Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with former WWE Superstar Kurt Angle as he prepares to retire from TNA

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with Olympic gold medalist and former WWE and TNA Superstar, Kurt Angle. In addition to getting Angle’s thoughts on TNA’s move to Pop TV, RRR asks Angle about his upcoming retirement from Impact Wrestling, possibly returning to WWE or NXT, his dream matches in pro wrestling, and more. You can listen to this entire interview on the YouTube link below or continue past to read the interview here.

Ring Rust Radio: TNA has been making headlines with the move of Impact Wrestling to Pop TV and a new set of tapings at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. What do you think of Impact’s move to Pop TV?

Kurt Angle: This is all new territory for us. Getting into another network, this will be our third in three years. Hopefully it works out and it builds something long term. It is a new network and we are excited for it. I want to be able to sit back and see how it goes.

Ring Rust Radio: Who do you think will win the World Title Series in Bethlehem?

Kurt Angle: I think it will be Bobby Lashley. As far as pro wrestler and fighter goes, he is a beast. He has just a little bit better everything than anyone else. He really is a super athlete, so I always pick him to be the favorite.

Ring Rust Radio: You recently announced your retirement from Impact Wrestling following the company’s tour in the United Kingdom this January. What went into your decision and why did you feel like now was the right time to step away?

Kurt Angle: It was just the best time for me to step away. With me being able to be home a lot more this past year it helped me see what was more important to me, and that’s family. I thought it was a good move on both parts and we are both comfortable with each other.

Ring Rust Radio: You’ve pretty much seen and done it all over the course of your career, but is there anything that you still want to accomplish as a professional wrestler, or do you have any regrets or anything you would have done differently in your career?

Kurt Angle: As far as my wrestling career, I would say no. I did everything I wanted to and it was a fun ride. I never knew how good I was going to become or the status I would achieve, it didn’t really matter to me and I just enjoyed it. It was a fun ride with no regrets and was as good as it could have gone.

Ring Rust Radio: You've recently mentioned that you consider your TNA run better than your WWE run. I respectfully disagree and a much reason for that is because of the entertaining moments you brought outside of the ring early in your career. I was a huge fan of the work you did with Taz, Chris Jericho and Bob Backlund to name a few. I still think it was Essa Rios that ran down Stone Cold. When you were first starting out, do you recall thinking or knowing you would be able to nail that aspect of being a pro wrestler?

Kurt Angle: No, it wasn’t like I was being trained to become that super pro wrestler. I never went over promos or practiced them, it was one of those things that you either have it or you don’t. If you have it, you’re going to be able to do that more often and be a more character driven wrestler than an actual wrestling wrestler. When you have that it’s a positive for sure. Pro wrestling is real difficult, so anyone that knows how to be a decent pro wrestler, they get that other aspect of wrestling like promo skills and stuff. Then they combine that with their athletic ability and they can go really far.

Ring Rust Radio: You have confirmed in past interviews there were discussions with WWE about a possible return, but things fell through. Why do you think the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement and would you be open in the future to a part-time run in WWE?

Kurt Angle: Right now, I am not thinking that far into it. If I feel good after I take my time off, I might want to continue wrestling. That’s why I didn’t say I was retiring from wrestling for good. It was just the last matches I had under contract with TNA. It’s more of a TNA retirement thing rather than anything else. I’m enjoying everything about retirement right now.

Ring Rust Radio: During your recent Q&A tour you mentioned potentially competing at WrestleMania 33, but are you optimistic that another WrestleMania match is a legitimate possibility? How likely do you think it is that it ultimately comes to fruition?

Kurt Angle: I don’t know to be honest. It all depends on how I feel about the situation. Is there a possibility that there will be a meeting in the future? Yes, I’m not counting it out. I think anybody in pro wrestling wouldn’t mind their last match being at WrestleMania.

Ring Rust Radio: A lot of former TNA talent has turned up in NXT as of late such as Samoa Joe and James Storm. If there was no interest on WWE’s part in a main-roster run, but they offered you a spot in NXT, how would you react to that? Is it something that would interest you?

Kurt Angle: No. With all due respect, the talent on the NXT roster is phenomenal. They are doing something right down there as far as getting talent ready. I just don’t think it would be worth it for either side to have me go down there and work on NXT. Not saying I wouldn’t do it, but it is considered the WWE minor league. With that in mind, I think anybody would feel the same way about it.

Ring Rust Radio: If WWE doesn't bring you in for WrestleMania 33 or another run in general, do you think there will be a void left in your career by not coming back full circle?

Kurt Angle: No, absolutely not. I have done it all from WWE to TNA to stuff over in Japan. I enjoyed it and every aspect of my career. It’s just the way the cards fell and right now I needed to get out for my own health. I don’t regret it because I had a lot of fun in TNA and both companies had been really great to me.

Ring Rust Radio: Daniel Bryan is a guy who you’ve mentioned wanting to work with before your career officially comes to a close. Why is that such an attractive matchup to you, and who are some others that you wouldn’t mind competing with before it’s all said and done?

Kurt Angle: Daniel has the rare gift of not just being an incredible wrestler and underdog, but fans flock to him very quickly. It is all about the wrestling ability and he is the very best today. It’s what he brings to the table and that’s a lot of fans. You want a match like that when it attracts a lot of interest and excitement and makes fans choose one way or another.

Ring Rust Radio: Daniel Bryan is certainly the ultimate dream match from today's current wrestlers, but my all-time dream match would be to see you against Bret Hart. Is there somebody in history you've never wrestled, but wish you could?

Kurt Angle: You said his name. We were so close to doing it. We had talked about his return in WWE, but ultimately we just couldn’t make it happen. I understand why Bret took the match the following year with Vince at WrestleMania. I was a little bit offended, but when I talked to him he told me, “Kurt, I didn’t wrestle Vince that night. If I can’t go out there and put on the Bret Hart performance that I know I can, then I’m just not going to do it.” I respected his decision for not wanting to after that. It made me understand that he had been through hell from the head injury to the stroke, he just can’t do it anymore the way he wants to do it. If he can’t be at that Bret level, he just isn’t going to do it.

Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interivew with TNA tag team champions The Wolves, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to speak with TNA Tag Team Champions The Wolves, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards! With The Wolves both entered in TNA’s World Title Series, Ring Rust Radio asks the team about facing each other, working with Ring of Honor, trying out for NXT, the future of TNA and more. You can listen to the entire interview on the YouTube link below or continue past to read the interview here.

Ring Rust Radio: On this week’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling, fans will witness The Wolves going head-to-head in a singles match in the World Title Series. As friends and teammates, what’s it like going to battle against each other and will you be able to go all-out against a friend?

Davey: We have done it before plenty of times and I am sure we will do it plenty of times. It’s all in the spirit of competition and there is a strong, mutual respect between us. At the end of the day, both of us want to be the best and there can be only one winner. So I look forward to it and it will be a great match.

Eddie: We bring out the absolute best in each other and I know Davey does for me. Anything less than my best won’t get it done against an athlete like Davey. It’s going to be hard hitting, intense, and we’re going to leave it all out in the ring.

Ring Rust Radio: The Wolves are obviously one of the premier tag teams in wrestling right now, but as experts in tag team wrestling, what are some other teams out there either in TNA or other companies that you guys believe are among the best, and would like to maybe go up against at some point?

Davey: I think tag wrestling is so good right now that it makes it a hard question to ask right now. I think the Young Bucks are great, reDRagon is great, and the Heat Seekers from North Carolina are great. There are a lot of teams from all over that are great and we enjoy wrestling them all and we would like to wrestle them again.

Eddie: I think a lot of fans would like to see us go against either the Bucks or reDRagon. Then there is the Killer Elite Squad over in Japan and the Time Splitters. Basically the best teams in the world are the ones we want to face, and that’s what the fans want to see too.

Ring Rust Radio: While many fans know you as tag team performers, both of you found legitimate success as singles competitors during your time with Ring of Honor. Do you ever get the itch to make another run on your own or do you see yourself as exclusively tag team partners?

Davey: We always have wanted to have success in the singles competition. When we talk about how we want to be X-Division Champion and World Champion, yes we both do but it’s never in lieu of the tag team. The tag team always comes first. It’s like a very successful band and members of it want to create solo albums. They obviously want their solo albums to do well, but they don’t want them to break up the band. The Wolves always come first and foremost and always will, but if we can have some singles success we would welcome it.

Eddie: We are both competitors and we want to be the best out there. Like Davey said, it’s not in spite of the tag team and the team always comes first. We discuss everything first, it’s always team, team, team. If we get the opportunity to show off in the singles then we take the advantage.

Ring Rust Radio: Before coming to TNA, you guys had a ton of success in ROH both as individuals and as a team. A lot of comparisons get thrown around between TNA and ROH nowadays since they’re both on Destination America, but having been key players in both companies, what would you say are some of the biggest differences between them?

Davey: ROH is more geared to a live experience wrestling type of product. They have a lot of younger guys who are up and coming and trying to make their name which is awesome. TNA is more of a TV product with a lot of guys that are around and made their names elsewhere and a lot more experience. It is a different flavor than what ROH brings so it’s a good one two combo with two companies that offer something unique and are unique in what they do.

Eddie: With ROH, you are going to have those longer matches that you won’t see week to week on TNA. Styles wise, TNA is quicker and flashier where ROH is more hard-hitting. You can’t go wrong with either one so for wrestling fans in general just watch them both.

Ring Rust Radio: Before you made the jump to TNA, you had a tryout with WWE’s NXT. What was that experience like for you, and would you ever consider going back in the future?

Davey: It was great! They treated us really well there. It was long days but very enjoyable days. Everything they said they were going to do they did do and they were very respectful. The facility there is absolutely amazing and we got to work with Dusty Rhodes at the time. We would definitely entertain the thought of going back there but we are very happy with TNA so I don’t see any reason to leave at this time.

Eddie: They treated us great and it was a great experience to see how it works down there. It was something cool and I say never say never but right now TNA is where it’s at.

Ring Rust Radio: There’s constantly speculation regarding TNA and its future out there on the Internet, so for you guys, who are two of the top stars in the company and two of the most accomplished wrestlers in the locker room, how do you handle all the rumors? What kind of impact, if any, do they have one you?

Davey: Eddie and I have an agreement that we stay as far away from drama and rumors as we can. We focus on how we can make our team better from upgrading our look and Eddie making leaps and bounds over his physical appearance since we joined TNA. We have only gotten better at wrestling so we don’t concern ourselves with gossip and rumors. They have always treated us well and all we focus on is wrestling.

Eddie: We don’t focus on behind the scenes or in the office, were not worried about that. Our job is to go out there, perform in the ring, and that’s it. We do that each and every week.

Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with TNA Impact star and former X Division Champion Kenny King

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently had the chance to interview TNA Impact star and former X Division Champion Kenny King. With Impact’s recent move to Wednesday night’s, Ring Rust talked to King about the move, Ring of Honor’s move to Destination America, the X Division, his time in Tough Enough and a lot more. Check out this exclusive interview below!

Ring Rust Radio: Impact Wrestling made the move to Wednesday nights starting last week and can be seen every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. While you are one of the best parts of the show each week, the decision was made for you to drop the X-Division Championship. What do you think about TNA’s move to Wednesdays and when can the fans expect to have Kenny King holding gold again?

Kenny King: Well I think Wednesday nights are a good night for wrestling now with everything going on.  Now we have Impact and Ring of Honor, and that gives you three hours of wrestling you actually want to watch.  As far as getting my belt back, this Wednesday at Destination X, I get my shot and we will see what happens.

RRR: Right now, it seems like every wrestling fan is talking about Ring of Honor’s move to Destination America as a lead-in for Impact Wrestling, and there’s a lot of differing opinions about what it means for both companies. Firstly, what was your reaction when the ROH was initially announced? How surprised were you? And also, do you view it as a positive or negative situation from TNA’s perspective?

King: I’m a pro-wrestler and that’s how I make my money and I am also a fan of the wrestling business.  Ring of Honor being viewed as being good enough to share the national spotlight with another company that’s really good for wrestling.  It’s not a product that I’m unfamiliar with and the quality is unquestionable – it’s Ring of Honor.  It’s hard to see it as a negative when it means there’s more places for guys to work and get exposure for guys that are really good. 

RRR: You've been one of the most consistent and entertaining wrestlers not just in TNA, but in the industry for the past couple of years. We've been calling for you to join the World Championship scene for many months now, but you've been on the outside looking in. Is there anything in particular you think is holding you back from breaking through the glass ceiling?

King: I think it comes down to timing and everything has to be right.  I am my number one fan and I would have told you that I’m ready for a title shot that day, but it might not have been the right timing.  Whenever it is my time I grab it and I run with it.  The thing you can say about TNA is it’s not the old guard anymore.  The push to the top is there for guys who are ready and able to do it versus just name recognition.  

RRR: There was some controversy surrounding your move from Ring of Honor to TNA. Looking back now, you made the right decision jumping to Impact Wrestling. What was your thought process making the transition and are there any hard feelings left between you and Ring of Honor?

King: The reason it got blown out of proportion was because of one person who took it personally.  I never, ever treated Ring of Honor any negative way.  The people that matter then and do matter now in Ring of Honor I have nothing but love for ‘em.  I still love that company and have nothing against Ring of Honor at all.

RRR: One of the biggest reasons why TNA became so popular initially was the fact that it set itself apart from other promotions with the X-Division. I think most would probably agree that the X-Division has had its ups and downs in recent years in terms of how much emphasis TNA’s place on it. How would you describe the current state of the X-Division, and what do you think can or should be done to improve it?

King: Well, there’s times when the division takes the forefront and then there’s times when the guys stories can go slow.  It’s kinda of one of those things where you look at the original logo for TNA is built on the X division.  It’s one of the reasons TNA’s identity is tied with the X division.  The fact that any given day you can put X division guys, any two of us, and give us 15-20 minutes you will get a main event quality match.  That’s a testament to how strong it is and that it will always be there.  Destination X is always a good time of year because it reminds everyone that we are amongst the best in the world in that style.

RRR: Last year, you took your character into a new direction with the King of the Night moniker. I think a lot of people to say the past year has been some of the best work of your career. What goes into the decision to change your character? How do you know when the time is right and how much planning is involved to switch things up?

King: Funny thing is I wanted to come into Impact Wrestling with that King of the Knight gimmick.  They didn’t think it was right at that time and said I could pull it out later.  Hopefully King of the Night is a way to reintroduce me back to the fans.  The direction that it took organically with Bobby Lashley and myself showed why the gimmick worked. 

RRR: You were one of the finalists on the second season of WWE’s Tough Enough. With the return of that program, what did that experience teach you and would you like to see TNA do something along those lines, possibly an American version of British Boot Camp?

King: I was just gonna say don’t sleep on British Boot Camp now.  Tough Enough was my entrance into professional wrestling and it’s really what made me love it and want to stay.  I think it’s a great opportunity for wrestlers and to help get eyes looking at you.  It gives you’re the opportunity to start in the middle versus to where guys start at the very end.  I would love to see a Boot Camp version of that and get some trainers on there with some experience.

RRR: Most fans know that you got your start in wrestling as part of Tough Enough, but you also underwent some additional training after that and one of your trainers was former AWA world champion Nick Bockwinkel. What were your interactions like with him and what are some things you might have learned from him that you’ve implemented into your game over the years?

King: I can tell you this, it’s a compliment saying some of my work this year is my best ever and that is a testament to Nick Bockwinkel.  Nick would come in on Thursday nights, sometimes Fridays, and we would work on promos and learning and understanding your character.  You would cut your promo, Nick would watch it, then he would tell you it sucked.  After that you would do it again, and again, until it was right.  He really was all about practice makes perfect.  I don’t know where I would be without Nick Bockwinkel.

Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with former WWE and current TNA star Jeff Hardy

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – were recently able to interview for WWE and current TNA star Jeff Hardy. With Hardy returning to Impact Wrestling after missing several weeks because of an injury, Hardy looks to get revenge on James Storm as well as discussing the resurgence of tag team wrestling and the future of the Hardy Boys as a team in TNA.

Donald Wood: You make your return to Impact Wrestling Friday night at 9 p.m. on Destination America when you square off against James Storm in a Six Sides of Steel match. Are there any reservations for you in a match this dangerous after you suffered your most recent injury in a similar bout?

Jeff Hardy: None. With this one there is actually a roof on the cage.  It’s kinda like the Lethal Lockdown match, I don’t know if you’re familiar with the Lockdown pay-per-views from the past, but there’s a top on this cage.  So there is no escape whatsoever.  There are weapons hanging from the roof, we went in there and we tore it up as you will see this Friday.  The show is all about Hardy’s revenge.  I’ve been out for a month, James Storm knocked me out with the cowbell, I hit the stairs and was unconscious, and I get my revenge this Friday.

Mike Chiari: Your willingness to do high-risk spots and kind of throw caution to the wind is obviously a big reason why you became so popular in the first place. And you’re obviously still capable of doing those big spots as evidenced by falling on the steps against Storm, but as your career progresses do you have any thoughts of toning down your style, or do think that’s always going to be who you are as a performer?

Jeff Hardy: It’s always how I’m gonna be till I can’t do it anymore.  It’s kinda of a day by day, match by match process with me.  I’m pretty sure I know what my body is capable of doing and getting away with without getting seriously injured.  That’s the main thing is to avoid that big, serious injury.  I feel confident in whatever I come up with in my mind that I can pull it off.  I always go for it unless someone shuts me down.  As long as I am able to wrestle I will always be that Jeff Hardy style people know and love until I can’t.  

Brandon Galvin: Your fall onto the steel steps at Lockdown garnered mainstream attention, which s always a priority for any company, but how important is that for you as the performer knowing you created such a buzz for the product?

Jeff Hardy: It doesn’t even really matter to me.  Matt is more the social media guy.  He is the one that wants to get it everywhere.  I’m kinda stand behind the evolution of it all.  I don’t even tweet that much but I will tweet a picture after a match with my face paint and say thank you Orlando or wherever I am.  That’s really all I do, I’m pretty much an anti-social when it comes to that.  That stuff is more along Matt’s territory where he cares about all that stuff and I really don’t care about the impact it makes on others.  I just care if it was a great match and if the story is good.  This Friday on Impact at 9 p.m. on Destination America it is Hardy’s revenge.  You gotta tune in to check it out, I get so much revenge on him you just won’t know what to do.  It’s a great match, great show, and a flawless story.  TNA is doing great right now and we’re just gonna keep climbing. 

Donald Wood: While you are returning Friday to square off against Storm in a singles match, you are still very much part of The Hardys and the quest for tag team gold. You and your brother have yet to win the championships in TNA. What would winning the titles mean for you as an individual and as part of The Hardy Boys legacy?

Jeff Hardy: It’s all about the collection you know?  It’s something to add to the collection and naturally as a pro-wrestler you want to every title you possibly can.  From the lightweight championship, tag team championship, US title, intercontinental title, world heavyweight championship which is the metaphorical brass ring to grab they say.  Naturally you want to win them all to add to your collection.  To look back on your career and say that you did that, that is something Matt and I haven’t done yet.  We have had some killer matches in TNA with the Wolves, Team 3D, and we are going to continue to have those matches until we win those World titles.  It’s inevitable that we are and I am looking forward to it.   

Mike Chiari: You and Matt getting back together as a team is something that I think a lot of fans have enjoyed, especially since you’ve gotten to mix it up with some of the up-and-coming teams like The Wolves. The Hardys were instrumental in the resurgence of tag team wrestling in the late-1990s, so do you and Matt kind of view your reunion as an opportunity to do that again and restore the importance tag team wrestling?

Jeff Hardy: Kind of yea, I would think so.  I was always a believer of tag team ranks could be just as important as the world championship and singles matches.  I think we could see that down the road in some company where the world tag team titles are more important than the world heavyweight title.  Back in the day when we were just the Hardy Boyz before we went our solo ways, we just went out there and had the greatest matches ever.  We wanted to steal the show every night and I feel that way now with Matt every time we get together and have a match.  I always want to mention the Young Bucks, cause we have wrestled them several times and it is a blast getting together with those guys.  We always put together killer matches and tear it up.  This weekend we are wrestling RVD and Sabu at WrestleCon out on the West coast.  That will be another dream match for sure.  It’s just so cool later in life, especially with what I have been through and what Matt has been through, and to come out of the dark times on such a good note and be better than we ever have been in the ring at this age.  It’s a good feeling, and therefore the future is limitless as to what we can do and accomplish.

Brandon Galvin: As far as years in the business, you're one of the most experienced wrestlers at TNA. Do younger wrestlers come to you for advice and do you view yourself as a leader in TNA's locker room?

Jeff Hardy: I never view myself as a leader.  I compliment people when I see something I really like and tell them that was good, keep doing what you’re doing.  That’s as much as advice as you will get out of me.  Matt is more that trainer to help a young star be better.  If he ever opens a school I might pop in and my big claim to fame is selling and how to take a good butt whooping.  I never saw myself as a leader but Matt definitely is that guy.

Donald Wood: At the end of last month, you became the first OMEGA Heavyweight Champion since 2000. With so much family influence on this independent promotion, what has it been like creating something new and unique in the business?

Jeff Hardy: It’s extremely cool.  To capitalize on that like Shane Helms the Hurricane has, all the power and weight behind those shows and everything it takes to pull those off.  He was hanging at my house one weekend and we watched a show where the Hardy Boyz wrestled the Briscoe Brothers.  Just from beginning to end it was such a good show and all I could say was wow.  It was pay-per-view worthy and it was just a match at a high school.  All the way through it was built and built until the main event perfectly.  Now the possibilities are endless especially now that I have this alter ego Willow.  Now when I have these crazy ideas I run them by Shane and he says, “Oh wow, yeah that is cool.”  It’s a new day in pro-wrestling and with Omega we can and we will pull of anything.  Down the road with Jeff Hardy and Willow you are going to see some really cool, I almost want to say magic-like and special setups for some alter ego Willow stuff going on with Omega.   

Mike Chiari: Sting is a guy who you worked with pretty extensively during his time in TNA, and one of the biggest stories in professional wrestling right now is Sting making his WrestleMania debut on Sunday. What were you able to learn or pick up from Sting when you worked together, and how do you think he’ll perform on the big stage?

Jeff Hardy: I think it’s overdue and about time he gets that WrestleMania moment because he deserves it.  I saw the Wyatt promo on Raw, which I loved, then I saw the whole Vigilante vs. King promo for Triple H and Sting’s match.  I got goosebumps from it, I wasn’t even a wrestler at that point I’m just a fan.  Sting was one of my first and biggest influences.  One night in North Carolina when I reached out and touched his shoulder, he had the face paint on, and I didn’t know why but I loved it.  I wanted to be just like him and I was only 11 years old.  Now that he is going to be in a match at WrestleMania blows my mind.  I can’t wait to see how it turns out but I know it will be great I am sure.  Every time I was in the ring with him it was just a blessing for me to be in there with a role model and a guy I looked up to so much.  I can’t wait to see his moment in WrestleMania.

Brandon Galvin: Throughout your career you've competed in some of the most high-risk and ground-breaking matches. TNA is often looking to try new types of matches. Is there a different variation or completely new type of stipulation that you think fans would want to see in TNA?

Jeff Hardy: Stipulation as in match wise?  There’s always room for that.  I have an idea but I haven’t pushed it yet.  I asked the guy in TNA that does the ring work if there was a way to spin the ring like WCW did back in the Universal days.  It would spin around so I got to thinking, and I asked if he could put a ring on a thing that would spin to make it go around and around, make it go faster and slow it down.  A rotating match to pull off in the future, where you start the match and at a certain time it’s going to start to rotate and go faster and faster.  If you could pull off spots while the ring is rotating would be awesome in itself.  Anything is possible if people are willing to attempt to pull it off and get over the fear of trying.  I’m willing to try anything.