TNA star Drew Galloway recently spoke with Donald Wood, Mike Chikari and Brandon Galvin of Ring Rust Radio to promote Impact Wrestling on Destination America. Here are the highlights.
Most fans expected you to become world champion in WWE because of your early success and because of the “Chosen One” moniker. It didn’t come to fruition, but what do you think you learned from that situation that might help you have success as a main event guy now and in the future?
“Well obviously you can’t help but learn getting thrust into that position and that kind of opportunity. Unfortunately, being so young and the circumstances and stories and whatever else, you think those work out but I obviously learned a great deal. I have been wrestling for fourteen years now and I’ve had those big opportunities and had opportunities to show that side of my personality. I even got to show the funnier side of my personality, so you know it was fun and I got the exposure from it. Without the WWE and the exposure I never would have gotten my chance to get my name out there in the indies, get myself to where I got to, and get myself into TNA and show the world the real Drew. I can’t be anything but thankful for that and now I am in my prime: I am 29 and I am ready to rock and the main event is the only place I’m going to be.”
You’ve played several types of characters during your career. Do you enjoy the challenge of trying to adjust to a new role, or do you prefer to stick to one character and see it through?
“I would say the real answer is I prefer to be myself, I think that’s the most successful character. It’s a challenge but it can be fun playing a character. I played two completely different characters in the WWE and they were both night and day. Some of that is fun doing it on such a big stage, but honestly to be myself is the ultimate for me. The most successful characters were just extensions of people’s personalities. In this case it’s not an extension of my personality, it’s loud and it’s passionate but that’s just me. You hear me right now, I literally just finished a match. I’m all amped up, I’m starting to fire off, my accent comes out, I probably talk to quick, but I can’t help it I just love this so much. That’s not a character, that’s Drew Galloway, and he is a wrestling geek, and the ultimate smart mark.”
Arguably the biggest move TNA has made over the last year besides the jump to Destination America every Friday night at 9 PM was signing you. What was the decision process like signing with Impact Wrestling and what are your long-term goals with the company?
“The process involved obviously talking with the bosses over there. I was over in Scotland for a show, for a Scottish company ICW. I spoke with them and initially I was a little apprehensive. I wasn’t looking to get back on American TV so quickly to be honest. I spoke with the bosses there and they told me the plan and I got excited about. With Destination America deal and the opportunity to be a part of something on the ground floor and try to build it up, and the opportunity to just be myself. Anything you see on TNA is me, that’s Drew Galloway 100%. I’m talking ad Drew Galloway, I’m wrestling as Drew Galloway, and it’s no gimmicks. I get to just be a wrestler and be myself. I’m getting the opportunity to do that with TNA and I couldn’t be any happier right now.”
