There are many elements that go into the making of a good pro-wrestling match. While it’s partially choreographed with a fixed outcome, the talents involved still need to sell the moves reliably, and that requires trusting one’s opponent. However, personal grudges and egos come into the picture at times, resulting in unsavory moments.

A few months ago, spectators witnessed something similar as a former WWE superstar knowingly moved out of the way of his diving opponent. If that wasn’t bad enough, what followed was shocking.

EC3 defends his move, says he’ll be moving every time

The aforementioned match took place at NWA Nuff Said. The National Wrestling Alliance’s pay-per-view event took place on 11 February 2023, in Tampa. Former WWE 24/7 Champion, Ethan Carter III (EC3), faced off against Kevin Kiley aka Alex Riley formerly of WWE, who made his in-ring return last December after a six-year hiatus.

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While EC3 picked up the win by submission, the talking point from the match was his unwillingness to cooperate with his opponent for a high-risk aerial move.

Kiley, who wrestled in the WWE first as Carson Oakley and later by the name of Alex Riley, decided to jump at his opponent outside the ring. However, it went horribly wrong as EC3 moved out of the way and Kiley fell with a thud on the mat.

In a recent interview with MuscleManMalcolm, the 40-year-old wrestler said he purposely embarrassed his opponent.

“…I was never, ever going to let that man jump on me. Whether his foot got slightly caught or it didn’t, I was moving because that was my intent,” the wrestler said. He added, “I let him fall flat on his face, embarrass himself in front of the world, rolled his a** back into the ring, and I beat him.”

That wasn’t all. The former Impact World Champion had a warning for his future opponents as well. He said he would be “moving every time”, if somebody is jumping out of the ring at him.

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While EC3’s WWE stints haven’t been as successful as many other superstars, a WWE Hall of Famer had said the Stamford-based promotion had failed to utilize the 40-year-old’s talent.

Mick Foley backed EC3 after his release from WWE

Ethan Carter III was released from his WWE contract on 15 April 2020. It marked the end of his second stint, having signed with the company in January 2018. His earlier run in the company was from 2010 to 2013 in NXT. 

Three months after his release, WWE legend Mick Foley said the promotion “missed the boat” with the superstar. This came as a big compliment for a guy who was viewed as a mid-card by the company. After his initial release from WWE in 2013, EC3 found success in TNA as the storyline nephew of the owner Dixie Carter and won the Heavyweight Championship twice before returning to WWE in 2018.

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What do you think about EC3’s recent statement, though? Do let us know in the comments below.