Zach Gowen on AEW match vs. Ricochet: ‘This is just wild to me, but I’m so grateful’

  • Ian Carey
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Zach Gowen spoke with Sports Illustrated ahead of his return to the ring this week on AEW Dynamite.

Gowen was involved in an angle on last week’s show that led to him being booked against Ricochet. The 42-year-old father of four says he hasn’t been in the spotlight like this since he was 20 years old and performing for WWE.

“Listen, I’m 40. I’m a 42 year old, tax paying father of four,” Gowen says. “That’s what I’m saying. I’m a suburban dad, brother. And the fact that over the past three or four days this has happened, this is just wild to me, but I’m so grateful.”

“I haven’t been on a national platform like this since I was 20 years old in WWE,” he continued. “So, the fact that this is happening now at 42-years-old, this age, this maturity level, I have such a greater appreciation for the gift that’s being presented to me than I than I could have ever done when I was 20 years old. So at the foundation of everything that I do, it’s gratitude.”

In 2003, Gowen was involved in a memorable angle on WWE SmackDown with Hulk Hogan that saw Roddy Piper pull off Gowen’s prosthetic leg. Gowen then joined Hogan (Mr. America at the time) in a feud against Piper and Sean O’Haire. A few months later, Gowen was defeated by Vince McMahon at Vengeance 2003.

Gowen says he was too young at the time to appreciate what he had.

“I didn’t appreciate the gift that was being handed because I was so afraid that I was going to lose it. My whole identity was wrapped up in being a professional wrestling superstar. That’s who Zack Gowen was. It took that whole career being ripped away from me — I also gave it away — let’s not get it confused in terms of my maturity, my behavior and all of that. I also gave it away, but I was under prepared.”

As for how the deal came together for him to appear on AEW Dynamite last week, Gowen said he contacted his friend, AEW producer Kevin Matthews, about meeting up while he was in town.

“I saw that a gentleman by the name of Kevin Matthews, who’s a producer and agent for AEW, an old friend of mine and a lifelong supporter of mine as well,” Gowen said. “He’s done good by me throughout the years. I saw that he was in town in Detroit, my hometown for AEW, so I hit him up and I said, Hey, man, do you want to go to lunch?”

“He just started pitching these ideas, which fired up my imagination, and it got me thinking. It got me hyped up and so really, it’s from that relationship that I have with Kevin and a lot of those guys that work backstage and that was able to bring it to fruition.”

Gowen noted that he knows he won’t be able to keep up with Ricochet, who he referred to as the best wrestler in the world.

“I’m absolutely looking forward to get getting in the ring with him, because Ricochet is the best wrestler in the world,” Gowen said. “I’ve said that for a long, long time. I saw him put on an absolute clinic — must have been 2016 or 2015 somewhere in New York. He wrestled the Amazing Red and was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen live.”

Gowen’s full interview with SI.com is available here.