Using this as an example of how the proper etiquette is to ask for permission for major image changes because “it’s not your show,” Escobar segued into advice that Paul Heyman gave him when “The Wise Man” saw him waiting to ask a different question of Levesque.

“He gave me the best advice someone ever gave me,” Escobar recalled. “He said, [mimicking Heyman’s speech patterns but not his voice] ‘If you have a question, go and ask Paul Levesque. Because if you don’t ask him, whatever you’re thinking is wrong, you’re to blame. But if you’re a true professional, and you have a question, you go and ask him. Trust me, it’s worse if you don’t ask.’ And that just created a new reality in my head, because it’s true. You can’t just go out there and ad-lib. Ask! There’s latitude, of course, but those things and several other things? You gotta ask.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Out of Character with Ryan Satin” with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.