Rich Swann recently appeared on INSIGHT With Chris Van Vliet. The following highlights were sent to us:
On re-signing with IMPACT Wrestling:
“Man, the world of Rich Swann has definitely been lighting up. I mean, I’ve got a one year old baby now, a little Richie Jr. And I’ve also signed a two year deal with IMPACT Wrestling. [Congratulations] I appreciate that. IMPACT Wrestling has done nothing but you know, treat me with the utmost respect. And it’s been a place where I’ve been able to grow, I’ve been able to watch other competitors grow. And I’ve been able to watch the company grow into a spot to where you know, it should be, you know what I’m saying?”
Why Rich Swann is staying with IMPACT Wrestling:
“You know, right now, wrestling is just like I said, there’s so much of everything, all forms of entertainment. And wrestling right now is prospering. Like you have your AEW that’s doing great. You have WWE has turned around, turned a new leaf and they’re doing great. IMPACT Wrestling, the experience that I had ever since I started with IMPACT in 2018 has been nothing but love, nothing but prospering, nothing but watching the company grow into what it is today, and to be a part of that and helping that. After all the years of people saying, Oh, IMPACT’s gonna die? Oh, TNA is dead. To be a part of that, you know what I’m saying? Helping it come back up to where it’s at today. That right there makes me feel good. And like I said, it lets me know that I’m doing something right in this industry.”
On winning the IMPACT World Championship:
“So personally, man, it just, it made me feel like all the doubters and the naysayers and the people that said ‘hey, you’re not gonna make it in this business as anything, because you’re 5 foot 6, you’re 175 pounds.’ ‘Oh, you’ll never be…’ I was able to show that gold and put it in their face. And you know, personally and professionally, professionally you know, it definitely put me at another level. I was able to wrestle one of the most revered wrestlers in our industry today, Kenny Omega, in a high profile Main Event match, you know what I’m saying. Two companies came together, AEW and IMPACT Wrestling, one pay-per-view, one ring, two world titles. I would have never gotten an opportunity wrestling in other places, and I was just, you know, elated.”
On playing his own entrance music:
“Hey, this is the thing, and I don’t want to hate on Elias. I don’t want to hate on Rick Boogs. I don’t want to hate on those guys. But God damn, I was doing that in 2008 playing my own song, beatboxing my own song, playing guitar on my own song. But Honky Tonk and Jeff Jarrett, they were doing it well before me. Yeah, you know what I’m saying? But just saying I was doing that sh*t.”
On Kenny Omega:
“There’s a lot of unfinished business. We never got a rematch, you know what I’m saying? Man, I know that Forbidden Door is still open, your boy Cass just had a world title shot at IMPACT against Josh [Alexander]. You know what I mean? And he’s a part of AEW. Hey Kenny, this is a message to you. Don’t be scared, I know you beat me, I know you beat me. But hey, don’t be scared. Let’s run it back.”
