Austin Aries Talks Impact On Destination America, Backstage Atmosphere In TNA, The Young Bucks & More

– Austin Aries was recently interviewed on the Joe Mason Podcast to promote his upcoming appearance at House of Hardcore VIII. The full interview is available at this link. Below are some highlights:

Getting into his plant-based diet: You know just doing some traveling and stuff actually before I got into the wrestling industry, meeting some different people kind of planted the seed that red meat and pork might not be very good for our health. That’s the first time I really thought about food in terms of health outside of knowing ice cream and cookies aren’t good for you. Getting into the wrestling industry I started thinking about how to get my body in shape and put size on and started educating myself a little more. I cut the red meat out, the pork out, and then eventually I just cut all the meat out. Did that back in 2000, and then three years ago after learning more and more over the last decade about correlation of diseases, ailments, and health with the animal products and the corporate food system that we’re kind of beholding to right now, I cut dairy and eggs out.

Impact on Destination America: I think that the move for us was good. I think that Spike was a good partner over the years but you know like a lot of times in professional sports sometimes you just need a fresh perspective and shake it up. For us, the shake up for us is going to be a good thing. Destination America is going to be a great partner for us. They’re trying to raise their notoriety and network and be available in more households, so as they grow we grow. It’s a good partnership in that regard.

Thoughts on the Young Bucks: Wrestling fans know, probably one of the top tag teams in the world right now. A couple of brothers who have a gift and a connection and athleticism that very few people can rival. Those are a couple of guys that every time I’ve gotten in the ring, it’s fun to wrestle them and it’s a challenge because they are so good and you got to hang. Usually I’m the guy who’s setting that bar but these guys as far as tag wrestling goes, as a tag team set the bar.

Atmosphere in TNA: The guys we got right now from top to bottom, there’s just a lot of talent there and kind of the comradery of people knowing that we’re all in this together and we’re all pushing each other, and knowing the better we make each other look, the better we all look. I think that’s a cool thing to have backstage, people that in some ways bonded together on the common goal of raising the whole bar for everyone and not just everyone individually looking out for themselves in their position or spot.