Impact Wrestling announcer Josh Mathews recently spoke with WrestleList, and the following are some interview highlights. You can listen to the entire interview in the video player below:
On the future of Impact Wrestling:
I think you can expect to see a lot more from Impact. This is nothing against the people who were in charge before this new regime took over, but we sort of laid dormant and didn’t really attempt to get out there and do different things. For someone like myself, who is always trying to find different angles and marketing angles.
On who helped him along the way in his career:
There are quite a few people who helped me on the way. When I first started I was in the car with Michael Cole and Taz and learned a tremendous amount from them. I also learnt from Jim Ross and Paul Heyman had a tremendous influence on my career. When Paul Heyman was the lead writer for Smack Down, and Smack Down was produced on Tuesday, postproduction was done on a Wednesday, and the show was put out on Thursday, Paul would be there for the edit of the show. We would be there; Michael Cole, Paul [Heyman], Taz and myself would be in the studio until 5 o’clock in the morning and changing the call of the show. Those guys would be in the booth, and learning from Paul [Heyman] how to do this from a commentary standpoint.
When you sit down and do the main shows you’re working directly for the man who owns the company [Vince McMahon] and he’s listening to every word you say. He also had a tremendous effect on my career and still continues to to this day. I can hear him in my head when I call things, “Don’t scream at me” and “Don’t over sell this” I can hear it. That has molded me in to the play-by-play announcer I am today.