An Interview with Tough Enough 2's "Danimal" - Part 2: The Other Contestants

Shad?

Danny: He seemed like a nice guy, very soft spoken. I didn't get to know him too well, but some people have commented that this guy should be my best friend (since it was him I replaced).

RNO: Aaron?

Danny: I liked Aaron a lot, I was sad to see him go so soon. None of us (in the house) liked the way his girlfriend was handling the circumstances, since her disapproval added to the stress that we all were going through.

RNO: With Aaron, do you think the thing with his girlfriend was portrayed appropriately?

Danny: I do, but she actually started to come around and accept the fact that he was pursuing a dream and that she shouldn't get in the way of it. The editing never showed that part.

RNO: Robert?

Danny: Rob is a riot, the guy is so subtle with his humor. He's a really genuine guy and I loved hanging out with him.

RNO: Alicia (Was she as annoying as she seemed?)

Danny: There were actually times when I liked Alicia, because she had a sense of humor and bluntness to her that I found a bit charming. Unfortunately, those times were buried under far too much immaturity and a piss-poor attitude that prevented me from caring about being friends with her. More often than not, she really rubbed me the wrong way.

RNO: Jessie?

Danny: I like Jessie a lot, she's a sweetheart and I have a lot of fun whenever we hang out.

RNO: Anni?

Danny: I took to Anni pretty quickly because she reminded me of a bigger version of my younger sister. Anni kept quiet mostly, she didn't get in other people's business too much.

RNO: Matt?

Danny: Matt's a cool guy, he was one of my favorite people in the house. He was actually the first guy I met at audition day, since I was #159 in line and he was #160. He's a pretty imposing figure to have standing right behind you.

RNO: What do you think about Matt receiving a developmental deal with the WWE before the contest was even finished?

Danny: I'm proud of Matt and I look forward to training right alongside of him (again) at OVW one of these days. They obviously like him and he has a ton of potential.

Danny: Hawk is crazy. I love the kid, but he needs to get his stuff together before he pursues the business full throttle. He's a really nice guy, never has anything mean to say.

RNO: How much did Hawk's "problems" affect him in the competition? Was he as eccentric as the show made him out to be?

Danny: I'd say his problems affected him a lot, since they eventually drove him to quit. They would definitely get in his way every so often, and we could tell when something was bugging him. He's really hard on himself, and he expects himself to do well. He's about as wacky as MTV portrayed him.

RNO: Pete?

Danny: Pete was one of my better friends in the house. Being the same size, we bonded pretty quickly and spent most of our free time together (along with Kenny).

RNO: Kenny?

Danny: I think Kenny really should have gotten one of the contracts. He's a cool guy to hang out with, and along with Pete was one of my best friends in the house.

RNO: Jake?

Danny: I like Jake, he's a nice guy. Very hard worker in the gym. He just needs to work on his wrestling skill and his persona, and he'll be an interesting guy to watch.

RNO: Linda?

Danny: I have mixed opinions on Linda. She could be a really cool girl at times, but too often she was bitchy, inconsiderate, and had a bad attitude. I've heard that her behavior improved after I left, so I guess I can't hold those things against her TOO much.

RNO: Jackie?

Danny: Jackie really impressed me with her tenacity, overcoming the knee injury and such. We got along pretty well, and I'm interested to see how she's used on TV.

RNO: You said that you, Kenny, and Pete were pretty inseparable. How did the group friendship come about?

Danny: We bonded pretty quickly because of our similar sizes (on the shorter end of the scale), and similar personalities. We're mostly laid back guys, and we felt comfortable hanging around with each other most of the time. We also liked working with each other in the ring the best.

In the third and final installment, we'll talk to Danny about the training, the day he was cut, what he's been doing, the editing on the show and what everyone has been waiting for… what does Danny think about the infamous 'hot tub' episode? Join us!

E-mail Mike at: mikmaria@earthlink.net.

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