Recently on Cerrito Live, former Impact Wrestling mainstay James Storm addressed his departure from the pro wrestling promotion. Also, Storm talked about whether his farewell promo will ever air on Impact television. Finally, Storm shared his thoughts on the future of Impact.
During the interview, Storm confirmed his Impact Wrestling departure, saying he feels like he has accomplished all of his goals at Impact. Additionally, Storm suggested that the regime change that saw the ouster of Jeff Jarrett may have influenced his decision to part ways with Impact.
"It actually hasn't [become] official for me, but, yes, I have left Impact Wrestling and it's just one of those things where it just kind of felt like I did everything I can do with that company and the landscape of it has changed from the time I was there."
Storm continued, "but so many people want to frown upon Dixie [Carter] and Jeff [Jarrett] and all that, but the reason I thank them and Bob Ryder is because basically if it wasn't for those guys, there would be no 'Cowboy' James Storm. There might not be an AJ Styles and might not be a Bobby Roode, might not be all these other guys who got the breaks that Jeff gave us when he started up TNA Impact Wrestling back in the day."
Apparently, the farewell promo Storm cut after competing in his final match for Impact was not planned. Rather, Storm wanted to go out on his terms and does not care whether he has heat with Impact brass as a result.
"Hey, I left - who cares if there's heat? No, it's just one of those things. I just grabbed [the microphone] because, like, if I'm going out, I'm going out the way that I want to. I'd do the match however they wanted, but at the end of the day, when I grabbed that microphone and said what I had to say, it was from the heart. And being on the road so long, I wanted to say to my wife and my kids, 'hey, I'm coming home for a little while and daddy gets to spend time with you because I'm taking time off, letting my body heal, and then go back at it.' And also, like I said, Dixie Carter, Jeff Jarrett, and Bob Ryder, without those guys, a lot of the guys you know now wouldn't be around and they gave us a platform."
As for whether the farewell promo will ever see the light of day, Storm did not seem confident that it will ever air on Impact television because 'The Cowboy' namechecked Carter, Jarrett, and Ryder.
"As far as the video, to me, I don't know. I doubt it, but I'm not for sure if that footage will ever be seen. It might now that it has leaked out on the internet."
Storm said, "but those guys needed to get kudos. They always get crapped on for all the negative stuff that goes on, but they never get the praise for the good stuff that happened."
With respect to the future of Impact, Storm admitted that he does not know where it will go, but wishes them well because The Hexagon is another place for pro wrestlers to work.
"I wish I could say either way and I never wish bad upon anybody and I definitely don't wish bad upon Impact Wrestling because I'm not there anymore because to me, it gives the boys another place to work where they might not have another place to work. It gives them television exposure and all of that. And as far as where they'll be, I don't know. I just know that they need a lot of work in different departments. It's definitely not the wrestling side because the boys are bringing it. So, hopefully, like I said, hopefully, they'll be around for a while, just to give the guys another place to work and be able to make a living."
Storm stressed that Anthem needs to improve its marketing of Impact. Also, Storm mused that NXT vs. Impact Wrestling could have been done on the WWE Network if WWE bought Impact.
"It starts from the head of the snake and that's Anthem. They need to make changes to make it more marketable to me. That's what I always said, 'what would've happened if instead of Anthem, WWE got ahold of [Impact] and put it on the Network and did something [like] NXT versus TNA or something like that or whatever the name is?'"
Click here to check out the interview.
"It actually hasn't [become] official for me, but, yes, I have left Impact Wrestling and it's just one of those things where it just kind of felt like I did everything I can do with that company and the landscape of it has changed from the time I was there."
Storm continued, "but so many people want to frown upon Dixie [Carter] and Jeff [Jarrett] and all that, but the reason I thank them and Bob Ryder is because basically if it wasn't for those guys, there would be no 'Cowboy' James Storm. There might not be an AJ Styles and might not be a Bobby Roode, might not be all these other guys who got the breaks that Jeff gave us when he started up TNA Impact Wrestling back in the day."
Apparently, the farewell promo Storm cut after competing in his final match for Impact was not planned. Rather, Storm wanted to go out on his terms and does not care whether he has heat with Impact brass as a result.
"Hey, I left - who cares if there's heat? No, it's just one of those things. I just grabbed [the microphone] because, like, if I'm going out, I'm going out the way that I want to. I'd do the match however they wanted, but at the end of the day, when I grabbed that microphone and said what I had to say, it was from the heart. And being on the road so long, I wanted to say to my wife and my kids, 'hey, I'm coming home for a little while and daddy gets to spend time with you because I'm taking time off, letting my body heal, and then go back at it.' And also, like I said, Dixie Carter, Jeff Jarrett, and Bob Ryder, without those guys, a lot of the guys you know now wouldn't be around and they gave us a platform."
As for whether the farewell promo will ever see the light of day, Storm did not seem confident that it will ever air on Impact television because 'The Cowboy' namechecked Carter, Jarrett, and Ryder.
"As far as the video, to me, I don't know. I doubt it, but I'm not for sure if that footage will ever be seen. It might now that it has leaked out on the internet."
Storm said, "but those guys needed to get kudos. They always get crapped on for all the negative stuff that goes on, but they never get the praise for the good stuff that happened."
With respect to the future of Impact, Storm admitted that he does not know where it will go, but wishes them well because The Hexagon is another place for pro wrestlers to work.
"I wish I could say either way and I never wish bad upon anybody and I definitely don't wish bad upon Impact Wrestling because I'm not there anymore because to me, it gives the boys another place to work where they might not have another place to work. It gives them television exposure and all of that. And as far as where they'll be, I don't know. I just know that they need a lot of work in different departments. It's definitely not the wrestling side because the boys are bringing it. So, hopefully, like I said, hopefully, they'll be around for a while, just to give the guys another place to work and be able to make a living."
Storm stressed that Anthem needs to improve its marketing of Impact. Also, Storm mused that NXT vs. Impact Wrestling could have been done on the WWE Network if WWE bought Impact.
"It starts from the head of the snake and that's Anthem. They need to make changes to make it more marketable to me. That's what I always said, 'what would've happened if instead of Anthem, WWE got ahold of [Impact] and put it on the Network and did something [like] NXT versus TNA or something like that or whatever the name is?'"
Click here to check out the interview.
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