“There’s a lot of people who play wrestler” – Matt Sydal exclusive WrestleTalk interview

Current IMPACT Wrestling X-Division star Matt Sydal was interviewed by WrestleTalk’s Jamal Niaz at Wrestling MediaCon this past weekend. He discussed a wide variety of topics in the wrestling industry.

IMPACT Wrestling has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent times, and Sydal was asked if there was a particular moment that he felt was the turning point.

“I would have to say when I became the X-Division champion it was clearly the turning point, the pivot, the fulcrum, the catalyst for IMPACT’s new direction because the X-Division is what brought IMPACT in day one. Back in NWA-TNA, back when I used to drive down in 2003 and lose in 2-on-1 handicap matches to Abyss, people loved the X-Division. All of us in that locker room knew that the X-Division was the future of wrestling.”

If you want to talk about being ahead of the curve, that’s the X-Division. If you want to talk about the crest of the wave of the X-Division, that is me, right now, speaking to you.”

Considering his feelings towards the X-Division, it should come as no surprise that when asked if he would like to move on to the World Title Sydal stated he’d rather stay in the division.

“Personally, I want to stick in the X-Division. What I want to do is continue to be the gatekeeper; decide who’s worthy or not in this division. If they’re not, I’ll beat them out of it, and if they’re worthy they’ll be able to take it right back to me.

I’m looking to put some distance between myself and the rest of the competition so that way when the number one contendership rolls up, the only name on people’s lips is Matt Sydal. The only person that they think about in association with the top tier of the X-Division is me.”

The interview went on to ask about opponents Sydal might like to face outside of IMPACT and if there was anyone in particular he might like to lock horns with.

“I’ve been very fortunate to wrestle with a lot of great guys, but I would love to take perhaps some of the guys that work in New Japan [Pro Wrestling].

KUSHIDA would be awesome because I got to wrestle [Taiji] Ishimori for the X-Division Title. That’s who I won the belt from and he’s in the Bullet Club in New Japan now, and I would love it if we could get a little exchange going with those guys. There’s a fistful of wrestlers that I’d like to work.”

There was a lot of wrestling taking place at Wrestling MediaCon. Sydal was asked if he’d be sticking around to watch any of it.

“If there’s live wrestling occurring, you’re not gonna have me not watch it. Most of the time when I’m at a live event and there’s a show going on, I don’t sit in the back and watch the monitor. I stick my head through the curtain or I wander about, lurking in the back of the stands because I like to feel alive.

One of the greatest experiences of my wrestling career was watching Will Ospreay and Ricochet at Korakuen Hall from the bleachers.

Those are two guys that I’d throw out to be X-Division opponents for myself that I wouldn’t mind wrestling them every single week for the rest of my life.”

 

Sydal went on to give some seemingly indirect jabs towards WWE and the more polished and clean wrestling shows out there.

“When a product feels very finished and polished, the fans have no involvement in it. They don’t have to make any conclusions because the storyline’s laid out for them so clearly. When the wrestling happens in the ring and the story’s being told non-verbally in addition to verbally, people have to put the pieces together. It’s a more involving thing.”

Moving forward in time, obviously Sydal has to hang up his boots at some point. Given his passion, it’s clear he would be a great fit to stay in the industry in some capacity. He elaborated in what capacity that would be.

“I’d like to be the guy that yells at everybody backstage. I’m getting really good at it. I think we have a lot of people in wrestling that say “good job” too often. “Good job” never did anyone any good. “Good job but-” or “good job and you need to work on this” or “good job and you need to get better”. If we’re not pushing each other to get better, then things remain lackadaisical and there’s no competition and no one’s getting better.”

There’s a lot of people who play wrestler, there’s very few of us who are wrestlers. I can see it ten seconds in a match. You’ll see guys doing something that – I looked at an old NWA tape and yeah, it worked then, it looked exciting then but the way they’re doing it is just a weak imitation. With below average timing and lackluster connection. They’re just playing wrestler and that’s great, good for everybody playing wrestler, but there’s a lot of us who just are it, and we’re just going to be it.”

 

The IMPACT show at Wrestling MediaCon will air in full on Fight Network UK (Sky Channel 455) at 9pm on Thursday September 13.

What do you make of Sydal in the X-Division? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or on Discord today!

• KUSHIDA
• Wrestling MediaCon
• NJPW
• Impact Wrestling
• NWA
• matt sydal

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