Source: Alternative Wrestling Magazine
The latest issue of the Alternative Wrestling Magazine features an interview with former iMPACT Wrestling tag team Generation Me. Matt and Nick answered questions and gave their thoughts on their short time in TNA, the influence that Marty Jannetty had on their careers, trying out for WWE, being accused of disrespect, and much more. Highlights of the interview are below. We encourage you to check out the entire interview by clicking here. Enjoy!
How did the opportunity come about with Marty Jannetty? And what influence has Marty had over your careers?
Nick and I were always humongous fans of The Rockers, so bringing in Marty Jannetty was an easy choice. We got in touch with him, and it all came together rather easily. What started out as a one-time business deal, turned into a long friendship. As soon as we met him and worked with him, we clicked, and he took a liking to us. I remember him telling us, “Ya’ll are the new Rockers,” and pretty much gave us his blessing to wear our Rocker-like gear. Since meeting him, he took us under his wing and taught us a lot about tag team wrestling. For awhile, we spoke on the phone and exchanged emails on a weekly basis. At one point, he pitched an idea to Shawn Michaels and WWE about bringing us in as a new team that he would be a manager for. Eventually Nick and I would turn on him, Shawn would make the save, and we’d do a Rockers vs Young Bucks match! It’s a shame that never happened! Then, for a few years, we disconnected and didn’t hear from him much, but later ran into him a year and a half ago at a Chikara show, and have been in pretty good contact since. He’s a good man, with a big heart.
We could talk for hours about your independent success. I wanted to touch on TNA, How did the opportunity arise to sign for TNA? And can you remember how you felt when you were signed?
We met and wrestled the Motor City Machine Guns at a PWG show. Immediately after the match, they asked if we’d be interested in coming to work for TNA. They said they’d, “Put their necks on the line for us, ‘cuz we belong there.” After a few months, we got a call about coming in for a tryout. We lucked out that it was against The Guns, and all of the stars aligned on that day, and we knocked it out of the park. Right after the match, they asked us to sign. I called my wife and we both cried. It’s one of my favorite moments of my life.
The feud with the Motor City Machine Guns has to be the highlight of your time in TNA. Was there any specific moment or match in the feud which stands out for you?
Traveling the road and working 3-4 consecutive nights, putting on different matches every time, was a real highlight. We had some real killer matches that’ll unfortunately never see the light of day. I honestly don’t think any of the matches that made television even compare to our house show stuff. Although, we’re both very proud of our debut match, Ultimate X Match, Bound For Glory match, and Empty Arena Match. I look back at those very fondly. We learned a lot from those guys and were blessed to work with them so much.
Was there any point in the feud with The Guns that you thought they may drop the titles to yourselves?
Originally, we were supposed to win the titles at the PPV where we turned heel. Something changed. Then, it looked like we were gonna take them at Bound For Glory, but that didn’t happen either. We never really cared about that though.
One of my biggest frustration from a fan’s point of view was when they set up a feud between yourselves. The feud was getting quite hot and then they just seemed to pull the plug. Was there any explanation for this? And how frustrating was it sporadically appearing and disappearing throughout your run there?
It was an idea that we initially were very concerned about. Nick and I are best as a tag team. We didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle. I honestly think we were just a victim of an overpopulated roster. They didn’t know what to do with us at the time. Bad timing.
You recently returned to TNA at the start of the year with the One Night Only tapings. What was that experience like? And is there any chance of you returning to TNA anytime soon?
It was an amazing experience. It felt so right to be there. We feel like we didn’t leave on the greatest of terms, so it was nice to come back and see everyone, and to wrestle at the Impact Zone a couple more times. Everyone was so nice, and the fans were very receptive to us being there. It felt like home. Would we like to come back to TNA? Certainly.
After your TNA run you had a try out with WWE. What was that experience like? And did you receive any feedback after the try out?
The experience was actually really great. Everyone was nice, and very complimentary. It felt like they rolled out the red carpet for us in comparison to how it felt years ago, when we used to go there for “Extra Work.” At the time, it sounded like they were highly interested is us, but after a certain someone slammed us online, we never heard back. But, the actual tryout matches couldn’t have went any better.
Booker T and Rob Van Dam both accused you of being disrespectful on separate occasions. What do you think were there motives behind it? Or was it just a misunderstanding?
I’d like to chalk it up as one giant misunderstanding. I’m not entirely sure what we did to upset Rob; it could have been anything. That kind of started the whole thing. Then, naturally, Booker T being Rob’s friend, he’s going to defend Rob. And instead of ignoring them like we should have, we defended ourselves, which probably added fuel to the fire. The whole thing is really a shame, and kind of a stain on our reputation. It’s become an ongoing inside joke in the locker room, because anyone that actually knows us, knows we’re anything but disrespectful, at least we like to think that!
WWE is the company you grew up watching but do you think you would ever be given a fair chance at success in WWE?
I don’t think we belong there. It’s just not for us. That kind of schedule and lifestyle is cut out for many people, we’re just not two of them. I’ve got all of the respect in the world for those guys. I don’t know how they do it. As far as ever getting a fair chance there, who knows? Now would probably be our best chance, as “Indy Guys” like us, are finally breaking the mold there.
Remember to check out the entire interview by clicking here.
