The pandemic era has opened up a lot of doors in wrestling, previously forbidden doors.
With the pandemic hopefully coming to an end, IMPACT star Willie Mack doesn't want to see these collaborations continue. In fact, just a few years ago he was appearing on Lucha Underground, ROH, NWA and IMPACT at the same time.
"It’s cool to see everybody working together and all these opportunities popping up. Like you said, I was one of the first to do that, looking up saying that, ‘In Wednesday night on Lucha Underground, being like Friday, Saturday, Sunday you can see me on an NWA or All Elite show,’ and then at a pay-per-views for IMPACT! Wrestling.’ It was like, ‘Wait, there’s only one more place he can go. But can he do it?’ I’m like, ‘Nah.’ But, yeah, it’s great to see things like that happen. Hopefully since people are coming back to shows it doesn’t close up the relationships, you know what I mean? ‘Cause that would suck," Mack told Fightful ahead of his IMPACT Slammiversary Tag Team Title match on July 17.
A couple of years back, every major company in the United States were eager to work with Willie Mack. He can't even remember how the negotiation process landed him in IMPACT.
"I don’t know. It was just some stuff that happened. I was just going out doing the whole thing at the time ‘cause Lucha Underground, I was there and we was off and so I could take bookings in between and so I can get my own thing until finally somebody finally got me down and was like, ‘Alright. We want to lock you down for a minute.’ I’m like, ‘Okay. I’m down for that. Better be talking some good stuff though and some good matches.’"
Between working for those different companies, different styles and different productions, that's all a part of the gig for Willie Mack.
"Well, that’s where the name professional wrestler comes into play. I gotta be professional and as long as I know how to do some wrestling, it doesn’t matter. Because I know where the hard cam is. I know where the four roaming cameras is and I know where the jib cam is. So, as long as you know that and you know your crowd—like in New York, they’re gonna be a bit rowdy; in California they’re gonna be ready for anything, if you’re down south, you know they like to take it a little slow. Just be prepared for it," Mack said.
Willie Mack will team with Rich Swann in a tag team title match at IMPACT Wrestling Slammiversary on July 17.
