Tom Hannifan Explains How His IMPACT Wrestling Deal Came Together

Tom Hannifan is excited for the next step in his broadcasting career with IMPACT Wrestling, and thankful for WWE helping him get there.

Formerly known as Tom Phillips in WWE, Tom Hannifan made his IMPACT Wrestling debut at the company’s Hard To Kill pay-per-view on January 8. Hannifan was a guest on the Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette podcast after his debut and explained how the deal for his new gig came together.

Hannifan first spoke about his new broadcast booth partner, D’Lo Brown, and called him an underrated announcer. He then spoke about the dynamic between working a two-man booth with him compared to working a three-man booth with WWE. Hannifan also praised working with Ian Riccaboni during the Ring Of Honor World Championship match, noting that he was excited to work with him as a fellow Pennsylvania native, then shared when his deal with IMPACT came together.

“It’s only really developed in the past month. I love how people on the internet try and come up with concepts and rumors, stuff like that, but I have a lot of friends here [in IMPACT] that kinda connected me with the powers that be. We just had some good conversations and honestly, the schedule was very attractive because as you know, I just got done doing a 52-week schedule for about nine years, so I was like, ‘This is great! This is really cool.’ Everything that I was told about, what the locker room was like, what Scott D’Amore and Josh Mathews [were like], everything’s been accurate so far. I only worked one day, but everyone’s been awesome. It was cool, and you know how it is, when you know a bunch of people there, just showing up yesterday and seeing Matt Rehwoldt and him being like, ‘What the hell are you doing here?!?’ So, it was really cool.”

Paquette asked about Hannifan being able to work for IMPACT despite being let go by WWE in April, and if he had a non-compete clause with his former employer. Hannifan said he couldn’t get into specifics, but

“I can’t get into that. I don’t want to get into specifics, but I do want to thank WWE for a number of reasons. Obviously, I wouldn’t be in this position to contribute to another promotion if it weren’t for WWE, especially nine years of training and learning. The big thing — I was sitting there yesterday and I was talking to Good Brothers at one point, I said, ‘Man, I got hired at 23.’ So that world was all that I’ve ever known. So it’s a lot of the same things, but it’s still breaking some habits here and there and changing a few things and just being me, it’s a very, very different circumstance. But again, I wouldn’t be here without WWE.”

Paquette asked him how hard it is to just be Tom Hannifan instead of “Tom Phillips,” and he said there’s definitely some adjustments. He noted one example was how he was (finally) able to say “Bullet Club” on the air instead of referring to them as “The Club” in WWE, adding that it’s all well and fine, but it was mostly about getting comfortable with what worked in the new environment.

Hannifan also spoke about how being released by WWE affected him, noting how he was heartbroken by losing his job, one that made up the majority of his professional career.

“It’s been a rollercoaster past year for me. Obviously leaving WWE like as I mentioned, this is all that I knew for nine years, so I was heartbroken when that happened. A lot happened in a very short span and if anything that this past year has taught me is that it’s the old cliché, that all good things come to an end and that’s OK.”

Read More: IMPACT Wrestling Spoilers (Taped On 1/9)

If you use this transcript, credit Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette and h/t WrestleZone, and link back to this post.