Magnus Blames Hardcore Fans For "Driving Away Paying Audience"

Global Force Wrestling Global Champion Nick Aldis, f.k.a Magnus with TNA, joined the CBS Radio/106.7 The Fan DC's Chad Dukes Wrestling Show this week to promote his new fitness book, The Superstar Body.

In a very frank and open discussion, Aldis talked about fatherhood, the inspiration behind the book, the contrast of being TNA World Champion and GFW Global Champion, Brock Lesnar, TNA's status as an alternative to WWE and the rise of NXT. He also talked about Roman Reigns and turning your product creative over to the most vocal fans.

"I feel horrible for him because I feel like if he'd have come along ten years earlier he'd be in a totally different conversation right now," Aldis said. "I think he's a terrific example where the business in general has failed not just WWE, not just TNA, TNA was guilty of it for a long, long time or [other] promotions now which is we've niched down the product. We've paid way too much attention to the vocal minority and I know this is not this is this is nothing new what I'm saying here but, we're taking all this time trying to subconsciously trying to impress people that are gonna be there no matter what. I get very passionate about this argument that I hear very often from those certain type of destructive fans that say, 'We paid our money and we can do whatever we want, we can say whatever we want, do whatever we want.' OK, but if you're if you're father like I'm a father now and maybe that's why I have a different perspective on it, but do I have to be a big John Cena fan? No, not particularly.

"But if I'm a father and I make like an average living, like maybe forty grand a year, I work forty hours a week, I get my paycheck, I pay my taxes, and I've got two kids and they're just huge WWE fans, and they're huge Roman Reigns fans or they're huge John Cena fans right? And I've scraped together the money, we've cut a few corners here and there this month to be able to get enough money, a couple hundred bucks, because that's what you're talking about for a family to go to a WWE live event by the time it's all said and done, to get my tickets, get him his t-shirt, get him his foam finger, all that stuff, and now I'm there with my kids. It's a great feeling to be able to do that for my kids and now I'm surrounded by a bunch of adult males not other kids, not kids my own age, adult males. So my children are surrounded by adult males who when their favorite wrestler comes out, who I saved my money to buy my ticket to go see, all these adult males are, 'Aw you suck,' and using all these four letter words. FU this and' am I gonna go back?'

"These people that claim to love the business or to be the most dedicated fans of the business and just driving away like the majority of the paying audience."

The Chad Dukes Wrestling Show airs live at 7pm on Wednesdays on 106.7 The Fan Washington DC, and the full show is also available as a podcast on iTunes, Play.it, and
chaddukeswrestlingshow.com.