Payne signs with EPW
LOUSIVILLE, KENTUCKY
- This morning at a press conference, Jason Payne announced that he had signed a contract with Empire Pro Wrestling ending months of speculation as to where the former "Dog of War" was going to next. Dressed in a dark business suit, Payne spoke to a group of about 20 reporters and a crowd of 150 about recent events, and his future in the world of professional wrestling.
"I feel really good about the relationship between myself and Empire Pro. We both end up as winners in this deal."
Payne, a 12 year veteran of the ring, was last seen in a wrestling ring late last year participating in New Frontier Wrestling's (NFW) tournament to crown a new Ultra Champion. During week 5 of that tournament, Payne was seriously injured at the hands of Chris "The Wolf" McMillan. Wrestling in a "Dog Collar Match", McMillan pulled Payne from the top turnbuckle to the concrete floor as Payne was attempting a high risk move. Payne's neck was severely injured during the match. Remarkably, he was able to not only finish the match, he came out on the winning end. Doctors gave Payne a grim prognosis on a possible return to the ring.
"The doctors all told me that I should prepare myself for the possibility that I might never wrestle again. I never prepared for that. My plan was just to get back to wrestling as fast as I could. This is my life. Without this, I have nothing."
That statement couldn't be more true for Payne. A former member of the U.S. Navy, he was dishonorably discharged after striking an officer. Payne has never denied that occured and admits it adds to his in-ring persona as a roughousing tough guy. "This is probablly the only business in the world where something like that can happen to you, yet it works to your advantage."
Payne teased a return in NFW over the summer as he resurfaced after almost a year of being absent. However, with NFW's Ultratitle tournament winding down, Payne decided against actively participating on the active roster and instead opted to appear in a few gimmick matches. When asked about NFW's thoughts on his signing with EPW, Payne did not flinch.
"Like I said before. It's a good relationship. NFW is finishing up their Ultratitle tournament over there, so there isn't really any reason for me to wrestle over there until the next season starts. I have no intentions of leaving NFW. But I'm a competitor. If I want to have a chance at winning the Ultratitle next season, I need to start working towards it now. NFW understands this, and Empire Pro is fully aware of my contractual obligations with NFW."
Payne was quick to note however that this did not mean he would leave EPW at the drop of a hat.
"I'm in this thing for the long haul. Like I said, this is a chance for me to get back to doing what I do best. And this is a chance for EPW to be able to push itself even further by adding someone like me to their roster."
Payne's wrestling career started in 1992. In that time he has wrestled throughout the South and the Northeast. He has held several titles including the NWA, ACF/NAWA Hardcore Titles, and the MSWF and ACF/NAWA Tag-Team titles.
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