Angle talks about Impact Wrestling, Impact Zone
Posted by Corbin Nordhoff on 05/16/2011 at 03:30 PM

Kurt Angle conducted an exclusive hour-long interview with Busted Open, which will aired earlier today on Sirius 92 and XM 207. Doug Mortman, Dave LaGreca and Angle talked about Chyna's debut, the Jeff Hardy incident the TNA name change, his new contract, the state of pro wrestling, and so much more in a candid and revealing sit-down.

The Impact Zone holding TNA back from being bigger than they are: "That's where TNA has had long talks with SPIKE TV and we have come up with a solution. In the next three months we are starting to go out like we did Fayetteville. I don't think we should be doing two TV's in one night like we did in Fayetteville. I think we should be doing one TV at a time. We are starting to go out at different cities. We already have two scheduled for later this year. We're probably going to do it once a month. We're going to start doing TV's in different cities. I know TNA has talked with SPIKE about the funding. Both companies come together to fund it. The network and TNA, we are all in agreement. We did one in Fayetteville and it was the first time in a long time I had that other company feeling. There were only 4,000-4,500 people there, but it was still that feeling of that big time, big arena, and then we went to Cincinnati and had a really good turnout for the pay-per-view, so you're right that atmosphere really helps the wrestlers and when we got other cities like that and they're hot and ready for it, it's a lot better. You feel like you're performing for people who really care about professional wrestling. I personally believe we should be going out to different cities right now. I know they're in the process of doing that. In the next few months you are going to start seeing TNA on TV. TNA will be in Dallas, Texas. TNA will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. TNA will be in New York City. TNA will be in Los Angeles, California, so it's happening. That's the next step. We have a start somewhere. It had to be in Impact Zone. Me personally? I hope we stay there in the next three-and-half year because it's easier on me. I get to stay there. To be honest with you the company has to take the next step. They're making money. They're doing well. They're signing big names. They're taking big steps forward. Thank God they got a bunch of TV deals all over the world. At least 60 of them that are paying good money for our TV. The company is making money. It's just a matter of going out there and doing the TV's in different cities and expanding. Internationally, we are doing phenomenal. Here in the United States, we are getting our butts kicked by the WWE. I think it has a lot to do with what you said not going to different cities to do TV's and pay-per-views."

On the house show in Brooklyn last year: "Oh it was incredible and it was done on a baseball field. The baseball stadium, the fans were at least, a hundred feet away. That was the first row. It was a pay-per-view moment. It wasn't a Wrestlemania moment, but it was a pay-per-view event, having 7,000/8,000 people. The place was packed. That's the kind of atmosphere that we need for our TV's. If we have that I think our ratings will start going up. We'll have a lot more. I think a lot more people will be interested. I think they are a lot more TNA fans out there, I should say Impact Wrestling fans out there then people would imagine. I think we have grown a fan base and we don't get enough credit for that because the ratings are always going up-and-down, up-and-down, and up-and-down. I believe we do have the fan base."

On the name change to Impact Wrestling. Is TNA Gone? "Gone, yeah. Impact Wrestling is the new name of the company. I personally believe in it because when it comes down to it, you can't take the word wrestling out of pro wrestling. Any storyline, or any feud, or any debacle that I have….when you do that, it's entertainment and you're doing the storylines but where does it ultimately end up? In the wrestling ring! At the PPV, the payoff. So how can you take wrestling out of pro wrestling….you can't. That's what they (the fans) buy tickets for. They buy tickets to watch guys wrestle. Not to be actors and entertain us. They pay to watch great wrestling."