Moose is ushering in a new era for Total Nonstop Action. In the main event of TNA Hard to Kill, the first event under Impact Wrestling’s rebrand to TNA, Moose defeated Alex Shelley to capture the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. This marks the second time Moose has held the company’s legitimate top prize, as he had previously reigned as Impact World Champion in 2021, but it is not his first run with the TNA branding. Back in 2020, when TNA was still under Impact Wrestling branding, Moose made himself the self-proclaimed TNA World Heavyweight Champion and defended the gold in unofficial title matches over the next year.
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“I asked myself this question ever since the news that TNA was coming back. I don’t know how long ago the talk started, but I wonder if they started because of how good of a job I did when I held the TNA Heavyweight Championship when I brought it back,” Moose told ComicBook.com. “I don’t know. I didn’t find out the news until when everybody else did. I always ask myself that question. Did that have something to do with it?”
Moose’s self-proclaimed reign had him essentially operating solely as a titleholder. Now that he is TNA’s sanctioned champion, he deals with all the responsibilities that come with being the company’s flag-bearer.
“I get to talk to you guys more frequently. I get to do more media calls. I’m now held with responsibility. The main event. Most of the shows I go on last,” Moose said. “There’s a lot of pressure because now you’re in a three-hour show, the fans have seen everything, and now you’re last. You have to try to keep the fans’ attention or bring it back up. There’s a lot of responsibilities, but I think I’m the right man to fulfill those responsibilities.”
Moose has the opportunity to share that spotlight as well. At TNA Hard to Kill, Moose introduced The System, a faction of long-time Impact Wrestling stars (Brian Myers, Eddie and Alisha Edwards) that are bent on maintaining the Impact spark in this TNA era.
“We all hang out all the time together. We’re always together. When we sat down and we thought about it, we thought that it made sense,” Moose said of his new stable. “I think there needs to be a change and we need to put out footprint in TNA.”
The System also has the backup of former NFL running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams is a longtime friend of Moose’s and previously worked one Impact Wrestling match back in 2017.
“DeAngelo is almost like our Dennis Robin to the nWo,” Moose said of Williams’s role within The System. “Whenever he can make it, he’s welcome to come hang out with us. As for a match, I guess you just have to stay tuned in.”
Moose and Williams crossed paths on the gridiron. The heavyweight previously played offensive lineman for Syracuse University before spending six years in the NFL.
“One thing that I learned from not only just Syracuse but just from team sports as a whole is discipline,” Moose reflected on his college and football years. “I learned how to keep a schedule. That’s the big two things I carry from college and from playing organized team sports.”
That schedule has an unspecified date with Nic Nemeth on it. The former Dolph Ziggler made his TNA debut at the conclusion of TNA Hard to Kill, attacking Moose after his title win and setting his sights on the TNA World Championship.
“Obviously I’ve heard about him. He’s a star. He’s a great wrestler in this industry. He’s done a lot in his industry. Him coming to TNA just shows that TNA is a place to be,” Moose said of Nemeth. “I know what he did to me. He’s going to get his back when that time is right. With that being said, I still think that him showing up and picking TNA over other companies that’s out there shows that TNA is a hot spot and great to be in. I’m happy that he’s here.”
If Nemeth is in TNA for the long haul, he will find himself crossing paths with Moose frequently. That’s because Moose re-signed with TNA this past summer in what was reported to be the longest extension in company history.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I can’t answer that question. I don’t know how I’m going to feel when this contract is up,” Moose said. “There is a strong possibility [that I retire in TNA], but it all depends on how I feel once this contract is up, if I feel like I could still do some of the things I do now in the ring. If I could give you a few more years then who knows where I’ll end up, but as of right now, I’m happy to be in TNA. I’m happy to be the flag-bearer. I’m happy to be the TNA World Champion.”
Moose competes on TNA Impact!, airing every Thursday at 8 PM ET on AXS TV.
