Kenny Layne, better known as Kenny King to Ring of Honor fans or Kenny the professional wrestler to "The Bachelorette" fans, has a lot of experience in getting over.
He has done it with wrestling fans for 15 years, and he did it with Bachelor Nation this summer as one of the most-heavily featured contestants on Rachel Lindsay's season. I spoke to the 35-year-old -- who turns 36 on Saturday! -- about everything from his time on the reality show (including the drama with Lee) to his return to the ring, and his upcoming World Television match with Kushida at Queen City Excellence in North Carolina next Saturday.
ESPN.com: What has the transition back into the ring been like?
Kenny King: Early on it was interesting. It was difficult. I hadn't been in a wrestling ring in seven weeks, and that's the longest time I had taken off in probably four or five years. Getting back into life after an experience where you don't have your phone or other distractions and you could go about your day and focus on one thing -- that's something I really tried to take with me. It has allowed me to focus more on wrestling. Being in the ring the first couple times after [returning] really gave me a new appreciation. I'm very lucky to have the job that I have and I'm dedicated to taking that to the next level.
What do you mean when you say take it to the next level?
In Ring of Honor, most of my success has come in the tag division. But in other promotions, I've been singles champions. So I've definitely proven I have what it takes to have a strong run. And that's what I'm focused on right now. I'm focused on standing on my own two, on really growing the Kenny King brand and showing everybody that yeah, Kenny King was great with Rhett Titus, but Kenny King alone is twice as good.
I'm pushing myself to the next level so any casual fans or new eyes that we bring to the product are like, "Wow! This guy and this promotion is the real deal."
Do you plan on incorporating any aspect of your time on "The Bachelorette" into the ring?
It would be difficult to ignore. I get "Rachel" chants, or during a pay-per-view in Boston I got "get that rose." People are very aware, and while I definitely won't make that the focus, it would be silly not to acknowledge it. We'll be seeing some Kenny "Rose Boy" antics for sure.
How does the world of professional wrestling compare to reality television?
It's kind of weird how similar "The Bachelorette" and professional wrestling are, actually. They both have niche audiences. They both know exactly who that audience is and they cater to them.
Do you feel like your experience as a professional wrestler gave you any sort of advantage?
I know how to get my point across in an entertaining and concise manner -- that's just from my years of pro wrestling. Other than that, there's really nothing that can prepare you for that kind of experience.
How did you end up on the show?
I have a friend who writes a Hollywood blog, and he had called and asked me randomly one day, "Hey man would you ever be interested in doing The Bachelor/ or Bachelorette?" And I laughed, like, "Yeah, okay. A pro wrestling Bachelor? Yeah that makes sense." But I said, "Sure, I'm down."
Not thinking that it would amount to anything, I got a phone call from an ABC producer asking the same question. So I wasn't quite sure if it was just [my friend] messing with me or it was a legit thing, so my very first response to that -- because you know I'm a jokester -- was: "Hey I'm interested, but you know I'm black, right?"
We laughed, and he was like, "Yeah that's kind of why I'm calling. We're working on that."
To that point, obviously this season was a big deal because Rachel was the first Black Bachelorette. And at times it felt like we saw racial undertones come into play, especially in the conflict between you and Lee. Are you able to expand on that at all?
I mean, obviously, the non-10,000-pound elephant in the room was Rachel being the first black Bachelorette. This was also the most diverse cast of bachelors they've ever had. But in the context and in actually living it, all of Lee's antics and garbage, none of it seemed racially-motivated. It just felt like Lee was just in over his head. A lot of top quality guys there, and Lee didn't check a lot of boxes as far as someone for Rachel. Being in it, seeing it from the ground, it just seemed like someone who was insecure. Now, obviously, if you go back and look at the tweets and what not, then you get a stronger foundation for what his motivations may have been.
But other than being in that unfortunate little, whatever that was -- which seemed like he was just trying to get attention more than anything -- it was just a group of dudes who got to know each other and liked each other. It didn't matter who was black, who was white, who was what. And that was the most important thing to take away from it. The overall tone of the show was just harmony.
You clearly had to work out the logistics of going on the show with Ring of Honor. What was their reaction when you told them about it?
I missed five or six shows. I missed one of the biggest events of our year, Supercard of Honor, our WrestleMania show. It wasn't like I missed a bunch of house shows, I missed big draws. But they made it very easy. ... I cannot be any more thankful and appreciative for how supportive Ring of Honor was, from top to bottom throughout this whole experience. From the first time I approached Joe Koff about the possibility of this happening, he lit up and was like, "Oh man absolutely. Whatever you need."
Are you actually watching The Bachelorette now?
Uh, yes.
What are your thoughts?
This would be the first season I ever watched, so I don't necessarily have anything to gauge it against. But it's interesting. It's funny, having lived it, to see how an editor or a producer wants it portrayed. For the most part they're very parallel, but obviously when you edit a show, there's things they miss or they don't get. It's more entertaining for me to watch my daughter watch it, because when she sees herself on TV, she's floating on air. That's the real cool part about it for me.
She was the star of the show whenever she would FaceTime you.
Yeah, and she knows it now too, so that's the problem.
Who's tougher: Wrestling fans or Bachelor Nation?
I'm going to say wrestling fans because Bachelor Nation is tough, but they're fair. And they're extremely loyal. I knew how big the show was, but I didn't take into consideration that Bachelor Nation is really a thing -- a serious, serious thing. They've been great. Wrestling fans, though, can be very finicky and fickle.
You got along with Bachelor Nation pretty seamlessly. If they asked, would you consider being the next Bachelor?
King: That's one of those "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." I would probably consider it, but it is a lot to consider. Just being on the end I was on, it was a lot. And something I really felt for Rachel because she was under a whole lot of pressure. It would definitely be an honor to even be considered, but we would just have to see what would happen if it happens.
Since you returned from the show, has there been any discussion about you potentially being involved in the talent-sharing agreement with New Japan?
That's been my goal since I returned to Ring of Honor [in 2015]. New Japan is one of my favorite promotions, and one of my lifelong goals in wrestling is to wrestle in Tokyo Dome. That's one of the reasons I chose to go back to Ring of Honor because there is such a close relationship. And I feel like this upcoming match with Kushida is the perfect opportunity for me to show fans and New Japan management that I can hang with Kushida, who is not only one of the best cruiserweights in the world, but one of the best in New Japan. I have laser-like focus on that goal. I definitely plan on working for New Japan by 2018.