Chavo Guerrero Interview

 More than a year ago Chavo Guerrero Jr. entered TNA Impact Wrestling after spending the better part of a decade in WWE.

For the third generation veteran who has performed all over the world, it was a change and exciting chance to help a company grow by working with new talent. He believes the company is at a turning point.

“When TNA went live, it was either going to take off or it was not going to take off,” Guerrero said. “It’s a crucial time right now in TNA, and I really hope it takes off because it’s better for the business, better for the wrestlers, better for the fans, better for everybody. They got the right players in place, but they have to tweak it all…You can’t beat our wrestlers. Our roster is incredible.

“The wresters, we are all doing our part. We are all trying. You can only do so much.”

The last few months TNA has been met with criticism for recent departures and other behind the scenes scuttlebutt. Amid the constant scrutiny, Guerrero believes that’s when your professionalism is tested.

“I’m going to go out there and bust my #$% no matter what because I do it for the fans,” Guerrero said. “The fans who pay money to see us, they deserve good matches and for us to go out there to tear it down. So that’s where my motivation comes in. As far as the releases go, that’s the company protecting themselves and their best interest. No matter how much you think wrestling is family, deep down it’s a business.

“It’s a business. I’ve seen that exact same thing in every other company I’ve been in. It’s the nature of the beast. They are making what they think are the best decisions for the company. That’s the way it is. That’s in any business. I know people that are teachers, and they are let go. They are great teachers, but for some reason they are let go. It’s just the way it is.”

During much of the talented athlete’s stay in TNA he has been teaming with Hernandez. Guerrero is no stranger to tag team wrestling, having formed a successful duo with the likes of his uncle Eddie as Los Guerreros. With this in mind, he has nothing but praise for “Super-Mex”.

“Hernandez is great,” Guerrero said. “We’ve become really good friends. He is a beast, so strong. That’s something from a partner I’ve never really had. It was similar with Eddie or Rey Mysterio where we are doing the same stuff, but me and Hernandez do totally different things.

“Not that he can’t fly or I can’t throw somebody around, but I let him do the big man stuff where I’ll do the cruiserweight stuff. I think we complement each other, and we have great matches. He is a great guy and partner.”

Despite his success with Hernandez, Guerrero wouldn’t mind having a go for the X Division or world heavyweight championships. Being a part of TNA, he has seen the changes the promotion has made. One has been its reduction of pay-per-view events on the schedule. Guerrero believes less is more.

“I think it’s great,” Guerrero said. “I like the fact we went down to four pay-per-views. You see when you have 12 or 13 pay-per-views a year, it’s watered down. Unless it’s a big one like a WrestleMania or something like that, a lot of them are watered down.

“They are just doing them to do them. So I like the idea of less pay-per-views. I think it’s better for the company and the fans from a storyline perspective. We have three months or so to build to a big payoff. I like that and think the fans like that.”

The one aspect of the business he wants to see is continuity and taking history into account in what is shown on broadcasts.

“With storylines, I want to see following through with storylines,” Guerrero said. “That’s just wrestling in general. Fans are smart, and they remember. So you really have to be on top of your game. If you’re doing a storyline and talking about fighting one guy, well, fans will say, ‘Wait a minute. They fought 10 years ago.’ You really have to take that into consideration.

“You really can’t take that as the first time. Fans aren’t stupid, every company has been guilty of this where they think, ‘Well, they aren’t going to remember that.’ Sure enough, the fans will remember and crap on it because they are smart. They watch this stuff. You have to take that into account that there are some people who live and die wrestling. I still get to this day, ‘Hey, where is Pepe?’ or ‘Hey, Kerwin White.’ People remember.”

Speaking of his conservative WWE gimmick in which he dyed his hair blonde, he is excited to watch how his “caddy” Dolph Ziggler turned out.

“I knew he was always really good,” Guerrero said. “Dolph is a great guy who has great work ethic. I’m happy to see where he is at. I’m happy to finally see they’re giving him the respect that I think he deserves.”

He is also proud of his aunt Vickie, who after her husband Eddie’s death ended up in the family business. She has become one of the best heels in the history of WWE.

“Nobody knew,” Guerrero said. “She didn’t know. We didn’t go, ‘Okay, we are going to make her the next big thing.’ It just happened. She is a total natural. She is so good she doesn’t even know how good she is. She is a general manager that doesn’t really wrestle, and she is the biggest heel in wrestling basically. They hate her. That’s a big thing to have a general manager who is not a wrestler have the most heat in the company. Eddie is looking down smiling saying, ‘That’s my girl.’”

• The stars of TNA Impact Wrestling are gearing for their biggest show of the year Bound for Glory 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Oct. 20 on pay-per-view from the Viejas Arena in San Diego. AJ Styles faces TNA champ Bully Ray (with Brooke Tessmacher) in the main event.

Ultimate X: Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries vs. Manik vs. Chris Sabin (with Velvet Sky).

Sting vs. Magnus and more.

The Bound For Glory Weekend also includes the popular Fan Interaction and the induction of Kurt Angle into the TNA Hall of Fame.

Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez will be part of a gauntlet tag team match along with Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian), Joseph Park and Eric Young, and The BroMans during the Bound for Glory preshow on Spike TV. The winners get a title shot against TNA tag champs Cowboy James Storm and Gunner later on the pay-per-view.

Spike TV’s Countdown to Bound for Glory special is 7 p.m. EST before the pay-per-view gets underway.

Visit www.tnabfg.com and www.impactwrestling.com for the latest news and information regarding Bound For Glory.

• Follow Guerrero on Twitter @MexWarrior.

• TNA Impact Wrestling is 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on Spike TV.