Are you looking forward to your match with Randy Orton at SummerSlam?

I can’t wait. My first SummerSlam and I’m walking in as WWE Champion and taking on Randy Orton, who’s pretty much already an established top, top superstar. It’s my chance to prove to the world that I deserve to be where I am and I’m better than him, Cena and Triple H, and pretty much the best in WWE

Would you be happy just beating him, or do you want to embarrass him?

I don’t just wanna beat him, I actually want to end his career. The crowd love him now and all I hear are the crowd’s RKO chants for him. I think that he’s sneaky and he’ll do anything to win.

Do you get nervous before these big events?

I wouldn’t say nervous. Once the music hits and I get to walk out there, I’m fine and as relaxed as I am right now. But the actual build-up to the match, that’s what kills me, because I just wanna get out there and get into it.

Which wrestlers do you think are the most entertaining to watch at the moment?

Me! But apart from me, there’s a lot, it depends on what you like. The thing with WWE is there’s something for everybody. Everyone brings their own unique style and character to the table. That’s what I think makes WWE so good. 

How hard was it getting into wrestling in Ireland?

It was very hard. I got my opportunity when I went to one of the TV tapings in Manchester. I got a tryout and then went back a couple of times and they offered me a contract. I left my job, my family and everything behind, jumped over to the States and it’s been a dream ever since.

What would you have done if you hadn’t got into wrestling?

I really don’t know. I kind of put all my eggs in one basket. I had stuff behind me, from when I worked before, so I’m sure I could still do something like IT or whatever. But I had an education, which is very important for kids, no matter what you do.

Some fans were upset that you got to the top really quickly in WWE. Have people accepted you now?

I don’t care. I really don’t care. The thing is, I’ve been proving people wrong my whole life, and they’re actually the people who drive me on. When I won my first title, people were very jealous, even a lot of the WWE Superstars. There’s a saying that you’ve got to pay your dues first, but as far as I’m concerned, paying your dues is an excuse for people who fail to be successful.

Do you find that a lot of Americans don’t understand the difference between England and Ireland?

A lot of them don’t even know where Ireland is! They probably think it’s down by Australia or something. It can be frustrating sometimes. They actually think that Ireland is in England, or joined to it.

How long does it take you to get your hair standing up like that?

Too long! Hours! I used to stick my fingers in the sockets, but that doesn’t work any more. I think I’ve become immune to electricity! It’s a pain, and when it gets too long it starts falling over, like the leaning Tower of Pisa. But it stands out on TV, especially with my pale skin too. I look different to everybody, which helped me to get noticed, although I still had to put the hard work in.

Did you ever get bullied for your ginger hair?

I never got bullied, ’cause I was always a big kid, but I got a lot of verbal abuse. But as long as I’m successful, which I am, and as long as I do what I love, what someone says about me doesn’t matter. I think that gets to a lot of people as well, that I just don’t care! Being different, you get a lot of abuse, but I’m bringing ginger back, one day at a time!

You were once security for Bono when you worked in a nightclub. How was that?

It was grand. He gets a lot of stick, but he’s actually a great fella. He’s very quiet and does his own thing, very nice and polite, and talks to everybody. You get to know someone by how they treat people. Some stars, and people who aren’t stars but think they are, will turn their nose up at the staff. But then anyone they see who’s famous, they’ll be over there sucking up to them. But Bono made sure that he talked to everybody. From the girl who collected the glasses and the guy sweeping the floor to us standing out in the cold in the freezing rain. He’d stop, shake your hand and ask you how you were doing. He was bang-on, top notch in my book.

Do you get any crazy fans?

Yeah, especially at the live shows. But thanks to John Cena, there are loads of signs with “human jar of mayonnaise” and my face stuck on the middle of it, and giant Ronald McDonald signs with spiky hair and a beard. The fans are very creative, they put a lot of time into that. They do get crazily into the shows, and some people want to jump the barrier and punch me. But if the barrier wasn’t there, I don’t think they’d have the neck to come over and punch me, they just use the barrier as an excuse!

I read that you like a bit of heavy metal when you work out. What would be the worst thing possible for someone to put on the stereo while you were working out?

If the Spice Girls are on the radio, I’m walking straight out the door and never going back!