Petey Williams is closing on a total of a decade with Impact Wrestling. The two-time X Division Champion and former captain of Team Canada has been wrestling since 2002, often, in some way, linked with Scott D’Amore. Trained by D’Amore, Maple Leaf Muscle debuted for Border City Wrestling and eventually found himself being managed by D’Amore. It should come as no surprise then, that as D’Amore and, the close friend of Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt started to become more involved with the leadership aspect of Impact, Williams would make his return.
Since 2004, Williams has seen a lot of talent come and go. “I love all the new faces, the new matches I get to have and all that kind of stuff. I look at guys that are younger and they come up to me: ‘Hey Petey, I used to watch you when I was in high school on Impact!’ And now I’m wrestling them. I remember saying that kind of stuff to guys like Jerry Lynn. I used to watch them, and always looked up to those people. So it’s kind of weird being in that spot now, where the younger X Division guys or younger talent are looking up to me. I really like being in that spot because I’ll do whatever I can to help them and their career and their character to get over.”
When Williams made his most recent return in August, it was to assist Dutt against two of those younger talents, the Cult of Lee, Trever Lee and Caleb Konley. Since then, he has been a talent the company can inject into any title picture or help any young talent look better. A very valuable position indeed. His finisher, the Canadian Destroyer, has been one of the many reasons Petey Williams has achieved the levels of success he has reached. As Sami Callihan told him, “you’re the first person to take a video game move and make it a reality.” Something that separates the Destroyer from Petey compared to when so many indie talents attempt to do it is the approach Williams takes to the move.
“Usually when a move comes to fruition 15 years ago, it’s pretty much dead in the water by (now). Anybody that watches my matches, my psychology around it, the one thing I always try to do is the Canadian Destroyer, because I know that’s what’s going to make me win the match. So that’s how I try to structure matches, you know? I’ve seen guys do it with a DDT, they structure their whole match trying to hit their finishing move. It’s all about psychology and not just doing moves. There are a lot of great athletes out there doing moves, I just wish they could just take a step back and make their moves mean something. I think the great wrestlers make their athletic moves mean something, and that’s what I try to do with the Canadian Destroyer.”
With Feast or Fired briefcase reveals coming on tonight’s episode of Impact on Pop!, we can expect Petey Williams to be a big part of the show. This is his third time winning a briefcase, will he earn another X Division Title shot or World Heavyweight Championship opportunity? Or did he earn his first World Tag Team Title match? Perhaps he grabbed the briefcase containing a pink slip. One thing we know for sure: tonight’s episode of Impact will be must-watch television.
