Since ditching his upscale duds for attire traditionally donned by members of the opposite sex, WWE Superstar Vito has caught fire in the ring and has taken SmackDown by storm as of late. This past week before Friday Night SmackDown, Vito hit the streets of Trenton and dipped into a local gym for a quick lift. As he prepared to workout in his dress, his choice in exercise garments drew more than a few double-takes. Fortunately, he says, nobody stepped out of line. “If anyone would have laughed I would have kicked their face in, and there is nothing worse than getting your ass kicked by a guy in a dress,” he told WWE.com in an exclusive interview. “I’m 100 percent man. I look like a guy; I work out like a guy. The only thing is I like to wear dresses—that’s it.”

While most men would feel uncomfortable waltzing into a gym from inside of a dress, Vito felt right at home. “I’m comfortable with who I am,” he said, noting that since he began wearing dresses in January he’s felt more in tune with himself. “Some people at the gym were looking at me like I was a freak. A few guys stumbled out of the locker room not knowing what to think.”

Still, he insists their reaction doesn’t faze him. “I don’t give a damn about what anyone has to say; I never did. I prefer women’s clothes, and I am the toughest son of a bitch to wear a dress. If you want to question that, or challenge me, then step up,” said Vito.

Walking through airports, he said, always breeds an onslaught of snapshots, stares, and one time, the attention of local police. “In Detroit the police followed me all over the airport. I guess a guy in a dress looks suspicious,” said Vito. “People glare at me like I’m from a different planet when I travel. It’s a little awkward going into the men’s room sometimes, because guys feel like their manhood is being threatened when I’m standing next to them.” But the bewildered reactions he sometimes receives won’t deter Vito from being Vito. “If I’m comfortable that’s most important, and nobody can tell me any different.”

VIDEO: Vito working out in a dress