During a media scrum in Dallas, Texas prior to Sunday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view event, Joey Ryan commented on signing with Impact Wrestling, Tessa Blanchard being a “good representative” for intergender wrestling, and more. You can check out some highlights from the scrum below:
On signing with Impact: “I really, really enjoy—I could probably use the word ‘love’ the independent wrestling scene, it’s where I thrive. It’s where I really get motivated. The fact that Impact offered me a deal that was non-exclusive, and I could still do the independent scene, that was probably the most appealing part to it. I don’t think I ever want to give that up. I’m exclusive, as far as national television … which meant I can still do a lot of the independents that I really, really enjoy.”
On working with the Knockouts of Impact: “I’ve done a lot of intergender wrestling and Impact really embraces intergender wrestling. I’d like to do some stuff with the Knockouts in the Knockouts Division because from my experience from the independent wrestling there’s a whole audience that wants to get behind that. I think you see it now with superhero movies and television shows where they have these strong, powerful female characters. I think that is starting to lend itself to wrestling. Without pinpointing any specific wrestlers, I think just being able to do something different on television, like intergender wrestling, would be very cool for me.”
On Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan: “I’ve known Tessa and Sami for awhile now, but Tessa is a great wrestler to have to carry that flag. For me—I’m a little bit biased—my old tag team partner, Candice LeRae, is the best intergender wrestler I’ve ever witnessed, but where she’s at now, she’s not allowed to do that. So, I think Tessa being the face of intergender wrestler, she’s a good representative of it. Personally—because of what I think it would do for the business—I’m rooting for Tessa. I’m hoping she wins.”
