Chris Sabin is, and will always be, undeniably associated with TNA/Impact Wrestling. He has been around since the very beginning near enough. With the company hitting its anniversary, it makes total sense one of its longest-standing members would be there, defending the honour of the company against a stable that brands itself as having none instead.
Over a 22-year career, Sabin has set many records in the Impact Zone, records that have stood the test of time. On his own and with Alex Shelley as the Motor City Machine Guns, he has inspired generations of wrestling, showing them the road to the top is not an easy thing but certainly a worthy one. The fact he was in the very first Slammiversary and will be in the 20th edition is definitely proof of his solidity.
SteelChair Mag had the absolute pleasure to talk to Chris Sabin yesterday. He told us about the upcoming Impact Originals vs Honor No More Match at Slammiversary 20, his Slammiversary legacy, his wrestling legacy, Impact Wrestling, and what the future may hold for him.
This Sunday, at “Slammiversary 20,” you will be a part of Impact Originals in a match against Honor No More, alongside Alex Shelley, Frankie Kazarian and 2 other wrestlers. What does this match represent to you?
“I think it represents the tradition of Impact Wrestling, just what Impact Wrestling has meant over the last 20 years which is just becoming a viable, alternative wrestling product. Honor No More is coming over from the former ROH, Ring of Honor is still around obviously, but they were part of the previous generation of Ring of Honor. They’re coming over trying to make a name for themselves here but we’re not going to let that happen, we are the TNA/IMPACT Originals and we’re going to stick up for our company and we’re going to make sure we beat those bullies down.”
We are looking forward to knowing who will be the 2 other members of the team. Some people were teased, like Shark Boy, Wildcat Chris Harris or Matt Morgan. Can we expect to have an answer on who they will be this Thursday night?
“Yes, we will, but no spoilers right now.”
Honor No More also interfered in your match against Frankie Kazarian, this “Battle of the Futures.” It was very disappointing to see a good match stopped that way. Can we expect to see that match happen without any kind of interference one day?
“I definitely hope so, absolutely. We had a really good match going right there and it was definitely a full-circle kind of situation. Frankie and I just battled in when we both started on TNA/IMPACT, then it’s just going completely full circle to having this “Battle of the Futures” just recently and especially during the 20-year anniversary of the company, it just makes it mean that much more. I really hope we can have another singles match, hopefully in the near future and this time, let it be a nice clean finish and just a good match for everyone to enjoy.”
TNA/Impact Wrestling is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a 20th “Slammiversary.” You were in the very first “Slammiversary,” and you will be in the 20th. How do you feel about that?
“It’s pride. I’m really proud of the company and how much hard work people have put into it throughout the years, just to keep the company alive. People have talked about TNA/Impact Wrestling having a death wish from the day it started, there was always like doom and gloom just around the corner for the company but it has proven those people wrong time and time again. We’ve proven them wrong for 20 years and I hope we prove them wrong for another 20 years.”
I took the time to check the figures, you will take part in your 11th “Slammiversary,” but you’re not the record man. AJ Styles also took part in 11 editions but Cowboy James Storm is the record man with 14 editions. Out of the 11 “Slammiversary” you took part in, which one particularly sticks in your mind? What is your favourite “Slammiversary?”
“It’s Slammiversary Seven that happened at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2009. It was a King of the Mountain 5- Man Match for the X-Division title. It was me, Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed, and Suicide. That’s probably my favourite one because I got to wrestle in the Palace where the Detroit Pistons used to play. WCW and WWF used to run shows there. It was an arena with a lot of history here in Michigan and it was cool to be able to wrestle in front of my hometown crowd in that arena. We didn’t end up winning the match, Alex or I, but it was still just a fun match, a fun night. Curtis Granderson who played for the Detroit Tigers was there as a curator for the belt that night, so it was a good night, I enjoyed it.”
It’s good to see you teaming up again with your friend, and brother in some ways, Alex Shelley. He’s wrestling pretty much everywhere currently, including on IMPACT. Do you appreciate seeing him come back, whether you wrestle as a team or not?
“One of those things with us is like I hope the Motor City Machine Guns are never not a team, like one of us never turns on the other one. Sometimes, we’ll be a tag team, sometimes we’ll be on our own and no matter what happens whether we’re doing some tag team matches or the two of us are on our own, doing our own thing, even if we’re doing our own thing for years at a time, there’s always the possibility of the Motor City Machine Guns having a reunion, so I like that.”
Also, you have your records, the standards you set on your own, he has his own, and you have yours, together as a team. You remain a record man in the TNA/Impact Wrestling history, with 8 X-Division titles, 17 participations in an Ultimate-X match and 8 wins. These records have never been broken. Do you want to remain that standard or do you expect one day someone will blow them up?
“I definitely hope so. It’s definitely cool to have those records and it’s still possible that I could add to those records. It’s still possible that I could win the X-Division Championship multiple more times. It’s still possible that I could be in more Ultimate-X matches, I prefer not to be in any more Ultimate-X matches because I’ve had my fair share of those (laughs), so if I’m not in any more of those, I won’t be upset. But, absolutely, I hope someone completely blows my records out of the water and finds success the same way I did and, hopefully, I will have inspired them.”
Who do you think could do that? Who could be the record-breaker?
“It’s hard to say right now because winning the X-Division Championship eight times, that’s quite a large number, so a lot of the guys are going to have to win the belt a lot more times. I think the person in the lead right now would probably be Ace Austin. He’s got a lot of momentum on his side, he’s the current X-Division Champion, he was just in the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and he apparently just joined Bullet Club. He has a lot of momentum on his side, he’s very young and he just has a really bright career ahead of him, so he’s the leader of the pack right now.”
Speaking of the X-Division, Jack Evans and Alex Zayne will be back on the Impact Zone at “Slammiversary,” being in the Ultimate-X match with Ace Austin, Kenny King, Trey Miguel and Mike Bailey. What are your thoughts on these new additions to the X-Division?
“Both those guys are super-talented and uniquely talented in their own way. I think they can only add to the X-Division and add to our show. I think they’re just unique athletes and they can bring just a different feel. Obviously, Jack Evans is absolutely insane, just the things he’s done throughout the years the man has proven to be indestructible and him in an Ultimate-X match, that’s definitely something I’d like to see.”
With time, I’ve asked a lot of wrestlers if 40 is the new 20 for them, and you turned 40 this year. Despite the knee injuries and other issues, do you feel like right now you’re in the best shape and the best state of mind of your career, compared to your debut when you were a young 20-year-old wrestler debuting in the business?
“I think I’m the best I’ve ever been, for sure, and a lot of that has to do with just 22 years of experience and just having a growth progressive mindset, always wanting to improve, always wanting to get better and trying to find out different ways that I can improve, whether it’s on a physical way or a mental way, or just improving my game in wrestling, improving the way I talk, anything. That’s part of what I contribute to just being at the top of my game right now. I guess the biggest difference is that it takes me a lot longer to recover from matches (laughs), I don’t bounce back as I used to when I was in my early 20s. That’s probably the only biggest difference, the healing process takes a little longer but it’s going to happen with age though.”
Does that mean we’ll see you at “Slammiversary 30”?
“Yes, I’ll see you there. Maybe not wrestling but, hopefully, I’ll be there (laughs).”
Follow Chris Sabin on Twitter @SuperChrisSabin.
“Slammiversary 20” will air live on Sunday, June 19 at 8 PM EST (1 AM GMT) on PPV, worldwide on Fite TV, and on Premier Sports 1 in the UK. Impact Wrestling Special Events and PPVs also air on IMPACT Wrestling’s new YouTube membership Impact Insiders and on Impact Plus. IMPACT Wrestling is airing on Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV in the USA and around the world on IMPACT Wrestling’s new YouTube membership Impact Insiders, YouTube TV and Impact Plus.
Very Nygma thanks to Mr. Deathman – All pics, videos, and screencaps courtesy of Impact Wrestling, AXS TV, Fight Network, and Fite TV