Austin Aries has long had a dedicated fan following, and has also long had a reputation for never being afraid to speak his mind. The former TNA/Impact Wrestling champion was released from WWE in July, only a year and a half or so after his surprise NXT debut.
While at NXT, he suffered an orbital bone injury that led him to the commentary desk of 205 Live, before returning to the ring on the main roster. He got one very high-profile match, facing WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville on the WrestleMania 33 Kickoff Show, in a match that didn’t make it onto the DVD. That match, and carrying a banana in his pocket are probably the two things WWE fans will remember him for.
But since he left, Impact Wrestling fans have wondered if he might return to that promotion. Aries put any such questions to rest in an appearance on the “X-Pac 1-2-360” podcast, where he explained why he has no plans to go back:
“We had some talks [after I left WWE], but really, for me, the only position I was interested in there was the position of being a decision maker. I told Dixie [Carter] when I left there I wouldn’t come back and work for anybody. But if I was going to come back there, that I had to be in a position to make a difference.
“I know they just went through a big regime change; I know we had some discussion about me coming in there and possibly being part of the team. But I know where I am right now in my career, and [with] all the possibilities and things I have in front of me, I really couldn’t invest myself emotionally into that. Because let’s be honest, they’ve got a lot of work to do there. They’ve done a lot of bad business over the years, and they’ve got a lot to overcome. And I think the guys there know that, and I wish them luck.”
At this point in his career, Aries feels that wherever he ends up, he wants to be in charge of his own career of course, but also wants to be in a position of authority if he lands full-time with another promotion. Which is perfectly reasonable, given how long he’s been doing this and the amount of respect he’s garnered in the industry.. You can hear the whole interview here:
