SEScoops

Category: TNA

  • PCO Signs With Impact Wresting

    PCO Signs With Impact Wresting

    PCO is no longer a free agent.

    TVASports Pat Laprade reports that PCO has signed a deal with Impact Wrestling. The deal will also allow PCO to wrestle for independent promotions. However, Laprade emphasized that the new signee must prioritize the Impact Wrestling dates. It’s unclear how many years his deal is will be with the company.

    “As mentioned on “Les Anti-Pods de la Lutte” podcast, following his appearance at Hard to Kill last Saturday, I have learned that PCO has signed a contract with Impact Wrestling. The contract allows him to work on the indies, but he’ll have to prioritize Impact’s dates,” said Laprade.

    IMPACT Invasion

    ROH Invading Impact Wrestling

    Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill event saw the surprise angle of former Ring of Honor wrestlers invade the show. Former ROH talent PCO, Matt Taven, Vincent, Mike Bennett, and his wife Maria attacked Impact Wrestlers during the event. However, PCO is the only wrestler signed to Impact Wrestling, and it’s unclear if the company is interested in signing other ROH talent on their roster.

    ROH New Business Model

    ROH has released its talent and is planning to change its business model. Instead of signing talent to a roster, the company plans to book talent like other independent promotions. While unfortunate for ROH, it has created opportunities for wrestling promotions like Impact Wrestling to work with former ROH talent like PCO. Impact Wrestling also had ROH World Champion Johnathan Gresham defend the title against Chris Sabin at Hard to Kill.

    PCO signing with Impact Wrestling could begin the company plan to look for more former ROH talent. Wrestling fans should also look out if WWE, All Elite Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling compete with Impact Wrestling to sign ROH free agents.

  • Charlie Haas Posts Update After Injury At Impact Tapings

    Charlie Haas Posts Update After Injury At Impact Tapings

    Charlie Haas performed at the most recent set of tapings for Impact Wrestling. Haas wrestled a match against Josh Alexander but had to be tended to after. He was later taken off on a stretcher. He would later reveal that he suffered a concussion in the match.

    Haas posted a statement on his Twitter account regarding the injury.

    Charlie Haas Statement

    “I’d like to start by thanking all the great wrestling fans for their reaction to my debut at the Impact Wrestling TV Tapings this weekend. It was an outstanding experience with a great company. Unfortunately, during what was an incredible match with Josh Alexander, I suffered a concussion after slipping while heading into the corner. Per the video attached in this thread, my head caught Josh’s knee and the rope almost simultaneously in one of those freak wrestling accidents you can’t explain. I want to thank the GREAT Impact management and roster for the care and attention they showed me after the incident.”

    Haas continued to say he plans on working with Impact again shortly.

    “I can’t say enough good things and I truly look forward to working with them again in the near future. I just wanted everyone to know I will be just fine, and contrary to some reports, Charlie Haas is Not Dead. (Shirt coming soon)”

    “In fact, this appearance with Impact has lit a new fire in me. So for the first time in over 5 years, I will be taking bookings nationally in 2022. There are a ton of crazy and unique matchups happening these days and I want to be a part of it all. We will have more information on this in the coming days, but for the time being you can email BookCharlieHaas@gmail.com or reach out to Kurt Zamora on Twitter @KTankZamora for more information. You’re about to see a lot more of Charlie Haas.”

    “Thank you again for your support and concern. God Bless!
    Sincerely,
    Charlie Haas”

    Charlie Haas Debuts & Gets Injured at Impact Tapings
  • NJPW Star Jay White Set To Make Impact Wrestling Return

    NJPW Star Jay White Set To Make Impact Wrestling Return

    Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White will be making his way back to Impact Wrestling.

    “Switchblade” made quite a splash on the Impact brand during his most recent stay. He was able to snag Chris Bey for the Bullet Club stable. With that said, there has been some tension between Jay and BC members Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa over the direction of the faction.

    Jay will have to wait to settle things on that front but for now, he’ll be reunited with the man he recruited.

    Jay White Continues ‘New Era’ In Impact

    Impact Wrestling has announced that Jay White is returning to the promotion on Jan. 21. He will also attend the Jan. 22 tapings. Both set of tapings will be held inside the Charles Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

    Things are rosy between NJPW and Impact once again. The two had been in cahoots before with NJPW sending Young Lions off on excursion to TNA. In return, some TNA stars appeared at NJPW events such as Wrestle Kingdom.

    The relationship soured over time as NJPW reportedly didn’t trust how TNA was using its talent. After a regime change on Impact’s part, the two sides are working together again.

  • Tasha Steelz Shares Origin of Women’s Ultimate X Match

    Tasha Steelz Shares Origin of Women’s Ultimate X Match

    Impact Wrestling made history at Hard to Kill on January 8th with the first Women’s Ultimate X match. According to the winner, Tasha Steelz, she had to push for the match to happen.

    Steelz appeared on Busted Open on SiriusXM with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray to discuss her win and how the Women’s Ultimate X match happened. She shared that her win on January 8th is one of the biggest accomplishments in her professional wrestling career. The win earned Steelz an Impact Knockout Championship opportunity for a later date. She also revealed she and Jordynne Grace had to repeatedly pitch the match to Executive Vice President Scott D. Amore last year.

    “…This is something that a lot of people weren’t expecting us, women, to do, said Steelz. She continued, “…I believe since last year like Jordynne Grace and I, we were bugging the hell out of Scott. We were just backstage, like, we can do it, we can do it, we can do it. I know we can do it. Slammiversary, we saw that structure go up for the guys, and we climbed up there ourselves, and we were like, Scott, we can do this.” Steelz believes that Amore had to see Grace and her climb the structure to accept the idea. However, once Amore saw Steelz climb, he began to think about when the Women’s Ultimate X match could happen.

    Backstage Reaction After the Match

    Impact Wrestling fans were excited to see the historic match at Hard to Kill, and the anticipation added pressure for the wrestlers to perform well in the match. The company also decided to have the Women’s Ultimate X match start the Hard to Kill event. With the spotlight on the wrestlers, some fans felt that the match exceeded expectations and proved that female wrestlers could participate in an Ultimate X match. After the match, Steelz says all participants were happy with the match.

    “…After it was all said and done, the emotions came out of all of us. I mean, we were all backstage just bawling our eyes out. You know me. I’m a thug. I don’t like to cry, but I couldn’t help it, said Steelz. She continued, “It’s just one of those things where like I said, there were people kind of doubting that we wouldn’t be able to do it and that we did do it and no one got seriously injured. No one got seriously hurt, and we put our bodies on the line, and we accomplished the match, and we got all the chants. We got the Holy ish chants, we got the this is awesome chants, and it just ran through us. It was just something backstage, like that emotion we just grouped hugged and said we did it.”

    Later in the night, Mickie James defeated Deonna Purrazzo to retain her Impact Knockout Championship. James will also compete in the WWE Royal Rumble on January 29th. It’s unclear when Impact will have Steelz challenge James for the title. However, she’s looking forward to getting her opportunity and taking the championship away from James.

  • Mark Henry Thinks Mickie James Is Closer To WWE Hall Of Fame

    Mark Henry Thinks Mickie James Is Closer To WWE Hall Of Fame

    Mickie James could be bound for the WWE Hall of Fame, according to HOF talent and AEW broadcaster Mark Henry.

    WWE turned a lot of heads in the wrestling industry on the Jan. 7 episode of SmackDown. The promotion announced participants in the women’s Royal Rumble match but one name, in particular, stood out from the pack.

    Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James is among the legends returning for this year’s Royal Rumble. WWE has not shied away from the fact that she’s the Impact women’s champion.

    Mickie James Hall of Fame?

    While the talk with Mickie’s surprise WWE return has been centered around cross-promotion, Mark Henry is more intrigued at the thought of a Hall of Fame induction. Here’s what he said on Busted Open Radio.

    When asked if Mickie James belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, Henry replied, “She does and without a doubt, she’s been one of the great women’s wrestlers of all time, wrestlers period. I mean, she got the job done.”

    “She helped the business to be better and not many people can say that. Even if it’s not about the titles, which she held a lot of them, there’s no reason that she shouldn’t be put in the forefront and in the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame.”

    Henry sees the Royal Rumble appearance as the perfect setup for James’ induction.

    “I think this will be a great step,” he said.

    Mickie recently had a successful title defense against Deonna Purrazzo in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard To Kill PPV. This means she is scheduled to make her Royal Rumble appearance as the Impact Knockouts Champion.

    Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

  • W. Morrissey Says He Wants To Be The Face of Impact, Comments On Contract Status

    W. Morrissey Says He Wants To Be The Face of Impact, Comments On Contract Status

    W. Morrissey had a chance to become the Impact World Champion at Hard to Kill this weekend. He was in a triple threat match with champion Moose as well as Matt Cardona. Moose would retain, however.

    During a recent interview with the Battleground Podcast, Morrissey spoke about wanting to become the face of Impact Wrestling.

    “My number one goal is to become the face of the company. That’s my goal,” he said. “I was there last year to come in and slowly build towards that goal and to make an impact, no pun intended. But my goal for this year is to be the face of IMPACT wrestling. To be the guy, and that’s a goal I think I will achieve. I think it’s something I’m extremely capable of.”

    Morrissey opted against providing any further details on his current contractual status with the company, however. He said that the deal he has with Impact is something that will stay between him and his family, Scott D’Amore, and the company.

    “That’s between me and Scott D’amore, everybody at IMPACT, and everybody in my family, and everybody who’s going to be affected by it,” Morrissey responded. “You know, in terms of how long I’m there or what I’m making, that’s nobody’s business. That’s just my opinion. But yeah, I’m with IMPACT right now, and my goal is to be the face of the company.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxvVqo9dF0

    H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

  • Dixie Carter Now Running A Hemp and Cannabis Company

    Dixie Carter Now Running A Hemp and Cannabis Company

    Former TNA President Dixie Carter is now the President of a Hemp and Cannabis company named Panda Biotech. The company operates out of Dallas, Texas. It is focussed on producing industrial hemp that can be used for a variety of purposes.

    In an interview this summer, Carter spoke about Texas becoming an epicentre for industrial hemp.

    “The truth is, Texas farmers are going to need a couple of years to learn how to best plant it. I think Texas farmers are the best in the world and will learn it quicker than anyone in the world,” Carter said in an interview with Times Record News.

    “This is an opportunity for Texas to be kind of the epicenter of industrial hemp on a global basis,” Carter continued.

    https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1480327134837153794
    https://twitter.com/tilagontv/status/1280497024752742400

    Carter continues to follow professional wrestling as evidenced by her social media posts. She commented on the recent passing of former TNA talent Jimmy Rave, and also posted in regards to Ring of Honor’s end of an era Final Battle PPV.

    Carter served as the President of TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2017. She stepped down as President of the company when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased it in 2017. Ed Nordholm replaced her in the role.

  • Charlie Haas Debuts & Gets Injured at Impact Tapings

    Charlie Haas Debuts & Gets Injured at Impact Tapings

    Impact Wrestling held its latest round of television tapings on Sunday night from Dallas, TX at the The Factory at Deep Ellum. Charlie Haas made his Impact debut, but it did not go well.

    The former WWE tag team champion interrupted a promo from Josh Alexander, who was staking his claim as #1 contender to Moose’s Impact World Championship.

    Charlie Haas debuts for Impact Wrestling (Photo: Kurt Zamora)

    Haas and Alexander fought later in the night, with Alexander getting the win. Unfortunately, Haas was injured during the match.

    Charlie Haas Injured

    After the match, the group of ROH wrestlers who appeared at Hard to Kill jumped both men. They were eventually run off by Chris Sabin, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath, Rhino and Eddie Edwards.

    During the post-match angle, Charlie Haas exited the ring, crawled under the ring, was tended to by Impact Wrestling officials. He was eventually stretchered away.

    Ring of Honor in Impact Wrestling

    Ring of Honor had a strong presence at the Impact tapings.

    Jonathan Gresham defended the ROH World Championship against Steve Maclin during the tapings.

    Impact star Deonna Purrazzo defeated Rok-C to capture the ROH Women’s Championship. Ian Riccaboni and Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary.

    The ROH group comprised of Matt Taven, Maria Kannellis and Mike Bennett, PCO and Vincent is now known as Honor No More.

    Impact Wrestling’s next tapings will be held on January 21st and 22nd from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the Charles Dodge Center.

    You can see full match results from the tapings here.

  • Impact Champion Moose Calls Out Roman Reigns

    Impact Champion Moose Calls Out Roman Reigns

    Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose wants a match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

    Moose retained his title at Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. He beat Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey in a triple threat match.

    Moose wins at Impact Hard to Kill 2022

    Moose wants Roman Reigns

    On Sunday, Moose referenced the “Forbidden Door” and said it’s time for the Wrestling God to cross paths with the Head of the Table. He tweeted:

    “I Claim to be the Wrestling God. He claims to be The Head of the Table. With all this Forbidden Door talk….. what if …. @WWERomanReigns”

    This is not the first time Moose has made it known he wants to work with Roman Reigns. On a recent episode of Impact TV, moose referenced the Tribal Chief.

    https://twitter.com/089968Raph__/status/1480220813408325640

    The Impact world champion wrestling the WWE Universal Champion seems unlikely. However, it is possible.

    Moose vs. Roman Reigns is unlikely, but two other champions from WWE and Impact could share a ring very soon Entrants for the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble include Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

  • Mickie James Retains Knockouts Title at Hard To Kill

    Mickie James Retains Knockouts Title at Hard To Kill

    IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James retained her Championship in the main event of the Hard To Kill PPV event in Texas.

    James defended the title against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch, with both women taking massive bumps throughout.

    The finish saw Mickie hit her Mick Kick followed by the Mick-DT, gaining the 3 count and then burying Purrazzo underneath a broken table and chairs to stop her from answering the 10 count.

    James now heads into the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month, being the first-ever reigning IMPACT Knockouts Champion to do so.

    Mickie James WWE Royal Rumble

    Mickie James will be joining the likes of Nikki and Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and Charlotte Flair in the 30-Woman match at the end of January.

    The IMPACT Hard To Kill show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

    Here’s the full card for the event:

    • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
    • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
    • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
    • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
    • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
    • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
    • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War
  • ROH Stars Invade IMPACT Hard To Kill

    ROH Stars Invade IMPACT Hard To Kill

    Ring of Honor stars Mike and Maria Bennett, Matt Taven, Vincent and PCO made their presence felt at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill.

    The group appeared following the Hardcore War match on the PPV, attacking the team of Heath, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Rhino and Eddie Edwards. Heath had just won the match after Rhino hit a Gore on Karl Anderson.

    The commentators referred to the situation as an invasion during the PPV broadcast, and it looks as though IMPACT will be running with somewhat of an invasion angle going forward.

    ROH Invades IMPACT

    IMPACT Invasion

    Scott D’Amore was seen backstage in a segment following the attack, and he said that he would be “calling Baltimore to figure out what the hell is going on.”

    When the broadcast came back to commentary, the duo questioned if Ring of Honor “sanctioned” the attack, so this might play into the storyline going forward.

    ROH is currently on hiatus until April, so this could be part of the plan to keep the brand in fans’ minds ahead of the return date.

    The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

  • Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH World Championship at Hard To Kill

    Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH World Championship at Hard To Kill

    Ring of Honor Champion Jonathan Gresham successfully defended his title at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event.

    Gresham faced TNA/IMPACT and ROH legend Chris Sabin on the card, and both men put in a fantastic hard-hitting performance.

    The ROH Champion will now be heading to the TERMINUS event to defend his title against another IMPACT Wrestling star, Josh Alexander.

    Should Gresham be successful there too, he will likely be defending the title in the UK as part of the February 6th card for PROGRESS Wrestling.

    Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH Title

    The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

    Here’s the full card for the event:

    • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
    • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
    • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
    • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
    • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
    • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
    • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War
  • Trey Miguel Teases Appearance of MSK at Hard To Kill

    Trey Miguel Teases Appearance of MSK at Hard To Kill

    IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion Trey Miguel retained his X-Division Championship at the Hard To Kill PPV event, but that wasn’t the only headline-grabbing element of the match.

    Miguel’s entrance seemed to allude to his former Rascalz stablemates, who now go by MSK in WWE’s NXT 2.0 brand. There were two individuals who stood next to Miguel on the entrance ramp, and they certainly looked similar to the NXT Superstars.

    It’s an interesting development, as it was recently confirmed that Mickie James will be heading to WWE as part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match at the end of January.

    Fans have now been wondering if there will be a ‘Forbidden Door’ type of deal between WWE and IMPACT.

    Whilst we can’t confirm if that is the case at this time, it was clear that Miguel and IMPACT were alluding to his former stablemates, so they were at least trying to get the internet talking.

    Trey Miguel Teases MSK

    It will be interesting to see how IMPACT continues to tease this working relationship with WWE, as they have been known to push the boundaries in the past.

    The Forbidden Door concept is still intriguing to fans, and the Ring of Honor World Championship was also defended on the Hard To Kill PPV event on Saturday night.

    The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

  • History-Making Main Event Revealed for IMPACT Hard To Kill

    History-Making Main Event Revealed for IMPACT Hard To Kill

    The IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event has already begun, and it has been confirmed during the show that the IMPACT Knockouts match will be main eventing the broadcast.

    This will be the first time in both TNA and IMPACT history that a Knockouts Championship match will be main eventing a PPV event.

    Mickie James will be defending her IMPACT Knockouts Championship against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch.

    This comes after it was revealed that Mickie James would be part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Main Event

    The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

    Here’s the full card for the event:

    • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
    • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
    • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
    • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
    • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
    • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
    • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War
  • Tasha Steelz Wins the Ultimate X Match at Hard To Kill 2022

    Tasha Steelz Wins the Ultimate X Match at Hard To Kill 2022

    Tasha Steelz won the first-ever Knockout’s Ultimate X match at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill 2022 PPV event.

    Alisha, Chelsea Green, IMPACT Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace, Lady Frost, Rosemary and Steelz all entered the historic match with a shot at the Knockouts Championship on the line.

    There were some hellacious spots during the match, with Jordynnne Grace hitting what looked like a Sky High from the ropes by the X on Tasha Steelz. It really looked like it hurt the tailbones of both women but they continued.

    Lady Frost also hit a massive moonsault from the top of the truss to the outside just minutes before Tasha Steelz would take the win.

    Steelz will now go on to face either Mickie James or Deonna Purrazzo for the IMPACT Knockouts Championship. Those two women will compete later at Hard To Kill in a Texas Deathmatch for the title.

    Hard To Kill 2022

    The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

    Here’s the full card for the event:

    • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
    • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
    • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
    • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
    • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
    • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
    • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War
  • Tom Hannifan Joins Impact As New Play-by-Play Announcer

    Tom Hannifan Joins Impact As New Play-by-Play Announcer

    Tom Hannifan is the new voice of Impact Wrestling. He officially joined the commentary table at Saturday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.

    His former broadcasting partner Renee Paquette broke the news Saturday afternoon on Twitter. Impact soon followed up with confirmation.

    Hannifan is Imapct’s new lead play-by-play announcer, replacing Matt Striker.

    Tom Hannifan’s Road to Impact

    Hannifan previously worked for WWE under the name Tom Phillips. They released him in May 2021 after about 9 years with the company.

    Shortly thereafter, Hannifan spoke extensively about his time there. He credits Renee Paquette as being one of the people who took him under their wing and showed him the ropes while he got caught up to speed with WWE’s way of doing things.

    Following his Impact Wrestling debut, Hannifan will join Renee Paquette on the next edition of her Oral Sessions podcast. That interview drops this coming Tuesday.

    Below, you can check out Tom Hannifan’s in-depth interview talking about his WWE run, the hardest part of that job being overproduced there and much more.

    Tom Phillips Talks WWE Release, Internal Competition, Adnan Virk
  • Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

    Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

    Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James was announced as participating in the Royal Rumble last night on Smackdown. James was released by WWE in April of last year.

    WWE acknowledged that James is the current Knockouts champion when announcing her participating in the Rumble. James will defend that title tonight at Hard to Kill against former champion Deonna Purrazzo, however.

    Impact posted to their website about the news:

    “WWE wanted it, Mickie wanted it and IMPACT Wrestling’s philosophy is always to work with other major promotions to create buzz for the fans,” said IMPACT’s Scott D’Amore. “Everything is signed and agreed with WWE and IMPACT Wrestling – the only question is whether or not Mickie will enter one of WWE’s most historic annual matches as the reigning Knockouts World Champion.”

    “There’s never been a time like this for wrestling fans. In a 12 month period, IMPACT Wrestling has worked with NWA, AAA, New Japan, AEW and now WWE. IMPACT Wrestling is the nexus of the forbidden door era.”

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • The Iinspiration Pulled From Hard To Kill Due To COVID Exposure

    The Iinspiration Pulled From Hard To Kill Due To COVID Exposure

    Impact Wrestling stars The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay) will miss Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV due to COVID exposure.

    They had been scheduled to defend their Knockouts tag team titles on the show against Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood.

    The tag team contacted Impact to let them know they were in close contact with someone who tested positive shortly after.

    As of this writing, neither Lee or McKay have tested positive themselves.

    “IMPACT’s COVID protocols are in place to keep our talent roster, staff and fans safe. I am sure the fans will share The IInspiration’s and my disappointment that they won’t be in action at tomorrow’s stacked HARD TO KILL event, but we look forward to their return soon,” said Scott D’Amore.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • Impact Results (1/6): Go-Home Show For Hard To Kill

    Impact Results (1/6): Go-Home Show For Hard To Kill

    Impact 1/6 was the go-home show for Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV. It was also the first show back for the promotion since airing a 2-part Best of 2021 series the last two weeks.

    Impact Results 1/6

    1. Lady Frost, Chelsea Green & Tasha Steelz defeated Jordynne Grace, Rachael Ellering & Rosemary
    2. JONAH defeated Jake Something
    3. Masha Slamovich defeated Sandra Moone
    4. Deonna Purrazzo defeated Mercedes Martinez
    5. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger
    6. Karl Anderson defeated Heath

    Chelsea Green Picks Up Win For Her Team Ahead of Knockouts Ultimate-X Match

    Things opened up this week with a trios match pitting participants in the upcoming Ultimate-X match at Hard to Kill. It was announced recently, however, that Rachael Ellering has been pulled from the match and will be replaced by Alisha Edwards. No reason for Ellering being pulled has been given.

    Chelsea Green picked up the pin for her team after hitting the Un-pretty-her on Ellering.

    JONAH Defeats Jake Something Ahead of Hard To Kill

    At Hard to Kill, JONAH will face former Impact World Champion Josh Alexander. This week, JONAH was showcased heavily here. Something actually got the early advantage on JONAH but it wouldn’t last. JONAH hit a big clothesline, hit a senton and then finished him off with his big splash off the top rope.

    After the match, Alexander hit the ring and tried to lock in the ankle lock before security broke up the melee. JONAH then took out all the security and went after Alexander. He then gave Alexander his big splash through a table to end the segment.

    Masha Slamovich Debuts

    Vignettes promoting Masha Slamovich’s Impact debut have been airing for weeks and she finally arrived on this week’s show. After an initial flurry from Sandra Moone, Slamovich took her out with a series of strikes, suplexes, and then something of a fisherman’s brainbuster for the win. She looks like someone who could be in store for a big push in the Knockouts division.

    Deonna Purrazzo Defeats Mercedes Martinez Ahead Of Title Clash With Mickie James

    On Saturday, Purrazzo will have a chance to regain the Knockouts title. She would face Mercedes Martinez on this week’s show. To gain the upper hand, Purrazzo would attack Martinez before the bell. A back and forth match followed. The end of the match came when Purrazzo countered a slam from Martinez into the Venus De Milo and got the submission.

    Mickie James then entered the ring and got face-to-face with Purrazzo but things never came to blows.

    The Influence and Iinspiration Get Into Backstage Altercation

    Ahead of the Iinspiration defending their Knockouts tag team belts against The Influence at Hard to Kill, the two teams got into a backstage altercation this week. The Iinspiration were hosting their own backstage segment when Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood, and Kaleb with a K interrupted. The segment ended with the Iinspiration leaving and Tenille Dashwood signing off as if she had just hosted a segment of “All Bout Me”.

    Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger

    After Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger in tag team action this week, they continued the attack after the match. With Hernandez on the mat, Swinger abandoned his partner. Fulton and Austin then wrapped Hernandez’s arm and neck in a chair and smashed another chair on top to end the segment.

    Karl Anderson Beats Heath To Earn Hardcore War Advantage

    Ahead of the 10-man hardcore war at Hard to Kill, Karl Anderson squared off with Heath in singles action this week. Matt Striker explained the rules for the match at Hard to Kill. Participants will enter the match in War Games style, with 2 men starting and a new participant entering at different intervals and one team being given a numbers advantage. This match between Anderson and Heath would determine which team has the advantage.

    The finish of the match saw Heath miss an attack in the corner and Anderson hitting the cutter for the win. After the match, members of both teams hit the ring and an all out brawl ensued to end the show.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
      The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • Chris Sabin Discusses ROH Championship match at Hard To Kill

    Chris Sabin Discusses ROH Championship match at Hard To Kill

    Impact Wrestling talent Chris Sabin is looking forward to challenging Jonathan Grisham for the ROH World Championship. The anticipated match will take place at Hard to Kill on January 8th.

    The Sportster’s Denise Salcedo interviewed Sabin ahead of his match with Grisham. He shared that he didn’t know that Impact Wrestling booked the match until they announced it online. Salcedo mentioned that Sabin would join the likes of Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, and Eddie Edwards to win the ROH Championship and the Impact(Formerly TNA) World Heavyweight Championship. When asked what winning the ROH World Championship could mean for Sabin, he discussed how it adds to his career.

    “…That’s something that you could always go back to and reference as some sort of history in wrestling that you made,” said Sabin. He continued, “…It’s not easy to really to do something new and solidify your name and on such a historic level like that by winning two world championships and two different companies like that. But yeah, it would mean a lot, and it would just, you know, add to my credentials of my career, and it was something I would be proud of.”

    Chris Sabin Thoughts on Jonathan Gresham

    In the interview, Sabin had positive things to say about his opponent. He praised Gresham’s work ethic and his style. Sabin also credited his opponent for being influential to other wrestlers.

    “…I respect John a lot. I mean, he works really hard to be a unique talent just to be something different,” said Sabin. He explains, “Obviously, he works hard in the gym, he works hard when he’s training in the ring outside of wrestling, and you can just tell by his body of work. He’s just an amazing talent.”

    Jonathan Gresham Title Defense

    Sabin vs. Gresham for the ROH World Championship will be the first time an ROH champion will defend the title under Impact Wrestling. While it’s unclear who will win, Gresham is scheduled to defend the title at Terminus and The WRLD on GCW later this month. Regardless, Sabin will have the opportunity to make history when he challenges Gresham this Saturday.

  • Impact Announces “Wrestler of the Year” & Other Award Winners

    Impact Announces “Wrestler of the Year” & Other Award Winners

    Impact Wrestling aired the second part of its “Best of 2021” specials last night. During the broadcast, the promotion also announced several year-end award winners.

    On last week’s episode, Deonna Purrazzo was announced as the Knockout of the Year for the 2nd straight year. The Good Brothers also won the tag team of the year. Mickie James vs Deonna Purrazzo also won Knockouts match of the year.

    On this week’s episode, it was revealed that Josh Alexander and TJP’s Ironman match back in June has won the 2021 Men’s Match of the Year award.

    Josh Alexander was also announced as Impact’s Wrestler of the Year.

    Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering have won the Impact Knockouts tag team of the year award.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Rachael Ellering vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
      The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • Impact Announces Su Yung Is Pregnant

    Impact Announces Su Yung Is Pregnant

    Su Yung’s character is often addressed as “mother” by Brandi Lauren and Kimber Lee, but now she’s going to have a biological child to go along with her undead bridesmaids. On Impact Wrestling’s “Best of 2021 Part II” show last night, it was revealed that the former Knockouts Champion is pregnant.

    Real name Vannarah Riggs, the 32-year-old has been married to Rich Swann since March of 2017. This will be their first child together. Riggs has not wrestled since the summer and it was revealed last night that their child is due in February.

    Su Yung debuted in Impact Wrestling in 2018. Although she has spent much of her run as the undead bride character, she has two other alter-egos. “Susie” is the far more innocent and less violent version of her character. Then there is “Susan” who is something of a “Karen” and repeatedly reports things to management.

    https://twitter.com/realsuyung/status/1476751046374477832

    As of late in Impact, Brandi Lauren and Kimber Lee have both become minions of Yung. They have talked about “collecting souls for mother”. It seems this was perhaps a way to keep her character on television during her pregnancy.

    She defeated Allie (aka the Bunny) in 2018 to win the Knockouts title for the first time. Yung briefly won the title for a second time in 2020 after defeating Deonna Purrazzo. She would then drop the title back to Purrazzo a few weeks later.

  • Sami Callihan Gives Update on Ankle Injury

    Sami Callihan Gives Update on Ankle Injury

    Impact Wrestling talent Sami Callihan shared an update on his injury and his return to professional wrestling. He is looking to return to Impact Wrestling before August 2022.

    Callihan appeared on Busted Open on SiriusXM with Dave Legraca and Bully Ray to give his injury update. He suffered a broken ankle during an Impact Wrestling taping on September 18th. Callihan revealed that he is starting to walk without screws and preparing for his comeback in the interview.

    “I got my screws out on December 23rd. I started taking my first steps a couple of days ago, and the Callihan ‘Death Machine’ is starting to lose weight. I’m starting to get stronger each and every day,” said Callihan. He continued, “…When I come back to Impact Wrestling, there’s going to be hell to pay for a lot of people.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jNW8GqBffI

    Sami Callihan Wants to Wrestle Moose

    Callihan made his intentions clear on who he wants to wrestle when he returns to Impact Wrestling. On Busted Open, he called a Moose and said he wanted to hurt Moose. He is responsible for breaking Callihan’s ankle in the storyline, and Moose is also the current Impact World Champion.

    “…Fuck you, Moose. I don’t care if you are champion. I don’t care if you’re just being a dude on Impact Wrestling. When I come back to Impact Wrestling, I’m going to break your damn legs,” said Callihan.

    Callihan also shared that he will not say when he will return to Impact Wrestling, as he likes the element of surprise. However, he is looking to return to Impact Wrestling before August 2022. Ray asked why Callihan had animosity towards Moose; Callihan explained that Moose tried to take his livelihood. Callihan also promises that he will return better and meaner than ever.

    Moose Title Defense at Hard to Kill

    Moose will defend his championship against Matt Cardona and W.Morrissey in a triple threat match at Hard to Kill on January 8th, 2022. If Moose were to retain his title, it could set up a match between himself and Callihan. However, it is still unclear how soon Callihan will be ready to return. Moose also has unfinished business with Josh Alexander if Impact Wrestling wants to have their rematch. Regardless, Callihan wants his revenge on Moose, whether for the championship or not.

  • Impact Announces Best Of 2021 Awards Part 1

    Impact Announces Best Of 2021 Awards Part 1

    Impact Wrestling is finishing off 2021 by airing two “Best of 2021” episodes. Last night’s broadcast included some of the best matches of the year as well as the announcement of multiple award winners. More year-end award winners will be announced on next week’s episode.

    The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) were named the promotion’s tag-team of the year.

    The best Knockouts Match of the Year award went to Deonna Purrazzo vs Mickie James from Bound For Glory.

    Last year, Deonna Purrazzo won both the Knockout of the Year and Wrestler of the Year awards. She’s won the Knockouts of the Year award 2 years straight now. The Wrestler of the Year award will be announced next week.

    In addition to the awards given out last night, a new match for the Hard to Kill PPV was also revealed. Trey Miguel will defend his X-Division Championship against Steve Maclin on the show.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Rachael Ellering vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
      The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • ROH World Championship Match Announced For Impact Hard To Kill

    ROH World Championship Match Announced For Impact Hard To Kill

    Impact Wrestling has confirmed that the ROH world championship will be defended on an Impact show for the first time at the upcoming Hard To Kill PPV.

    The company sent out a press release in which they confirmed that Jonathan Gresham will defend his title against Chris Sabin in a one-on-one match.

    Gresham won the world title at the ROH Final Battle PPV earlier this month. Final Battle was ROH’s last show before their announced hiatus until April next year.

    In the meantime, Jonathan has started defending the title in various promotions. His first successful defense was against AJ Gray at last Friday’s GCW Blood on The Hills.

    Impact Hard To Kill Updated Match Card

    This is the 8th announced match for the first Impact PPV of 2022. After the latest announcement, here is the updated match card for the show:

    • Impact World Championship Triple Threat Match: Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey vs. Moose
    • ROH World Championship Match: Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham
    • Knockouts Championship Texas Death Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mickie James
    • X Division Championship Match: Steve Maclin vs. Trey Miguel
    • Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood vs. The IInspiration
    • #1 Contender Ultimate X Match For Knockouts Championship: Chelsea Green vs. Lady Frost vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Rosemary vs. Rachael Ellering vs. Impact Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace
    • Hardcore War: Heath, Rhino, Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. Violence By Design & Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers
    • Singles Match: Jonah vs. Josh Alexander

    Impact Hard To Kill will take place from The Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas on Saturday, January 8, 2022.

    Jonathan Gresham Wants To Defend ROH Title Against CM Punk & Bryan Danielson