Last week, Impact Wrestling announced that former TNA World Heavyweight champion Abyss will be inducted into the 2018 Hall of fame. Abyss is one of the rare few TNA Originals left as he's been with the company since 2002. It’s been reported in the past that the Washington DC native was actually in talks with the WWE around the mid-2000s, but Abyss decided to not jump ship due to the loyalty he has for the company.
Abyss still works with Impact today, but mostly as a creative producer. He joined Busted Open Radio where he discussed why he's stayed so loyal to the company.
"I know Tommy [Dreamer] can relate with the ECW thing. Impact is and was home. It's where I started," Abyss said to Dreamer and Dave LaGreca.
"I spent practically my entire adult life there. Impact took a gamble on me when I was a nobody. I was coming out of Puerto Rico with a decent name but nothing to where nobody knew who I was stateside.
"TNA gave me that chance when nobody else was biting at the time. To see that growth, and be part of that growth, I always tell people, that meant the most. That's one of the reasons I never wanted to leave because I was there since the beginning. I was part of the original ground floor of the company."
The soon to be Impact Wrestling Hall of famer discussed the hard times and how he's proud that the company persevered to where it is today:
"On most Wednesday night pay-per-views in 02-03, we didn't know if there was going to be a next Wednesday or not. We came every week not knowing what was going to be the future of the company in 2003," Abyss said. "A lot of people said we were going to close up the doors in six months. They said that for about 12 years. I'm so proud of what the company has done. There's been ups and downs, no doubt and they've been well documented. But for me, it's a great company. We've struggled and really plowed through some obstacles along the way. It's been home and something I could never see myself leaving."
Abyss will be inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame on October 13 in New York City. The next night the Melrose Ballroom in Queens will host Bound for Glory, Impact's big pay-per-view of the year.
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