SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • *Spoiler* Tag Team Reunites At Superstars Tapings

    Carlito & Primo Colon

    WWE’s first Unified Tag Team Champions – Carlito and Primo Colon – are back together, as of Tuesday’s WWE Superstars tapings.

    Carlito fought Primo in a match that went to a no contest after Carlito refused to finish his brother off. Seven minutes into the match, Carlito was going for his Backstabber finisher but instead dropped his brother and grabbed a microphone from ringside. Carlito said the fans don’t care about him and his brother anymore and they’d love to see the two of them destroy each other. Carlito said there will be no more of that – and the Colon boys hugged and left the ring together  Carlito’s NXT Rookie Michael Tarver was at ringside and didn’t seem too happy about the reunion.

    WWE has been planning to turn the Colon brothers heel and have them feud with The Hart Dynasty for the WWE Unified Tag Team Titles. It’s also expected that their cousin, Tito (Orlando) Colon, will be called up from developmental soon to join the Colon brothers.

  • Ratings Are In For WWE RAW & TNA iMPACT! (5/3)

    The rating are in for Monday night May 3rd, the “final battle” in the second Monday Night War.

    The final Monday night episode of TNA iMPACTscored an 0.78 rating – up from last week’s 0.5 but the lowest rating for a live Monday night.

    WWE’s Monday Night RAW with Wayne Brady as guest host and The Cutting Edge as the main event scored a 3.05 cable rating with hours of 2.9 and 3.2.

    Stay tuned for more ratings data from last night’s shows.

  • Vote Here For TNA’s New Top 10 Contenders Rankings

    After Desmond Wolfe ran away with the first round of voting in the Top 10 Contenders rankings (and came up short against TNA Champion Rob Van Dam on iMPACT!), TNA has posted a new poll asking fans who they think should get a shot at the gold.

    Several new names have been added to the list .. Desmond Wolfe is on top once again, with Matt Morgan and Jeff Hardy trailing him in the early voting.

    It’s interesting to note that TNA’s official website is hyping that Rob Van Dam will defend the TNA title on the May 13th episode of iMPACT! and asks – “Which of the leading vote-getters in the new Heavyweight Ranking System will get their shot?” TNA is taping next week’s iMPACT! tonight, just a day into the new Top Contender voting – so it will be interesting to see how RVD’s opponent at tonight’s tapings compares to how the voting turns out by the time the show airs.

    Vote below:

  • Awesome Kong Talks About Leaving TNA & Maybe Going To WWE

    Former TNA Knockout Awesome Kong was a guest on the Monday Night Mayhem Radio show this week, which you can listen to by clicking here (MP3). Here are the highlights from the interview, courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson From New Jersey:

    Leaving TNA: “The transition has been great. I’ve been taking better care of my body and easing up on the wrestling & my schedule a bit, and I have the opportunity to pick & choose when & where I work, so that has been fabulous. I’m also going back to basics, and going back to Japan this week, and just reinventing & bringing back a more aggressive Kong.”

    How TNA Changed During Her Time There: “Well, there were some differences towards the end. They have offered to leave the door open should I want to come back, and that is something I’m also open to. Just right now, I came to this before all the changes happened. People think that because I left right when the changes happened, that I left because of the changes, and that’s not really so. This was gradually coming on, and I my body needed a break, and I just needed to regroup and figure out exactly how I wanted my character to go & the direction I wanted it to go. It’s (TNA) definitely a different product in the little that I have watched. The X-Division isn’t has prominent as it used to be, and that was one of the reasons I came to TNA. When I was Japan, the X-Division DVD’s were like crack on streets. That has changed a bit. So I’d like to see that come back full force. They’re trying new things, and I wish them well, and hopefully the things they are trying works out for them.”

    How the Knockouts Division Changed During her Time in TNA: “When I first came to TNA, there was an ambiance that everyone was a team. Backstage, everyone supported one another, we were all together as one, and we worked together as one to grow as a company. Everyone was putting in back-breaking work & putting in their all, because we were depending on one another to make something big happen. I think when things started to get bigger, I guess people got comfortable. I won’t say cocky, but maybe a little comfortable, and the fire wasn’t there anymore. People just got comfortable where they were or discouraged & stagnant.”

    Her Role in the TNA Locker Room: “I’ve heard idle reports about the locker room musings. When I was there, things like that didn’t go on. Not to say people didn’t have disagreements, but when I was there/if something came up, I would usually step in & be a mediator for whatever was going on, because we would like to keep a harmonious vibe in the locker room. It’s very important to come to a happy workplace, so when I was there, I did my best to make sure everyone was emotionally safe & physically safe in the ring … These reports that I’m hearing, they may be true, and I’ve heard things have changed since I left. The air there has changed; it’s a different air from when I first arrived that.”

    Going to WWE: “Their product is a bit different, and I don’t fit the ‘diva model’ persay. I do believe that if I was there, I would back them a lot of money. They have some of the most creative minds in professional wrestling, and I believe if they choose to pick me up, that everyone would make money all around.”

    * JEFF HARDY Facing 14 Years In Prison: Details On His Trial Beginning Next Week

  • Bret Hart Leaving WWE, Cena vs. Batista Stipulation & More

    – WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart appeared on the “Right After Wrestling” Sirius XM satellite radio show last night and announced that his last scheduled date with WWE is the May 17th commercial-free Monday Night RAW from Toronto, Canada. As noted before, this show is being built around Bret’s WWE return to Canada and it looks like it will be his farewell, unless they can come up with a storyline to keep him around. You can listen to Bret Hart’s appearance on Right After Wrestling by clicking here (MP3).

    – WWE will tape tonight’s NXT and this week’s Friday Night SmackDown tonight from the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina. After earning the right to face a WWE superstar on tonight’s show, NXT rookie David Otunga selected R-Truth as his opponent for tonight. No matches have been announced yet for SmackDown.

    – The official theme song for WWE’s Over the Limit pay-per-view is the song “Crash” by the band Fit for Rivals.

    – A stipulation for John Cena’s match with Batista at Over The Limit will be announced in the next week or so.

    – The WWE production guy in the backstage segment on RAW tonight with Edge was actually WWE writer Brian Gewirtz.

  • Fan Arrested For Making Terrorist Threats Against WWE

    Zayr Peygumbari

    The Connecticut Post reports that WWE fan Zavr Peygumbari, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested last week after he called WWE headquarters over twenty times with threats to blow up the company’s office and harm staff members. Zavr was upset that WWE released former Women’s Champion Mickie James.

    Zavr was arrested last Friday and arraigned yesterday at state Superior Court in Stamford, CT. Zavr’s next court date will be on May 25th. He was originally held over the weekend in Stamford on a $250,000 bond but released on a $5,000 bond Monday. His lawyer describes him as a “fervent wrestling fan” who did not intend to follow through on his threats. Court records show that New York City police know Zavr as being emotionally disturbed.

    During his arraignment on Monday, the angry WWE fan apologized for the phone calls and called them foolish & childish. Zavr allegedly threatened to blow up WWE’s offices and said he would visit the building with a machete and a machine gun. The phone calls began on April 24th and continued through April 27th. Nineteen calls were made by Zavr on April 24th with a handful of calls made over the next few days. During one call, Zavr threatened to kill an un-named WWE employee and his family. The phone calls were traced back to a cell phone that Zavr had.

    Zavr has been charged with four counts of fourth-degree threatening, one count of second-degree harassment and two counts of second-degree threatening.

    The judge told Zavr on Monday that he could not contact WWE employees, go near it’s offices in Stamford or attend any events. Zavr’s actual response to this in front of the courtroom: “I’m not allowed to go to wrestling shows?”

  • Several Matches Added To TNA Sacrifice (Updated Card)

    Below is the updated card for TNA’s Sacrifice pay-per-view on May 16th:

    TNA World Title Match
    Rob Van Dam (c) vs. AJ Styles

    TNA X Division Title Match
    Kaz (c) vs. Douglas Williams

    TNA Tag Team Title Match
    Matt Morgan and a partner to be picked by Hulk Hogan vs. Ink Inc. (Shannon Moore & Jesse O’Neal)

    Chelsea vs. Hall of Fame Ring Match
    Desmond Wolfe vs. Abyss

    Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson

    Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett

  • New TNA Tag Team, Who Was Backstage At iMPACT & More

    – Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal are now teaming together in TNA under the name “Ink Inc.” – a reference to their tattoos. The team will be getting a TNA Tag Team Title shot at the Sacrifice pay-per-view against Matt Morgan and his partner, who will be chosen by Hulk Hogan.

    – Former WCW, WWE and ECW star 2 Cold Scorpio, who lives in the Orlando area, was backstage visiting at last night’s TNA iMPACT.

    – Ric Flair’s son Reid was backstage at Monday’s TNA iMPACT.

    – As reported yesterday, Lex Luger was indeed in Orlando tonight – but as most of you know by now, did not appear on iMPACT.

  • More Details On TNA iMPACT! Moving To Thursday Nights

    TNA officials told the talents about the move to Thursday nights on Monday afternoon at the iMPACT! zone. The crew was told that TNA made the decision to move back to Thursdays, not Spike TV officials. While TNA officials handled most of the meeting, there was a Spike TV official there to confirm the information.

    TNA as well as Eric Bischoff & Jason Hervey’s production team conducted most of the recent market research and were told that fans overwhelmingly wanted Thursday to be established as TNA’s night.

    With the weekly addition of TNA Reaction at 8pm EST, Spike TV will be branding Thursday nights as “TNA Thursdays.”

    TNA will tape next Thursday night’s iMPACT tonight night in Orlando. Word is that all future episodes of TNA iMPACT will be taped with the move back to Thursday nights. There are currently no plans to do live shows on Thursdays. TNA and Spike TV are going to be pushing Thursdays as TNA’s night on TV. Live specials on Monday nights are a possibility but won’t be happening for a while.

  • TNA iMPACT! Moving Back To Thursdays On May 13th

    TNA Monday Night iMPACT! is no more. After less than 2 months going head-to-head with WWE RAW, it was announced on iMPACT! last night that iMPACT! is moving back to Thursdays on May 13th. Here’s the official statement from TNA:

    THURSDAYS TO BE BRANDED “TNA WRESTLING NIGHT” ON SPIKE TV

    TNA Returns To Thursdays May 13 at 9:00pm

    “ReAction” Joins “TNA Wrestling Night” On Thursday, June 24 At 8:00pm

    New York, NY  – Spike TV will launch the re-branded “TNA Thursdays,” featuring the “TNA iMPACT!” on Thursday, May 13 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT).

    “The fans have spoken and with their input we have determined the best timeslot to maximize the TNA audience is on Thursday nights where we are confident it will be among the most-watched shows with young men,” said Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports and specials.

    Regarding the move to the Thursday time slot, TNA President Dixie Carter added: “Our fans made it clear that they preferred the Thursday night time period. By moving to Thursdays,” this is a win/win opportunity for both TNA and the fans. We are looking forward to delivering what the fans are asking for!”

    On Thursday, June 24, Spike TV will expand “TNA Thursdays” to three hours with the addition of “ReACTION.”

    “ReACTION” is a one-hour docu-series that will focus on the stories and characters of TNA Wrestling and preview the upcoming action-packed episode of “TNA iMPACT!”  in a new format.   The new show will kick off “TNA Thursdays” at 8:00 pm ET/PT (beginning June 24), and serve as the lead-in to “iMPACT!”.

    TNA officials told the talents today that iMPACT is moving back to Thursday nights. The crew was told that TNA made the decision to move back to Thursdays, not Spike TV officials. While TNA officials handled most of the meeting, there was a Spike TV official there to confirm the information.

    TNA as well as Eric Bischoff & Jason Hervey’s production team conducted most of the recent market research and were told that fans overwhelmingly wanted Thursday to be established as TNA’s night.

    With the weekly addition of TNA Reaction at 8pm EST, Spike TV will be branding Thursday nights as “TNA Thursdays.”

  • *Spoiler* Former WCW Star Appearing On iMPACT! Tonight

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

    We’ve received word that former WCW Champion Lex Luger is backstage at the iMPACT! Zone in Orlando and will be appearing on tonight’s live iMPACT!

    There’s speculation that Luger, whose surprise appearance on the first ever WCW Nitro back in 1995 jumpstarted the first Monday Night War, will take part in the confrontation between Hulk Hogan and Sting tonight.

    We’ll post an update if we hear anything else about Luger’s appearance, but he’ll be on the show tonight.

  • Fatal 4 Way Main Events & News On Several Developmental Stars

    – The main events for WWE’s new Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view will in fact be two Fatal 4 Way championship matches. WWE sent out the following promotional blurb about the event over the weekend, which takes place on June 20th from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY:

    Get ready for WWE’s most unpredictable event as eight WWE Superstars face off in two separate Fatal 4 Way championship matches! Watch Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite Superstars in “WWE: Fatal 4 Way” live on Sunday, June 20, 2010 on pay-per-view!

    – Developmental wrestler Brett DiBiase, brother of Ted DiBise, suffered a knee injury at Thursday’s Florida Championship Wrestling tapings during a match with fellow second generation star Joe Hennig. No word yet on the severity of the injury. DiBiase and Hennig are expected to be called up to the main roster soon as part of a new “privileged sons” stable led by Ted DiBiase,  but the formation of that new group might be delayed.

    – Orlando Colon, the cousin of WWE superstars Carlito and Primo, is now wrestling as “Tito Colon” in Florida Championship Wrestling. He had previously been working as “Tito Nieves.” Tito Colon is also close to being called up to the main roster and will likely be paired with Carlito and Primo when he debuts.

    – Developmental referee Aaron “Goose” Mahoney is now on the road with the main roster and has begun working house shows.

  • Jack Swagger Inteview: Being World Champ, His Dream Feud

    WWE World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger recently spoke to Mike Mooneyham of South Carolina’s Post and Courrier newspaper. Here are some highlights of what Swagger said about:

    Being World Champion: “It’s been unbelievable, it’s such an incredible honor. I don’t think it’s completely sunk in yet. This last month or so has been so surreal. I’ve tried to enjoy it a much as I can.”

    His Current role: “Right now I think what you see is the respect I have for the championship. It’s the top of the game and there’s nothing bigger. I need to carry myself in such a way of a world champion because it is such an honor. Other than that I wouldn’t read too much into the character. I’m just portraying a champion.”

    His Dream Feud: “A dual program with The Undertaker, who I think is the greatest wrestler ever, and Rey Mysterio. It would be Jack Swagger vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Undertaker for the world heavyweight title. That would be great.”

    Visit PostandCourrier.com to read the full interview.

    Related: Pictures of Jack Swagger’s hot new wife, Catalina White

  • WWE RAW Preview For Tonight: Wayne Brady Hosting

    Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW take place from the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Here’s an early preview for the show:

    – Actor and comedian Wayne Brady will be tonight’s Guest Host. Brady, who currently hosts the synidcated “Let’s Make a Deal” game show, posted the following on Twitter over the weekend:

    “Going to Orlando for my mom’s 79th then on to Jacksonville for some WWE RAW action baby! Hell yeah! Emmys and Grammys are cool but nothing beats rasslin’,”

    – No matches have been announced as of Monday morning.

    – Expect to see appearances from some of the superstars who were drafted to RAW last week – including Chris Jericho, Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth, Goldust and the Hart Dynasty.

    – John Cena vs. Batista is being advertised as the dark match main event.

    Check back later for an updated preview.

  • TNA iMPACT! Preview: World Title Match, Tag Match, O-Zone

    The following matches and segments are being advertised for tonight’s live episode of TNA iMPACT! on Spike:

    – Rob Van Dam will defend the TNA World Heavyweight title. No opponent has been named yet, but RVD will face one of the top contenders in TNA’s new Top Ranking System. Click Here to vote for the rankings and see who is currently in the lead.

    – Beer Money vs. The Motor City Machine Guns.

    – After Abyss defeated Ric Flair last week, who will Hulk Hogan give Ric Flair’s Hall of Fame ring to?

    – The debut of Orlando Jordan’s new interview segment – “O-Zone” – with special guest Rob Terry.

    – Douglas Williams will make his first appearance since being stripped of the X Division Title at TNA Lockdown for being unable to appear.

    The Motor City Machine Guns have issued a following “Public Service Announcement” for their match with Beer Money on Monday.

  • Yet Another Update On Jim Ross’ WWE Contract Status

    Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with another update on his WWE status:

    “This matter is much more simple than many perceive. My WWE ‘talent contract’ has ended after a 17+ year run with the company. However, I am still a WWE employee handling the same talent relations functions that I have executed for the company for the past few years including since moving to Oklahoma. I simply do not have a ‘talent contract’ as WWE has no plans to utilize me as an on air talent at this time.

    “The WWE engaged in talks with me on Thursday of this week to discuss a new job description that would include what I am now doing along with other talent relations oriented matters. I am considering this offer and I trust that a decision will be made soon regarding this opportunity. In the meantime, I am still interested in a variety of projects and opportunities.”

    Visit JRsBarBQ.com for more from Jim Ross on the subject.

  • JR Blog: Brock Lesnar Hosting RAW, Maria’s Music CD

    Jim Ross has updated his blog and commented Brock Lesnar possibly returning to WWE as well as former WWE Diva Maria’s new music CD. Visit JRsBarBQ.com to read the blog in its entirety and to check out JR’s great line of BBQ products. Here’s what JR said about:

    Brock Lesnar Hosting RAW: “Intriguing statement made by Brock Lesnar regarding WWE earlier this week. I don’t think that anyone should expect Lesnar to competitively step back in a WWE ring while he is still competing in UFC and if did it would surprise me. I can see Lesnar easily pulling off a Guest Host shot on Raw around the time that Brock’s book comes out which I assume is later in 2010. After Brock calls it a career in UFC, which I also don’t see for a while, it’s within the realm of possibility that he could do a ‘one off’ bout in WWE likely at a Wrestlemania. This is not likely, in my opinion, for a few years so let’s not start the dialog about Atlanta and who Lesnar ‘might’ wrestle in the Georgia Dome. That’s just not going to happen in my eyes. ”

    Related News: Brock Lesnar Featured In Latest UFC 2010 Screen Shots (PHOTOS)

    Maria’s New Music CD: “A friend told me recently that former WWE Diva Maria’s new CD was excellent and that Maria was so dedicated to her music career that she financed the project herself. I admire that dedication and encourage all fans to check out Maria’s work which, I think, is available on ITunes. Maria is a wonderful spirit and I really enjoy her work on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ Any one who can spend time with Donald Trump comes out the better for it. I have always found Donald to be a helluva guy with amazing perception and vision and it’s obvious that he’s a brilliant man. One terrific marketer and promoter.”

  • WWE Injury Report: Cena, Mysterio, Morrison, Triple H

    – Since his match at WrestleMania with Batista, WWE Champion John Cena has been suffering from back and knee problems.

    – In addition to the neck problems Triple H is suffering from right now, one of The Game’s surgically repaired quads is giving him trouble. Right now, Triple H is scheduled to work only television and PPV events. He was kept off WWE’s European tour to rest up for his Street Fight with Sheamus at Extreme Rules.

    – Rey Mysterio had to be assisted leaving Tuesday’s television taping in London, England following his show closer dark match with CM Punk.

    – John Morrison may have suffered an injury during the company’s ongoing tour as he did not work Tuesday’s SmackDown taping. However, it should be noted that it is not 100% confirmed.

    — WWE.com confirmed this week that Ezekiel Jackson underwent successful surgery to repair his torn quadriceps. According to WWE, the recovery process could sideline the final ECW Champion for up to six months. Tough break for the young star.

  • Bischoff Reponds To Cornette’s Death Threats To Russo

    Eric Bischoff has responded to a fan question about Jim Cornette’s recent death threats to TNA creative member Vince Russo.

    Read More: Cornette Threatens Russo, Receives Legal Letter From TNA

    A fan asked Bischoff on Facebook: “Cornette knows this business and is quite intelligent but either he’s suffering from dimentia or he has realized that he has burned every viable bridge and has become desperate to get over using the “shock” approach. It comes off as pathetic. If that’s how you feel then keep it to yourself. Mr. Tayler really had no choice in this matter. Heaven forbid if Mr. Russo would have been murdered (by Cornette or anybody else) then Mr. Tayler could have been in a lot of hot water.”

    Bischoff responded with some harsh words for Cornette, who he calls a “low rent con man:”

    “Cornette doesn’t know any business. He is a low rent con man that is only good at gaining the attention of the internet wrestling community. He’s all yours! Trust me, he never has nor ever will become a part of a meaningful national promotion. But if you are looking for a bootleg dvd or a fake autograph….hes your guy!”

  • Update On Paul Heyman Possibly Coming To TNA

    Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    – TNA has either made a direct offer or has sent strong hints to Paul Heyman that he would be welcomed on the TNA creative team. Heyman coming into TNA has been a popular topic of discussion backstage, especially among the many ECW originals currently with the company. While there is still a chance Heyman comes to TNA, it’s been said that it was looking more likely a few weeks ago and the more he hears about what’s going on behind the scenes, the less interested he becomes.

    – Vince Russo will be moving from Colorado to Nashville soon. As previously reported, Russo has been telling people he’s been burt out lately from writing and could be taking a different role in the company when he moves to Nashville.

  • Abyss Storyline Spoiler, Former WWE Stars to TNA & More

    Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    – Former WWE Diva Kristall Marshall confirmed on Twitter last week that she and Bobby Lashley have split up. She wrote:

    “Hello everyone Bobby (Lashley) and I have split, but remain great friends. He is a constant in our son’s life and a tremendous father.”

    – With Tommy Dreamer’s WWE no-compete clause expired, he’s expected to wind up in TNA soon either as an agent or as on-air talent.

    – TNA has also had talks with former WWE star Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore about doing a spinoff of the Eugene character in TNA.

    Warning: The following contains a potentially big TNA storyline *Spoiler*

    – Current plans call for the monster Abyss to turn on his hero, Hulk Hogan. No word yet when the turn will happen, but it’s been planned for quite some time.

  • TNA Lockdown Fanfest Info, Lockdown Tickets

    – TNA has currently sold around 2,600 tickets for Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view. They are hoping for 4,000 in the arena for the night of the show.

    – TNA has announced that Jeff Hardy will be appearing at the Lockdown Fan Interaction event this Saturday. Names scheduled to appear include: Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Dory Funk Jr., Baron Von Raschke, Kurt Angle, The Band, Beer Money, Mr. Anderson, The Pope, The Beautiful People, Desmond Wolfe, Chelsea, Kaz, Rob Terry, Amazing Red, Orlando Jordan, Earl Hebner, Angelina Love, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Team 3D, Eric Bischoff, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Tara, Mike Tenay, Taz, Eric Young, Doug Williams, Jesse Neal, Hector Guerrero, Willie Urbina, Slick Johnson, David Penzer, SoCal Val, Jeremy Borash, Christy Hemme and Jeff Hardy

  • Movie Trailer For The Rock’s New Comedy “The Other Guys”

    We have the first trailer for the new Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson comedy “The Other Guys,” co-starring Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell and Samuel L. Jackson.

    The IMDB.com synopsis reads, “Two mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops whom they idolize — only things don’t quite go as planned.”

    The movie is scheduled for an August 6, 2010 release in the US.

    Let’s go to the video:

  • Ratings Are In For WWE RAW, TNA iMPACT! & Reaction (4/12)

    The ratings are in for the April 12th episodes of WWE RAW, TNA iMPACT! & TNA Reaction

    – WWE RAW from the UK drew a 3.2 rating and averaged 4.7 million viewers. The first hour drew  a 3.0 rating with 4.4 million viewers while the second unopposed hour did a 3.4 rating with 5 million viewers. Despite the fact that Monday’s RAW was taped earlier in the day, the rating was the same from last week.

    – The debut episode of the TNA Reaction, which aired on Spike right before iMPACT!, did a 0.3 rating with around 280,000 viewers.

    – TNA iMPACT! did a 0.8 rating and averaged 1.1 million viewers. The hourly ratings were 0.82 and 0.78. Overall viewership was down around 10% from last week.

  • Dixie Carter Talks TNA’s Ratings, Comparisons To WCW & More

    TNA President Dixie Carter has started a new feature on the TNA website where she answers fan questions from her Facebook and Twitter pages. Here are the highlights of what Dixie Carter said about:

    Competing With WWE In The Ratings: “I want to be very clear on this, we NEVER expected to have competitive ratings with RAW at the beginning.  I have been very specific in saying that our goal was to grow our brand and our ratings and we felt like we could do that faster on Mondays. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a big step forward. We expected to have to rebuild part of our audience when moving our programming day and timeslot. We have finally settled in to an 8 pm ET/7 pm CT Monday timeslot with an encore presentation on Thursdays as 9 pm ET.  It is going to take some time to build both audiences.  We have no ego in saying iMPACT! has to draw a big rating in one night. With the encore, we have grown our overall viewing audience significantly from 2009 averages.  We have 4 hours of exposure in prime time on Spike TV.  So short term, we have settled in to a new programming schedule and need to give both some time to grow, but are happy with our increased viewership.  Long term we want to see the overall ratings for iMPACT! increase significantly, no matter how many airings we have. ”

    Moving to 8pm a Sign of Failure? “We discussed both the 8 – 10 pm ET and 7-9 pm ET timeslots with Spike before we moved to Mondays. It would be a failure to stay in a timeslot when you think another one might offer a greater chance for growth. When we started iMPACT! at 8 pm ET for the 3-hour January 4th special and on April 5th when we moved an hour earlier to get a jump on the NCAA Men’s basketball championship game, we saw higher viewership. Instead of moving back to 9 pm the following week, we decided to leave the start time at 8 pm ET and build that timeslot. Now it’s up to TNA, Spike and all of you to spread the word.”

    TNA Resembling The Dying Days of WCW: “I think there has been more of a solid focus on new talent in the last few months than we have seen in the past.  The Pope, AJ Styles, Desmond Wolfe, Abyss, Matt Morgan, Beer Money, Jay Lethal, Doug Williams, Kazarian, Rob Terry, Beautiful People, Angelina Love, Daffney and so many more. I think the young talents that are featured on the show have really stepped up and I am very proud of them.  These guys are the “New” TNA. With the exception of Sting, I think every WCW talent we have has also worked for WWE. The only resemblance to WCW would be the guys from The Band who ran together there. Hogan and Flair appear in very different capacities. We are using established brands like Hogan to get mainstream media attention and help build new talent. It’s about balance, and we will continue to provide you with a good balance of established brands and new talent.”