Austin Aries Explains Decision To Make MLW Return In Hometown

Former WWE star Austin Aries will be making his return to the Major League Wrestling (MLW) ring. Aries will face off against Adam Brooks at MLW Fury Road. He recently spoke to Journal Sentinel to promote the event. Aries talked about returning to his hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and why he decided to make the decision.

Check it out here:

Making his return to MLW in his hometown of Waukesha:

Here’s why I want to come back home. Because people back in Waukesha, they know Dan Solwold. They know Danny from West. That’s the only place I’m Dan or Danny anymore. Everywhere else I’m Austin. I’ve been Austin almost half my life. In almost every public setting, that’s why I’m there – to be Austin Aries. The people in Waukesha, they know the difference.

The people there know my character. Not the character you see on the screen, but my character as a human being. There’s a lot of people in this business that have gotten my character and my character mixed up. This last chapter I’m going to write in this book of mine – and don’t worry, because I’ve got plenty left – is about making sure people know the difference.

Details behind his decision:

Really, since I left Impact Wrestling – some people say controversially – I’ve been really laying low. I’ve had contract offers. Even after (Impact) there was a six-figure contract on the table at the end of last year that I politely declined. MLW had contacted me previously about maybe wanting to come in and do some things with them, but it wasn’t the right timing. I just decided for the first half of this year just to reset.

I’m also in the mindset that at this point in my career, I don’t really want to work for anybody. But I will work with anybody. Then I actually reached out to MLW and I said to them, ‘Hey guys, I know we talked a few months back and you had expressed some interest. It wasn’t really the right time. I said, ‘You’re going to be in my hometown. That interests me.’ I’m not motivated by money and I never really had been.

I’m probably not motivated by a lot things that people think I am. But this was an opportunity to come back home and see my family and see my friends. That, to me, had a value that probably trumped anything creatively or monetarily, you know?’