Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Willie Mack
Date: 07/13/2021
Your Host: James Walsh

The return  of Mack! After over a calendar year since he last joined us, we welcome back Willie Mack to talk about Saturday night’s epic Slammiversary card where he and Rich Swann will be in a crowded tag-team affair challenging for the Tag Team Titles. He also discusses the potential of former WWE talent signing with Impact ahead of the big pay-per-view, his World Title goals, and even being compared to the late great Junkyard Dog. All this and more in a fun chat with a one of a kind performer!

Impact Wrestling presents Slammiversary on Saturday, July 17th live, with a live crowd, on pay-per-view from Nashville, TN. Visit www.ImpactWrestling.com for more information!

To listen, visit www.WrestlingEpicenter.com! If you use this content on your site, please remember to link back to us!

WILLIE MACK:

On challenging for the Tag Team Titles in an 8 man tag at Slammiversary:
“Oh man, Wel, you really want to try to have it in a traditional way But, more people adds some more opportunity because the champions don’t have to be pinned to lose the titles. So, if you get them off balance, you can captitalize on that. The more the merrier!” 

On what teams he’s most concerned with in the match:
“You always have to worry about the champions because they’re the champions for a reason. But, the second team, I would have to say, would have to be the Good Brothers because they have been champions on multiple occasions. And, they’ve got some tricks up (their sleeves), basically. You’ve got to be on the lookout for that!”

On his partner Rich Swann’s incredible return from injury:
“It is crazy to see. He brought me in for Bound for Glory (2018) and we had a few opportunities at the tag team titles throughout that journey. But, then I was on my own when he left with the injury. A few months later, he came back and won the World Title! Now, here we are again getting the chance to see if we can solidify this tag team and see if it is all good. Hopefully he gets that Triple Crown!”

On holding the X Division Title last year as a non-traditional looking high flyer:
“That was great. Back in the day, the X Division was the thing that caught everyone’s eye. Knowing that I had the same title that Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Petey Williams, and Samoa Joe held,.. That is crazy to me! One day, when I’m old as Hell, I can look back in the history books and show my kids and grandkids, “Look! I made history back in the day!” It is cool to have my name on that list!”

On being compared to the Junkyard Dog by older fans:
“The Junkyard Dog thing is common. I hear it all the time. But, the one thing I want people to try and realize, I don’t want me to remind people of the Junkyard Dog. I want him to remind people of me. That is why I got into wrestling and do my own thing. I know I’m big but I knew I was going to stick out because I’m big. So, I had to use my athleticism and do all kinds of crazy cruiserweight type moves, as they call them. I’ve been doing this stuff since I was 4 years old. And, I’ve always been a bigger guy. So, i said, “All right, I’m going to show them that I can do something special and not just be the same cookie cutter person in the way.””

On the “Forbidden Door” being open with Impact working with AEW, NJPW, and beyond:
“I mean, it is pretty sweet. Coming up, you always watch wrestling and you only see one company and you’d stick with a company. You would have to change the channel to ever see what the other company is doing. Bit. wjem you actually have the chance to sit back and see stars from both major TV companies come together and do a talent exchange, that is something you probably never thought you would see in the 2020’s! That is great, especially for the older fans who remember the Monday Night Wars and everything like that. To know we’re still alive and we’re able to see something like this, it is crazy! Especially with the Kenny Omega stuff going on.”

On if e’s pulling for Sami Callihan at Slammiversary against Kenny Omega:
“Probably. Because that is our championship belt and I’m very proud of our company. I have to be there to watch to see if the belt comes back to us or stays with the enemy. We’re going to just have to wait and see!”

On the return of live fans at Slammiversary:
“Man, it is crazy. It is good. Because last year, at Rebellion, when I won the X Division Championship, I was happy. And, I raised my hand for the celebration… The next thing you know, I’m looking down and all I see is a camera man and, David Penzer, and the referee. I’m up there to celebrate by myself! That is why I’m excited to have people around ringside and I know they haven’t seen wrestling in a while, in person. I know the boys are going to be hyped up!! They’ve got a year’s worth of excitement built up like me. It is going to be great being in front of people and hearing the roar of the crowd and not just a quiet building.”

On the challenges of being a TV wrestler without the crowd during the pandemic:
“It was weird. It was definitely different because after taking crazy moves or hearing your entrance music, you used to have that interaction. But, after the first day, it was like, “All right. This is what it is now and you adjust.”

On Impact Wrestling delivering a great product during times of uncertainty:
“Out of everything, everything out there. During this time, pro wrestling was the only live thing on television besides the nightly news.”

On who he wants to see Impact bring in from the available talent pool at Slammiversary:
Well, come on over! But, I don’t want others taking away from my spotlight! (laughs) I’m just playing. But, no. There’s so many people. I just keep my options open because I’m not really sure who I want to see or who I’m expecting. But, yeah, I’m jsut waiting like everyone else.”

On what other matches, other than his own and the World Title Match, he’s looking forward to at Slammiversary:
“I’m really looking forward to everything. I don’t just want to see one thing. I want to see this whole show! I want to se what happens next. But, I will probably keep my eyes out for the Women’s (Knockouts) Title Match. Likely, there will be something going down with it.”

On if he wants to be a Triple Crown Champion himself in Impact:
“Of course I do. That is the reason you get into wrestling, to become a World Champion. Maybe in the far future, at some point, I end up as World Champion and, sooner, Tag Team Champion so I can call myself a Triple Crown Champion at Impact Wrestling. That would be something amazing to me because only a select few people have done it so far.”

On the future of Impact Wrestling post-pandemic:
“The sky is the limit! As we talked about, there has been a year and a half worth of changes and no live people in the building or at an Impact show. So, we’ve got a lot of making up to do! Hopefully, we’ll go back on tour and see a lot of our fans and just put some smiles on their faces during these rough times.”