DETROIT — Say their names and they appear, TNA Superstars Nic Nemeth, Joe Hendry, Frankie Kazarian, and the Hardys, Jeff and Matt, spoke at the TNA Bound for Glory Press Conference at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse, in Detroit, on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
TNA Bound for Glory is returning to Michigan for the first time since 2006, and SlamWrestling showed up to hear what the TNA talent had to say before the triple main event.
Gia Miller began by running down the card for the show before introducing Jeff and Matt Hardy, followed by Joe Hendry, and finally the TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth. But before anybody could get a word in, Frankie Kazarian, the special referee for the championship match between Nemeth and Hendry, barged in, wearing gaudy, gold sunglasses and an unbuttoned referee shirt.
Miller gave everyone on stage a chance to introduce themself, beginning with Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are eager to show the world they’re still the best tag team in the world, “33 years deep” into their career, and hopefully reclaim the TNA tag team championships in a Full Metal Mayhem match … “Reimagined.”
Next up was Frankie Kazarian, the “very, very special referee,” who kept it brief, for now, and said he was just there to liven up “this boring press conference.”
Joe Hendry spoke about being 17 years-old, with a video iPod, and the one video on it was, “when Kurt Angle confronted Samoa Joe. That, to me, was my favorite moment in wrestling,” and it was in TNA. He said it would be hard to believe, as that 17 year-old, that one day he’d be in TNA challenging Nic Nemeth for the TNA World championship, “but believe is the word that surrounds the year that I’ve had,” and he said he’s going to channel that “to lift that TNA World Championship” on Saturday night.
Come Nemeth’s turn, he said he was proud of Hendry, and “I’m very happy for this year that you’ve had. It’s really contributed to TNA being as awesome as it is right now.”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done,” Nemeth said. “I’m rooting for you,” but, “I will not let you walk over me. I’m going to end this,” because when it comes down to it, “I do not believe” that Hendry will win.
At this time, Kazarian took control of the mic and put over the other men at the table, but when all is said and done, he said, “I’m the most important man at this table.”
Kazarian promised he would call the match between Nemeth and Hendry down the line, even citing that he completed a six-week officiating class at Earl Hebner’s academy, and that he’s a man of virtue, while acknowledging that earlier in the night, on Bound for Glory, Kazarian is in the intergender Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, and suggested that Hendry and Nemeth keep that in the back of their minds.
At this point, Gia Miller opened the floor for questions.
The first question was if Joe Hendry believed in himself, and Hendry said, “Now that the world believes in Joe Hendry, there is absolutely nothing I cannot do. This year has been about me doing the impossible, and it doesn’t matter how impossible this may seem, I will accomplish the goal.”
A follow-up question directed at the Hardys asked, what does this current run mean for the Hardys, and Matt Hardy replied, “I think the best thing about this run is we are being put in positions to succeed.” Hardy talked about their career up until now, the WWE championships, TNA championships, ROH championships, and they’re ready to be champions again.
“They are going to have to cripple us,” Matt Hardy said. “They’re going to have to maim us to win this match, because we have a point to prove, not just to ourselves, but to each and every person out there, that we are still great in the year 2024.”
Jeff Hardy added that, after their “last run,” they have to go out on a high note, and they plan on starting that on Saturday at Bound for Glory.
A Wayne State University student was next to ask a question, and asked Nemeth how he persevered on a day to day basis, which prompted possibly the most honest answer of the day.
“I made sure,” Nemeth said, “much like in class, much like in life, like the gym, paying attention to the news, being out, doing something every single day, I told myself, if I go to class every day, I should be able to get a seat, even if I’m there doodling or reading a different book, be there every day. So show up. It’s just like going to the gym, just like going on a date, just like meeting somebody. Show up and give yourself a chance, no matter what.”
“My advice would be to drop out. College sucks!” Kazarian interjected, which got a laugh out of the room.
Eventually, somebody asked Kazarian how likely it would be for him to actually win Saturday’s Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, and then cash in later that same night.
“November of 2004 was Victory Road,” Kazarian said, “the first ever TNA three hour pay-per-view. The first person out of the tunnel that night was [Frankie Kazarian], and that match was a 20-man gauntlet, pretty much with the same rules. … I started number one. I lasted to the very end with Hector Garza. I wasn’t successful that night, but 20 years later, I want to right that wrong.”
A couple questions later, a young boy asked Nemeth, what would be the next step for him, after Bound for Glory, win or lose?
“A lot of us are up here talking about how we’re all going to win, and that’s not the case,” Nemeth said. “So always have a plan. … You take it one day at a time. So I’m not planning about who the next defense is or what I do if I lose this title to Joe Hendry on Saturday, I’m only focused on the match at hand at the moment. So the tape study is there, the working out, the fasting, focusing on this title going into Saturday has consumed everything in my life. And much like the Hardys said, I’m living my dream job here, and my dream is to have this job and not just be good at it, but be one of the greatest of all time.”
The final question was for Jeff Hardy, asking what it means for him to be back in TNA with his brother.
“I’m still here, able to do what I love, and love to do,” Jeff said. “It’s just mind blowing to me, but it ultimately just makes me feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and we’re going to do exactly what we’re supposed to do, and that’s become the TNA World Tag Team Champions again, and have a resurrection of our careers.”
And with that, the TNA Bound for Glory press conference was over, punctuated by Kazarian shouting, “Get out!” which drew another laugh from the crowd.
While Nemeth and Hendry posed for photos, with Kazarian scowling in between, someone from the crowd shouted at Nemeth, “Are you intimidated by the NXT roster?” and Nemeth just sort of rolled his eyes and said, “I’m good.”
Bound for Glory will emanate from the Wayne State University Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan on October 26, 2024. Limited tickets are still available from ETIX.com and you can stream it live at 8pm EST on TrillerTV.
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