Source: The Sports Courier
Recently, former TNA World Heavyweight and X-Division Champion Austin Aries talked to Fred Richani of The Sports Courier regarding several high-profile topics. Highlights of the interview may be found below, but we encourage you to click the link above to watch the entire discussion. Enjoy!
On the Launch of the WWE Network
I don’t see how it could be negative. I think it’s more of an indication of the way television is going in general. It’s starting to transition, and you see people are watching television as much on their computers and through the Internet as they are on typical cable. So, the medium’s changing and transforming. I think WWE is just trying to stay ahead of the curve and time will tell how successful it is. But, if anything, I think it’s going to open up a lot more opportunities for other programming, other types of shows, other spinoffs. You understand, a lot of professional wrestlers are talented guys outside of just a ring and a microphone, and this will give some opportunities to guys to sort of branch out and do other things that will be entertaining and help do that. Again, just more opportunities for guys to make money.
On Joey Ryan Taking the Brain Buster
Joey Ryan. I don’t know, maybe it’s something with the chest hair, or the mustache maybe. I don’t know. He’s got something in his boots. Rocks? I don’t know. [Richani: I would have thought one of those Aces & Eights guys.] The masked guy who ended up being Knux? No, man. He uh, I don’t know. I think just maybe center of gravity thing, he was actually pretty easy to hoist up there. But, man, I remember almost throwing my back out when I gave it to Joey Ryan.
On Hulk Hogan Endorsing Him in TNA
You take everything with a grain of salt with the Hulkster. I’ve had a chance to get to know him a little bit and chat with him. The one thing about the Hulk is that he loves wrestling. He’s dedicated his whole life to it, but even at this point in his career, after everything he’s done, everywhere he’s been, and the things he’s seen, he still watches. He watches as a fan, and that’s pretty cool, I think, to still have that part of wrestling in you after all that time.
So yeah, your seven year old self is sitting there kind of going really? Hulk Hogan’s raising your arm and telling everybody how great you are. If I would have told me seven year old self that, he would have called bullshit. It was obviously, getting to work with guys like Hulk Hogan, getting in the ring and wrestling with Sting, those are some things that I’ll always remember. Kurt Angle, another guy, pleasure to get in there with because, you know, Kurt Angle’s still a guy that’s a test. You have to get in there and you have to bring your A game. Luckily for me, I have an A double game.
On Whether AJ Styles May Return to iMPACT Wrestling
From a wrestling standpoint, I’d love to have a guy like AJ Styles within the company to wrestle. I think the fans would, too. There was a tease of what could have been, but I don’t think anybody saw what me and AJ Styles could do in there. On a personal level, I want AJ Styles to do whatever is best for him and his family, and if that’s coming back to TNA that would be awesome. If that’s working elsewhere, I completely understand that. If that will happen, I have no idea. I guess we’ll find out. We all have to stay tuned and see what happens
