WWE Tough Enough 3: An Interview with Nick Distelbrink

I was quite pleased when I learned that Nick Distelbrink was interested in an interview. Moreso than anyone else on Tough Enough 3, Nick seemed to get a raw deal when it came to editing. What was the story behind his injury? His comments about Kelly? I had heard from various sources that there was much more to these stories than met the eye. But see for yourself.

Mike DeGeorge: Tell us about yourself, especially things we didn’t see on the show.

Nick: [laughs] All right, lets see. I'm from Boston, I'm a junior at Bentley college, and I work a full time job for a seafood company. I wanted to continue pursuing wrestling after TE but my Dad and I argued every day and he kicked me out of the house a few months ago. I'm on my own now and I can’t really pay for wrestling school because I have to pay for rent and school. So wrestling is somewhat on the back burner right now because it's a very risky profession. A degree from school is most important to me right now.

Mike: Ouch! I know on the MTV page they said you didn't get support from your family.

Nick: Yeah. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get through it This is the toughest part of my life but thinking about it isn’t gonna do anything. I have to move on

Mike: So that takes care of the question of IF you were a wrestling fan...

Nick: [laughs] Yeah.

Mike: How long have you been a fan?

Nick: Well, I used to watch it back in the late 80s and early 90s sparingly because my father wouldn’t allow me to watch it. I stopped watching because I figured "this is stupid because it's not real." But then I caught Summerslam ‘98 and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. The Rock/HHH match [Editor’s Note: Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Title] in particular took to me the most. I was hooked. I HAD to see what was gonna happen the next night. I loved The Rock immediately even though he was the heel.

Mike: Yeah, that match MADE Rocky’s career.

Nick: Yes, I completely agree. And the thing about that match mostly, you compare it to a ladder match of today, and you could say to yourself, well HHH and Rocky really didn’t put themselves through that much. But it didn’t matter. The way the worked the match, they didn’t need to jump off the ladder on to the floor every minute to keep the fans’ interest.

One of the main reasons I like The Rock so much is not only because of what he has done for the wrestling industry, but how he has helped change the perceptions of wrestling, wrestlers, and wrestling fans. He represents the WWE unbelievably well. The average person no longer thinks that wrestlers are muscle-bound Neanderthals who just want to beat people up. He’s shown that he is a true entertainer. He speaks very eloquently in all his interviews and he handles and conducts himself like a true gentleman in public. At the same time, he is always able to maintain a sense of humor. The one time I met him I was star-struck and I told him how much of an influence he was to me in being involved in wrestling. He was very kind and gracious and told me that he appreciated what I had said to him. I couldn’t believe it. It’s uncommon these days to see someone as prominent in the public eye as he is to handle himself the way he does. He is one of the main reasons that I present myself to people the way that I do.

Mike: So aside from the Rock, who are your favorite wrestlers?

Nick: Oh, I’m going to name a lot of them.

Mike: Go right ahead!

Nick: Big Poppa Pump [Scott Steiner] from 98-2001. He was just awesome. I still love his character now, but unfortunately injuries are catching up to him and he’s playing face right now instead of heel. He is better as a heel, wrestling and promo-wise. Triple H, I thought, was unbelievable up until he hurt his quad. His character is still awesome I think, but you can tell that his injuries have caught up to him a little bit as well. I still think he is a lot better than the internet “gurus” give him credit for. They are just looking for someone to blame and bash for the decline in ratings and he's the one who supposedly has the “political stroke,” so he is an easy target. I always love The Rock, Chris Benoit, and Kurt Angle, no matter what they play. Booker T is great. Brock Lesnar will be better when he stops doing overhead suplexes so much and learns his interviews a bit more. I loved RVD in ECW and he was cool for a while after the Invasion storyline but now that I went through what I went through in TE3, his matches seem less believable. Less like a fight, more like a choreographed dance.

Mike: Wow. Great comparison.

Nick: Oh, and John Cena's character is great, and obviously the man can wrestle.

Mike: Since you’re obviously a fan, is there someone who you want to base your style on?

Nick: I don’t know if there is exactly one person, but I feel like I have the athletic ability of The Rock. At the same time, I can’t really see myself being the most technical wrestler.

Mike: Well, the Rock isn't exactly Kurt Angle, you know?

Nick: [laughs] Of course not. But The Rock's timing in the ring, his feeling for what the crowd wants and needs, his whole ring psychology is just unbelievable. If you are talking about wrestling ability, sure I would love to be someone like Angle or Benoit. But realistically at my height and frame, I don't think I could pull it off. I would be leaning more towards HHH's wrestling style in the ring.

Mike: Pre-injury, right? [laughs]

Nick: [laughs] Yes, pre-injury, Mike.

Mike: What made you try out for TE3?

Nick: Basically, I watched the first Tough Enough and I thought it was interesting. I started training in the gym intensely because I hadn't for a year or so and I was sick of being "out of shape." I really started getting involved in the whole body building aspect – researching it, dieting, being consistent, getting enough rest – before I knew it, I had put on 40 pounds of muscle in a year and had bumped up to 245 pounds. I watched TE2 and I was getting aggravated because I thought, "I'm better than these guys and I want it for all the right reasons." So I said to myself, if there is a TE3 I'm trying out for it. It's too unique of an opportunity to pass up and if I didn't do it, I would always look back and think what could have been.