Author: Staff

  • *Spoilers* 4 Matches Confirmed For TNA Bound For Glory

    TNA Bound For Glory: October 10, 2010

    Warning: The following contains *Spoilers* for the next 2 weeks of TNA iMPACT!:

    Below is the current confirmed card for TNA Bound For Glory on October 10, 2010 coming out of  Monday and Tuesday’s  iMPACT tapings.

    TNA will tape another week of iMPACT tonight, which should give a better idea of the card.

    TNA World Heavyweight Title Tournament Final
    Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy

    Lethal Lockdown
    Fortune vs. EV 2.0
    * Fortune won the numbers advantage at Tuesday’s tapings.

    TNA World Tag Team Title Match
    Generation Me vs. The Motor City Machineguns

    Abyss vs. Rob Van Dam

    A Steel Cage Asylum match or Ultimate X is rumored to be held for the X Division Title.

  • JR Blog: NXT Season 3 Premiere, Daniel Bryan, WWP Promotion

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights from this update:

    NXT Season 3 Premiere: “The first NXT season 3 broadcast featuring all Divas is different. I’m willing to give the concept a chance to hook me unlike some who have emailed me lambasting the process after an hour or less of watching it. Seems like some were harder on certain folk’s dancing which was an attempt at entertainment than they were simply looking at the potential of the Divas. I’ve seen some of these ladies in FCW and was impressed with various aspects of each of their game. Naomi, obviously, is a gifted athlete clearly became the early favorite to win the competition in season three.”

    “I could just have just seen my big ass up in the ring Tuesday night ‘dancing’ if I had been on the broadcast team. Happy to have been watching on Syfy. Those who were doing some ‘dancing’ were merely doing their jobs folks, having fun and attempting to entertain us as directed. Many fans need to ‘Lighten Up Francis.”

    Daniel Bryan’s “LeBelle Lock” Submission: Daniel Bryan’s salute to Judo Gene LeBelle by naming Bryan’s submission the LeBelle Lock is a respectful gesture. LeBelle is a former pro wrestler, Hollywood stunt man, actor, etc who is also regarded as one of the toughest men to ever walk the face of the Earth. Legend has it that he once made actor/martial arts practitioner Steven Segal soil himself when the two had a physical encounter that was allegedly provoked by the egocentric Segal. Gene also refereed the Muhammad Ali-Antonino Inoki MMA bout that I, among many others, invested in years ago. BTW…it did not make any money for many of the investors.

    New Wrestling Promotions: “When I hear of the alleged plans of new, national wrestling promotions being announced and how they will roll out their new ‘concepts’ on how they will uniquely promote the timeless genre of pro wrestling it becomes an ‘eye roller.’ It constantly amazes me that some rich folks will continue to send good money after bad in a business wrought with unique nuances, folks with less than honorable character along with self serving agendas that the money people will never know or understand and will quickly lose big bucks and join the ranks of others who have more money than common sense.”

  • Trailer For Dwayne Johnson’s New Movie “Faster”

    The first trailer has been released for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s latest movie, “Faster.”

    Set to be released in the United States on November 24th, here’s a quick synopsis about the movie, from IMDB.com:

    “An ex-con sets out to avenge his brother’s death after they were double-crossed during a heist years ago. During his campaign, however, he’s tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man.”

    Here’s the trailer:

  • Aloisia Responds To Rumor About Erotic Pictures

    6-foot-9 WWE diva Aloisia has responded to reports that the reason she was removed from NXT Season 3 was because erotic photos of her leaked online. While Aloisia’s previous modeling career did include erotic photo shoots, sources indicate that the earlier report is in fact false and that she was removed from NXT Season 3 and sent back to WWE developmental due to her inexperience in the ring.

    Here is the statement she posted on her official website regarding the erotic pictures:

    “This morning I was shocked to discover that a new rumor was circulating on the Web, pertaining to my removal from the NXT cast. According to articles posted on numerous websites, I was removed from NXT due to WWE discovering “erotic photos” from my past on the Web. While no specific source is named in the articles, the implication is that this information is coming from someone within WWE. In case anyone is interested, here’s a link to the photos that supposedly got me taken off the show.

    I’m posting the link because the pictures are already out there, so there’s no point in trying to hide them. I find them embarrassing, not because they’re particularly “erotic”, but because I was overweight and out-of-shape when they were taken five years ago and because they’re amateurishly shot. I’m sure everyone who’s reading this has some pictures somewhere that you’d rather not have published on the Web for the whole world to see. Unfortunately, part of the price of celebrity is the fact that people dig around in your past to try to find ways to exploit you as a means of increasing their own readership.

    To put these pictures in their proper context, I was an 18 year old kid at the time most of them were taken. I had recently left home because I was being abused by my mother’s new husband and was on my own with no money and no parental guidance. I met a photographer who offered me some money to take pictures and being both stupid and desperate, I consented to doing a photo session. To all those who would judge me, I would ask you to honestly ask yourself what you might have done had you been in my situation. I’m not proud of having done this, but there’s nothing I can do to go back and change the past. It is what it is. For what it’s worth, none of the pictures are nude and most of them are less suggestive than what you see on current WWE programming. For example, here’s a recent video shot at FCW when Aksana was first introduced:

    I’m not mentioning this to criticize Aksana or WWE in any way. I’m merely trying to put it in context.

    When I first received my offer from WWE, they asked me to fill out a “Talent Information Form” providing them with information about myself and my background. One of the questions was, “Have you ever posed nude?”. I answered “No” to this question, because that’s the truth. If they had asked me if I ever posed suggestively, I would of course have answered “Yes”, but there’s a big difference between suggestive and nude. As to the question of whether this was why they took me off the show, that’s something you’d have to ask them. Perhaps it was a factor in their decision, but I honestly don’t know their entire thought process, as they’ve communicated very little to me about this. From what I’ve been reading on various blogs, it seems that they may have had a political motivation to get me off the show, but again, you’d have to ask them.

    I wish all of you the best and thank you for your support.”

    * VIEW THEM HERE: See Aloisia’s Pre-WWE Photo Shoot (GROSS!)

  • Final Card For Saturday’s Ring Of Honor Internet PPV

    This Saturday night is Ring of Honor’s latest Internet PPV, Glory by Honor IX.

    Here’s the updated lineup for the show, which takes place live from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City:

    *ROH champion Tyler Black vs. Roderick Strong – No DQ with Terry Funk as the Ringside Enforcer.

    *ROH Tag Team champions The Kings of Wrestling vs. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas

    *Double Chain Match: Kevin Steen and Steve Corino vs. El Generico and Colt Cabana

    *ROH TV Title champion Eddie Edwards vs. Shawn Daivari with Prince Nana

    *Austin Aries vs. Christopher Daniels.

    *Jay Briscoe vs. Kenny King.

  • Six Pack Challenge, Cena Interview, The Rock Looking Jacked

    – It appears that the WWE title match at Night of Champions will remain a Six Pack Challenge, despite Chris Jericho being removed from the match. The WWE website has removed Jericho’s name from the participants in the match but is still promoting the match as a Six Pack Challenge, so it appears there will be another participant.

    – Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus has confirmed that her Facebook page is Facebook.com/trishstratuscom.

    – Movie news website AintItCool.com has posted an interview with WWE star John Cena, who talks about his role in “Legendary.”

    – TMZ.com recently caught up with former WWE star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He is currently filming scenes for the new “Fast & Furious” movie and was spotted leaving the gym, looking jacked as hell ..  TMZ got it right when they said it looks like he could be playing the role of a diesel truck .. Check it out:

  • Tonight’s NXT Season 3 Premiere, What Happened After RAW

    – After Monday’s WWE RAW went off the air, WWE Champion Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett, John Cena and Randy Orton in a four-way match. Sheamus got the pin on Orton after Cena hit Orton with the Attitude Adjustment. Barrett ended up taking an RKO and Orton was left in the ring to end the show.

    – Tonight from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland will be the season 3 premiere of WWE NXT on SyFy with the Diva Rookies. WWE will also tape this week’s SmackDown with a TV main event of CM Punk vs. The Undertaker. Kane vs. Taker is advertised locally for the dark main event.

    – Jerry Lawler’s Memphis Wrestling promotion will be shutting down officially after this Saturday’s TV episode airs, according to Rassling Riot News. Apparently Lawler had a falling out with his business partner Joe Cooper, who had been securing sponsorship deals for the promotion.

  • *Spoiler* TNA Bound For Glory Main Event

    Warning: The following contains a *Spoiler* for Thursday’s TNA iMPACT!:

    The main event of TNA Bound For Glory 2010 will be Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson for the vacated TNA World Championship.

    At the iMPACT! tapings, it was announced that Kurt Angle would wrestle Jeff Hardy with the winner facing Ken Anderson in the main event at Bound For Glory. After referee Brian Hebner got knocked out, his father Earl Hebner came out to referee. When Brian woke up,  there was a double-pin count where one Hebner counted a pin for Angle and one Hebner counted a pin for Hardy. Eric Bischoff came out and declared the Bound For Glory main event would be a 3-way match.

    TNA Bound For Glory takes place live on pay-per-view on Sunday, October 10, 2010 from the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

  • RAW Roulette & Main Event For Next Week, Next 3-Hour RAW

    – Next week is the season premiere of WWE RAW and the show will have a special “RAW Roulette” theme. The show will take place from the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. WWE has not had a RAW Roulette show in 3 years, where a roulette wheel is spun and matches/stipulations are randomly selected for the wrestlers.

    – The main event of next week’s RAW will be John Cena vs. Randy Orton.

    – The November 15th episode of WWE RAW will be a special 3-hour show, airing from 8 to 11 PM on the USA Network.

    – The WWE website has changed wording of the RAW “Guest Hosts” – who are now referred to as “Guest Stars.”

    – In a dark match that took place prior to Monday’s RAW, Evan Bourne defeated Zach Ryder. After the match, Ryder attacked Bourne and hit him with his Rough Ryder finisher.

    – Matches taped prior to RAW for this week’s Superstars show were:

    * R-Truth vs. William Regal

    * Goldust and Gail Kim vs. Primo and Jillian

  • Jericho’s WWE Contract Expiring: Update On His Future

    Updated 9/6: After announcing last week that he’d leave WWE if he didn’t win the WWE title at Night of Champions, Chris Jericho is no longer a part of that match and his WWE future is uncertain. On Monday’s RAW, the anonymous RAW GM put Chris Jericho in a match with John Morrison with the stipulation being that Chris Jericho would lose his spot in the 6 Pick Challenge at Night of Champions.  Jericho lost the match and as a result, will not be able to compete for the WWE title at the show. Jericho took a few minutes after the match to gather his thoughts, with the live RAW crowd cheering for him. We’ll see how WWE handles Jericho’s possible departure from WWE in the coming weeks.

    ====

    On the 8/30 episode of RAW, Chris Jericho announced that he will be leaving WWE once and for all if he does not win the WWE Championship in the 6-pack challenge match at Night of Champions. With Jericho’s WWE contract expiring soon and talk that he’s strongly considering leaving the company to pursue his career in the entertainment industry, it appears WWE has begun setting the stage for his possible departure.

    As of this past weekend, a WWE source informed us that Jericho still has not signed a new contract. It’s still entirely possible that Jericho re-signs, but since Jericho has acknowledged in several recent interviews that his contract is expiring and he’s considering moving on, WWE has incorporated the real situation into WWE storyline.

    Jericho has said he wants more time off to to spend with his family, record music and tour with his heavy metal band Fozzy and pursue other opportunities in the entertainment industry.

    On Monday night, Jericho posed a message on Twitter stating that he was invited to be a participant on the next season of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” show but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts.

  • JR Blog: Jim Neidhart’s Arrest, WWE Unifying Titles

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated the blog section of his website, JRsBarBQ.com.

    Jim Neidhart’s Arrest: “The recent arrest of Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart came as a surprise. The 55 year old Neidhart was arrested in Tampa for alleged possession and conspiracy to distribute pain meds, as I understand it, not to mention alleged burglary of said items. It certainly sounds to me that Jim may well have a n obvious drug issue that needs addressing in the form of a long term stay in a rehabilitation center. If my assumption is accurate, then 30 days likely won’t do the trick but be that as it may one thing is for sure and that is that recovery always starts with the individual truly wanting to want to stay clean and sober.”

    “I can’t see Jim Neidhart being a ‘burglar’ but I can see him having drug and alcohol issues that may have manifested themselves to the point that Jim needs to seek help and, more importantly, truly want to stay clean and sober.”

    Reports that WWE Will Be Unifying More Titles: “Emailers are hitting me with the rumor that WWE is preparing to unify ALL their titles. I have no idea if that is accurate or not but I doubt it. I see the WWE Title and the World Title remaining as well as the Intercontinental and United States Titles. I could be dead wrong on the latter two. Perhaps having only one tag champion and one womens champion will allow those two, specific title to mean more and earn more focus. Time will tell on all this ‘net gossip as I certainly don’t know the long term direction of any of the titles.”

    Visit JR’s site for more of his blog and his great line of BBQ products.

  • Hulk Hogan Hospitalized For Severe Back Pain (Video)

    TNA star Hulk Hogan was hospitalized earlier today due to “excruciating back pain,” according to TMZ.com.

    Hogan has had several back surgeries in recent years and was having issues over the last few days. When he woke up this morning, he couldn’t get out of bed. His girlfriend called the ambulance and he was taken to a local hospital in Clearwater, FL, where tests are being conducted.

    Hogan has posted a video on Twitter of himself in a hospital room ..

    Best of luck to the Hulkster, hopefully he is out of pain soon and fully recovers.

  • Kurt Angle Injured, Jeff Hardy Back In Court This Week

    – TNA star Jeff Hardy will return to court this Thursday, September 9th. He will report to The Superior Court of Moore County in Carthage, NC, and faces the following charges from almost a year ago…

    * Felony possession of cocaine.
    * Felony drug trafficking of opium
    * Felony possession with intent to redistribute a Schedule III drug (two counts).
    * Maintaining a dwelling for drug use and/or distribution.
    * Possession of drug paraphernalia. (misdemeanor)

    – TNA star Kurt Angle was injured at last night’s No Surrender pay-per-view. Jeremy Borash posted the following on his Twitter after the show went off the air:

    “With Kurt Angle right now backstage. He suffered a dislocated rib on the @JEFFHARDYBRAND swanton to the floor. The amazing Dr. Tim Adair, who works for TNA backstage, has put Kurt’s rib back in place. Angle says he is good to go. What a machine.”

    Borash also posted a photo of Kurt backstage with an ice pack on his ribs, which you can see here:

  • 2 Matches Announced For RAW, Aloisa’s WWE Status

    – WWE Monday Night RAW takes place at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C tonight. Locally advertised for tonight’s show are the following matches:

    * John Cena vs. Wade Barrett
    * WWE Champion Sheamus vs. Randy Orton

    – New WWE diva Aloisia, who was announced for and then removed from the NXT Season 3 roster last week, now has a website at AloisiaOnline.com.  Following the news that she was abruptly removed from the Season 3 cast before the first episode even aired, her website gives an update on her WWE status:

    “Currently, I’m signed with WWE and was originally cast as one of the six rookie diva’s on NXT season three. However, due to a dispute with my NXT Pro, Vickie Guerrero, I was fired from NXT for the season. I’m looking forward to continuing my career with WWE in whatever capacity they see fit to use me for.”

    WWE sources have informed us that Aloisa has been sent back to developmental because she is extremely “green” and is not even close to being ready for television.

    – WWE Diva Beth Phoenix mention on her Twitter page that she and Joey Styles will be providing thoughts and commentary on NXT season 3 on the WWE website.

  • TNA No Surrender 2010 PPV Results (9/5/10)

    Report by Buck Woodward & PWinsider.com

    They opened the PPV with footage of Mr. Anderson, D’Angelo Dinero, Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle arriving earlier in the day, while Taz and Mike Tenay talked about their semifinal matches in the TNA World Title tournament. We then had a video package on the four contenders and their quest for the title.

    TNA Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machineguns vs. Generation Me

    It was explained that London Brawling was unable to appear at the show due to a “personal issue” and Generation Me was getting the title shot due to their showing against the champions on Impact.

    Shelley started out with Jeremy, exchanging armlocks and holds, with both men going for early covers. Max tagged in, with the crowd chanting for Shelley. Shelley took Max down with a drop toe hold and tagged in Sabin. Sabin hit a shoulderblock for two, then the two rolled out of armbar attempts before stalemating on dropkick attempts. Shelley and Jeremy tagged back in, and the back and forth continued until Jeremy hit a back elbow and a springboard armdrag. Max tagged in and moonsaulted on Shelley’s outstretched arm. Jeremy tagged in and hit a double stomp on the arm off the top rope. Jeremy gave Shelley a jawbreaker, but Shelley dropkicked him to the ring apron. Sabin tagged in, and the MCMG hit a series of double team moves on Jeremy. Sabin elbowdropped Jeremy for a two count. Shelley tagged back in and hit a spinebuster and applied a reverse Boston Crab, turning it into a Rocking Horse. Max broke up the hold, to boos.

    Sabin tagged in and but Jeremy rallied and tagged in Max, who hit some dropkicks. Max bulldogged Sabin, then kicked Shelley on the floor. Max gave Sabin a somersault stunner off the middle rope for a two count. Shelley made a blind tag as Generation Me was setting up a move. Sabin kicked Jeremy to the floor and Shelley kicked Max from the top rope for a two count. Shelley kicked Maz in the back and went for a springboard, but Jeremy stopped him and hit a neckbreaker on the apron. Max tried for some covers, but was unsuccessful. Jeremy tagged in, but Shelley blocked his suplex attempt. Generation Me hit a sandwich dropkick and Max got a two count on Shelley. Max hit a dropkick and tagged in Jeremy, who stomped Shelley and got a two count. Jeremy put Shelley in a full nelson. Shelley elbowed out of it, then avoided a dropkick and tagged in Sabin.

    Sabin cleaned house, knocking Jeremy from the ring and blasting Max with elbows. Sabin hit a springboard DDT on Max, but Jeremy broke it up. Jeremy hit Sabin with a dropkick, but Shelley knocked him to the floor and hit him with a tope. In the ring, Sabin and Max punched it out, with Sabin going for a DDT, only for Max to ran him in a corner. Jeremy tagged in and Max fed him into a reverse DDT on Sabin. Shelley broke up the cover. Generation Me hit a headscissor/dropkick combo on Sabin. They went into a series of superkicks, including Sabin blocking one by Jeremy and throwing it into Max. The MCMG won the battle of superkicks, then hit Skull & Bones (neckbreaker/elbow combo) on Jeremy for the pin at the fourteen minute mark.

    Winners: The Motor City Machineguns

    Post-match, Generation Me attacked the Guns from behind, giving Shelley a double elevated DDT to the floor as Shelley was hanging off the apron. They had EMTs come out and act like Shelley was seriously injured. Generation Me were laughing over the injury as they exited. Shelley eventually got to his feet with the aid of the EMTs and walked out.

    TNA X-Division Champion Douglas Williams vs. Sabu.

    Sabu dove at Williams’ legs at the start, but Williams kept scrambling away. Douglas took him to the mat with a side mare, but Sabu turned it into a headscissors. Williams turned it into a leglock, but Sabu made the ropes. Sabu took Williams down with a headlock, but Williams broke out and grabbed a Cobra. Sabu made the ropes again. Williams applied an armlock, but Sabu backed him in a corner, and we had a clean break. Sabu kicked Williams in the gut, but Williams responded with punches and forearms. Sabu reversed a whip in a corner and hit a lariat, then delivered a slingshot somersault legdrop. Sabu applied a Camel Clutch, but Williams made the ropes.

    Williams rolled to the floor, and Sabu hit a baseball slide kick. Sabu hit a slingshot senton onto Williams on the floor, then set up a table at ringside. Williams rammed Sabu headfirst into the table, then tossed him back into the ring. Williams got on the apron and kicked Sabu in the head. Williams hit a middle rope uppercut for a two count. Williams whipped Sabu into a corner and hit a jumping knee. Williams went to the top rope, but Sabu crotched him. Sabu went for a top rope rana, but Williams began to fall off the ropes, taking Sabu with him. Sabu still flipped, and Williams still went over to the mat. Sabu grabbed a chair, but the referee warned him not to use it.

    Sabu stomped Williams, then used the chair for a triple jump moonsault, using the middle rope for the move. Sabu went for another chair launch, but Williams tripped Sabu face first into the chair. Williams hit a kneedrop for a two count. Williams hit Sabu with a low kick, but claimed it was to the inside of the thigh. Williams hit a clothesline, then put Sabu in an armbar. Williams drove his knee into Sabu’s back, then hit a kneedrop for a two count. Sabu kicked Williams on a charge, then hit a springboard DDT for a two count. Sabu hit a springboard back elbow, and got a two count. Sabu used a chair launch to hit a leg lariat in the corner on Williams. Sabu went for another, but Williams kicked the chair into Sabu’s midsection, then hit a gutwrench suplex for a two count.

    Williams sent Sabu into the ropes, but Sabu clotheslined him to the floor. Sabu went for a chair launch, but referee Earl Hebner blocked him. Sabu got Hebner out of the way and jumped off the chair to the top rope, but Williams moved, so Sabu dropped back to the mat, then hit a slingshot senton on Williams on the floor. Sabu put Williams on the table on the floor, then went for a slingshot senton, but Williams moved out of the way and Sabu went through the table. Sabu crawled back into the ring, as Williams got ready to hit him with a chair. The referee took the chair from Williams, but with the ref’s back turned, Williams hit Sabu with the championship belt. Williams pinned Sabu at the eleven minute mark.

    Winner: Douglas Williams.

    Christy Hemme interviewed Mr. Anderson, who said he doesn’t care if the Pope doesn’t like him or trust him. Anderson said he is there to win the World Title, then noted how the fans would be chanting “We Are A**holes” tonight.

    Velvet Sky vs. Madison Rayne.

    Madison entered on the back of Tara’s motorcycle. Velvet was accompanied by Angelina Love. Madison choked Velvet in the corner with her boot, then punched her down and choked her on the mat. Madison put Velvet in a cravate and tossed her down to the mat. Madison put her in a camel clutch and jumped on her back, then reapplied the hold. Velvet kicked Rayne low, then slapped her in the face. Tara and Angelina argued on the floor, distracting the referee and as a result missing Velvet’s cradle on Madison. Madison gave Velvet a clothesline, then pulled on her hair. Madison used a headscissors to ram Velvet face first into the mat, then got a two count. Madison went for a leapfrog in the corner, but Velvet caught it and slammed Madison to the mat. Velvet hit some clotheslines and a back elbow. Velvet kicked away a backdrop and hit a spear, then rammed Madison headfirst into the mat. Velvet hit a bulldog, put Tara pulled her out of the ring to stop the pinfall. Tara grabbed her helmet to use on Velvet, but Angelina kicked Tara from behind. Velvet crawled back into the ring, and Madison set her up for a neckbreaker, but Velvet reversed it into a DDT for the pin at the five minute mark.

    Winner: Velvet Sky.

    Christy Hemme interviewed Jeff Hardy. Hardy said that Kurt Angle was the best wrestler in the world, but he wasn’t bad himself. Hardy said he was going to win the title tonight for Rob Van Dam.

    Abyss vs. Rhino – Falls Count Anywhere.

    Rhino attacked Abyss on the ramp during his entrance. Rhino pounded him in the floor, then tossed Abyss into the ring. Rhino pulled some weapons out from under the ring. Rhino wedged a trash can in the corner, but Abyss rolled to the floor. Rhino gave Abyss a pescado, and they brawled into the crowd. A camera man got knocked down, and they brawled into the backstage area. They brawled outside of the studio, and were fighting under one of the roller coasters at Universal Studios. Abyss rammed Rhino into steel fencing as they made their way back towards the building. They fought inside, past the interview set, and back through the crowd.

    They made their way back to the ring, and Abyss tried a hiptoss, but Rhino blocked it and hit a clothesline. Rhino hit some punches in a corner, but Abyss reversed a whip and sent Rhino into the trash can. Rhino fell to the floor. They brawled up the aisle, past the ramp and near the stage. Abyss whipped Rhino into the guard rail and went for a cover, but Rhino kicked out. Rhino stopped a whip and threw Abyss threw the wooden front of the stage. Rhino went into the hole after Abyss, and as the camera man went after them, he got knocked back out of the hole. Abyss and Rhino apparently brawled under the stage to the other side, and busted back out of it (which looked really pre-cut), with Abyss now in control.

    They made their way back to the ring, and Abyss slid a section of guard rail into the ring. Abyss put the rail in the corner, and went to whip Rhino in, but Rhino put the brakes on. Rhino hit Abyss with a clothesline, then blasted him several times with a cookie sheet. Abyss hit a shoulderblock in the corner, then a belly to belly suplex. Rhino set up for the Gore, but Abyss grabbed him by the throat and chokeslammed him on the trash can for a two count. Abyss went up the ramp and grabbed Janice. Abyss warned the referee to get out of his way, and Rhino hit Abyss with a Gore. Abyss kicked out at two. Rhino ran into a kick by Abyss, and Abyss then hit the Black Hole Slam for a two count.

    Abyss went for a powerbomb, but Rhino broke out and hit a clothesline. Rhino set up for a Gore, Abyss moved out of the way and Rhino ran head first into the guard rail that had been set up in the corner earlier. Abyss then hit the Black Hole Slam for the win at the thirteen minute mark.

    Winner: Abyss.

    Abyss told the camera that “They are coming on 10-10-10.”

    They did a video package on the Jeff Jarrett & Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Nash & Sting match.

    Jeff Jarrett & Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Nash & Sting.

    During the entrances, it was noted that Hulk Hogan was not at the show, as he is recuperating from more back work. Sting started out the match with Joe. Sting attacked Jarrett on the apron, and as Joe pulled him off, Nash came in and attacked Joe. Joe took Nash down with a jumping kick, then hit Sting with a back elbow and a Pele kick. Jarrett tagged in and pounded Sting in a corner. Nash hit Jarrett from the apron, allowing Sting to clothesline him. Nash punched Jarrett to the mat as he tagged in. Jarrett battled back with punched, but Nash kneed him in the gut. Nash gave Jarrett Snake Eyes, then hit a side slam for a two count.

    Nash kneed Jarrett in the corner, then tagged in Sting, who went to work on Jarrett’s arm. Sting hit a Stinger Splash, which got a pop. Sting went for a reverse splash off the middle rope, but Jarrett got his knees up. Jarrett tagged Joe, but Nash distracted the referee, who missed the tag. Jarrett and Sting clotheslined each other, and both men were laid out on the mat. Joe tagged in and went to work on Sting, hitting a kick and a back splash. Joe kicked Nash off the apron. Joe ducked a Sting clothesline and dove onto Nash on the floor with a tope. In the ring, Sting gave Jarrett a Hot Shot, but it was in the corner where Sting had left his bat. The referee was watching Nash and Joe on the floor. Sting went to give Jarrett a Stinger Splash, but Jarrett hit him with the bat. Jarrett hit Sting with the bat again, then went to the floor and told Joe, the legal man, to get in the ring. Samoa Joe put Sting in a Kokina Clutch. Sting was out cold, and the referee called for the bell at the six minute mark.

    Winners: Jeff Jarrett & Samoa Joe.

    As Joe left, he picked up Sting’s bat and said “They used to call me Joe, now you can call me Batman.”

    The events leading to Styles-Dreamer was shown.

    TNA TV Champion AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer – I Quit (non-title)

    Styles came out, then hid in the side of the entrance structure. When Dreamer came out, Styles tried to ambush him with the title belt, but Dreamer dodged it and punched Styles to the ring. Inside, Dreamer went for a Texas Cloverleaf early, but Styles kicked it away. Dreamer backdropped Styles to the floor, then pulled him back first against the ringpost. They asked Styles if he quit, and he just said Dreamer sucked. Styles broke out of the hold, and they traded chops on the floor. Styles missed an elbowdrop, and Dreamer put Styles in a full nelson camel clutch. Styles responded “Screw you Dreamer” and slid out, then kicked Dreamer from the mat. Styles fishhooked Dreamer, but Dreamer wouldn’t quit. Dreamer rammed Styles back first into a corner. Styles reversed a whip, missed a shoulderblock in the corner, and Dreamer applied a crossface, but Styles rolled to the floor. Dreamer hit a clothesline from the ring apron, then went for a suplex on the ramp, but Styles reversed it.

    Styles stomped Dreamer, and went for a figure four, but Dreamer picked up one of the lights on the entrance ramp and hit Styles with it. Dreamer then used the cord from the light to put Styles in a crossface variation. Styles elbowed out. Styles whipped Dreamer into the ring apron and splashed him. Styles pulled back the protective mats on the floor, and went for a Styles Clash. Dreamer backdropped out of it, Styles landed on his feet, but Dreamer shoved him shoulder first into the ringpost. Dreamer gave Styles a shoulderbreaker. Dreamer tossed a chair in the ring. Dreamer took Styles in the ring and put him in an armbar. Styles said Dreamer sucked again. Dreamer put Styles’ arm in the steel chair and legdropped it. Dreamer used the chair to apply a keylock, but Styles raked Dreamer’s eyes to break the hold. Styles pulled out a fork, but before he could use it, Dreamer hit a cross armbreaker.

    Dreamer went for a crossface, but Styles pulled himself out of the ring. On the floor, Dreamer wrapped Styles’ arm in the guard rail, but Styles still wouldn’t quit. Styles lifted Dreamer and crotched him on the guard rail, then kicked at Dreamer’s knees. Styles slammed the guard rail on Dreamer’s groin. Styles pulled Dreamer’s ankle against the bars of the rail, but Dreamer wouldn’t quit. Back in the ring, Styles went for a figure four, but Dreamer kicked it away. Styles kicked Dreamer’s knee out, then pulled him towards the ringpost and crotched him on it. Styles then applied a ringpost figure four for a brief time. Styles dropped Dreamer shin first on a chair, then kicked his leg out again.

    Styles put Dreamer in a figure four leglock. Dreamer escaped, but Styles slammed him on a chair. Styles put Dreamer’s head on the chair and went for a dropkick, but Dreamer moved, and Styles leg went in the fold of the chair. Dreamer put Styles in an ankle lock with the chair, then picked up the fork Styles had earlier. Before Dreamer could use it, Styles hit him with a Pele kick. Dreamer fell to the floor. Styles went for a dive, but Dreamer blasted Styles with a Kendo Stick. Dreamer hit Styles again with the stick, then have him a pumphandle slam with it. Dreamer took off his T-shirt (he had a tank top underneath) and put Styles in a crossface with the stick. Styles didn’t quit, even as the stick broke across his forehead. Styles picked up the fork and hit Dreamer in the eye with it as he went to pick Styles up. Styles dropkicked Dreamer, who was bleeding from the forehead. Styles put the fork against Dreamer’s eye and pressed it in, until Dreamer quit at the 17 minute mark.

    Winner: AJ Styles.

    Kurt Angle gave a brief interview about his match, which shockingly is next.

    Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy – TNA title tournament semi-final.

    Dixie Carter was shown at ringside, surrounded by security. Angle and Hardy traded headlocks at the start, then Angle hit some punches in a corner and went for a vertical suplex. Hardy blocked it and hit a gourdbuster, then Hardy legdropped Angle in the groin. Hardy went for a clothesline, but Angle took over and hit a wicked powerbomb. Angle applied a chinlock, switching to a side headlock. Hardy punched out of it, but Angle hit a shoulderblock for a two count. Hardy hit some forearms, then went for his elevated kick in the corner, messed it up, then hit it. Jeff kicked Angle out of a corner, but Angle grabbed a charging referee and gave him a belly to belly suplex. Angle applied a chinlock, but Jeff got out of it with a jawbreaker.

    Jeff went to the top rope, but Angle raced up and gave Hardy a belly to belly suplex off the ropes. Angle went for an Angle Slam, but Hardy armdragged out of it. Hardy hit a Twist Of Fate for a two count. Hardy went for a Swanton, but missed it. Angle hit the Angle Slam, but Jeff kicked out at two. Angle went for an ankle lock, but Hardy kicked it away. Angle hit a series of German suplexes, but Hardy still kicked out. Angle went for a moonsault, but Hardy moved out of the way. Hardy hit a Whisper In The Wind for a two count.

    Angle went to the floor, and Hardy laid him out on the outside. Jeff Hardy then hit a Swanton off the top rope onto Angle on the floor. Both men were slow to get up, with Angle actually crawling into the ring first. Hardy and Angle slugged it out in the center of the ring. Hardy went for another Twist Of Fate, but Angle blocked it and hit a German suplex. Angle went to the top rope and hit a frog splash for a two count. Angle went for a powerbomb, but Hardy backdropped out of it. Hardy hit another Twist Of Fate for a two count, then hit a legdrop. Hardy went to the top rope and hit a Swanton, with Angle barely kicking out of it. Hardy hit another Swanton, but Angle kicked out again. Hardy went for yet another, but Angle got his knees up this time.

    Angle gave Hardy an Angle Slam, but Hardy kicked out. Angle applied an ankle lock, but Hardy rolled through and sent Angle to the floor. Hardy went to the apron and dove into Angle with a clothesline. They went back in the ring, but as Hardy went to pick him up, Angle grabbed an ankle lock again. Hardy tried to kick it off, but could not. Hardy made the ropes, but Angle dragged Hardy back into the center of the ring and reapplied the hold. Hardy managed to kick it off. Angle hit a clothesline for a two count, then went back to the ankle lock. Hardy tried to roll over, but Angle stepped around him and kept the hold on. Hardy went for the ropes again, but Angle pulled him back to the center of the ring and added a leglace to the hold. Hardy continued to struggle in the hold, and the bell rang.

    They announced that the 20-minute time limit had expired. The fans chanted for five more minutes. Eric Bischoff came out and conferred with Dixie Carter. Bischoff announced that they would add five more minutes to the match.

    Angle kicked out Hardy’s leg and stomped on his ankle. Angle dropped a knee on the ankle, then applied the ankle lock. Jeff kicked the hold off, and sent Angle to the floor. Jeff kicked Angle between the ropes, and on the floor, rammed Angle head first into the ringsteps. They got back in the ring, and Hardy limped to the top rope. Angle crotched Hardy, then delivered a top rope Angle Slam. Angle crawled onto Hardy, but only got a two count. They got to their feet, and Angle charged, but Hardy backdropped him to the floor. They put a clock up to countdown the final minute. Angle got back in the ring and rolled up Hardy for a two count. Angle and Hardy clotheslined each other, as the final seconds ticked down. Angle draped an arm over Hardy, but he kicked out. The buzzer (yes, a buzzer) sounded that the time had expired.

    Bischoff ordered five more minutes on the clock.

    Angle choked Hardy in the corner with his boot. Angle pounded Hardy with elbows, then rammed him in a corner and hit some shoulderblocks. Angle charged for another shoulderblock, Jeff moved, and Angle went shoulder first into the ringpost, then fell to the floor. Jeff rammed Angle into the ringsteps, then did it a second time. Angle was busted open. They got back into the ring, and Hardy applied a Boston Crab. Angle’s face was in a pool of blood. Angle fought out of the hold and countered into an ankle lock. Hardy went for the ropes, but Angle pulled him back into the center of the ring and added a leglace to the move. Hardy struggled with 30 seconds left on the clock. Time ran out, and we had a buzzer again.

    Eric Bischoff got in the ring, and called for trainers to come look at Angle’s cut head. Angle was demanding more time. Bischoff put on a headset and was talking with someone, then was talking with the referee. Bischoff got on the mic and said that the trainers were telling them Angle could not continue due to the cut on his head. Bischoff said they were declaring the match a no-contest. Shannon Moore came out and checked on Hardy. Angle and Bischoff walked back to the locker room, arguing. Angle’s cut didn’t even seem to be bleeding anymore, as the trainers had wiped off his face.

    Result: No Contest.

    D’Angelo Dinero was interviewed by Christy Hemme, who noted we don’t know if Kurt Angle or Jeff Hardy will be advancing in the tournament. Dinero cut a promo on taking care of Mr. Anderson, noting he was “pulling the wool” over everyone’s eyes, and heading on to Bound For Glory.

    Ken Anderson vs. Pope D’Angelo Dinero – TNA title tournament semi-final.

    They locked up and jockeyed for position at the start, at one point rolling across the mat as both attempted to get control of a small package. They traded holds on the mat, with neither man maintaining an advantage, until Pope kicked Anderson in the gut after escaping a hammerlock. They started throwing punches, and Anderson stomped Pope down in a corner. Anderson kept up his attack in the corner, until he ran into a boot by the Pope. Pope hit an armbreaker, then kicked Anderson in the ribs. Pope dropped Anderson with a hammerlock back suplex. Pope hit a kneedrop, then slammed Anderson’s arm into the mat. It was noted Pope was getting revenge for when Anderson injured his shoulder. Pope kicked his shoulder and delivered a hammerlock slam, but Anderson came back with a pair of clotheslines and an enzugiri.

    Anderson went for a backdrop, but Pope kicked it away. Pope missed a flying tackle and landed hard on his own shoulder. Anderson kicked Pope in the gut, then went for a hammerlock and threw Pope shoulder first into the corner. Anderson scored a two count. Pope reversed a whip, but Anderson kicked him as he charged in, then delivered a clothesline. Anderson applied a keylock on Pope’s injured arm, and Pope battled out, but Anderson hit a knee to the gut, sending Pope back to the mat. Anderson hit a pair of short-arm shoulderblocks, then hit a back suplex for a two count. Anderson went for a whip, Pope reversed, and they clotheslined each other.

    They slugged it out as they got up, with Pope getting the better of it. Pope hit a shoulderblock, then hit a backhand slap. Pope straddled Anderson on the ropes, and got a two count. Pope stomped Anderson, then went to the top rope. Anderson crotched him, then went for a superplex. Pope blocked it, and they jockeyed for position. Pope hit a headbutt and Anderson got crotched on the top rope, then fell to the floor. Pope then dove off the top rope and hit Anderson with a flying bodypress on the floor, catching Anderson on his shoulder. Pope rolled Anderson into the ring for a two count.

    Pope went for a Codebreaker, but Anderson blocked it and went for a Mic Check. Dinero blocked that, but Anderson grabbed a rolling Fireman’s Carry slam for a two count. Pope kicked Anderson and hit a punch, then landed the Codebreaker for a two count. Pope went for a Mic Check of his own on Anderson, but Anderson blocked it. Anderson went for a Mic Check, but Pope armdragged out of it. Pope charged Anderson, but Anderson grabbed him and hit the Mic Check for a two count. Pope hit a flurry of punches and kicks on Anderson in a corner. Pope went for the DDE (double jumping knee), but Anderson dodged it and sloppily applied a Mic Check to get the pin at the 18-minute mark.

    Winner: Mr. Anderson.

    Anderson picked up one of the fake dollars that Pope uses for his entrance and made it into a paper airplane, then threw it at Dinero on the floor. Dinero flipped him off as he left. Anderson acted mockingly hurt over the gesture. Anderson called for his microphone. He asked if the crowd had a good time tonight, then announced himself as being one match away from being the TNA World Champion. Anderson vamped it up before finally announcing his own name to end the show.

    We were reminded that we still don’t know who Anderson will face at Bound For Glory.

  • Luna’s Ashes To Be Scattered At Andre The Giant’s Ranch

    Funeral services for Luna Vachon will take place at Andre the Giant’s North Carolina ranch, according to TMZ.com.  Andre’s ashes were scattered there 17 years ago and Luna’s Luna’s ashes will be scattered at the same place.

    Andre was Luna’s godfather and the two were extremely close.

    No word on when the scattering is taking place — but Luna’s funeral services have been taking place over the past few days.

  • Ugly Buyrate For MITB PPV, Jericho Talks Young Talent

    – The projected buyrate is in for July’s Money In The Bank pay-per-view and the disturbing downward trend continues. The company’s corporate website projects the show did 189,000 buys – down almost 30% from from last July’s Night of Champions show, which did 267,000.

    Related News: WrestleMania, Royal Rumble & Elimination Chamber PPV Buyrates

    Chris Jericho spoke to the UK’s Daily Star about his band Fozzy’s upcoming UK tour. During the interview, he says his spot in WWE is safe no matter what and he’ll always be valued as a top worker for the company. “I’m not one of those people who worries about my position,” Jericho said. “I’m never going to lose my spot. I could work the opening match every night and still be a star.”

    Jericho also commented on the young talent getting pushed in WWE. “It’s just the way it is – most of the guys in WWE are young guys and green,” he said. “It’s not like it used to be. I spent nine years going all round the place perfecting my craft – now it’s nine months. The brilliant thing about the Nexus angle is that we’re taking seven guys who have not done a thing and thrown them into the hottest angle they may ever be involved in. You’ve got to take what you have and work with it.”

  • Video Of John Cena On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

    Check out this clip of John Cena’s appearance on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” from Wednesday night:

  • Teddy Hart In WWE-Sponsored Rehab, Diva Upset

    — Teddy Hart, the youngest wrestler to be signed to a WWE contract, recently entered a Texas area rehabilitation center on behalf of his former employer. He is staying at the same facility as former WWE performer Scott Hall.

    Hart is claiming that he entered rehab at the urging of his uncle, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, who said that if he successfully completes the center’s program, would persuade WWE to give him another shot.

    During his last run with AAA, Hart managed to unite the entire locker room against him due to his reputation of changing match finishes and spots to put himself over. His mentality is to perform as many flashy maneuvers in his matches as possible, whether they make sense or not.

    — The Friday Night SmackDown television taping on December 28, 2010 will be held at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Tickets go on sale October 2, 2010. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

    — WWE Women’s Champion Layla is apparently through with Twitter for the time being as she wrote over the weekend that she ‘needs a break from some of the bs’ on the social networking site. She tweeted:

    “I think I’m officially off Twitter I need a break from some of the bs on here Tired of some I****S!! Having easy access 2 Me Much luv Lay.”

    The tweet came just hours after her response to recent jabs from TNA Wrestling performers “The Beautiful People” made its way onto a number of wrestling websites. There is an unconfirmed rumor going around saying that WWE brass caught wind of the “war of words” and became upset with Layla for taking part.

  • RAW Guest Host Calls The Experience A Disaster

    Actor Justin Long

    Actor Justin Long, who hosted WWE RAW on August 16th with “Going The Distance” co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, tells MetroNews.ca that the experience was a disaster.

    “In no way am I being self-deprecating when I say that was a disaster,” Long said.  “It was just not the audience to be promoting a movie like that to. We were so out of place. It was just awkward. They’re all fired up to see guys pummeling each other, not to see three nerdy comedy guys do some bits. They played the trailer for this crowd and it just silenced them — and not in a good way.”

    Long continued, saying the crowd in Los Angeles looked like they were ready to attack him and his fellow co-hosts.

    “We were in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, and the only time we really had the audience on our side was when we were praising the Lakers. And before that I think the majority of them were contemplating throwing things at us. There were a few homophobic remarks. I don’t want to generalize it, I know some wrestling fans. But it’s just not the audience.”

  • Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli Sign New ROH Deals

    Ring of Honor has announced that ROH Tag Team champions, The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) have signed new deals with the company. Here’s the announcement:

    (Bristol, PA- September 2, 2010)- ROH officials are happy to announce that Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli have signed on to stay with Ring of Honor. For Chris Hero, it is an extension of his existing contract and for Claudio Castagnoli it is the signing of a new contract. The current ROH World Tag Team Champions have dominated in the tag team division since reforming at “Final Battle 2009”, and have had some of the most captivating bouts of 2010 including battles against The Briscoes at “The Big Bang” and “Death Before Dishonor VIII” as well as exciting singles bouts like Hero vs. Tyler Black at “Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2” and Castagnoli vs. Black at “The Bluegrass Brawl”.

    “We are very happy to have Hero & Claudio on board with Ring of Honor for the foreseeable future.” said ROH President Cary Silkin, “These are two of the most talented wrestlers competing today, and it’s quite exciting to see how they will continue to excel not only in our tag team division, but in the singles ranks as well.”

    Hero & Claudio will be in action next weekend with an ROH World Tag Team Title defense against Colt Cabana & El Generico in Plymouth, MA on Sept. 10th and a Dream Tag Team match-up against Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas on Sept. 11th at “Glory by Honor IX”.

  • Austin Likes CM Punk, Cena Rags On Himself, NXT Finale Rating

    – Steve Austin commented on Twitter about CM Punk using his music and calling him out on Monday’s RAW:

    “Got a lot of reports of CM Punk using my ring music and calling me out…I enjoy his work and wish him the best. Go get em kid.”

    – John Cena was asked on Twitter whether he’s interested in being an NXT pro and gave a pretty funny response.

    “yes I asked, and was denied. Apparently u need more than 2 moves to offically be called a “pro” (enjoy that one)”

    For all the Cena haters out there, you can’t say he doesn’t have a good attitude about it.

    – Chris Jericho is working on the final draft of his latest book and has suffered an extremely frustrating setback:

    “Was only able to recover 20% of the final book edit. I am now officially 80% insane…”

    – The NXT Season 2 finale drew a  1.02 rating and averaged 1,323,000 viewers.

  • Clips Of MVP’s New Rap Songs Now Online (Audio)

    WWE superstar MVP has posted a preview clip of his new theme music on Twitter ..

    Update: MVP released a preview of his new song “Holla 2 the World” on Twitter recently. MVP said the song will appear on a mix tape he’s releasing soon. Here’s a preview:

  • Johnny Knoxville Hosting RAW, Big News For JR, NXT

    – The WWE website has announced that Jackass star Johnny Knoxville will host October 4th episode of Monday Night RAW. Knoxville will be promoting the new Jackass 3D movie.

    – In what has to be great news for WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, longtime Oklahoma Sooners football commentator Bob Barry announced on Tuesday that he is retiring. Ross said in various interviews over the years that calling Oklahoma football has been a lifelong dream of his, so this could be his chance to fill that position.

    – Regarding the length of NXT Season 3 amid news that it won’t be carried on SyFy after October 1st, Vickie Guerrero wrote on Twitter.com on Tuesday that the season will in fact be 12 weeks. She wrote on Twitter.com/ExcuseMeWWE:

    “I am loving my job…I have acquired a female giant as my rookie…life will be interesting in the next 12 weeks!”

    No word on where the final 8 weeks of NXT will air after October 1st.

    Johnny Knoxville will host WWE Raw on October 4th to promote his new film, Jackass 3D. For more information on this and future Raw guest hosts, head over to WWE.com.

    Bob Barry announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down as the radio voice of Oklahoma Sooners football and basketball. [Thanks to Dot Net reader Bobby R.]

    october 1st
    http://twitter.com/ExcuseMeWWE
    . “I am loving my job…I have acquired a female giant as my rookie…life will be interesting in the next 12 weeks!”

    Jeff Jarrett and Karen Angle were married earlier this month, reports someone with access to Karen’s blocked Facebook page. She has changed her name on Twitter to Karen Jarrett.

  • Bischoff Talks Monday Nights, Bret Hart, Hogan & Russo

    TNA’s Eric Bischoff was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/30/09) of the Monday Night Mayhem radio show. You can listen to an MP3 of Bischoff’s appearance here.

    Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

    His reaction to those wrestling fans that ask the question “Where is the controversy in TNA?” and if we will be seeing that on TNA programming in the coming weeks/months: “I think that you will. One of the challenges in the business today, and the same is true in the WWE, what can we do that hasn’t been done to death in the last 10 to 12 years? When I launched Nitro, and we did all the ridiculous stuff & controversial stuff that I did that put WCW on the map, nobody had ever done it before, and that’s what made it controversial. That’s why I was the ‘anti-Christ’ for wrestling fans, because I was doing things no one had done before. Giving away finishes live on the air five minutes before the competition’s show went on. All these things people said was stupid & ridiculous, how do you do that again? How does Vince McMahon do all things that are ground-breaking, controversial, & water cooler buzz? How does he recreate those elements in the guidelines of a televised wrestling show? How do you recreate that in today’s environment? Is there going to be controversy in TNA? Of course there is. Are we seeing right now? Without giving anything away, I think we’re setting it up. In the months to come, people are going to see some things that are controversial, but I don’t think anyone should raise the bar of expectations so high that we are magically going to get back to that virgin territory that we enjoyed 10 or 12 years ago.”

    How much input he usually has into an edition of TNA iMPACT, his response to those that strongly believe that Hulk Hogan & himself are “running TNA,” and the current chemistry between himself & Vince Russo: “It varies a lot depending on the week. I’ve read some of the comments of some of your other guests on Monday Night Mayhem talking about me, and I think Kevin Kelly was one of the ones I read last, and I know people out there think and are under the assumption that Eric Bischoff & Hulk Hogan are ‘running TNA.’ Nothing is farther from the truth. We have nothing to do with the strategy of the company. We have nothing to do with the marketing of the company. Nobody talks to us or asks us about talent acquisitions or people getting fired. We have little to do with the day-to-day operations of TNA. The same is kinda true with regards to creative. I work closely with Vince Russo, I see the formats, I give my suggestions. Vince & I have a great working relationship, and in regards to chemistry, I would say besides my partner Jason Hervey and Hulk, there’s no one better that I have a working relationship with.”

    The Internet’s constant stream of hating against TNA & why it’s easier for fans to point out the flaws of TNA than those of the WWE: “Let me put it to you this way: Misery loves company. It’s easier for people who are negative, who want to criticize without really having anything intelligent to say and without it being constructive criticism. It’s one of the reasons why I constantly am trying to raise the bar, eliminating one stupid fan at a time. When I see the kind of comments like ‘TNA Sucks’ or ‘Your storylines blow,’ or ‘Fire Russo, or ‘Fire Bischoff,’ or ‘Hogan sucks,’ I laugh at that stuff because there are a lot of people out there and because misery loves company. Let’s face it, WWE is a giant bandwagon. It’s been around a long time. It’s easier & safer when you’re the type of person who is looking for a group of miserable people to jump on the bandwagon that’s successful, because the WWE is a cable television juggernaut. It is what it is. So it’s easy to jump on that bandwagon and look down at TNA for its warts, blemishes, bumps, bruises, & dents because there’s plenty of them. TNA is not WWE. It’s not a billion dollar company with the kind of infrastructure & production staff taking their show live on the road every week. There’s so many things that we don’t have that it’s easy to point out our flaws. I think if you look at what TNA does, and does well, and tries to do. We are ‘the little engine that’s trying.’ There’s some great talent in the ring, I think we have the greatest balance of new, young & exciting talent, established talent that rates well despite what everyone else wants to believe on the Internet. If you’re objective and you’re a real wrestling fan, you’re gonna have comments, and while you may not like certain things that are happening in TNA, you’ll find plenty of things to like.”

    Bret Hart’s comments about Vince McMahon “stomping out” TNA from Monday nights, the impact “The Hitman” may have had in making that a reality, & what the final outcome would have been for TNA on Monday nights had Bret Hart never come back to the WWE: “I like Bret so much so it’s hard for me to comment about things like this. Bret Hart is a little pre-occupied with the legacy of Bret Hart. Not going to deny it, the move to Monday night was a mistake. It is what it is. It was ill-conceived, it was bad timing, it was a risk, and it was a risk that didn’t pan out. I’ve taken plenty of risks that didn’t work out, and I’ve taken some risks that have. Vince McMahon has taken some risks that worked and taken plenty of risks that hasn’t. The move to Monday night was a miss, and I’ll take as much responsibility for that as anybody else. I don’t think any of it had anything to do with Bret Hart. I think if Bret Hart would have never come back to WWE, the outcome of our Monday night effort would have been exactly the same.”

    His thoughts on this Sunday’s No Surrender Pay-Per-View & why his primary focus will be on the semi-finals of the TNA World Title Tournament: “I think there are some great matches on the card. The primary thing that I’m focused on is our ‘A-story,’ which is who is going to become TNA World Heavyweight Champion. You got four powerful names there, four very exciting talents four guys who could deliver anywhere in the world in either company. You got four guys who are great storytellers and can deliver in the ring. If there’s a reason to watch the Pay-Per-View, that’s the one thing I would encourage people to follow & watch, because it’s another chapter in a pretty interesting story that we laid out back in March, and I’m excited about it.”