Grappling legend Rhino fears a professional wrestling union would "kill the industry" - despite growing calls for change in the business .

The Impact Wrestling star, real name Terrance Gerin, has worked for nearly all of the globe's top promotions during his 25 years in the ring.

The 44-year-old, from Dearborn, Michigan, aka Rhyno, is currently contracted to Impact Wrestling for the second time in his storied career.

He shocked the wrestling world by appearing on Impact's Slammiversary 17 event in July this year, while still under contract with WWE .

That signalled the end of a four-year stint, during which he and Heath Slater became the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

(Image: Impact Wrestling/Andrea Kellaway)

Since reappearing as an Impact employee, Rhino has faced off with Michael Elgin, to whom a masked man delivered his trademark gore at Slammiversary.

But he was blindsided by tag partner Rob Van Dam at last month's Bound for Glory PPV, potentially setting up a feud between the two ECW alumni.

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Mirror Sport's Tony Quant chatted exclusively with Rhino on a number of topics, including what swayed his decision to re-sign with Impact, when there are more options than ever before.

Rhino also discussed the main difference between Impact now and his last spell with TNA in 2005, who he'd like to face next, his thoughts on the current wrestling scene and much more.

Your appearance at Slammiversary with Impact Wrestling came as a shock. What was the rationale behind signing with Impact this time around?

The main reason was that I wanted to be on the road and I knew Impact had big things coming along. In the last couple of years, they have made some big gains. I am also able to do independent dates with this contract and that's one thing I like to be able to do as I like looking at new talent and plus I can interact with the fans more.

I loved everything about being with WWE, but they have such a large roster which means they have to circulate the talent and so you are not on the road as much. I might make less, but I get to be on the road more, which is what I like.

While you were with WWE were you keeping tabs on Impact and did you get time to watch their product?

I heard a lot of people talking about it with the likes of Sami Callihan, Tessa Blanchard and Moose over there. All of these young men and women who are making an impact, plus knowing about them moving towards a TV deal and different things that are happening and the stuff they are doing.

(Image: Impact Wrestling/Andrea Kellaway)

At Slammiversary a man of a very similar build made a sneak attack on Michael Elgin and hit him with a spear. Are you able to comment on that, given that you were under WWE contract when it happened?

I cannot confirm or deny, I was still under contract. Was it me? Who knows?

Having been in the business for so long, what do you make of the current scene, given the breakthrough of AEW, NWA coming back, Impact's resurgence, and MLW putting on PPV shows?

I think it's great, just the simple fact you have a lot of wrestling for fans is great. And what's great is that it's all different and nothing is the same. For example with NWA, it's old but new at the same time and it's a great product. AEW has all the momentum behind them with an owner who is willing to back them not just financially, but in a lot of ways. The scene is really great for talent and it's opening up sponsorship deals which goes to the talent.

With Impact you have a company which is owned and been backed fully for the last few years and to see it come back from where it was to making long term investments in networks like access and growing it is great. There are other things coming with stuff like video games, toys, breaking in to International markets, there is a real team effort at Impact.

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Leading on from that, with the continued growth there has been calls by some workers, promoters and fans to implement a union within pro wrestling. What are you thoughts on having a union in wrestling?

It wouldn't work, it would kill the industry. When you look at unions for things like movies it works because movies are planned so far in advance and actors/actresses get the scripts and have to accept it or turn it down. But wrestling is so fast paced and changes that it just wouldn't work. I come from Detroit which is a union town, so I get having unions in certain industries, but it wouldn't work in wrestling.

It would kill the independent scene and a lot of start-up promotions. Lots of states in America have commissions and stuff that creates more hoops for them to jump through and we all know that most companies don't make a lot of money as it is, so to have these extra hurdles would kill a lot of companies.

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It would kill the charity shows that I run [Rhino promotes VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars] which cost me at least a grand as it is. A union would not be good for wrestlers, fans or promoters and it would kill the industry.

(Image: Impact Wrestling)

Focusing back on Impact, what are the differences you have noticed at Impact now compared to when you were last there [in TNA] in 2005?

The roster is very different and the ownership is different. Scott D'Amore is running things and he knows putting me in there with guys like Michael Elgin, Moose and Van Dam is what the fans want to see. I mean Moose is very talented. Elgin was great and we all know about Van Dam.

It's one of those things where you think, 'do you hire someone who read about booking matches or someone who has booked matches?' 'Do you hire the guy who has 30 years on the job training, or a guy fresh from college who is wet behind the ears?' Scott D'Amore has his finger on the pulse and is doing a great job.

(Image: Impact Wrestling/Andrea Kellaway)

You touched on working with Elgin, but most recently we saw you blindsided by RVD at Bound for Glory. Is a programme with him something you would like to replicate in 2019, given your past with him?

Yeah I mean I thought I would have turned on him before he turned on me! But apparently he is a real p***k. Honestly, I am upset, he really kicked me into next week. I wasn't concussed but it didn't feel good. I was just getting up and then all of a sudden, WHAM! I was like 'what the hell just happened'. We will have to see how it plays out.

Looking at the current Impact roster is there anyone you would love to have a programme with?

Definitely Tessa Blanchard, but since I was a kid, I always had a phobia of losing to a girl thanks to my friends in the school wrestling team. When I was young in high school there was a girl in my weight class and all the guys gave me a hard time about facing off against her.

As kids they would razz me and tried to get me to face her and said if I lost they would never speak to me again and so you start to work yourself up and start doubting yourself. Luckily she was ineligible to wrestle me but that phobia stayed with me.

(Image: Impact Wrestling)

You have achieved such a lot in the business and have addressed retirement talk in the past. Are you still holding on to that magical 32 years in pro wrestling and how far away are you now from that?

Haha yes I am shooting for 32 years in the business and I have seven more years left. I just want to go out and put on the matches that the fans want to see. The 32 years comes from when I was watching something on NASCAR, with driver Richard Petty, who drove for 32 years. That's my goal.

What maintains your motivation to keep lacing up the boots?

I just enjoy meeting the fans, talking to fans and hearing them chant 'GORE'. Seeing that father bring his kid to a show and then I can see the sparkle in their eyes and that father looking at their kid and seeing that sparkle. That's what does it for me and it's special to me because I have a daughter and I can relate, it's like when I go watch the [Detroit] Tigers with her.

Some days my body hurts so much and it takes a long time to warm up, but that's what keeps me going. It's so cool being at a show and through the WWE Network people have been able to watch my old matches and they come and chat to me about it, which makes me feel really good.

Watch Rhino on IMPACT every Wednesday night at 9pm on Fight Network UK or Friday from 11pm on 5Star.