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.

Ring of Honor coming to Destination America in June

Earlier today, Destination America announced that Ring of Honor would be coming to their network starting Wednesday, June 3 at 8 p.m. (which is next Wednesday if you weren't keeping track). It's hard to say what exactly this news means for TNA but in all likelihood, things are looking bleak.

Over the past week or so, rumors have been flying all over the internet about TNA being cancelled, though the exact reason for those rumors has been everything from Destination America simply not renewing Impact for another season to the network dropping TNA after president Dixie Carter accidentally emailed DA execs calling them "dummies." Like I said, who knows what the reason was behind the most current round of "TNA is cancelled" rumors but with the news that ROH is coming to the network, it sure seems like the sun is setting on TNA.

According to PWInsider, TNA held a talent conference call at 3 p.m. and while word of the exact proceedings of that call has yet to make it online, Twitter has been on fire with all sorts of indications of how dire the situation is for TNA at the moment.

That tweet is from MVP who posted a few other tweets obviously referencing the current circumstances of TNA but that was by far the most telling. MVP has been in or at least near the main event scene of TNA since coming into the company and now he's seeking bookings on Twitter? That doesn't seem like something a happy, content employee would do.

This next tweet is from Justin LaBar, a wrestling journalist, simply stating that TNA had many press interviews set up to promote Impact, TNA's weekly show, and abruptly cancelled ALL of them right after the ROH news broke. Maybe they're just doing damage control and trying to get all their workers on the same page in terms of what this means for TNA but on the other hand, it kinda seems like TNA isn't thinking long term anymore.

But enough about what this means for TNA - think about what this means for Ring of Honor.

ROH has been around a long time and has been consistently putting out one of the best overall wrestling products. The biggest stars in WWE right now all came from ROH (Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens) and ROH is experiencing one of the best periods in their history right now with their current partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Not to mention some great stories right now like Jay Briscoe's two-year unpinned streak, Jay Lethal holding every record for TV Title, their upcoming title for title match, The Kingdom and the Bullet Club feuding, the best tag team division in the world (The Addiction, reDRagon, War Machine, The Briscoes, The Young Bucks, etc) as well as talented up-and-comers like Moose, Donovan Dijak, Dalton Castle and more.

The move to Destination America means more viewership for ROH and will immensely help their PPV numbers going forward. And because ROH already produces a weekly show, which airs online and on Sinclair Broadcasting, the cost for Destination America should be relatively small compared to what they were spending on TNA.

Though we'll probably never see another Monday Night War, between NXT, Lucha Underground and now Ring of Honor all having Wednesday night shows, I'd say the Wednesday Night Wars have already begun.

Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with the newest TNA Impact wrestling star Drew Galloway

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – were recently able to interview the newest star on TNA Impact, Drew Galloway. The Scottish wrestler has made a huge splash on the independent wrestling scene and is one of the biggest acquisitions for TNA since he left WWE in 2014. Check out the interview below to read about Galloway’s thoughts on the professional wrestling industry, his hopes for his future in TNA, the new stable he’s leading and more.

Donald Wood: Arguably the biggest move TNA has made over the last year besides the jump to Destination America every Friday night at 9 p.m. was signing you. What was the decision process like signing with Impact Wrestling and what are your long-term goals with the company?

Drew Galloway: The process involved obviously talking with the bosses over there.  I was over in Scotland for a show, for a Scottish company ICW.  I spoke with them and initially I was a little apprehensive.  I wasn’t looking to get back on American TV so quickly to be honest.  I spoke with the bosses there and they told me the plan and I got excited about.  With Destination America deal and the opportunity to be a part of something on the ground floor and try to build it up, and the opportunity to just be myself.  Anything you see on TNA is me, that’s Drew Galloway 100 percent.  I’m talking as Drew Galloway, I’m wrestling as Drew Galloway, and it’s no gimmicks.  I get to just be a wrestler and be myself.  I’m getting the opportunity to do that with TNA and I couldn’t be any happier right now.

Mike Chiari: You worked almost exclusively as a heel during your time in WWE, but you’ve quickly become one of the most popular baby faces in TNA. What has that transition been like for you, and what is your preference between the two?

Drew Galloway: Honestly I don’t have a preference, I just kind of do my thing.  If you notice the way I wrestle, I do wrestle more like a heel even when I’m a face.  I just have a particular style like I’m a hybrid European/American with a little bit of strong style in there.  Honestly I don’t have a preference.  I legit wrestle how I wrestle.  If the fans are on board, they’re going to cheer, and if they aren’t digging it they are going to boo.  Either way I am having fun.  It’s weird to be cheered to be honest, I’m just used to being the bad guy.  The fans are digging what I am saying because everything I say is me, it’s not scripted.  It’s Drew Galloway speaking his mind and they feel the same way if they are getting behind it.  I want to say thank you to them for loving wrestling as much as I do. 

Brandon Galvin: You recently formed a stable known as The Rising with Eli Drake and Myka to go up against the Beat Down Clan. You’ve been part of stables before, but as the clear-cut leader of this one what are you hoping to accomplish and why do you feel like the three of you will have success as a unit in TNA?

Drew Galloway: Well the guys I joined up with are guys that feel the same way I do about wrestling.  They are really young, eager, and hungry.  Obviously Haku’s son is a great part of the group.  He’s got that family tradition and he loves wrestling more than anything.  Shaun Ricker is my third man there. He is a young kid that’s being trying hard to get a break and just hasn’t gotten the opportunity yet.  He has a great look and great passion.  These are a couple of guys I’m excited to be running with me.  Over the next couple of weeks, especially this Friday, you’re going to learn a little more about the group.  We are going to be tweeting out the live tweets during the show.  So if you are a fan out there, tweet what you’re thinking, tweet what you want, say anything in the world, and I have a hands on approach and I’ll make sure it gets on the show. It’s going to be an exciting few weeks coming up and you’re going to find out a lot about the Rising.

Donald Wood: After your departure from the WWE, you spent a lot of time getting back to your roots on the independent scene. How did working the indies influence your style now and did it help your confidence after being underutilized for so long?

Drew Galloway: Absolutely.  It was fun to do those lengthy matches once again.  When I got into wrestling, I wanted to, you know, wrestle.  I’m 29 years old, everyone seems to think I’m in my mid to late thirties just because I have been around for so long.  I started when I was 15, wrestled the indies for six years, I signed with the WWE when I was 21 and stayed there for eight years.  All I ever wanted to do was wrestle whenever I had the opportunity.  I did make a few bold statements initially when I was cut from the WWE on Chris Jericho’s podcast.  I told the world they never got to see the real me.  A lot of people believed in me and gave me opportunities and I was very lucky with the places I have been and the titles I’ve won.  I am currently holding five titles over three continents.  Luckily I am making a name for myself and people are believing in me and giving me that opportunity.  Places like TNA just giving Drew Galloway the chance to be Drew Galloway.

Mike Chiari: I think most fans expected you to become world champion in WWE because of your early success and because of the “Chosen One” moniker. It didn’t come to fruition, but what do you think you learned from that situation that might help you have success as a main event guy now and in the future?

Drew Galloway: Well obviously you can’t help but learn getting thrust into that position and that kind of opportunity.  Unfortunately, being so young and the circumstances and stories and whatever else, you think those work out but I obviously learned a great deal.  I have been wrestling for fourteen years now and I’ve had those big opportunities and had opportunities to show that side of my personality.  I even got to show the funnier side of my personality, so you know it was fun and I got the exposure from it.  Without the WWE and the exposure I never would have gotten my chance to get my name out there in the indies, get myself to where I got to, and get myself into TNA and show the world the real Drew.  I can’t be anything but thankful for that and now I am in my prime:  I am 29 and I am ready to rock and the main event is the only place I’m going to be.    

Brandon Galvin: You've played several types of characters during your career. Do you enjoy the challenge of trying to adjust to a new role, or do you prefer to stick to one character and see it through?

Drew Galloway: I would say the real answer is I prefer to be myself, I think that’s the most successful character.  It’s a challenge but it can be fun playing a character.  I played two completely different characters in the WWE and they were both night and day.  Some of that is fun doing it on such a big stage, but honestly to be myself is the ultimate for me.  The most successful characters were just extensions of people’s personalities.  In this case it’s not an extension of my personality, it’s loud and it’s passionate but that’s just me.  You hear me right now, I literally just finished a match.  I’m all amped up, I’m starting to fire off, my accent comes out, I probably talk too quick, but I can’t help it I just love this so much.  That’s not a character, that’s Drew Galloway, and he is a wrestling geek, and the ultimate smart mark.   

Donald Wood: You talk about TNA and how they utilize you, and so far you have been utilized very well.  Talking about the World title, is winning the World title your ultimate goal in TNA and how long do you think it’s going to be until you’re in contention for it?

Drew Galloway: Well, if you’re not hoping to win the World title than you’re out of your mind.  That is the prize and that is the goal.  Kurt Angle currently has it and I’m very excited for the chance and opportunity to wrestle Kurt.  That’s somebody I grew up watching and every time he came on the TV I was very, very excited to watch.  The idea and the possibility to wrestle Kurt Angle for the World title, I mean, holy crap.  Would you guys think if you were in a position to potentially get that opportunity would it be the dream right now?  I’m going to keep working my arse off until I get there.  I would be the busiest wrestler in the world.  I was in Australia ten days ago, then I was in Tampa, San Jose, Scotland, London yesterday, and Belfast tonight.  I am the world’s busiest wrestler and I’m going to keep busting my arse till I get my hands on that TNA World title.

Mike Chiari: Since coming to TNA your message has been that you’re representing the wrestling fans and what they want to see rather than promotions pushing what they think is best onto the fans. Having experienced so much in the wrestling business, what do you think are some of the fundamental problems that you’d like to help change moving forward?

Drew Galloway: Like I said, I would like there to be wrestling on the wrestling shows.  When fans react to somebody and they obviously like somebody, that person should get the opportunity.  In the end, it’s the fans that paid to come and see, to turn on the TV show, and if you don’t give them what they want they’re going to turn the other direction.  Right now, there are so many companies offering so many alternatives for fans to watch.  TNA just has such an incredible roster and guys I cannot wait to wrestle.  Just getting the wrestling on the wrestling shows is fundamental.  It’s like watching wrestling for any other reason than to see wrestling.  Fans get invested in the people through the wrestling and just give the fans what they want. 

Brandon Galvin: You are just getting started with TNA and you haven’t had the opportunity to work with a vast majority of the Impact Wrestling roster. Who are some of the top names you are looking forward to steeping in the ring against and why?

Drew Galloway: There are so many guys I don’t want to leave anyone out backstage.  Austin Aries, I have wrestled him once before at the ECW arena and that was a lot of fun.  I’d love to wrestle Jeff Hardy, another guy I watched growing up.  Matt Hardy and I could tangle again.  There’s so many guys, I don’t want to be rude.  Lashley is up there.  Bram and I are going to beat the crap out of each other and I hope he is listening right now.   I know soon enough Bram and I are going to tangle.  We are buddies and go way back, but watch out for that because it’s going to be an absolute war.  If I am missing anyone out, you pretty much know who they are if you watch the show.  The guys that are awesome are the ones I want to wrestle.  As much as Bram and I are going to be a way, Low Ki and I are going to be the war of wars.  I can’t stress that enough.  A big part of The Rising’s success is the heat between Low Ki and I and the animosity between us.  It’s real, it’s very real, and when that match comes you better put the kids to bed early.  It’s going to be more than a war.