John Skyler is ready to turn ‘no’ into ‘yes.’
John Skyler spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of his chance at becoming the first-ever Digital Media Champion at IMPACT Wrestling’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Saturday. Skyler is one of six participants in the match, which is being contested under intergender rules. Skyler, a 13-year veteran, spoke about how this match is not only a unique opportunity, but a chance to make history.
“It’s hard to prepare even when you do know all six competitors because it’s a match where you have to keep your head on a swivel because anything can happen. For this new championship, the Digital Media Championship, I think it’s so cool because it’s not just a television title, it’s not just an inter-gender title, and D-Lo Brown kind of said it best — it’s the new version of a TV title. Growing up as a huge wrestling fan, the TV title was one of my favorite titles to watch get defended because it was defended pretty much every week,” Skyler explained, “and you saw guys like Arn Anderson — God bless him, ‘Beautiful’ Bobby Eaton — and Tully Blanchard and even later on guys like Fit Finlay, Steven Regal and Chris Jericho. These were all guys that I try to pattern myself after, I was a huge fan of all of them and they were all TV champions. So, now we have the chance to kind of recreate that magic in this era where social media and digital media are such a big part of our industry.
“Some people only watch wrestling on social media now, so, to know that we have the chance to create something new, something different, an innovative championship, never been done before and to have the opportunity to fight to become the first-ever Digital Media Champion, it’s big because when you become the first in anything in the history of wrestling, your name goes in the history books automatically. So, I’m thoroughly excited, I’m excited about the possibilities, I’m excited to experience what the Digital Media title is going to be, because again,” he noted, “so many eyes are going to be on Bound For Glory and on Countdown To Glory but on digital media. So, if you’re the Digital Media Champion, you’re going to have more eyes on you than maybe anyone else on the show because you’re going to be on BTI, you’re going to be on IMPACT Wrestling, pre-shows, pay-per-views and you’re going to be across every digital media platform there is. So, who wouldn’t want opportunity? I got goosebumps talking about it, so, I’m looking forward to making my name known and to go down in the history books as the first-ever Digital Media Champion.”
Skyler has been praised by a number of notable names in wrestling, including Cash Wheeler and John Silver, with the former saying 2021 would be Skyler’s breakout year. Asked if he’s looking at Bound For Glory as a launching pad for that breakout moment, he said this might be that year, but it will pale in comparison to what’s to follow.
“For me, what this Saturday means, it’s validation because for the last 13-years, I’m the guy who put in that work and I’m the guy who came back from that knee injury and I’m the guy who signed that deal with IMPACT Wrestling…on my mom’s birthday, this year. The people that said that this was going to be my breakout year were right, this year has been my breakout year and 2021 may be my breakout year but it’s going to pale in comparison to 2022, 2023, 2024, so on and so forth. Those are going to be the years when people know my name worldwide and I’m going to make the most money I’ve ever made in pro wrestling,” Skyler said, “I’m going to win more championships than I’ve ever won in pro wrestling and it all starts this Saturday.
“I’ve said this in a prior interview, six years ago, I was in the dark match at Bound For Glory and I was told no, and for 13-years, I was told no by pretty much every major pro wrestling company and I could’ve easily packed it up, quit and went back to teaching students because that’s what I got a college education in doing. But I chose to stay the course when I didn’t have any money, when I was sick or I was alone or whatever, I decided to stay the course and I’m glad I did because now, I’ve turned those no’s into yes’s and this Saturday at Bound For Glory,” Skyler added, “I’m turning another no into another yes. So, winning three Digital Media Championship is validation for me and everything that I’ve done. All the countries I’ve been to, all the matches I had, all the no’s, this is about validation for me this Saturday when I win the Digital Media Championship.”
John Skyler vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Fallah Bahh vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Chelsea Green vs. Madison Rayne is set to take place at Bound For Glory on Saturday, October 23, with the winner walking away as the first-ever Digital Media Champion. Rayne was a late addition to the match, as Tenille Dashwood was pulled from the bout on Friday.
Read the updated BFG event card here, and check out our full interview with Skyler at the top of this post.
Read More: Serendipity Knocked For John Skyler, But Determination Opened Many Doors For Him In Pro Wrestling
