WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.960 Give yourself a reason to look forward to. Go into 2 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:05.480 the mailbox each week with a PW Torch Newsletter paper copy. 3 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:10.039 Subscription details at PW torch dot com slash paper Copy. 4 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:13.000 It's twelve pages every week packed with my TV reports, 5 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:15.599 along with exclusive features such as my cover story on 6 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:17.879 the top story of the week, our pay per view 7 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:21.640 roundtable reviews from the Torch staff, exclusive feature length columns 8 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:25.719 from Greg Parks, Rich Fan, Sean Radikin, Alan Coonahan and 9 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.640 Zach Hadorn, Torch Talk transcripts, the latest news and more. 10 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.640 PW torch dot com slash paper Copy. Take a break 11 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:36.840 from screen time and settle in every week with the 12 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:39.920 megadosup wrestling news and analysis. With a Pro Wrestling Torch 13 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:43.240 Newsletter paper Copy edition. In the year twenty twenty two, 14 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:46.280 you can get a full year of home delivery for 15 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:49.479 just ninety nine dollars, or try us for an eight 16 00:00:49.479 --> 00:01:04.480 week trial subscription. PW torch dot Com slash paper Copy. 17 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:09.120 Now PW Torch and Spreaker bring you the Wade Keller 18 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:12.799 Pro Wrestling Podcast. It's time for this week's Interview Classic, 19 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:16.200 where Wade Keller Interview is one of Pro Wrestling's newsmakers. 20 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:21.680 Ten years ago. 21 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:25.280 This week, I interviewed Nick Aldus, the current WWE SmackDown 22 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:26.959 GM and he was in a very different place in 23 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:30.879 his career. At that point, he was ambitious but often frustrated. 24 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:33.079 As a longtime member of T and A, he wrestled 25 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:36.200 as Magnus. He talked about missed opportunities. He talked about 26 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:39.840 Dixie Carter, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, and his aspirations for 27 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:41.599 his future. I think if we told him ten years 28 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:43.640 ago what his future would be, he'd be pretty happy. 29 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:46.959 I don't know if he aspires to wrestle more or 30 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.280 would rather be a wrestler rather than in a suit 31 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.920 playing the role of an executive, but I think he's 32 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.159 had a pretty good stretch of time and landed in 33 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.519 a pretty good place. So let's get to it. Here 34 00:01:57.560 --> 00:01:59.799 are his thoughts on his career up to that point. 35 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:03.599 It originally live streamed on July fifteenth, twenty fifteen, and 36 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:08.159 it is today's Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast Interview Classic 37 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:19.000 for Saturday, July twelfth, twenty twenty five. Welcome to dp 38 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:22.639 w Torch Live Cast. I am Wade Keller, editor and 39 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:26.680 publisher of the Pro Wrestling Torch weekly newsletter since nineteen 40 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:31.560 eighty seven, and also pwtorch dot com, the website and 41 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:35.000 the free pw torch app available in the Apple App 42 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.719 Store and androids Google Play Store. 43 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:38.280 It is free. 44 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:41.439 Just search pw torch and download a phone. I also 45 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:44.280 host the pw torch Live cast on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 46 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.400 neither of which is today. I am switching days with 47 00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:52.159 Pat McNeil. This week he will be interviewing Hurricane Shane Helms, 48 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:56.400 a frequent and good guest on Pat McNeil's Wednesday live cast, 49 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:58.479 but it's which is to Thursday this week, So if 50 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.159 you tuned in expecting head mc neil, we'll tune in 51 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:04.639 tomorrow five thirty Eastern two thirty Pacific live. I get 52 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:07.680 this question a lot too. You do not have to 53 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:10.759 listen live to hear our show, so if you do 54 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.560 listen live, obviously you can listen on demand later. If 55 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:17.319 you listen on demand, we welcome live listeners, especially if 56 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.199 you participate with phone calls and you contribute to the program. 57 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:26.520 Today's guest, and it is Wednesday, July fifteenth, twenty fifteen, 58 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:30.759 is going to be Magnus also known as well my 59 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.560 real name Nick all this, so Magnus from TNA will 60 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:39.479 be joining me momentarily here on the PW Torch live cast. First, 61 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:42.520 I want to take a moment to thank Bruce Mitchell 62 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:44.080 for filling in for me. 63 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:44.879 Yesterday. 64 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:51.439 I was dealing with a sick cat, Boom the Boom 65 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:55.719 the cat was laid to rest yesterday. He was getting 66 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:57.360 sick over the last couple of weeks. He was about 67 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.360 fifteen sixteen years old, and say goodbye to a good 68 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:04.120 friend who had been a mascot and guarded my office 69 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:09.039 against mice for real sometimes and was always on the lookout. 70 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:11.919 Was in a cardboard box, curled up. 71 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:17.279 On my desk For the majority of my deadlines and 72 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.519 my hard work at my computer here, putting in long hours. 73 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:22.680 I could count on Boom keeping me company a lot 74 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:24.759 of the time curled up in his box. He had 75 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.680 a great life, seemed like a two year old cat 76 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:30.600 up until two or three or four weeks ago when 77 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:33.240 things just didn't seem quite right about him, and he 78 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:38.079 had pretty aggressive kidney cancer in both kidneys, and so. 79 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:40.120 His wonderful life came to an end yesterday. 80 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:43.480 So I wanted to dedicate today's show to Boom the Cat, 81 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.079 who was a part of this show in ways that 82 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.759 none of you probably knew, because he often listened to 83 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.240 me while I did the podcast and occasionally corrected my grammar. 84 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:56.720 Bruce Mitchell hosted for me yesterday, had a really good 85 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:01.000 conversation with Jason Powell from Pro Wrestling dot Net, and 86 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:03.759 I encourage you to check out that show if you 87 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:07.680 haven't heard it yet. Bruce talked also about a tremendous 88 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:12.279 weekend that I had over the weekend with UH in Waterloo, 89 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:17.160 Iowa at the Dan Gable Wrestling Museum and the George 90 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.560 Tragels Luths Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. I was 91 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.120 inducted into the Hall of Fame with the Jim Melby 92 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.639 Excellence in Wrestling Reporting Award. It was a great honor 93 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:34.240 to be part of that weekend and UH and UH, 94 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:36.959 I just I can't, I can't say enough about what 95 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:44.600 a tremendous experience that was. And so many, so many 96 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.199 people that I met who I had corresponded with over 97 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:51.279 the years, so many Torch readers. It was great meeting uh, 98 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:54.480 Jim Melby's daughter, and I mean the table of dignitaries 99 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.439 that we were that I was able to Bruce and 100 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:58.720 I were able to enjoy the company of during the 101 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:02.839 Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday was amazing, I mean 102 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:06.279 truly amazing. So I just think all all of you 103 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:09.399 PW Torch Life Cast listeners and the pros and Torchs 104 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:13.319 newsletter subscribers and PW Torch VIP members for coming up 105 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.160 and saying hi. I know a few of you said 106 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:20.439 specifically you drove or flew out just to see my induction, 107 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:23.360 So thank you. It was a culmination of nearly twenty 108 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:27.360 eight years of hard work and dedication and a lot 109 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:31.079 of help from a lot of people. Jim Melby, whom 110 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.720 the Journalism Award is named after, was one of the 111 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:37.199 early people when I started the newsletter who corresponded with 112 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:41.560 me were fellow Minisodans, and he offered me help, offered 113 00:06:41.560 --> 00:06:44.639 to help me with with history or contacts. There were 114 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:46.680 so many people who are generous, and Jim Melby was 115 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.000 among them, a historian and somebody who I got to 116 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.279 know a lot better through a really nice conversation with 117 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:56.800 his daughter that Bruce Mitchell and I had after the 118 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.199 Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday night. Another you know 119 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:04.040 that Dan Gable Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa should be 120 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:07.800 on every pro wrestling fan, every prossing fans bucket list, 121 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:11.360 every wrestler's bucket list. What an amazing job Kyle Klingman, 122 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.480 the director of the museum, and everybody involved in that 123 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:16.120 have done over the past dozen or so years putting 124 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:18.439 together a tremendous museum. 125 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:19.839 I mean, this is first class. 126 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:22.600 It's an accredited museum, it's got its own building, it's 127 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:27.160 got its own signage, there's an incredible memorabilia and history, 128 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:32.839 a great lobby, and thanks to Paul Shamberger, an amazing mural. 129 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:35.800 When you walk in in the lobby, there's a lounge, 130 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:38.720 there's a merchandise area you can buy DVDs and books 131 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.319 and t shirts, a front desk. They're open money through 132 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.639 Friday and also weekends by appointment. And I will say this, 133 00:07:45.759 --> 00:07:48.240 Waterloo's probably not on most people's top ten list of 134 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:51.720 places to visit in the United States on a vacation. 135 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:55.279 But if you're a pro wrestling fan and it's centrally 136 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:59.399 located and it's a nice small town, I mean there's 137 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:02.800 some great The Laughing Tree Cafe with organic farm to 138 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:07.519 table options was really progressive and the woman who runs 139 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.560 that he lives was just fantastic. Makes homemade hummus and 140 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:13.800 homemade red lentil soup. And I know Bruce liked the 141 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:15.959 chicken sandwich that he got. And then there's a great 142 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:19.959 Thai restaurant, a great Italian restaurant on Newman's Paradise. Cafe 143 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:24.319 is vintage and has great breakfast food. The Ramadas staff 144 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:28.279 were tremendous and accommodating. It's just it's a cool place 145 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.920 to spend a day or two or three days. Their 146 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:35.120 next convention, I believe, is July fourteenth through sixteenth next year, 147 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:38.919 and I am going to become an advocate for spreading 148 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:41.799 the word about this museum it deserves. I think it 149 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:44.559 deserves more tension than it gets, at least from the torch, 150 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:46.679 and it will get that going forward. I was very 151 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.679 impressed by everything and everybody. It was great to meet 152 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:51.759 Larry the x Henning. When I walked up to him 153 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:54.919 and introduced myself and shook hands, he made my night 154 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:57.679 by saying, You've got a pretty strong handshake for a 155 00:08:57.720 --> 00:08:59.080 tull skinny guy. 156 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:00.960 So that that was pretty cool. 157 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:04.000 Jumping Jim Breunzel, Baron von Rashki and Larry the Axe 158 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.639 Henning rat at a banquet table for the Hall of 159 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:09.600 Fame ceremony, and it was very special being able to 160 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:11.919 give my speech and have three wrestlers who were on 161 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:15.919 the first wrestling show I ever saw in person. May tenth, 162 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:18.480 nineteen eighty one at the Saint pal Civic Center Old 163 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:22.399 Time Atmosphere, vern Gania against Nick Bockwinkle, a WA Heavyweight 164 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.000 Championship match main event, The Crusher against Jesse the Body 165 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:29.799 Mantura in a posed down Kurt Henning against Adrian Adonis 166 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:31.559 before he was adorable, This was when he was a 167 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.039 tough Brooklyn guy. If Kurt could last ten minutes with Adrian, 168 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:38.840 Larry the Axe got five minutes with Adrian to beat 169 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:41.559 him up. Baron von Rashki against Big John Studd and 170 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:45.799 a Lose Release Town match. Baron won, Big John Studd lost, 171 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.480 And boy didn't make an impression on me that Big 172 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:51.720 John Studd cried on his way out of the ring. 173 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:53.879 He was so sad that he had to leave town 174 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:57.440 and that Baron beat him. Despite skeptics, this ten year 175 00:09:57.480 --> 00:09:59.480 old thought wrestling had to be real. Actually I think 176 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:02.399 it was nine going on ted that this nine year 177 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.320 old dot Wrestling had to be real if if John 178 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:07.519 stud was crying over losing a match. So anyway, very 179 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:09.759 special week I wrote an article in this week's Progressing 180 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:14.200 Torch newsletter detailing the whole experience, the whole weekend, and 181 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:17.840 Kurt Angle was there to accept for a special ceremony 182 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:20.960 to accept a ring for some of his accomplishments. Dan Gable, 183 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:25.519 one of the greatest athletes of all time in any sport, 184 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:29.399 was also present and I just I was thrilled to 185 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:30.879 meet him and get my picture taken with him. You 186 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.759 can see photos from the weekend. I put a ton 187 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:36.000 up on my Facebook page. You can just search Wade 188 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:39.279 Keller in Facebook and find me. You'll see my face 189 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.200 on the profile pick or you can also follow me 190 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:43.440 on Twitter at the. 191 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:45.480 Wade Keller at the Wade Keller. 192 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:50.039 Our guest today is Magnus and I'm going to get 193 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.000 to him right after this note from our our sponsor. 194 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:55.480 I do want to add that our phone number is 195 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.759 six four six seven nine to two weight. If you 196 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:02.240 are interested in part dissipating in today's show by asking 197 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.919 Magnus a question, you can hop on the phone lines 198 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.360 and press one on your touchdown phone the number again 199 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:15.480 at six four, six, seven, one nine eight two eight. 200 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:19.399 I see uh that Magnus is online and we'll be 201 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:20.919 going to him in just a moment. 202 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:21.720 I do want to know though, that the. 203 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:24.519 PW Torch Live Cast is brought to you by Progressling Torch. 204 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:29.399 A free audiobook awaits you. You can support us on 205 00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:32.679 Patreon and get these shows with ads and plugs remove, 206 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:35.559 the weight Killer Prossing Podcast, weight Killer Prossing post shows, 207 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:38.399 and the PW Torch Daily Cast throughout the week with 208 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:41.879 ads and plugs remove, plus a few bonus VIP shows 209 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.519 throughout the month for just four dollars and ninety nine 210 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.480 cents a month. Check it out patreon dot com slash 211 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:52.200 PW torch VIP. That's patreon dot com slash PW torch 212 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.799 vip and you can also upgrade to other tiers and 213 00:11:54.840 --> 00:12:00.240 receive even more benefits through Patreon. All right, let's I'll 214 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.639 bring in our special guest today on Interview Wednesday. This 215 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:06.720 is Magnus Nick All this Magnus. Welcome to the p 216 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:07.799 ww Torch Live Test. 217 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:12.559 Thanks Wade. I was terrified that I wasn't like, I 218 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:13.879 didn't know if you knew I was hero or not. 219 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:18.399 I was, Oh, I realized like that we didn't have 220 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:21.000 any you know that we didn't. I just got your 221 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:23.240 messages about like how to dial it on it and 222 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:26.120 I and I and I suddenly realized like, no, we 223 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:29.480 hadn't even talked about it, so I just I just 224 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.399 dialed in. Yeah, And I was sitting there I could 225 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:32.480 listen to it, and I was like, does he knows 226 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:34.639 on the Hero or like, I don't even know if 227 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:37.720 he knows on Hero or not. So glad that you 228 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.200 knew because I was sitting there again and I wonder 229 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:40.679 if I'm just going to listen to the whole show and. 230 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:44.240 No, no, if I did see your number on the 231 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:46.919 switchboard right before you messaged me, so that that worked 232 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:47.320 out well. 233 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:48.879 Well. 234 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:51.279 Thanks for taking time to talk to us today. Appreciate 235 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:54.720 your time. The The first thing that I want to 236 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.519 talk about is is uh, some current events. But then 237 00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:59.240 I also want to get into your background a little bit, 238 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:02.120 and while also take phone calls, and we've got email 239 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:06.080 questions coming into Just a reminder. P W Torch Live 240 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:10.840 cast at gmail dot com is the email if you 241 00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:13.159 want to send us a question. If you're listening live 242 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.639 and for some reason you can't call in or are 243 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:18.639 shy about calling in, But you do have a question 244 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.320 for Magnus PW Torch Live cast at gmail dot com. 245 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:24.399 If you're listening to us live, if you're listening to 246 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.000 us on demand, you can still send a question, but 247 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:26.879 you can't. 248 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:28.600 We can't go back in the time machine and ask it. 249 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:30.559 All right, Nick? 250 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:32.759 And as far as court events go, should I call 251 00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:33.960 you Nick or Magnus at whatever? 252 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.759 Nick? Yeah? 253 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:40.759 Absolutely, I figured that might be the case. Nick, TNA. 254 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:44.480 On the last pay per view, you gave it a 255 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.080 cut of promo live on pay per view, essentially saying 256 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.240 this was the end that that you were leaving the company. 257 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.000 You had a. 258 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:54.720 Memorable match with James Storm a TNA Life or a 259 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:58.440 TNA Original also essentially part of his departure. 260 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:00.200 Did you who? 261 00:14:00.279 --> 00:14:00.679 Uh? 262 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.200 I heard there was maybe a little bit of blowback 263 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.159 for being as blunt as you were on that promo. 264 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:07.039 I was glad that you did it. 265 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.000 I thought that it showed, if it showed, that you 266 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.720 had an attachment and an investment in what you had 267 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:15.279 done in TNA, And it seemed like it was kind 268 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.440 of an emotional moment for you. 269 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:17.600 Uh. 270 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.559 My first actual question to you is how did it 271 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:23.559 feel kind of saying goodbye to TNA live on pay 272 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:25.480 per view like that after your years there and what 273 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:26.000 it's meant to you. 274 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:28.919 It was it was cool. Yeah, I made the decision 275 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:30.840 to do it. There was no blow back or at 276 00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:32.279 least not that you know. And I think that's just 277 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:34.200 one of those things where like people just like to, 278 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:36.720 you know, this is a thing, and I know that 279 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:39.759 you know, you uh, you know, you know, you are 280 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:42.320 a part of a of a you know, your sources 281 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:44.279 and stuff like that, and I get that. But I 282 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:47.440 think what happens a lot is that people in the 283 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:52.159 business who decide to you know, give sort of quote 284 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:55.600 unquote information to you know, to the journalists and stuff. 285 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:56.879 I think a lot of the time they just based 286 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:59.519 it on what they what on the on the perception. 287 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:02.480 So I think that's probably one of those situations where 288 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.919 like a bunch of guys probably just you know, assumed 289 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:07.519 that there might be so then they went, oh yeah, 290 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.600 I think there was, and there was none. Like in fact, 291 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:14.519 when I did that promo, because we did it live 292 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:18.399 like like I literally did the plumo and then walked 293 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.240 and then went to go position and then at the 294 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.919 go position, alf Snow was there and Big and Matt 295 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:28.360 Commett and they all said, that's one of the best 296 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:30.159 promos you've ever done, like thank you, that was great 297 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:31.960 like that, you know what I mean. They loved it. 298 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.960 So I don't know, you know, so that that so 299 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:35.720 let's let's get that out of the way right away. 300 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.600 I loved the I loved the match. You know, it 301 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:44.600 was I mean, it was very physically taxing, you know 302 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:47.159 what I mean. It was like I was feeling it 303 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:51.639 for about a week after and yeah, it's uh think 304 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:54.919 is that we we agreed to part ways or you know, 305 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.799 or I had made the decision that I didn't want 306 00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:59.360 to discuss another contract and I wanted to move on. 307 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:03.279 But it was very amicable. So it was like I said, 308 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.200 you know, let's like here's the thing. Everyone you you know, 309 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.720 and you know, or at least you know, the vast 310 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:11.320 majority of the audience who are going to be buying 311 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:13.799 aDNA paper view it's sort of fans that would know 312 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:16.080 this stuff. So I said, so why don't we why 313 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:18.200 don't we just go there? It's very very rare in 314 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:21.559 the business you get chance to actually, you know, do 315 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:24.639 something real, get you know, and I believe that the 316 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:27.919 best stuff always comes from from a real place, and 317 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.600 I said, this is a real place, but let's let's 318 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.480 take it from there. And I think that's one of 319 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:35.720 the reasons why it was you know what, it was. 320 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:39.720 Memorable, you know what I mean, absolutely, no, no, it 321 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:44.399 definitely was. I thought it was also kind of touching 322 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:46.679 and memorable with all that James Storm has been through 323 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:50.200 that as he was walking to the stage after the match, 324 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.279 he kind of turned, even as a heel with a 325 00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:55.679 pretty intense angle with you on television storyline wise leading 326 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.000 up to that match. You know, I think couldn't help 327 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.720 it turn around and salute the fans who obviously, like 328 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:02.559 you said, those who were even in attend. It's kind 329 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:04.680 of new that that was might be the end in 330 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:08.000 line for him too, that that hul clam of versary 331 00:17:08.039 --> 00:17:12.680 event gave off a vibe of not really awake. That's 332 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:16.240 overstating it, but kind of like a graduation party at 333 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:19.200 high school where you're or college graduation you're kind of 334 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.720 seeing some friends maybe for the last time. Was did 335 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:24.680 you get that vibe at Slamiversary among more than just 336 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:27.279 say you and James in terms of this feels like 337 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:28.480 it's the end of something. 338 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:33.680 Yeah, I mean, absolutely I did. I don't know if 339 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:35.359 I you know, I mean, I think, you know, for me, 340 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:37.640 it's difficult to say whether that was just a distorted 341 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.920 view things because it was the end for me. But yeah, 342 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.519 and I think that honestly, I think considering you know, 343 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:47.400 I think considering that, you know that by by then 344 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.559 that the audience in Orlando, whether it had been every 345 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:54.519 single typing or not, that's that, you know. But some 346 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.079 of them potentially have been through like five days of wrestling, 347 00:17:57.400 --> 00:17:59.119 you know, which Randy Fan is a lot, you know 348 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:03.359 what a meaning the day, and yet the feeling was, 349 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:05.279 you know, there was there was definitely a different kind 350 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:06.880 of feeling in there. And obviously I've wrestled in that 351 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.000 so many times. You can just tell when there's a 352 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:12.319 different kind of vibe going on, and that was definitely 353 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:17.319 one of those days. You know. Yeah, I you know, 354 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:20.759 I I hope that I hope that they pulled through 355 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:22.519 and that you know, that they like they like they 356 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:24.880 have so many times before when people have written them 357 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:27.359 off and written their obituary. But I, you know, and 358 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:29.119 I hope they can pull it off. But for me, 359 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:32.839 it was like I wanted to just make it clear 360 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.240 that you know, but this for me, I you know, 361 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:37.200 I'm very serious, and I said, like, I think that 362 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.200 the end of you know, the end of my run 363 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:42.160 with TNA, and I was and I you know, I'm 364 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:44.119 very grateful for everything that's done, and I'm very grateful 365 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:46.599 to the fans that sort of invested in me, because, 366 00:18:46.599 --> 00:18:48.519 you know, you build a relationship with the audience, and 367 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:51.559 that's one of the things I think, as as as 368 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.319 performers that both James and I were trying to get 369 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:58.000 across to people with like, you know, especially considering the 370 00:18:58.039 --> 00:19:00.440 sort of circumstances of who maybe T and A has 371 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:02.440 sort of hung their hat on recently. We were just 372 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:05.400 kind of like, look, you know that this is our 373 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:09.359 way of saying, like one, follow this and to like, 374 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:12.799 you know, you can't just manufacture this overnight, like you 375 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:15.400 developed a trust and a relationship with the audience, and 376 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.880 you know, and I should know better than anybody, because 377 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.720 I came in with all of that stigma of being like, 378 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:24.440 you know, a chosen one, a guy who you know, 379 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.720 you know, didn't have a lot of you know, didn't 380 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:28.720 really have a track record, you know, and I had 381 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.640 to like fight and scratch for every single bit of 382 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.960 respect I've ever got from any audience. So it's like, 383 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.880 you know, for me, it was, it was it didn't 384 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:39.480 mean well to me. And James has been there since 385 00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:41.240 day one, He's seen a lot of ups and downs. 386 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:46.000 You know what went in your decision to finally end 387 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:47.720 your relationship with TNA. 388 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:57.599 That's a very expensive question, as I'm sure you got. Well, 389 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:02.960 the truthful answer is that, if I'm honest with myself, 390 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:05.559 I had made a promise to myself a long time ago, 391 00:20:07.400 --> 00:20:10.640 probably well over a year ago, that when this contract 392 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:12.400 came up, I was not going to take another one 393 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:15.400 regardless you know, whether whether you know, whether it was 394 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:20.759 financially you know, applaudible or not. And that's saying a 395 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:23.000 lot considering I have a nine month old son, you 396 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:26.400 know what I mean? I had said privately to a 397 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:28.240 few people, you know, some of my best friends and 398 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.480 obviously Mickey and a few others, I said, like, when this, 399 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:34.880 you know, when my contract comes up this time, like 400 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:38.079 that's it, Like I'm not sticking around again, like you know, 401 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:40.759 anever you know, and a lot of guys you know 402 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:43.559 who like you know, close to me, were like I 403 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:46.079 think they you know, they weren't really you know, I 404 00:20:46.119 --> 00:20:48.400 think that they thought themselves like okay, you're saying that now, 405 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:54.920 but you know, but I yeah, that's truthfully I had Okay, sorry, 406 00:20:55.319 --> 00:21:00.440 I had truthfully made that decision, you know, like I 407 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:02.720 and I think that there were a lot of different 408 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:05.599 things that had gone into it, and there was and 409 00:21:05.640 --> 00:21:10.279 then there was like one or two very specific instances. 410 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.240 I'm not sure if I'm ready at this point yet 411 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:17.279 to to sort of to fully talk about what they are, 412 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:19.279 but you know, but they all kind of just center 413 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:23.480 around me feeling a little bit disrespected at times, and 414 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:25.559 so then and kind of thrown under the bus a 415 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:28.640 little bit by you know, considering that I had worked 416 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:31.839 so hard to get to the position I was in 417 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:36.839 and then we was just kind of kind of easily discarded, 418 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:42.359 you know, like in sort of unfortunate circumstances, like from 419 00:21:42.440 --> 00:21:45.799 that position and that and that was a situation where 420 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:50.319 to me, I just said, like, you know, I'm twenty 421 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:53.279 eight years old, like I've only got you know, I 422 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:55.839 don't I don't have plans to be wrestling well into 423 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.039 my forties, you know, I want to be I've got 424 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:00.799 a lot of other things I want to do, you know, 425 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:04.599 in the business, but also in life. And you know, 426 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:06.880 I want these years, you know, to mean something and 427 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:09.200 I don't. And I think it might be time for 428 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:12.119 me to see if there's other places where I can 429 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:13.000 make it mean something. 430 00:22:15.480 --> 00:22:18.640 Need an extra dose of positivity in your wrestling podcasts, 431 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:21.960 will come join me Alan fourrel Over in the Progress 432 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:25.559 Paradise at Ptero Torch VIP as we mask on the 433 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.240 bright side of wrestling and focus on some of the 434 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:31.240 great matches and shows from around the world, be it 435 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:35.720 the US, Japan, Europe or Mexico. There's always a place 436 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.559 for wrestlings past in the Paradise too, and we've done 437 00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:41.599 fun historical shows such as the We Love Liger series 438 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:46.000 celebrating the glorious career of Juician Thunderliger and I was 439 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:48.400 there when shows where our guests will join me to 440 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:51.200 talk about a classic bout that they were in attendance for. 441 00:22:51.799 --> 00:22:54.400 We love variety and you can expect lots of it 442 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:59.200 at the Progress Paradise. Detailed PW Torch VIP subscription information 443 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.279 and a list of all the VIP benefits is available 444 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:06.240 at pterbrew torch vip info dot com and Yes All 445 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:10.519 VIP podcasts are compatible with popular podcast apps on iPhone 446 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.839 and Android devices, or you can stream them directly from 447 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:18.200 our ad free VIP mobile site see you in the Paradise. 448 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:22.799 During your time with TENA. 449 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:26.880 Obviously, last year, after they went on, they tried the 450 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.119 experiment to take Impact live and Dixie Carter was on 451 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:35.119 the show. She was very optimistic about the possible impact 452 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:37.759 that it would have on TNA to go live every 453 00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:40.759 other week with Impact. It would be expensive to go 454 00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:43.440 on the road, but that was Hulk Hogan's you know idea, Hey, 455 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:45.240 if we go we go live on the road, We're 456 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:47.359 going to meet these people live. Is the key being 457 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:49.599 outside of the Impact zone as a key. She felt 458 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:51.160 that that was going to get him to the next level. 459 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:53.680 And it didn't. But it did kind of break the bank. 460 00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:57.000 It broke the budget. It was an expensive move, and 461 00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:59.240 it just it just didn't produce what I think Dixie 462 00:23:59.319 --> 00:24:01.200 and Hogan and and everybody who was in on that 463 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:04.119 decision and in favor of it thought, and that led 464 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:07.519 to without getting two into the details, and I've heard 465 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:10.559 various versions of you know how this all happened behind 466 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.519 the scenes, but a lot of bell tightening when it 467 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:16.160 came to the budget, I assume that you were kind 468 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:19.160 of part of that roller coaster ride of. 469 00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:21.119 T and A having not they weren't. 470 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.400 They were never, you know, just handing out huge contracts 471 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:25.519 like Eric Bischoff in the Monday Night wore nitro Era. 472 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:28.000 But there were some night you know, guys were making 473 00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:31.599 some good money for a few years there. Last year, 474 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.480 did you kind of get the sense, either from yourself 475 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:37.200 or what you're hearing in the locker room that this 476 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:38.720 just isn't a place where you can earn a full 477 00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:41.279 This might not be a place long term where you're 478 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:43.400 going to earn a good, full time living. And when 479 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:46.319 you combine that with some of the restrictions within the contracts, 480 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.079 it started to become more appealing for a lot of 481 00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:50.920 guys to leave, especially after AJ did. 482 00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:55.480 Yes, most of what you said there was pretty accurate. 483 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.559 I can only speak to me, and I can say 484 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:02.400 that I may make more money every year consecutively into 485 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:10.400 and and and while okay, you know, obviously you always 486 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:13.599 think that maybe you've deserved a slightly about a dollar amount, 487 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:17.559 I can honestly say that the last contract that the 488 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:20.319 contract I just you know, just just that just expired 489 00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:25.480 for me, was in terms of compensation and in terms 490 00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:33.039 of the actual clauses, in terms a very very good contract, 491 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.319 you know, very fair. You know it was six figures. 492 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:41.480 Was I making millions? No, not even close, not even like, 493 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:44.559 not even high six figures, but it was. But it 494 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:48.799 was a very nice especially considering the schedule. Like and 495 00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:51.880 I made a point when my son was born to 496 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:55.039 you know, to to reach out to Dixie and to 497 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:59.279 Bob Ryder and to say, you know, just you know, 498 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:01.440 I want you to know how much I appreciate the 499 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.920 fact that, like i've you know, I can sit at 500 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.839 home and and you know, and watch my son grow 501 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:09.599 up and sort of be here for all of this 502 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:12.880 and get this very nice check every two weeks. I'm 503 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:15.000 very appreciative of that. And I know and I will 504 00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:21.839 always appreciate that, so, you know, I and and again 505 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:26.319 for me, I think that the whole thing about you know, 506 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:30.000 this is the thing about contract is that guys talk 507 00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:34.799 about sometimes it's just seed by people who aren't you know, 508 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:39.400 signed to them, that somehow like all contracts are same, 509 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:41.839 you know what I mean, And that people forget the 510 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.680 fact that each contract is subject to a negotiation, right 511 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:49.599 so it's like, you know, I can't like it's it's 512 00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:51.480 one of those things where sometimes it's a bit too 513 00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:54.519 generalized and people go, oh, yeah, oh, they're not doing 514 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:57.359 those kind of contracts anymore so, and I'm sitting there thinking, well, 515 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:00.880 I've got a contract that has a way and that, 516 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:02.599 you know what I mean, and this and that, and 517 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:04.839 like I can only speak for me obviously, I can't 518 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:07.440 divulge any of that, but I will say this that 519 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:13.599 one of the things that I made a slightly I 520 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:20.880 did negotiate, like I did accept a slight like I 521 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:23.319 came down a little bit on on the dollar amount 522 00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:26.000 in exchange for having a clause where it was like 523 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:28.359 guaranteed for two years, you know what I mean, where 524 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:29.599 it was like there was a note you know that 525 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.359 were they couldn't release me. There was no way they 526 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:33.880 could just because that's the problem with most contractors that like, 527 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:36.119 regardless of what it says on it, that at any 528 00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:39.160 point they can just go, I just decided to release 529 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:41.400 you from this, like you know, you like here in 530 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:44.160 ninety days, like you and I didn't have that, you 531 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:46.559 know what I mean. I was aware, I knew exactly 532 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:47.880 what I was going to make for you know, for 533 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:50.960 two years, so that like that, you know that like 534 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:52.680 at the end of the day, each contract is an 535 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:57.160 individual business negotiation. We're all independent contractors, and I you know, 536 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:00.799 and and and you know, I had other nice little 537 00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:03.079 sort of things in there too, like my hotels were 538 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:05.839 covered and things like that. So you know, for me, 539 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:09.440 it was like an extremely what I considered to be 540 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:12.359 an extremely fair deal, you know, based on what I 541 00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:15.079 think my market value is, particularly to the UK market, 542 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:17.960 but also you know, based on my years that I'd 543 00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:20.160 put in there and my tenure, you know what I mean. 544 00:28:20.200 --> 00:28:24.480 So like I don't I don't. I know that there 545 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:28.119 were a lot of guys who are you know, who 546 00:28:28.599 --> 00:28:31.200 signed contracts that to me, I would never have signed, 547 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.839 you know, But that actually is more of a problem 548 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:39.680 than than the office than that the company necessarily doing 549 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:42.359 some help typing, no doubt they had to do, because 550 00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:44.960 you're right, going live and going on the road and 551 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:47.960 all that was an astronomical expense. Like I don't think 552 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:50.920 people have any idea like what what kind of numbers 553 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:53.200 you know, I heard I heard some numbers. It just 554 00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:55.680 would you know that you just you know that I 555 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:59.920 suddenly just went this can't be sustainable, and it wasn't, 556 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:02.160 you know, I think that hit well. The one thing 557 00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:06.119 I will say is that from a content standpoint, I 558 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:09.240 do believe that that period where we went on the 559 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:11.599 road doing like the one live and one tapes and 560 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:14.079 all that, I do think that it was a success 561 00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:16.079 in terms of content. I do think that that was 562 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:19.920 probably when we created like the you know, the best 563 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:22.440 content TNA has created in quite a long time. Like 564 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:24.839 for me, it certainly provided a lot of memorable things, 565 00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:27.200 Like I think that back then is when if you 566 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:29.160 looked at the show back then, it was very comfortable 567 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:31.960 to any other wrestling show that was out there, you know, 568 00:29:31.960 --> 00:29:36.359 in terms of quality, Like I think back to the 569 00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:39.440 Bow the Glory Series in twenty thirteen, you know in 570 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.119 Saint Louis, like where I wrestled Bobby Rude earlier in 571 00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:44.079 the night and then AJ in the finals, Like that's 572 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:46.519 one of my favorite nights in the business. You know. 573 00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:48.319 I think about all the stuff that the main event 574 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:51.720 Mafia like in Vegas, and you know, and I think that, 575 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:53.440 you know, that wouldn't have had the same feel at 576 00:29:53.480 --> 00:29:56.279 all if it be all in the impacts on. So 577 00:29:56.279 --> 00:29:58.440 I do think from an artistics standpoint was just not 578 00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.160 from a financial one. I mean, you know, sometimes you 579 00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:04.799 go to make that take that risk. But yeah, perhaps 580 00:30:04.839 --> 00:30:09.480 they probably should have maybe realized it a little sooner 581 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:10.039 than they did. 582 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:15.240 Yeah, Like, I wasn't against the move in the sense of, okay, 583 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.079 if you're if you're going to gamble and go for 584 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:20.279 big growth. I mean that, you know, Ted Turner Eric 585 00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:23.279 Bischoff made a gamble. You know, they gambled, but Ted 586 00:30:23.319 --> 00:30:25.039 had a lot more money to gamble, or he was 587 00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:27.519 willing to gamble more money, and it paid off because 588 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:32.079 they had that the background of having been on TBS 589 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:35.519 for so many years, and the roots of that company 590 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:38.119 and the fan base and especially in the Southeast, but 591 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:41.359 not only in the Southeast, and the ability to just 592 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:43.319 go after all this talent at a time and in vincment. 593 00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:46.119 Mannon was kind of not resting on his laurels, but 594 00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:48.720 stuck in a certain pattern of how to present television 595 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:51.839 so that all worked out. TNA wasn't trying to leap 596 00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:54.839 frog WWE with that move in a way that would 597 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:57.400 make this big splash on a major network like TNT. 598 00:30:57.960 --> 00:31:00.359 They were on a smaller networks, solid network, but a 599 00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:02.440 smaller network like Spike, but they were just trying to 600 00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:04.200 close the gap a little bit and like you said, 601 00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:06.559 create an environment that was a little more dynamic. But 602 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:10.000 it wasn't this innovation like Nitro was. But I still 603 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:13.240 thought at the time I could understand Dixie's rationale for it, 604 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:16.559 but it seemed like one of those things where pretty 605 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:20.519 quickly it was clear the theory that while just having 606 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:23.799 a more major league look quote unquote at these arenas 607 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:26.319 and different a new crowd every night, it just wasn't 608 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:29.880 translating quick enough into a turnaround. So if they weren't 609 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:31.799 willing to stick with it for three years spending a 610 00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:34.519 half a million or more on extra production costs every month, 611 00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:36.920 they shouldn't have done it in the first place, because 612 00:31:36.920 --> 00:31:39.200 it's not something that would really have an effect probably 613 00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:41.599 probably in three or four months. 614 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:44.480 Right, Yeah, I would agree with that assessment. And I 615 00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:47.440 think that's probably you know, that echoes a lot of 616 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:49.839 the sentiments of a lot of the guys you know 617 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:51.680 that were around at the time. I think a lot 618 00:31:51.720 --> 00:31:53.839 of us was saying, you know, because you know, that 619 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:57.519 would inevitably be, you know, be a sort of a 620 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:00.200 discussion that would happen a lot in the cause you know, 621 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:03.119 tells the stuff. And I would always just say like, yeah, 622 00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:04.920 you know, at the end of the day, like I'd 623 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:08.359 rather have a job than than wrestling in different arenas 624 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:12.200 all the time. You know, I don't know, like I 625 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:17.799 don't know whether maybe the perception was that there was 626 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:21.920 more money available than perhaps those guys realized, you know, 627 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.599 maybe they sort of got maybe I always feel like there, 628 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:26.640 I mean, this is just my instinct. I don't know 629 00:32:27.240 --> 00:32:30.720 that I always got the feeling that they thought maybe like, hey, 630 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:34.079 you know, like there and the energy's got deep pockets, brother, 631 00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:36.160 you know what I mean. And it was like and 632 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:38.200 I think they thought that if they just started kind 633 00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:41.119 of going for it and and digging, that there to 634 00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:43.880 be more and more and more, and and it's my 635 00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:46.599 understanding that at some point they just went nope, you're 636 00:32:46.599 --> 00:32:49.960 cut off, like yeah, and that was that's just my 637 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:51.680 impression of it. I don't know any of this stuff, 638 00:32:51.720 --> 00:32:54.839 but you know, yeah that that's seems to the impression. 639 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:57.440 And then it was and then and again to your point, 640 00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:01.160 we all just sort of felt like we would have 641 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:03.200 rather that you reinvest, you know, that if you were 642 00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:07.640 going to invest that kind of capital we would have 643 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:11.039 rather that you invested it in, you know, like more 644 00:33:11.079 --> 00:33:14.200 promotion and creating more brand awareness, you know, and and 645 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:17.680 more advertising, because we were the guys who are having 646 00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:22.000 to go to the live events and be a block 647 00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:24.400 away from the building and people be like, hey, you're 648 00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:26.640 magnus and we'll be like, yeah, like what are you 649 00:33:26.640 --> 00:33:31.079 doing here? You know, and you know, because because because 650 00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:33.599 all of it, all of the all of the time 651 00:33:33.640 --> 00:33:37.839 and resources were just we're just so so dedicated to 652 00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:40.359 TV that it was just you know that it was 653 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:43.680 from the talent standpoint, it could be frustrating at times. 654 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:47.480 Thanks for downloading today's show. Take it to the next 655 00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:49.720 level with a v P membership. Get shows like this, 656 00:33:50.039 --> 00:33:52.640 the Waight Keller Prosing Podcast, Weight Keller Prosing Post Show, 657 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:55.039 and the p W Torch daily casts on our p 658 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:58.400 W Torch v i P podcast feed with ads and 659 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:02.160 plugs removed from the shows for streamlined listening experience. And 660 00:34:02.200 --> 00:34:04.480 also here the VIP exclusive shows that I host with 661 00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:07.079 Rich Fan and Todd Martin, Everything with Rich Fan and 662 00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:09.599 The Fix with Todd Martin signature VIP series that you're 663 00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:12.639 missing out without a VIP membership, So go VIP here 664 00:34:12.679 --> 00:34:15.719 in twenty twenty two and enjoy all the benefits, all 665 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:19.079 the bonus content and the ad free listening experience. PW 666 00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:25.320 Torch dot Com, slash Go VIP. Dixy was on this 667 00:34:25.440 --> 00:34:28.079 show before the or after the move was announced to 668 00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:30.679 Destination America and when she was in the midst of 669 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:34.880 the Discovery Network conventions and that big TV convention she 670 00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:37.199 was at on the Lonch right before the launch, or 671 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:39.559 actually the day after the launch, the day after the debut. 672 00:34:39.800 --> 00:34:41.239 She hadn't seen the first show yet, so it was 673 00:34:41.239 --> 00:34:42.880 a day after the first show aired, So I'm just 674 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:44.679 kind of putting a timestamp in my head on this. 675 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:47.800 And it was interesting because what you just said was 676 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:50.199 similar to what a caller said. They called in said 677 00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:51.880 to Dixie. You know, hey, you came to my town. 678 00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:55.199 I knew about it because of the Torch or the 679 00:34:55.239 --> 00:34:56.800 Internet or Twitter or something like that. You know, but 680 00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:59.559 I live in this town and nobody who's a wrestling 681 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:02.679 fandos the show is here and at Dixie if I 682 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:05.440 remember right. And I won't get too difficult details because 683 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:07.880 it was months ago, but the impression I got is 684 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:12.320 her her reaction gave a sense that she was quite 685 00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:17.199 happy with the job that her local event promotion department 686 00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:20.239 such as it is, did and that she felt this 687 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:23.719 fan just happened to miss it or this caller it 688 00:35:23.760 --> 00:35:26.079 was an aberration. Yet we heard that over and over, 689 00:35:26.159 --> 00:35:28.119 So I use that as an anecdote, and you can 690 00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:29.719 expand on that if you want. But to add to 691 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:32.119 the question, clearly, from talking to you here for twenty 692 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:35.079 plus minutes so far on the show, you're one of 693 00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:37.679 the guys who is it doesn't show up, say tell 694 00:35:37.719 --> 00:35:39.840 me what to do, and you do it, and then 695 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.000 you're off doing something else. You're thinking about, you're talking about. 696 00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:46.440 You're invested in the health and the future of the 697 00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:48.960 company you're working for, and you're part of the circle 698 00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:51.599 of guys who are and rest of the companies do 699 00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:53.840 better when they have them. As one of those people 700 00:35:53.880 --> 00:35:57.760 who was in TNA for so long, what was there 701 00:35:58.119 --> 00:36:03.079 in your mind a biggest missed opportunity or a biggest 702 00:36:03.800 --> 00:36:06.599 door that was open that that was not seized Along 703 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:09.840 the way. You touched on putting money into brand awareness, 704 00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:12.639 but talk about that a little bit too. The missed 705 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:15.119 opportunities that maybe you saw that you talked about with other. 706 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:22.760 Guys, well, I don't know uh. I mean, there were 707 00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:25.400 definitely a lot of missed opportunities. I think that for me, 708 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:30.679 I can say this now because I'm not there, you know, 709 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:33.320 but I have always said, I always said I would, 710 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:35.320 you know, do my best to not just leave and 711 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:38.159 just completely bury you know, the company, because they're just 712 00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:40.599 burying myself, you know, because at the end of the day, 713 00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:42.880 it's the only point of reference me. You know. I 714 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:46.400 just Jeff and I just did Jericho's podcast a couple 715 00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:48.440 of days ago, and I said that the exact thing 716 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:51.079 to Chris that you know, but it's the only point 717 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:52.800 of reference, and you said, they're burying it. You're really 718 00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:56.000 just burying yourself because everyone's like, well, you know, you're 719 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.880 the one who was there, you know. But with that 720 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:04.320 being said, I like to your point, I'm student of 721 00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:07.480 the game, but also try to try to always be 722 00:37:08.280 --> 00:37:09.960 tried to stay as a bressed as they could have 723 00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:13.079 all the all of the operations in the company, because 724 00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:14.960 at the end of the day, I was invested, like 725 00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:17.480 I want, you know, I was invested in everything, you know, 726 00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:19.519 trying to get a handle on every element of it. 727 00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:22.679 And I would have long conversations with Bob Ryder, who 728 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:25.960 by the way I think is that the absolute lifeblood 729 00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:28.800 of the company, like he's you know, the main reason 730 00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:33.079 why is it's still in existences. He's the only guy 731 00:37:33.079 --> 00:37:36.360 who's available twenty four to seven and is always working. 732 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:41.239 To that point, I think there were a number of 733 00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:48.559 people in the office internally who didn't necessarily have that 734 00:37:48.679 --> 00:37:51.760 same work ethic. And I'm trying to choose my words 735 00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:53.719 carefully when I say this, but there were a lot 736 00:37:53.719 --> 00:37:59.199 of guys in Nashville who, to me, I just got 737 00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:01.920 the impression that they thought this is a really great 738 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:05.000 this is such a great gig, Like we just you know, 739 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:08.000 we're like, all we have to do is do this 740 00:38:08.039 --> 00:38:10.800 and this and this and and you know, and the 741 00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:13.079 rest of the time we can you know, this is great. 742 00:38:13.119 --> 00:38:14.800 We just get to hang around with wrestlers or like 743 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:16.639 whether they were fans or not, you know, it was 744 00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:19.400 it just seemed to me like a lot of guys 745 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:21.320 were just treating it like a bit of a vacation. 746 00:38:21.639 --> 00:38:24.079 And I'm trying and again I'm trying to be nice 747 00:38:24.119 --> 00:38:25.440 when I say that, but at the end of the day, 748 00:38:26.079 --> 00:38:27.559 you know, I have to call it like I see it, 749 00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:31.239 And I said this, I even said this to Dixie 750 00:38:31.320 --> 00:38:33.440 because I cared about her and I care about the company. 751 00:38:33.440 --> 00:38:35.360 And I was very grateful to Dixie because you know, 752 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:37.880 she gave me a nice living for for a number 753 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:40.199 of years. And I said, there are a lot of 754 00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:42.639 people here who are taking you for a ride, like 755 00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:45.639 and you need to you know, you that you need 756 00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:47.760 to start dropping some heads off around here and like 757 00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:50.559 getting some people, you know, getting these people like to 758 00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:54.599 take notice. And and she didn't want to hear it, 759 00:38:54.679 --> 00:38:56.760 you know what I mean, that's that's that's that's the 760 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:02.679 that's the blunk reality of it. But you know, at 761 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:05.039 some point and and here's the thing, and and the 762 00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:07.519 evidence in the fact that there would there would be 763 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:11.519 guys who would come in who were really dynamic and 764 00:39:11.639 --> 00:39:13.840 like really had a passion to the business but also 765 00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:18.079 had an aptitude for it and the acumen to make 766 00:39:18.239 --> 00:39:22.199 happen and implements them on a business level. For example, 767 00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:25.639 there was a guy who who called Raphael who came 768 00:39:25.679 --> 00:39:29.559 in who had worked at w W E was you know, 769 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:32.559 very was a really good blend of of you know, 770 00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:36.320 academically you know, smart, like you know, educated, but also 771 00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:37.679 you know, had a bit of that New York kind 772 00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:40.719 of street smart about him. It was very dialed into 773 00:39:40.719 --> 00:39:44.960 the business, very smart, very forward thinking, very progressive, and 774 00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:48.480 he just would hit roadblock after roadblock, you know, with 775 00:39:48.480 --> 00:39:53.679 with trying to implement new ideas and and and he 776 00:39:53.679 --> 00:39:56.599 he left to the and he was a guy who 777 00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:59.519 was like because unfortunately you can't escape this sort of 778 00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:01.719 political stuff and wrestling. Like as soon as I became 779 00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:04.719 the champion, I suddenly was like very aware of like 780 00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:07.880 there were camps, you know, like I'd never really I'd 781 00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:09.920 never I would hear about this stuff and I would 782 00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:11.400 kind of observe it and get a kick out of 783 00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:14.079 watching it, but obviously never really been involved with it 784 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:16.079 until like right before I won the title. In when 785 00:40:16.079 --> 00:40:19.199 I was champion, it was suddenly it was like, these 786 00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:21.440 guys are in my camp, and like these guys are 787 00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:23.280 in so and so it was camp, you know what 788 00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:25.280 I mean. There were like definitely people who were like 789 00:40:25.320 --> 00:40:27.599 trying to work, you know, against you. I mean, it's 790 00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:29.119 just the way. It's always going to be that way. 791 00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:31.760 It's stupid, but at the end of the day, that's 792 00:40:31.880 --> 00:40:34.599 that's the business, right. Brassiel was one of the guys 793 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:38.239 to me I could always trust and we would go 794 00:40:38.320 --> 00:40:41.199 to live events, and he would always make a point 795 00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:44.480 to say to me, hey, last time we were in 796 00:40:44.519 --> 00:40:48.320 this town, you know, in time last year, the house 797 00:40:48.440 --> 00:40:50.599 was this much. This time it's this much. 798 00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:50.920 Now. 799 00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:54.639 You know, these are TNA live events talking about. So 800 00:40:55.400 --> 00:40:57.440 we're talking about the difference in like, you know, a 801 00:40:57.480 --> 00:40:59.440 couple of hundred. But at the end of the day, 802 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:02.360 he would always make a point to save me. Hey, camp, Like, 803 00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:05.360 numbers are up from last time. Numbers are up from 804 00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:06.880 last time, you know what I mean, every single time, 805 00:41:06.920 --> 00:41:08.639 and the like, you know, last time the house was 806 00:41:08.880 --> 00:41:11.440 x amount. This time it's x amount. It's about eighteen percent. 807 00:41:11.840 --> 00:41:13.440 You know, he would always make it because he came 808 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:17.280 from that wwe uh you know sort of mentality where 809 00:41:17.280 --> 00:41:19.320 they you know, they're very dialed into all that stuff. 810 00:41:19.400 --> 00:41:21.280 And he and he would always make a point to 811 00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:24.719 keep me aware of all that stuff. And you know, 812 00:41:24.760 --> 00:41:27.400 and I would go to him and say, hey, you know, 813 00:41:27.440 --> 00:41:28.840 why don't we do this and why don't we do that? 814 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:30.639 Like the boys have always said, you know about like 815 00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:33.440 why don't we have like wrap scring trucks, or why 816 00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:35.039 don't we have this or you know, and all this. 817 00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:37.880 You know that there's a there's a really good like 818 00:41:38.519 --> 00:41:40.320 in the Northeast. You're like, oh, there's all these there's 819 00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:43.559 these great independent promoters who could draw like two or 820 00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:47.159 three thousands, you know, like why don't we work with them? Like, 821 00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:49.280 why don't we work with them on some stuff? Yeah, 822 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:51.280 like you know, deal with them with like the street 823 00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:53.760 teams and stuff like that. And it would always just 824 00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:55.960 these after a while, Like the problem is of that 825 00:41:56.000 --> 00:41:58.280 stuff is that these these suggestions and these things would 826 00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:01.400 just flow up into the atmosphere and after a while 827 00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:03.280 and I would see all these guys had been there 828 00:42:03.320 --> 00:42:05.719 longer than I had, like like Bobby Roots and like 829 00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:09.719 Eric Young's and again have great aptitude of the business, 830 00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:12.039 and they would have this kind of like they'd see 831 00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:13.760 me doing all the stuff, and that you could tell it. 832 00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:16.079 I was just thinking, you're wasting your time, you know 833 00:42:16.119 --> 00:42:18.599 what I mean? Wow, I would and I would sit 834 00:42:18.679 --> 00:42:20.239 there go and like, oh, we have to you know, 835 00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:22.840 let's god book to someone about it. And they'd be 836 00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:25.760 like all right, you know, but it's not going to 837 00:42:25.840 --> 00:42:29.880 go anywhere. And unfortunately that is the that's the long 838 00:42:29.880 --> 00:42:32.519 and short of it, and that's why you know they 839 00:42:32.519 --> 00:42:33.639 had Jeff Jareck is too. 840 00:42:38.480 --> 00:42:42.679 In twenty twelve, NXT transitioned into the developmental system and 841 00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:46.079 ultimately the brand you see today. On the Torch VIP 842 00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:50.360 podcast NXT Eight Years Back, we'll be taking a weekly 843 00:42:50.440 --> 00:42:52.960 look at this page in NXT's early history. 844 00:42:53.840 --> 00:42:57.039 Join Kelly Wells and me Tom Stout from PWT Talks 845 00:42:57.119 --> 00:42:59.800 NXT every Saturday as we go eight years back to 846 00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:02.639 the d to track NXT's rising talents and why they 847 00:43:02.639 --> 00:43:06.559 did or didn't work out, exclusively for PW Torch VIP members. 848 00:43:09.880 --> 00:43:12.119 So you you were the uh you were like the 849 00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:16.280 young college student protesting government policies. And then there were 850 00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:18.519 other guys who were the professors who had bet seen 851 00:43:18.599 --> 00:43:22.280 every generation do it. No changes happened, just going you 852 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:24.159 know your way. You know, it's it's great, you care, 853 00:43:24.719 --> 00:43:27.960 we need that, but you know, don't expect change. 854 00:43:28.360 --> 00:43:33.880 Basically yeah, yeah, you know. It was like for me, 855 00:43:35.440 --> 00:43:37.159 this is this is I mean, I just thought of 856 00:43:37.159 --> 00:43:39.800 this while we were talking. But I guess, you know, 857 00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:41.920 some of the some of your observations have sort of 858 00:43:41.960 --> 00:43:43.920 made me look at it in a slightly different way. 859 00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:47.880 But I would say that CNA was always looking for 860 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:52.679 the one big like macro change. When to me, it 861 00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:54.880 would have been a series of micro changes that really 862 00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:57.480 needed to happen. If that makes sense. 863 00:43:57.840 --> 00:43:58.960 No, No, it totally does. 864 00:43:59.239 --> 00:44:00.679 Yeah it did. 865 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:02.679 It seemed like they were always swinging for the fences 866 00:44:02.719 --> 00:44:04.920 instead of trying to get singles, doubles or you know, 867 00:44:05.079 --> 00:44:08.719 get the basis loaded for an RBI single. It was 868 00:44:08.760 --> 00:44:12.920 these big, expensive, all or nothing type grand stands or 869 00:44:12.960 --> 00:44:13.400 big plays. 870 00:44:13.480 --> 00:44:17.639 Yeah, right right to me, that's what That's not an 871 00:44:17.800 --> 00:44:20.719 entrepreneurial approach. Like I like to think that I have 872 00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:26.159 a little bit of an entrepreneurial kind of spirit and ability, 873 00:44:26.239 --> 00:44:28.039 and that's actually one of the reasons why I'm really 874 00:44:28.119 --> 00:44:31.039 enjoying working with Jeff on this deal, because it's like 875 00:44:31.719 --> 00:44:34.159 being in on the ground floor. Like Jeff's allowing me 876 00:44:35.320 --> 00:44:38.119 some lastitude and some flexibility to sort of explore some 877 00:44:38.199 --> 00:44:41.119 of some things on my end from an entrepreneurial standpoint. 878 00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:44.840 You know, he's giving me some some responsibilities here and 879 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:46.440 there to sort of, you know, to do things on 880 00:44:46.440 --> 00:44:48.800 an entrepreneurial level. I can't really expand too much on 881 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:51.400 that at this point, but you know, you start to 882 00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:53.440 sort of see it as we as we progress here, 883 00:44:53.480 --> 00:44:57.320 and it sort of coming up. But it's like, you know, 884 00:44:57.639 --> 00:45:00.480 there was only this thing in DNA of like, you're 885 00:45:00.519 --> 00:45:04.639 you're just a wrestler, you know. Mm hmmm, hey wrestler, 886 00:45:04.719 --> 00:45:06.880 you know, like don't you worry about that? You just 887 00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:09.360 worry about putting your boots on and you know, having 888 00:45:09.360 --> 00:45:11.599 your match, and like we'll we'll worry about the business 889 00:45:11.599 --> 00:45:13.239 side of things, and it's like we'd be there, No, 890 00:45:13.280 --> 00:45:17.480 we're worried about the business because we you know, all 891 00:45:17.519 --> 00:45:20.280 of everything. One of us had to exist as an 892 00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:23.760 independent entity prior to coming here, which meant we had 893 00:45:23.800 --> 00:45:26.480 to you know handle you know, we have we had 894 00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:28.280 to balance our books, you know what I mean, if 895 00:45:28.280 --> 00:45:30.280 we don't make up, if we don't, if we don't, 896 00:45:30.920 --> 00:45:32.679 we don't have our stuff in line, like we you know, 897 00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:34.880 we don't make our house payment next month, so we 898 00:45:34.920 --> 00:45:38.719 don't make our car payment, you know. And so obviously 899 00:45:38.760 --> 00:45:42.559 we're all entrepreneurs in that respect, so like, you know, 900 00:45:42.639 --> 00:45:44.519 we should And that was always the thing, whereas like 901 00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:48.400 sometimes it was there was definitely this thing of like, oh, 902 00:45:48.480 --> 00:45:51.440 you know, you're just a wrestler, you know, and that 903 00:45:51.599 --> 00:45:54.840 was that, you know, and there was time and Jeff 904 00:45:54.880 --> 00:46:00.440 obviously doesn't have that mentality because that generation guy obviously 905 00:46:00.599 --> 00:46:03.679 was arrest with a very successful one, you know, and 906 00:46:03.679 --> 00:46:06.119 and now is on the business side of things. So 907 00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:09.119 there's definitely you know, he's more open minded as to 908 00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:11.639 not to say that he's going to listen to everybody, 909 00:46:11.840 --> 00:46:16.599 but he's going to listen and you know, be the objective. 910 00:46:16.920 --> 00:46:19.840 You know, when he listens to people didn't put his. 911 00:46:19.880 --> 00:46:22.079 Dad, Jerry, I consider one of my mentors I've done 912 00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:24.320 had Probably he's probably. 913 00:46:24.079 --> 00:46:26.320 The top five of people I've had. 914 00:46:26.440 --> 00:46:29.960 Conversation in terms of time on the phone talking about 915 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:32.039 the industry and learning about things. Jerry jared his dad 916 00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:34.360 is probably on the top five list, and it's probably 917 00:46:34.360 --> 00:46:36.400 one hundred plus hours on the phone in the nineties 918 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:40.280 and since Jerry, Jeff learned from him and observed him, 919 00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:43.360 knew what was knew the knew how to balance the books. 920 00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:45.679 And he gets criticized for it because he made good money. Well, 921 00:46:45.679 --> 00:46:47.760 a lot of guys were not Jerry. 922 00:46:47.760 --> 00:46:47.880 You know. 923 00:46:47.880 --> 00:46:49.960 I confronted Jerry with that and some Torch Talk interviews 924 00:46:49.960 --> 00:46:51.599 I did with him in the nineties, and he made 925 00:46:51.599 --> 00:46:53.079 his case for it. You know, He's like, I could 926 00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:54.679 be doing a lot of things, making a lot a 927 00:46:54.679 --> 00:46:57.440 lot of money and I chose to make a lot 928 00:46:57.440 --> 00:46:59.400 of money in pro wrestling, and I would not have 929 00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:01.400 done it if I couldn't make a lot of money. 930 00:47:01.599 --> 00:47:04.519 But I created a place for guys to get feet wet, 931 00:47:04.519 --> 00:47:06.800 get some experience, and no one was forced to work here. 932 00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:09.000 But in the end I would be open with the books. 933 00:47:09.000 --> 00:47:11.880 Here's a percentage I'm giving you. Here's what you meant 934 00:47:11.880 --> 00:47:14.480 to the gate, not a lot compared to say Jerry Lawler, 935 00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:17.679 bild Undie, Austin Idel and you can take it or 936 00:47:17.719 --> 00:47:19.079 leave it, but we're going to give you a chance, 937 00:47:19.199 --> 00:47:24.320 essentially to be an apprentice to some very some veteran 938 00:47:24.360 --> 00:47:26.000 guys and make a name for yourself, so you become 939 00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:28.199 one of those guys who draws at the gate. Jerry 940 00:47:28.239 --> 00:47:31.239 was roblunt with me about that. Not everybody liked Jerry's 941 00:47:31.360 --> 00:47:34.679 pay approach, but the business aspect of it was, I'm 942 00:47:34.679 --> 00:47:36.360 not going to a town unless I'm going to walk 943 00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:38.840 away with a bag with some money in it. That's profit. 944 00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:41.320 And you know that was an approach. Jeff learned that, 945 00:47:41.400 --> 00:47:43.960 and I think he can bring that approach to global force. 946 00:47:44.039 --> 00:47:45.440 Bruce Mitchell wrote a col him in the Pros and 947 00:47:45.519 --> 00:47:48.719 Torch newsletter several weeks ago applauding Jeff for being the 948 00:47:48.719 --> 00:47:51.519 one guy out there who, from the beginning of launching 949 00:47:51.519 --> 00:47:53.960 a promotion did the one thing where you're guaranteed to 950 00:47:53.960 --> 00:47:56.199 make money, which is sell some shows to minor league 951 00:47:56.199 --> 00:48:00.000 baseball stadium stadiums and you know, run on a budget 952 00:48:00.039 --> 00:48:01.960 where you walk away with a bag of cash that 953 00:48:02.039 --> 00:48:05.000 counts as profit and all your guys got paid. So 954 00:48:05.239 --> 00:48:07.880 right that that approach, that contrast to Hena Nick. 955 00:48:08.519 --> 00:48:12.239 Yeah, and Jeff is also you know, it's interesting what 956 00:48:12.280 --> 00:48:15.239 you said about promoting, because I think that you would 957 00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:17.639 find that, you know, that runs a very close parallel 958 00:48:17.679 --> 00:48:20.519 to Ian. Again, I can't speak for him because I 959 00:48:20.519 --> 00:48:22.440 don't I don't know the man, but it sounds, you know, 960 00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:26.239 from everything I've studied and listened to secondhand, third hand, 961 00:48:26.840 --> 00:48:28.920 it sounds very parallel to a lot of them, you know, 962 00:48:28.920 --> 00:48:31.119 to a lot of descriptions of the way Vindrick Man 963 00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:34.000 handled business. And then then you go back you look 964 00:48:34.039 --> 00:48:37.440 at who who Vince had lined up, you know, to 965 00:48:37.440 --> 00:48:40.400 to to sort of steer the ship if he was 966 00:48:40.440 --> 00:48:43.320 going to go to jail, you know, And it was Gerry, 967 00:48:43.480 --> 00:48:46.599 I believe, so you know, it was Yeah, so it's 968 00:48:46.639 --> 00:48:50.760 like and and Jeff not only has all of that, 969 00:48:50.920 --> 00:48:52.639 you know, and from from Jerry and then from his 970 00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:56.039 grandmother who was was one hundred percent sort of financial 971 00:48:57.079 --> 00:49:00.760 you know, so a bookkeeper, you know, in the in 972 00:49:00.800 --> 00:49:03.239 the business, but also he learned, he's he's also learned 973 00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:09.079 from the mistakes that today, Yeah, which is which is 974 00:49:09.119 --> 00:49:10.400 almost more valuable. 975 00:49:12.440 --> 00:49:13.760 Absolutely absolutely. 976 00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:17.000 I want to phrase this carefully because I think you 977 00:49:17.039 --> 00:49:19.159 can genuinely answer it the way that I'm phrasing it, 978 00:49:19.400 --> 00:49:24.239 whether it is fair or unfair. How would you generalize 979 00:49:24.719 --> 00:49:30.000 the locker room of wrestler's opinion of Dixie Carter as 980 00:49:30.039 --> 00:49:32.719 a boss and as a head of that wrestling company. 981 00:49:33.880 --> 00:49:39.239 I'd probably venture to say that my opinion of Dixie 982 00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:44.360 is probably fairly reflective of most of the analytical, sort 983 00:49:44.400 --> 00:49:48.559 of objective guys in the locker room, which is, she's 984 00:49:48.320 --> 00:49:52.639 a sweetheart of a person, got an absolute heart of gold, 985 00:49:53.519 --> 00:49:58.480 but it is too easily, too easily manipulated, you know too, 986 00:49:58.559 --> 00:50:07.199 and like the her ambition is taken advantage of and misguided. 987 00:50:07.840 --> 00:50:12.159 And for me, perhaps the one thing she's always lacked 988 00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:19.079 is that survival mentality, because you know, she doesn't necessarily 989 00:50:19.880 --> 00:50:23.039 relate to you know, the idea of not being able 990 00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:25.079 to pay a bills that might be a little harsh, 991 00:50:25.760 --> 00:50:28.280 but that always seemed to be That was always that 992 00:50:28.280 --> 00:50:30.800 always seems to be my impression, you know, was that 993 00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:32.480 that was the one thing she always seemed to lack, 994 00:50:32.519 --> 00:50:35.039 which was always why there seemed to be these sort 995 00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:42.480 of huge, these huge, expensive kind of moves, because to me, 996 00:50:42.519 --> 00:50:45.159 it always just seemed to be reflective of someone who 997 00:50:45.360 --> 00:50:49.679 you know, it wasn't necess like they weren't they weren't 998 00:50:49.679 --> 00:50:52.519 bet in the farm, you know what I mean, Yeah, 999 00:50:52.719 --> 00:50:57.239 like they you know, it was kind of I don't 1000 00:50:57.239 --> 00:50:59.039 want to say playing with house money, but it was 1001 00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:02.599 sometimes that was the way that it came across. But 1002 00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:06.639 you know, to me, that the biggest thing was that 1003 00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:09.280 she was just too easily led, like to you know, 1004 00:51:10.400 --> 00:51:13.960 too many people took advantage of her still or too 1005 00:51:14.000 --> 00:51:16.360 many people are still taking advantage of her. 1006 00:51:16.599 --> 00:51:20.519 I would say, I've gotten the impression even anecdote you 1007 00:51:20.559 --> 00:51:23.679 said earlier, and many many other examples of interviews and 1008 00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:27.159 talking to people, that everything you said about Dixie reflects 1009 00:51:27.159 --> 00:51:29.320 what I've heard about her too. So I'm just backing 1010 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:30.800 that up in terms of, hey, that didn't that you're 1011 00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:32.760 answered in shock me like, oh, I've never heard that before, 1012 00:51:33.559 --> 00:51:35.719 you know that, But it was really well stated, and 1013 00:51:36.039 --> 00:51:40.719 I think is one of the big issues that teenage 1014 00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:42.880 running too over and over again. The other thing with Dixie, 1015 00:51:42.960 --> 00:51:44.519 and again I think you had an anecdote earlier that 1016 00:51:44.519 --> 00:51:47.920 backs this up is once she does make a decision, 1017 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:54.679 whether she's swayed or otherwise, you she doesn't accept challenges 1018 00:51:54.800 --> 00:51:58.000 to that point of view or that line of thinking 1019 00:51:58.519 --> 00:52:01.599 particularly well. It's like once that decision is made, I've 1020 00:52:01.599 --> 00:52:04.719 gotten the impression from her, we don't want to talk 1021 00:52:04.719 --> 00:52:07.360 about it anymore. I don't want to hear contrary opinions 1022 00:52:07.400 --> 00:52:09.760 to it. This is the plan. We're going with it, 1023 00:52:09.840 --> 00:52:12.559 and we're going to see what happens. And sometimes it 1024 00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:14.280 seems like maybe that I don't know if dude, diligence 1025 00:52:14.360 --> 00:52:17.079 is a word, but being able to listen to a 1026 00:52:17.079 --> 00:52:20.280 lot of different points of view and based on knowledge 1027 00:52:20.280 --> 00:52:22.039 of the industry and like you said, kind of that 1028 00:52:22.079 --> 00:52:25.880 survival instinct process and evaluate which ideas are good ones 1029 00:52:25.880 --> 00:52:27.679 and which ones are just a waste of money. So 1030 00:52:27.840 --> 00:52:29.920 I guess my short question is do you think sometimes 1031 00:52:29.960 --> 00:52:33.039 Dixie makes the decision and sticks to it, but hasn't 1032 00:52:33.440 --> 00:52:35.880 sought out counter perspectives to process first. 1033 00:52:36.599 --> 00:52:37.320 Yeah, I mean. 1034 00:52:37.480 --> 00:52:39.440 That's difficult for me to go in on because I 1035 00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:41.840 only I mean, I haven't been privy to too many 1036 00:52:41.880 --> 00:52:46.559 of those discussions. I have been privy to some, and 1037 00:52:47.199 --> 00:52:49.920 they have you know, there were times towards the end 1038 00:52:50.000 --> 00:52:52.679 of my run there where you know, I was afforded 1039 00:52:52.719 --> 00:52:55.960 to sort of the respect to be us sit in 1040 00:52:56.000 --> 00:52:58.360 on some things and to sort of, you know, give 1041 00:52:58.480 --> 00:53:03.679 my opinion on stuff, and I would, I would honestly 1042 00:53:03.719 --> 00:53:07.000 give it. I mean I did always do that, and 1043 00:53:08.079 --> 00:53:11.440 I don't know, I I do perhaps get the impression 1044 00:53:11.480 --> 00:53:13.559 that she kind of would go into these things with 1045 00:53:14.440 --> 00:53:17.360 an idea of what she wanted to do already, and 1046 00:53:17.400 --> 00:53:21.320 then you know, nine times out of ten, would that 1047 00:53:21.559 --> 00:53:23.960 would still be the result coming out. But then that's 1048 00:53:24.119 --> 00:53:27.000 that's probably the same of you know, the thing can 1049 00:53:27.039 --> 00:53:31.679 be said of most bosses. I would, I would venture. 1050 00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:36.880 To say, anytime you're watching ww E Raw or SmackDown 1051 00:53:36.960 --> 00:53:40.039 or AEW Dynamite in particular, send us an email if 1052 00:53:40.039 --> 00:53:41.800 you've got thoughts on the show or a topic you 1053 00:53:41.840 --> 00:53:44.480 want us to address, or a question for us Wade 1054 00:53:44.559 --> 00:53:49.000 Kellor Podcast at pw torch dot com. Wade Keller Podcast 1055 00:53:49.079 --> 00:53:51.960 at pew torch dot com. If there's anything else going 1056 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:53.679 on in pro wrestling that you want us to address 1057 00:53:53.719 --> 00:53:57.039 on our main podcast during our mailbank segments, that same 1058 00:53:57.079 --> 00:54:00.320 email applies Wade Keller Podcast at pw torch dot com. 1059 00:54:00.440 --> 00:54:03.079 We invite that interaction. Let us know what you think 1060 00:54:03.079 --> 00:54:05.400 of what we're saying, and let us know what you 1061 00:54:05.440 --> 00:54:08.039 want us to talk about and ask us specific questions. 1062 00:54:08.079 --> 00:54:13.119 Wad Kellor Podcast at pw torch dot com. There comes 1063 00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:14.880 a point where you make a decision and you just 1064 00:54:14.920 --> 00:54:16.440 got to go with it. You can't sit here and 1065 00:54:16.480 --> 00:54:17.800 second guess at a million more times. 1066 00:54:17.840 --> 00:54:20.320 You got to make that right. That's right, that's that's 1067 00:54:20.360 --> 00:54:22.639 that is true, Like there is that that is you 1068 00:54:22.679 --> 00:54:24.199 know that is valid. I was going to get to 1069 00:54:24.239 --> 00:54:26.159 that was that you know that you know at the 1070 00:54:26.239 --> 00:54:28.960 end of the day, once you do make a decision, 1071 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:30.760 you do have to stick with it, whether it you 1072 00:54:30.800 --> 00:54:34.400 know it was right or wrong, because and and the 1073 00:54:34.440 --> 00:54:36.440 funny thing is is that I would actually, when you 1074 00:54:36.480 --> 00:54:39.320 look back at it, to me, the timeline of TNA 1075 00:54:39.480 --> 00:54:43.280 from when I got there, which is interesting because when 1076 00:54:43.280 --> 00:54:46.079 I came in in two thousand and nine was arguably 1077 00:54:46.119 --> 00:54:49.559 the peak of TNA's performance in terms of expenditure, to 1078 00:54:50.639 --> 00:54:56.400 attendances and ratings. But you know, the one thing that 1079 00:54:56.440 --> 00:55:00.400 perhaps to me was the fundamental issue when one of 1080 00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:02.800 the reasons why I decided to leave was that I 1081 00:55:02.840 --> 00:55:05.039 felt like they'd lost they'd lost the trust of their 1082 00:55:05.079 --> 00:55:10.800 poor audience because they'd because they've made too many changes, 1083 00:55:11.199 --> 00:55:13.760 too many like resets, And to me it was like, 1084 00:55:15.159 --> 00:55:17.760 you know, after like a reset every now and then 1085 00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:21.719 is exciting. A reset, you know, three times a year 1086 00:55:22.199 --> 00:55:25.079 starts giving the message of like we don't know what's 1087 00:55:25.159 --> 00:55:27.039 you know, like we don't know what you want. Like 1088 00:55:27.079 --> 00:55:30.360 even if people can't necessarily even if casual fans aren't 1089 00:55:30.400 --> 00:55:35.159 necessarily articulated that way, immediately like subconsciously, you know, they 1090 00:55:35.199 --> 00:55:38.840 start to get that vibe and I think, you know, 1091 00:55:39.079 --> 00:55:42.079 Eric Bishop and Holk Hogan is showing up and saying, hey, 1092 00:55:42.119 --> 00:55:44.440 we know you guys really liked that excited ring and 1093 00:55:44.480 --> 00:55:47.119 these excivision guys, but you don't want that anymore. Like 1094 00:55:47.159 --> 00:55:49.840 we're tearing up this format like this, you know, like 1095 00:55:50.519 --> 00:55:53.760 you know, I'll say this being money in the British 1096 00:55:53.760 --> 00:55:56.119 Invasion have been a really good, steady part of t 1097 00:55:56.199 --> 00:55:58.159 and age business for the majority of two thousand and nine. 1098 00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:02.320 You know, we'd told some compelling stories, we've been entertaining feud, 1099 00:56:02.360 --> 00:56:04.920 We've been like consistently one of the you know, the 1100 00:56:04.960 --> 00:56:08.800 highlights of the live events all over the world. We 1101 00:56:08.800 --> 00:56:12.400 were advertised for that Monday night shot up, but we 1102 00:56:12.400 --> 00:56:16.480 weren't put so they advertised beer money versus the British Invasion, 1103 00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:19.599 you know, and then the first thing I see of 1104 00:56:19.639 --> 00:56:22.079 it is them going like tearing up the format. So essentially, 1105 00:56:23.079 --> 00:56:24.840 you know, in a lot of ways, it was like, hey, 1106 00:56:25.000 --> 00:56:28.039 here's all these like towns that you the audience have 1107 00:56:28.119 --> 00:56:32.119 invested all your you know that you've invested your time in, 1108 00:56:32.159 --> 00:56:34.760 and you know you believe in and you're in it, 1109 00:56:34.880 --> 00:56:36.639 you know, and you've and you've still given your standard 1110 00:56:36.719 --> 00:56:41.760 driven to screw them like you know, and you don't 1111 00:56:41.800 --> 00:56:43.800 want them. You want all these guys that we you know, 1112 00:56:43.800 --> 00:56:45.679 we're going to tell you who to like and to me. 1113 00:56:45.800 --> 00:56:49.920 I really believe that was the beginning of reset after 1114 00:56:50.039 --> 00:56:52.320 reset of like we're going to the sixth side room, 1115 00:56:52.320 --> 00:56:53.760 We're going to a fourth sighted ring. Then we're going 1116 00:56:53.760 --> 00:56:55.360 back to a six sided ring, and we're going live. 1117 00:56:55.360 --> 00:56:57.360 We're not going like we're going Mondays, We're going Wednesdays, 1118 00:56:57.360 --> 00:57:00.119 We're going Thursdays, you know, Friday, you know. And it 1119 00:57:00.159 --> 00:57:04.079 was just like I just started going like we got 1120 00:57:04.239 --> 00:57:05.960 we gotta pick a day and stick to it. We 1121 00:57:06.039 --> 00:57:08.440 gotta pick a time and stick to it. And you know, 1122 00:57:08.519 --> 00:57:10.119 we got to pick a roster and stick to it. 1123 00:57:11.079 --> 00:57:13.920 You know, like like there's a little things like changing the name, 1124 00:57:14.199 --> 00:57:16.039 you know, impact wrestling. Is it P and A or 1125 00:57:16.079 --> 00:57:19.360 is the Impact wrestling? Like like who chairs at the 1126 00:57:19.440 --> 00:57:21.079 end of the day, Like changing the name of it 1127 00:57:21.119 --> 00:57:22.840 now is not everyone's still going to say T and A. 1128 00:57:23.679 --> 00:57:26.039 No one's gonna you know, all of us could say that, 1129 00:57:26.159 --> 00:57:27.599 all of us, all of us are saying that at 1130 00:57:27.599 --> 00:57:29.280 the time, we're going like they're too late to change 1131 00:57:29.280 --> 00:57:31.280 it now. Everyone's still going to say T and A 1132 00:57:31.360 --> 00:57:34.800 ten years down the line, fast forward to five years 1133 00:57:34.800 --> 00:57:37.480 down the line, Sure enough, T and A, you know 1134 00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:41.519 what I mean. And it was just it seemed like 1135 00:57:41.559 --> 00:57:43.320 a lot of decisions were just made on the whim 1136 00:57:43.400 --> 00:57:45.800 of like one guy, whether it be Hugan or Eric 1137 00:57:46.000 --> 00:57:48.800 or you know, Bruce or whoever had Dixie's ear at 1138 00:57:48.840 --> 00:57:56.119 the time, and unfortunately, you know, there was some It's 1139 00:57:56.119 --> 00:57:59.000 funny really because like, you know, a lot to me, 1140 00:57:59.159 --> 00:58:01.280 a lot of the sort of a lot of the 1141 00:58:01.360 --> 00:58:03.280 sort of snakes turned on each other a little bit too, 1142 00:58:03.400 --> 00:58:04.960 you know what I mean, Like there was there was 1143 00:58:05.039 --> 00:58:08.159 like this seemed like there was a lot of regime changes. 1144 00:58:08.199 --> 00:58:10.800 And I don't know for sure, but it's the word 1145 00:58:11.000 --> 00:58:12.360 was that a lot of the time they were sort 1146 00:58:12.360 --> 00:58:16.119 of screwing each other over. You know, this guy would 1147 00:58:16.119 --> 00:58:17.760 maneuver to get rid of this guy, and then he'd 1148 00:58:17.800 --> 00:58:19.599 get moved out because someone else behind, you know, And 1149 00:58:19.719 --> 00:58:22.280 and it's to me, it was it was it always 1150 00:58:22.320 --> 00:58:24.159 just seemed to be a race to see who could 1151 00:58:24.199 --> 00:58:28.079 get uh, you know, in Dixie's ear. And then it 1152 00:58:28.159 --> 00:58:32.920 was like and and then the one consistent thing of 1153 00:58:33.039 --> 00:58:36.920 every new boss, it always seemed like the one thing 1154 00:58:36.960 --> 00:58:38.960 they were trying to do more than anything was moved 1155 00:58:39.039 --> 00:58:43.159 Dixie away from the talent and from everyone as far 1156 00:58:43.199 --> 00:58:47.079 away as possible, you know. Like for me, I always 1157 00:58:47.079 --> 00:58:50.880 made I always made the decision on the advice of 1158 00:58:50.920 --> 00:58:54.760 guys like Kevin Nash, you know, like Kevin Nash would 1159 00:58:54.800 --> 00:58:57.920 say to me, Hey, when it comes to money. You know, 1160 00:58:58.079 --> 00:59:02.159 who's who's signed your contract and who signs your checks Dixie, 1161 00:59:02.400 --> 00:59:05.400 So you deal with Dixie. That was always like the 1162 00:59:05.719 --> 00:59:07.599 and that was the way I always approached it because 1163 00:59:07.599 --> 00:59:09.039 he had said that was the way he always had, 1164 00:59:09.199 --> 00:59:11.639 you know, he had always approached things with you know, 1165 00:59:11.679 --> 00:59:13.960 with Vince strickmaner though with you know, and then later 1166 00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:16.400 on with you know, with WWI and stuff. So I 1167 00:59:16.400 --> 00:59:18.599 always took the same mentality, and like, I can't tell 1168 00:59:18.639 --> 00:59:21.840 you the amount of like blowback I got from, you know, 1169 00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:26.079 from different like talent relations guys for that, because when 1170 00:59:26.079 --> 00:59:27.639 it came time for a contract, I would always just 1171 00:59:27.679 --> 00:59:29.400 be like, I need to have this. I'm gonna have 1172 00:59:29.400 --> 00:59:32.440 this conversation with Dixie, you know, and they'd be like, no, no, no, 1173 00:59:32.480 --> 00:59:33.639 you don't need to talk to you need to talk 1174 00:59:33.679 --> 00:59:36.800 to me, And I go, no, no, I don't, you know, 1175 00:59:36.840 --> 00:59:39.360 And and like I wasn't trying to be a troublemaker 1176 00:59:39.519 --> 00:59:42.760 or anything like that. I was just you know, And 1177 00:59:42.840 --> 00:59:45.599 but there was always that there was always that feeling 1178 00:59:45.599 --> 00:59:47.360 that they were just they were always just trying to 1179 00:59:47.440 --> 00:59:50.360 keep her away from everything as much as possible so 1180 00:59:50.360 --> 00:59:54.119 that essentially they could be the boss you know like 1181 00:59:54.360 --> 00:59:57.199 they would they you know, for like I'd say this 1182 00:59:57.519 --> 01:00:00.320 more about the current boss than any other before as well, 1183 01:00:00.440 --> 01:00:03.079 that like this seems to be more like more enamored 1184 01:00:03.119 --> 01:00:05.719 with just being like in charge than really sort of 1185 01:00:06.840 --> 01:00:09.280 actually making difference. It's more about just like being in 1186 01:00:09.360 --> 01:00:11.840 charge and like being the boss and having you know, 1187 01:00:12.800 --> 01:00:15.039 people underneath them and stuff. I don't know, it could 1188 01:00:15.039 --> 01:00:17.960 be wrong, but that was always impression I got. But ultimately, 1189 01:00:18.880 --> 01:00:22.800 after just sort of seeing all these different resets and 1190 01:00:22.880 --> 01:00:26.480 changes and you know, it just there was always seem 1191 01:00:26.480 --> 01:00:28.840 to be like a completely new philosophy. After a while, 1192 01:00:28.880 --> 01:00:32.719 I just went, I, you know, like I like this, 1193 01:00:33.039 --> 01:00:36.559 this is these aren't This isn't a stable isn't a 1194 01:00:36.559 --> 01:00:38.760 stable place anymore, you know, and I need to get 1195 01:00:38.760 --> 01:00:41.280 out while I can and you know, be somewhere where 1196 01:00:42.159 --> 01:00:44.840 like I'm not in this constant state of worry. Like 1197 01:00:44.880 --> 01:00:48.880 I just did an interview with Jason Powell before before 1198 01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:51.599 I talked to you, and I said, like I wasn't 1199 01:00:51.920 --> 01:00:54.199 I'd never really I said this in like my Rolling 1200 01:00:54.239 --> 01:00:55.880 Stone interview and a few other places too, and I 1201 01:00:55.880 --> 01:00:57.599 said about how it felt like a one hundred pounds 1202 01:00:57.599 --> 01:01:00.159 weight had been lifted off my back. But honestly, that 1203 01:01:00.320 --> 01:01:02.440 really is true. And the only reason I talked about 1204 01:01:02.440 --> 01:01:04.599 it is I really didn't expect that to be the case. 1205 01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:07.880 Like I really wasn't, Like I really didn't. I knew, 1206 01:01:07.880 --> 01:01:09.239 you know, because I knew it was coming. I knew 1207 01:01:09.239 --> 01:01:10.679 I was going to tell him I didn't want to stay, 1208 01:01:10.679 --> 01:01:12.880 and you know, we would wrap up business at the 1209 01:01:12.880 --> 01:01:15.320 pay per view, and in the end, they had ended 1210 01:01:15.360 --> 01:01:17.880 up having me tape a couple of things, you know, 1211 01:01:17.960 --> 01:01:19.920 so like the last thing is like, you know, still 1212 01:01:19.920 --> 01:01:22.880 a couple of weeks away, but whatever. I just but 1213 01:01:22.920 --> 01:01:27.000 I do remember just being genuinely surprised at how relieved 1214 01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:29.840 I was when I got off the phone. I remember, 1215 01:01:29.920 --> 01:01:32.360 like we we talked and we agreed to, you know, 1216 01:01:33.239 --> 01:01:35.199 wrap up business the right way and everything like that. 1217 01:01:35.320 --> 01:01:37.719 Got off the phone, and you know, it was big 1218 01:01:37.760 --> 01:01:40.199 and like Mickey was there and I and she looked 1219 01:01:40.320 --> 01:01:42.519 me in and I said, that's it. I did it, 1220 01:01:42.559 --> 01:01:45.320 you know, and she just went that's it, and I 1221 01:01:45.360 --> 01:01:48.440 went yeah, and it was like I had this like 1222 01:01:48.480 --> 01:01:51.679 this this st like like you know, I teared up, 1223 01:01:51.760 --> 01:01:53.960 but not in like a not in a sad way, 1224 01:01:54.000 --> 01:01:56.840 but just in like it suddenly was like this huge 1225 01:01:56.920 --> 01:01:59.440 release of tension because it was just always another worry. 1226 01:01:59.440 --> 01:02:02.000 It was always like there was always something new, you know, 1227 01:02:02.079 --> 01:02:05.239 and from the talent standpoint, it was just like it 1228 01:02:05.440 --> 01:02:08.960 was it weighs you down because like you said earlier, 1229 01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:12.000 like I'm one of those guys who's like invest and 1230 01:02:12.920 --> 01:02:15.679 it was it was such a relief to just think, like, 1231 01:02:16.840 --> 01:02:20.599 you know, it's not my cross to bear anymore, you know, 1232 01:02:21.199 --> 01:02:22.320 with a real relief. 1233 01:02:24.159 --> 01:02:27.800 Do you expect And as the attitude from Slammiversary in 1234 01:02:27.800 --> 01:02:30.800 that last set of tapings is, is there just kind 1235 01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:33.440 of a sense among the wrestlers that it's ending at 1236 01:02:33.480 --> 01:02:35.679 the end of September, even if that word has not 1237 01:02:35.760 --> 01:02:37.880 been officially stated and talent has been told on that 1238 01:02:37.960 --> 01:02:41.679 infamous conference call, you know, legally we can't say anything. 1239 01:02:42.000 --> 01:02:44.199 Is the working assumption this company's done after the next 1240 01:02:44.239 --> 01:02:46.679 tapings with. 1241 01:02:46.760 --> 01:02:49.199 Some people for sure, Yeah, I don't. I don't know. 1242 01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:54.039 I you know, I in some ways, one one of 1243 01:02:54.039 --> 01:02:56.679 the things I'm most proud of with my time there 1244 01:02:56.840 --> 01:02:59.599 was that to what in the last couple of years 1245 01:02:59.800 --> 01:03:04.039 and guys like great talents like Eddie Edwards and Davey 1246 01:03:04.119 --> 01:03:06.440 Richards to come in and like you know, guys like 1247 01:03:06.440 --> 01:03:09.840 that coming from different places, and you know, a lot 1248 01:03:09.880 --> 01:03:12.119 of the sort of younger guys who was always or 1249 01:03:12.159 --> 01:03:13.800 guys in the sort of mid to late twenties who 1250 01:03:13.800 --> 01:03:16.480 were really starting to kind of mature and become you know, 1251 01:03:16.880 --> 01:03:20.599 really good, really good performers in their own right. I 1252 01:03:20.679 --> 01:03:25.679 sort of became this kind of go to kind of 1253 01:03:25.719 --> 01:03:28.559 guide almost like you know, I won't want to say 1254 01:03:28.559 --> 01:03:32.079 like a leader or anything like that, but but certainly 1255 01:03:32.159 --> 01:03:34.119 like there was, there was, there were some of the 1256 01:03:34.159 --> 01:03:38.280 younger guys especially, were more comfortable coming to me to 1257 01:03:38.360 --> 01:03:41.440 sort of get my take on on things than going 1258 01:03:41.480 --> 01:03:45.079 to say Joe or you know, or somebody like that 1259 01:03:45.159 --> 01:03:49.119 who really was a leader, you know, and so and 1260 01:03:49.440 --> 01:03:51.119 so I saw, you know, after a while, I sort 1261 01:03:51.119 --> 01:03:53.679 of became this, you know this for a certain group 1262 01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:55.760 of guys, or became like this little bit of a 1263 01:03:56.679 --> 01:03:59.119 of a barometer, you know, because they'd be like, well, 1264 01:03:59.159 --> 01:04:02.960 you've seen you know, things that looked really bleak, and 1265 01:04:02.960 --> 01:04:04.519 then they've sort of come out from then you see 1266 01:04:04.519 --> 01:04:06.119 that things that look really good, and you know so 1267 01:04:07.360 --> 01:04:16.159 but yeah, I always said to those guys, the truth 1268 01:04:16.280 --> 01:04:20.320 is is that t and ay, I know that they 1269 01:04:20.360 --> 01:04:22.960 say it as like as a bit of a defense mechanism. 1270 01:04:22.960 --> 01:04:25.719 But it is true that they have almost from day 1271 01:04:25.719 --> 01:04:28.920 one there they're you know, people have been writing their 1272 01:04:28.920 --> 01:04:32.840 obituary like that is true, and they have always found 1273 01:04:32.840 --> 01:04:36.559 a way, you know, so there is always that you 1274 01:04:36.639 --> 01:04:38.400 always got to keep that in the back pocket. But 1275 01:04:38.519 --> 01:04:41.639 I would say that, you know, I've had this conversation 1276 01:04:41.800 --> 01:04:44.039 with guys who are much more qualified to talk about 1277 01:04:44.039 --> 01:04:47.400 it than I am. You know that this time around, 1278 01:04:47.840 --> 01:04:50.199 I've got to say it doesn't it does. It does 1279 01:04:50.239 --> 01:04:53.119 feel different, It doesn't have the same like it does. 1280 01:04:53.159 --> 01:04:55.360 There is a different field at this time. I think that, 1281 01:04:57.880 --> 01:05:00.679 you know, I mean, someone will someone will say it, 1282 01:05:00.679 --> 01:05:02.440 so it may as well be me. But I will 1283 01:05:02.440 --> 01:05:05.079 say this that there was a very telling moment for 1284 01:05:05.199 --> 01:05:11.199 me when you know, Dixie wasn't present at the Slammiversary 1285 01:05:11.199 --> 01:05:13.199 pay per view, and that said a lot to me, 1286 01:05:13.679 --> 01:05:15.880 Like that was a very telling thing to me, like 1287 01:05:16.000 --> 01:05:20.559 because you know, considering the circumstances that you know, and 1288 01:05:20.599 --> 01:05:22.400 you know, for like for for for me and then 1289 01:05:22.599 --> 01:05:26.360 apparently for James, you know, and for and for aries, 1290 01:05:26.480 --> 01:05:29.599 you know, it was it was interesting to me that 1291 01:05:29.599 --> 01:05:34.760 that she wasn't there. But whatever, why no no, that's 1292 01:05:34.760 --> 01:05:36.559 what I'm saying. I don't know why I didn't. You know, 1293 01:05:36.679 --> 01:05:39.440 I'm not I'm not in love with myself enough to 1294 01:05:39.440 --> 01:05:40.960 to really, you know, to go out of my way 1295 01:05:41.000 --> 01:05:44.480 to find out you know, you know, well I weren't 1296 01:05:44.480 --> 01:05:46.599 you there for my last match, but you know, but 1297 01:05:46.599 --> 01:05:49.960 but it was interesting to me, you know, considering that, 1298 01:05:50.679 --> 01:05:52.840 and it was ironic to me that this is the truth, 1299 01:05:53.320 --> 01:05:55.079 this is a shoot. I didn't know. I didn't know 1300 01:05:55.079 --> 01:05:57.000 about all that stuff. But Jeff, it was very much. 1301 01:05:57.159 --> 01:06:02.280 That was very last minute. You know, I had already 1302 01:06:02.320 --> 01:06:05.280 sort of you know, shook you know, shook his hands, 1303 01:06:05.320 --> 01:06:08.320 you know, and said, yep, you know, whatever you need 1304 01:06:08.320 --> 01:06:09.599 me for, Like I'm there, you know what I mean, 1305 01:06:09.639 --> 01:06:13.639 I'm in as far as Global is concerned. So it 1306 01:06:13.719 --> 01:06:16.119 was just very interesting. It was very It was sort 1307 01:06:16.119 --> 01:06:18.320 of telling to me that, you know, I went out 1308 01:06:18.360 --> 01:06:20.320 there and even though it was my last day, and 1309 01:06:20.360 --> 01:06:22.760 I'll say this like, oh, Hevna was the ref you know, 1310 01:06:22.880 --> 01:06:25.280 for for our match, which which was great lovel You know, 1311 01:06:25.599 --> 01:06:27.920 he actually lives like five minutes away from me now 1312 01:06:28.000 --> 01:06:30.199 and I go to his house and get eggs because 1313 01:06:30.199 --> 01:06:31.440 he has a chicken. So you're going to get free 1314 01:06:31.440 --> 01:06:33.280 eggs from him. So I love him for that. And 1315 01:06:33.760 --> 01:06:38.400 he sent me and said, he goes, you're gonna like 1316 01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:41.039 you're are You're going to dive off the Are you 1317 01:06:41.079 --> 01:06:42.880 going to dive off like go off the top, like 1318 01:06:43.239 --> 01:06:45.639 to the floor through a table And I go yeah. 1319 01:06:46.360 --> 01:06:48.880 And he's like, why are you doing that? Don't do that. 1320 01:06:48.920 --> 01:06:50.760 It's your last you know, it's your last day. Like 1321 01:06:51.079 --> 01:06:52.840 I'll get her on your last day. I said, no, oh, 1322 01:06:52.840 --> 01:06:55.719 I'm doing it because it's my last day, you know 1323 01:06:55.760 --> 01:06:59.719 what I mean, Like because it's it's like if I 1324 01:06:59.760 --> 01:07:03.159 can't go out here and like you know, put myself 1325 01:07:03.159 --> 01:07:05.000 through all of that or you know, through all of 1326 01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:07.400 that punishment, you know, for the sake of entertaining the 1327 01:07:07.400 --> 01:07:09.840 audience and telling them a story that you know that 1328 01:07:09.920 --> 01:07:15.280 hopefully they won't forget, you know, and giving them what 1329 01:07:15.440 --> 01:07:17.400 I thought was you know, was a serious you know, 1330 01:07:17.400 --> 01:07:20.000 it was a few real memorable moments and you know, 1331 01:07:20.280 --> 01:07:22.320 a story that I'm very proud of. So if I 1332 01:07:22.360 --> 01:07:24.840 can't do that on my last night, you know, after 1333 01:07:25.119 --> 01:07:28.440 six years of like earning their trust, then like I 1334 01:07:28.440 --> 01:07:30.440 should you know, I don't deserve it, you know what 1335 01:07:30.480 --> 01:07:32.719 I mean? And that was. I believed that, and I 1336 01:07:33.360 --> 01:07:35.239 but I also looked at it as a way to say, 1337 01:07:35.360 --> 01:07:37.719 don't mourn, don't mourn me, you know what I mean, 1338 01:07:37.760 --> 01:07:40.480 Like this is I'm really on, Like I'm like I'm 1339 01:07:40.519 --> 01:07:43.039 moving forwards, you know. And I and it was like 1340 01:07:43.280 --> 01:07:45.400 almost like for me, I said, like, this is a 1341 01:07:45.400 --> 01:07:47.800 at the end of the day, every time you're on television, 1342 01:07:48.199 --> 01:07:51.199 whether it's for fifteen seconds or fifteen minutes, that's a 1343 01:07:51.320 --> 01:07:55.639 that's an that's a commercial for your services. And I said, 1344 01:07:56.119 --> 01:07:58.159 this is a you know, this is my way of 1345 01:07:58.159 --> 01:08:02.039 showing everybody like if you know, if I'm being paid right, 1346 01:08:02.079 --> 01:08:04.760 which I was, you know, I will, I will give 1347 01:08:04.800 --> 01:08:07.440 you everything, you know what I mean, And I would 1348 01:08:07.480 --> 01:08:09.199 be happy to do it, and I'll you know, and 1349 01:08:09.280 --> 01:08:12.599 we you know, did you know obviously it was a 1350 01:08:12.639 --> 01:08:14.480 pay per view and the time restrictions and stuff. I 1351 01:08:14.519 --> 01:08:16.800 wish that had been able to take a bit more 1352 01:08:16.800 --> 01:08:19.079 time at the end there of the afterbook, because you 1353 01:08:19.079 --> 01:08:21.439 know what, like you saw little glimpses of it, you know, 1354 01:08:21.560 --> 01:08:25.000 the emotion there, but like people you know that there 1355 01:08:25.000 --> 01:08:27.520 were tears when people were crying in the audience, you know, 1356 01:08:27.640 --> 01:08:29.439 because they knew like there was you know, there are 1357 01:08:29.479 --> 01:08:32.920 people there with her every day, every single time, you know, 1358 01:08:33.000 --> 01:08:34.399 and they and they knew it, and it meant a 1359 01:08:34.399 --> 01:08:35.800 lot to those people, it meant a lot to me. 1360 01:08:42.359 --> 01:08:45.399 Longing for some nostalgia, or maybe you want to learn 1361 01:08:45.479 --> 01:08:49.359 some wrestling history, don't miss the Nineties Past cast every 1362 01:08:49.359 --> 01:08:52.720 Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast feed. Alex and 1363 01:08:52.760 --> 01:08:56.039 Patrick will transport you thirty years into the past by 1364 01:08:56.159 --> 01:08:58.840 taking you through the Torch issue from that very weak 1365 01:08:59.439 --> 01:09:02.560 follow news from the WWF and WCW and all the 1366 01:09:02.600 --> 01:09:05.800 happenings from across the wrestling industry in real time as 1367 01:09:05.840 --> 01:09:09.239 The Torch reported it thirty years ago. That's the Nineties 1368 01:09:09.319 --> 01:09:23.039 Pass cast every Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast feeds. 1369 01:09:23.119 --> 01:09:26.039 As you've been talking, this email just came in. William 1370 01:09:26.600 --> 01:09:29.079 Darren Pohle says, how does Dixie have a heart of 1371 01:09:29.159 --> 01:09:32.399 gold but still allow production workers to go unpaid and 1372 01:09:32.439 --> 01:09:33.000 talent to. 1373 01:09:32.960 --> 01:09:35.800 Be paid late. I've heard this a lot. 1374 01:09:35.920 --> 01:09:40.760 I understand the question, but I don't necessarily think the 1375 01:09:40.760 --> 01:09:43.600 two things are as contradictory, even though on the surface 1376 01:09:43.600 --> 01:09:46.279 it does seem contradictory. But I'm curious what you have 1377 01:09:46.319 --> 01:09:48.000 to say to that in terms of the way TNA 1378 01:09:48.039 --> 01:09:52.159 operates with those late checks. 1379 01:09:50.760 --> 01:09:52.479 All I can say is I can only speak for 1380 01:09:52.520 --> 01:09:57.239 my own experience and say that, well, yes, I did 1381 01:09:57.279 --> 01:10:01.520 guess few that were that were late. It certainly wasn't 1382 01:10:01.560 --> 01:10:04.600 more than like a half a dozen, and with the 1383 01:10:04.640 --> 01:10:07.439 exception of maybe one or two, they were always very 1384 01:10:07.520 --> 01:10:11.840 upfront about it. I can also say, however, that you know, 1385 01:10:13.720 --> 01:10:15.520 and I'm not saying I'm not telling this story to 1386 01:10:15.560 --> 01:10:17.520 try and make myself look like some kind of master 1387 01:10:17.640 --> 01:10:21.159 or anything like that, but I will I did you know, 1388 01:10:21.399 --> 01:10:24.000 And this again just a sort of shows that I'm 1389 01:10:24.199 --> 01:10:25.960 you know that I was. I did my best to 1390 01:10:25.960 --> 01:10:32.600 be a company guy. I had a conversation a while back. 1391 01:10:34.039 --> 01:10:36.840 It was right after I won the title, actually, because 1392 01:10:36.880 --> 01:10:38.800 I took that seriously as to be like a you 1393 01:10:38.840 --> 01:10:42.840 know a little bit of a of a leader. I 1394 01:10:43.159 --> 01:10:44.840 you know, had heard about some of the sort of 1395 01:10:44.840 --> 01:10:47.560 financial issues maybe in some of the guys having late 1396 01:10:47.640 --> 01:10:50.680 checks and stuff. So I called uh the office and 1397 01:10:50.680 --> 01:10:54.319 called Dean the CFO, and said, hey, look, I don't 1398 01:10:54.399 --> 01:10:57.119 you know, I don't need to know any in and outs. 1399 01:10:57.159 --> 01:10:59.399 I'm just saying to you, if there's ever a if 1400 01:10:59.399 --> 01:11:01.000 there's ever a where there's a bit of a cash 1401 01:11:01.039 --> 01:11:05.239 flow issue and you need to hold guys checks. You know, 1402 01:11:06.560 --> 01:11:09.039 please put mine at the bottom of the pile, you 1403 01:11:09.039 --> 01:11:11.359 know what I mean, Like you pay every you know, 1404 01:11:11.520 --> 01:11:14.439 pay like pay the guys who like pay the guys 1405 01:11:14.520 --> 01:11:18.680 like Spud and stuff who are on like starving artists contracts, 1406 01:11:18.720 --> 01:11:21.359 you know who like really need you know, who need 1407 01:11:21.359 --> 01:11:23.079 that check, you know what I mean? Because that was 1408 01:11:23.119 --> 01:11:25.399 that was that was after I had a conversation with 1409 01:11:25.560 --> 01:11:28.039 Spud and he was just kind of like, you know, 1410 01:11:28.119 --> 01:11:31.039 he was concerned because it was you know, because he 1411 01:11:31.119 --> 01:11:33.600 was sort of paid per show and stuff. I made 1412 01:11:33.600 --> 01:11:36.239 a point to say to them, make sure you have 1413 01:11:36.399 --> 01:11:38.680 like take care of all those guys first and like 1414 01:11:38.880 --> 01:11:42.079 and all I ask is that you just call me 1415 01:11:42.119 --> 01:11:45.760 and let me know, because I, like, I can go 1416 01:11:45.840 --> 01:11:47.600 a few weeks, you know what I mean, Like I 1417 01:11:47.760 --> 01:11:50.159 don't I don't live outside my means or anything like that. 1418 01:11:50.239 --> 01:11:51.800 So it was like, I can you know, I can 1419 01:11:51.800 --> 01:11:53.960 deal with it, It's no big deal, but just just 1420 01:11:54.039 --> 01:11:57.319 be upfront with me. And to their credit, they always were, 1421 01:11:57.479 --> 01:11:59.600 you know, there was a few instances where they said, hey, 1422 01:12:00.640 --> 01:12:02.520 check's going to be you know, check's going to be 1423 01:12:02.520 --> 01:12:04.720 a week late, you know, really sorry, you know, and 1424 01:12:04.720 --> 01:12:07.439 I'd be like, yeah, sure, you know, so so like 1425 01:12:07.560 --> 01:12:10.520 I can't. I can only speak to me like and 1426 01:12:10.600 --> 01:12:14.279 so you know, I do. I do know. As an issue, 1427 01:12:14.319 --> 01:12:16.479 I've heard some of this stuff about the production guys 1428 01:12:16.479 --> 01:12:19.840 and all that, but I don't know too much about that, 1429 01:12:19.960 --> 01:12:24.479 like in depth, and honestly, like, you know, I don't 1430 01:12:24.520 --> 01:12:26.840 really I'm not sure I really want to engage in 1431 01:12:26.880 --> 01:12:29.880 too much conversation about all that, because it's like, you know, 1432 01:12:29.920 --> 01:12:32.119 at the end of the day, they don't have to 1433 01:12:32.119 --> 01:12:35.960 show up like that. That's I know, that sounds like 1434 01:12:35.960 --> 01:12:37.760 a bit of a sort of roofless like wrestling coromot, 1435 01:12:37.760 --> 01:12:39.920 I think to say. But it's like, you know, if 1436 01:12:39.920 --> 01:12:42.319 you're not getting paid and you know you're that upset 1437 01:12:42.319 --> 01:12:43.640 about it, then don't show up. 1438 01:12:44.520 --> 01:12:44.680 You know. 1439 01:12:46.840 --> 01:12:48.880 In the of course of conversation, we talked about a 1440 01:12:48.880 --> 01:12:51.439 lot of the kind of resets. Again, I have sticked 1441 01:12:51.479 --> 01:12:52.760 a card a couple of years ago on the show 1442 01:12:52.880 --> 01:12:55.800 on our first appearance. If somebody's wearing a TNA T 1443 01:12:55.920 --> 01:12:59.000 shirt and a WWE fan bumps into them and says, 1444 01:12:59.039 --> 01:13:01.840 what's that, Oh, that's TNA and they go, well, why 1445 01:13:01.920 --> 01:13:05.039 are you a TNA fan? Why don't you? Are you 1446 01:13:05.079 --> 01:13:07.439 not a w W fan? What makes you a TNA fan? 1447 01:13:07.439 --> 01:13:10.319 Because w W is my favorite? What do you want 1448 01:13:10.359 --> 01:13:16.439 that T and A fan's answer to be? And yeah, no, no, 1449 01:13:16.479 --> 01:13:17.279 what we're gonna say it? 1450 01:13:18.079 --> 01:13:21.560 Yeah, Well I could have answered that question maybe two 1451 01:13:21.680 --> 01:13:23.720 or three years ago. I can't ask that question now, 1452 01:13:24.560 --> 01:13:26.800 and that that swer and that and that in a 1453 01:13:26.800 --> 01:13:29.560 way does answer your question, if that makes sense, because 1454 01:13:30.680 --> 01:13:35.800 to me, I feel like the brand lost its identity 1455 01:13:36.960 --> 01:13:40.199 it used to be and some of that is to 1456 01:13:40.239 --> 01:13:42.920 do where it used to be. Where to me, I 1457 01:13:42.920 --> 01:13:45.119 would have said, T and A is where you go. 1458 01:13:45.159 --> 01:13:49.279 If you want to see innovative interringaction, you want to 1459 01:13:49.319 --> 01:13:52.880 see a range of performers, you know, big, small, you know, 1460 01:13:52.920 --> 01:13:58.039 you want to see like uh and you know, an alternative, 1461 01:13:58.119 --> 01:14:02.800 like a real alternative, like a good combination of like 1462 01:14:02.960 --> 01:14:06.960 established name guys and up and coming guys and guys 1463 01:14:07.000 --> 01:14:09.960 who were considered within the genre to be very good, 1464 01:14:10.119 --> 01:14:12.319 you know, who had hadn't necessarily had a national stage 1465 01:14:12.399 --> 01:14:14.960 up to that point, meaning like you know, I'm going 1466 01:14:15.000 --> 01:14:17.720 back years now talking about like the early days of 1467 01:14:17.760 --> 01:14:20.720 like Joe and AJ and jay Lee's or and guys 1468 01:14:20.720 --> 01:14:25.079 like that. But you know, now I can't add to 1469 01:14:25.119 --> 01:14:28.039 that question because you know, at the end of the day, 1470 01:14:30.079 --> 01:14:33.399 there's a lot of guys being very heavily promoted into 1471 01:14:33.399 --> 01:14:37.039 you and a who were you know, who were part 1472 01:14:37.079 --> 01:14:39.439 of the w w E system, some who didn't even 1473 01:14:39.520 --> 01:14:43.560 make the main roster. So it's like whether or not 1474 01:14:43.720 --> 01:14:46.000 they were guys who deserved to or not. The fact 1475 01:14:46.119 --> 01:14:48.680 is that, you know, it's still that message, it's still 1476 01:14:48.720 --> 01:14:53.079 that brand, you know, brand awareness issue, and we all 1477 01:14:53.159 --> 01:14:56.720 make those choices when we sign a contract, for example, 1478 01:14:56.840 --> 01:14:59.000 you know the thing that you've heard it, everyone's heard it. 1479 01:14:59.039 --> 01:15:01.920 There's always that thing of oh, you know, it's you 1480 01:15:01.960 --> 01:15:05.479 don't like TNA guys, you know, the TNA stigma and 1481 01:15:05.520 --> 01:15:08.920 everything like that. Like if there is, you know, that's 1482 01:15:09.000 --> 01:15:11.199 up to them, that's their prerogative. Like I have to 1483 01:15:11.239 --> 01:15:13.600 live with that because I made a choice to sign 1484 01:15:13.680 --> 01:15:16.399 with TNA back at twenty one years old, you know 1485 01:15:16.439 --> 01:15:19.600 what I mean. I wasn't good enough for ww back 1486 01:15:19.600 --> 01:15:21.520 then anyway, so it wasn't a big deal. But it's like, 1487 01:15:21.560 --> 01:15:23.760 but the fact is that you know I made that choice. 1488 01:15:23.920 --> 01:15:25.279 You know, you know, you make your bed, you gotta 1489 01:15:25.279 --> 01:15:29.279 lie in it, and it's and that's the same with 1490 01:15:29.279 --> 01:15:30.920 with a you know, with a guy who sort of 1491 01:15:31.399 --> 01:15:33.720 i'll say this, I did, used to get really pissed off. 1492 01:15:34.039 --> 01:15:36.279 There were there were a number of guys who showed 1493 01:15:36.359 --> 01:15:40.039 up at TNA after being let go from the WWE 1494 01:15:40.720 --> 01:15:44.359 developmental System. There were some guys like Bram who came 1495 01:15:44.399 --> 01:15:46.920 in with awesome attitude and I spoke and I knew 1496 01:15:46.920 --> 01:15:49.199 that anyway, because he legitimately is my best friend. I 1497 01:15:49.279 --> 01:15:53.159 legitimately said, if you can't miss with this guy, like 1498 01:15:53.239 --> 01:15:56.199 he's gonna you know, he's brilliant, right and he's you know, 1499 01:15:57.039 --> 01:15:59.520 and I think that that's been proven. I think that, 1500 01:15:59.560 --> 01:16:02.439 you know, as a limit for him. But there were 1501 01:16:02.479 --> 01:16:07.840 some guys who showed up having been let go by 1502 01:16:07.880 --> 01:16:12.600 the ww developmental system and just acted like they were 1503 01:16:12.680 --> 01:16:16.039 doing us all this huge favor, you know what I mean, 1504 01:16:16.279 --> 01:16:18.479 and like really rubbed some of us the wrong way. 1505 01:16:18.840 --> 01:16:20.920 Like yeah, and I've never been one of those guys 1506 01:16:20.960 --> 01:16:24.199 who's big on like the locker room respect and all 1507 01:16:24.199 --> 01:16:25.800 that stuff, Like I don't care about all that stuff 1508 01:16:25.800 --> 01:16:28.279 too much, but I do believe in respect, you know 1509 01:16:28.279 --> 01:16:30.359 what I mean? And I would see there some guys 1510 01:16:30.359 --> 01:16:34.960 that showed up and fairly recently who I didn't even 1511 01:16:35.000 --> 01:16:38.800 know they've been in WW developmental you know, like like 1512 01:16:39.239 --> 01:16:42.720 that's that's that's you know, and I watched everything. I 1513 01:16:42.760 --> 01:16:45.920 didn't even know they had been there, and they're strutting 1514 01:16:46.000 --> 01:16:48.680 around like they've you know, like they're doing everyone this 1515 01:16:48.920 --> 01:16:51.119 huge favor and that you know, like they're going to 1516 01:16:51.119 --> 01:16:53.079 be the answer to all our present that like, oh 1517 01:16:53.119 --> 01:16:56.079 everyone should know who I am. Like, to me, that 1518 01:16:56.199 --> 01:17:00.000 was unacceptable, you know, and I would and there weren't 1519 01:17:00.000 --> 01:17:02.399 times where I would speak up about it and be like, 1520 01:17:03.399 --> 01:17:07.439 you know what, like you need to be a bit 1521 01:17:07.439 --> 01:17:12.800 more grateful, you know, and and like but unfortunately that 1522 01:17:13.560 --> 01:17:16.840 I believe has sort of become a little bit of 1523 01:17:16.840 --> 01:17:22.319 the status quo now is. But like, hey, we'll you know, 1524 01:17:23.199 --> 01:17:25.920 well we'll just wait for we'll let w W train 1525 01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:28.960 these guys and then any of the runoffs will grab 1526 01:17:29.000 --> 01:17:32.720 their TV ready, you know, Like, and that to me 1527 01:17:32.840 --> 01:17:36.920 is not a viable that's not a viable where to compete, 1528 01:17:37.239 --> 01:17:43.079 you know, and especially especially when there is so so 1529 01:17:43.319 --> 01:17:47.079 much great talent like of like all over the world, 1530 01:17:47.199 --> 01:17:49.239 like killing it on the indies now more than ever. 1531 01:17:49.319 --> 01:17:51.880 And it's like it's almost like some of these independent 1532 01:17:51.920 --> 01:17:53.760 promotions are so good now, it's like it's almost like 1533 01:17:54.079 --> 01:17:57.760 a disservice to call them indis, you know, And and 1534 01:17:57.840 --> 01:18:01.640 like when when it's more exciting to me to think 1535 01:18:02.119 --> 01:18:05.159 and I can go and do whatever shows I want, 1536 01:18:05.640 --> 01:18:08.000 Like I just you know, me and Mickey just agreed 1537 01:18:08.039 --> 01:18:09.920 to go and do a show for ICW. I'm so 1538 01:18:10.000 --> 01:18:13.359 pumped about doing that. Like those guys are those guys 1539 01:18:13.399 --> 01:18:17.119 are just doing like such amazing stuff up in Scotland, 1540 01:18:17.359 --> 01:18:18.800 you know what I mean. We're doing a show for 1541 01:18:18.920 --> 01:18:23.079 PCW in in Blackpool in August and England what without 1542 01:18:23.079 --> 01:18:25.399 a question, one of the best English promotions there is 1543 01:18:26.039 --> 01:18:27.920 when it talks about the UK. There are so many 1544 01:18:27.960 --> 01:18:32.439 great promotions right now where pro South side PCW. You know, 1545 01:18:32.600 --> 01:18:38.199 progress Like it's like, you know, when you're more excited 1546 01:18:38.199 --> 01:18:40.119 about that because you know about who you might get 1547 01:18:40.159 --> 01:18:43.079 to work with and stuff, because I'm looking at who 1548 01:18:43.159 --> 01:18:46.439 I've got to work with, you know, when I go 1549 01:18:46.520 --> 01:18:53.039 to work and I'm going like hmm, well, you know, obviously, 1550 01:18:53.359 --> 01:18:55.479 if I get to work with Bobby Rude, I'm going 1551 01:18:55.520 --> 01:18:56.920 to be the happiest guy in the world, because he's 1552 01:18:56.920 --> 01:18:59.640 the best in the business. But you know, if I 1553 01:18:59.680 --> 01:19:02.760 have to with this guy, you know, like like the 1554 01:19:02.840 --> 01:19:04.840 latest guy who's just been brought in, who's you know, 1555 01:19:05.119 --> 01:19:07.920 especially when he's not even grateful, you know, and not 1556 01:19:08.119 --> 01:19:11.279 giving me the respect like based on you know, what 1557 01:19:11.319 --> 01:19:15.159 I've done to this company, like and the sort of 1558 01:19:15.880 --> 01:19:19.000 the trust and the you know, the sort of a 1559 01:19:19.000 --> 01:19:21.720 claim that I fill up with the audience. Not having 1560 01:19:21.760 --> 01:19:25.640 that great marketing machine behind me, Like, that's not that's 1561 01:19:25.680 --> 01:19:28.399 not something I'm looking forward to that much. Yeah, that's 1562 01:19:28.439 --> 01:19:30.560 just that was that was a big part of my decision. 1563 01:19:32.359 --> 01:19:34.199 We're about to go to a commercial break. Why lessen 1564 01:19:34.279 --> 01:19:37.159 commercial breaks when you can go vi ip and experience 1565 01:19:37.199 --> 01:19:39.680 our shows with the ads and plugs removed. Pw torch 1566 01:19:39.720 --> 01:19:43.319 dot com slash go v ip that's pw torch dot 1567 01:19:43.319 --> 01:19:46.159 com slash go vip for full details, or go to 1568 01:19:46.199 --> 01:19:50.079 Patreon Patreon dot com slash pw Torch. VIP rate start 1569 01:19:50.119 --> 01:19:52.279 as low as four dollars in ninety nine cents to 1570 01:19:52.279 --> 01:19:55.239 remove the ads and plugs through Patreon. Full VIP membership 1571 01:19:55.239 --> 01:19:57.520 starts at nine dollars in ninety nine cents to treat 1572 01:19:57.600 --> 01:20:00.800 yourself to a streamlined ad and plug free list experience 1573 01:20:01.119 --> 01:20:06.159 with a VIP or Patreon membership. I was very much 1574 01:20:06.159 --> 01:20:10.239 in favor of your getting a big push once you 1575 01:20:10.239 --> 01:20:12.159 weren't twenty one in green anymore, you know. I mean, 1576 01:20:12.279 --> 01:20:13.479 I thought that you had a lot going for you. 1577 01:20:13.520 --> 01:20:17.560 I think I think that this last hour plus is 1578 01:20:18.520 --> 01:20:20.800 evidence that I would enter into that in terms of 1579 01:20:21.359 --> 01:20:26.600 a thoughtful, intelligent viewpoint on the business and that right 1580 01:20:26.680 --> 01:20:30.640 balance of caring about the company, but not caring about 1581 01:20:30.680 --> 01:20:32.520 the politics, not wanting to get wrapped up in that, 1582 01:20:32.640 --> 01:20:34.680 not being into the gossip machine and that kind of thing, 1583 01:20:34.680 --> 01:20:37.079 but keeping your ears open enough to know what's going 1584 01:20:37.119 --> 01:20:39.239 on in the company. And I think that's all important. However, 1585 01:20:39.520 --> 01:20:41.520 my question is take you out of the equation as 1586 01:20:41.640 --> 01:20:45.760 best you can. I'm curious if there's two or three 1587 01:20:45.840 --> 01:20:49.279 or four guys during your years in TNA where you 1588 01:20:49.359 --> 01:20:54.000 think TNA would have been successful going all in with 1589 01:20:54.159 --> 01:20:57.239 them because program I mean, look at USC, I mean 1590 01:20:58.000 --> 01:21:02.239 last Saturday night star driven pay per view. McGregor's going 1591 01:21:02.279 --> 01:21:05.039 to shatter some pay per view numbers. Probably he's gonna 1592 01:21:05.039 --> 01:21:06.960 be in the very top top five list of pay 1593 01:21:06.960 --> 01:21:10.359 per view drafts for that company. Personality combined with skill 1594 01:21:10.399 --> 01:21:14.720 and credibility. Ron A Rousey, same thing, Chuck Lidell, I mean, 1595 01:21:14.760 --> 01:21:17.000 go in UC history is same thing the NBA. I mean, 1596 01:21:17.319 --> 01:21:20.399 people don't tune in to see the Cleveland Cavaliers. They 1597 01:21:20.399 --> 01:21:23.159 tune in to see Lebron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. 1598 01:21:23.199 --> 01:21:25.840 So my question is, and I've made I've been an 1599 01:21:25.880 --> 01:21:28.439 advocate for TNA, whether they made the right decision or 1600 01:21:28.479 --> 01:21:32.159 not go with someone go all in defind the company 1601 01:21:32.279 --> 01:21:35.199 as when you tune into TNA, it's your privilege to 1602 01:21:35.199 --> 01:21:38.920 watch this guy who's the best in the business be featured. 1603 01:21:39.079 --> 01:21:40.880 So with that as the setup for. 1604 01:21:40.840 --> 01:21:43.640 My listeners, my question to you is are there one, 1605 01:21:43.680 --> 01:21:46.000 two or three guys that you would have given your 1606 01:21:46.079 --> 01:21:48.359 vote for if you were out of the equation at 1607 01:21:48.399 --> 01:21:50.399 that moment in time during your span in TNA. 1608 01:21:51.560 --> 01:21:54.600 Back in the day beer Money. First of all, they 1609 01:21:54.640 --> 01:21:58.239 were a heart attack that he and A created. Like 1610 01:21:59.479 --> 01:22:01.039 the only thing I would say about that is that 1611 01:22:01.079 --> 01:22:03.119 obviously there was always going to be a point for 1612 01:22:03.239 --> 01:22:04.720 those two guys where they were going to have that 1613 01:22:04.800 --> 01:22:07.760 desire to be single stars, and they both deserved it, 1614 01:22:07.800 --> 01:22:11.239 you know what I mean. Yeah, But like to me, 1615 01:22:12.359 --> 01:22:14.880 I got there, and I you know, I showed up 1616 01:22:14.880 --> 01:22:17.119 in TNA in two thousand and nine, the very beginning 1617 01:22:17.159 --> 01:22:20.119 two thousand and nine. Ker Angle was there, Mick Foley 1618 01:22:20.199 --> 01:22:22.079 was there, Kevin Nash was there, book If he was there, 1619 01:22:22.119 --> 01:22:23.159 Scott Steiner was there. 1620 01:22:23.520 --> 01:22:24.359 The thing was there. 1621 01:22:24.760 --> 01:22:28.880 However, Beer Money were the guys who every time they 1622 01:22:28.880 --> 01:22:32.039 went out. I was going like, Wow, these guys are over, 1623 01:22:32.319 --> 01:22:34.079 you know what I mean. And I was get to 1624 01:22:34.079 --> 01:22:37.119 work with them, and I was going like, and you know, 1625 01:22:37.840 --> 01:22:40.760 when you work with the with the most overact and 1626 01:22:41.039 --> 01:22:43.840 it makes you that much better. So then I would go, 1627 01:22:44.439 --> 01:22:46.159 now I'm starting to get this. And that was how 1628 01:22:46.159 --> 01:22:48.239 I got such a crash course honestly, you know, with 1629 01:22:48.359 --> 01:22:52.239 such early on, because I was like, this makes me 1630 01:22:52.359 --> 01:22:55.119 better because now I have the responsibility of going, these 1631 01:22:55.119 --> 01:22:56.600 are the most over guys on the show, so I 1632 01:22:56.720 --> 01:22:59.600 have to buy proxy, you know, do everything I can 1633 01:22:59.640 --> 01:23:02.439 to have them. Was heat, you know, as part of 1634 01:23:02.479 --> 01:23:06.680 the British invasion to to you know, to make this 1635 01:23:07.039 --> 01:23:08.920 you know, to obviously to get the most out of 1636 01:23:08.920 --> 01:23:11.439 this act. You know, So that would be one AJ 1637 01:23:11.560 --> 01:23:15.840 obviously it is you know, is another you know I 1638 01:23:15.880 --> 01:23:20.039 think that with AJ, it was like, you know, it 1639 01:23:20.119 --> 01:23:22.119 was there were times where the where where it was 1640 01:23:22.159 --> 01:23:24.279 the case, you know, and then and then it would 1641 01:23:24.279 --> 01:23:27.439 sort of like that identity crisis thing would come in 1642 01:23:27.479 --> 01:23:29.800 again where it would be like then it would be 1643 01:23:29.840 --> 01:23:31.840 you know, then they would sort of then it would 1644 01:23:31.840 --> 01:23:35.039 spread it again between like you know, established same guys 1645 01:23:35.039 --> 01:23:40.600 and stuff. Joe would be obviously another. I just think 1646 01:23:40.640 --> 01:23:44.880 for me, the thing that was WW doing it really 1647 01:23:44.880 --> 01:23:47.520 well now, which but they were, you know, perhaps they 1648 01:23:47.520 --> 01:23:50.159 weren't necessarily doing it as well. At the time when 1649 01:23:50.199 --> 01:23:52.560 I was observing a lot of this was a you know, 1650 01:23:52.800 --> 01:23:57.079 C and A had this great opportunity with having having 1651 01:23:57.119 --> 01:23:59.399 like a handful of like four or five really really 1652 01:23:59.520 --> 01:24:03.600 talented rustlers who were really based around the match that 1653 01:24:03.680 --> 01:24:06.920 it was like you had these rivalries that were just 1654 01:24:06.920 --> 01:24:10.119 sort of sitting on deck, you know. So it was 1655 01:24:10.159 --> 01:24:14.119 like Joe and Kah, you know, was a great rivalry, 1656 01:24:14.239 --> 01:24:15.359 but we could have got you know, they could have 1657 01:24:15.359 --> 01:24:17.840 got so much more mileage out of it. And then 1658 01:24:17.960 --> 01:24:19.319 and then and there were a number of ones like 1659 01:24:19.359 --> 01:24:21.399 that where to me it was like, you know, I 1660 01:24:21.399 --> 01:24:22.960 stopped back and I looked at it, and I thought, 1661 01:24:23.079 --> 01:24:26.319 you know, I realized, like i'd met all like all 1662 01:24:26.359 --> 01:24:29.640 those years I was there, Like my first real significant 1663 01:24:29.680 --> 01:24:33.960 like series of matches with someone was with Joe after 1664 01:24:34.000 --> 01:24:36.199 we've been attack teams, you know what I mean, Like 1665 01:24:36.960 --> 01:24:39.359 they just didn't they just never married anyone. It was 1666 01:24:39.399 --> 01:24:43.199 always just like it was always just kind of everyone 1667 01:24:43.239 --> 01:24:46.399 was interchangeab apart from the main event storyline, and you know, 1668 01:24:48.039 --> 01:24:50.600 I you know, I think that it's about to answer 1669 01:24:50.640 --> 01:24:54.039 your question about like who who I would have sort 1670 01:24:54.039 --> 01:24:57.760 of built the you know, built the franchise around. I 1671 01:24:57.760 --> 01:25:02.119 guess it would have been certainly Bobby Rude goes in there, 1672 01:25:02.319 --> 01:25:04.239 you know, whether it's part of beer money or as 1673 01:25:04.239 --> 01:25:08.880 an individual. I'm trying to think now, you know, as 1674 01:25:09.439 --> 01:25:14.159 some other guys who I think maybe you know, didn't 1675 01:25:15.119 --> 01:25:17.960 sort of. I don't know, Like it's a difficult question 1676 01:25:17.960 --> 01:25:21.199 because there's there's so many talent that came through, and 1677 01:25:21.239 --> 01:25:23.800 it's sometimes it's like you forget some of them even 1678 01:25:23.840 --> 01:25:27.000 but I think that, you know, I think there were 1679 01:25:27.039 --> 01:25:34.159 times where where it was it was you could have 1680 01:25:34.239 --> 01:25:36.479 very like for example, I'll use me as an example, 1681 01:25:36.520 --> 01:25:38.039 even though you asked me not to, but like when 1682 01:25:38.079 --> 01:25:41.439 I had the title, for example, you know, I was 1683 01:25:41.560 --> 01:25:43.760 I was for the most part of that front. I 1684 01:25:43.800 --> 01:25:47.079 was working with Joe and we were absolutely carrying the 1685 01:25:48.439 --> 01:25:50.960 you know, we we we were doing. It was absolutely 1686 01:25:51.079 --> 01:25:54.000 enough for the live events, you know what I mean? Yeah, 1687 01:25:54.199 --> 01:25:58.600 But for whatever reason, whether it be politics or or 1688 01:25:59.800 --> 01:26:01.880 just you know, or a decision or a lack of 1689 01:26:01.880 --> 01:26:05.520 faith or whatever it was, they always there was, you know, 1690 01:26:05.560 --> 01:26:06.920 every every now and then I would show up and 1691 01:26:06.920 --> 01:26:11.199 it would be tables match with like mister Anderson and 1692 01:26:11.439 --> 01:26:15.760 Bully Ray you know, oh, we can't decide whether to 1693 01:26:15.800 --> 01:26:17.560 put that on last for you and Joe on last. 1694 01:26:17.680 --> 01:26:21.640 And I was like, I'd be like, what you can decide? 1695 01:26:21.760 --> 01:26:25.359 What you mean is someone's someone else is trying to 1696 01:26:25.399 --> 01:26:26.840 tell you know what I mean, someone else is trying 1697 01:26:26.840 --> 01:26:29.359 to tell you like that, you know. And and to me, 1698 01:26:29.399 --> 01:26:31.079 I never got involved in any of that, said, hey, 1699 01:26:31.079 --> 01:26:35.239 do whatever you want, you know, I said, if you said, 1700 01:26:34.600 --> 01:26:37.640 you tell me that me and Joe for the World 1701 01:26:37.680 --> 01:26:42.199 titled can't like you know, isn't solid enough to go 1702 01:26:42.239 --> 01:26:45.560 on last, then then you know what might even do 1703 01:26:45.600 --> 01:26:47.479 in here. And that was where all this stuff started 1704 01:26:47.479 --> 01:26:49.760 to come out, like oh, he's you know, he's rubbing 1705 01:26:49.760 --> 01:26:51.760 people the wrong way. And I said no, I'm just 1706 01:26:51.840 --> 01:26:54.960 I'm just stating, you know, the same thing that anybody 1707 01:26:55.039 --> 01:26:58.359 should if they're put in that position, and that was 1708 01:26:58.439 --> 01:27:00.119 and that was ourselves. 1709 01:27:01.079 --> 01:27:02.359 The TNA. 1710 01:27:02.520 --> 01:27:06.520 The letters conjure up certain feelings and emotions, and you 1711 01:27:06.560 --> 01:27:08.800 acknowledged it in that Slammiversary interview. You know or like 1712 01:27:08.880 --> 01:27:10.920 for I can't remember the offers for better or for worse? 1713 01:27:11.000 --> 01:27:14.119 You know, TNA, you know, or people will say, God knows, 1714 01:27:14.119 --> 01:27:17.119 people have said a lot that kind of thing. What 1715 01:27:17.119 --> 01:27:19.159 I think a lot of people have noticed is if 1716 01:27:19.199 --> 01:27:22.760 you take somebody really cool and you drop them in TNA, 1717 01:27:23.159 --> 01:27:26.479 their cool factors somehow went down a lot of the time, 1718 01:27:26.640 --> 01:27:29.199 maybe the majority of the time. Even more so, you 1719 01:27:29.239 --> 01:27:31.800 had examples of guys as soon as they left TNA, 1720 01:27:31.960 --> 01:27:36.560 You're like they were unleashed. They had a swag or 1721 01:27:36.600 --> 01:27:40.840 to them. The Young Bucks CM Punk to maybe not 1722 01:27:40.920 --> 01:27:43.279 great example, so they were never pushed a lot in TNA, 1723 01:27:43.760 --> 01:27:47.119 but there's an X factor there that there's a certain 1724 01:27:47.159 --> 01:27:49.800 type of fan who looks at them. They did with 1725 01:27:49.880 --> 01:27:51.640 Punk and he made it to the top. And the 1726 01:27:51.720 --> 01:27:54.800 Young Bucks today are two guys who walk down the 1727 01:27:54.800 --> 01:27:58.000 street and they if you're not a wrestling fan, you 1728 01:27:58.000 --> 01:28:00.239 wouldn't think twice about them. You think, oh, a couple 1729 01:28:00.239 --> 01:28:04.000 of cocky kids, you know whatever. But there's something magical 1730 01:28:04.000 --> 01:28:06.960 about them that people who like the follow the indie 1731 01:28:06.960 --> 01:28:11.199 scene are rapidly for them. TNA seemed to not be 1732 01:28:11.239 --> 01:28:12.039 able to look. 1733 01:28:11.840 --> 01:28:12.760 At aj Styles. 1734 01:28:12.840 --> 01:28:14.840 I mean, my god, what he's done in the last 1735 01:28:14.920 --> 01:28:16.199 year and a half and the. 1736 01:28:16.079 --> 01:28:18.720 Way that he's He's a megastar in. 1737 01:28:18.760 --> 01:28:23.000 Japan, megastar, and there's this wind under his sales now 1738 01:28:23.119 --> 01:28:26.000 of confidence that I'm my own guy. And so I 1739 01:28:26.039 --> 01:28:28.439 want to tie that into something you said earlier too, 1740 01:28:28.520 --> 01:28:33.840 which is TNA management has an approach that treats the 1741 01:28:33.880 --> 01:28:38.800 wrestlers as, hey, you're here, you're getting paid, do what 1742 01:28:38.840 --> 01:28:40.399 we tell you, shut up, stay. 1743 01:28:40.239 --> 01:28:40.840 Out of our way. 1744 01:28:41.840 --> 01:28:43.840 Maybe that's too Maybe that's too blunt and too harsh. 1745 01:28:43.840 --> 01:28:46.960 I don't know, but is there something about the way 1746 01:28:47.000 --> 01:28:50.439 that TNA operates, something at the core of what TNA 1747 01:28:50.680 --> 01:28:57.039 is as an organization that does undermine that outlaws spirit 1748 01:28:57.640 --> 01:29:01.720 that I would say a few guys got across in TNA. 1749 01:29:01.800 --> 01:29:03.880 Jane Storm certainly at times, did a handful of others, 1750 01:29:03.880 --> 01:29:06.239 But for the most part, it seems like there's something 1751 01:29:06.279 --> 01:29:09.239 about the way that TNA operates is designed, the setting, 1752 01:29:09.479 --> 01:29:11.880 it all kind of comes together to undermine the seampunk 1753 01:29:12.000 --> 01:29:15.039 young buck uh what what aj styles had in him? 1754 01:29:15.039 --> 01:29:17.039 And it doesn't really get a chance to flourish and 1755 01:29:17.039 --> 01:29:20.920 and and connect with an audience in that cool quotient 1756 01:29:21.000 --> 01:29:24.680 way that TNA always comes fall short on. Is there 1757 01:29:24.720 --> 01:29:28.840 something there and is there even a solution that's fixable? 1758 01:29:30.399 --> 01:29:32.159 Yeah, there is definitely some of that, and I think 1759 01:29:32.199 --> 01:29:34.920 that what it boils down to. And it's kind of 1760 01:29:34.960 --> 01:29:37.479 again going back to I always said that when after 1761 01:29:37.560 --> 01:29:42.880 Jeff Jarrett left or was removed, you know, there was 1762 01:29:42.920 --> 01:29:45.399 a there was a lack of balance, you know, there 1763 01:29:45.439 --> 01:29:47.479 was there was that lack of balance of that straight 1764 01:29:47.560 --> 01:29:51.199 up wrestling promote the mentality of hey, I don't care 1765 01:29:51.239 --> 01:29:53.039 if he fits into a box or not. He's getting 1766 01:29:53.079 --> 01:29:59.359 over right. Yeah. But you know, but after that, without that, 1767 01:30:00.039 --> 01:30:01.960 there always seem to be this thing of like you're 1768 01:30:02.079 --> 01:30:06.920 we've you know, we've predestined you to be this position 1769 01:30:07.079 --> 01:30:11.239 for us, you know, and luckily for me, you know, 1770 01:30:11.319 --> 01:30:12.920 I was always one of those guys who, you know, 1771 01:30:12.960 --> 01:30:15.039 it's probably because I'm like six four and you know, 1772 01:30:15.840 --> 01:30:18.640 decent physique, you know, all the rest of it. I 1773 01:30:18.640 --> 01:30:22.039 am a good talker, you know, people that was like it. 1774 01:30:22.039 --> 01:30:25.359 It seemed like it was predestined to me that you 1775 01:30:25.399 --> 01:30:27.239 know that there was always a chance I could be 1776 01:30:27.279 --> 01:30:30.359 at the World Champion, right, But there were other guys 1777 01:30:30.399 --> 01:30:33.720 who it wouldn't matter if they'd if every single person 1778 01:30:33.760 --> 01:30:35.920 in the building was wearing their shirt and you know, 1779 01:30:36.119 --> 01:30:40.000 doing their stuff, that it that it, you know that 1780 01:30:40.079 --> 01:30:43.600 they they still would have been in like the six 1781 01:30:43.680 --> 01:30:46.279 minute you know, third match or something. 1782 01:30:47.039 --> 01:30:48.399 Kevin Owens or Daniel Bryant. 1783 01:30:48.439 --> 01:30:51.039 I mean, I can't imagine at most of the time 1784 01:30:51.119 --> 01:30:53.119 TNA management to people in power would have looked at 1785 01:30:53.119 --> 01:30:55.640 a Kevin Owens and and given a second thought to him. 1786 01:30:55.640 --> 01:30:59.640 Hohle Cogaan and Eric Bischoff probably wouldn't have yet ww's 1787 01:30:59.680 --> 01:30:59.920 lightning it. 1788 01:31:00.039 --> 01:31:01.640 Then he's kind of taking it. But yeah, go ahead. 1789 01:31:01.720 --> 01:31:02.960 I wanted to interject that because. 1790 01:31:02.760 --> 01:31:05.800 I am and that's pretty much it. And I think 1791 01:31:05.800 --> 01:31:07.520 some of that goes back to the identity crisis that 1792 01:31:07.560 --> 01:31:10.760 they talked about before, which is that one minute they 1793 01:31:10.760 --> 01:31:12.520 want to be one minute they want to be this, 1794 01:31:12.560 --> 01:31:14.520 and then they want to be the underdogs, like you 1795 01:31:14.560 --> 01:31:16.439 can't be you know, you can't be the underdog and 1796 01:31:16.479 --> 01:31:18.680 then also be this like where this big corporate you know, 1797 01:31:19.239 --> 01:31:20.840 like it was that that and that you know that, 1798 01:31:21.039 --> 01:31:24.159 yeah you got to you know that that and that 1799 01:31:24.399 --> 01:31:27.760 ultimately to me was like I don't. I felt like 1800 01:31:27.800 --> 01:31:29.920 I was starting to go through an identity crisis because 1801 01:31:29.960 --> 01:31:33.199 I was starting to go like what am I? You 1802 01:31:33.239 --> 01:31:36.319 know like, and I realized that it was because I 1803 01:31:36.439 --> 01:31:39.399 was and like you said, like you know, now that 1804 01:31:39.439 --> 01:31:41.720 I've left, it's like I do feel like free again, 1805 01:31:41.760 --> 01:31:44.800 but you know it's I'm still kind of I'm still 1806 01:31:44.840 --> 01:31:47.199 like working out of the of the mud a little bit, 1807 01:31:47.199 --> 01:31:48.840 if that makes sense. Like I'm still you know, like 1808 01:31:48.880 --> 01:31:51.720 I just did these first live events for the Jeff 1809 01:31:51.760 --> 01:31:53.800 and I worked like Tomaso Champer on one of them, 1810 01:31:53.800 --> 01:31:55.960 and I worked with Congo Kong on the others, and 1811 01:31:56.000 --> 01:31:58.600 it was like, you know, I have to say, like 1812 01:31:58.640 --> 01:32:00.439 I came in a little bit like with a little 1813 01:32:00.439 --> 01:32:02.920 bit of that comfort zone kind of act, you like, 1814 01:32:02.960 --> 01:32:04.439 now we'll just do this and we'll do that, you 1815 01:32:04.479 --> 01:32:07.520 know what I mean, And then like I start going, 1816 01:32:07.680 --> 01:32:10.960 you know what, like I got to start thinking, you know, 1817 01:32:11.000 --> 01:32:12.760 I got to start like putting my thinking cap on 1818 01:32:12.800 --> 01:32:15.399 a bit here again because you know, it's up to 1819 01:32:15.439 --> 01:32:19.760 me again, like the powers in my hands to sort 1820 01:32:19.800 --> 01:32:20.399 of make it work. 1821 01:32:21.000 --> 01:32:22.960 You're not as much a cog in a machine that's 1822 01:32:23.000 --> 01:32:25.760 going its direction no matter what. So you feel like, hey, 1823 01:32:25.760 --> 01:32:28.159 if I put my thinking cap on, I can make 1824 01:32:28.199 --> 01:32:30.720 a difference and I can grow and I can. Yeah, 1825 01:32:31.039 --> 01:32:32.600 it's it's not fruitless. 1826 01:32:32.760 --> 01:32:35.319 And I'm very and I'm very much in a perier 1827 01:32:35.359 --> 01:32:37.520 and we we I know, like we have to wrap up, 1828 01:32:37.560 --> 01:32:40.760 like I'm really you know, I know, like but I 1829 01:32:40.920 --> 01:32:42.399 you know, I will say this, like to sort of 1830 01:32:42.399 --> 01:32:45.000 wrap up, like I do feel like I'm you know, 1831 01:32:45.840 --> 01:32:47.600 in a period of growth now and I'm like very 1832 01:32:47.640 --> 01:32:51.279 excited about what I'm going to get to do now, 1833 01:32:51.680 --> 01:32:53.800 you know, in the in the in the next few months, 1834 01:32:53.840 --> 01:32:57.159 and I'm excited about it. And I hope that, you know, 1835 01:32:57.159 --> 01:32:59.439 I hope that anyone who's sort of invested their time 1836 01:32:59.479 --> 01:33:02.359 in me uh t and a you know, continues to 1837 01:33:02.399 --> 01:33:04.479 do that, you know, wherever, you know, where else they 1838 01:33:04.560 --> 01:33:07.000 end up because you know, because I think, you know, 1839 01:33:07.000 --> 01:33:09.439 you're going to you're going to see some you know, 1840 01:33:09.720 --> 01:33:11.119 you are going to see some growth and you're going 1841 01:33:11.159 --> 01:33:13.199 to see I mean I'm like, I'm twenty eight, Like 1842 01:33:13.239 --> 01:33:15.520 I'm I'm I have a peaked, so I don't think 1843 01:33:15.560 --> 01:33:18.199 I have you know, And I'm and I'm really I'm 1844 01:33:18.239 --> 01:33:21.680 really excited about where we go next, you know, and 1845 01:33:21.800 --> 01:33:26.399 and and what other sort of possibilities lie ahead from me. 1846 01:33:27.840 --> 01:33:28.439 Absolutely. 1847 01:33:35.279 --> 01:33:38.279 I'm Kelly Wells, host of the seven Star podcast, the 1848 01:33:38.359 --> 01:33:41.279 new ongoing Torch show covering the world of New Japan 1849 01:33:41.399 --> 01:33:44.680 pro wrestling. We'll drop new episodes as major shows and 1850 01:33:44.760 --> 01:33:49.560 noteworthy events dictate, and I'm Chris Lansdow join us as 1851 01:33:49.560 --> 01:33:52.359 we covered an ever changing landscape of New Japan as 1852 01:33:52.399 --> 01:33:53.560 they navigate an era with. 1853 01:33:53.600 --> 01:33:54.359 No lack of talent. 1854 01:33:54.720 --> 01:33:56.920 But I really need to create some new starts. 1855 01:33:57.319 --> 01:33:59.760 You can stream the new seven Stop podcasts now from 1856 01:33:59.800 --> 01:34:00.800 Pro Wrestling Talk. 1857 01:34:11.399 --> 01:34:14.520 I want to interject this. We've had callers, some have 1858 01:34:14.640 --> 01:34:16.720 dropped off. I did not want to break up the 1859 01:34:16.760 --> 01:34:19.560 flow of this conversation. I'm not going to apologize to 1860 01:34:19.560 --> 01:34:21.239 our listeners. I think this has been a good interview 1861 01:34:21.279 --> 01:34:23.560 and I didn't want to break up the flow nick 1862 01:34:23.960 --> 01:34:27.039 with people asking random questions of over place. It'd be 1863 01:34:27.039 --> 01:34:28.840 great if it works to have you on again down 1864 01:34:28.880 --> 01:34:31.000 the line, where we do open it up to callers. 1865 01:34:31.159 --> 01:34:34.039 And I tackled some of these emails too, because this 1866 01:34:34.199 --> 01:34:36.960 was a really good, I think, productive and fascinating discussion 1867 01:34:36.960 --> 01:34:38.640 on TNA from someone who's been there a long time. 1868 01:34:38.720 --> 01:34:42.079 That was care a lot. 1869 01:34:43.359 --> 01:34:46.319 Do you want to get in any plugs for anything Twitter? 1870 01:34:46.399 --> 01:34:48.279 Upcoming events, anything that you want to plug? I want 1871 01:34:48.279 --> 01:34:50.079 to have time to do that also on this. 1872 01:34:50.039 --> 01:34:56.279 Broadcast, Yes please. Tomorrow my fitness book officially goes on 1873 01:34:56.359 --> 01:35:00.000 sale at digital and pre order on It's actually available 1874 01:35:00.039 --> 01:35:03.720 now for pre order like Amazon, Barnes and Noble all 1875 01:35:03.880 --> 01:35:06.399 all that good stuff, but it officially goes on sales 1876 01:35:06.479 --> 01:35:09.399 for downloads like Kindle, Nook, all the e readers and 1877 01:35:09.439 --> 01:35:13.079 all that stuff tomorrow. It's called The Superstar Body. It's 1878 01:35:13.119 --> 01:35:15.199 not a bodybuilding book. It's not just like a you know, 1879 01:35:15.920 --> 01:35:19.600 meatheads to Zo book. It's a very real world, practical 1880 01:35:19.640 --> 01:35:22.720 approach to you know, to getting in better shape and 1881 01:35:22.800 --> 01:35:25.479 being you know, and having whatever kind of body you want, 1882 01:35:25.479 --> 01:35:28.239 whether you want econor McGregor body, or you want a 1883 01:35:28.840 --> 01:35:33.680 Rob Terry body. But there's there's there's the input from 1884 01:35:33.800 --> 01:35:36.119 all kinds of great people, including Kurt Angle, who was 1885 01:35:36.199 --> 01:35:38.520 really generous at this time, like broat some really great 1886 01:35:38.520 --> 01:35:41.600 stuff for it, like as far as like training, intensity, 1887 01:35:41.800 --> 01:35:47.079 mental visualization, stuff like that, top quality trainer Nick Rlik 1888 01:35:47.159 --> 01:35:49.960 from from Baltimore who's worked with a lot of NBA players, 1889 01:35:50.039 --> 01:35:53.159 NFL players, and stuff like that. Guys from like CEO 1890 01:35:53.279 --> 01:35:58.279 of Natural Stack Supplements like Rob Terry's contributed, Brooks contributed 1891 01:35:58.319 --> 01:36:01.359 for the Girls, Mickey contributed, and stud Uh, just just 1892 01:36:01.479 --> 01:36:03.359 loads of different really great guys. So it's not just 1893 01:36:03.439 --> 01:36:06.960 the it's you know, the whole sort of series of 1894 01:36:07.359 --> 01:36:09.920 knowledge and and trial and error and stuff from a 1895 01:36:09.920 --> 01:36:12.800 whole group of guys you know, who really know this stuff. 1896 01:36:12.840 --> 01:36:15.680 So if anyone's interested in getting in better shape and 1897 01:36:15.880 --> 01:36:20.199 the Superstar Body, it's available order and download as from tomorrow. 1898 01:36:20.960 --> 01:36:22.159 Who is the book aimed at? 1899 01:36:22.239 --> 01:36:25.640 Is it aimed at high school athlete or thirty something 1900 01:36:25.760 --> 01:36:27.720 dad and wants to get in shape? Or what's the 1901 01:36:27.720 --> 01:36:29.840 target market for it? Who should who should take interest 1902 01:36:29.880 --> 01:36:30.039 in this? 1903 01:36:30.399 --> 01:36:33.640 I mean obviously, you know, I'm assuming it's mainly going 1904 01:36:33.720 --> 01:36:36.640 to be sort of young males. However, you know, I 1905 01:36:36.720 --> 01:36:39.079 have really made it as much effort as I can to, 1906 01:36:40.119 --> 01:36:44.000 you know, to make it as universal as possible. So 1907 01:36:44.159 --> 01:36:46.159 that's why I've had been put for some girls and 1908 01:36:46.199 --> 01:36:51.720 from like Kurt, Kurt specifically speaks about training like into 1909 01:36:51.760 --> 01:36:54.000 his forties, you know, and and how to sort of 1910 01:36:54.079 --> 01:36:57.720 you know, and help and how to sort of adapt, 1911 01:36:58.279 --> 01:37:01.199 you know, going forward, and really a lot of it 1912 01:37:01.239 --> 01:37:02.840 is kind of an interesting point because a lot of 1913 01:37:02.840 --> 01:37:06.399 it is really just about, like it's not about a 1914 01:37:06.399 --> 01:37:09.479 certain technique for one person or another. It's like you'll 1915 01:37:09.520 --> 01:37:12.119 see all these magazines, most of them are just a 1916 01:37:12.159 --> 01:37:15.439 thing full of commercials. The book is more about these 1917 01:37:15.479 --> 01:37:18.880 are the like fundamental black and white facts that you need, 1918 01:37:19.560 --> 01:37:22.720 like throw all this other stuff away, all this you know, 1919 01:37:22.760 --> 01:37:25.319 because best I will just contradict yourself. One week you'll say, 1920 01:37:25.359 --> 01:37:27.079 you know, eat more fat, and then matually you'll say, 1921 01:37:27.079 --> 01:37:28.479 don't eat fat, and then you know what I mean, 1922 01:37:28.479 --> 01:37:31.000 all this kind of stuff. This is more about like 1923 01:37:31.520 --> 01:37:33.880 these are this is these are fundamental. If you know 1924 01:37:33.960 --> 01:37:36.960 this stuff, you will be in shape like period, you know. 1925 01:37:37.600 --> 01:37:39.039 And if you want to start experimenting with some of 1926 01:37:39.039 --> 01:37:41.720 the more of that like fadly type stuff, then sure, 1927 01:37:41.800 --> 01:37:43.319 go ahead. But if you've you know, but if you 1928 01:37:43.319 --> 01:37:45.359 really want to fundamentally be in shape, this is the 1929 01:37:45.359 --> 01:37:47.479 stuff you need to know, like cut, cut through the craft, 1930 01:37:47.560 --> 01:37:48.760 this is this stuff. 1931 01:37:49.239 --> 01:37:51.359 And if people want to buy that book, go to 1932 01:37:51.399 --> 01:37:53.600 PW torch dot com slash Amazon. 1933 01:37:54.399 --> 01:37:55.319 You can do that right away. 1934 01:37:55.439 --> 01:37:57.239 I'll put a link up to the book on that page. 1935 01:37:57.279 --> 01:37:59.960 And if if people anytime any books anytime or listen 1936 01:38:00.039 --> 01:38:02.119 to shop Amazon, if you start at PW torch dot 1937 01:38:02.119 --> 01:38:04.680 com slash Amazon and you click on our link to 1938 01:38:04.720 --> 01:38:06.439 take you to the Amazon page, we get a commission 1939 01:38:06.439 --> 01:38:07.640 on those sales. A lot of people, a lot of 1940 01:38:07.640 --> 01:38:09.760 hosts out there doing that. We appreciate those of you 1941 01:38:09.800 --> 01:38:11.920 who choose to do it through our portal. And I'll 1942 01:38:11.920 --> 01:38:14.800 put a banner link up for your books so people 1943 01:38:14.840 --> 01:38:16.119 get right to that page also. 1944 01:38:15.960 --> 01:38:18.079 That'd be awesome. Thank you. And Uh And as far 1945 01:38:18.079 --> 01:38:21.000 as I'm concerned, like my my website is Nickolli dot 1946 01:38:21.000 --> 01:38:24.720 com and you can email me for bookings and appearances 1947 01:38:24.760 --> 01:38:27.479 and all that good stuff, Nick at nick Allgus dot com. 1948 01:38:28.680 --> 01:38:29.319 Very very good. 1949 01:38:29.640 --> 01:38:31.279 Uh And Nick, do you expect to be a big 1950 01:38:31.279 --> 01:38:34.640 part of global force in uh months and years ahead 1951 01:38:34.720 --> 01:38:36.319 or is this kind of you're dipping your toe in 1952 01:38:36.399 --> 01:38:36.840 the water to. 1953 01:38:36.840 --> 01:38:40.560 See I'm willing to be as big as what's more 1954 01:38:40.600 --> 01:38:42.079 above it as I need to be. But right now 1955 01:38:42.199 --> 01:38:45.119 I'm very much dialed in, you know, and I'm and 1956 01:38:45.159 --> 01:38:47.520 I'm and and again you'll see in the in the 1957 01:38:47.520 --> 01:38:50.920 coming weeks that I'm getting involved in a lot of stuff, 1958 01:38:51.119 --> 01:38:52.600 you know, on a lot of different levels, and I'm 1959 01:38:52.680 --> 01:38:53.520 very excited about it. 1960 01:38:55.000 --> 01:38:57.159 Nick, thanks for generous time today. I mean it. I'd 1961 01:38:57.199 --> 01:38:57.800 love to have you back. 1962 01:38:57.800 --> 01:38:59.840 There's so much territory uncovered, but I think this was 1963 01:39:00.239 --> 01:39:02.479 I'm glad we stayed pretty focused and went in depth 1964 01:39:02.520 --> 01:39:04.760 on on the teen a journey that you were on. 1965 01:39:05.119 --> 01:39:09.239 Thank you so much, all right, thanky you bet, Thank. 1966 01:39:09.119 --> 01:39:11.159 You listeners for joining us here today. 1967 01:39:11.159 --> 01:39:14.359 I was Nick all this known as Magnus and tnah 1968 01:39:15.079 --> 01:39:21.479 fascinating behind the scenes look from the perspective of inambitious, intelligent, 1969 01:39:21.600 --> 01:39:26.680 driven wrestler who wanted to see things get better. And 1970 01:39:28.079 --> 01:39:31.439 I do apologize to our callers for on hold and 1971 01:39:31.439 --> 01:39:33.840 and those who sent an email questions, but I felt 1972 01:39:34.119 --> 01:39:37.479 this was one of those cases where I wanted to 1973 01:39:37.560 --> 01:39:39.399 let it Nick talk and continue, and I had so 1974 01:39:39.399 --> 01:39:41.079 many follow up questions. Are the things that he said 1975 01:39:41.439 --> 01:39:44.600 that we just stayed focused on that theme and introduced 1976 01:39:44.640 --> 01:39:46.560 new ones into it, but we will have him on 1977 01:39:46.640 --> 01:39:49.119 again if if, if he is willing, and it sounds 1978 01:39:49.199 --> 01:39:51.880 like he is, so I thank all of you again 1979 01:39:51.920 --> 01:39:55.119 for joining me today, thank you for your support of 1980 01:39:55.159 --> 01:39:57.760 this show. As I said, last month was our second 1981 01:39:58.359 --> 01:40:01.399 month ever. Best month was either March or April, you 1982 01:40:01.399 --> 01:40:03.039 know around rest many a time. But we even beat 1983 01:40:03.159 --> 01:40:06.560 either April or March two in June, you know, I mean, 1984 01:40:06.680 --> 01:40:09.800 go figure. So the growth just continues. We're doing two 1985 01:40:09.840 --> 01:40:11.640 to three times the listenership a year ago and three 1986 01:40:11.640 --> 01:40:13.279 to four times two years ago, three years ago. 1987 01:40:13.319 --> 01:40:14.399 It's just it's great. 1988 01:40:14.520 --> 01:40:16.960 I appreciate everybody out there continuing to spread the word. 1989 01:40:17.279 --> 01:40:19.159 We're proud of the job that we do here. There's 1990 01:40:19.159 --> 01:40:22.640 a whole diverse set of hosts doing different formats, a 1991 01:40:22.640 --> 01:40:24.960 lot for you to choose from, but it is a 1992 01:40:25.079 --> 01:40:29.000 daily call in live pro wrestling. Cent Prick Show, the 1993 01:40:29.039 --> 01:40:32.520 only one out there that it has this kind of 1994 01:40:32.560 --> 01:40:38.239 reporter's approach to it, an independent approach to covering pro wrestling, 1995 01:40:38.880 --> 01:40:42.479 and it seems to have struck a chord with the audios. 1996 01:40:42.479 --> 01:40:44.439 So we really appreciate that. If you want to get 1997 01:40:44.479 --> 01:40:47.920 even more in depth this the live caster, there's a 1998 01:40:47.920 --> 01:40:49.640 lot of five live casts a week, sometimes six on 1999 01:40:49.680 --> 01:40:51.760 pay per view Sundays. A lot of content here, but 2000 01:40:51.840 --> 01:40:54.319 the vast majority of what we do, and especially what 2001 01:40:54.399 --> 01:40:58.560 I do, is at PW Torch dot COM's VIP website, 2002 01:40:58.920 --> 01:41:01.000 and it's an ad free web site which features a 2003 01:41:01.000 --> 01:41:03.119 weekly newsletter. I just put this week's newsletter up with 2004 01:41:03.159 --> 01:41:06.880 a long story about my weekend in On that note, 2005 01:41:06.960 --> 01:41:09.600 I will sign off for today, Pat McNeil tomorrow with 2006 01:41:09.720 --> 01:41:13.039 Hurricane Shane Helms, and then Bruce Mitchell and Travis Bryant 2007 01:41:13.239 --> 01:41:15.920 back on Friday. Big thanks to Bruce again for hosting 2008 01:41:15.920 --> 01:41:18.319 with Jason Powell yesterday. By the way, the VIP after 2009 01:41:18.359 --> 01:41:21.439 show after yesterday's program featured and I'm not kidding, Bruce 2010 01:41:21.439 --> 01:41:25.000 Mitchell and Jason Powell talking about me for thirty six 2011 01:41:25.039 --> 01:41:29.279 minutes trying to embarrass me. There were some nice things 2012 01:41:29.279 --> 01:41:32.159 they said too, but they yeah, it was all about 2013 01:41:32.479 --> 01:41:34.600 Actually Bruce told a story that was embarrassing for him too, 2014 01:41:34.640 --> 01:41:35.920 So it was it was a really fun show. I 2015 01:41:36.000 --> 01:41:39.279 enjoyed listening to it after the fact yesterday it was 2016 01:41:39.319 --> 01:41:41.920 a this is your life weight Keller type of thing 2017 01:41:41.960 --> 01:41:44.000 with two of my better friends in life, not just 2018 01:41:44.039 --> 01:41:47.800 in Pro Wrestling, Bruce Mitchell and Jason Powell sharing some 2019 01:41:47.800 --> 01:41:50.399 some some weaighte Keller stories, the blue Panther mask story, 2020 01:41:50.760 --> 01:41:54.880 the the suit incident with Bruce Mitchell. That a practical 2021 01:41:54.920 --> 01:41:56.760 joke we played that Jason and I played on Bruce 2022 01:41:56.800 --> 01:41:59.600 at one point, and so much more so. If you 2023 01:42:00.039 --> 01:42:01.640 are not a VIP member when you sign up, I 2024 01:42:01.720 --> 01:42:04.319 point you towards yesterday's VIP after show with Bruce and 2025 01:42:04.399 --> 01:42:07.159 Jason for a fun look behind the scenes at the 2026 01:42:07.159 --> 01:42:10.720 Torch operations over the years and the personalities who put 2027 01:42:10.760 --> 01:42:12.920 out the Torch product. All Right, that does it for 2028 01:42:12.960 --> 01:42:16.239 me for today. Thank you everybody, and unto next time. 2029 01:42:16.359 --> 01:42:35.880 This is PW Torch editor Wad Keller signing off. Invite 2030 01:42:35.920 --> 01:42:38.640 you to email the show with feedback or questions or comments. 2031 01:42:38.680 --> 01:42:43.359 That email address is Wade Keller Podcast at pwtorch dot com. 2032 01:42:43.359 --> 01:42:46.800 That's Wadkeller Podcast at PW torch dot com. Also welcome 2033 01:42:46.840 --> 01:42:49.359 your feedback on Twitter. You can follow us on Twitter 2034 01:42:49.399 --> 01:42:52.720 at PW Torch and follow me at the Wade Keller 2035 01:42:53.079 --> 01:42:56.399 That's at PW Torch and at the Wade Keller. 2036 01:42:58.199 --> 01:43:01.079 Searching for more great pro wrestling to bok then join 2037 01:43:01.119 --> 01:43:03.880 me Jason Powell host them the three weekly Pro Wrestling 2038 01:43:03.920 --> 01:43:06.840 Boom Podcast. Each week, you'll hear the latest news and 2039 01:43:06.880 --> 01:43:09.159 analysis from me and my team at pro wrestling dot 2040 01:43:09.239 --> 01:43:12.119 Net along with other pro wrestling media members. Plus, the 2041 01:43:12.159 --> 01:43:15.680 Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast features long form interviews with notable 2042 01:43:15.720 --> 01:43:19.640 names in the pro wrestling industry. Subscribe and Itunestitcher, downcast, 2043 01:43:19.680 --> 01:43:22.760 and all your favorite secondary apps, or visit us directly 2044 01:43:22.800 --> 01:43:26.800 at PW boom dot com. Once again, that's PW boom 2045 01:43:26.840 --> 01:43:28.920 dot com. 2046 01:43:29.119 --> 01:43:31.079 Thanks for listening to our podcast. Did you know we 2047 01:43:31.119 --> 01:43:35.640 also have a website, pwtorch dot com. Daily news updates, editorials, 2048 01:43:36.000 --> 01:43:39.039 and my live TV coverage covering Raw, Dynamite and SmackDown 2049 01:43:39.279 --> 01:43:43.279 and my live pay per view coverage for WWE and AEW. 2050 01:43:43.520 --> 01:43:45.640 Create a tab or bookmark make it a daily stop. 2051 01:43:45.760 --> 01:43:47.920 Visit us throughout the day every day to keep up 2052 01:43:47.920 --> 01:43:52.479 on breaking news and more. That's pwtorch dot com. 2053 01:43:52.960 --> 01:43:56.159 Meet an extra dose of positivity in your wrestling podcasts. 2054 01:43:56.279 --> 01:43:59.399 Will come join me Alan fourrel Over in the Progress 2055 01:43:59.439 --> 01:44:03.039 Paradise at Pterbreo Torch VIP as we mask on the 2056 01:44:03.079 --> 01:44:05.760 bright side of wrestling and focus on some of the 2057 01:44:05.800 --> 01:44:08.720 great matches and shows from around the world, be it 2058 01:44:08.920 --> 01:44:13.239 the US, Japan, Europe or Mexico. There's always a place 2059 01:44:13.239 --> 01:44:16.000 for wrestlings past in the Paradise too, and we've done 2060 01:44:16.079 --> 01:44:19.119 fun historical shows such as the We Love Liger series 2061 01:44:19.359 --> 01:44:23.079 celebrating the glorious career of Jusian thunder Lighter and Our 2062 01:44:23.159 --> 01:44:25.439 Eye Was There When shows where our guests will join 2063 01:44:25.520 --> 01:44:27.880 me to talk about a classic bout that they were 2064 01:44:27.880 --> 01:44:31.279 in attendance for. We love variety and you can expect 2065 01:44:31.319 --> 01:44:35.039 lots of it at the Progress Paradise. Detailed pwof Torch 2066 01:44:35.119 --> 01:44:38.479 VIP subscription information and a list of all the VIP 2067 01:44:38.680 --> 01:44:43.279 benefits is available at pterwrew torch vipinfo dot com. And yes, 2068 01:44:43.600 --> 01:44:47.479 all VIP podcasts are compatible with popular podcast apps on 2069 01:44:47.560 --> 01:44:51.119 iPhone and Android devices, or you can stream them directly 2070 01:44:51.159 --> 01:44:54.439 from our ad free VIP mobile site, See You in 2071 01:44:54.479 --> 01:44:55.119 the Paradise. 2072 01:44:56.359 --> 01:44:58.800 One way that you can help us sustain our schedule 2073 01:44:58.880 --> 01:45:01.039 of putting out podcasts ro the week is by giving 2074 01:45:01.079 --> 01:45:03.840 us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Just go 2075 01:45:03.880 --> 01:45:06.159 to Apple Podcasts and look for our Weight Keller Prossing 2076 01:45:06.159 --> 01:45:08.800 podcast and Weightkeller Prossing Post show and give us a 2077 01:45:08.880 --> 01:45:11.279 five star rating. We hope you think we've earned that 2078 01:45:11.439 --> 01:45:14.239 score with our fast turnaround times and our quantity and 2079 01:45:14.359 --> 01:45:17.920 quality of wrestling analysis throughout the week. So take a 2080 01:45:17.960 --> 01:45:20.079 moment out for us and do us favor and give 2081 01:45:20.159 --> 01:45:22.439 us a five star rating and Apple Podcasts. That helps 2082 01:45:22.520 --> 01:45:25.640 us on search returns and helps us grow. And if 2083 01:45:25.640 --> 01:45:27.159 you want, you can add a few comments about what 2084 01:45:27.199 --> 01:45:29.199 you like about the programs in the comments section. 2085 01:45:29.319 --> 01:45:30.079 Thank you so much. 2086 01:45:33.600 --> 01:45:37.760 In twenty twelve, NXT transitioned into the developmental system and 2087 01:45:37.920 --> 01:45:41.199 ultimately the brand you see today. On the Torch VIP 2088 01:45:41.439 --> 01:45:45.520 podcast NXT Eight Years Back, we'll be taking a weekly 2089 01:45:45.560 --> 01:45:48.079 look at this page in NXT's early history. 2090 01:45:48.960 --> 01:45:52.159 Join Kelly Wells and me Tom Stout from PWT Talks 2091 01:45:52.239 --> 01:45:54.960 NXT every Saturday as we go eight years back to 2092 01:45:55.039 --> 01:45:57.760 the day to track NXT's rising talents and why they 2093 01:45:57.760 --> 01:46:01.680 did or didn't work out exclusively for PW Torch VIP members. 2094 01:46:02.720 --> 01:46:05.000 A PW Torch Vip membership doesn't just give you ad 2095 01:46:05.079 --> 01:46:06.800 free access to these shows and a ton of other 2096 01:46:06.880 --> 01:46:09.520 VIP exclusive podcasts throughout the week, but you also gain 2097 01:46:09.560 --> 01:46:13.199 access to our unmatched vast library of wrestling history our 2098 01:46:13.199 --> 01:46:16.119 contemporaneous week to week coverage through our progressing Torch weekly 2099 01:46:16.199 --> 01:46:18.960 newsletters dating back to the late nineteen eighties, along with 2100 01:46:19.000 --> 01:46:22.479 streaming and download access to hundreds of retro radio shows 2101 01:46:22.479 --> 01:46:25.199 from the nineteen nineties, including some of my interviews with 2102 01:46:25.279 --> 01:46:29.119 wrestling's top newsmakers in the nineties, and also our podcast 2103 01:46:29.239 --> 01:46:31.399 library dating back to the year two thousand and three. 2104 01:46:31.439 --> 01:46:35.880 There's no larger, longer spanning pro wrestling podcast library than 2105 01:46:35.920 --> 01:46:38.800 that that comes with a PW Torch VIP membership. Now 2106 01:46:38.840 --> 01:46:42.600 approaching twenty years of podcasting, Go vip and dive into 2107 01:46:42.600 --> 01:46:44.920 our post pay per view roundtables are covered with some 2108 01:46:44.960 --> 01:46:48.960 of your favorite eras of wrestling, top name long form interviews, 2109 01:46:49.000 --> 01:46:52.239 and special format podcasts that we've done throughout the years. 2110 01:46:52.359 --> 01:46:56.600 Pwtorch dot com slash go vip. We have a streamline 2111 01:46:56.600 --> 01:46:58.199 sign up for me and you can pay with PayPal 2112 01:46:58.399 --> 01:47:00.920 or directly with your credit card or debit card. In 2113 01:47:00.960 --> 01:47:02.720 one or two minutes from right now, you can be 2114 01:47:02.720 --> 01:47:05.560 a VIP member and diving into our library. PW Toorch 2115 01:47:05.600 --> 01:47:07.159 dot com slash Go vip