Mike Chiari: One the biggest angles you’ve taken part in during your time in TNA was your involvement in Aces & Eights. It dominated TNA programming for the better part of a year and definitely caught people’s attention, but how do you view it looking back? Do you believe it played out exactly as it should have in terms of length and impact? Is there anything you wish you could go back and change?
Mr. Anderson: Creatively, you’re dealing with a group of ten guys that all have different ideas, people who are writing stuff behind the scenes, and at the end of the day you all have to agree on certain things. I think in every situation and match I have been in in the wrestling business, I never looked backed and said, “that was awesome, boy I just loved that match I was involved in”. Usually it’s actually the opposite. I ignore all the positive things that happened in the match and focus on the little things that irritate me that somebody else might not even notice. There is certain things I wish I could change. I wish we could of played some things out a little longer, but I also feel at some point the Aces and Eights segments were eating up so much time on TV. That would be my only regret or criticism. We would come out four times a night and it would lose its luster after you already heard the song three times, by the fourth time it means even less.
Brandon Galvin: You’ve been involved in some highly entertaining and elaborate storylines throughout your career. Has there ever been an idea that you wanted to go through with, but weren’t able to execute?
Mr. Anderson: There was a program I pitched in the WWE for a character idea. It was a heel and had to do with laying guys out back stage with the camera never seeing who it was. I was a baby face on TV but all these people would be laid out backstage. Back in Vietnam, they would lay ace of spades cards on the dead bodies of the killed. It was an idea that was given to me by Steve Austin at one point. So that would be my calling card and then at some point I would come out to make the big save and turn on who I was saving to reveal myself. Throw an ace of spades card on them after. After pitching in WWE it got turned down, so I pitched it in TNA and they liked it but nothing came of it. I try to as much as I can stay out of that aspect of the business. I don’t involve myself in story lines and angles. I take what is given to me and make the most of it.
Donald Wood: Over your long career in wrestling, you have fought legends like Shawn Michaels, Sting and Kurt Angle. Looking back, who did you enjoy working against the most and who in the industry now would you most like to step in the ring against?
Mr. Anderson: Who did I enjoy the most? I enjoyed working with Taker. He was amazing to work with and so helpful. He took MYP and myself under his wings. I always felt like in the WWE that there were two mountain tops. There was the SmackDown mountain with Taker, Batista, Kane, Booker T, and Rey Mysterio on top of the mountain, and they were throwing rope ladders down. Lending helping hands, saying, “Come on up here, the weather is fine, we can all breathe up here, and we can all make money together”. On the other mountain, you had people who shall remain nameless, who were pushing boulders and hot pots of oil down the mountain to get you off. I remember Taker being enormously helpful in my career and really gave me some fantastic advice. Some of it I took, some of it I didn’t. Who would I like to work most with today? In TNA, I have yet to get my hands on Gunner and he is the total package. He has a tremendous look, his work is amazing, what he does in the ring looks believable, great on the mic, and passionate about the business. So I would really like to get my hands on him. I’m getting ready to do something with EC3 that I’m really looking forward to. He has been one of my favorite people to watch the last few years. MVP and I have never had a chance to wrestle each other. We tagged when we were in the WWE and have been friends for several years, but have never had the chance to do anything in the ring against each other.
Mike Chiari: One of the biggest pieces of news in wrestling right now is Samoa Joe’s announcement that he’s leaving TNA after so many great years with the company. As a veteran guy who has some tenure in TNA, what type of impact does Joe’s departure have on you personally and also on the locker room as a whole?
Mr. Anderson: Joe was a locker room leader, no question about it. Not a locker room leader that raised his hand and says, “I want to be the leader, I want to be your leader, I want you to look up to me”. People just naturally gravitated to him and his respect is all earned. When a guy like that leaves it impacts the locker room. In the business, we have come accustomed to people coming and going all the time, that’s just how this industry operate. Were still friends and still all connected. You can go five, ten years without talking to somebody, and then bump into them and pick up like it was yesterday. Joe, whatever he does, even if it’s just indies, he will be just fine.
Brandon Galvin: Before TNA made its debut on Destination America, we spoke with Dixie Carter who mentioned fans would notice several changes to the product and its presentation. Is there any change to the product over the past two months that stands out to you or something that you would like to see done moving forward?
Mr. Anderson: I’ve always seen things in wrestling that made me scratch my head ever since I was a little kid. Why everything has to take place inside the arena? I understand it’s a financial deal and it’s expensive to send camera crews out on the road. With modern technology, we all have pretty good cameras on our phones with editing equipment. Some of the best stuff that happens in the business is when we’re traveling between cities. When were stopped and out and about that’s when the really interesting stuff happens. I’ve always wanted to peel back the curtain a little bit and show that side of the business. In-ring promos have always sort of irritated me a little bit. I don’t understand why if I want to talk to Samoa Joe whey I need a microphone when I can just text him and talk to him in the locker room. In wrestling, you have to sort of suspend your disbelief. There are things we just accept about the business that we love and sort of like it.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
