Austin Aries Interview by Phil Allely

Austin Aries Interview

By Phil Allely

In a few short years Austin Aries has already done it all in TNA. He has held the X Division and Team Team titles and of course raised the world Heavyweight belt.

Fame's Phil Allely caught up with A Double this past week to discuss his inclusion on the upcoming UK/Ireland tour and much more. Here are some highlights.

On the upcoming Maximum Impact tour in 2014.

'I'm really happy to be on the UK/Irish tour again. We all want to be a part of it. I'm looking forward to being out there in front of the fans and feeling their energy. They really love and appreciate what we do in the ring and the TNA product.'

'The reason the fans there embrace us so much is (I feel) because they only get to see us live once a year and are not spoiled by seeing us too often. They get to see our calibre of wrestling and feel more passionate about coming to see us.'

'That dedication and passion carries over to us in the back too. We always step it up in the ring during these tours.'

'I enjoy meeting fans and the fan interaction events are great ways for them to get up closer to us. But what I will say is that some fans need to be more respectful to us and show some more manners. It does not hurt to say please and thank you. I know that means a lot to me and I am sure the boys feel the same way.'

On World Title dreams.

'Do I want the World Title back of course I do!. I don't care who has it I'll get it from them. I've beaten Bully, Roode and countless others. I have the skill-set and drive to do it. All I need is the opportunity and shot at the belt.'

On why he has not joined a group or faction in TNA.

'You know I've never ran with the crowd. I don't subscribe to things like that. In college I never joined fraternities or gangs etc. so why start now. I do things my way and the benefit of that is that I know I can trust myself and my career is most important to me and not others.'

On morale backstage.

'There have been so many rumours about us (TNA) since the start and they never come true. People online and in many so-called 'dirt sheets' love making up stories. I think most of us just want to turn up and go to work, not have those things flying around us. This is a business and things like this (talent releases) happen. I believe things need a shake-up regularly and that leads to fresh match-ups and storylines, it is a natural part of the business.'

His favourite TNA match.

'That's a tough call, but my favourite match so far has been my ladder match against Jeff (Hardy). What I don't think people realise is that I was suffering from some serious injuries then. I had herniated discs in my back and it was for the title, so I had to work through the pain and deliver on the night. We all have to work through an injury (it's part of the business), but you know I am very proud of that match and that I was given the opportunity to carry the company for a while too.'

On possible future feuds.

'I would love to step back in the ring with Kurt Angle, when he comes back he will be a lot stronger and a match with him would be awesome. Sting is a guy I'd like to wrestle him too. I like a physical challenge and am happy to work with anyone. I see some great young talent out there as well. The likes of Garrett (Bischoff) and Wes (Brisco) get knocked a lot, but they work hard and have great potential. They are solid dudes and fans should watch out for them. I guess I am happy to work with the top guys and maybe even help the younger ones improve their game and move up the ladder.'

www.impactwrestling.com

By Phil Allely

---

Phil Alle

TNA Pics Dublin January 2013

DVD Review: TNA – Turning Point 2012

DVD Review: TNA – Turning Point 2012

TNA's Turning Point DVD was another fine offering from the company. We have already reviewed the live PPV, but now you can own this show on DVD too.

Turning Point 2012 saw the Aces & Eights storyline picking up speed and it also presented us with a number of above par match-ups. Jeff Hardy versus Austin Aries for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was a riveting and intense brawl. It was also fought under 'Ladder Match' rules.

Devon's battle with Kurt Angle was reasonable and of course helped move the Aces along too. Yes Kurt should be slowing down, but he can still move when he wants to. Devon still has a lot to offer TNA too.

The number 1 contender encounter (for a shot at the World Title) gave Bobby Roode, AJ Styles and James Storm the chance to hog the limelight and showcase their style, talents and adaptability.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez were on fine form in their match against Kazarian and Daniels. As far as Tag Team Title matches go this was well above our expectations. Chavo and Hernandez especially looked well as a unit.

Elsewhere Joseph Park took on D.O.C. Rob Van Dam defended his X Division Championship, Tara and Jessie fended off the mighty combo of ODB and Eric Young in a fun mixed tag scrap, and Samoa Joe faced his former tag team partner, with his TV belt at stake.

On the extras front we get the Before The Bell Turning Point special, music video and some post-match interviews.

TNA: Turning Point is available now. On two disc DVD.

Www.clearvision.co.uk

www.impactwrestling.com

RRP £14.99

By Phil Allely

TNA Turning Point 2012 Review

TNA Turning Point 2012

by Phil Allely

Jeff Hardy retained his prized gold in the main event of TNA's Turning Point PPV and former champion James Storm saw his dreams come true as he netted a number one contenders spot for the belt.

TNA's Turning Point PPV continued the on-going storyline of the mysterious Aces & 8's members and their association with former Team 3D member Devon. We were also treated to a few key challenge matches and more, all of which gave fans the opportunity to join in the excitement of the ongoing storyline featuring the invading group.

TV Title holder Samoa Joe opened proceedings up with a successful title defence against his former pal Magnus. Brit Magnus is far better as a heel and his work against the talented pro Joe proved his worth here. After a few nice teases Joe nailed the submission win.

Although a very exceptional grappler Eric Young has seen his career lend itself towards the more comedic side of things. His partnership with ODB has made Impact Wrestling house shows an event to see. Here we were greeted by the combos of ODB/Young versus Tara/Jesse Godderz. This fun encounter ended with EY nailing a nice looking elbow drop to take the win for his team.

In a nice change of pace for a TNA PPV outside interference did not effect Rob Van Dam's successful defence of his X Division Title next. RVD and opponent Joey Ryan gave us all a fine example of how to construct a match without any interjections. Of course following Van Dam's bout winning 'five star frog splash' the champ was flattened by Ryan's associate Matt Morgan.

Ace's and 8's member Doc (a familiar shaped grappler to a former WWE one) tackled Joseph Park next in a match that needed Park to channel the aura of his brother Abyss. Park is a fun character, but he runs away from violence and Abyss does not, fans would appreciate a more violent approach to proceedings we are sure. Doc was well on form here and nailed a choke slam for the storyline efficient win.

With tag teams thin on the ground TNA's best duo (Kazarian/Daniels) faced new Tag Team Champs Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero in a reasonably paced scrap. The combo of Kaz/Daniels are well worth a viewing every time they appear. The union between big man Henandez and veteran Guerrreo have boded well here. The Mexicans pulling off the win with ease.

The TNA World Title scene took a new step when Austin won the belt. The fact that Jeff Hardy was able to wrestle the gold away from him meant that the roster were having ot be on top form to get a shot at the gold.

Next up we saw former champs AJ Styles, Bobby Roode and James Storm step in to the ring for a number one contenders match. Styles worked his socks off here, but still fell to a Storm 'superkick' the cowboy winning and netting himself a shot at the world champ.

Newly designated Sergeant at arms of the Aces and 8's Devon faced Kurt Angle in a decent match next. Angle was seeking revenge for his recent beat-down and Devon was asserting the power his associates have on TNA. As usual Angle made his opponent look a million dollars and gave Devon a fair amount of spots. Kurt did however lock in his patented ankle lock for the submission victory.

Ladder matches are a tough thing to consider (both as grappler and fan) the wrestler has to risk his body against the steel item and trust that his foe is as willing to do the same. Jeff Hardy and challenger Austin Aries are two prime examples of wrestlers who willingly give up their bodies for their art. This match was a by the book stroll through ladder match psychology and bouts of old. Hardy was back on form and Aries as always showed his true talent too, the ensuing match was a mixed bag if high-risk spots, near falls and much more.

Hardy grabbed the win by overcoming Aries to snag the belt.

TNA Turning Point 2012 was a fun outing for the company. The results may not have been ground breaking, but the results will shape the company for a while. James Storm will make a formidable world title chaser, Aries will be a great challenger and the Aces and 8's storyline seems to continue.

By Phil Allely

TNA Bound For Glory 2012 Review

TNA Review - Bound For Glory 2012 By Phil Allely TNA's annual PPV Bound For Glory is an event the entire roster and loyal fan base cannot wait to be a part of. This is the companies biggest event of the year it features a weekend full of fan interaction events and guest appearances by roster members old and new. This year BFG not only promised to deliver in the ring (Ace's &8's vs Bully Ray/Sting, Roode vs Storm, Hardy vs Aries), but also paid homage to the Icon Sting with the first TNA Hall of Fame induction. After a few sub par PPV's BFG really needed to deliver. The first surprise of the night came as Rob Van Dam prised the X Division Title from the grasp of Zema Ion. RVD as champ may well open up the recently lacking Division, which was once such a highlight of TNA Programming. Former tag team partners Magnus and Samoa Joe had a pretty decent scrap for Joe's TV Title next. Both traded near falls and high impact moves. However Brit Magnus failed in his quest, falling to a Joe choke-out. Surprisingly a match the magnitude of the Storm/Roode Streetfight was relegated to third of the night. The good news was that the pair really had their work boots on here and risked life and limb to put forth one hell of a match-up. Weapons we used frequently, blood flowed and special enforcer King Mo kept his distance, allowing the former best friends to pulverise each other in and out of the ring. The match ended with Storm's hand held high and Roode lying in pool of blood and thumbtacks. This was a feud that culminated perfectly (well done TNA). The Joey Ryan/Al Snow encounter had potential, but failed to ignite the crowd. Fortunately Snow producing his mannequin head and a surprise appearance by Matt Morgan brought them back on board. Ryan capitalised the interference to earn a TNA contract. Of the three thrown together teams in the Tag Team Title match (Styles/Angle, Kazarian/Daniels) the combo of Hernandez/Chavo may have the most potential. They do that old school thing of combining strength, speed and experience. Making their team a formidable one. The match was fun and well-paced. A criticism could be that there were too many men involved to allow them to fully showcase their wares. Hernandez/Chavo pulled off the win and won the tag gold with relative ease, following a 'border toss' 'frog splash' combo move. As revealed in a exclusive interview here the pair will now be in the sights of the team of Robbie's E & T. Former friends and knockout tag champions Tara and Miss Tessmacher faced off for Tessmacher's Knockouts Title next. As women's matches go this was above par and allowed each the chance to shine. Tessmacher is definitely improving with each outing and Tara can still work with the best of them. Tara's experience however came to the fore and allowed her to snag herself one more gold belt for her collection. Highly anticipated (due to the pacing of the storyline) was the Ace's & 8's versus Sting/Bully Ray match. With numbers changing weekly the members of the gang are unknown and rumours are rife as to who they will be, when finally revealed. This was a good old fashioned brawl, no finesse at all in the moves and it suited the ageing Stinger and rough-housing Ray to perfection. Sting and Ray fared well until the numbers game got the better of them. Joseph Park ran one off, but that could only delay the inevitable loss for the TNA team. Post-match the gang attacked our valiant losers, Hulk Hogan made a (slow) save and in the final shock of the night one of the gang was revealed to be the former Team 3D member Devon. Rightly in the main event spot was the World Heavyweight Title encounter between Champ Austin Aries and the back in form Jeff Hardy. This was a match to re-view a few times as moves came thick and fast, both men chose their spots and for the main hit them perfectly. Your reviewer does wonder what a match between an in his prime Hardy and Aries would have been like. The bout flew along at a decent rate and allowed both to take risks. The ending came as a total surprise to many, Aries losing his belt to a Hardy Swanton. BFG did exceed expectations, the clips of Sting's induction were nice to see. The title changes were mostly for the greater good of the company and the first Ace's & 8's reveal did throw many smart fans. The big thing is now to see how the company capitalise on these storyline twists and just what Matt Morgan meant when he said we was there to take out the roster. By Phil Allely www.impactwrestling.com

TNA Destination X 2012 Review

Destination X 2012 Review By Phil Allely Destination X is TNA’s annual homage to the sometimes overlooked, but exhilarating X Division. During the companies humble beginnings it was the high-flying roster members of this division who lit up arenas and made TNA a viable number two promotion in the US. This years event offered forth a great looking main event, an undercard focusing mainly on the X Division grapplers and a few surprises along the way. However the lack of big name draws and numerous little known wrestlers did mean some matches played to poor reception. Austin Aries vacated his X title to face World Champion Bobby Roode in the main event of the show and what a blistering encounter they put forth. Given Aries had already shown his mettle against larger foes such as Bully Ray, his tackling of the top company heel in Roode was a match to look forward to. Both men traded near falls and the advantage throughout, offering up a believable scrap where the finish could not be predicted. The end came as Roode pulled every dirty trick out of his bag (including a belt shot and referee bump), Aries nailed a nice ‘brain buster’ to score the shock win for his first TNA World Heavyweight Title. Elsewhere the show kicked off with the ‘X Division Tournament Last Chance Qualifier‘. Here Rubix, Mason Andrews, Lars Only and Dakota Darsow squared off for a spot in the next match and possible shot . at the vacant X gold later on the show. The spot-fest was quick and crowd-warming at best, which Andrews won after some reasonable exchanges. Kid Kash versus Andrews followed directly and built momentum up in the arena. Veteran Kash was on fine form, but fell to a roll-up. UK star Doug Williams fell to up and comer Kenny King in a reasonable match next. Former TNA wrestler Sonjay Dutt received a decent pop from fans as he beat Rashad Cameron. Dutt showed no signs of ring rust in this encounter. Zema Ion bested Flip Casanova in a far too quick match that did not highlight either mans skills. The Bound For Glory Series match between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe was a welcome addition to the card. The back and forth action livened up things nicely and worked well amongst their highflying peers matches. The finish came when Joe applied the ‘rear naked choke’ and Kurt passed, netting Joe 10 points for the win. Former buddies AJ Styles and Daniels’ ‘Last Man Standing’ encounter was a blinder, both men risking life and limb in and out of the ring. Interference by Kazarian couldn’t help his fellow tag Team Champion Daniels though as AJ hit a ‘Clash’ through a table to win. Ultimate X was, as expected, a flurry of high-risk moves, tope rope spots and much more as the steel structure ‘X ropes’ came into play. Zema Ion overcame Dutt (via hairspray assist) to grab the title belt. The main event bout between Roode and Aries rounded this hit and miss PPV off in style. Destination X was yet another event where the company showed its support for its younger roster members. The crowing of Austin Aries as champ will shake up the title picture, and the emphasis on the once winning formula of X Division performers worked very well indeed. With no sign of Hogan and many others, this was a night that belonged to the often neglected and yet so refreshing high-flying TNA stars. We all knew Slammiversary would be a hard act to follow and that an X Division heavy event would be a hot and cold affair. That said this was a decent offering from the always improving Impact Wrestling crew.

Austin Aries Interview Highlights

TNA X Division Champion Austin Aries Interview Highlights. TNA X Division Champion Austin Aries is set to face the company’s world Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode at the upcoming Destination X Pay-Per-View. This past week the much lauded highflyer took part in a conference call to discuss this match, his TNA career to date and much more. Here are the highlights from the many questions directed at A-Double. It seems your second run with TNA has really rejuvenated your career – how did it help you reset yourself emotionally and how would you compare the challenges of the last year to your first run with TNA? AA: I think that right before I came back to TNA I had made the decision to just sort of step away from wrestling. I really walked into it holding nothing back and let the chips fall where they fell. I think everything comes down to the right opportunity at the right time. Comparing my two runs in TNA is that maybe with my first run the time wasn’t right and on the second time I kinda feel like they’ve gave me some rope and they will either let me climb the ladder or hang myself: so far I’ve been climbing. You’ve reached the main event in such a short amount of time: how does it compare with what you expected when you re-signed? AA: When I walked in I didn’t really have any expectations, I just knew that I had to take everything one step at a time. This time I tried to have patience and just let my work speak for itself and let the opportunities present themselves then take advantage of them. I don’t think I would have seen myself in this position only a year after being with the company but I’ve always been confident in my ability and I belong at the top of the card. Are you surprised the fans have really embraced you? AA: I don’t really know as I’m sometimes a pretty polarizing figure, which has been said before about me, and I garner some reaction as at the end of the day that’s what we want, some sort of reaction. Negative or positive is good but if people are indifferent then they probably won’t spend money to see what you do. Facing off against a guy like Bobby Roode, who is universally disliked, makes it easier for people to get behind me. Could you give us any indication with how far you went with applying for the WWE programme Tough Enough? AA: I don’t think I want to get too much into that but basically it was just an audition for a television show. People seem to want to heap more meaning on it than what it really was. I was dealing with a talent agency and I wasn’t dealing directly with the company (WWE) as I would just go to auditions for acting, too, and I didn’t get them: it may not reflect you as an actor or in this case a wrestler. It was one of those things where they asked if I would mind having my name thrown in the hat and I felt I had nothing to lose but I certainly wasn’t pinning my hopes on it. As with any actor you go out for a lot of different roles and sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. You had left wrestling by the point you received the call from TNA: what made you decide to go back given the first run with them? AA: I was given a second chance and it was nice to have the opportunity to go back there. At that point it was a pay day and I didn’t have anything going on that week, so, why not? I had nothing to lose! Its well known you take a lot of pride in your performances but what pride have you had with previous championships you have won and may go onto win? AA: I don’t think everyone is equipped to win titles and with whatever championships I have held I like to think it was with a certain professionalism that makes people look at it and go “OK, this title has worth and means something.” I’ve had some big shoes to fill with belts in the past but all you can do is go out there and put your best foot forward. Plus every time you step out there make people feel like they are seeing the main event and hopefully we will do that at Destination X. I think Roode’s belt has a lot of worth right now and the X Division title does, too. If you do win the World Championship at Destination X would you compete in X Division style matches as World champ? Or decide to go after bigger men like Bully Ray? AA: I’ve always felt I would be comfortable in the ring with anybody, really. Whether it is a cruiserweight, a heavyweight, or a hard-hitting style. I bring my own style, a hybrid, of X Division wrestling to a match yet I have proved I can get in there with the Bully Rays, the Samoa Joes and now Bobby Roode. If I won the heavyweight championship the matches would be wrestled as Austin Aries style matches which I think is a win-win for everybody. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to break into wrestling given that TNA has started Gut Check? AA: The most important thing is where you will do your training; when you start I think you’re like an empty canvas so whatever you are told is going to stick. Biggest thing is go somewhere that has a good reputation and from there it’s all about how much you want to put into it. It’s a marathon not a sprint and if you look at the guys who have persisted over the decades you will see if you have talent you will be successful. What sort of interaction do you have with the Gut Check people? AA: I have known some of them previously so I am always willing to give 5 or 10 minutes of my time to talk wrestling and I always enjoy a good conversation about that subject. You have wrestled for over a decade for various companies which have allowed you to polish your act: how useful has that been in TNA? Is that an advantage over others? AA: I like to think that it is as a lot of guys who have success have honed their craft in a lot of different places. There is a certain experience level I think you will only get from working the indie scene. So I’m thankful for all the experience and different places I have been and different wrestlers and styles I’ve worked with. Now that IMPACT has gone live do you think that helps you think on your feet? AA: I think everybody amps it up another half a notch because were live. Not that we never did before as we all want to go out and be our most professional but now there is no safety net. I love being live and I hope it continues beyond summer as it’s a step in the right direction for TNA. Out of the current Ring of Honor roster who would you most like to see in TNA and wrestle against? Guys that come to mind are guys that I’ve trained with like Rhett Titus and Kenny King who I think are a great tag team. They’ve worked very hard to get to the point that they are at plus I helped train Rhett so there’s a little favouritism there. Another one of my trainee’s, Grizzly Redwood, I think would be a great addition to any roster as he’s a unique character that not a lot of guys in the business can fill that role and he’s a nice guy and a hard worker. So, right off the top of my mind those are the guys I’d go to bat for. Do you think anyone will better your X Division Championship for how long it lasted? AA: I don’t know it’s crazy when I start to think about how long I’ve had this thing. It’s unfortunate in terms of injuries and departures when it comes to numbers for more competition for me. I think that is something that will change which means any future X Division champ will have a hard time keeping the belt for as long and again “Option C” is that this belt will become a real hot commodity every time Destination X rolls around: everyone’s going to be gunning for this belt and it will have more importance that it does now. That will make it harder to keep around peoples waists. Could you tell us about your X title run? You beat the previous record for length set by Chris Daniels and now you’re vacating it: how does that feel instead of losing it? AA: Yeah it’s going to leave me with some bragging rights to say that no one beat me for the championship as I relinquished it which is pretty rare. That was an opportunity that was presented in front of me so to wrestle Roode at Destination X was something I had to seriously consider. I tried to make the best decision that would leave me in a better position as well as the championship. As far as being the longest reigning X Division Champion it’s pretty remarkable due to all the men who have held it over the years but when you look back say 5 years there really was a lot of competition and I came in just as they were rebooting the division. That gave me a leg up as I am a little more experienced and have a reputation before me and some of the guys I would have liked to face were either injured or not here. My run has done great things for me but I feel I have done all I can do with it and its time for me to step up. In your two runs with TNA are there any moments that stand out for you personally? AA: Honestly, that second time and securing the contract was a big moment for me: when I came back there were no promises. So winning that and the X title stand out but when I wrestle Roode at Destination X that will be the biggest. How does it feel to work alongside wrestling icons like Hulk Hogan and Sting? AA: It can be surreal at times if you let that inner child think about it. I told a friend last week the 10 year old me would be giddy if he knew Hulk Hogan was telling me how great I am in a wrestling ring. Guys like Hogan and Kurt Angle have done so much in this business and it means so much so when you get compliments off them because it means a lot more from them than from others. Now you are leaving the X Division do you feel TNA still need to put the division in main events and push it? AA: There will always be debate where the X Division should fit in the company if it’s meant to be a secondary or special attraction title. The important thing is to keep bringing strong talent in and if it remains a way for that talent to get a foot up the ladder I think the title will still be an important thing to the company. Is there another wrestler who you would like to see as ‘the face of the Division’? AA: Again, it’s injuries as I think Chris Sabin was ready to step things up when he got hurt. I think Jesse Sorensen was a guy on that same track till his injury so it’s left the division a little bit thin, more so with me stepping out. In the next couple of weeks you’re going to see a lot of new and old faces and I think that will make it exciting and hopefully a guy will step up to the plate much like I did a year ago. During that first TNA run you were attached to Kevin Nash who was seen as a hindrance for the X Division: what is your opinion of him? AA: For me, personally, I have nothing but fond memories of Kevin when we did the Paparazzi Productions thing. I think Kevin’s a really great guy, a smart business guy when it comes to what we do. I felt nothing but positive vibes from him, the other guys involved would agree. Those skits were one of the most fun things I have done in wrestling, just a bunch of guys going out and having fun. There was always this perception that Nash didn’t like smaller guys or he used the thing to better just himself but I never sensed that as I felt in a couple of situations he had our backs because he wanted the company to do the best they could for us. What’s your opinion on when you worked with Bully Ray? AA: I enjoyed it, I knew it would be a physical test, I knew it was going to be a mental test and I like to think I passed both of those. Bully Ray is not a guy who will blow smoke up your ass; he’s going to tell you exactly how it is. You know you will get an honest opinion with him and it was more important than anything that when we had that match I knew he had respect for me. I thought we had a great match, we pushed each other and the match was very entertaining. Do you have any special preparations before big matches? AA: Er, peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cup of coffee on the day? The flavours play off against each other really well. Probably go to the gym, a good stretch, nothing too special: I have a routine I stick to. With big matches it’s too easy to get too hyped too soon so the biggest thing is to remain loose and focus on what my job is. You’ve been critical of ROH, what is it about the company that changed to make you negative towards it? AA: I don’t want to really, erm, talk about other companies on this conference call. Let’s just say that the people who first ran that place once they left ROH it caused things to change. I think that the original vision and energy is not what it once was. If you look back at the different talents they once had you’ll just shake your head and say “Wow, they had a lot of talent, once!” but that energy and passion they had which was different from other companies is something I’m not sure still exists. There is a new emphasis on reality television in TNA: what are your thoughts on this? AA: It’s a slippery slope, you know, because there are elements of what we do that can have the curtain pulled back a bit and there are real life situations that if we wanted to do our fans would be interested but you only want to pull the curtain back so far. I think we will take it slow and not put a product out there that feels over produced. We want to feel that what comes out of a performer’s mouth is theirs and is real. Just let the talent shine, give them some instruction but let the talent fill in the blanks and with us trying to touch closer to home and reality I think people will appreciate it. How do you feel about the growing influence of social media websites? AA: Obviously it’s been huge as to how to stay connected with the world because of things like twitter, @AustinAries in case you’re interested, or facebook. I think we have to be careful not to rely on it too much, we want to keep fans in the loop but we want to make sure that with the fans who don’t use these things aren’t put off and make them feel they can still get involved. Do you feel your current run in TNA is vilification for those promoters who wouldn’t get behind you in the past? AA: I’m not going to say that I don’t walk around with a chip on my shoulder as I think I have my whole life but to be honest it’s nice to get an opportunity and feel your taking advantage of it. Maybe showing some people and places what you can do when given a chance and my second time in TNA has given me the chance to prove some of what I’ve said. If you’re not stirring the pot then you’re not doing something right. Would you tell us about your route into wrestling and training? AA: The things I learned the most was respect for the business and the basics. My trainers, Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox, were old school and very carnie. I got a glimpse of the old guard of wrestling so really what was hammered home was basics and respect. Those are the two most important things to have a foundation to build on like a house and if you don’t have them the house collapses. Who influenced your work? AA: Jerry Lynn comes to mind and Sean Waltman. Small wrestlers and I grew up watching Crockett Promotions so they influenced me like the Horsemen who were on there. Later you have the Eddie Guerreros and Dean Malenkos, guys that were believable as they were guys that did it with conviction. How important do you think it is to do PPV’s internationally? AA: It’s been talked about; the live shows in England are just amazing with the energy. As part of our growth it is certainly something we want to explore and should do. Other than your match what are you looking forward to at Destination X? AA: Well other than my match I say my match! AJ vs. Daniels in Last Man Standing: I don’t see how that can’t be good. Then obviously crowning a new X Division champion, which will be a big moment. The whole card will be great from top to bottom, especially the top. Are you tired of Orlando? AA: I’m not tired, its only 90 minutes way from my home which is nice but for growth we should take it on the road. But to take us on the road is the next step to a company that will grow in the eyes of the fans. You have headlined shows elsewhere so what does it mean to you to main event your first TNA PPV? AA: To make that leap from not having a job here a year ago to main eventing a pay-per-view it a great feeling. I have main evented over the years so it’s the same mindset just a few more eyes and cameras watching. I’m looking forward to wrestling a guy the calibre of Bobby Roode and it’s my chance to shut up or put up. Austin Aries wrestles TNA World Champion Booby Roode live at the Destination X PPV on July 8th in the U.S. Destination X is on Challenge TV on Wednesday July 11th at 10pm. www.impactwrestling.com By Phil Allely

X Division gets new blood

TNA Hype X Division Revival


By Phil Allely



After the success of its Destination X pay-per-view TNA (Impact Wrestling) have made the official announcement that Austin Aries signing as new roster member is the first of many to reinvigorate the faltering X Division.



Aries will offically join TNA this week after winning a hard fought four-way match against Low Ki, Zema Ion and Jack Evans at the PPV.



TNA Vice president of Talent Relations Bruce Pritchard is stated as saying that 'yes the fans did chant sign them all. But Austin's unique style and intensity will be a great addition to the X Division. He brings an arrogance and a confidence, backed by tremendous pyhsical ability. Based on the various X Division performances throughout qualifying events on Impact Wrestling and the outstanding Destination X event we (TNA) will be signing new additions to the X Division roster in coming weeks. Our goal now is to reinvent and redefine the X Division as something unique to all of pro wrestling.'





The X Division was once the jewel in the crown of TNA and maybe now the opportunity has arisen to see it do so again. The success of Destination X and the enthusaism of the wrestlers involed may just have helped the talented performers involed get the recognition they so rightly deserve.