Nick Aldis’ maiden TNA/Impact Wrestling run lasted from 2008 to 2015. Aldis returned to the company in 2017 following a second return at Impact’s Rebellion pay-per-view event earlier this month.
Speaking on the “Battleground” podcast, Aldis reflected on his first Impact Wrestling run and subsequent departure.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On not knowing what he was doing in his first Impact run: “I was a kid. I was young. I had a lot of potential, but not a great gimmick out of the gate, and it was just a lot of sort of faking it ’til I made it.”
On spending time away from the company: “I think in a lot of ways it was necessary for me to go away, because I was sort of thrown into the deep end from a young age. So, I sort of missed out on some of the opportunities that you have spending a lot of time on the independents to sort of try things and find yourself and have a bit more control of how you present yourself.”
Demolition member Bill Eadie (Ax) worked in NJPW for several years, and he recently recalled his loyalty to the late Antonio Inoki and his company.
In a recent appearance on the “Under the Ring” podcast, Eadie addressed his 14-year-run with NJPW, including turning down an offer from AJPW.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On getting the chance to go to AJPW: “I had gotten an offer to go to All Japan, but New Japan’s office with Inoki treated me so kindly. I mean, I was there for 14 years. I could pick my tours, and I would go anywhere from four weeks to 14 weeks all on a handshake between Inoki and myself. And I knew what I was gonna make. I knew when I was going, when I was coming back. And they treated me very good. They flew my family over to Hawaii two different times and paid for the trips, so to be offered to jump to All Japan, I had loyalty to Inoki.”
On his time working in the country: “Some of the best memories that I have in this business are in Japan. The people are very knowledgeable, it’s safe, I love the food. The trips were first class. The company treated their talent first class. To have a verbal contract signed by a handshake [deal], you just don’t have that anymore.”
