Chapter 1: Who is Bear Bronson and what is his wrestling background?
Welcome to the Busted Open After Dark Podcast. I'm your host, Tommy Dreamer. Joined with me, the TNA World Tag Team Champion, Bear Bronson, in an exclusive interview. This is the Busted Open Podcast. I got to go to one of my guys, one of the talents, one of the stars of of TNA's Impact Wrestling. My co-host for the next maybe 30 minutes or so, Bear Bronson, the TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Bear, welcome again to the show, buddy. How are you?
What's up, Tommy? Thanks for having me.
I see you're in your car outside the gym. You getting ready for a late-night workout or coming from the gym? What you doing?
Coming from the gym.
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Chapter 2: What challenges did Bear face as a free agent before joining TNA?
Coming from the gym. And it's the worst gym because there's a Wendy's right outside, and I love Wendy's. So immediately the second I leave out the door, it's right there and just... The temptation sucks.
My... normal path to the gym. You know I love coffee and Dunkin'. And it's right after I go to the gym. I usually go grocery shopping. And then I also always get Dunkin' right after. I haven't had a Dunkin' Donut in a while, by the way. They changed. This is all the specialty flavors are all out as of today. They're spotlighting Oreo, which you all know how much I love that.
Oh, yeah.
Chapter 3: How did Bear Bronson's journey lead to winning a Battle Royal?
So I got to go past that. My buddy... invited me over his house. I had to do something with him and his wife cooked and it was a chicken franchise. And I think I ate about a pound of pasta. I haven't had pasta in so long. I love pasta. This body was built on pasta. So, uh, again, thank you for joining the show. Uh, man, lots to talk about.
Uh, first of all, I just, I just want to talk to you, man. You're, I listened to an interview, uh, with you on Explosion with Gia Miller. And I really enjoyed it. I didn't see that. You know, I've known you for a long time. I had the pleasure. I worked with you and I was like, holy crap, you're really good. At the time, you were signed to AEW.
And I had also heard from Brian Myers, who was your trainer, because we're connected, because Brian's my guy. And he was just like, before you went to AEW, you were a TNA guy.
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
Because he was like, Brian wants, at the time, they had no interest in you. You go to AEW, you have a career there. As soon as you become a free agent, of course, we swoop you up. And this has been quite a year for you. Or, I mean, I can't even say a year. You come into TNA, you win a Battle Royal when you're not even under contract. Yeah.
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Chapter 4: What impact did Bear's wife have on his wrestling career?
Get you a title shot. If you could just talk, cause I love that piece that you and Gia, Gia is so easy to talk to. I just want more people to know you because then I also want to talk about your death match stuff and that whole thing. Just talk about your journey since like you've been signed and all that stuff.
Yeah. So, you know, it's been crazy because towards the end of May will be when my contract with AEW expired. And it was the first week of June where that was the first week of my free agency contract. And that next week changed everything for me. And we're, we're getting close to that one year market. It's been pretty crazy.
I've been kind of actually taking the week to like reminisce that before every workout, I kind of look back on the entire year because it feels like multiple years in one. It really, it's been, it's been insane to look at where I was a year ago versus versus right now. Right. And that, I mean, man, it's, I loved that interview with Gia Miller.
I feel like that was a cool opportunity to kind of tap into, you know, if there's any TNA fans that maybe don't watch other products, other indies or anything like that, to kind of just get an idea of who I am. One, I'm a big wife guy. All my close friends know that. They bust my balls over that. But I take any opportunity to talk about my wife, Gabby Forza, because she's...
Chapter 5: How does Bear describe his experience in death matches?
pretty much the one who instilled that fire in me with her starting her career. And seeing her in just a few years she's been doing this, that is what made me say, I want to take my career back by the reins too. And that is where when I left AEW, I actually had told her, I said, I don't care if I ever get signed ever again.
I just need to be the wrestler I always dreamed of being and do things that I want to do, whether other people may think it's a good idea or not. And that's actually, that is where, excuse me. That is where I said, you know what? Uh, I've always been a fan of death matches. Uh, Mick Foley is my favorite ever. And, uh,
It's something that's always fascinated me as a fan, whether it's FMW or ECW or early CZW up until GCW. And I said, I'm going to give this a shot. I think I could do it. And if it sucks and I have a bad experience, I'll just never do it again. And that's not what happened. That I mean, that was June 8th, 2025.
It was my match with a wrestler called Slade at GCW Cage of Survival 4 in Atlantic City. And that night changed everything for me. The air in the room was just different. And it's bell to bell. It is a wild match that I still put up there with top three of my favorites I've ever had. And from then on, I found out I kind of have a knack for this. And that's where...
Again, just in one year, I've wrestled all my deathmatch heroes, whether it's Matt Tremont, John Wayne Murdoch, and then going over to Japan, which I am so grateful for TNA for letting me, under contract, go over there. That was a huge dream of mine come true, and I got to wrestle...
arguably the greatest deathmatch wrestler in the world uh masashi takeda and uh it's just been like i said multiple years packed into one year and then it culminates this weekend with nick gage so it's there's a lot that is an entirely new and separate chapter of my life that i've really really enjoyed
I remember our conversations, right? Brian, he just said, hey, you're available. And I'm like, cool. I love him. I want to sign him. I think he's super talented. I mean, that's how simple it was. And I know we're having the conversations. And I remember when I called you and you're like, um... Yeah. And like you, you were like, and I'm like, is he crying on the other line here? Like what's up?
And you're like, well, I'm at an independent show right now. I tried to take this all in. So that was my first part. But that also like when you said, Hey, I had this other commitment to go to Japan and if it's a conflict and yeah, we had dates. I was like, no man, you have to do that for you. And like, I'm glad that you understood. I will always be a wrestler first.
And like my goal in Japan, my goal and dreams, and I still have goals and dreams, but like one of my first was to go work for either New Japan or All Japan. And when I had that opportunity, I was in ECW. And it was the infancy of ECW. And like, I get this opportunity.
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Chapter 6: What is the significance of Bear's matches in Japan for his career?
And I was just like, ECW had shows and I missed it. And then that was actually when I think it was Shane Douglas versus Tully Blanchard. And they went to a one hour draw and the fans stood up, turned their back to the ring and started chanting for bingo. And Paul Heyman was like, you can never not miss another arena show.
And then the only other time I missed an arena show, they did something with Justin Credible. He wasn't PCO at the time, but it was Carl. And the show wasn't good. The match was good, but the show wasn't good. And Paul's like, I told you, you can't ever miss the arena. But my buddy had gotten married, and I had to, had to be there for that one. So... But after that, like, so, and I get that.
And that whole experience is super cool. And it is the difference I feel with TNA than any other place where, I mean, for me, I want you to experience that. But it's also like, I get it. And I want people to always understand that. Is that, like you said, it's a key thing for you, like you said, you just to be you.
That's especially this past year. That's been, uh, I think the biggest key is just whether I was, you know, with different people knocking on the door, right. It's like, which is best for you. And one of those things, and I run all these conversations by my wife. She's like, kind of like my agent in a way, uh, just to run things past her. And it's always been whatever happens in the near future.
I just need to be myself. I can't let, I can't change for somebody else ever again.
I hear you. That's cool. Listen, there's also nothing wrong with praising your wife, your girlfriend, your significant other. I feel if people give you shit about it, it's because they want that. Yeah. It's awesome. I think of, like, listen, I traveled with Beulah a lot. And everything we did was wrestling. We trained together. Yeah.
We did everything together and we were so at one point very, very in tune. And that should be for everybody. You should always want to find somebody like that. And I've met your wife and watched your wife wrestle. She's a sweetheart.
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Chapter 7: How does Bear feel about his role in TNA compared to AEW?
And you should be very, very proud. And we all need somebody to be our support system. So I'm happy that you have yours.
Thank you so much. That means the world to me.
Yeah, and she's tough. I think she might beat your ass if you ever step out of line.
I have no doubt about that at all. She's the strongest woman I've ever met.
Talk to me. I mean, think about what you're saying about your short career, which also means I have to get you to, I guess, we got to start negotiating your contract. As your contract's coming up, I got to look at my files if you're saying this about a year. Crap, I got to take the title off you. No.
Well, no, a year since free agency.
No, I know. That's an old Booker strategy, brother. Not only do you get to tag against the Hardys, you're doing it with the guy who trained you, and then you win, and you're the tag team champion of a company. It's the ultimate baby face story, but you're doing it as a heel.
Wild, man. I mean, it's like it's still I mean, it's still processing. You know, I feel like it's processed for everybody else faster than me, even my own family, because like my family watched that live. My brothers, we used to the Hardys are my brother's favorite wrestlers. So it's for them. And I'm still kind of like, man, did that really happen?
Or did I get did I take too many shots to the head this year? My brain's playing tricks on me, you know? Uh, that's a weird, and especially again, like you said, with my trainer, the guy who taught me how to lock up, uh, that's, it's, it's, it's not real, man. It's really weird.
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Chapter 8: What upcoming matches are on Bear Bronson's schedule?
You're on a company on a rise. You're on national television each and every week. You're part of one of, or if not, the biggest heel faction. Just tell the nation about it.
Yeah. So, you know, if I could explain the difference between the two, and I'm not throwing any shade here, but when I was with AEW... in all of five years from start to finish, I felt like a signed extra, if that makes sense. Where like, you know, you're just kind of there and you're not, whether you're there or not, it doesn't really make a big difference.
And on the complete other end of the spectrum is with T&A, I actually feel like an important part of the piece moving forward. And it's funny because I came to the company at the same time as The Righteous, who I'm very close with.
And we both have very similar journeys where we feel like we found a new home where we were like, we can really sink our teeth and give all of our talents, give everything we have to push a company forward. And I feel like I feel like even in my first weekend with TNA, I felt welcomed immediately.
Like, by the entire roster, all these people I don't know, the team, the entire team I just met, I felt welcomed immediately. And I feel like now even looking at even just when we were in Syracuse, I had this feeling like, that the entire roster is firing on all cylinders because we all want this to succeed. This is, you know, it's not...
it's not every day wrestling companies land on major networks, right? So with us landing on AMC and now, you know, the announcement of Slammiversary and the announcement of lockdown returning, it's like, I feel like everybody's just hungry, you know? People talk about top one, top two, top three companies. It's like, we want to be the top. And you feel it from everybody on the roster.
And it feels really, really good to be a big part of that.
Well, I mean, if you think about it, it's 2026, 2001, 25 years was the last time three wrestling companies were on television, on national TV. And that, again, being part of history, I've been on both sides of this now. And it's awesome for wrestling fans because we also get a choice. And then, you know, here's the other part. When you were in AEW, it's early.
And they're a brand new company, and I could see leaning on your stars, leaning on your free agents, as opposed to the guys coming up. And if something clicks or catches... like a Darby Allin, like an Orange Cassidy, as you're trying to build them. But if you remember, I mean, hell, they had Cody. They had the Young Bucks.
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