Drew Gulak

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WWE 2k22: It Hits Different!

March 11th, WWE 2k22 hits Playstation, X-Box, and PC (March 8th if you Pre-ordered) and this marks the THIRD (!!!) time I’ve been included in the playable roster! I’m not shy to talk about my humble upbringing in wrestling. I used to fight convicted felons in front of a modest crowd in the not-so-most-glamorous venues around, for barely enough money to scrape by, and through some miracle, and lots of hard work, I managed to make my way to WWE to tangle with the best in the world on the biggest stage there is. But this… to be IN the game, will always be the most surreal part of the journey to me.

I was very fortunate to have grown up with the original NES in my house. I have vivid memories of my parents teaching me how to play Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Adventure Island II, Thrilla’s Surfari for you purists, you name it. I was hooked. I love video games. We couldn’t afford new ones all the time, so whenever I was able to get a new game it was a huge event.

If we were lucky, trips to Blockbuster to try out the latest cartridges were the ultimate night out in my house. I would wander the aisle in Toys-R-Us and look in total want at the tickets on the shelves with whatever game was written on it because all the inventory was behind glass. I almost never got to grab a ticket, but I knew occasionally at holidays I’d get a new game to play. Or if I did really well on my report card then I might be able to acquire the new Zelda or Mario games that just released.

I had a subscription to Nintendo Power magazine and would read every article. I would crawl through the coupon books and department store catalogs in the junk mail to check out that last page full of Video Games and Consoles and imagine which purchases I would snag up if I had the means to do it. I acquired Prima’s Official Strategy Guides so I didn’t miss out on certain easter eggs and Game Genie code books so I could use the Hammer Bros’ power up on any level I wanted.

While kids today are silenced on road trips by iPhones and Tablets I had a Game Boy with a giant magnifying glass and a little ass flashlight built in so I could play at night time on the ride home from wherever my parents took us that day.

In middle school I would pull all-nighters at my friend’s house to play Halo on local LAN multiplayer when it first came out. I would go to my classmate’s house after school to play WWF No Mercy and learn about his ECW Create-A-Wrestlers. In high school we would sneak out during lunch to sit in the English Teacher’s room and play Super Smash Bros. because some kid brought his GameCube in that day. In college I one time, not proudly, cut my one class on Tuesdays mostly because the heater broke in our dorm room, we could see our breath, so I would wrap myself in a blanket, drink coffee all day, and play Fable on X-Box until it was time for bed.

I managed to save most of the games I’d collected over the years, even my NES ones from when I was very young. I have them up in my guest room now in my home and can still play them when I’m feeling nostalgic. Video Games have been a constant enjoyment for me, just like most of my peers, just like so many other kids growing up around the world.

That said, I am so PUMPED to be in WWE 2K22! Below is a sneak peak at my entrance as well as a sick vertical suplex and the return of the Joker Plex!

So much hard work and dedication from an extremely creative and talented team went into making this a game worth playing and a wrestling fan’s dream! Aside from being included in the playable roster I might pop up in a few different areas of the game, so keep a look out! This one is massive. It hits different!

Fade from WWE Music

My new theme song entitled “Fade” is now available from WWE Music! Entrance music is very important to help set the tone for a fight and this one took me awhile to have switched over from the neo-political news tones of “For the Better” (also available from WWE Music.) “Fade” is inspired by classic fighting promotions and fighters from the late 1980’s and 1990’s like RINGS, UWF, and BATTLARTS, an homage to a bygone era of combat arts! You can find it on most digital music platforms and listen to it here!

Entrance Jacket from Chalk Line!

After a hectic year I am extremely proud to announce that my entrance jacket from Chalk Line is now available for regular purchase on their store!

We had to modify some things to fit my aesthetic and my branding going forward, but trust me when I say that I am super proud of this design and it is the one I will be wearing on WWE Television.

Special thanks must go out to the creative team at Chalk Line for putting this together with me and also to Gimicks247, my wrestling gear designer for the last several years!

The artwork featured on this jacket was nabbed directly from the robes that I had been wearing in WWE’s Cruiserweight Division since 2018. On the left arm is a kite and key, a symbol of progress and innovation, and on the right arm is the segmented snake, Ben Franklin’s political cartoon that asked the colonies to Join, or Die when forming the original United States of America. On the tail is the name of my pet maneuver the Cyclone Crash. The right panel on the front is shattered, implying that you must break new ground to move forward. And lastly on the left pocket and back is my circular logo emblemized with stars, a liberty bell, a keystone, Philadelphia, and GULAK, all surrounded by the words SUBMISSION WRESTLING. For a long time my peers were convinced that the word Wrestling was shunned in WWE. I was determined to prove them wrong by not shying away from my roots.

Now you can purchase your very own fit of my WWE Entrance Jacket! Click Here to order yours now!

Looking RAWward

Early this morning I was surprised to find out that I was included in the 5th round of this year’s WWE Draft! I was beginning to think I’d wind up as a Free Agent again, but this wasn’t the case. They picked me in the middle of the round to head to Monday Night RAW! I had only been with SmackDown for a year, and it’s been turbulent to say the least.

Looking back I lost the Cruiserweight Championship a year and a day ago only to find out later that week that I was to leave 205 Live and head to the Blue Brand on the FOX Network. SmackDown was a brand new show for FOX at the time. WWE was making history. I was elated!

Within my first week I was back to handing out advice to the likes of Braun Strowman, much to his displeasure. Then I sought the comradery of The B-Team and tried to further assist my SmackDown peers. I wasn’t able to help them, Braun, or later even Otis as he was facing romantic issues.

Then I tried to help Daniel Bryan. And he actually listened! We fought at Extreme Rules! We trained together. We even teamed up. And when the world began to look bleak WWE pressed on with WrestleMania and I made my WrestleMania debut against Cesaro, a man whom I’ve known since my days training before competing, to begin the infamous weekend! I stood in Daniel’s corner later in the night as he squared off with Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship.

I competed against Daniel a few weeks later in a tournament for the then vacant IC Title! Without missing any time, I got back on track with Mr. Bryan’s aid and earned an opportunity to challenge AJ Styles for the championship after he won the tournament.

Since that loss, Daniel departed for his paternity leave to take care of his family and I fell back to the bottom of SmackDown’s rankings. I remembered my own lessons, particularly to always stay alert and take any opportunities that would present themselves to turn my fortune around! That opening came during the inter-branded event Clash of Champions only a few weeks ago.

During a warm-up exercise I noticed R-Truth dressed like Yosemite Sam for some reason and wielding the 24/7 Championship! Without haste I struck! With a school-boy folding press and the count of three, I became the 24/7 Champion!

Of course this led me to take my business back and forth from SmackDown and RAW these past few weeks. Little did I know that the USA Network would be scouting for talent on this year’s Draft. Three title runs later and BAM this morning I heard the news…

WWE Announced that I had been selected earlier today on their Talking Smack program!

WWE Announced that I had been selected earlier today on their Talking Smack program!

I don’t know what the future holds. My year on SmackDown has been a wild one. But one thing will always stay constant and it’s that nothing endures but change! It may take some time but I believe that success happens when preparedness meets opportunity. Until then, I’ll be there every Monday, always alert!

Reflection

Subject: “Reflection”
Original Send Date: 2/11/2018

Dear Mr. Maverick,

You’re right. I am a goof. I’ve lost what I once was… a dangerous technical terminator in the ring more skilled than everyone else in the locker room. I’ll show Mr. Nese in the tournament. I’ll show you. I’ll show everyone.

Sincerely,
Drew Gulak
Next Cruiserweight Champion

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