In an interview with Sports Illustrated, WWE superstar Enzo Amore commented on who inspired him to become a professional wrestler, the WWE NXT product and how much it has grown and more.

Highlights of the interview are below:

On who inspired him to become a professional wrestler: “There is an entire generation of people who were inspired by HBK, that’s my guy, that’s the one I’d want to see and I’d want the Intercontinental Title hanging over a ladder, with a microphone also. Whoever gets to the top first can talk all about how great they are. Personally, if you ever ask me what my favorite match is, it’s the Shawn Michaels-Razor Ramon ladder match. There’s something about the Intercontinental Title hanging up in the air baby.”

On the growth of the NXT product: “This is something people either don’t hear about or don’t know about, but before NXT became the third brand of the WWE, there were some, to say the least, humble beginnings. Big Cass can tell you about wrestling in front of 10 people at armories in Florida and it was just this past December that same guy stood right next to me when we wrestled in London in front of 13,000 for the UK tour. With the additions of people like Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, Finn Bálor and Shinsuke Nakamura, we have seen a brand build that rivals any in the world. Some of the best matches and some of the best performances is right here in NXT.”

The interview is available in full at this link.