David Penzer Says AEW And Impact Don't Need An "Equal Partnership"
Since this past December, Impact Wrestling has had a working relationship with AEW. Even with, arguably, AEW's biggest star in Kenny Omega appearing on Impact TV nearly every week, some fans have criticized the partnership for not having an equal balance.
Speaking with Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman on the Wrestling Inc. Daily, Impact ring announcer David Penzer says the alliance with AEW all comes down to television exposure.
"I'll just put it this way: Scott D'Amore and the people in the office, they realize where we are," Penzer said. "AXS TV is not a readily available channel. They're hoping to get bigger coverage. Before it was just music, and it was one of my favorite channels ironically enough because I'm a huge live music fan. Three quarters of my DVR is saved stuff from AXS TV, rock concerts and country stuff.
"I was very familiar with AXS, but you know, most hotels you go to don't have AXS TV and a lot of cable stations don't have AXS TV. They're bringing in Invicta and expanding with some of the Impact stuff."
Penzer points to AEW's prominence on network television as a reason to rub shoulders with the white and gold promotion.
"We're not on TNT in prime time. We're not! We don't have Sting and JR and Tony Schiavone and Dustin and Cody and the Young Bucks and Miro. Those are just a few. They have all this young talent, those are just the established ones," Penzer said. "We're in a different place. I lay that all out because people say it's not a fair trade, but in my opinion it doesn't have to be."
While Penzer recognizes that the balance isn't necessarily there, he's focused on the benefits Impact Wrestling sees from the partnership on a weekly basis.
"Kenny Omega, one of the top, most popular, most famous, most well-known wrestlers worldwide, maybe the greatest talent going right now in wrestling, is our world champion!" Penzer said. "He's on our show every week. How could that be a bad thing? It could only be a good thing. It could only help. It may not be an equal partnership in our guys getting featured, their guys getting featured, our name being mentioned, their name being mentioned. It doesn't have to be. Kenny Omega's our world champion! I'll leave it at that. Anybody that doesn't see the value in that, I respect your opinion, but I respectfully disagree."
Just last month, reports surfaced that on-screen manager Don Callis is no longer working as a Co-Executive Vice President of Impact Wrestling. Penzer gave his thoughts on the apparent departure, noting he read about it like everyone else.
"I read what you read, and nothing was talked about at the Impact tapings that we just had," Penzer said. "There was not like a team meeting about it. Nobody pulled me aside. I heard about it when people started murmuring on the internet about it. It is what it is. I would be lying if I said that I had any insight into what's happened, what did happen, why it happened. I'm just glad to be there. Like when I said I wouldn't have wanted to know who was coming out the Nitro curtain, I don't want to know."
"Sitting Ringside w/ David Penzer" returns to AdFreeShows.com on Thursday June 10! Follow David on Twitter for more info @DavidPenzer. You can find the full audio and video from David's interview below: