Ace Austin spoke to us about his emotional journey following his tag team partner, Chris Bay’s injury, emphasising how Bay’s strength, along with the support from TNA and the fans helped him keep fighting.
We also asked him about how he joined Bullet Club, his alliance with the Rascalz and his ambitions to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship – currently held by Joe Hendry.
How have you been since your friend and tag team partner, Chris Bey got injured? It must have been difficult for you, too.
“I haven’t had any point where I was really, really low, because Chris has been so strong through this whole thing. His determination and his never give up attitude reall had a lot to do with it. All of us wanted to be strong for him. I didn’t leave his side for two weeks. We all came together, and all the fans, all the family at TNA, everybody really kept this whole thing lifted. It was beautiful.”
Ace Austin and Chris Bey represent Bullet Club for TNA.
How did you feel about being invited to join Bullet Club?
“He and I were both really steadfast on becoming single stars, becoming world champions and and really taking the game by storm. But both of us ended up in a similar position with the Bullet Club offer – him earlier than me. When Bullet Club comes to recruit you, that’s not really something you can say no to. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. Again, Bullet Club’s looking at you, and you know, Bullet Clubs only looks at the best of the best. So, if you’re getting recognised, you know, it’s a no brainer.”
“Before I got the offer, it wasn’t something I’d ever thought about, or ever pursued. Because I was always so confident in my strength as a singles performer, but of course, I jumped on it. And when I was recruited, I didn’t even think about the fact that me and Chris were going to be the TNA figureheads for Bullet Club. I didn’t think about it until that first tour, when they recruited me officially, I came home from Japan, and we just looked at each other like, Oh, okay, we’re on the same side now.”
“All of a sudden, this person that I’ve been competing with for so long now, for single stardom and for a spot in the TNA, this person is now an ally. All of a sudden we can lean on each other. And it was just like peanut butter meets jelly, it just fit together, not just because of the styles or anything like that, just our personalities, all of it blended, and you can feel when something just works. You really can just feel it, and we both felt it right away.”
Chris gave you his blessing to go back to being a singles star, how’s your transition away from being in a tag team going so far?
“When the accident happened, you don’t think about any of that in the moment, you’re just worried about your loved one. We were just trying to get through the thick of it. And then once we did, I think it would have been harder had he not given me his blessing right away. I mean, the night of the accident, before they took him into surgery, he was laying there, and we were holding hands, and he looked at me with tears in his eyes, and he said, “You know what this means?” He said, “You have to go on a crazy singles run for me, and you have to win the world title for me. It’s on you now, and you gotta do everything that we wanted to do as single stars. You gotta do it now.”
Ace is a natural fit for Bullet Club.
“That really just gave me such a huge push internally, it set me right back on the right track. It put my mind right back into all of the things that I need to do to succeed as a single star. I’ve had a little bit of a rocky start, I guess. You know, jumping back into the singles picture, I’ve had some good wins. The match with Moose was great, but that’s a failure, unfortunately. But it’s like Chris said, it’s time to go for the big one, and I think the reason I didn’t beat Moose for the X–Division title is because I really am destined for greater things. It’s time now. It’s time for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.”
You’ve recently been on the same page with your long-time rivals the Rascalz. How does it feel to fight alongside former foes?
“I have a little bit of business to take care of right now, between myself and Wes Lee and the Rascalz, there’s a lot going on there, and I have a feeling that that’s not going to go away quietly. As far as the Rascalz go, it’s strange. It’s really strange. And I can’t lie and say that I that I fully trust them. I mean, even before ABC, there was me and Trey. We have a really deep and ugly history.”
“I did some things to him years ago that were were not very nice, and they were questionable, and I did them in pursuit of championships, in pursuit of glory – and I don’t regret anything I did. I can’t say that. I’m necessarily sorry about it, but I’m glad that we’re able to move past it and be on the same page now. So, it’s cool to be on the same side now, a common enemy brings people together, right? Yeah, and I hate to see Wes just throw away all that brotherhood that he had with them for so long. That’s the thing though, if I was in his position, I don’t know if I’d have done the same thing.”
Ace Austin is currently allied with the Hardys.
TNA’s partnership with WWE, particularly NXT is really building momentum, are you excited by what it could bring?
“I’ve got a lot of friends over in NXT and on the main roster of WWE, of course, so there’s endless possibilities. And I think the timing of all this has been so beautiful. I don’t know if this would have worked as well before the switch back to TNA. I don’t know if the Impact Wrestling/NXT partnership would have been as successful. I mean, even the NXTNA name the fans have created gels so well. It all falls into place so beautifully. Just the reaction alone has been so positive. We don’t have to pretend that we’re alone on our own island anymore.”
“Obviously TNA has always been flooded with talent that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, so I think this is such a good way for everyone to put on the absolute best show they can. I’m looking at guys like Je’Von Evans. He’s a guy that I think is just so unbelievable, and I think him and I would would do really great things together.”
How’s TNA been as a home to you?
“I’ve worked so hard to be one of the pillars of TNA, you know, one of those guys that really flies the flag, and I’m so honoured now to be looked at in the same vein. I mean, they compared me to the greats, because I am one of the greats. They compared me to AJ Styles since the day I walked in the door, and that’s just really good company to be in. And I think that that’s going to build such a beautiful story one day – when AJ Styles and I finally meet in the ring.”
TNA Sacrifice will take place on March 14, 2025, at the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas, and air on TNA+.
