The following are highlights from a recent interview with former TNA Impact Wrestling star DOC.
On his recent release from TNA: “My contract expired July 12th and we were in negotiations for a new contract. What happened was strictly a business decision on my behalf and on TNA’s behalf I think. I have no hard feelings towards them. I wish them the very best going forward. It was just that at this point in time we could not get together on something that we both thought was fair for both sides so I moved on, they’re moving on. It is what it is and we may see each other down the line.”
“It all kind of came to play the same week that we were hearing about of these releases so there was a little bit of controversy surrounding that I guess, for that reason. It is what it is.”
On the recent releases in TNA: “You know, this is wrestling. Wrestling is a business where people get hired, people get fired, people come and people go and people come back again. That’s just kind of the nature of the beast so whatever’s going on there; if they’re restructuring the company budget wise or whatever it may be. It’s always initially a shock but in Wrestling these things happen. That’s something I tell young guys all the time, ‘when you come in, you’re gonna get fired. You just continue on.’ In this case I kinda left and it is what it is. It’s just the way that the wheels spin sometimes. I wish everybody there all the best. I had a lot of great friends there, the same as I did in WWE. I hope everyone lands on their feet and comes out OK that’s not with the company anymore.”
On what the transition is like from WWE to TNA: “It wasn’t really a transition at all because I had been working overseas independently for almost a year and a half when I took that TNA deal. I had been overseas and working in Japan. Probably 15 different countries on my own working independently. Then I did Ring Ka King in India. That’s when the heavy TNA talks came about. I portrayed an Outlaw Biker Character there which is of course my real personality anyway and TNA saw it, knew where they were going with the Aces & Eights thing and figured that I would be a nice fit. I’m glad that I went in there and took that role for the year that I did. It’s sad that the fans won’t get to see how that was all going to turn out but again that’s just how things go.”
On working with CM Punk and if the Straight Edge Society ended too soon: “Yeah. Punk’s said this publicly too. Everybody thought there were more legs in it but the fact is the group ended at Summerslam 2010 when we wrestled the Big Show because Joey Mercury tore his pec and he was going to be out of action. Serena got, whatever happened there, personal reasons or whatever, gets fired 3 days later. Then it basically fell apart from there for us. They wanted to move Punk to Raw so we ran into a wall at that PPV. I think it’s unfortunate.”
On whether or not the door is open for him to return to WWE: “I don’t think that that door ever really closes as long as you haven’t done something heinous. Yeah I would be open for a return in the future. Either place. I’m 29. I feel like I’m really coming into my prime as a Performers and I look forward to what lays ahead. Wherever it’s going to be. It’s going to be very fun, very exciting. The best is yet to come.”
Check out the complete interview online at TotalWrestlingShow.com.
