Moose stated it many times, 2018 is meant to be his year. Over the last 2 years, the former 2-time Grand Champion has become one of Impact Wrestling’s most impressive talents. A homegrown talent who has quickly become a fan favourite. The former NFL player has made an impressive transition from football to wrestling and has built a fantastic path to the top of Impact Wrestling. There’s no doubt in many people’s mind he will be World Champion this year. The matter now is when.

SteelChair Magazine had the opportunity to talk to Moose earlier today. Six months after our last media call, he shared with us on being “Mr Impact Wrestling”, his recent match at Redemption and what the future holds for him in the company.

You’ve been one of the very few to react to what Sami Callihan did to Don Callis on social media. Do you want him to be fired for his attitude?

I personally don’t like Sami and I think what he has done has been very unprofessional. And I’m sure he’s going to pay for that.

Yesterday night, during Impact Wrestling weekly media call, when he was asked about the tag partner he would like to work with, Matt Sydal quoted you. Would you like to team up with him?

It would be a great thing. Me and Matt have been good friends, we have a great chemistry in the ring. We worked many matches together in TNA and ROH. So yes, it would definitely a great tag team partnership.

I already asked you this question 6 months ago, but it seems like the more you wrestle in the Impact Zone, the more you have the back of the crowd. The reactions from the crowd are incredible. Does this support matter for you?

It’s definitely cool when the crowd is behind me. Like I’ve said before, the more they chant “Moose”, the more they make me want to work harder and do more for them. I love to have the crowd behind me to help me keep this pace of fame.

You dubbed yourself “Mr Impact Wrestling”, why this nickname and what does it mean for you?

I feel like I’m the one doing the most for the company, with long and very hard work. Like for instance, I took a 14-hour plane just to come to the UK just to do some media stuff for the company, something a lot of guys wouldn’t want to. Therefore everything I can do to promote Impact Wrestling in and out of the ring is of many reasons why I can call myself ” Mr Impact Wrestling”. 

“Redemption” was an amazing PPV. What are your thoughts on it and on the 6-Man House of Hardcore match you took part of?

Redemption is definitely the best PPV I’ve been a part of since my debut with Impact Wrestling. This is a lot, it was really a testimony of the great work of Don (Callis), Scott (D’Amore) and Sonjay (Dutt) to put everything together and make the product get better and better. The match was awesome, wonderful. Working with guys like Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer was a dream, being in the ring with these guys definitely makes my job easy to do. 

The PPV was also a confirmation that Impact Wrestling is on the good road and has never been better. Does the nickname of “Mr Impact Wrestling” mean even more right now as the company has been finding her way back to the top?

Definitely, it sounds good. The company has gone through so much in the last 3 years. To hold that name just gives me the notion that I’m a part of the reason why the company is so great. I am the one the guys who stayed when the company was in decline and made his very best to bring it back to the top. I’ve used this moniker to help kind of put the company on my back. The company is doing good and I want people to know I’m one of the big parts of that.

Who are the new talents you haven’t wrestled yet you’re interested in squaring off with?

Brian Cage against Moose seems to be a match people want to see on national TV, even if we wrestled many times before. I’m opened to have a match with anybody there in the roster, especially if it can help the product. Every match is a challenge on his own.

You said many times that 2018 will be your year. You want to become Impact World Championship. Pentagon is the current Champion but Eli Drake and Austin Aries are also eyeing on it. How do you envision your road to the World Championship?

The World Title is my goal, and I will try to work as hard as I could to achieve it. It doesn’t matter who I take it away to. But I’ve never wrestled Pentagon, even in live events.

Like Eddie Edwards, do you consider Impact Wrestling as your home for the years to come?

For the moment, it is my home. But we never know. New goals or new opportunities could make me move on and leave. But right now and for the next couple of years, Impact Wrestling is definitely where I want to be in.

Because of Impact Partnerships, you had the chance to work with Lucha Libre AAA in Mexico and Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan. But recently, at the “Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground” event, you were also involved in this evolution of the business. 

Partnerships are definitely making our product be more unique than any other product. When you’re watching Impact Wrestling you also have the chance to watch other companies. In 2018 more and more companies and wrestlers are going to be involved, we’re building a revolution where everyone can work together and be in the same spotlight. I definitely love the partnership we have with Lucha Underground, but not to the point of wrestling for them.

Six months ago, you were stating you and Bobby Lashley were destined to fight forever. But he has left the company ever since. 

I’m happy for him, he deserves everything that he has. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to work together in a ring again. You never know what’s going to happen in wrestling, but we always run into each other at some point.

Austin Aries stated last week the Grand Championship is a World Championship. As a former 2-time Impact Grand Champion, were you considering this title the same way he is?

For me, Austin Aries is making a mistake because the World Championship is the title Penta has, not him. The Grand Championship is definitely not a World Championship. We have to go about what is what. Right now, my focus is on being the next World Champion, not the next Grand Champion.

What did this Grand Championship mean to you when you were defending it? 

I proudly wore and defended it every time I stepped in the ring. It was a free ticket for me to reach for bigger and better. And the bigger is the World Championship

You’ve been in the business for 5 years. Is there a match or an opponent that was more important than any other?

I have so many it would be difficult to pick one.

You successfully transitioned from football to wrestling. Do you think there’s a recipe to succeed in?

Passion is the key. You have to love this business and be passionate about. If don’t have this love and passion, you can only fail.

Impact Wrestling will be back in the UK on September but you’re very casual with the UK wrestling scene as you’re coming quite often. Are you looking forward to coming to the UK for the first time with Impact?

I love to come wrestling in the UK, the wrestling scene is great. It’s one of the best areas in the world to work in. The big show we’re going to do in Manchester is great because we have such a great fan base here, so I can’t wait.

Follow Moose on Twitter @TheMooseNation. All pics and screencaps courtesy of Impact Wrestling and @TheMooseNation.