Jake Crist has left IMPACT Wrestling, but if you're looking for an angry departure, look elsewhere.
"I have nothing but great things to say about IMPACT! Wrestling," Crist told Fightful in an exclusive interview. "I was there for damn near four years. Former tag champ, former X-Division champ. So, I think I had a really great run at IMPACT!. So, nothing but great things from me to IMPACT! Wrestling. I wish them nothing but great things in the future as well."
Crist spoke very highly of the company he called home, but says that both sides knew that a transition and change was coming and the writing was on the wall. However, he's not closed the door on going back to work there.
"I think it was just everyone just kinda knew it was time for me to move on, you know? It sucks the way everything shaped out and the way it ended. But, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, right? I would love to go back to IMPACT! Wrestling. My door is always open. Like, I said, I was there for almost four years. How bad would it look like on me, and my credibility as my word, if I go back and say, ‘Oh, I hate this company,’ so on and so forth. Nothing but love from me, man. Legit nothing but love," Crist stated.
While there are probably reasons and issues that particular people have when they leave a company, Crist doesn't understand why they stuck around in the first place.
"Yeah. When people have bitterness in their heart and they just go on different podcasts and they’ve been with that certain company for X amount of years, I just feel like the credibility of that person and their stories just go down. It’s like, for my case, I was there for almost four years. If it was that bad, why would I stay? I get the paycheck, and so on and so forth, but if it was that bad, why would I stay for that long? So, I know certain guys, you know, different cases, but that’s just the way I look at things. I just try to push all the negativity out and try to bring on the positive. The positive right now is me being a free agent and me just looking forward to the future. Hopefully things start opening up and brighten up with COVID," Crist.
With contract season in full swing, where does Jake Crist see himself landing? We specifically asked him about NXT, among others.
"I would love to land in NXT. The thing about me is I’ve been in this business for almost nineteen years. Nineteen years in July. I’m probably dating myself or whatever. That’s fine. I’ve been in this business for nineteen years. Luckily for me, in every major company that’s on TV, I have friends everywhere. In every single locker room, I have friends. I can actually see myself in every single place. I can see myself in WWE. I can see myself in NXT. I can see myself in Ring of Honor. I would love to go to New Japan. Would love to. My door’s wide opens. My DMs are open. So, please, anybody from there that wants to get a hold of Jake Crist, hit me up. But, yeah, I can see myself in every single major company. That’s kind of a good thing, I think. It’s good to have friends," Crist said.
You can see our full interview with Jake Crist at the top of the page.
