The Befumo household exploded with social media recognition during the last yr after the Costco Guys started posting movies on the aforementioned wholesale retailer, showcasing their favourite meals and merchandise accompanied by tune and dance. Large Increase AJ and his son Large Justice have since parlayed that success into the ring, with AJ himself competing within the squared circle of All Elite Wrestling.
A former wrestler who returned to the ring final yr, Large Increase AJ will wrestle as soon as once more at AEW Revolution, teaming up with fan favorites Orange Cassidy and Mark Briscoe to tackle Johnny TV and MXM Assortment. Collider caught up with Large Increase AJ forward of his return to the ring to debate the facility of positivity, attainable feuds with MJF and Chris Jericho, and if the much-loved Rizzler might wield his inherent rizz towards them.
Bringing the Increase to AEW
COLLIDER: All proper, so, I am with the Costco Man himself. I feel this is sort of a actually cool factor that you just’re doing this weekend as a result of Orange Cassidy was the wrestler that introduced me again into wrestling. Mark Briscoe, every little thing that he is been by way of, and he brings this authenticity that you do not actually get to see. And you then and your loved ones have form of come up on this loopy means the place you present a lot positivity within the content material that you just guys create and the enjoyable that you just guys have. Why are these the right guys so that you can crew up with for this match?
BIG BOOM AJ: I feel that is an superior query. Thanks a lot. I feel it is as a result of all of us convey one thing completely different. It is so cool.
I feel between the three of us, all of us convey one thing for everybody and when it was first put on the market that was gonna be the three of us collectively, and first I used to be within the video clip and the group went wild, after which subsequent factor you understand Cassidy is available in and the group goes much more wild, after which we get Mark Briscoe, and Mark Briscoe simply lights the place on hearth. I feel between the three of us, there’s simply actually one thing for everybody. And you then throw in Large Justice after which possibly, sooner or later, we even throw within the Rizzler … I simply assume there’s one thing for everybody. All of it works so effectively collectively. We’re coming to convey the increase!
COLLIDER: You convey the identical authenticity that you just do to your social media channels to your AEW presentation. Is that tough for you? How do you make that work in a hoop with a dwell crowd?
AJ: I imply that is me all day, every single day. That is [Big] Justice all day, every single day, and we have been requested the query earlier than, “What’s modified for you guys?” And I gotta inform you the reality, not loads. I imply we dwell in our similar home, Large Justice nonetheless performs baseball on the Boca Raton rec league. Simply every little thing that is occurred to us has simply made us extra of what we already are. We’re at all times the completely satisfied household.
We at all times have been shouting “increase” and now we simply have so many extra folks to share it with, and now we have a chance right here. We’ve a chance right here to let folks know it is okay to be completely satisfied as a result of the extra happiness you will have inside your self, the extra happiness you might convey to the world.
COLLIDER: I feel your opponents are like an excellent match, as a result of MXM Assortment, they’re clearly hilarious. And Johnny TV has been doing it for a really very long time, and it has been so hilarious. What’s it concerning the pleasure of such a wrestling match and the absurdity of all of those personalities coming collectively for it?
AJ: Yeah, I get the place you are going with this Joe, little doubt about it. There’s quite a lot of character in right here. It is gonna be quite a lot of enjoyable. And also you throw Large Justice in and, like I stated, you throw the Rizzler in sooner or later and sure, there’s some huge personalities right here. I feel all of us convey one thing completely different to the ring so there’s gonna be one thing for everybody on this match. It is gonna be quite a lot of enjoyable.
Large Increase AJ Talks His Harm at AEW Full Gear
COLLIDER: I gotta get to the dust. Your locker room response, has it been constructive? Or are there some sticklers again there which might be identical to, “Oh, you are not an actual wrestler.”
AJ: Properly, after we first got here to Chicago for All Out, it was a really cautious locker room. It was very a lot, “Alright. We get it. This man was a wrestler earlier than, and now he is bought all this consideration on social media. He is coming again right here. Is he doing it for the best causes?” After which that evening once they noticed, I used to be one of many first to reach and one of many final to go away, I feel they have been beginning to say, “OK OK, I feel this man will get it”. Then I got here again for Grand Slam in New York and similar factor; I arrived early in the course of the day. I bought a ton of content material on the market, we began getting quite a lot of consideration. I used to be one of many final ones to go away. I took an Uber again to the resort on the finish of the evening. And at that time, the AEW locker room was actually, actually warmed up they usually have been saying, “Yeah, this man is for actual.”
Then we get to Full Gear and within the afternoon — sure, the studies are true — I broke my foot within the afternoon round 2:30 warming up, and wrestled the total match with a damaged foot. I simply went again to the medical crew, I stated, “I feel I did slightly one thing, simply tape this up.” And the medical crew stated, “Let’s check out that.” They’re twisting it this fashion, they’re turning it that means, they hit it with a metallic rod. And simply I stated, “Tape this factor up. You’re gonna have to chop my foot off to maintain me out of the ring that evening.” So I do assume at that time, the locker room begins to comprehend I used to be for actual, and I am unable to point out quite a lot of the names however the guys that got here to me after the present and shook my hand and stated, “Large Increase AJ, you introduced it,” it was simply inspiring.
COLLIDER: As somebody who has damaged his foot earlier than, I commend you on doing that. Did not your son additionally warn you, “Do not do this, dad.”
AJ: Sure, he did. He did. As a result of when the afternoon is beginning, you’ve bought so many wrestlers that should get within the ring and heat up and run the ropes and check every little thing out. I knew sooner or later within the match I used to be gonna go to the highest rope, so I needed to go to the highest rope and I needed to face there and simply look across the area, see what it felt like. And I’ve my sneakers on — if I had my boots on, if I had my ankle braces on, none of this may occurred — so I leap off the highest rope with my sneakers on. I landed on somebody’s foot who was coming into the ring, somebody that I’ll by no means identify, and yeah, the foot was damaged.
COLLIDER: The response to your match was so constructive. How did that really feel to get the pop that you just bought, however then additionally to see the feedback on the Web saying, “Rattling, I did not know Large Increase AJ had it like that,” you understand?
AJ: I am so grateful for everybody that loved the match and I knew I used to be going to convey it. I knew I used to be gonna convey it when AEW got here to me and I stated — after I do something, Joe, it is both a increase or a doom — so when AEW got here to me and stated, “What do you consider getting again within the ring?” I stated, “Look, if I get again within the ring, I am getting again within the ring.” This is not gonna be an eight-man tag match with chairs flying in and hearth hoses and no matter else you wanna herald there. I stated that is gonna be a wrestling match. I am gonna present the world I can wrestle, and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to just do that.
COLLIDER: And to not look forward previous Johnny TV and MXM Assortment, however is there anybody else within the locker room that you just wish to meet within the ring after this?
AJ: Yeah, a pair names do come to thoughts. I do assume it might be an absolute honor to step within the ring with Chris Jericho. I feel everyone knows the best way Large Justice feels about Jericho. After which there may be one different man that I feel I’d like to step within the ring with simply because I do not imagine in something he believes in, and that is MJF.
COLLIDER: The promos, I really feel like that will not be protected to your channel, although. There’d be some bizarre headlines from that. So watch out. I am not saying you possibly can’t maintain your individual. I am simply saying, watch out as a result of that man is uh, uh yeah. He is slightly loopy on the microphone.
AJ: Properly, the increase is at all times gonna win. The increase is at all times gonna win, and bringing happiness and positivity to a world that wants and needs happiness and positivity, that is at all times gonna be what the increase is all about.
The Rizzler’s Future in AEW
COLLIDER: You guys do quite a lot of music and … I actually wish to know, is there a tune with Swerve Strickland within the works? Are you going to get on a mixtape with Swerve and possibly get Rick Ross to shout you out?
AJ: I can provide you one phrase reply: Sure. [laughs] It’s very preliminary. It has been mentioned, we each agree that we’re gonna do one thing, so yeah, we’ll work one thing out sooner or later.
COLLIDER: Is there an opportunity that we’d see the Rizzler flip heel sooner or later and activate the Costco Guys?
AJ: I don’t assume so, I don’t assume that’s within the playing cards. We’re a household, we each help one another from the very starting and also you get to see what’s out on social media, and what’s actual is simply so heartwarming. So I’ll stroll previous Large Justice’s room and I will hear — I will look and see him on FaceTime and I will see this huge completely satisfied face, and I will hear Large Justice, “Flip! Choose up that water bottle!” As a result of they’re taking part in Fortnite collectively. It is a true huge brother/little brother relationship.
AEW Revolution Zero Hour streams on YouTube at 4pm PT on Sunday, March ninth. The full PPV begins at 5pm PT following the conclusion of Zero Hour.
