Grayson Waller reveals 65-year-old WWE legend advised him to emulate Muhammad Ali

WWE invested in Grayson Waller for a long time on NXT, and now it’s paying dividends. The Arrogant Aussie is quickly becoming the highlight of SmackDown. In his short time on the main roster so far, he’s had dreamy interactions with icons like John Cena and Edge. Well, Grayson’s two month run has led fans to believe that he’s the exact guy the management wanted to extract from Austin Theory.

There’s a reason why Grayson Waller has captured the audience’s attention. Unlike a few callups in the past, he’s not generic. In fact, the 33-year-old brings a whole different vibe to the table. He never breathes easy when it comes to boasting about his own accolades. However, while speaking on the MMA Hour, the Aussie Icon revealed that he was once told by a WWE veteran to emulate Muhammad Ali.

During the conversation with Ariel Helwani, Grayson Waller recalled an incident that happened earlier this year. WWE legend Fit Finlay took him aside and had a deep pep talk with him. Waller said that Fit advised him to start emulating the great Muhammed Ali.

And without much hesitation, the Dynamite from Down Under took quick notice of that. He hung Ali’s portrait in his house so that he keeps getting motivated every day he wakes up. The current WWE coach knew Waller was going to be a thing on the big stage and was just preparing the Aussie back then.

Finlay told Grayson that he needed to act like he was the best. However, he asked Waller to not just talk like he’s above all; in fact, Fit asked the Australian wrestler to feel whatever he spits out. Now, it seems like Grayson Waller did take note of everything Finlay relayed to him.

Related: Grayson Waller reveals the behind-the-scenes story that drove him to play a heel persona on WWE television

Grayson Waller mocked The Rock on this week’s SmackDown

It doesn’t appears like Grayson Waller is done calling out The Great One. After their online back-and-forth a few days ago, Waller continued to throw caution to the wind this week. He faced Jey Uso in the main-event on SmackDown. In a decent match overall, the Moment Maker didn’t forget to imitate The Rock.

He used the iconic The People’s Elbow on Jey, taking a shot at The Brahma Bull. As soon as he turned into The Rock for a moment, Roman Reigns, who was ringside, also chuckled at the sight. However, Grayson’s party was cut short by Jey Uso. After a wicked spear and his patent splash, the former Right Hand Man emerged victorious.

However, it was interesting to see Waller mock The Rock. Also, Michael Cole and Wade Barrett too mentioned The Brahma Bull’s name quite a few times on the commentary. If it’s just a fluke, the creative is pushing it too far on live television. But, what if there’s some actual juice in it?

Just maybe, WWE is planning a one-off interaction between Rock and Waller, soon enough. With SummerSlam next week and Hollywood strike in full effect, anything can happen. For sure, The Rock can at least grace the WWE Universe with his surprise appearance. That would not need him to prepare for a formal match.

In case you missed it:

• WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther reveals two female wrestlers who could join the Imperium
• Cody Rhodes breaks silence on his current relationship with AEW’s Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks

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