SteelChair were recently part of a press conference call starring Impact Grand Champion, Ethan Carter the 3rd, or as he’s known in wrestling circles, EC3. Here are the highlights of what may be the best of all the Impact press conferences so far.
EC3 is very confident going into Bound for Glory in November. He expects to deliver because he believes himself to be the best guy everywhere and anywhere.
He’s very pleased with his recent trip to Mexico. Especially as he only had one match and went on two benders. Whey hey!
He believes it is imperative for Impact to stretch its reach beyond the boundaries of its comfort zone which is why they are holding Bound for Glory in Canada, America’s top hat. He also believes it’s the spiritual home for some of the most passionate wrestling fans in the world. He says that sometimes you can only judge what’s working on television by taking it out of the studio.
He takes his role as a locker room leader very seriously and looks forward to mentoring the new guys and letting them know the most professional way to approach, what is for many, some uncertain and testing times. But he is very excited to see what the guys are going to try in Impact, what’s going to work, what’s not going to work and enjoy the experiment. He would also love to challenge Richard Justice to a street fight. Maybe.
Promos are a huge facet to EC3’s game. He first looks at what the promo is supposed to accomplish, then he combines that with realism and entertainment. His advice to young wrestlers is to “You can only be the best you possible. You can’t be somebody else.” He believes that your marketability always comes from an extension of your own personality; you must take what makes you unique and twist it in a way that will appeal to a mainstream audience.
He never exploits the leeway he has made from the position he has earned as one of the company’s top guys. If he messes up, he’s the first one to know and he always takes full responsibility.
During his run on NXT, Ethan enjoyed an unprecedented amount of creativity, but only because none of the executives cared about the product. It was a fun experience but the indifference he felt from the audience and the company grated. Still, he considered it a positive experience.
He believes that the concept of the Impact Grand Championship, the division he is currently the champion of, is a bit up in the air and the title could have more value than it does right now. The belt looks amazing, but the three-round format is hindering the storytelling potential and he doesn’t know that, if by dropping it, whether or not it would make the title lose its individuality. He wants it to mean as much as the world championship but it’s about him getting it there with a prestigious run.
One of the keys to making the new format work is to educate the fans on the concept, otherwise, it becomes meaningless to them. If the division is to work better, the differences between the Grand matches and the regular matches must be ingrained in their minds.
When asked about management, he said he believes that communication is one of the key issues. When some things are leaked by management or by talent, that’s a failure of communication. There needs to be a place where the buck stops, an authority figure who has the final say on all aspects of the promotion. A strong, clear vision is also a must and he believes that Impact Wrestling’s vision for what they are and what they should be in the future, is great right now.
He’s really proud of the date skit he, Daniel Bryan and the Bella Twins did when they in NXT. The comedic side of his feud became a great way of differentiating himself from the crowd. However, he didn’t want to be pegged as a comedy guy. There’s a difference between being an entertaining guy and a funny guy. He never wanted to be pigeonholed in that way. You can’t approach the main event from a purely comedic angle, but you can still be entertaining while doing it. He gave The Rock as an example. He was funny with his promos, but at the same time, was cutting his opponents deep. Main events are based on serious emotion.
He doesn’t consider himself to be the face of the company. He believes that there are many faces, including Bobby Lashley and Eli Drake. He believes it is a good thing to have options at the top.
He feels that right now, he has stepped a little out of the spotlight. He doesn’t feel any more or less pressure to perform surrounding current events, rather he only feels the pressure he puts on himself to perform.
In regards to the #KneelNFL situation, Ethan says he wouldn’t do the same, but he cannot dictate how people bring attention to their issue. The only thing he recognises is the importance of the first amendment and that he has not gone through some of the experiences of the NFL players.
He would be remiss if EC3 didn’t become at least a three-time champion, just because of his name. His greatest accomplishment, however, was whooping Kurt Angle’s ass for the world title. Second is the amount of success that he has had with the obstacles he’s had to overcome. But what he really wants to do to cap his career, is something that hasn’t been done. He wants to do something special and unique. He also has no idea what it is yet.
His favourite arena that he has ever worked in, is the historic Wembley Arena with his hair vs hair match with Rockstar Spud. Usually, he doesn’t care where he wrestles, just that he does it in front of a passionate fan base.
Finally, if he was to have a match with one returning Impact legend, it would be Scott Steiner. He thinks the promos would be insane. I’m inclined to agree with him.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUTqT9xIZiM&w=560&h=315]