This Nick Aldis interview clip is everything I love about pro wrestling

Heading into SummerSlam against Gunther for his first match since 2023 (something Nick Aldis says wasn’t because he couldn’t get medically cleared, but admits the time away from the ring has allowed his body to properly heal), the former TNA and NWA World champion sat down with Chris Van Vliet for an Insight interview (embedded in its entirety above). There are several quotes and clips from CVV’s chat with Aldis making the rounds on the wrestle web this week, and I’ve watched most of the interview and don’t regret the time I spend doing so. One part really grabbed me, and when I took a second to really think about why, it helped crystalize thoughts I’ve been having all week. It’s toward the end of the episode, after Van Vliet (who is very good at his job) says that “on behalf of all fans” that he’s excited to see Aldis back in the ring. Nick responds, “I — I hope that I… I hope that I don’t let people down.” CVV tries to assure him that won’t happen, and switches gears to the now-forme