I recently conducted an interview on behalf of CLICKON Sports with former TNA superstar Magnus, also known as Nick Aldis. During the chat we spoke about several topics including the state of British wrestling, and how things changed for Nick when he became a parent alongside his wife Mickie James.
On becoming a father:
“The real turning point for me was becoming a father. I sometimes joke that I wish that had happened [becoming World Champion] a year earlier, because we found out Mickie was pregnant whilst I was World Champion. It just calmed me down and gave me so much more of a level head, and created so much more of a perspective. I stopped blowing up about small, unnecessary things and focused on the bigger picture.”
On becoming world champion:
“They [pundits] like to believe this false rhetoric that Dixie had it in her mind from day one that this guy was going to be the top guy, almost like I was handed stuff. People forget that I started there in 2009 and got the title in 2013. I had worked every spot on the card, I’d been in tag teams, factions, I’d had all sorts of different responsibilities. I held the ratings well, live events well, and had a strong impact on the UK market. I was proud of myself.”
On leaving TNA:
“The business model there was vulnerable. They had one major client which was Spike TV, and the big vulnerability there was that if that relationship ended then we knew it wasn’t gonna be around. I was safe for another year and a bit because I had a guaranteed contract, and I kind of said when this expires let’s go our separate ways.”
On British wrestling:
“The whole rhetoric of the British scene being the best it’s ever been is an arguable point. There’s certainly more attention on it, but if you go back and look at Brian Dixon’s books from the 90s and early 2000s, I remember consistently working in front of houses of 1,000 and up. Certainly in front of the 700s night after night. It just wasn’t the culture back then to brag about it on social media. I just think people are making a lot more noise about it now.”
On outside projects:
“Outside of wrestling is kind of what I’m more excited about. I’ve just taken on an executive role for the first time, where I’m consulting for a marketing company. I don’t have a degree, so it’s flattering to me that they saw me as someone who understood people, marketing and psychology. That’s been a really fun new challenge.”
On the future:
“I’m not saying wrestling is on the back burner, but I’m not going to go and fall down for money as much when I have to run businesses and have to take care of my kid. But if an opportunity comes up, I’m still there.”
