Post by punksnotdead on Apr 19, 2012 10:31:38 GMT -5
I didn't see this posted yet, and since A Double is the man, and things are slow around here anyway, I figure what the hell:
Austin Aries is one of the most popular and gifted wrestlers in the industry today. Starting off his career in Ring of Honor alongside the likes of former WWE World Champion Daniel Bryan and current WWE Champion CM Punk, Aries became the first and so far only two-time ROH World champion.
The 34-year-old is currently enjoying his second spell with TNA and is enjoying his successful run as the longest reigning X-Division Champion in the company's history, holding the title for more than 215 days.
We caught up with Austin to talk about his X-Division reign, working with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, and TNA's Lockdown PPV.
Q. You have become the longest reigning X-Division champion in TNA history, what an achievement.
You're correct, reading the internet and Wikipedia is serving you well, but what it fails to mention is that I'm also the girthest X-Division champion in the history of TNA, not just the longest.
Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?
It began in 2000 when I started training with Eddie Sharkey in Minneapolis, four days a week, four hours a day in a little ring. I was always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, paying my dues and that is where the road to greatness started.
Q. When growing up, who were some of the wrestlers that inspired you to get into the sport?
I grew up watching a lot of the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions, so enjoyed watching the likes of the Four Horsemen, Rock 'n' Roll Express, Midnight Express and Dusty Rhodes. That whole generation was pretty much what inspired me to get into the sport.
Q. As well as TNA you have also enjoyed success in Ring of Honor and have been in the ring with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan - what was it like wrestling both of those guys?
It's always great when you get to wrestle guys that are on the same level as you. Whenever I got in the ring with either of those guys we would always go out there and put on great matches.
From a professional stand point it's nice to see guys that have a real passion for what we do having such great success. It goes to show what a huge success Ring of Honor was, to have CM Punk as the WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan as the former World Champion in WWE and myself as the longest reigning TNA X-Division Champion.
Q. What do you make of the current state of ROH?
I'll be really honest with you, the Ring of Honor today is not anything like the Ring of Honor that the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and myself came from. Obviously they are still operating under the same name, but the company has changed so much over the years and it's really a shell of it's former self in terms of the vision and thought process. The original Ring of Honor and the Ring of Honor today are two completely different things, I like to call it Smokey Mountain of Honor.
Q. Both TNA and ROH are celebrating ten years this year, but how far behind is ROH from TNA?
A couple of thousand dollars behind, there is no money in Ring of Honor, and that means they will only be able to secure talent for a certain amount of time before they move somewhere else.
Q. You've had many great matches, is there anyone that you would like to get in the ring with?
I would love to get in the ring with Bobby Roode because he is the World Champion and that would be good. World Champion versus X-Division Champion. I would love to add another title to my collection. Some other guys I would love to have matches with include Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and obviously AJ Styles. Many people say AJ is the best X-Division Champion and I would like to put that to the test.
Q. You are currently one of the hottest stars in TNA, what do you make of the crowd reaction you are getting?
People use all these terms like heel and face, but to be honest with you I'm not really sure what they mean. I just go out there and be myself, people are either going to like it or they're not, but what I do know is that I will always get a reaction and really that's all I can ask for. I want the fans to care and I don't mind if they care in a positive manner or if they care in a negative manner, as long as they care, because that means they will take out their wallets and pay to watch me do what I do.
Q. TNA and Vince Russo recently parted company, what did you make of Vince?
I don't really have any thoughts on the situation. There's lots of chefs in the kitchen, I'm given the recipe from those guys and I just go out there and cook up some greatness. I never really had many major issues with Vince Russo one way or the other and didn't really react with him a whole lot, but hopefully he is happy in what ever he is doing now and I know TNA will keep doing what we do.
Q. Are you looking forward to the Lockdown PPV? And what can fans expect?
First off all fans tuning in to Lockdown can expect to see every match in a steel cage. As for myself I'm no stranger to a cage and I've been in some high profile cage matches during my career and I've always managed to come out on top and I don't expect this to be any different.
The 34-year-old is currently enjoying his second spell with TNA and is enjoying his successful run as the longest reigning X-Division Champion in the company's history, holding the title for more than 215 days.
We caught up with Austin to talk about his X-Division reign, working with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, and TNA's Lockdown PPV.
Q. You have become the longest reigning X-Division champion in TNA history, what an achievement.
You're correct, reading the internet and Wikipedia is serving you well, but what it fails to mention is that I'm also the girthest X-Division champion in the history of TNA, not just the longest.
Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?
It began in 2000 when I started training with Eddie Sharkey in Minneapolis, four days a week, four hours a day in a little ring. I was always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave, paying my dues and that is where the road to greatness started.
Q. When growing up, who were some of the wrestlers that inspired you to get into the sport?
I grew up watching a lot of the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions, so enjoyed watching the likes of the Four Horsemen, Rock 'n' Roll Express, Midnight Express and Dusty Rhodes. That whole generation was pretty much what inspired me to get into the sport.
Q. As well as TNA you have also enjoyed success in Ring of Honor and have been in the ring with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan - what was it like wrestling both of those guys?
It's always great when you get to wrestle guys that are on the same level as you. Whenever I got in the ring with either of those guys we would always go out there and put on great matches.
From a professional stand point it's nice to see guys that have a real passion for what we do having such great success. It goes to show what a huge success Ring of Honor was, to have CM Punk as the WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan as the former World Champion in WWE and myself as the longest reigning TNA X-Division Champion.
Q. What do you make of the current state of ROH?
I'll be really honest with you, the Ring of Honor today is not anything like the Ring of Honor that the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and myself came from. Obviously they are still operating under the same name, but the company has changed so much over the years and it's really a shell of it's former self in terms of the vision and thought process. The original Ring of Honor and the Ring of Honor today are two completely different things, I like to call it Smokey Mountain of Honor.
Q. Both TNA and ROH are celebrating ten years this year, but how far behind is ROH from TNA?
A couple of thousand dollars behind, there is no money in Ring of Honor, and that means they will only be able to secure talent for a certain amount of time before they move somewhere else.
Q. You've had many great matches, is there anyone that you would like to get in the ring with?
I would love to get in the ring with Bobby Roode because he is the World Champion and that would be good. World Champion versus X-Division Champion. I would love to add another title to my collection. Some other guys I would love to have matches with include Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy and obviously AJ Styles. Many people say AJ is the best X-Division Champion and I would like to put that to the test.
Q. You are currently one of the hottest stars in TNA, what do you make of the crowd reaction you are getting?
People use all these terms like heel and face, but to be honest with you I'm not really sure what they mean. I just go out there and be myself, people are either going to like it or they're not, but what I do know is that I will always get a reaction and really that's all I can ask for. I want the fans to care and I don't mind if they care in a positive manner or if they care in a negative manner, as long as they care, because that means they will take out their wallets and pay to watch me do what I do.
Q. TNA and Vince Russo recently parted company, what did you make of Vince?
I don't really have any thoughts on the situation. There's lots of chefs in the kitchen, I'm given the recipe from those guys and I just go out there and cook up some greatness. I never really had many major issues with Vince Russo one way or the other and didn't really react with him a whole lot, but hopefully he is happy in what ever he is doing now and I know TNA will keep doing what we do.
Q. Are you looking forward to the Lockdown PPV? And what can fans expect?
First off all fans tuning in to Lockdown can expect to see every match in a steel cage. As for myself I'm no stranger to a cage and I've been in some high profile cage matches during my career and I've always managed to come out on top and I don't expect this to be any different.
