Bear Bronson wants to help restore TNA Wrestling‘s reputation for hardcore wrestling.
TNA World Tag Team Champions Brian Myers and Bear Bronson recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard. During the conversation, Bronson reflected on the promotion’s rich history of hardcore matches and named the stars who inspired him. While discussing wrestlers synonymous with hardcore wrestling, Bronson singled out Abyss as one of the biggest influences on the style in TNA.
“Sami Callihan is a great one to drop. The person I was actually thinking of besides Sami is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, Abyss. I feel like in the early days of TNA, he was the one who really innovated that style and brought it to an international level, to a TV level, where we saw barbed wire regularly, 10,000 thumbtack matches, and some of the most gruesome moments in TNA history.”
Bronson believes TNA’s hardcore legacy often gets overlooked because of the company’s reputation for producing outstanding in-ring wrestling.
“It’s funny because in TNA you’ve seen some of the best wrestling of all time throughout history, but I think it’s also kind of unsung, the hardcore moments we’ve seen, and Jeff Hardy’s a part of so many of those moments. I feel like there has been a gap, and I really want to be the one to bring us back to that hardcore prominence.”
Bear Bronson Praises Gabby Forza’s Versatility
Bronson also spoke about his partner, Gabby Forza (The Gnomie), reinventing herself. He said neither of them wants to be defined by a single style of wrestling.
“I think it’s just more about that her and I are the same where we try different things. I don’t think it’s good to just limit yourself as a wrestler and put yourself in a box. I’ve had that happen to me in the past, and you don’t regret things, but you learn from them. I don’t ever want to be put in a box again.”
Bronson said his goal is to showcase as much range as possible, whether that’s competing in violent hardcore matches or wrestling in front of family audiences.
“There are some nights I am bleeding from head to toe, like it looks like I’m wearing a red bodysuit. And then the very next night I’m in front of families and children, and they’re cheering along, pulling me up to my feet on a 10 count. I want to be like that, it’s all about that range. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic where you’re bleeding all over the place, but I just like to spread myself out and try different things. I think Gab’s the same way.”
Bronson and Myers will be in action this Sunday at TNA Slammiversary. They will defend the TNA World Tag Team Championship against The Hardys, The Righteous, and The Great Hands in a four-way ladder match.
WrestleZone will provide live coverage of TNA Slammiversary as it airs.
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