Petey Williams On Why He Returned to Impact, If WWE Ever Contacted Him, Canadian Destroyer & More

Impact Wrestling star Petey Williams was the guest on this week’s edition of Ring Rust Radio, and below are some interview highlights. You can listen to the entire episode at this link or in the player below.

Ring Rust Radio: You were a significant part of TNA during its infancy, and the company has obviously undergone a lot of changes since then from different names to different ownership, but how does being with Impact Wrestling now compare to the early days in terms of the locker room and the presentation?

Petey Williams: Well, I have been with the company three times total. The first time I was under contract and all that kind of stuff. It was great and I loved it and the people that were in the office, I was having a great time. I went back in 2013. Big changes in the office and I really didn’t know anybody. I didn’t feel like I belonged when I went during that era. What drew me back this time, when Scott D’Amore reached out to me, he let me know who was booking the show and that kind of stuff, and he mentioned the names that were similar to the same writers that were on the show back in 2004-09 when I was first there. That’s what I felt comfortable with and I told them I would love to do something like that again. So, I went back, and it was different in 2013, but right now it is very similar to the feeling I had back in 2004-09. Like we are on the upswing and building back up to something again. Those are the big differences there.

Ring Rust Radio: When you returned to Impact Wrestling in August, it created a genuine buzz in the wrestling world. What went into your decision to come back and what was the signing process like?

Petey Williams: So, the decision to come back, I have told this story a few times for different interviews. Scott D’Amore, he reached out to me back in February and said my name had been brought up in the creative meetings a lot and thought I would like the schedule. They were filming four episode blocks every six weeks. It’s not like that right now as we are filming twelve weeks in a five-week block. So, he thought I would like that and he said here who is writing for the show and it all sounded really interesting. I told him I really wasn’t interested, and I was content with not wrestling anymore, but Scott knows me and knows what gets me. He started asking about my kids and said you know maybe your kids would want to see what their dad used to do. Then I thought man why did he have to go bring that up. So, using my kids and tugging at my heart strings that way and I said to be continued. I went to my wife and told her about the ridiculous conversation I had with D’Amore. I was rolling my eyes, told her about the conversation, she just looks me in the eye and told me to do it. I said hold up, time out, what? She said go back, have fun, it’ll be awesome. I told her I don’t think she understands, it’s not just me going to wrestle every so many weeks in TNA. I’m going to not have to skip leg day in the gym anymore, I’m going to be working out harder, tanning, dieting, and all that stuff. She was all for it. It was all her support and that kind of stuff. You can thank D’Amore for reeling me in. Then when he told me Sonjay was on the booking team I was like man, he is one of my best friends and I have to do it. I’m having a really good time this time around, taking it all in so to speak, stop and smelling the roses because I didn’t enjoy it last time. I felt like it went by too quick so I am just trying to have a good time. I don’t have a long-term thing with TNA, right now it’s a show by show basis you could say.

Ring Rust Radio: There’s a saying that time off can be a wrestler’s worst enemy, but from your perspective, how did retiring and coming back to perform impact you? Do you believe it was beneficial, or was it a real challenge to work your way back to where you needed to be.

Petey Williams: It was a challenge; I didn’t feel like it was too big of a challenge. It’s not like when I stopped wrestling I stopped working out or just let myself go. I was continually in the gym, I just wasn’t working towards a goal of wrestling every weekend or every week or whatever the case would be. After three years, I stepped back in the ring and went to D’Amore’s school and started rolling around a little bit. My equilibrium was off a little bit. I was doing rolls like I normally do, and I got up and I was kind of dizzy and my body just wasn’t used to it. Just getting your body back used to it and adaptive to the way it was before takes a little bit. I think I had three 20-minute training sessions to get my foot work back before I got in the ring. I think it came back really quickly. Getting my wind and cardio back up took some time because that’s how the human body is. But mentally I remembered how to do it and it was like second nature to me. I wish I wouldn’t have taken the time off in hindsight because I wonder where my career would be hadn’t I taken the time off, but it is what it is. No regrets and I feel like I was back to where I was before.

Ring Rust Radio: With the rise of the cruiserweight division in WWE, have you ever been contacted by WWE about possibly joining the company and do you think you would be interested if that call were to come?

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Petey Williams: I have not been contacted by them. When 205 Live started, I was still retired so they probably thought since I was retired that was that. If they contacted me, I don’t know. I have thought about a lot of different avenues and stuff like that. The big thing with going back to Impact Wrestling was their schedule. I know you won’t find a schedule like that in WWE or NXT. I feel if I did do anything with WWE, if I had to move to Florida that’s not something I am willing to do. To go move to workout out at the performance center, I am not willing to do that. Of course, I am interested in wrestling anywhere. My goal is to wrestle in front of people. If there are people there I will wrestle. To me, it doesn’t really matter who I wrestle for, I just want to do it. I am happy to be with Impact because that’s where I started, and I feel I am at home when I am there. I feel very comfortable. It doesn’t matter to me. This time around I am having fun and not worrying about the business aspect of it or anything and its fun for me this time around.

Ring Rust Radio: Perhaps the main thing you’re synonymous with and always will be is the Canadian Destroyer, which is one of the coolest and most devastating moves in wrestling. What was the process of creating that move like, and how does it make you feel when you see other wrestlers around the world utilize it as well?

Petey Williams: That’s the big thing right now. I read on Twitter when I was still retired, and I would see other wrestlers say, “Attention all wrestlers; stop using the Canadian Destroyer.” It’s fine. Part of it I am like, guys everyone is doing it, why are you doing this? Then the other part of me thinks it’s kind of cool. Imitation is the best form of flattery they say. It’s not like they call it something else, they still call it the Canadian Destroyer or the Destroyer or some variation of the Destroyer, and so people still know what it is. It’s not being stolen from, it’s just being copied. I’m ok with it, it doesn’t matter. If you look into the future of wrestling, even when I’m dead years from now, there is still going to be the Canadian Destroyer. It will still be used probably by someone that isn’t even born yet. So that’s cool that I got to create something in wrestling that will stand the test of time and be there forever. Not many people can say they have done that.