"It's gonna be a thin line because I do have to enforce the rules and make sure both guys abide by the rules. That's what referees do, so I'm going to enforce that like a referee. The only difference is if they both get out of line, then I'm gonna have to throw these fists....it's going down on Thursday night since everyone has a different cable or satellite provider, so just go to your guide button and go to Spike TV on Thursday and look up TNA Impact Wrestling. Look that up and come check us out," stated Bellator light heavyweight King Mo Lawal, who talked about his highly-anticipated debut in TNA Impact Wrestling this Thursday. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: You are being brought in by Hulk Hogan to be the enforcer, the guest referee for the Bobby Roode vs. James Storm match. How do you plan on officiating this fight?
KM: It's gonna be a thin line because I do have to enforce the rules and make sure both guys abide by the rules. That's what referees do, so I'm going to enforce that like a referee. The only difference is if they both get out of line, then I'm gonna have to throw these fists.
PC: Have you been keeping up with this history between these two? They have been loose cannons and it's not an easy assignment for anybody to get in between the two of them.
KM: Yeah, I know the history between the two of them. James Storm took a break after Roode beat him for the belt. But at the end of the day, they hate each other and I'm pretty sure they are gonna do everything to get that W, so I'm gonna be in there to make sure that they don't go out of bounds in trying to do so by doing crazy thangs. Falls count anywhere for this match, but I can let a lot happen, but there ain't gonna be no outside interference. I'm going to try to keep it as fair as I can.
PC: I know you have idolized Hulk Hogan for years and you have been a huge wrestling fan for years. Hulk Hogan was the symbol for pro wrestling. What was it like to hear him say, "I'm bringing in an enforcer, King Mo, for this match"?
KM: Man, let me tell you something...(laughing)...I was chilling in the house with [Shawn] Bunch and my boy Techno Kyle and we were watching TNA, and we were talking and I said, "Did Hulk Hogan just say my name?" I got that DVR, so I rewind it and I hear him say, "I'm bringing in that enforcer, the man that makes them bones go crack, King Mo." I was like, "What!" Dog, no lie, I went on Twitter and people beat me to the punch already talking about, "Hulk Hogan said your name." I looked at my text messages blowing up. Damn nigga, I made it dog (laughing). Hulk Hogan said my name (laughing).
PC: Dixie Carter tweeted out pictures of you being with Hulk and a lot of the TNA guys. What was that experience like just meeting him for the first time? I couldn't imagine meeting someone I have idolized since I was 5 years old (laughing).
KM: Let me tell you something, when I saw him, I was afraid to go up to him; him, Sting, and all of 'em, Rob Van Dam and D'Lo Brown. I got shocked. I see a MMA fighter, it's like, yeah, cool, who cares. Boxers, I get nervous when I meet them, and the same thing with pro wrestlers because those are the people that I like to watch do they thang. I know it's not easy doing it and they do it good. I was kind of in fan mode and I was kinda nervous and I didn't want to bother them. I was just kind of shocked and thinking to myself, "These people are gonna be my co-workers. I'm going to be working with these people. Damn!" I was smiling to myself and thought eventually I will meet them. But Dixie put me right in front of them. I met Eric Bischoff too, you know what I'm saying? It was crazy, mayne, for real.
PC: And all of them were cool people?
KM: Cool people dog. AJ Styles was cool, Samoa Joe was cool; they all cool. They were all cool now, but who knows what will happen later.
PC: I've literally been with you an hour or so before your fights and I know how you are calm and relaxed before your fights. How are your nerves doing before your TNA debut on Thursday night?
KM: I'm real nervous dog. I'm nervous because fighting is instinctual. You use your instincts. Pro wrestling, there is an art to it. In a real fight, there is no art to a real fight. Anything goes and you do what you gotta do to win. In pro wrestling, you do what you gotta do to win, but you gotta look good doing it. You gotta control the crowd and rock the crowd. You remember "Glacier" from WCW?
PC: Yep.
KM: You remember how terrible he was? No one gave a damn about him. I ain't trying to be the black "Glacier." Then they had that cat everybody knew as "Albert." No one would cheer for him. I mean, even "Disco Inferno" from WCW got the crowd into it, and Norman Smiley got a reaction from the crowd. So I'm trying to get a reaction from the crowd. I ain't trying to go out there and here crickets, because when you hear crickets, that means it's time for you to go.
PC: It appears you are in a situation where you are gonna piss someone off because you are trying to regulate two guys that hate each other and you're being called the enforcer. I'm not sure that's gonna go over well. Are you somewhat expecting problems?
KM: I will just have to see, but if I do, I know I got that right hand, that "Doom" punch that Jeff Mayweather taught me, and that "Doom" is the equalizer because that closes mouths. That "Doom" puts people in comas. So if I have to land that "Doom" punch, it's over, but I hope it doesn't come to that.
PC: How good is it going to feel to finally get this much anticipated debut over?
KM: Man, I'm just hoping that I don't get attacked or jumped by the Aces & 8s! Aces & 8s...them boyz come deep dog and I ain't trying to get jumped by them, so I'm kind of nervous about that. I ain't trying to be a casualty because you see what they did to Hulk Hogan and Sting; pepper sprayed them and everything. They tied them up and I don't need that, so I don't know, man.
PC: This Thursday on Spike TV it's going down. King Mo is officially on TNA. Tell us about it!
KM: Yeah mayne, it's going down on Thursday night since everyone has a different cable or satellite provider, so just go to your guide button and go to Spike TV on Thursday and look up TNA Impact Wrestling. Look that up and come check us out. It's going down. I'm trying to break records and they calling me "Mr. Spike TV", so I'm trying to live up to that!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]