Edge thought Elias’ gimmick really caught hold once he transitioned to the main roster. Elias agrees, pointing out that right from day one Triple H said that this character would fit better on the main roster. The NXT audience is quite different than WWE’s mainstream audience, and Elias seems to have a mainstream appeal which makes him a great fit for the main roster.
Elias talks about the development of his “Walk With Elias” catchphrase. He points out that when he was referred to as “The Drifter” in NXT, it was implied that his character walked from town to town. After arriving on the main roster he dropped the “Drifter” moniker, but he continued to use his catchphrase. He recalls talking to John Cena backstage one day and he joked to Cena that WWE stood for “Walk With Elias”. Cena thought this was brilliant, and told him to start using that in the ring.
Elias admits that he hopes to continue to evolve his character over time. Much like The Undertaker, he hopes to get as much as he can out of this version of “Elias”, before evolving into a slightly different version of himself. He thinks it’s critical for talents to evolve their character in order to remain viable in an ever-changing landscape like WWE.
