Former WWE Superstar Austin Aries has opened up about his future plans and whether or not he would return to the ring.
Aries has been out of the ring for quite some time, with his most recent singles match taking place in November of this year.
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Is Austin Aries still alive?
Austin Aries has had a tumultuous few years in professional wrestling, having left various organisations embroiled in scandal. He quit WWE in 2017 and was said to be extremely hated on the backstage.
He subsequently went back to Impact Wrestling, where he had the most success. But, unbeknownst to his comrades, Aries no-sold a finish, flipped off the fans, and appeared to go rogue in his last bout with that promotion.
Aries has only had a few battles in the last two years, and he highlighted his recent activities on The Ryback Show.
“Well, the second episode of my podcast, The Transparency Report with Daniel Healy, has just been launched. That’s my true name, and part of it has to do with separating the character Austin Aries, or whatever everyone thinks he is, from who I am as a person now that I’m doing things that are important to me outside of wrestling. And I think it’s hilarious because wrestling fans say it’s all fake, but it’s all real for me,” Aries said.
“And I mentioned it in the second episode. For the past couple of years, I’ve felt like I’ve been going through an identity crisis. Why did I come to Las Vegas? People have been calling me Austin for the past 20 years. Daniel has been my name for the past 22 years. So I began addressing everyone as Austin because that was how they knew me, and I had to question myself, “Who am I?” You begin to receive negative feedback from wrestling fans as a result of events that occurred on screen, on camera, or in character. ‘I don’t care what other people think,’ we can all say. That isn’t the case.’ It has an impact on us because we are human.
“‘Is that who I am?’ I had to ask myself. ‘Who exactly am I?’ As I’ve previously stated, part of the journey with COVID is to facilitate this. I’ve been a touch sluggish lately. I made the decision not to quit from TNA following Bound for Glory. Yes, they gave me a contract after I no-sold, which should indicate if it was a job or a shoot.”
The last time Aries competed in an Impact bout at Bound for Glory was in October of 2018. Since then, he’s featured in a few independent films and competed in a few MLW matches, but he currently appears to be concentrating on his work with Bioxcellerator, a stem cell therapy company.
“I’ve turned down a few opportunities and had a few chats. Everything happens at the right time, but the longer I’ve been out of the bubble, the more it’s helped me figure out who I am. And working with Bioxcellerator, where people respected me for who I was. “They recognized my wrestling accomplishments, but they respected me even more,” Austin, the company’s Director of Athletic Performance, said.
“That helped me understand how much I enjoyed the 20 years I spent in professional wrestling. But didn’t I say it at the conclusion of my podcast episode? What is a spoiler? I’m very happy to be able to end that book’s 20-year chapter right now. That’s not to say I won’t open the book and write another chapter, but right now, I’m really happy to start a new book that has nothing to do with wrestling but will allow me to do other things that fascinate me. So, I’ll always love pro wrestling as an art form, but I think I’ve grown tired of the culture and a lot of the problems that come with it.”
Aries did make an appearance backstage with Diamond Dallas Page at an AEW event in Georgia earlier this year. However, his attendance seemed to be more about discussing a Bioxcellerator-DDPY relationship than Aries demonstrating an interest in AEW. He does confess, though, that he hasn’t fully abandoned wrestling.
“Let me state the obvious: it’s changing, and that’s one of the reasons I’m willing to return. However, pro wrestling in the year 2000 was very different from what it is now. It took a toll on me because of the culture, what’s acceptable, and the st I had to navigate around not being liked by a lot of the individuals in positions of power. “I’m really happy of where I’ve gone and the things that I’ve accomplished without having to sell out or change my moral compass,” Aries said.
“So, my podcast was released after the #SpeakingOut Movement, and my name was associated with the Christy Hemme incident and other charges. And it was the final straw for me to say, ‘OK.’ I’ve always known if I’d ever let people in because I’m still kind of carrying kayfabe, and when I’m done, when I’m satisfied, I’ll open up and let people in fully. The first two were simply presenting my story of how I got into wrestling, the realities of the culture I was in, what was accepted and what was not, and what the expectations were.”
During the Speaking Out Movement, Aries brought up the Christy Hemme incident, in which Aries purposefully pushed his crotch in Hemme’s face after she bungled his entrance in TNA. That occurred nearly seven years ago, and Aries responded to accusations that he was a sexual harasser.
“After that episode in 2013, when I and had an on-air encounter, I was labeled a sexual harasser. And that was extremely difficult for me. I became quite dark as a result of it, and I really leaned into it. ‘If this is how you feel about me and who I am, then I’ll give it to you,’ because, as wrestlers, we know that the most important thing is to listen to the reaction. I don’t care whether it’s good or awful, so I went with the bad because it was the easiest option. But that relentless pace wore me down; it took a toll,” acknowledged Aries.
“So when those things came out, I had to go to Bioxcellerator and tell my employer, ‘Hey, stuff is coming out, but I’ve got this under control.’ It has no legal standing.’ So, I thought it was vital to get my voice and narrative out there, and now that I’ve done so, it’s out there. You are free to listen to it; but, you are not required to do so. You may believe it or you can deny it. I don’t actually give a damn, but now that I’ve said it and it’s on the record, I can move on. Now I can have Sarah on there, we can do the podcast, you can come in, and we can talk about things that are important to me.
“Again, in this environment, talking about a fictitious world of pro wrestling to help people forget about their issues does not resonate with me. There are significant issues that we must address, so I’m not very interested in assisting people in forgetting about them. So, we’ll see what happens. If any pro wrestler has any sense, the word “retirement” will never come out of their mouth, since we don’t retire. So, for the time being, I’m fine. I’ve got other things on my mind. Yes, I’m keeping an eye on a few locations. Yes, there have been some opportunities, and when the time comes, I may take advantage of them.”
Is Austin Theory still a WWE employee?
Theory joined WWE in 2019 and debuted in NXT in December of that year. In March 2020, he was on Raw for a few months before being relegated back to NXT in August.
Balor had won the United States title on February 28, but his reign had only lasted 49 days. He was kept off the WrestleMania 38 card despite being a champion, and instead competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown Live that weekend.
Intercontinental champion Ricochet also didn’t have a battle at WrestleMania 38, indicating that WWE has devalued its mid-card titles in recent months. Last year’s WrestleMania 37 was the last time the intercontinental title was defended on a pay-per-view.
Austin Aries is a vegan.
5:40 Austin Aries is a 14-time world champion and three-time WWE champion. He began wrestling in the year 2000 and began cutting meat at that time. In 2011, he converted to veganism. Austin was able to eliminate any remaining dairy and eggs from his diet with the guidance of Forks Over Knives. When people ask him what the most difficult aspect of turning vegan has been, he says it’s our ego. “We must realize that everything we’ve been told is untrue and not in our best interests.” Austin found it simple to eliminate meat from his diet because he disliked it. He wrote a book called Food Fight about his experiences growing up as a typical Midwest kid who ate a lot of meat and dairy and how he eventually changed his ways. As he grew older and began cooking meat for himself, he became increasingly disgusted by it, and he soon recognized where it came from and what it was doing to him and the environment.
13:00 When asked if being a vegan wrestler in WWE was difficult, Austin replies that because professional athletes are always searching for that extra edge to help them improve, they tend to be pretty open minded. “Fortunately for me, I was so far along in my path by the time I went to WWE, and veganism had really blossomed in our culture, that it wasn’t as difficult as it had been early on.” He claims that many more of his coworkers are transitioning to plant-based diets as a result of the health and performance benefits. Austin congratulates his colleagues who are still wrestling since he claims it is difficult to compete when there are no spectators in the stands. Covid has allowed him to take a mental and physical break and concentrate on other things.
21:00 Austin Aries recommends sprouting your beans by soaking them before cooking them, as this makes them even healthier. Austin has a hard time maintaining his weight, therefore he consumes a calorie-dense meal on a daily basis. He makes it a point to pay as much attention to his micronutrients as he does to his macronutrients. Austin begins his day with a smoothie made with steel cut oats, bananas, and hemp seeds, which is high in vitamins. He eats a lot of chickpea pasta, which is strong in protein and fiber, because he is gluten-free. Plant-based pizza is his favorite snack, and it’s a lot healthier than the alternative. He also consumes a substantial amount of chickpeas and rice. “If meat were that tasty on its own, we’d boil it and eat it.” But it’s the way we rub it, add the spices, and char it that makes it so delicious. As a result, we can apply the same flavor profile with veggies.” Austin has been investing in Vitable because they exemplify the concept that food can be both medicinal and delicious.
32:00 Austin Aries explains his favorite places to obtain protein. 1. Don’t be concerned about where your protein comes from. The great majority of us consume enough amounts of protein on a regular basis. It is one of the most significant, although not the most important, components of a balanced diet. 2. Protein in small amounts in a variety of foods adds up to a large amount of protein. So don’t stress about getting everything from one place. Nutritional yeast and hemp seeds are Austin’s go-to protein sources. 3. Complete protein sources aren’t a concern. Because your body breaks down proteins and uses them as needed, you’ll get full proteins if you eat a range of foods. 4. Don’t be hesitant to include protein supplements to your diet. However, keep in mind that not all protein supplements are created equal. 5. Concentrate on your micronutrients and overall calorie intake; if you do, you should be able to reach your protein source. 6. Consume chickpea and lentil pasta, which contains around three times the protein of conventional pasta, as well as fewer carbohydrates and more fiber. 7. Don’t inquire about other people’s protein sources. Stop asking, they get it from eating. 8. Start inquiring about where folks acquire their fiber. The most significant factor is fiber. Fiber is essential for a balanced diet. 9. Oats are high in protein, so consume more of them. 10. Tempeh and tofu are high in protein. Soy isn’t something to be terrified of.
Was Jay Lethal ever a part of the WWE?
Jamar “Jay” Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by his ring as Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler who currently competes for the WWE on Raw. At 297 days, he holds the record for the longest reigning NXT Champion in WWE history.
He was a former ROH World Champion and spent the majority of his career in Ring of Honor. He was also a two-time and longest-reigning ROH World Television Champion, having held the championship for 567 days and being the only man to hold both the Television and World titles at the same time. Lethal was also a six-time X Division Champion and a one-time World Tag Team Champion with Consequences Creed for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Lethal has won 11 championships between ROH and TNA.
Austin Aries had how many belts?
Austin Aries, the belt collector, is a multichampion who currently has five titles, two of which are for Impact Wrestling. Aries has his work cut out for him if he wants to achieve Ultimo Dragon level. Ultimo Dragon, a former WCW wrestler, once held a record of ten championships at the same time (1996-97).
Austin Aries was trained by whom?
Austin Aries made his professional wrestling debut in the year 2000. In the same year, he began training to become a professional wrestler under Eddie Sharkey.
Sharkey’s name may not be familiar to many people because he prefers to stay out of the spotlight. However, any wrestling fan will be impressed by his nicknames and the number of superstars he has taught.
Sharkey is known as the “Trainer of Champions” or “Trainer of Legends” since he has coached some of the industry’s most illustrious figures. The Road Warriors, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lynn, Rick Rude, Rick Steiner, Erick Rowan, and, of course, Austin Aries are among Eddie’s most prominent disciples.
Who is the WWE’s newest champion?
In 1963, the WWE Championship became the first world championship in the company’s history. Buddy Rogers was the first official champion, and there have been 54 official champions and 11 vacancies since then. Bruno Sammartino holds the record for the longest reigning champion, having held the championship for 2,803 days (7 years, 8 months, and 1 day) from May 17, 1963 to January 18, 1971; he also holds the record for the longest combined reign, with 4,040 days. Andr the Giant holds the record for the shortest reigning champion, having held the championship for only 1 minute and 48 seconds. Brock Lesnar, who won the championship at the age of 25, is the youngest champion, while Mr. McMahon, who won at the age of 54, is the oldest. With 13 reigns, John Cena holds the record for most reigns.
The current champion, Roman Reigns, is in his fourth reign. On April 3, 2022, at WrestleMania 38 Night 2 in Arlington, Texas, he won the championship by defeating previous champion Brock Lesnar in a Winner Takes All match for both the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship, which Reigns defended.
Between Austin Theory and Finn Balor, who came out on top?
Austin Theory (now known as Theory) has captured the WWE United States Champion after months of trying to impress Vince McMahon. On Monday Night Raw, Theory defeated Finn Balor to win the title.
Theory celebrated with part of the heel roster in the ring after the match, then walked to the stage to celebrate with McMahon.
Theory is being promoted as the next great thing, with Vince McMahon apparently believing he has the potential to be the next John Cena. Theory is following in the footsteps of John Cena. When Cena first joined WWE, he lost matches on television for months before being programmed to win the United States Championship, which was a stepping stone to the World Championship.
When did Austin Aries first enter the WWE?
Fans seemed to have great expectations for Austin Aries when he first joined with WWE in 2016, but his time with the business was brief. Aries rose through the ranks of NXT and 205 Live, and he even competed at WrestleMania 33, but he was released by the promotion in July of 2017.
Austin Aries later returned to Impact Wrestling, although his time there ended in 2018. During a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Aries was asked if WWE contacted him following his second stint with Impact, and he said no.
“No, they didn’t,” says the narrator. There was a superb experience there, in my opinion. I believe we both got a taste of what the other has to offer, and I don’t believe we’ll cross that bridge again.