TNA's Tommy Dreamer Interview

Tommy Talks About His Extreme Dreams For TNA

By Phil Allely

Legendary extreme wrestling hero Tommy Dreamer booked and organised TNA’s celebration of that often violent genre at this years HardCORE Justice event. Sunsport caught up with EV2.0 leader Tommy following that very PPV and learnt what we viewers in the UK can expect to see when it’s shown on the Extreme Sports Channel this Friday.

As you know we here in the UK won’t be able to see HardCORE Justice until this Friday, can you tell what we can expect?

“If you are a fan of the original company you will feel very nostalgic. If you’ve never seen it, you will be blown away by these guys, Rob Van Dam versus Sabu is awesome, Myself and Raven stepped up to the plate and went all out, guys like Too Cold Scorpio went out there and showed no signs of missing a beat. Nobody held back or took a breather.”

What’s it like working with TNA compared to your previous companies?

“When I left WWE I had no hatred towards them, I still talk to many of the people there, I hired many of them and still keep up with things. The difference here (in TNA) is the creative freedom I have got and the confidence they have in me and my abilities.
My problem in the WWE was their version of ECW, it was like my child and I couldn’t stomach where they were going with it. In TNA I have the control I never had before and that’s why I love it here. I booked this entire PPV and had input in everything from the people involved and the event itself to changing the look of Impact Zone.”

Was this closure for you in relation to the original ECW?

“I feel I had my closure at One Night Stand, but then they brought it back and it wasn’t what I thought it was supposed to be. I even spoke to fans and they didn’t like what became of it. But it worked out ok in the end I guess, that version finished and they made the NXT show, I’m happy to see them do well with that.
As you can see I’m open and honest about theses things.
Now what I’m finding is that all the guys at HardCORE Justice have been thanking me for the show and people like Hulk Hogan has said how he enjoyed what we came up with.
To be honest I was just fortunate enough to be able to jump that guardrail and perform in the ring, after being a lifelong fan of the sport.”

What’s it like to work with people like Hulk Hogan and of course TNA President Dixie Carter?

“Dixie is amazing she asked to meet all the guys before HardCORE Justice and spent time with them, she goes above the call of duty all the time. Hogan himself has been very supportive of what were are doing and approved of what we have done so far. I’m proud to say that the ratings are picking up since we (EV2.0) turned up, so things are going very well indeed.”

RVD as champ, were you surprised to see your old ECW buddy as company figurehead?

“I was very, very happy (to hear of his title win), he is one of the most amazingly gifted performers I’ve ever seen. I enjoy watching him as a fan and as a peer. He does things that you think he shouldn’t be able to do, he is a very deceptive man and extremely talented. Him and Sabu tore the place up at this PPV, you will see what I mean, when you watch their main event.”

It’s one of the most talked about things in wrestling, but do TNA really need former ECW creator Paul Heyman?

“Well Paul has always been his own man, he marches to his own drum. He is an amazing man, with a wonderfully creative mind for this sport, if he comes in we’d welcome him. But if not we will still go on without him, if I left it would still go on, so that’s how it works.
He (Heyman) has many projects outside wrestling and of course he has those to pursue. Paul loves the rumours though and enjoy the game of that almost as much as being there in the centre of things.”

Was there any animosity in the TNA Locker room, after all you brought in this bunch of guys and they took TNA‘s roster place for an event?

“I oddly was the only real outsider in the whole PPV, there was no animosity, that was all internet fodder, everyone else was here before in some way. I was the only one who never actually stepped into a TNA ring before. We all are on the same page, it’s good for TNA’s business.”

Were there and matches or people you wish you could have got for HardCORE Justice?

“I’d have loved to have had Terry Funk there, but it just wasn‘t possible, one match I really hoped for was Super Crazy, Tajiri and Little Guido in a three-way-dance, that was one I thought of first and then I found that Crazy and Tajiri were booked elsewhere, so couldn’t do it.
But then that opened up things for other guys. I mean I lost Jerry Lynn two days prior to the event. I literally rewrote the main event match on the flight to Orlando. That’s why I love this business, it‘s never predictable and you just never know what‘s gonna happen next.”

Do you feel wrestler have been penalised for being involved with the original ECW?

“I can’t answer for WWE on that one, I’d a great send off form there, I mean we all have to put the past in the past. We have all moved on and look forward to what comes next.”

So what’s the future of EV2.0?

“Personally I’d love to help behind the scenes, if I can lend my skills and help I will. Writing, booking whatever they want ,I’ll do. I mean they said to me you go out and book this show and I went from sitting in the crowd to doing that. I don’t want to manage, I want to get out there and keep going. I’m 39 so there’s still some time left in me. EV2.0 has some left in the tank yet believe me.”

Who on the TNA roster impresses you?

“I’m loving the Motor City Machineguns and Beer Money matches, AJ has immense talent, Joe is awesome , there are guys like Kazarian, Abyss and Jay Lethal, then guys like myself Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett. The roster is so deep with talent, the knockouts (believe me they are called that due to looks and the fact they will knock you out) division are unbelievable. This is a roster that can compete with anybody out there. I just want you guys to see how everyone stepped up to the plate to raise the bar at HardCORE Justice.”

Some people say the extreme trend is over, or do you feel there is a market still for it?

“Yes 100% there is a market out there, its not marketing violence towards violence though, people want to see people fight, not bleeding for the sake of it, but yet to see blood if it happens. I mean WWE stop matches now for blood. That may make them more marketable, but it’s the whole product that sells. This for us is a team effort and I personally feel that we are winning.”

What about Ric Flair’s fortune group, are they a Four Horsemen rip off, or a genuine group that can make their mark in TNA?

“Well not wanting to spoil things, but this isn’t a Horsemen wannabe, some big things are happening,what I’ll say is that Ric Flair as a manager is awesome, Ric Flair as a wrestler is awesome, to even have him behind you ,or on the mic is unbelievable. The art of the manager is a lost one, Ric can do it with ease and does it well. He has been a part of Evolution, The Horsemen and now fortune. Let’s just say check out HardCORE Justice and The Whole F’N Show episode of Impact!. You will see where we are going from here and just what TNA has to offer.”