In an interview with Alex Obert of JourneyOfAFrontMan.com prior to his recent appearance for Combat Zone Wrestling, former WWE NXT superstar CJ Parker commented on life after NXT, working the independent scene, advice from Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, plus much more.

Highlights of the interview are below:

On life after WWE NXT: “I think people forget that we do NXT shows in front of 200 people on Fridays and Saturdays, not everything is Full Sail. I’m used to these small crowds and I love them, it’s a little more intimate, it’s a little more up close and personal, it’s cool. I like it as much, or in some ways, even more than a big, huge crowd. You can really, really connect with individuals and it’s a great time. If you can get a hundred people to make some noise, you’re doing good.”

On advice he received from Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens about the independent scene: “They just said that you’ve got to hustle, you’ve got to talk with promoters, you’ve got to bargain, you’ve got to make sure you have merchandise to sell to people. They know how I feel about wrestling, they know that I’m passionate about it, they know that I’m going to make it work and I’m going to have a blast wrestling here at Five Borough or tomorrow at CZW or in the backyard at some 12 year old’s birthday party. I’m going to have a great time doing it, they’re just happy for me because they know how happy and excited I am.”

The interview is available in full at this link.