Doc Gallows says IMPACT Wrestling went through some tough times in the past but now they’ve found the recipe for success.
Gallows recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard while promoting the upcoming Talk ‘N Shop A-Mania pay-per-view on August 1 and talked about the decision to sign with IMPACT Wrestling. Gallows said Scott D’Amore tried recruiting the Good Brothers once their WWE departure was official, adding that they’ve maintained a good relationship over the years and that Scott is the one who really helped him break in with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
“We weren’t free agents very long at all because Scott D’Amore and IMPACT Wrestling were aggressively recruiting us from about 15 minutes after it was made official that we were released. Scott, Karl and I have a long history together, he met Karl 15 years ago when Karl was a student at Roger Ruffen’s in Ohio. I had known of Scott but not known him personally until my first tenure in TNA and when I was leaving there,” Gallows said, “I had a one-year option for more money. They wanted to keep me and didn’t want to raise the pay and I thought that I should go and try to bet on myself. Scott was working with Nick Aldis at the time with his contract, and Nick actually linked me together with Scott and [he] was the one that started turning the wheels on getting me into New Japan. Once the bookers over there saw the tape they thought Karl and I would be a good fit, the rest is history from there.
We’ve always been friendly with Scott ever since, and what made it so attractive was, as you saw last night on the IMPACT TV show, was their willingness to co-promote our brand. It’s not just the wrestling anymore for a lot of the talent out there on television, it’s your own brand,” Gallows said. “That was a very attractive thing, co-promote the brand and wearing the IMPACT ‘hat’ was part of the deal and that’s what made it so attractive to us. It’s been cool so far even though it’s in its infancy and I think it’s going to continue to be a hell of a lot of buzz coming off of Slammiversary on Saturday night. IMPACT was trending #1 worldwide on Twitter, which I don’t think they’ve done in a while. We had the tweet announcing our signing, that was analytically the best tweet in the history of IMPACT, so I think it’s been mutually beneficial already, creating great buzz for everybody and we hope to continue doing the same thing.”
Read More: Doc Gallows Previews Talk ’N Shop A-Mania; Why The Good Brothers Signed With IMPACT
Gallows has worked for IMPACT Wrestling in the past, including a run in the famed Aces and Eights stable as their Director Of Chaos (D.O.C.). He says the main differences between then and now lie in the fact that the people in charge are willing to bet on talent and they’ve found a way to fix what was once seen as a damaged brand. Crediting D’Amore, Ed Nordholm and Don Callis for their roles in turning things around, Gallows also said it’s refreshing to be able to speak from the heart and not read a script. He said talent and management trust each other and that fact, coupled with a loaded roster, are reason enough to know things have changed and IMPACT will find success in the future.
“Obviously, historically you can tell it’s no secret that the company fell on some hard times, and again I credit Scott D’Amore, Ed Nordholm, Don Callis—when they came on board in 2017 they kind of resurrected the brand. It’s something that, even while working in WWE I would watch the other shows. I’d watch AEW, I watched IMPACT, and you could see them making positive moves and they had a hell of a talented roster even before we all showed up the other night. I think the additions are all positive because you look at Heath Slater, Brian Myers, EC3, these guys that are coming in—Eric Young, who has a great tenure with the IMPACT Wrestling brand,” Gallows said, “a lot of these guys weren’t really doing exactly what they wanted to do in WWE. Whether they were looked over or not, used properly, however you want to say it, it’s a cool time and an opportunity for these people to step up and stand out.
“It’s a little different for us because we’re coming off of the run with AJ [Styles], we did WrestleMania and got fired twelve days later, but I think what’s been cool about it is creatively going there and we had television segments and nobody handed me a script, nobody handed me lines. They said ‘hey, go out there and tell them you’re here and say what you guys would say.’ To say that’s a breath of fresh air is a complete understatement. To have some creative freedom, some creative liberty—not just for us but for all of the talent on the roster—that’s a great way to get yourself over and express the character you’re going to portray or your real personality, or a blend of both,” Gallows said. “You’re allowed to have some creative freedom and if they trust you enough to go out and do that and it works, then I think that’s a great recipe.”
Check out our full interview with Doc Gallows at the top of this page; we learn more about the Talk ‘N Shop A Mania pay-per-view on August 1, the potential for a sequel, why IMPACT Wrestling was the right move for the Good Brothers and much more.
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