When I was contacted about coming back to Impact they were obviously at a stage when they were really rebooting as a company.
I think the wrestling world needs TNA. I think the wrestlers need TNA. I think the fans need TNA.
Everywhere I go, the styles are different. When you wrestle in Japan, it's more strong style. When I go to Mexico, it's definitely more high-flying. And in my matches I've had with Taya in Impact, it's been a lot more ground-based.
It is very rewarding to be allowed to have my broken universe fill the two hours of Impact Wrestling.
Tessa Blanchard is a premium athlete and you can't take that away from her.
Defending the Impact title against Jay Lethal would be phenomenal.
WWE can say they don't watch Impact and TNA but I know that's a lie.
Impact Wrestling has never stopped with women's wrestling.
That's J, E, double F, J, A, double R, E , double T... I'm double J, Jeff Jarrett!
The true wrestling fans that watch TNA Impact, I think they've always known. I don't want to say they take it for granted in anyway, but they always just know that TNA and Impact Wrestling are going to give them women's wrestling.
Without knocking Impact Wrestling, your contribution was largely limited to what you could do in the TV show. WWE is a bigger company with a bigger infrastructure and a lot more ways to make a contribution.
To have the canvas of something like an Impact Wrestling, something that had TV and be able to be a creative input guy and come up with stuff, I would love to, and I would be up for that challenge.
Really, since I left Impact Wrestling - some people say controversially - I've been really laying low.
I've been Austin almost half my life. In almost every public setting, that's why I'm there - to be Austin Aries.
Being back with Impact wrestling, I couldn't be happier for those guys, but from a professional and business side, it energises me so much to find the next AJ Styles, the next Bobby Roode, the next Samoa Joe.
In TNA, if I wrestle, I'm able to help one person. As a road agent and head of talent relations, I can help an entire crew.
What I did sign was a tentative contract with Impact Wrestling when they were still Impact. That contract had a clause for me, because I was already working on some stuff in other areas of television. That clause basically said that if something else in television were to happen for me, they can't be uncooperative.
Broken Matt Hardy was born in Impact Wrestling and I think he had great memories.
Every day is great when your name is Matt Hardy.
Impact has always had a focus on their Knockouts. Back when WWE was not so focused on their Divas, Impact was still focused on their Knockouts. They were actually the stronger women's division for a long time, and that was the place to watch a match more than a couple of minutes.
One thing I have to admit, regardless of what my character thinks, is that EC3 is a very talented individual. He is going to be a cornerstone of Impact Wrestling for a long time.
I think it's funny, if you look at Brian Cage, the guy calls himself 'The Machine.' 265 lbs and spends a lot of time in the gym and eating chicken breasts. The guy comes in Impact Wrestling and instead of going after a guy like Moose or Killer Kross, who is he beating up? A bunch of guys half his size? Walking around like he's a big man.
I think Impact Wrestling can stand on its own without Ric Flair, but it's always nice to have a guy like that around.
There's a lot on my plate, but the cool thing is everything that I'm doing I'm really into. I love 'Lucha Underground.' I love Impact. I love wrestling every weekend all over the world.
As Laurel Van Ness it's so much fun, and with that comes a creative outlet. You can be who you wanna be and be that particular character. I'm so thankful that Impact allows me to do that.
