In an exclusive for WrestlingNews.co, Steve Fall spoke with Impact Wrestling’s Johnny Swinger about his days in WCW, his 2001 WWE tryout, getting signed by WWE in 2005 and why it didn’t work out, working for Paul Heyman in ECW, his interactions with Hulk Hogan, wrestling Triple H in WWE and more. Scroll down on this page to watch the interview. Note: You can watch Johnny Swinger on Thursday nights at 8/7c on AXS TV. Click here for details on how you can watch Impact.
Johnny Swinger talks being signed by WWE and why it didn’t work out:
“I was brought in there on a developmental contract because that’s what was offered to me. I was finishing up with TNA and my dream was always to go to the WWF/E as a full time talent, not what I did in the beginning like in 1995, but to actually be a full time talent and you reap the benefits of such. I was offered a developmental contract in the words of, ‘This is a good way for you to get in. This is the way most people get in unless you’re an established top name draw.'”
“So I accepted that and, once again, I did what they told me to do. They told me to go to the developmental training scenario. It was like an OVW, but it was in Georgia. It was already where I lived anyway, so I didn’t have to relocate or anything like that. So I did that for a few months and even by then, after a few months, my body started hurting me. I’m like, ‘Geez, guys, I’ve been wrestling for 10 or 11 years. I was never really injured and now I’m starting to have neck (issues) . Are you guys going to use me a little bit or if you’re not interested, maybe I can go back to TNA.'”
“They started to put me on Sunday Night Heat and that was just to get you on TV and see how you look in the frame, kind of thing. Every time I came back from the match, they were happy with it. The producers would tell me, ‘Yeah, they’re talking about you in the meetings. They’re just not sure, but they’re gonna bring this guy and that guy.’ Once again, way more bodies than spots and I just didn’t have a man in those meetings going, ‘Let’s draw some money with this guy’, and that’s really all there was to it. Once again, those 16 months as a WWE wrestler is not something that everybody can put on their resume, so I’m grateful for that opportunity to work for Mr. McMahon. His daughter, Stephanie, was always very pleasant to me. Triple H, all of them, I didn’t have any problems there as far as going into the TV tapings because I wasn’t one of those people that walk around, ‘Hey, when are you going to do this? Why am I not doing?’ Man, they will let you know.’After a certain amount of time goes by, you kind of know. It explains itself. I was still, what, 30 or 31 years old? I knew my career wasn’t over. I figured if I leave, I’ll probably be back there someday again. You know what I mean? You just never know. It was a handshake thing. I went back to the independents and immersed myself in the southern independents for several years and had a lot of success with that before going back to Impact for this current run.”
Johnny Swinger talks about taking road trips with Jake Roberts and Honky Tonk Man:
“I’ve done some trips with him (Jake Roberts), like drives to independent shows and you can learn a lot by being in a car with someone like him as far as the psychology of being a wrestler and why you would do something and not do something else. I don’t have any crazy stories about him because I wasn’t out with him in a party sense.”
“If you’re in a car with Honky Tonk Man, you’re gonna be laughing the whole time. You really are. Just like watching one of my interviews. You know what I’m saying?’ That’s where I get it from, that whole persona of entertaining the people. That’s the number one job. I love this deal I got now and I’m gonna enjoy it for however long I have it.”
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
