In a sense, I think the WWE Universe has become one of the greatest characters of the modern era.

I would leave my wife for Whataburger.

I get asked a lot about the Rock N' Sock Connection.

My mother wanted me to be a writer, which I have ended up taking a long road round to.

On the 'SmackDown' side, A.J. Styles really has been phenomenal.

I loved Steve Martin when I was younger, in the '70s.

In 1999, I had my back against the wall, and WWE had a ghostwriter working on an autobiography for me. He was halfway through, and it was awful, just boring. I took over as a way of trying to fix things, as I thought I could probably do a better job.

I'm still a big wrestling fan. I buy the Pay-Per-Views. I think that gives me the right to speak out just like any other fan.

I lived in Alabama for a while during the dying days of the Continental Wrestling Federation. I lived in Montgomery and traveled all over Alabama.

I saw James Ellsworth at an independent wrestling show where I was signing autographs, so I took a photo with him and put up a post on Facebook called 'The night I met James Ellsworth.' Just by nature of how popular that post was, how many comments there were and likes and shares, I was like, 'people love this kid.'

Even though 'SmackDown' has been kind of like the Internet darling, I believe that if they had three hours instead of two, they would find out that it's tough to be a darling when you've got that massive three-hour anchor around your neck.

You want the match to be like a roller coaster, so you can't predict it.

I can look back now and say, 'Aw, that was a little dumb taking huge bumps onto concrete before a couple of hundred fans,' but if it wasn't for that attitude and that type of work ethic, I never would have gotten to WWE.

Sooner or later, The Rock's going to get tired of that empty space on his mantle where an Oscar should be, and that's when I'll get the phone call for the buddy movie that finally makes his career.

Everybody in wrestling is looking at the information coming in on concussions. Everyone from the NFL to the WWE to TNA to the youth soccer groups around the country are realizing that there are dangers that weren't previously known.

The first few songs of the album 'Little Earthquakes' were unlike anything I'd ever heard.

It might surprise people to know that the person who convinced me to write the third memoir - 'The Hardcore Diaries' - was actually Vince McMahon.

There are guys who thrive completely on the action in the ring and see the promotion as a necessary evil, whereas I think it's so much easier to tell people what a tough guy you are, as opposed to backing it up.

Back in 2004, Vince McMahon basically told me to consider WWE to be my playground, and that I could come and play any time I wanted to.

At heart, I was always a performer, not a competitor.

I find that I get most of the same things I loved about performing in the ring when I do my live shows around the world.

I get to define for myself what being a success is.

Triple H was one of the main proponents of women's wrestling.

My greatest personal Survivor Series moment was facing The Rock in 1998 and having Mr. McMahon turn on me. That set into motion one of the best series of matches I've ever had and some of the most important with The Rock. Not only did we have great matches, but then we became teamed up following the rivalry, so that was big.

I loved George Carlin... I used to sit in front of the TV and watch the HBO comedy specials. I loved those comedy specials.

I always welcome being part of something positive in WWE.

I see The Rock running in 2020 and being a two-term president. I think he would be great, and I'm joking when I say I think Stephanie McMahon wouldn't be a fine president of the United States. I think she's got the leadership qualities. I see those two as potential candidates, and I see Kane as a congressional leader.

I just feel like there's a better mind-to-pen connection for me than a mind-to-keyboard connection.

I really have to accept the fact that I'm not a young man anymore, that I've probably taken one lifetime's worth of punishment already, and I really do need to be careful. Certainly I don't want other WWE superstars taking the shots I did. That makes me feel very uncomfortable when I see somebody get hit with an unprotected chair shot.

You really can't go wrong. There's no bad New York pizza, as far as I know.

I developed an interest in the history of the Negro leagues to the point where I visited the museum in Kansas City, Mo., twice and made the museum an integral part of my unheralded 2005 coming-of-age baseball novel, 'Scooter.'

By the time I got to WWE, I had a lot more confidence and willingness to speak up.

I like those really multidimensional characters like Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt.

Nakamura, to me, is a main event star.

I was told that the fact that I had nothing but good things to say about Judith Regan distinguished me. I enjoyed writing for Judith. I really enjoyed working with Victoria Wilson at Knopf, and Simon & Schuster, they've all been great experiences.

I did like Test, and he was a guy I kept in touch with for years after we stopped working together.

I'm not a dabbler.

Everything that you want Santa to be, he is.

I cannot look back and say I did everything I wanted to do in TNA.

Without knocking Impact Wrestling, your contribution was largely limited to what you could do in the TV show. WWE is a bigger company with a bigger infrastructure and a lot more ways to make a contribution.

If you're in my shoes, and your goal is to leave people with the biggest possible smile on their face, then doing the meet-and-greet afterwards makes sense.

I think you can always learn lessons by the guys who came before you.

Maybe I should have taken it easy on the smaller shows especially, but all in all, I have no regrets.

I think people who read Internet blogs are usually trying to fit it in during a busy part of their day, and there's only so much information that you digest. Whereas an experience with a book is a little more comfortable, and I think people are a little more willing to really delve into information.

I've actually met quite a few of my heroes from the past.

I think people know by now that I do my own writing.

I remember the first time I smelled B.O. was at a cross-country meet. But it wasn't unpleasant, in a strange way. That's what you got when you worked hard.

It's difficult to differentiate between a story that's humorous and clever and one that actually makes people laugh out loud.

I do some things just to entertain myself, and I figure that part of the audience will be entertained as well.

It's much easier to see my son involved in creative than to see my daughter in the ring. But they've both worked really hard. I'm really proud of both of them.