The NXT star says changing his voice helped separate his new character from the old one
Summary
– Tony D’Angelo says he went to speech therapy to address The Don’s accent
– He had to consciously stop slipping into the voice he used for the character
– D’Angelo also dropped the suits to show WWE his range as a performer
Tony D’Angelo’s move away from The Don involved more than changing his wardrobe. The NXT star says he went to speech therapy because the accent he developed for the mob-boss character had become part of how he spoke.
D’Angelo discussed the transition on the Battleground Podcast. Asked which habit from his previous character was hardest to leave behind, he pointed to his accent and explained that he needed help with his speech.
As WWE began shaping the next version of Tony D’Angelo, he had to remind himself not to fall back into the familiar voice. After playing The Don for years, changing the way he spoke took deliberate effort.
He also stopped wearing suits to create a clear visual difference between the two characters. D’Angelo said the change was partly about showing versatility, including his ability to take on a more direct, tough-guy role.
D’Angelo wants WWE’s decision-makers to understand that he can handle both character-driven material and a different kind of presentation. He said the evolution was a chance to show what he can do and give the company more options for his future.
The adjustment shows how deeply The Don had shaped D’Angelo’s performance. Leaving the character behind meant changing not only how he looked, but also the voice he had spent years using.
