[INTERVIEW] Johnny Swinger, 30 years career and years of passion at Impact Wrestling
As of September 2019, Johnny Swinger has been entertaining Impact Wrestling fans. From his vignettes at “Swinger’s Palace” to his alliance with his protégé Zicky Dice, the wrestler seduces with his vintage look that indicates what is seen elsewhere. 30 years after his beginnings in the discipline, years of traveling the world and fighting in the biggest promotions in the United States, Johnny Swinger has lost none of his brilliance. VL Media spoke to the wrestler and gave him the opportunity to look back on a thirty year career and his journey within Impact Wrestling.
VL: A few weeks ago you were beaten by Barry Horowitz at Impact, 24 years after your last one-on-one match. Can you share with us your feelings on this game and the fact that you worked with it again in 2023?
Johnny: He had his revenge 24 years ago, I hit him twice (laughs) ! I’m happy for him that he deserves it. Barry is a longtime friend. I was also a fan of his when I was younger and I watched him fight on TV. There’s no better feeling than being able to face your idols and then befriend them. Barry cost me an opportunity to grab another win in my quest for 50 straight wins. But as my fans know very well, I always have a plan in mind. (laughs). I have Zicky Dice by my side who is always ready to help me when needed. We will find a way to get 50 consecutive wins as soon as possible!
VL: Speaking of Zicky Dice, you’ve been his on-screen mentor for the past year. Can you tell us more about this alliance? Our readers would love to know the secrets you teach him in the Swinger’s Dungeon!
Johnny: Actually, it’s more like him teaching me two or three things, especially about the night world! He’s younger than me, so I like to listen to his anecdotes at the nightclub (laughs). Sometimes I have to tell him to be careful and remind him that we’re busy at Impact. Seriously, he really is a great person. He listens to the advice of veterans and, thanks to his experience, knows how to succeed in this environment. I’m just putting the icing on the cake, he steals the show every time he’s in the ring. In almost a year we have done a lot of great things at Impact. It’s just the beginning and I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store. My fans can rest assured that he will be by my side in my quest for 50 wins and I promise you it will be a lot of fun!
VL: If you can get that 50 straight wins, you need to beat Josh Alexander, the current Impact Wrestling World Champion. What do you think of his reign and influence in the dressing room?
Johnny: I really love what he does. I was already impressed by his work when he was tag team champion with Ethan Page. Long before they broke up or became champions, I figured he had the potential to be a big star. I’m not surprised to see the success it’s having today. I won’t go as far as to say I predicted it, but I knew he had the ability. He’s done a great job in Impact Wrestling and he’s someone you can count on in the locker room. He’s real and he works with a relentlessness I’ve rarely seen in anyone else. I would love to face him if I can get those 50 wins!
VL: One of the highlights of your current run at Impact is releasing the “Swinger’s Palace” vignettes you made in early 2021. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind these vignettes? How much fun did you have making them?
Johnny: I think it’s the best thing I’ve done in my career. It happened by accident, shortly after confinement. We were in the middle of Covid time and wanted to see what it would be like. We fought in empty halls back then. We wanted to chat and entertain the fans because even if you have a great match, wrestling in an empty arena will always be less exciting than hearing the public scream and chant your name. I was so happy that I had the opportunity to develop something different. I had the best time of my career doing his thumbnails. I’ve interacted with almost the entire roster in that time, even Kenny Omega and Don Callis. I’m proud of that and thankful for the airtime I got.
VL: Before returning to Impact in 2019, you were also part of the promotion in the 2000s. Thanks to the Impact Plus and Impact Insiders offer, available on the promotion’s Youtube channel, fans can relive some of the best moments of the Watch action again History of Impact Wrestling. But you, what is the best moment of your career at Impact?
Johnny: Probably the highlight of my first run at Impact was the day I won the Tag Team Championships with Simon Diamond. We had a good reign as NWA Tag Team Champions. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time as from memory we had to win the ECW Tag Team Championships before the promotion ended. Regarding my second run, I advise you to review my return to 2019 with the debut of “Swing Man”. I would have liked to have had the idea for this character fifteen years ago to tell you how much fun I am having today. My character never lets me run out of ideas. Thanks to the producers and writers who work with me, we always find fun and great stories to tell. I hope this continues for many years to come!
VL: In your 30-year career, you’ve fought for the biggest promotions in the United States (WWF, WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA/Impact Wrestling). What advice would you give to a young wrestler who wants to have the same longevity as you in this discipline?
Johnny: Hang in there and you’ll get the opportunity you deserve. If you get this opportunity, the most important thing is not to waste it. What I mean by that is that you have to take every opportunity that comes your way without batting an eyelid and do your best. I’ve done that throughout my career and I still do today. You have to understand that this industry is not all about one and the same person. We are more than sixty wrestlers in the locker room. It’s teamwork. No matter what idea or scenario you get, you always have to make the best of it. Above all, never give up. Look, me for example, from 2005 to 2019, I never gave up. When I made my comeback in 2019, some people thought I hadn’t fought in fourteen years. What they didn’t know was that a week after I got fired from WWE, I was back wrestling in the independent scene. In those fourteen years I never took a holiday because I never lost sight of my goals.
VL: As we celebrate your 30 year career, let’s talk about your early days as a wrestler for Border City Wrestling. (Canadian wrestling promotion). What memories do you have of that time and what is your relationship today with Scott D’Amore, who was the manager of this campaign at the time?
Johnny: Exactly! At the time, I had already wrestled on the Winnepeg side of Canada for a year or two. One day while I was working on a TV show in the area, Scott contacted me and asked if I would be interested in doing TV matches for WCW and WWF. I said yes immediately. I later knew that he ran his own organization and I started wrestling there. It was great! In fact, I’ve been a BCW champion twice, including a fairly lengthy reign (note: 464 days). During this period, BCW often produced its major events in large venues. My time with Border City Wrestling taught me how to cut my teeth and get ahead on TV shows. Scott is a very good friend and an excellent promoter who I have had the pleasure of working for since the beginning of my career.
VL: Thirty years after your debut, do you still have any goals that you would like to achieve as a wrestler, aside from the Impact Wrestling World Championship?
Johnny: Not really, to be honest. I’m really thankful that I was able to do everything I could in my career and continue to wrestle regularly on television. I am fortunate to be in a comfortable place today and I intend to continue to be so for many years to come. Now it’s my job to help the new generation. Like I said, these young wrestlers help me a lot in return because they bring new ideas to me with their fresh perspective. To the end of my career, and even after I’ve given up my career, I will continue to help these young talents, whether in the ring or behind the camera. I would like to work as a producer for Impact Wrestling. I’ve gained quite a bit of television experience over the years. There are some things that will never change, no matter the era, when it comes to wrestling on television. The pressure you feel before entering the ring always stays the same. I think I can help with that: advising young talents and gaining their trust before falling in at the deep end.
Impact Wrestling presents “Multiverse United” on March 30th, a pay-per-view co-hosted with New Japan Pro Wrestling. In the Main Event, NJPW’s Will Ospreay takes on Impact Wrestling’s “Speedball” Mike Bailey. The show airs on Fite TV from 5am and is available for $24.99.
