QUICK QUOTES: Raven on his regret of leaving WCW, favorite angle, why he didn’t like the Johnny Polo character

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Raven was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated and talked about his regret of leaving WCW, playing the Johnny Polo character, and more. Here are some of the highlights:

Why he disliked playing the Johnny Polo character:

“WWE made me Johnny Polo, which I never wanted to be. I never felt like I fit the character just because the way my vocal patterns are — sounds nothing like an upper Greenwich, Connecticut-type person. It sounds like a Philadelphia, south Philly kind of guy. It’s funny, Vince McMahon said to me when he let me go he goes, ‘you really aren’t Johnny Polo. It’s kind of a disconnect because you dress one way and when you leave the office, you dress a completely different way. You talk differently. You’re really not Johnny Polo.’ And I’m like, ‘I know, I never thought I was.'”

His thoughts on Paul Heyman:

“Paul E. was such an amazing creator. He was so creative. He was so brilliant. His psychology was unparalleled. He was also smart enough to know if someone has a better idea I’ll take my ego out of it and I’ll let their idea play out. He was always willing to do that.”

His favorite angle he was in:

“The best thing I ever did was my feud with Sandman. Paul E. gave me all the leeway I needed. I just touched a nerve in society that they’d rather disavow. I also understand how my behavior would garner a reaction, which is psychology. I don’t think most people had the level of psychology that I did. I was able to garner the right reaction at the right time as opposed to just a reaction for reaction’s sake.”

His regret over leaving WCW:

“I really wish I would’ve stayed. That’s one of my regrets. I didn’t stay because the idea he told me did nothing for me. I was gonna lose stock as a character, so I didn’t but I wish I would’ve [stayed] because the way things worked out with [Vince] Russo coming in six months later and Russo being a huge fan of mine, I probably would’ve been in the world title mix. I know I would’ve got way, way more money on my contract on my next deal because it was a year from being up, so I would’ve probably doubled what I was already making. So it really was a stupid idea of me to go, but I wasn’t having fun. It’s still a huge regret.”

For the full interview with Raven, check out Sports Illustrated

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