They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but in the case of No Way Jose, absence has made the heart grow hungrier for competition. After making his return to NXT television last week, Jose spoke with WWE.com about his goals and his plans to take his game to the next level.

WWE.COM: How does it feel to be back on NXT?

NO WAY JOSE: It's like I never left. The NXT Universe always welcomes me with open arms. As soon as I walk down the entrance ramp — well, I guess dance, not walk — that energy, that rhythm, the emotion that hundreds or thousands of people give someone, makes you experience an unexplainable emotion and fills you with so much joy.

WWE.COM: What led to you stepping away?

JOSE: I've been away for a little bit. I had to go handle some things, face a little adversity and grow from it. Now I'm back, and the most important thing is what I do from here. Like many people, I began to focus on the past because I wasn't 100 percent satisfied with the present. The more I progressed, the more I seemed to take a step back, and I knew this was a pattern that couldn't continue. Somewhere in there, I lost a part of me, and I knew I had to get it back.

WWE.COM: Now that you are back, how has your mindset changed since you've been away from the ring?

JOSE: Well, before my last match with Cezar [Bononi], there was a man named Lars [Sullivan], a huge, powerful, anomaly of a man. And what he did was show me that I needed to tone back on what brought me to the dance, which is the dance. I need to tone back on the hip swivels, and I need to turn up the intensity in the ring.

The fiesta-loving No Way Jose tangles with Brazilian-born slugger Cezar Bononi. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

WWE.COM: Have you done anything to help intensify your focus?

JOSE: Tons! Trying to get these gains in the gym. Trying to get the skills up in the ring. And I took a lot of time to sit back and appreciate the opportunity which I have. Not a lot of people get to do what they love for a living. I am lucky enough to be one of those people that get to go through life never feeling like I have to work.

WWE.COM: Have you established any new goals?

JOSE: You bet I did. NXT is growing, new people are coming in day after day and seem to be shaking things up. What I want to do is figure out what all the fuss is about. I want to see what these new up-and-comers are all about. People like uber-popular Adam Cole, people like the ultra-unique Velveteen Dream and even people like Aleister Black. I have seen what they can do, but I know it's time to show everyone what I am capable of.

WWE.COM: Speaking of proving, what can the NXT Universe expect from here on out when it comes to No Way Jose?

JOSE: I feel like the best ending to any story is when it has a cliffhanger. It makes you want to buy the next book in the series; it leaves you wanting something more. I can't predict the future, but I can assure you that I'm about to take the WWE Universe on a ride they have to see to believe.