Tonight I had a 90+ minute interview with Matt Hardy! Yes, the legendary wrestler’s commentary about TNA and his time in the company is going to be part of my books about the promotion’s history. Having the opportunity to interview both Jeff and Matt Hardy is something I never thought would happen coming into this project, but I’m eternally grateful that it did. Matt and I covered his first run in 2011, coming back in 2014, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Big Money Matt Hardy, Broken Matt Hardy, The Final Deletion, Total Nonstop Deletion, Delete or Decay, his recent return to IMPACT Wrestling, and more. It was an absolute honor and pleasure speaking with Matt Hardy, and I have an even greater respect for the man and his creativity as a result of our conversation.
I have now interivewed four members of the TNA/IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, with the newest addition being the greatest referee of all time: Earl Hebner. For more than 40 years, Earl has been the gold standard for professional wrestling referees. From officiating matches between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant to Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, he’s the absolute best at what he does. Earl spent 11 years with TNA Wrestling and he told me that it was the happiest time in his career. We talked about what it was like working with Dixie Carter, taking part in entertaining storylines, including ones with the Knockouts, life on the road, working internationally, and the art of being a great referee, among other topics. It was an honor and a pleasure to speak at length with a man I admire, and I know that his commentary will make a great addition to my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
This week, in addition to others, I’ve interviewed Gail Kim, Jeff Hardy, and, now, Ken Shamrock! The first-ever world champion in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, and the only person to be both in both the UFC Hall of Fame and the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ken Shamrock is the real deal and a bonafide legend. While his moniker is “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” he was a pleasure to speak with. Ken and I talked about what it was like to win the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship at the company’s first-ever PPV, his thoughts on what makes TNA/IMPACT Wrestling special, what the locker room culture is like, the Montreal Screwjob, the best advice Bret Hart ever gave him, and a whole lot more. Want to know his thoughts on Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, Moose, and what it’s like wrestling in the era of COVID? I asked Ken about all of this. I also spoke with him about his time in the WWF, including his thoughts on The Rock, Mick Foley, Bret Hart, and officiating the iconic match at WrestleMania 13 where Stone Cold Steve Austin’s star shot into the stratosphere. As someone who grew up watching Ken Shamrock become a combat sports legend, it was an honor to pick his brain and gain a greater understanding of what make him special. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with all of you in my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
So far, I’ve reviewed 10 volumes in the Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers series. All of them have been highly enjoyable in their own way. Today, I’m going to take a look at Doug Bradley’s Spinechillers Volume 11. Clocking in at two hours and fifty-one minutes, this is yet another short and sweet collection of classic horror literature lovingly presented in a way that is a feast for the ears.
I’ve got my biggest book update yet: I interviewed Jeff Hardy! Yes, the most popular wrestler in the history of TNA spoke with me at length about his time in the company. We talked about his first run with the promotion, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship multiple times, his Victory Road 2011 match against Sting, overcoming personal demons, his feud with “Broken” Matt Hardy, Dixie Carter, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, and so much more! It was an honor to speak with “The Charismatic Enigma” because he’s not only a professional wrestling legend but a creative genius. I look forward to including his commentary in both of my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling!
I’ve now done more than 60 interviews for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, including an interview tonight that I conducted with former Spike TV President Kevin Kay that lasted more than two hours. We talked about many topics, including the following: whether or not Spike TV paid for Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, among others, to join TNA, if Spike TV ever thought about buying TNA, how Viacom really felt about TNA, if Jeff Jarrett was a better leader than Dixie Carter, and a whole lot more. This was one of the most enlightening conversations I’ve had so far, and it’s going to make for exceptionally compelling content for both of my books. Keep it right here for many more updates to come!
Today I may have conducted the biggest interview for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling yet: Rob Van Dam! Mr. Monday Night talked to me about his two runs in the promotion, including stories about Hulk Hogan, Sting, Sami Callihan, Jeff Hardy, Paul Heyman, and much more. RVD is the only man to have held the ECW, WWE, and TNA World Heavyweight Championships, yet he comes off as the super cool dude we all know and love on TV. I couldn’t be more grateful to have had the chance to speak with this wrestling icon, and I look forward to sharing his stories with you in my books.
I’ve now done 50 interviews for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, including ones with Don West, Nick Aldis, Konnan, Erik Watts, and more! There are some big-time interviews coming up. I’m interviewing top talent, TV executives, and other influential individuals throughout the company’s history.
I’m now more than 40 interviews into my book project about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, and today I interviewed Diamond Dallas Page! Yes, the master of the Diamond Cutter and founder of DDP Yoga and I spoke at length about his time in TNA Wrestling. We discussed why he joined TNA, why he left, his thoughts on Jeff Jarrett, Dixie Carter, AJ Styles, and much more! I have many more interviews on the horizon, so stay tuned for more updates.
Welcome! I hope you enjoyed the holidays since my last IMPACT Wrestling Report. A lot has happened since then, including the announcement about my first-ever book, which is going to be two books about the 20-year history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling! Genesis, the first IMPACT Plus exclusive event of 2021, took place this last Saturday, and tonight is the final episode of IMPACT Wrestling on the road to this Saturday’s Hard To Kill PPV.
