Austin Aries

Austin Aries – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Delve into the life of Austin Aries (Daniel Healy Solwold Jr.), American pro wrestler known for his championship runs in ROH, TNA/Impact & WWE. Learn about his journey, style, achievements, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Austin Aries, born April 15, 1978, is an American professional wrestler famed for his athleticism, versatility, and charismatic persona. He is respected for his in-ring skill, his self-reinvention, and the way he blends technical wrestling, agility, and character work.

Early Life and Background

Austin Aries was born Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox in the year 2000.

While not much is publicly chronicled about his childhood compared to some athletes, his early dedication to wrestling—beginning training in his early 20s and progressing in smaller promotions—speaks to a strong will and passion for the sport.

Wrestling Career and Achievements

ROH & Early Breakthroughs

Aries joined Ring of Honor (ROH) in 2004, aligning with the Generation Next faction. Final Battle 2004, he defeated long-reigning ROH World Champion Samoa Joe to win the ROH World Championship, ending Joe’s 645-day reign.

During his ROH tenure, he also held the ROH World Tag Team Championship with Roderick Strong.

TNA / Impact Wrestling Success

Aries’s move to TNA / Impact Wrestling marked one of his career’s most prolific phases. Some highlights:

• He is a six-time TNA/Impact X Division Champion, with one of his reigns lasting 301 days (the longest in that title’s history).

• He introduced or popularized the “Option C” concept: vacate the X Division title for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

• He captured the TNA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Bobby Roode at Destination X (July 8, 2012) after vacating the X title.

• He also held the TNA World Tag Team Championship (with Roode) and the Impact Grand Championship, making him a Grand Slam Champion within Impact.

• In 2018, on his return to Impact, he called himself the “Belt Collector”, winning multiple titles, including the Impact World Championship and the Impact Grand Championship in a Winner-Take-All match.

WWE & NXT

Aries joined WWE in 2016, initially on NXT.

Independent Circuit & Recent Activity

After his WWE release, Aries returned to independents, Impact, and other promotions. Major League Wrestling (MLW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and other promotions.

As of recent events, Aries made a return to MLW (e.g. in MLW Fury Road 2025) and continues to engage in matches and appearances.

Championships & Honors

Through his career, Aries has achieved:

• Multiple ROH World Championships

• Multiple Impact / TNA X Division Championships

• TNA/Impact World Heavyweight Championship

• Tag titles in TNA

• The Impact Grand Championship

• A Grand Slam status in Impact Wrestling

• Numerous independent titles across U.S. and international promotions

His championship résumé marks him as one of the more decorated and versatile wrestlers of his generation.

Style, Persona & Strengths

• Versatility & adaptation: Aries blends technical wrestling, high-flying maneuvers, strong striking, and mat work.

• Character reinvention: Throughout his career, Aries has adopted different gimmicks—such as “A Double,” “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived,” and “Belt Collector”—demonstrating his ability to evolve.

• Psychology & ring awareness: He is adept at pacing matches, telling stories in the ring, and adjusting to opponents.

• Mental resilience: Aries has spoken about the challenges of being pigeonholed in WWE and not always being allowed to express his full character.

• Promotion & verbal ability: His promos and interviews often highlight introspection, ambition, and pride in his craft.

These qualities enabled him to succeed across different audiences and wrestling styles.

Challenges, Turning Points & Setbacks

• Short WWE run: Many fans feel he didn’t get enough opportunity in WWE to display his full range. As he once said:

  “As for regret, more than anything else, my regret lies in that the WWE Universe never really got the real Austin Aries.”

• Branding limits: His creative direction sometimes was constrained by promotion booking or character assignments. He has remarked on not being able to be “the heel Austin Aries” in WWE.

• Injuries and promotion shifts: As with many wrestlers, injuries, contract changes, and promotion politics influenced his trajectory.

• Balancing character and in-ring performance: At times, the struggle between being expressive in character vs. delivering pure athletic matches has been part of his career narrative.

Despite those, Aries’ persistence, adaptability, and skill have allowed him to maintain longevity in a volatile profession.

Famous Quotes of Austin Aries

Here are some of his more notable quotes:

“As for regret, more than anything else, my regret lies in that the WWE Universe never really got the real Austin Aries.” “I’m about making history and doing things that haven’t been done before.” “I have friends in other industries but if I am training for a wrestling match, I would turn to the best wrestler to train, not a football player.” “Go fail or succeed on your own merits, be your own man.”

These reflect his drive, individuality, and desire to be true to himself in the wrestling world.

Lessons from Austin Aries

From his life and career we can extract several useful lessons:

1. Define yourself, don’t let the brand do it entirely
   Aries often pushed to express his full character—wrestlers should seek agency over their personas.

2. Value versatility
   Being able to adapt your style (technical, high-fly, storytelling) lets you work across promotions and match types.

3. Persistence through setbacks
   Short runs or missed opportunities don’t define a career; long-term consistency does.

4. Push your craft, not just your name
   Aries emphasized training with specialists in wrestling rather than other sports—invest in domain mastery.

5. Be authentic
   His regret about not being fully recognized in WWE suggests the importance of being true to your identity, even under constraint.

6. Resilience & reinvention
   The ability to rebrand and find new paths is essential in the unpredictable world of pro wrestling.

Conclusion

Austin Aries (Daniel Solwold Jr.) is a standout in the wrestling world: technically talented, creatively ambitious, and fiercely independent. He has collected major championships across multiple companies, shaped memorable personas, and remained relevant across shifts in promotion dynamics. While some parts of his journey—especially his time in WWE—left portions of his potential untapped, his legacy is defined by his in-ring excellence, his storytelling, and his commitment to being authentically himself.