Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Rich Swann Re-Signs With IMPACT Wrestling, Unfinished Business With Kenny Omega

Episode Date: December 22, 2022

Rich Swann (@gottagetswann) is a professional wrestler signed with IMPACT Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Champion. He joins Chris Van Vliet to announce exclusively that he has re-signed with Impact Wrestling for 2 more years. He talks about the unfinished business he has with AEW's Kenny Omega, his goal to become a Grand Slam Champion in 2023, his TNA Wrestling Mount Rushmore, the best advice he ever received, his thoughts on the Forbidden Door and much more! For more information about Chris Van Vliet and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are gathered. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Bleed! Oh, yeah, welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight. It's your friendly neighborhood, CVV, Chris Van Fleet, and this is our last episode before the holidays. So I hope that you and your family have an amazing holiday, whatever it is that you're doing. And we've got a little holiday present for you in this interview.

We break a little news during this evening. interview. Rich Swan has been doing big things in Impact Wrestling over the last few years. I mean, he's been the Impact World Champion. He's been the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, X Division champion, Impact Digital Media Champion. And he told me exclusively during this interview that he's resigning with Impact Wrestling for two more years. You heard it here first. And we dig into all the things that he wants to check off that proverbial wrestling bucket list over the next two years. in Impact Wrestling. So great to have Rich back in the show.

It's been far too long since we interviewed him. And please, if you enjoy this episode, send this to somebody who you know will enjoy it just as much, if not more, than the amount that you enjoy this. And take a screenshot and tag us on social media so we can share it out as well. Rich is at Gotta Get Swan.

I'm at Chris Van Fleet. And shout out to Aaron ERP, who left this review on Apple Podcast. We're reading one out on every single episode. That's the deal here. So if you leave a few words, and that's really what this is, it's just a few words, leave a few words and we'll read it out on the show. This one says, love this show, love it, makes my week, and honestly, I want more.

Well, Aaron, ask, and ye shall receive. The plan is to do much more in 2023. So let's turn this thing up. But before we end the year, let's dive into this one. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Rich Swan. Rich Swan, it has been, it's been far too long since you've been on the show. I'm so glad we're making this happen. Far too long, man.

I think the last time I was on your show, I was throwing up outside after a Teddy Hart match at MLW. So, hey, I'm glad to see you're in better shape this time around. Way better shape, way better shape. We in the holiday mode, we ready to go, Daddy. You got some Christmas decorations behind you here. You've got the little Christmas tree ready, you know what I'm saying? Everything's just glowing. Everything's just glistening.

Everything's just right. You're glowing right now. And, you know, it's perfect timing. You know, it's the holiday season and you've got some, you got a big announcement here. So I'm so glad that I can have you on the show to announce this. So what's going on in the world of Rich Swan? Man, the world of Rich Swan has definitely been lightened up. I mean, I've got a one-year-old baby now, little Richie Jr.,

And I've also signed a two-year deal with Impact Wrestling. Hey, congratulations. I appreciate that. Impact wrestling has done nothing but, you know, treat me with the utmost respect. And it's been a place to where I've been able to grow. I've been able to watch other competitors grow. And I've been able to watch the company grow into a spot to where, you know,

it should be. You know what I'm saying? Well, it's been exciting watching you grow as well. If we take this back to before you were first in Impact Wrestling, how different are you now as a performer than you were then? I'm very different, especially, unfortunately, I had broke my back and my leg, my hip, my foot, everything. Like, everything on my right side was damn near damaged. And I was told by doctors that I wouldn't walk the same. let alone wrestle again.

And for, you know, impact, they helped take care of me when that happened. You know, and once I finally was able to come back, I became a world champion at Impact Wrestling. So that's something that I'll never forget. I'll always hold near and dear to my heart. And I'm definitely a better performer than I was back at that time. It's definitely, you know, taught me something. What did winning that world championship mean for you personally and also professionally? So personally, man, it just made me feel like all the doubters and the naysayers and the people that said,

hey, you're not going to make it in this business as anything because you're five foot six, year, 175 pounds, oh, you'll never be in the. That right there, I was able to show that gold and put it in their face. And personally and professionally, professionally, you know, it definitely put me at another level. I was able to wrestle one of the most revered wrestlers in our industry today, Kenny Omega, in a high profile main event. match, you know what I'm saying? Two companies came together, AW, Impact Wrestling, one pay-per-view, one ring, two world titles. I would have never gotten an opportunity, you know what I'm saying, at other places. And I was just, you know, elated, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, that forbidden door,

like definitely got kicked in and that match was like living proof of like, yep, no match is off limits now. Yep, yep, 100%. And, like, just to be a part of that, you know, to be one of the spearhead figures of that was like, all right, golly, I'm doing something right. I feel like there's some unfinished business with Kenny Omega now, though. Oh, there's a lot of unfinished business. We never got our rematch, you know, I'm saying. So, hey, my, I know that for bed, doors still open. if your boy Cass just had a world title shot at Impact against Josh. You know what I mean? And he's a part of AEW.

Hey, Kenny, there's a message to you. Don't be scurred. I know you beat me. I know you beat me. I know you beat me. But, hey, hey, don't be scared. Let's run it back. That's what I'm saying.

I mean, he came onto your turf. That match was an impact wrestling. Time for you to go, you know, get the other way on the forbidden door here. I think Tony scurred. That's it. You know, one of the big things that stood out from that match was Maro Ronello calling that match. And I feel like it gave it this, like, real big fight feel. Definitely.

It was definitely special. And, you know, everybody knows my history with Marl from, you know, 2015, 2017 over there in that company at New York. But to have him called that, you know, he's definitely one of the most charismatic commentators out there. you know what I'm saying? Like there's just no like, you know, there's no comparison. I know people like, you know, he was the guy who called Floyd Mayweather versus Connor McGregor. Like, he calls the biggest fights.

The biggest fights, exactly. And that's no slate, that's no slate to like Jim Ross or Tom or like, Josh Maddie, anybody, you know what I'm saying? It's just that. It's just that Marl has a unique, presentation about how he, you know, comes across. It's, you know, it's with the times. Yeah, yeah.

So as we look ahead, you know, 2022 is almost done. Amazing year for you. If we look ahead at 2023, you got, you know, kind of a new life here, two more years with Impact Wrestling. What do you want to accomplish in these next 12 months? Man, in these next 12 months, I want to do something that has been on my mind for a while and that has become, you know, a grand slam champion at Impact Wrestling. Of course, I'd like to become world champion again. I would love to find a tag team partner and

get these tag team titles, scratch that off my list. You know what I'm saying? I'd love to have Willie Mack with me by my side. That's my, that's my partner, either Willie Mac or Rickashen. Those are my two guys. You know what I'm saying? We've made a lot of history together. And to have that, you know what I'm saying? Like, that right there would be like the ultimate. Like that would put me up there with guys like AJ Styles, with guys like Sting, with guys like Booker, Kurt Angle, you know, Samoa Joe, like that would put me up there with that list, you know what I'm saying? And like to be in there, like, God, dang, you know what I'm said, I did something.

I did some with my life. It's going to be a tough one to answer, but you'd listed off so many TNA legends there. If you were to have a Mount Rushmore of TNA Greats, who are your for? Easy, easy. Wow, okay. For me, it is easy because, like, these are the guys that definitely, especially when I was younger and, uh,

like just starting to get into pro wrestling as an athlete and everything like that. Like I would say sting for sure. I'd say Christian Cage for sure because he was definitely a big jump once he left from WWE to come to TNA. And, you know, it was, you know, nobody thought that like, oh, wait a minute. What's he doing here? Why is he, you know? What's Christian Cage? doing in the impact zone.

Yeah, the whole star on the day and getting the video of his feet. Like that whole thing was awesome. Wait a minute, Mike today up in there. But so Sting, Christian Cage, definitely A.J. Stiles. Of course. The last one, though, you know what? You might be right. It is hard.

It's hard when you get down to that last spot, right? Yeah, yeah, Samoa Joe for sure. He definitely had a type of horror about him that was like, all right, you know what I say? And at that point, too, like he wasn't like somebody that came over from WWE or anything like that. Him and AJ were both homegrown and like they helped make that, you know, impact wrestling, TNA wrestling, a staple. Yeah, it's tough to an hour down to just four. because, you know, of course, Daniels can be on that list too for everything he accomplished during that era. Hey, I would, uh, make, I would etch another rock out there for them, you know what I'm saying?

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pressures, but we're just really excited just as the people are. The US soccer podcast presented by Henkoe, follow and listen on your favorite platform. When you first got to TNA, who was somebody who kind of took you aside and said, hey, here's some great advice for you to really succeed here because what you have been doing in impact is really succeeding. You know, there's a couple people like Don Callis, Scott DeLore, DeLo Brown, Tommy Dreamer. Like, those four for me were definitely like the guys. And it's well known about, you know, what happened with me and everything like that. But once those guys helped me pull my head out of my ass, you know what I'm saying,

and, you know, showed me the way, like, I'll never, you know, forget that. And those guys, like, they know this business. Sure. In and out. In and out. And they helped me tremendously. I think what's been really interesting about your rise here is I think there could be a lot of people that go, Rich Swan, great entrance, great entrance theme.

He has lots of fun. But you would like you prove to people, no, I can get it done in the ring too. Well, 100% I always like to prove that to people, you know. Like that's my forte. I like, you know, letting the people think that I'm just this, oh, character. But then when I get into the ring, you know, I'm all about it, Daddy. How much money are we going to have to get impact wrestling to pay to get the rights for Lionel Richie to play it, like just one bound for glory.

Just one man, dude. Let's call Lionel up on, what's he on American Idol now? He's on Idol, yeah. Let's call Lionel up. I'll play a guitar rendition for him. Maybe that might impress him, maybe he might give it to us for free or something. Maybe that's, maybe you auditioned for American Idol singing and dancing a song. Yes, yes.

Yes, I think that might be the way. to get Lino Richie to let us use all night long. That's all I'm saying. Do you play guitar every day? Almost, almost. I love that. I play guitar every day, keyboard, a little bit of drums. What's the go-to type of music for you?

Man, I love alternative rock music and I love rap. Like, those are my two, like, they're far, you know, and wide, but I love, I love rock music. Like, it always reminds me of when, like, promotions will make, like, what you're gonna call it, like, hype videos for pay-per-views or I-paper-views or whatever. You know, those are always the songs, like, Hectorah, I'll take you on. With the fighting and everything, like, it always drove me as a kid.

Like when I was watching wrestling, like that was my hand in hand, like listening to the music and then the wrestling and, you know, like the rock. You're making me wonder what happened at Trapped. They were the one that sang Headstrong. Trapped was good, man. They were good. I only knew their one song, though. Hey, hey, man. Because of pro wrestling.

Hey, exactly. Hey, but I'm telling you, get that CD. I'm telling you'll be blown away. I don't know where I'm going to play this CD, but Go ahead, go to F.I.E. And do that. So when you

when you play rock music on the guitar, are you talking about that era, like late 90s, early 2000? Yes, yes, yes, late 90s, grunge rock. But I do listen to a lot of post-electronica rock, like in

new era rock as well. like a couple of my favorite bands are like the sick puppies of course trapped smile empty soul cross fade like a lot of that like deep cuts i love it yeah yeah a lot of that little era you know what i'm saying i love that and then um man like there's just so there's just so much out there's so much entertainment to choose from and so many bands so many moves like just so much i feel like you should be one of the few wrestlers who fall into the category of someone who plays their own entrance theme hey this is the thing and i don't want to hate on elias i don't want to hate on rick boobs i don't want to hate on

those guys but god damn it i was doing that in 2008 playing my own song beatboxing my own playing guitar of my own. You know what I'm saying? But honky tonk and Jeff, Jared, they were doing it well before me. This is true. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

But I'm just saying, I was doing that shit. When it came down to what your next move was going to be, what made you feel confident about going, absolutely, I'm staying here, I'm staying home and Impact Wrestling for the next two years. You know, right now, wrestling is just, like I said, there's so much of everything of all forms of entertainment. And wrestling right now is prospering.

Like you have your AEW that's doing great. You have WW that's turned around, turned a new leap, and they're doing great. And Impact Wrestling, the experience that I had ever since I started with Impact in 2018 has been nothing but love, nothing but. prospering nothing but watching the company grow into what it is today and to be a part of that that and helping that you know what I'm saying after all the years of people saying oh impact's going to die oh TNA is dead this is that to be a part of that you know what I'm saying like in helping it come back up to where it's at today that right there makes me feel good and like I said it lets me know that I'm doing something right in this industry.

Yeah, and you're certainly having these matches that people are talking about, like the one with Kenny Omega, like the fact that I feel like it's just inevitable that before the end of next year, you'll be the Grand Slam champion as well. Right. We'll see. We'll see. I hope so. I mean, makes sense. Who were you in the ring with in 2022 the UN? Man, I cannot believe I am in the ring with this person. I'd probably This is the thing

It wasn't an impact It was actually a couple of days ago At the ECW arena Against Two Cold Scorpio And that's one person That I would love to see At Impact Wrestling Or to see anywhere

To see at WWE To see it at AEW Anywhere to get his flowers Because let me tell you something About Two Cold Scorpio That guy has inspired so many of the high flyers of today that it's not even funny. And so many people have, you know, oh, who's one of your favorite?

Oh, too cool, too cool. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's one guy that deserves his flowers and that deserves to be put in a position, Hall of Fame somewhere. You know what I'm saying? Like, he definitely deserves it. And I'd love to wrestle him for years to come, 2023, 2024, 24, 2025. Like, you know.

That's my God, man. You were just consistently in a great mood all the time. And I think there's a lot of people that are watching this going, man, I wish I could have just half of that positivity. What is it for you? Man, it's just life is too short. You know what I'm saying? I've gone down the dark roads, you know what I mean?

And just to feel that feeling and then to come out and, and on the other side of the tunnel and just feel, you know what I'm saying, the love that everything gives, you know what I mean? Like, you just got to keep that feeling, you know what I mean? Like, and I stay positive because life is too short, you know? Life is too short for the powder face and, you know, like letting stuff get at you. Congratulations on everything. So good to see you again.

And Rich, I end up. conversation talking about gratitude because it's such an important part of my life. Be great. Be grateful. I got the sign behind me right now. Yes, indeed. You got to. Be grateful.

What are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? Man, I'm grateful for my family. I'm grateful for pro wrestling and I'm grateful for my son, man. Those are the three right there. I love it. I love it. Yes, indeed. Continued success.

I'm wishing that for you in the new year. And man, congratulations again. Hey, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Okay. Rich Swan, an impact for two more years. Think of what he's done in the last two years and just think like, man, two more years in front of him.

We can do so much more here. Please take a screenshot, tag us on social media so we can share this out as well. Rich is at Gotta Get Swan. I'm at Chris Van Fleet, and I'll leave you with this quote. Speaking of social media, I tweeted this out the other day. A lot of you guys retweeted this. It's from Uriel Seabird. who says, you create opportunities by performing, not complaining.

That's the end of the quote, and then I'll kind of give you my two cents on this. I don't understand people that complain. And I guess it's ironic that now I am complaining about people who complain, but complaining doesn't help anybody at all. So there you go. You create opportunities by performing, not complaining. Be great, be grateful. Happy holidays, my friends.

We'll see you on the next one for, some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air.

It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Go and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.