Seth Rollins has opened up about what it’s like to try and perform in front of zero fans. “The Monday Night Messiah” explained to Sports Illustrated how it is a “weird” experience for him. He noted how these empty arena shows reminded him of when he was first getting started in pro wrestling.

“It’s weird. It’s taking me back to my days wrestling in front of eight people. I’ve been there before,” Rollins confessed. “I’ve grown accustomed to Monday Night Raw, 10,000 people. It’s a whole different vibe.”

He continued, “Everything’s somber. We all want to get through this, but we’re all trying to figure this thing out together. When the whole thing started to develop here in the States, I purposely didn’t tweet or Instagram anything about wrestling because I didn’t feel right about it. Then I got out there and I cut this promo on Monday Night Raw and I got back and I had this sense of relief almost.”

When it comes to cutting a promo, Seth Rollins no longer has an audience to feed off of. Acknowledging this, he stressed how with a crowd in attendance, it feels like you’re having a conversation—one they are a part of.

“If you don’t have that, there’s a lot of pressure. And also not having the ability to do multiple takes. Monday Night Raw is live, so that’s a one-take promo,” he said. “That’s a one-take monologue. I don’t get the opportunity to cut-and-paste that thing together. It’s not like a movie.”

“Wrestling, on the other hand, is fluid. It’s in the ring and it’s moving around. There’s a lot of you can do. There are a lot of changes you can make. A promo is nerve-wracking. You can hear everything. There’s no audience to drown anything out. You can hear cameramen shuffling. You hear everybody whispering in the back. It’s really eerie in a way.”

Having turned heel and adopted his new Messiah gimmick, Seth Rollins admitted that there’s something special about having the crowd’s support. He reflected on having the crowd cheer for him when he would win, calling it an “incredible thing.” Despite currently playing a heel, however, Rollins stressed how he’s good in both roles.

“There is something fun and easier about being a jerk. I think it’s easier in 2020 to be disliked for saying your piece than trying to be liked because somebody is always gonna complain about something.”

He continued, “I can’t think of an athlete, actor entertainer alive that is universally loved in this day and age. There is always someone trying to tear you down. If your job is to get torn down, then that makes life a lot easier for you. There are positive and negatives to both sides. It’s hard to pick one. Luckily for me, I’m good at both.”

Seth Rollins is set to clash with Kevin Owens this weekend at WrestleMania 36.