Bully Ray discusses his return to IMPACT Wrestling.
Ray is an established veteran in the wrestling business, as he first rose to fame in ECW before he and his tag team partner D-Von signed with WWE. The duo had a successful run with the company before they later signed with TNA. They then returned to WWE in 2015, and Ray left the company the following year. Overall, Bully Ray and D-Von are 23-time tag team champions. Ray is also a two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He returned to IMPACT st the Bound For Glory pay-per-view in October, and he won the Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match to earn a title shot. He will challenge Josh Alexander for the gold at IMPACT Hard To Kill, where they will face off in a Full Metal Mayhem Match.
During an appearance on the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, Ray was asked to describe how long he kept his return to IMPACT a secret. He stated that it wasn't long, as the deal came together quickly. Ray then shifted gears and previewed his title match against Alexander and declared that fans will see him become a three-time champion on Friday night.
"It wasn’t that long. The deal was done very, very quickly. The deal was done between myself and Scott D’Amore, so if you really want to know who or what the first domino was to fall in this entire situation, Josh Alexander leading me to be in a position to win the Call Your Shot Gauntlet battle royal and once again have an opportunity to fight for the IMPACT World Championship, blame it on Scott D’Amore, who as we saw last night, should have never put his hands on me. Scott D’Amore has fallen, Tommy Dreamer has fallen. Josh Alexander’s wife has fallen, and on Friday the 13th, in a sold-out Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia, live on FITE TV, all around the world, you’ll see me defeat Josh Alexander, become the three-time IMPACT World Champion, and Josh Alexander will have fallen also," Ray said.
When asked about keeping hs return a secret, Ray noted that everything he does in wrestling shocks people. He cited his surprising returns at WWE Royal Rumble and Raw in 2015. Ray then stated that you never know when he's going to show up because he doesn't talk too much.
"When I have done anything in wrestling that didn’t shock people, or make it a surprise? When I returned to the Royal Rumble in 2015, one of the louder pops in Rumble history. When me and D-Von returned to the WWE at the Barclays Center on Monday Night Raw, another monster pop. You never know when I’m gonna show up because I know how to keep my mouth shut. Wrestlers talk too much. I talk to nobody. Only the people that need to know, know. That’s what makes my surprises special. If you go back and you watch Bound For Glory, when my music hits, that place comes alive," Ray said.
In the same interview, Ray shared his thought on the IMPACT roster and commented on the idea of passing the torch. Check out his comments here.
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Check out the card for IMPACT Hard To Kill here.
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