On the September 1 episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, former WWE talent Dexter Lumis reflected on his time in WWE, his release, and his involvement with the Wyatt Sicks stable.
When asked why his WWE character never spoke, Lumis explained:
“I don’t really know why they decided, hey, this is great if he just doesn’t speak. But I had my mentality on it, and I think what I was looking at is everybody talks, almost, in my opinion, too much. So how can I be different? I’m always thinking about that. How can I present myself on TV differently than everybody else to catch the attention of the fans in a different way? So I think it was striking in a way: this guy, he’s just got a cold stare, and he doesn’t speak. Then it became a challenge. Can I elicit emotion from the fans without saying a word? Can I make them feel a certain way? Can I get my emotion that I’m trying to get across to these fans without saying anything? That became kind of the goal, the mission.”
On how he earned the name Dexter Lumis, he recalled:
“So it was like five names and different combinations, and they sort of pick what they like out of the lot. I had Dexter on there, and I had Loomis on there, but I had it L O O M I S, like the doctor from Halloween. Then in Scream, there was the Loomis character as well, Billy Loomis. So it was kind of like if I could get away with some sort of spelling in that framework. I’d be really, really happy about that, and it was kind of my ode to the genre and the horror influence. So they really liked Dexter Loomis, and I was blown away. I was like, can they get that? Then they changed the spelling to L U M I S. But I was happy. It was great.”
When He Was Pitched for the Wyatt Sicks Stable
“Well, I knew something was coming that was going to be related to a tribute to Bray Wyatt, like a crew of misfits. Unwanted guys and girls that maybe fell by the wayside, and now they have something to prove, and now they’ve seen the light, and they’re gonna progress their careers because of the spirit of Bray Wyatt. I knew there was some sort of plan, and I felt very strongly that I was going to be a part of it. I got a call one day. I was just sitting at home. I was doing some yard work, I believe, and a gentleman named Rob Fee called me. He’s just like, ‘Hey, it’s happening. What can you do to dramatically change your appearance right now?’ I was like, I could shave my head, I could take the mustache off, and then it was just like, ‘All right, don’t do anything yet. Let me talk to Triple H.’ Then it just turned into, well, just grow your beard out. Keep growing your facial hair out. Grow your hair out.”
On the notice he received to alter his look for Wyatt Sicks:
“I can’t remember the exact time frame of that. I’d say I had a few months, and then it just kind of got down to we’re being brought into the WWE offices to have meetings about this stuff and show us the plan and this and that. I was like, I need to probably get this done soon. My hair is not long enough, so I pulled the trigger, got some extensions, but by the end, almost all the extensions were gone.”
How He Feels Months After His Release
“I mean, I went through all the emotions, I guess you could say, but my mentality is like, okay, that’s maybe done for now, or forever. I can’t change what’s happened in the past. The right now is what I’m focused on, and the future. I don’t want to dwell on any negativity in that arena, but yeah, it’s disheartening. I was there for seven years, and I feel like I had a really unique, very fun career. I got to see the world. I was in Poland on my birthday this year, and I’m just sitting in the locker room. I had some downtime by myself, and I’m just like, this is pretty amazing. I feel like a real wrestler, like a real WWE Superstar. It’s those things that really hit you. You’re so far away from your family, but yet you still feel connected to this family.”
Comparing This Release to 2022
“Well, I think the first release was that there was a lot of shakeups going on in NXT. Triple H, who I considered my boss back then, he went down with a heart issue, and then it just seemed like a Vince McMahon overhaul happened in NXT. We went from black and gold to this splatter paint 2.0, very bright. John Laurinitis is down there every week and keeping tabs on talent now, and it’s like I’m not gonna feel the way I felt when I was an extra trying to get his attention every week. I’m a man now. I’ve had success at this place, and I’m gonna continue to have success at this place. Doesn’t matter if there’s a regime change. Doesn’t matter if that guy’s somewhat in charge now, I’m gonna do my thing. But I will say, I did feel like because I know how he operates. I know how that system before the NXT black and gold really came into play. I got hired at 35 years old back in 2009, and back in the FCW days, that was good luck. I think 30 was like the cutoff. So you’re always like, oh boy, I’m now past 30 years old, do I have an opportunity? Slowly but surely, you start seeing yes, there are opportunities because I think Triple H understood you don’t really get good at this, like, really, really, really good, until you understand it fully, and you might need 15‑20, years in the business to understand that. I’ve kept my body in shape, and I train hard. I can do athletic stuff, and I’m 35 years old. So why don’t you hire me? I have a lot to offer this company. Now, I don’t know. I just feel like it’s different because TKO, the bottom line is the dollar.”
On Whether He Was Surprised by His Release and the Fate of Wyatt Sicks
“I was a little surprised, just because I felt like I was doing the necessary things outside of just being booked and brought to TV every week. The joke that oh they just sit in catering and they collect a paycheck, that’s not me. I’m not there for that. I walked around the building all night, and I talked to important people, and picked veterans’ brains, and I was talking to Paul Heyman quite a bit, who I respect the hell out of, and I was getting some great advice from him, and one of the things he was saying was like, we need to make you a singles guy. This was very late, towards the end of the Wyatt Sicks run. I almost felt like something was brewing, but I just didn’t think like the whole group’s going to be released.”
All quotes are courtesy of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
Lumis also discussed Bray Wyatt, his chemistry with Joe Gacy, and other topics throughout the interview.
You can watch the full interview below.