Tyrus adds that Billy Corgan was not initially thrilled when he found out he was retiring.
Closing out night two of the NWA 75 pay-per-view was Tyrus versus EC3 in a Bull Rope match for the Worlds Heavyweight Championship. A new champion was crowned in EC3 and the stipulation was that if Tyrus lost, he would retire from in-ring competition.
On the newest episode of The Wise Men, Tyrus further opened up about his decision to retire. He shared that he began to notice changes to his body and posture when he walked. There was a tingling feeling he’d get in his fingers and coming out of Crockett Cup 2023, there was a constant burning sensation in his shoulder and neck area. He got the same feeling in the match with EC3.
It’s one of those things where Trevor (Murdoch) and I, we had a pretty physical match and I’ve never had anything but physical matches. It’s never unsafe but we’re always snug and when we had the tag match for the Crockett Cup, I got hit weird and I landed weird and normally, I never had a burning sensation before in my shoulder and neck area and it just wouldn’t go away and it was bugging me when I was benching, bugging me when I was squatting. It was just bugging me all the time and you know, you don’t say anything and I’ve just always been a big thing, you just gotta work it out. You just kind of work it out, and you’re world champ, and not just that but even if you’re not world champ, there’s still a certain level of, you wanna compete at a high level. You don’t wanna compete at a low level. So, when I was hemming and hawing about the decision to retire and after I talked to my kids and they were like, they were fine with it, because I was like, man, I’m starting to get the tingles in my fingers and I noticed that my fingers are kind of curling a little bit and I started leaning forward when I was walking a little bit and I was like, okay. Okay. You got some decisions to make here, and it was one of those things where selfishly, Billy (Corgan) would’ve had to kick me out of the ring. I was like, we’ll see how this match goes. But just coming into that weekend and at any time, I could’ve said to Billy, no, because that’s the cool thing about our boss is that he’s like, ‘It’s your call. It’s your call.’ He goes, ‘This wasn’t my idea. This was your idea’ and everything fell into place, especially seeing the live events and not being there. That was really bothering me… During the match (at NWA 75) when I hit EC3 with a T-Bone, I got that damn burning in my shoulder again and we’re doing the deal and you know, the chair shots and everything and every chair shot hurt, more than it normally did and especially the ones on my ankles. Like the Garvin Stomp is designed for the foot. There’s a reason why they didn’t use the chair but hey, you don’t know until you try it, right? Don’t try it fellas (he laughed).
He would go on to add that he’s still going to be a part of NWA. Tyrus chatted with Billy Corgan and was told the door is completely open for him to figure out how he wants to stay involved.
Absolutely no regrets. I even talked to Billy (Corgan) this morning. I’m still gonna be a part of the NWA. I’m just not sure what form I wanna do and he’s like, ‘Whatever you wanna do, you just tell me what you wanna do and it’s done’ so, and that’s a great feeling.
Further speaking on the decision to step away, Tyrus said Corgan and Director of Talent Relations, Pat Kenney, were not happy with Tyrus’ choice initially.
A lot of people, they were like, ‘Did you talk to Billy and Pat?’ No, I didn’t. It was my decision (to retire) and Billy (Corgan) always told me I could make my own decisions and I did and were they thrilled about it at first? Not really (he laughed). You go on live and make that announcement. They’re like, ‘What does this mean?’ It means exactly — or as Pat (Kenney) put it, ‘How does your retirement look? What does it look like?’ And I said, ‘I retire’ in quotes and he was like, ‘Okay.’ Again, I called my shot, I Babe Ruth’d it. I pointed, I called my shot, so, and I’m happy with it. But I’m also excited. Looking at the shows and the guys coming up and it’s just a good time to be an NWA fan.
Tyrus had been reigning as champion since Hard Times 3 in November 2022. He had five defenses of the title throughout his reign.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit The Wise Men with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
