22:35
Kevin, thank you so much for sitting down ahead of Money in the Bank. I know you are very familiar with this match, having not won it yet, but a lot of great moments. Thank you for that. Looking at this environment, the ladders in the ring, the five other competitors, New Blood, and someone you're very familiar with, what are your concerns, thoughts heading into this match? Well, you know, there is five other competitors in the match, but for me, there's really just one other competitor. You know what I mean? And I don't mean that as a sign of disrespect to the other guys.
You know, there's a lot of up and coming talent in that match that are going to want to make their mark, and obviously winning the Money in the Bank briefcase is a fantastic way to do that. Most of them have never been in a Money in the Bank ladder match, but they've had experience with ladder matches. Je'Von Evans obviously has shown everyone in NXT and since joining Raw that he's pretty much willing to do anything at any time to be successful, which I respect a lot. Bron Breakker has also shown everybody what he's able to do and the carnage he can leave behind when he's trying to win.
Trick Williams has been incredibly successful in NXT and on SmackDown already. And, you know, Pénta's track record speaks for itself, so it's a lot. But I would be lying if I'd say that my mind is completely on them. Or quite frankly, I'd be lying if I said that my mind is completely on winning the Money in the Bank briefcase. I have some ulterior motives, if you want to call them that. There's a lot that comes into play in this match for me, for sure. Going back to the last time you were in a ladder match, Royal Rumble 2025 against Cody Rhodes for the WWE championship, you took a power slam on the ladder, which exacerbated your injury,
led to you being out for 17 months. I'm going to stop you right there. I'm not going to give Cody Rhodes that credit. It hurt, it was really bad, but I actually don't think that had that much to do with my neck injury. I think the neck injury happened well before the match, which obviously we weren't aware of. I went into that match half broken and I didn't even know. Yeah. And I almost won. Now I have steel plates and screws in my neck. So in theory, if you think about it, stronger than ever, really.
I'm not sure that logic would be agreed upon by the medical staff, but to me it makes sense. So yeah, I think that actually plays in my favor. Well, there was a lot of concern for you backstage. I assume that your family was also really concerned. What was that conversation like in returning and knowing that another injury could potentially spell the end of your career? You know, it was really scary for them, but there was no world where if I didn't, like there was no world where I wasn't coming back if I had the chance.
Yeah. And they knew that. And I don't think they would want me to not be doing this when they know that this is where I belong, you know? And of course there's concerns and there's fear, especially considering the elements of a ladder match and my past and ladder matches, but they've accepted now, I think, you know, my wife, my kids, my parents, I think they've accepted that slowing down is just not really an option for me. And I've told them all, if I have five years left, three years, two years, whatever it is, I'm, you know, I'm gonna give it all for that amount of time and they know. I think they're good with it. So yeah, we'll see what happens.
You are someone that doesn't like sitting still. That's true. You're back in full force having two championship matches already. What is the significance of this one for you? You know, before I got hurt things weren't going great. You know, I lost a lot of matches. I lost friendships. Then I got hurt and 17 months went by. And when I came back, I kind of felt like it was a clean slate. And the first night back,
I beat three of the absolute best wrestlers in the world to become number one contender. So I thought, there it is. Like the past is gone. It doesn't matter anymore. And then I got to Toronto and in my first opportunity to win the WWE championship, I failed. Now, I failed because of someone else that didn't have anything to do with the match. As far as I'm concerned, I had that match won, but it doesn't matter. I didn't walk out with a title. And then a couple weeks later I got another chance. I failed again.
I could make excuses, but there's no point. I'm so (beep) sick of being a failure. So yeah. I just, I'm not going to fail. You know, I'm going into this ladder match with a lot of different goals. One of them, the biggest one, is to hopefully end scumbag CM Punk's career. I don't like him. I will never like him. I don't want him around. I don't want him in my locker room. I don't want him on my shows.
The fans can love him and it's fine, I understand, but they don't know him. I want to get rid of him to make WWE a better place. And once I do that, nothing will stop me from climbing that ladder, not Je'Von Evans, not Penta, not Trick Williams, not Bron Breakker, not even Gravity. I'm going to get that briefcase and then I will, whenever the time comes, I'll cash it in the right way, not with some sort of sneak attack when the champion's already down, because I want him to see me coming. And I don't want what happened 10 years ago when I won the Universal Title to happen again, because I think I deserved the Universal title, but with the way I won it that night, I didn't earn it.
It was given to me by Triple H and look, at the time I was fine with that. But throughout the last decade, I did wonder if he hadn't been there, would I have won it? I like to think yes, but I don't know that for a fact. So once I get that briefcase, I'm cashing it in the right way and I'm putting all the failures behind me. I'm taking the WWE title. Last question. This is off the book, but any resentment towards Sami Zayn for not having to be in the Money in the Bank ladder match?
No, he's the champion. And you know, people are well aware of our history and everything we've done with each other, against each other. He's the WWE champion and he deserves it. He's an incredible champion, incredible performer. He's an (beep) but that's okay, so am I. I don't know how to say it. Brothers fight a lot. And now we're in the fighting phase again. The only problem is he kept me from winning the WWE championship in front of my mom. So next time I have the chance, I'm taking it from him,
and it's going to be a rough night for him. I guarantee that. Well, it sounds like you are steadfast in your goals for this ladder match. Good luck going in. Thank you.
