Former World Champion Rich Swann has re-signed with TNA and expressed his ambition to become a Grand Slam champion, he revealed exclusively to the Daily Star. The 35-year-old veteran, known as Mr All Night Long, stated, 'I do still aspire to be the TNA World Champion again.'
Grand Slam Goals
Swann outlined his path to Grand Slam status: 'I'd love to see myself as a Grand Slam champion, so that would mean I would have to capture the International championship and the Tag Team Championship. I've got a lot of work ahead of me.' He also admitted a strong desire to feature in the signature cage match at the revived Lockdown event in August, which was last held at Wembley Arena in London in 2016.
'I'd love to be in that cage. I'd love to be in Lockdown. I'd love to be in Lethal Lockdown. I'd love to be in any type of stipulation. And hey we're coming to the Credit Union 1 Arena in downtown Chicago, Sunday, August 23,' Swann said. 'Now, if there's no better opportunity than that to enter Rich Swann into the returning Lockdown, I don't know what dreams are made of. But you know, I'm going extreme all night long.'
Commitment to TNA
Swann, who has been with the company since 2018, explained his decision to re-sign: 'I really believe in this company. I feel great. I feel like right now TNA is at the spot that it needs to be. We're killing it every Thursday night. And I'm just happy to be a part of that. I've been a part of Impact Wrestling and TNA since 2018. And to have this freaking spot, it just feels awesome. I really believe in this company, from the X Division to its Tag Division to its KO Division.'
Another factor in his re-signing was his tag team partnership with YouTuber and rookie wrestler BDE. 'I want to see my man's career through. I want to see him reach the heights that I know he can reach,' Swann said. 'TNA has always been the spot to show fresh faces and to give fresh faces the opportunity and the platform to really shine and to show what they've been working on. And I've seen what BDE been cooking up, as the kids say. And I just want to be a part of that.'
Mentorship and Motivation
Swann, who started wrestling as a teenager and once looked up to fellow TNA stars the Hardy Boys, now considers himself a mentor to his younger partner. 'I always felt like I was born to do this. And I'm going to do it till the wheels fall off,' he said. 'What drives me is, I've seen this company at its lowest and people have always targeted TNA. They said 'Oh, they're going to die. Oh, they're going to they're going to lose their grip. They ain't going to be nothing. They ain't going to be a footnote in this industry.' And I've seen us rise from the ashes and shut the doubters up. And I love being a part of that. That's another thing that drives me. I love proving people wrong. I love it.'
'Wrestling as a whole, I feel, is thriving. And I feel like if every company thrives, that gives every person that's in this industry a shot to really hone their craft. But TNA has always been that spot to have a professional wrestler come in, have an entertainer come in, be that alternative and show the world what they've got, show the world what they're working with. And like I said, since 2018, I've been having that opportunity, and I am thrilled to continue having that opportunity with TNA.'
Lockdown Event Details
TNA Lockdown takes place in Chicago, Illinois on August 23. Fans in the UK can watch on the TNA+ app, which includes access to the full TNA content library for £9.99 per month or £99.99 for the year.
