Former TNA X-Division Champion Petey Williams was recently interviewed by Ring Rust Radio. You can see the full interview above or at this link, and the submitted highlights below:
Ring Rust Radio: You were a significant part of TNA during its infancy, and the company has obviously undergone a lot of changes since then from different names to different ownership, but how does being with Impact Wrestling now compare to the early days in terms of the locker room and the presentation?
Petey Williams: Well, I have been with the company three times total. The first time I was under contract and all that kind of stuff. It was great and I loved it and the people that were in the office, I was having a great time. I went back in 2013. Big changes in the office and I really didn’t know anybody. I didn’t feel like I belonged when I went during that era. What drew me back this time, when Scott D’Amore reached out to me, he let me know who was booking the show and that kind of stuff, and he mentioned the names that were similar to the same writers that were on the show back in 2004-09 when I was first there. That’s what I felt comfortable with and I told them I would love to do something like that again. So, I went back, and it was different in 2013, but right now it is very similar to the feeling I had back in 2004-09. Like we are on the upswing and building back up to something again. Those are the big differences there.
Ring Rust Radio: Many fans are looked at your match at Bound for Glory as the one that woudl steal the show. What is your training process like heading into a match with those high expectations at one of the biggest shows of the year for the company?
Petey Williams: It’s tough especially when you have a multiple man match. Obviously, I prefer a 1-on-1 match, that way I can kind of come up with a game plan or strategy beforehand. Obviously, with the atmosphere and we (were) up in Canada and all that kind of stuff. Right now, the strategy is we have so many moving parts and like six bodies in the ring, it’s hard to put together and think of a strategy beforehand. I’m not really thinking about anything.
Ring Rust Radio: When you returned to Impact Wrestling in August, it created a genuine buzz in the wrestling world. What went into your decision to come back and what was the signing process like?
Petey Williams: So, the decision to come back, I have told this story a few times for different interviews. Scott D’Amore, he reached out to me back in February and said my name had been brought up in the creative meetings a lot and thought I would like the schedule. They were filming four episode blocks every six weeks. It’s not like that right now as we are filming twelve weeks in a five-week block. So, he thought I would like that and he said here who is writing for the show and it all sounded really interesting. I told him I really wasn’t interested, and I was content with not wrestling anymore, but Scott knows me and knows what gets me. He started asking about my kids and said you know maybe your kids would want to see what their dad used to do. Then I thought man why did he have to go bring that up. So, using my kids and tugging at my heart strings that way and I said to be continued. I went to my wife and told her about the ridiculous conversation I had with D’Amore. I was rolling my eyes, told her about the conversation, she just looks me in the eye and told me to do it. I said hold up, time out, what? She said go back, have fun, it’ll be awesome. I told her I don’t think she understands, it’s not just me going to wrestle every so many weeks in TNA. I’m going to not have to skip leg day in the gym anymore, I’m going to be working out harder, tanning, dieting, and all that stuff. She was all for it. It was all her support and that kind of stuff. You can thank D’Amore for reeling me in. Then when he told me Sonjay was on the booking team I was like man, he is one of my best friends and I have to do it. I’m having a really good time this time around, taking it all in so to speak, stop and smelling the roses because I didn’t enjoy it last time. I felt like it went by too quick so I am just trying to have a good time. I don’t have a long-term thing with TNA, right now it’s a show by show basis you could say.
