Doc Gallows Says First Stint In WWE Wasn’t Positive Because Of The Locker Room “Old Guard”

Luke Gallows was one of the many COVID cuts from WWE in April, and he’s since latched onto Impact Wrestling as Doc Gallows. But it was the second time that Gallows was released from WWE, as he’s had two stints with the company that total eight years.

Gallows used many different gimmicks during his first run from 2005-10, including Festus and the imposter Kane. When he returned in 2016, he used the name of Luke Gallows, which he is most known for. Gallows was asked by Nick Swink of Guerrilla Position if there were any noticeable differences in the WWE locker room with his two stints.

“100 percent. I don’t talk about a lot of WWE anymore. It’s not because I don’t have a lot of friends there; I became friends with or already friends with guys like Bray Wyatt, who I was there for the first week he signed with FCW. I went down when I was getting repackage from Festus to Luke,” recalled Gallows.

“I didn’t know Roman Reigns [in FCW]. A lot of their top tier guys stepped up, and Braun Strowman is one of them. And a lot of their other guys were cool, but I really looked at Roman and Bray to a degree.”

Gallows joined WWE during the Ruthless Aggression Era, which came on the heels of the Attitude Era. The business was much different back then than it is today, and Gallows says the locker room wasn’t as receptive to young guys like himself.

“The locker room that I was in from 2005 to 2010 was one that wasn’t always a positive experience,” admitted Gallows. “It was a lot of the old guard, and they weren’t welcoming to a lot of the new guys. Being a young guy in that environment wasn’t necessarily enjoyable, but when I got back to WWE, I saw the way things were, and the guys were working together as a team. They enjoyed being there together in the ring and outside the ring.

“I really tip my hat off to those guys. I always thought a team atmosphere in a locker room with competition was good because you need to strive to be the best, whether it’s in singles, tag team, comedy, spots, or whatever you do. You have to be the best.

“I told Roman that a time or two in the ring, during serious moments, that I was really impressed by that and it did a lot for the business.”