Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble…
Ethan Carter III has certainly been all that and more to his opponents in the ring since his arrival in TNA last year. With his kayfabe aunt and TNA President Dixie Carter behind him, the man known as EC3 has defeated men from the likes of Norv Fernum and Dewey Barnes to the likes of Sting in his relatively short time with the company.
With TNA One Night Only: #OldSchool debuting February 7th on pay-per-view providers everywhere, Carter sat down to talk about his time in TNA and his highly anticipated rematch with Dewey Barnes.
Carter, real name Michael Hutter, spent time in WWE as Derrick Bateman. There, while a steady hand in sketches and matches, Hutter never rose above shows like NXT and spent his time as an underrated midcarder. Discussing his newly earned status in the loftier portion of TNA storylines and cards, Hutter seemed very positive about his new gig.
“It’s amazing what you can do with an actual opportunity. Coming over really invigorated me to no end,” Hutter replied. “I’m driven by success for myself and the team now. The sky’s the limit, really.”
Throughout the conference call, Hutter had nothing but praise and admiration for his cohorts, naming performers such as The Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) and MVP as newer additions with a lot to add to the company.
However, with the new-found position come new expectations. Like anyone, Hutter encountered some anxiety and pressure. Hutter explained, “If you really truly care about what you do like I do, you’ll feel anxiety and pressure to do a good job. Given this wonderful opportunity, the pressure is relieved and I have freedom to be myself.”
While Hutter attacked all questions with gusto, it appeared that the confident, sly Ethan Carter III did shine through for a good portion of the talk. Discussing that, Hutter stated that the transition from himself to Ethan Carter III has been an easy one because of his freedom to experiment with the character and the combined creativity of himself and some TNA staff. In talking transitions from character to character and company to company, Hutter prefers to keep it simple. “At the end of the day, you’re still entertaining people in front of the cameras,” he stated.
Given his relatively short time in TNA and general praise from grappling critics, Ethan Carter III apparently benefits from the tenured locker room of the company. However, when asked where he draws inspiration for improvement, Carter definitely showed up to answer. “Every time I go out there and perform, whether it’s in the ring or it’s a promo, there’s this one person I go to in the back every single time. I look around for him and then I look and I see him. In the mirror. Myself!” a boastful Carter stated. “And I ask and say, ‘Ethan, how’d you do?’ And he says, ‘Ethan, you did fantastic.'”
One of the criticisms tossed constantly at the man known as EC3 is his level of competition. Having faced the likes of Curry Man and Shark Boy, Carter is accused of taking on favorable competition from time to time. His opponent for #OldSchool fits the cupcake criteria, as longtime adversary Dewey Barnes gets another shot at the TNA President’s nephew. Perhaps with tongue firmly in cheek, EC3 responded to the criticism. “Without Dewey Barnes, there’d be no EC3. And without EC3, there’d sure as hell be no Dewey Barnes. You look at epic sports rivalries like the Yankees and the Red Sox, the Lakers and the Celtics. Me versus Dewey Barnes is no different,” Carter responded. “Granted, I have beaten him 31 times in a row, it doesn’t take away the fact that we are very competitive against each other.”
After each win, Carter grabs the microphone and reminds the world and anyone watching that the world needs a family like the Carters. To close, it would be only fitting to hear Carter describe what the mantra truly means. With trademark braggadocio, Carter said, “Without our finances. there would be no employment, would there? No, there wouldn’t. It’s sort of saying the world needs the wealthy. And they do.”
TNA One Night Only: #OldSchool debuts February 7th on various pay-per-view distributors.
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