August 28, 2024 • 16 mins
Today we sit down with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth (formerly Dolph Ziggler) ahead of his Iron Man Match against Josh Alexander at TNA Emergence on August 30 at Old Forester's Paristown Hall
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast and exclusive interviews with some
of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Stop being what's going on, guys? It is battle and.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Today is an exciting day here on the show because
we got a guy that has been on our radar
for a very very long time and he's gone viral
with his memes that everybody likes to share when certain
things happen. Let's give it up everybody for the TNA
World Heavyweight Champion, Nicknameath is here with us.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
How are you doing, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
I'm doing great. I I forgot about all the memes
about me and it should have been me usually, so
it's it's sometimes it's other stuff, but it's usually something
Rhea is doing, and then everyone goes, it should have
been me, and I get.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
It, Yes, And I want to know because I mean,
at the time, you didn't think anything that that was
going to happen. Did you ever think that, you know,
now looking back on it, that that would have been
a pivotal moment that a lot of people still talk
about that.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Moment, whether it be for that promo or for the
meme itself.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
You know, I did not at all. I was just
trying to find something else that would stand out instead
of just me being like I've been here for eighteen years,
let me fight you again, Like we needed something better, something.
There's some reason there's some genuine hatred toward Kolfie Kingston,
which is practically impossible by the way, he's the last
baby face in the world that's still full time and
(01:30):
never went the other way, so it's impossible to get
something dirt on him. But to have some maniacal change
in my brain that everyone is celebrating the guy that
I'm better than and then drove me insane that it
and it always should have been me getting everything in
that manium moment kofee mania. Oh it burned me up
inside watching him get that opportunity while I was sitting
(01:50):
on the bench. So yeah, that perfectly worked out storyline wise,
But I did not see it coming that anytime reab
pined somebody that's people would be throwing that meme in there.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
But hey, I'm on board, so great because it's like
every other thing when you scroll through, it's that meme.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But I I We're here to talk about some fun stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Speaking of fun, you've got to defend that TNA world
Championship match against Josh and a one hour iron Man
match at TNA Emergence Live Friday, August thirtieth on TNA Plus.
How do you, I guess, prepare mentally and physically for
this kind of a match, and also somebody like Josh Alexander.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Uh, that's a great point. It's gonna I don't know
if it sounds cliche or dumb. I prepare that way
the same way I would go, Hey, you have you
have a match with a local guy on Monday, and
you go, okay, great. What I do is I don't
take vacations. I don't have an off season. I don't
(02:49):
taper off my workouts. I work out seven days a week,
and if I miss a day because of flights or
being sick or somewhat of an injury that I're wrestling
up from, I make up for for two a day
the next time. So I don't miss workouts, I don't
miss training. I don't miss any opportunity to somehow make
myself better. And who knows how this window is gonna end.
(03:09):
Maybe I'm done wrestling at forty six. Maybe I wrestle
till I'm sixty. You don't know what that window is,
but to make it a realistic world champion, I got
a few years left to prove that I can do that.
So I always want to be in the absolute best
shape I always am. I still have my stamina from
Saint Ed's wrestling in high school and Kent State in college.
I legitimately still have it because there were people that
(03:30):
were better than me. But I always found a way,
almost always found a way to win matches. I shouldn't
because I don't get tired, because I feel like the
fans pay money to see us fight, and if I'm
genuinely a little tired and not doing my job to
the fullest, that is on me and I'm wasting their
time and their money. So I have always seen it
(03:52):
that way, as I am a fighter for hire, and
if I can go ninety nine percent, that's not good
enough for me. So I always have to be able
to go on hundred percent. Now mentally, there will be
a little bit of a change because I will start
watching bits and pieces of things he's done in the past,
because these are his matches. I know his go tos,
I know what he does when he does need like
a little bit of a breath or a rest or,
(04:13):
a break, a little breather, and you go, oh, I know,
he has this tendency to step backwards instead of forwards,
or to move to the side or hang onto a rope,
and those things are the things that stand out and
that make you stand out over someone who's just someone
who should be fighting for the world title because you
have to have that ring IQ two and damn it,
you better believe Josh does.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, absolutely, And like you said, I mean, he's been
in these kind of matches. We've all seen the tape
on him with that.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I mean, we saw an incredible one with him and
Mike Bailey not too long ago, which was incredible, which
I'm sure you probably studied that match as well.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
But there's been a lot of buzz about the resurgence.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Of TNA lately with of course, you know, TNA working
with other companies, this, that and the other. What do
you think it is about TNA that's really cap sturing
the wrestling world's attention?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Again, First of all, that buzz was there before working
with other companies, But yeah, that's that's a huge part
of it right now. And Joe Henry getting WWE their
most liked videos is pretty great for them at the moment.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Uh so.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
But the really cool thing is, I've said this fifteen times.
In a world where every roster on every company is
busting their ass, we tend to stand out as someone
who's all on the same page, all working for the
same goal, all going above and beyond to help the brand.
No one is being selfish and saying I need to
(05:38):
stand out here. I don't care about it, like we're
all it's almost an organic coming together of like this rebranding,
since why I showed up in Vegas, since they did
the rebrand where everyone's on the same page behind the scenes, Tommy, Gail, Ariel,
everybody is helping us out and we all have one
goal get one percent bigger audience every single week. Becase
(06:00):
huzz of the work we put in, because of the
show that we do, because of the experience that we
offer to the fans who come live or watch on
the TNA Plus app or Access TV. However you see it.
When you see it, you go, damn, that's a great show.
Because you can complain like this show has twenty minutes
of wrestling every three hours. This show has two hours
and forty seven minutes of wrestling, every three hours, and
(06:20):
we try to find that perfect balance of storyline, behind
the scenes, character development and matches that deliver. And this
roster kicks so much ass. I'm blown away every match
that I watch waiting to go, I go. Man, everyone
is so good, and that's saying where every company has
everybody being really good. It really makes me. It makes
(06:41):
me smile seeing how awesome our roster is. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Absolutely, And you can definitely tell watching the product how
much fun you guys are having there because a lot
of a lot of our listeners know that I've been
there with TNA from day one when it was a well,
when it was like day two at the Asylum and
here at the Fairgrounds and ash like I was there
every Wednesday night and just seeing how it's changed over
the years, and it's getting back to, you know, that
(07:05):
prominence where people were talking about and everybody it's it's
you scroll through social media and it's TNA this, that,
TNA this, And it's an awesome feeling for sure. And
I want to know, from your thought perspective being in
that locker room, who's that one person that doesn't get
enough recognition, that doesn't get talked about enough, that your
eyeing of like, I want to get in the ring
(07:27):
with them and put this title on the line with
after you be got Xander.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Of course that's a great question. I mean, do you
have a few? Because what really popped in my head.
I was famously someone who was not watching wrestling because
I hated what I was doing, so I would famously
not watch any wrestling, And then when I started to
before I came to TNA, I was like, oh, most
see some goofball football player. Okay, what's the athletic? Okay?
Got it? And I got there and was blown away
(07:53):
at what this guy puts into every match. So I
really thought he was like, oh, he's a he's a
bigger guy's a football guys, athletic? What's he got? And
I realized that he even on off days, is like
texting me ideas and things to do just because he
loves and wants to be so good at this. So
I love that. I mean, Joe Henry's doing stuff all
(08:15):
over the world that is standing out and getting the
biggest impressions, and that is someone where no matter what
situation he's in, if there's a chance for him to
get a title shot, I feel like that would be
a huge moment for teenages. I think that gets the
views up, that gets people talking about it, that extra
buzz about it, like is this guy gonna become champion?
Can he be champion? And things like that are really cool.
(08:38):
ABC I wrestle with those guys are freaking awesome. I'm
trying to think, can you throw anybody over your head?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I can actually tell you recent guests of the show,
Mike Santana had a lot came to you and your
title because he said after he gets done with dealing
with the system, he said he's kind of eye in
that gold.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
By the way, but he said that there's thirty guys
in the locker room that all said when I get
through with the system, I'm coming after that title. And
it's not to say that that's not true, it's very true.
And then everybody I was in the six man match
with was like, I'm coming after that title. Like great,
everyone's coming for me. I love it. I live for it.
But Santana's, uh, man, that's a cool story because we
got to find his like real life story. We interviewed
(09:20):
him on Busted Open, on Serious XM, and man, he
got into like some changes he made in his life,
his family, and I go, man, I, how in the
world are you not rooting for this guy. He came
back to TNA and he looked like he was in
the best shape of his life. I'm legit rooting for
this guy until he gets in my face and I
have to hold that title up and I go, hey, listen,
(09:40):
I'm gonna go through hell to hang on to this
and I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think that that's gonna be a
fun match.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Definitely for sure, after you, you know, deal with Josh
Alexander and you retain that title.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
And the deal with Josh Alexander. It's an iron man
match with a guy who's thing is doing iron Man's
while I'm here going hey listen, twenty years ago, I
I was ready to go, like I'm nervous about it,
but mostly it's gonna be mental focus and actually I'm
gonna do that Sane Ed's wrestling thing to where you
actually taper off a little bit of the cardio leading
up to the next three days to keep that body fresh,
(10:13):
get into a couple ice baths, get rejuvenated, have those
legs ready to go, and be ready to absolutely deliver
a fing masterpiece.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
It's gonna be definitely fun to watch TNA emergence live Friday,
August thirtieth on TNA Plus. Now it seems like here
recently you look at it, everyone wants to work with TNA,
and TNA has no problem with working with everyone else.
Something that we thought we'd never see, of course, is
this TNA and WW working together because we never thought
that would happen, of WW working with other people, having
(10:43):
being there in wwa now and TNA. What's it like
seeing these companies work together like now.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That people thought never would happen.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I think one, if it wasn't beneficial to both sides,
no one would be doing it. So when you have
a world where for for the longest time, I'm where
WW was kind of the only big show in town
on television and some people were it was hard to
find TNA and some channels, and there was you know,
there wasn't a real there wasn't the same night. It
wasn't a big deal. It was there was no challenges.
(11:15):
But having multiple companies doing really well business wise, but
more importantly behind the scenes, setting up an infrastructure that
will be long term beneficial business wise to have that
and have everyone working together, and it goes wrestling fans,
sure if you're gonna count twitter that people just like
crazy people in politics will be going nuts on one
(11:35):
side or for a team, and you have a team
and you have to like defend them, which makes no sense,
but instead you don't. A lot of people don't realize,
like we're all wrestling somewhere. We're not like screwww or
screw aw. Like some of my best friends are at
all the companies, so we all and the fact that
those other companies exist makes it so much better for
us when it comes to negotiations or wanting to get
(11:57):
out of a deal or wanting to go fight somebody
somewhere else, like, have those options makes the business better.
So then having them teams work together, it just goes
to show you that, like you don't need to root
for a team, just watch wrestling and enjoy it. And
it's one of the it's at the one of the
best moments there is right now talent wise TV moments
(12:18):
to like, you can watch wrestling every night if you
want to, and some of us need a break, like myself,
but you could watch it every single night because wrestling
is hot, wrestling is great, and no matter who the
people are, if you take your tribalism away, you realize
that you are in this like boom period of absolute
professional wrestling to where everybody is good, everybody is a
(12:40):
renaissance man or woman, everybody can deliver any night, and
what we are spoiled and very lucky to have that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Absolutely, And like you said, I mean, it is a
great time to be a wrestling fan. I mean I
think back to when I was growing up.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
You only had two when there.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Was there, and then you had, of course the territories
and whatnot. But now it's, like you said, wrestling every night.
I'm watching my seven year old who is getting into
wrestling just like I did, and he's watching wrestling every night.
He's got the figures, he's got three, he's creating his
own little federations and in his room. So it's it's
an awesome thing, especially for wrestling fans. And you know,
I gotta ask, and you've probably been asked us a
(13:14):
million times. You've probably talked about it on Busting Open
as well. But if that door, if that call comes calling,
do you want to defend that TNA title? To somebody
on the NXT roster.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
NXT, I have no interest. I've done that already. I
was already the like, wake, what's the payoff? I don't
I don't become NXT Champion like I already did two
years ago, or like if there's some if there's a
payoff for the company to have a bit like hey,
we're bringing in our world champ and it's going to
(13:47):
be something special, and I am all ears to help
both companies make it one just one notch bigger and better.
And there really is something that like the as the
World Champ, I could show up and it would be
a big deal, I hope. And so, but right now
for me, unfinished business and XT or something that would
just me showing up to do something. I don't know
what the path it would be. But also someone on
(14:08):
Monday Night Raw or SmackDown making a challenge that would
be different someone I haven't worked with some you know,
I was in NXT for a while, I was champion,
and I worked with Brian Breaker, which is man the
kids freaking awesome. But I don't know what I can
accomplish there. If there is any algorithm or business paperworker
data that says, Hey, this is gonna be huge if
(14:29):
you show up, Let's make it happen. One hundred percent.
I will be there. But also the more I talk
down and say I'm not going, it makes it a
bigger surprise when I show up.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So oh absolutely, And then of course the internet will
be talking about it. Then they'll be sharing it should
have been me, me.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
It should have been me me. Joe Henry's face and
he's like, he's only there. Everybody relaxed.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, so real quick.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I know we don't have much time left with them.
We always like to have a little fun. At the
end of the show. We like to turn to our
robot intern, which is chat GPT, and we let them
ask a question. Uh, chat GPT wants no, if you
could only watch one movie on repeat for the rest
of your life, what would it be?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Caddyshack? Uh, Big Chevy Chase guy. I'm very torn on Fletch,
Caddy Shack, and National Lampoon's Vacation because I'm a Chevy guy.
But Caddy Shack is great. My friends and I can
we still quote it in group chats now fifty years later.
So good. So many guys that I love. Bill Murray
Dangerfield freaking awesome. The movie is great, and I don't
(15:30):
even like golf at all. It makes it even better
because I hate golf because it's you know, it's it
should be simple, but it's really hard and I don't
care for it.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
So yeah, yeah, it's one of those things like I'll
be fine just watching it over here, and then yes,
thank you either real quick before we let you go.
I know you gotta hop off anything you want to
say to people watching or listening to this right now.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I am very lucky to be working with TNA. I'm
happy to be the flag bearing absolute ambassador world champ
right now. The the stuff that we've done so far
is freaking awesome, and there's only so much better to come.
The more people watch, the more people talk about it,
the more the ball keeps rolling downhill and we are
killing it, and I think more and more everyone's going
(16:12):
to be talking about this is the place to be.
The roster rules, the show rocks, the stories are there.
Come challenge me because I'll be here as the champ
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast and exclusive interviews with some
of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Stop being what's going on, guys? It is battle and.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Today is an exciting day here on the show because
we got a guy that has been on our radar
for a very very long time and he's gone viral
with his memes that everybody likes to share when certain
things happen. Let's give it up everybody for the TNA
World Heavyweight Champion, Nicknameath is here with us.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Nick.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
How are you doing, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:42):
I'm doing great. I I forgot about all the memes
about me and it should have been me usually, so
it's it's sometimes it's other stuff, but it's usually something
Rhea is doing, and then everyone goes, it should have
been me, and I get.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
It, Yes, And I want to know because I mean,
at the time, you didn't think anything that that was
going to happen. Did you ever think that, you know,
now looking back on it, that that would have been
a pivotal moment that a lot of people still talk
about that.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Moment, whether it be for that promo or for the
meme itself.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
You know, I did not at all. I was just
trying to find something else that would stand out instead
of just me being like I've been here for eighteen years,
let me fight you again, Like we needed something better, something.
There's some reason there's some genuine hatred toward Kolfie Kingston,
which is practically impossible by the way, he's the last
baby face in the world that's still full time and
(01:30):
never went the other way, so it's impossible to get
something dirt on him. But to have some maniacal change
in my brain that everyone is celebrating the guy that
I'm better than and then drove me insane that it
and it always should have been me getting everything in
that manium moment kofee mania. Oh it burned me up
inside watching him get that opportunity while I was sitting
(01:50):
on the bench. So yeah, that perfectly worked out storyline wise,
But I did not see it coming that anytime reab
pined somebody that's people would be throwing that meme in there.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
But hey, I'm on board, so great because it's like
every other thing when you scroll through, it's that meme.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But I I We're here to talk about some fun stuff.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Speaking of fun, you've got to defend that TNA world
Championship match against Josh and a one hour iron Man
match at TNA Emergence Live Friday, August thirtieth on TNA Plus.
How do you, I guess, prepare mentally and physically for
this kind of a match, and also somebody like Josh Alexander.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Uh, that's a great point. It's gonna I don't know
if it sounds cliche or dumb. I prepare that way
the same way I would go, Hey, you have you
have a match with a local guy on Monday, and
you go, okay, great. What I do is I don't
take vacations. I don't have an off season. I don't
(02:49):
taper off my workouts. I work out seven days a week,
and if I miss a day because of flights or
being sick or somewhat of an injury that I're wrestling
up from, I make up for for two a day
the next time. So I don't miss workouts, I don't
miss training. I don't miss any opportunity to somehow make
myself better. And who knows how this window is gonna end.
(03:09):
Maybe I'm done wrestling at forty six. Maybe I wrestle
till I'm sixty. You don't know what that window is,
but to make it a realistic world champion, I got
a few years left to prove that I can do that.
So I always want to be in the absolute best
shape I always am. I still have my stamina from
Saint Ed's wrestling in high school and Kent State in college.
I legitimately still have it because there were people that
(03:30):
were better than me. But I always found a way,
almost always found a way to win matches. I shouldn't
because I don't get tired, because I feel like the
fans pay money to see us fight, and if I'm
genuinely a little tired and not doing my job to
the fullest, that is on me and I'm wasting their
time and their money. So I have always seen it
(03:52):
that way, as I am a fighter for hire, and
if I can go ninety nine percent, that's not good
enough for me. So I always have to be able
to go on hundred percent. Now mentally, there will be
a little bit of a change because I will start
watching bits and pieces of things he's done in the past,
because these are his matches. I know his go tos,
I know what he does when he does need like
a little bit of a breath or a rest or,
(04:13):
a break, a little breather, and you go, oh, I know,
he has this tendency to step backwards instead of forwards,
or to move to the side or hang onto a rope,
and those things are the things that stand out and
that make you stand out over someone who's just someone
who should be fighting for the world title because you
have to have that ring IQ two and damn it,
you better believe Josh does.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah, absolutely, And like you said, I mean, he's been
in these kind of matches. We've all seen the tape
on him with that.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I mean, we saw an incredible one with him and
Mike Bailey not too long ago, which was incredible, which
I'm sure you probably studied that match as well.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
But there's been a lot of buzz about the resurgence.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Of TNA lately with of course, you know, TNA working
with other companies, this, that and the other. What do
you think it is about TNA that's really cap sturing
the wrestling world's attention?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Again, First of all, that buzz was there before working
with other companies, But yeah, that's that's a huge part
of it right now. And Joe Henry getting WWE their
most liked videos is pretty great for them at the moment.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Uh so.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
But the really cool thing is, I've said this fifteen times.
In a world where every roster on every company is
busting their ass, we tend to stand out as someone
who's all on the same page, all working for the
same goal, all going above and beyond to help the brand.
No one is being selfish and saying I need to
(05:38):
stand out here. I don't care about it, like we're
all it's almost an organic coming together of like this rebranding,
since why I showed up in Vegas, since they did
the rebrand where everyone's on the same page behind the scenes, Tommy, Gail, Ariel,
everybody is helping us out and we all have one
goal get one percent bigger audience every single week. Becase
(06:00):
huzz of the work we put in, because of the
show that we do, because of the experience that we
offer to the fans who come live or watch on
the TNA Plus app or Access TV. However you see it.
When you see it, you go, damn, that's a great show.
Because you can complain like this show has twenty minutes
of wrestling every three hours. This show has two hours
and forty seven minutes of wrestling, every three hours, and
(06:20):
we try to find that perfect balance of storyline, behind
the scenes, character development and matches that deliver. And this
roster kicks so much ass. I'm blown away every match
that I watch waiting to go, I go. Man, everyone
is so good, and that's saying where every company has
everybody being really good. It really makes me. It makes
(06:41):
me smile seeing how awesome our roster is. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Absolutely, And you can definitely tell watching the product how
much fun you guys are having there because a lot
of a lot of our listeners know that I've been
there with TNA from day one when it was a well,
when it was like day two at the Asylum and
here at the Fairgrounds and ash like I was there
every Wednesday night and just seeing how it's changed over
the years, and it's getting back to, you know, that
(07:05):
prominence where people were talking about and everybody it's it's
you scroll through social media and it's TNA this, that,
TNA this, And it's an awesome feeling for sure. And
I want to know, from your thought perspective being in
that locker room, who's that one person that doesn't get
enough recognition, that doesn't get talked about enough, that your
eyeing of like, I want to get in the ring
(07:27):
with them and put this title on the line with
after you be got Xander.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Of course that's a great question. I mean, do you
have a few? Because what really popped in my head.
I was famously someone who was not watching wrestling because
I hated what I was doing, so I would famously
not watch any wrestling, And then when I started to
before I came to TNA, I was like, oh, most
see some goofball football player. Okay, what's the athletic? Okay?
Got it? And I got there and was blown away
(07:53):
at what this guy puts into every match. So I
really thought he was like, oh, he's a he's a
bigger guy's a football guys, athletic? What's he got? And
I realized that he even on off days, is like
texting me ideas and things to do just because he
loves and wants to be so good at this. So
I love that. I mean, Joe Henry's doing stuff all
(08:15):
over the world that is standing out and getting the
biggest impressions, and that is someone where no matter what
situation he's in, if there's a chance for him to
get a title shot, I feel like that would be
a huge moment for teenages. I think that gets the
views up, that gets people talking about it, that extra
buzz about it, like is this guy gonna become champion?
Can he be champion? And things like that are really cool.
(08:38):
ABC I wrestle with those guys are freaking awesome. I'm
trying to think, can you throw anybody over your head?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I can actually tell you recent guests of the show,
Mike Santana had a lot came to you and your
title because he said after he gets done with dealing
with the system, he said he's kind of eye in
that gold.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
By the way, but he said that there's thirty guys
in the locker room that all said when I get
through with the system, I'm coming after that title. And
it's not to say that that's not true, it's very true.
And then everybody I was in the six man match
with was like, I'm coming after that title. Like great,
everyone's coming for me. I love it. I live for it.
But Santana's, uh, man, that's a cool story because we
got to find his like real life story. We interviewed
(09:20):
him on Busted Open, on Serious XM, and man, he
got into like some changes he made in his life,
his family, and I go, man, I, how in the
world are you not rooting for this guy. He came
back to TNA and he looked like he was in
the best shape of his life. I'm legit rooting for
this guy until he gets in my face and I
have to hold that title up and I go, hey, listen,
(09:40):
I'm gonna go through hell to hang on to this
and I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think that that's gonna be a
fun match.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Definitely for sure, after you, you know, deal with Josh
Alexander and you retain that title.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
And the deal with Josh Alexander. It's an iron man
match with a guy who's thing is doing iron Man's
while I'm here going hey listen, twenty years ago, I
I was ready to go, like I'm nervous about it,
but mostly it's gonna be mental focus and actually I'm
gonna do that Sane Ed's wrestling thing to where you
actually taper off a little bit of the cardio leading
up to the next three days to keep that body fresh,
(10:13):
get into a couple ice baths, get rejuvenated, have those
legs ready to go, and be ready to absolutely deliver
a fing masterpiece.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
It's gonna be definitely fun to watch TNA emergence live Friday,
August thirtieth on TNA Plus. Now it seems like here
recently you look at it, everyone wants to work with TNA,
and TNA has no problem with working with everyone else.
Something that we thought we'd never see, of course, is
this TNA and WW working together because we never thought
that would happen, of WW working with other people, having
(10:43):
being there in wwa now and TNA. What's it like
seeing these companies work together like now.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That people thought never would happen.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I think one, if it wasn't beneficial to both sides,
no one would be doing it. So when you have
a world where for for the longest time, I'm where
WW was kind of the only big show in town
on television and some people were it was hard to
find TNA and some channels, and there was you know,
there wasn't a real there wasn't the same night. It
wasn't a big deal. It was there was no challenges.
(11:15):
But having multiple companies doing really well business wise, but
more importantly behind the scenes, setting up an infrastructure that
will be long term beneficial business wise to have that
and have everyone working together, and it goes wrestling fans,
sure if you're gonna count twitter that people just like
crazy people in politics will be going nuts on one
(11:35):
side or for a team, and you have a team
and you have to like defend them, which makes no sense,
but instead you don't. A lot of people don't realize,
like we're all wrestling somewhere. We're not like screwww or
screw aw. Like some of my best friends are at
all the companies, so we all and the fact that
those other companies exist makes it so much better for
us when it comes to negotiations or wanting to get
(11:57):
out of a deal or wanting to go fight somebody
somewhere else, like, have those options makes the business better.
So then having them teams work together, it just goes
to show you that, like you don't need to root
for a team, just watch wrestling and enjoy it. And
it's one of the it's at the one of the
best moments there is right now talent wise TV moments
(12:18):
to like, you can watch wrestling every night if you
want to, and some of us need a break, like myself,
but you could watch it every single night because wrestling
is hot, wrestling is great, and no matter who the
people are, if you take your tribalism away, you realize
that you are in this like boom period of absolute
professional wrestling to where everybody is good, everybody is a
(12:40):
renaissance man or woman, everybody can deliver any night, and
what we are spoiled and very lucky to have that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Absolutely, And like you said, I mean, it is a
great time to be a wrestling fan. I mean I
think back to when I was growing up.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
You only had two when there.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Was there, and then you had, of course the territories
and whatnot. But now it's, like you said, wrestling every night.
I'm watching my seven year old who is getting into
wrestling just like I did, and he's watching wrestling every night.
He's got the figures, he's got three, he's creating his
own little federations and in his room. So it's it's
an awesome thing, especially for wrestling fans. And you know,
I gotta ask, and you've probably been asked us a
(13:14):
million times. You've probably talked about it on Busting Open
as well. But if that door, if that call comes calling,
do you want to defend that TNA title? To somebody
on the NXT roster.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
NXT, I have no interest. I've done that already. I
was already the like, wake, what's the payoff? I don't
I don't become NXT Champion like I already did two
years ago, or like if there's some if there's a
payoff for the company to have a bit like hey,
we're bringing in our world champ and it's going to
(13:47):
be something special, and I am all ears to help
both companies make it one just one notch bigger and better.
And there really is something that like the as the
World Champ, I could show up and it would be
a big deal, I hope. And so, but right now
for me, unfinished business and XT or something that would
just me showing up to do something. I don't know
what the path it would be. But also someone on
(14:08):
Monday Night Raw or SmackDown making a challenge that would
be different someone I haven't worked with some you know,
I was in NXT for a while, I was champion,
and I worked with Brian Breaker, which is man the
kids freaking awesome. But I don't know what I can
accomplish there. If there is any algorithm or business paperworker
data that says, Hey, this is gonna be huge if
(14:29):
you show up, Let's make it happen. One hundred percent.
I will be there. But also the more I talk
down and say I'm not going, it makes it a
bigger surprise when I show up.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
So oh absolutely, And then of course the internet will
be talking about it. Then they'll be sharing it should
have been me, me.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
It should have been me me. Joe Henry's face and
he's like, he's only there. Everybody relaxed.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, so real quick.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I know we don't have much time left with them.
We always like to have a little fun. At the
end of the show. We like to turn to our
robot intern, which is chat GPT, and we let them
ask a question. Uh, chat GPT wants no, if you
could only watch one movie on repeat for the rest
of your life, what would it be?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Caddyshack? Uh, Big Chevy Chase guy. I'm very torn on Fletch,
Caddy Shack, and National Lampoon's Vacation because I'm a Chevy guy.
But Caddy Shack is great. My friends and I can
we still quote it in group chats now fifty years later.
So good. So many guys that I love. Bill Murray
Dangerfield freaking awesome. The movie is great, and I don't
(15:30):
even like golf at all. It makes it even better
because I hate golf because it's you know, it's it
should be simple, but it's really hard and I don't
care for it.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
So yeah, yeah, it's one of those things like I'll
be fine just watching it over here, and then yes,
thank you either real quick before we let you go.
I know you gotta hop off anything you want to
say to people watching or listening to this right now.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I am very lucky to be working with TNA. I'm
happy to be the flag bearing absolute ambassador world champ
right now. The the stuff that we've done so far
is freaking awesome, and there's only so much better to come.
The more people watch, the more people talk about it,
the more the ball keeps rolling downhill and we are
killing it, and I think more and more everyone's going
(16:12):
to be talking about this is the place to be.
The roster rules, the show rocks, the stories are there.
Come challenge me because I'll be here as the champ
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