Tommy Dreamer Assesses TNA's First Live Impact In Nearly A Decade

"TNA Impact" is coming off one of their most monumental shows in some time, the first live telecast of the company's flagship program in eight years. The show featured new TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boys, NXT Tag Team Champions Fraxiom from "WWE NXT," and the signing of former WWE star Mustafa Ali. TNA creative team member Tommy Dreamer spoke on "Busted Open Radio" about the first live "Impact" in almost a decade.

"Right before we went on the air, I got goosebumps, and I haven't gotten goosebumps for a professional wrestling event in a long, long time. I couldn't have been prouder of the men and women behind the scenes, it's been such a great team effort," Dreamer said. "I knew we have all the right tools in place, and I got so excited, just that roar of the crowd from the opening clip, everybody did such an amazing job." Dreamer recalled being backstage at ECW's first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, in April 1997, a night which was chronicled in the documentary "Beyond the Mat." Dreamer mentioned how he was not nervous that night in ECW, but was nervous this week at TNA. The former ECW World Champion did acknowledge the criticism that was received of the broadcast going to commercial at inconvenient times, but was not phased, as that was a network decision, not TNA's.

"When everybody came through the back they were met with applause, and it wasn't like those fake applause where we just do it because something. It was because everyone was so invested in this team mentality and this team called TNA and lifting each other up," Dreamer continued about the live show, before being asked if the episode would have been live if there was no WWE partnership. "Yes, it's been in the works forever."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.