doing EVOLVE, ‘Yeah, this is cool.’ After Chase U, obviously we didn’t do anything for a hot minute and I was kind of ready to do my own thing, let’s get the ball rolling. I do the EVOLVE tapings, we’re starting something, and then out of the blue in [Fit Finlay]'s class I was like, ‘Oh man, I need to tape my ankle.’ And then it turned into something that needed dealt with. Like even driving my car, pressing on the accelerator and stuff like that, it was hard for it come back up. So it was something that needed to be dealt with."

He also spoke on the reports of a backstage disagreement over working in EVOLVE that emerged following his release, something Terry was quick to deny on social media.

"It’s a weird one because obviously nobody wants to get painted in a negative light. And I think some people are very undeserving of the treatment they get. It’s weird with me because I’m just like a small-town country lad. When I hear stuff like that from big names like Meltzer, it’s dirt sheets. It’s a weird one because no one knows what’s going on behind the scenes apart from those people who talk to dirt sheets and stuff like that, whoever they may be. A lot of stuff gets said that isn’t true.

"So much stuff just gets put out there because a reason needs to be put forward. 'We need a reason; here’s the reason.' I’ve already said what I’ve said. I don’t want people to look down on me and think I’m lazy or anything like that, or that I don’t want to do things. Same kind of deal with Gallus. I remember speaking to Gallus a lot, it’s just what us British people did, it was big in NXT UK; I just feel like everybody wants to do what’s best for wrestling. Everyone wants to wrestle, be the good wrestler. I don’t like hearing that is a thing that’s coming out of ‘Josh doesn’t want to work EVOLVE.’

"Like I’ve previously said, as soon as my wife got the phone call, I was like 'I have to work EVOLVE tomorrow.' The first thing I did was ring Matt Bloom, spoke to him, just making sure I was okay. We were just about to buy a house, we had to pull out because we were two weeks from closing. A lot has just happened to us. [..] I spoke to Bloom, he said, 'You can take the day with your wife if you need.' I said, ‘No, no I’m gonna be there.’ I was the first person in the door, I was sat on a chair, feet up on one of the rings, and the PC was empty and I was just waiting for people to come in.

"I was the first person through that door, did my match, Bloom respected me, like, ‘Very professional today.’ I was like, ‘Thank you.’ Went away and did my job. That is what I like to think me as a wrestler is. I show up, I do my job, I do it well, no drama, leave. That’s how I like to be, and that’s how I’d like me to be perceived. [As for] people saying other things, I don’t even know what your face looks like, whoever is actually saying this. I don’t care what you’re saying about me because it’s not true. I don’t want to put more emotion into a negative thing that isn’t a thing. Why would I bother? It doesn’t bother me because I know what’s true, I know what I did at the end of the day."

Josh Terry's full exclusive interview with Cultaholic is available to listen to now wherever you get your podcasts.

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