JORDAN: This feud with Kurt Angle has been brewing for nearly 2 years. You injured his leg, put him out of commission, you spent the next year and a half being UNDEFEATED against a plethora of great challengers and Kurt of course, bounced back and became TNA World Heavyweight champion. This is YOUR big shot, this is what you worked for your entire life, what HAPPENS if you FAIL? What happens to YOU as a competitor and what happens to your career? Does this mean the company doesn’t see YOU as a Superstar? You’re not a DRAW?
EC3: I do not know how to answer this questions, because I WILL NOT LOSE. I am overly confident that there is no other option beside my victory, I can’t even put myself in the mindset that I’m not going to win, if that makes sense? I will become TNA World Heavyweight champion and I will become the face of this company.
JORDAN: Lets talk about TNA, great strides have been made in the product, there is great talent in the company…many so called “EXPERTS” have been critical of the product, what do you say to critics who have predicted TNA’s demise?
EC3: Anytime you deal with criticism, I am always reminded of my “God-King” Teddy Roosevelt and a passage of his called “THE MAN IN THE ARENA” because “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “ – Teddy Roosevelt.
JORDAN: Some of the things that people criticize about TNA, for example the 6 sided ring, which FANS OVERWHELMINGLY voted to bring back and the low/gritty lighting, bringing in VETERANS or stars from the past to work with younger talent are some of the same things people praise about WWE/NXT. HOGAN and STING are “WASHED UP” in TNA but they are “LEGENDS” the moment they appear on WWE, do you think the Internet Wrestling community and some critics have it out for TNA no matter WHAT they do?
EC3: I have been in TNA for 2 years, I can honestly say for at least the last year our show has been FUCKING on fire. Its been good and solid, and well done. There are some things that may or may not work, we try different things with lighting, this and that ya know? but since I have been there I couldn’t be more proud of our product and it being consistently good. I think with the hatred and animosity, I do not understand them but perhaps fans were burned in the past with things that didn’t work, but that is not the case anymore. If you’re not watching it and you’re commenting on it without knowing the context? You’re an ugly person and social miscast if you spend time spewing negativity upon something you don’t even take the time to watch. Seriously, people’s livelihoods depend on that and you’re shitting on it for no reason? Now if you watch it and you don’t like it and you have problems? That’s cool, respectfully, we can talk about that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but make sure your opinion has validity to it.
JORDAN: Can TNA survive and THRIVE on Destination America? WILL you thrive?
EC3: I believe TNA can and WILL thrive wherever it is, if its on Destination America it will thrive, if its somewhere else, it will thrive because I will NOT let it NOT (Thrive).
JORDAN: What was your Initial reaction to RING OF HONOR be added to the Wednesday night line up? Has that opinion changed now that some time has passed?
EC3: First off we were shocked because we were in the “dark” about that. I thought it could be a great thing for wrestling to have 2 shows back to back on a national network. If we are able to work together as companies it could be something awesome. I still think it could be a great thing but our products have different consistency. A fan who is “smartened up” a bit could watch both and it doesn’t affect the perception as much, but to a casual fan seeing two different shows with two different presentations might be confusing to them. At the end of the day its good for wrestling, talent and fans to have as much wrestling on national television as possible.
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.
