Nick Aldis chats about his current run with IMPACT.
The former multi-time world champion spoke on this topic during a recent interview with PW Mania, where he looked back on his previous run with the company as Magnus and how it differs from this incarnation.
Well, look. Nick Aldis found himself. That’s the reality of the situation. I spent a lot of time in my first run there being pulled in a lot of different directions, by who was running the company, the producers, and different influencers. I felt I always tried to compromise and be something that I wasn’t. It was never quite the fully formed idea of who I was. It came close when I had my World Title run, but it wasn’t right. I was still young, and making an impression of what a wrestler should be, rather than really feeling it. I had to go away and find out who I was and who I wanted to be remembered as.
Staying on the subject, Aldis opens up about how he has been studying the greats, name dropping Harley Race, Bret Hart, Triple H, and Ric Flair as examples.
I really re-committed to studying the greats who I wanted to be thought of, like Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race, Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Dory Funk, Jack Briscoe, and even early 2000s Triple H. These were all guys who I studied and tried to emulate. You have to have self-awareness in the game. I am not the hero, franchise player, or all-American good guy. I’m British and proud of it, but I’m a citizen of the world. I’m very calculated, I know who I want to be and know what I want to accomplish. I’m strictly business. So, I started to realize it was time to stop trying to fit into whatever the current fashion is, I’m an Anglo-sexton animal, I’m a British wrestler. I blend the British and American styles. I spent way more time focusing on who I am and believing in who I am. If you believe it, they believe it. I’m a professional athlete, I take this seriously. This isn’t a joke for me, this isn’t a hobby for me, I’m not a weekend warrior. Pro wrestling has been my full-time occupation since I was a legal adult. This isn’t a game for me, it’s not a hobby, it’s not a pastime, it’s my career. I’ve had good times and bad times. I’ve accomplished things I wanted to, and I’ve missed things I wanted to. What I’ve proven is whenever I get the opportunity, I rise to the top of wherever I am. I make things better for everyone around me. The first episode of IMPACT following my return to IMPACT at Rebellion was the highest-viewed episode in over a year. Am I taking credit for that? No, of course not, it’s a team effort, but I had a part in it.
Aldis then shifts the conversation to Slammiversary, stating that he will show the world why he’s the top player he considers himself to be.
Now, I set my sights on the World Championship. I played the game a little bit, I was a nice guy and very respectful, and now I got what I wanted. I have the match at Slammiversary. I’m in the spot, now I can be who I really am and be all business. Now the earnest is on Alex Shelley, who is not who I was preparing for, but hey, great champions are ready to adapt. The truth is that people are wondering why I decided to hit him in the head with the belt. It’s because he disrespected me. He had the nerve, after everything I’ve done already to raise the company and raise the world title scene, they had the nerve to disrespect me by saying this is the Machine Guns era? Sorry boys, you had a good night, you were in the right place at the right time. I’m the difference-maker here. He’s going to find that out at Slammiversary. This may be a short run for him. This could be a short reign. He made it, he had his moment, good for him, alright well the fun and games are over. It’s time for the right guy to get the strap and pull the company where it needs to go.
Back in May, Adlis spoke about his departure from the NWA and how difficult it was to see all of his work for the company get undone. You can read about that here.