Austin Aries Update After Controversial End to Bound For Glory

-By now, wrestling fans may be aware that IMPACT held their biggest show of the year, Bound For Glory, last night. The main event of the show pitted reigning IMPACT champion Austin Aries defending against challenger Johnny Impact. During the lead up to this main event, the two men were engaged in what can be called an intense and at times uncomfortably personal feud.

There were moments during the build up to Sunday’s main event where Austin Aries disparaged Johnny Impact’s wife (Taya Valkyrie) on social media. Before the match happened, things got intensely heated during a pre-PPV press conference. At the conference, both champion and challenger got so heated that an altercation ensued.

Last night, Johnny Impact managed to defeat Austin Aries and claim the IMPACT world title, however things did not end smoothly. Immediately after the decisive pin fall, Aries popped up and left the ring, screaming at Don Callis who was at ringside. He also was seen flipping off the crowd as he exited, leaving fans to wonder what was going on.

Thus far there’s been no clear indication of whether the ending was part of a larger angle, or something more like Aries leaving the company completely. Reports  from Figure Four Online were that Austin Aries was at home and not participating in any of the current IMPACT tapings, which effectively removes him from a significant portion of IMPACT television programs.

There is some speculation that this may be part of the heated program between Aries and Impact, but that it could also be in part a response for how heated the press conference fight got. During that altercation, a sponsor was knocked down, and IMPACT leadership was likely not happy with a sponsor being in the line of fire. It’s possible, though not confirmed, that Aries’ absence is partially a response for that.