Exclusive: Nick Aldis discusses NWA, All In, Cody Rhodes, Toxicity in TNA & the 'Spot-Monkey vs Old-School' mentality

"I just wanted to prove that the real art in this, the real work, is in getting people to the point where, when it happens, it makes people feel something" - Nick Aldis

Nick Aldis on the 'Classic' match he had with Cody at ALL IN

The whole ALL IN show was great, but that truly felt like a big moment and a big match with the entrances, you had Jeff with you and Cody had his guys with him. And the match itself felt very 'old-school', was that a deliberate decision or?

Aldis: "I wouldn't call it 'Old-School', I'd call it 'Classic'. I think wrestling's for everyone and I truly and genuinely believe that. Which is why I don't judge people who decide to dump each other on the head ten times and hit a finishing move five times before they can win a match. I don't know how it's a finishing move if it takes five of them, but that's your prerogative.

I just wanted to prove that the real art in this, the real work, is in getting people to the point where, when it happens, it makes people feel something. It's not just a physical demonstration of skill, that's one element of a very layered industry that we're part of. We're somewhere between making movies and athletics."

Aldis: "When it's done perfectly, as I've got older, I fell in love with the 80's NWA Flair and Steamboat, Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard, Flair and Dusty, Dusty and Harley Race, these were the guys where the atmosphere was like a sports atmosphere. I come from an athletic background, I miss feeling like an athlete as opposed to just a performer. The idea that we could create a situation where this is the world title on the line, this is it. It's Rocky!

What's blown me away is still just hundreds and hundreds of emails and tweets of people saying 'I've watched it eight times' or 'I haven't felt like this since I saw Warrior and Hogan' and that's too much for me to process, because I'm like 'there has to be something else'. And at some point you have to take ownership, it's not an arrogant thing but you have to take ownership and go 'Alright, I'm in the spot I've always wanted.' But now we need to build on it going forward."

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Next: Aldis talks defending the NWA Title on the road, helping younger guys get over and inflatable penises!