When WWE.com Exclusive interviewed Canadian Sylvain Grenier about his return to the WWE, the former World Tag Team Champion admitted that he’s looking forward to creating a new role as mentor of new and future talents. His favorite group remains the Tag Team Division. He mentioned that it’s filled with great personalities and characters. He believes he can add “a little input” to that division; in particular. As “a couple of times” World Champion in that division, he’s ready to see how his expertise can make a difference there. In truth, Grenier is a four-time tag team champion. He worked for WWE from 2003 through 2007, when he ended his contract with the organization and was released. During that time, he was teamed once with Renee Dupree and three times with Rob Conway, creating the hugely successful and highly popular tag-team group La Résistance.
1. Grenier says that his “boots have been hanging and dusty for a while”
Grenier also says “Never say never” about that topic. He told TVASports that he went to WWE when it came to Montreal in 2019. He had a meeting with Executive Vice-President of Television Content Kevin Dunn. Grenier’s purpose was to obtain photos of his team title wins. Grenier wanted to use the photos in his new television fitness show. He was planning to use the photos in the show into. Grenier and Dunn headed into a conversation about the company’s looking for agents. After a bit of negotiations, Grenier sealed an agreement with WWE in a completely new role.
2. Grenier was recruited to become a wrestler when he was on a golf course
It was Pat Patterson, longtime WWE “right-hand man” to Vince McMahon, who spotted Grenier’s muscular physique and suggested that the audition for Tough enough in 2001. Unfortunately, as a Canadian citizen, Grenier wasn’t allowed to participate. But, later on, he was invited to a training camp and then hired. His first mentor was Rocky Johnson. Grenier’s Facebook page includes this fact. Grenier training with Rocky in Florida. Grenier had to wait for the paperwork required to legally work in the United States. The WWC sent him to Montreal where he made is first WWE appear in 2003. He was assigned as special referee of the rematch between The Rock and Hulk Hogan. During WrestleMania XIX, he was part of the match between Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan.
3. Grenier’s first night back with the WWE
Ring Side News reporter Felix Upton commented that Grenier has been “added to the ranks” of WWE’s backstage environment which is “full of former Superstars”. Grenier commented that he’s still in training, but “eventually will be assigned to the red or blue team, Raw or SmackDown”. He said that he’s scheduled to do “a TV show a week”. He’s also looking forward to working “every PPV” and he will “tour house shows once a month”. He’s excited about this new venture in his professional life, but fan opinion is divided. Some fans question the number of producers really needed, while others have commented on the hiring of staff as coming “at the cost of the show’s quality”.
4. Grenier believes that his backstage role now is the same recipe as his WWE career
He told Wrestling Inc reporter Joshua Gagnon that “it’s the same thing”. When asked if the job is still fun for Grenier in his new backstage role at this level, he said, “Oh, my God, yeah!” Grenier noted that it’s not about level it’s just about fun. He said that if you can get a reaction from the fans in a smaller arena, it’s the same as if you got it in a bigger arena. Grenier also told Gagnon that wrestling is not a friendly sport. In fact, he mentioned that it is a sport filled with politics where everyone is “stabbing each other in the back to get on top”. Grenier compared wrestling to any other business where those involved want to be the best of the best and the most successful. He described the inside of the ring as the place where everyone “tries to connect with each other”, while the outside of the ring is the place where “it’s a jungle”.
5. Grenier feels that the greatest, most satisfying match he had in his career was in Montreal
Though he admits that he had plenty of good times while in the WWE, his memory goes back to the time where they won the World Acting Championship in Montreal before 20,000 people. The match was him and Rob Conway against Chris Benoit and Edge. He said, “that was by the far the greatest moment for him”.
6. Grenier admitted that Renee DuPree “was a funny cat”
Grenier had been asked about Renee DuPree’s problems backstage and the time he was beaten up by Hardcore Howlie. When asked what politics prompted that, Grenier said that “problem with Renee was that he learned the business so young that he was always great in the ring and “would know what to do”. But he also admitted that he thought Renee didn’t know “how the world worked outside the ring”. He noted that Renee needed to learn “how to behave, how to socialize, and lacked logic”. Grenier said that “it wasn’t Renee’s fault that he got into the business so young”. Grenier said Renee was just 18 years old and it wasn’t in his own contract “to babysit” Renee. For the team’s wellbeing, Grenier tried to support and mentor Renee, but he admitted it “didn’t work too well”. When Grenier split up with Renee, he believes he “went on to better days” with Rob Conway. Grenier said that not everyone is cut out to wrestle in the ring and travel the world extensively. Grenier mentioned that it isn’t common for fights to take place in the ring, but a fight can be “a good life lesson” when a wrestler’s not completely beaten up. He believes that Renee’s fight was “fair, that he deserved it, and he learned from it”.
7. Grenier says that wrestler Nova Cain, is one his top-two list of all-time best wrestlers
He said that the two had “so much fun on the road”- though he considered Nova “actually the worst driver in the world- even with MapQuest”. He remembers most the time they were in Redding, Pennsylvania, and they “kept turning around and turning around”. Being with Nova on the road was “a blessing” because Grenier feels that wrestling is hard work but having fun on the road helps to make it easier.
8. Grenier believes he was not ready to start with WWE even though he was very happy to do it
When asked what he would do differently with WWE given the chance he described his beginnings with the organization. He felt he was just a kid and needed plenty of training to be ready. He did the training over months before he started as a recruit.
9. Grenier is personally looking forward to his WWE trip to France
He’ll do twelve shows in a row. He’s looking forward to seeing the French wrestling fans and knows that the marketing for French wrestling is currently intense. He’s also hoping that the WWE will do try-outs in Quebec because he sees plenty of talent there now. He has a completely new take on what it means to be part of the WWE due to his increased work on the business side of things rather than the entertainment side. He believes he’s matured considerably since he was wrestling himself. He said he’s “definitely ready for a bigger challenge”.
10. Grenier doesn’t put too much stock in wrestling rumors
He was asked all kinds of questions about other wrestlers. While he gave his honest opinion about the rumors posed to him, he also stated that “everybody has something negative to say about everybody” because they want a better spot, or they want to better-looking or make more money”. He believes that those with talent in the business have the potential to “have a long run” if they really want it.
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