– TNA President Dixie Carter noted recently that Kurt Angle will be making a major announcement on Wednesday’s live edition of Impact Wrestling on Destination America.
– Speaking of Dixie, both she and TNA executive John Gaburick noted on Twitter that they spent all day Monday in meetings at TNA Headquarters in Nashville to prepare for the Wednesday premiere of Impact Wrestling on Destination America.
TNA executive John Gaburick announced via his official Twitter account the re-signing of former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young.
Young joins Kurt Angle, Abyss, Ethan Carter III, Mr. Anderson, Jessie Godderz, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Madison Rayne, all of whom have officially signed back on with the promotion for their upcoming Destination America debut.
Below is the announcement from Gaburick’s Twitter page:
Proud to announce that former World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young (@ShowtimeEY) has signed a new contract with @IMPACTWRESTLING!
— John Gaburick (@JohnGaburick) January 6, 2015
As noted earlier today, TNA has officially announced the re-signing of “The Wolves” tag-team, which consists of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards.
Below are comments Richards and Edwards made after the announcement was made.
https://twitter.com/RichardsWesley/status/552150339924008960
So happy that @RichardsWesley and I have resigned with @IMPACTWRESTLING ! Such an exciting time to be a part of this! pic.twitter.com/MpjYadgRgB
— Edward Edwards (@TheEddieEdwards) January 5, 2015
TNA announced on Monday the re-signing of The Wolves, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards.
Below is the official announcement, courtesy of TNA executive John Gaburick’s Twitter account.
Let the hunt… continue!
Proud to announce Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards inking new deals w/ @IMPACTWRESTLING. pic.twitter.com/pDSqecfRVP
— John Gaburick (@JohnGaburick) January 5, 2015
TNA President Dixie Carter has responded to a fan asking about the status of TNA on pay-per-view in 2015. There has been some speculation that TNA might not be running PPVs in 2015, with the move to Destination America and the recent announcement that Lockdown will be airing as a special live edition of Impact Wrestling.
When asked about TNA’s future on PPV, she replied:
@pete0205 A few live PPVs and several One Night Only PPV's.
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) January 5, 2015
TNA announced today that they have re-signed Mr. Anderson and Madison Rayne to new deals with the company.
Anderson and Rayne join Kurt Angle, Abyss, Ethan Carter III and Jessie Godderz as recognized TNA talents that have re-signed with the company this week.
As noted earlier this week, TNA announced the re-signing of Kurt Angle, which obviously means he will not be returning to WWE as was rumored a few months back. Apparently, WWE simply wasn’t interested in bringing Angle back as an active performer.
There is, however, a feeling within WWE that once Angle is eventually done with his in-ring career, he will most likely be hired as a coach/trainer for their NXT developmental system.
TNA has announced the re-signing of former TNA Tag-Team Champion Jessie Godderz. Godderz joins Kurt Angle, Abyss and Ethan Carter III as talents that have re-signed with the promotion this week.
Speaking of TNA talents, the company has moved Bully Ray, Devon, Brittany, Quinton Jackson and Shark Boy to the alumni section of their official website.
In the case of Bully Ray, his deal with TNA expired and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be re-signing with the company for their return to cable television on Destination America later this month.
As noted earlier this week, TNA issued a press release confirming the re-signing of longtime star Kurt Angle.
It’s believed that this could be Angle’s final run as a wrestler for any company, as it was said during his negotiations with WWE and TNA that whichever company he signed with would likely be his final run as an active wrestler.
Angle has since commented on his TNA return. Below is a tweet he posted shortly after the announcement was made.
It's official. Happy to be part of the TNA wrestling roster! TNA has been loyal to me and I will do the same. http://t.co/La5nAuVrDH
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) December 30, 2014
– TNA Knockout Gail Kim is said to be working on a per-event deal with TNA as opposed to signing a new, long-term contract with the company. She is expected to work the upcoming Impact Wrestling television tapings in New York City next week, and is also committed for the upcoming U.K. tour.
– There’s some speculation that TNA is done with the pay-per-view business, as their Lockdown show, which along with Bound For Glory is traditionally one of their bigger pay-per-view shows, is airing as a free television special on Destination America.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
The following are highlights of a new Radio Yorkshire interview with TNA’s Rockstar Spud:
On Impact Wrestling network negotiations: “Every few years, TNA and Dixie have to go through these negotiations and the way social media has evolved over the last three years, has been ridiculous, so now everyone feels apart of everything that is going on, we have these negotiations regularly there not an issue, but because now with social media, people are saying their having negotiations everyone is making a mountain out of a molehill, it’s seems to just snowball, none of us internally were worried what was happening because we knew what was going on.”
On working with Ethan Carter III: “When we first met, we were a bit wary of each other, I’d never really anything of his previous work, I didn’t know that was him but for him it was a fresh start with the right opportunity, that is what wrestling is about it’s about the right person getting the right opportunity and the right people watching. Both us have the same mindset to wrestling, we both have the same thoughts onto getting the baby face over, we have the same sort of teaching we both have been to OVW and have that instant chemistry.”
On Destination America: “It’s such a positive thing, Spike were amazing partners they really were, but we’re now on a network much like Challenge in England, their whole channel has a big hole for wrestling, that’s what Destination America is, their whole thing is catered towards Impact Wrestling now they bring a lot of their live audience and a lot of their viewers, which can only help their channel like with Challenge in England.”
On Dixie Carter: “She’s amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better boss, on camera she is an absolutely evil woman but off camera the most wonderful person you will ever meet. She’s personable, polite, and a friend.”
Check out audio of the complete interview above.
In addition to Kurt Angle and Abyss, who TNA revealed re-signed with the promotion earlier this week, the company has now announced the re-signing of Ethan Carter III.
EC3 joins what will become a growing list of talents whose TNA deals expired recently that will be returning to the company now that they are gearing up for their re-launch on Destination America.
Below is a tweet from Dixie Carter confirming the EC3 re-signing.
The best signing I've ever made!!! #WorldsBestNephew @EthanCarterTNA pic.twitter.com/YkNl7SZkjD
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) December 31, 2014
After announcing the re-signing of Kurt Angle on Tuesday, TNA has also confirmed that Abyss (aka Chris Parks) has also re-signed with the company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Many of the TNA deals have expired since the promotion’s last television taping, so it’s believed that we will see a number of re-signing announcements in the coming days.
Abyss posted the following on Twitter about his TNA signing.
Thank you @IMPACTWRESTLING & @JohnGaburick! Extremely proud of being a member of TNA since the beginning and our team pic.twitter.com/mQUKVefD5z
— Abyss (@TherealAbyss) December 31, 2014
TNA has announced that Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy will face Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards at the January 8th Impact Wrestling television taping for Destination America in New York City, New York.
TNA also announced that their taping on January 9th will feature the Lockdown theme for a Destination America broadcast.
As noted in the past, Bobby Roode vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA Championship is set for the January 7th live debut on Destination America.
TNA issued the following press release announcing Kurt Angle has officially re-signed with the company.
Kurt Angle Re-signs With TNA Wrestling!
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 30, 2014) – TNA today announced Olympic Gold Medalist and TNA Hall-of-Fame member Kurt Angle has signed a new contract to remain an active TNA roster member. Kurt can be seen on IMPACT WRESTLING’s new home, Destination America, during a special LIVE event from New York City on Wednesday January 7 at 9/8c.
“Kurt Angle’s arrival nearly a decade ago put TNA on the map. Now Kurt leads a fresh, young IMPACT WRESTLING locker room into a whole new era on Destination America,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “Once Kurt steps inside those ropes there is no greater talent in professional wrestling.”
“I’m extremely excited to remain with TNA Wrestling,” said Angle. “The driving force behind my signing is the honesty, great communication and positive changes being made by Dixie Carter and John Gaburick. Things are moving upward and forward at TNA, and 2015 will be a great one for all of us at IMPACT WRESTLING.”
For more information on Kurt Angle and other talent signings visit impactwrestling.com, and follow IMPACT WRESTLING on twitter @IMPACTWRESTLING and TNA President Dixie Carter @TNADixie.
IMPACT WRESTLING premieres in its permanent time slot on Fridays from 9-11 PM ET beginning January 16 on Destination America. And, IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED with Mike Tenay premieres in its permanent time slot on Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon ET beginning January 17, immediately followed by TNA GREATEST MATCHES from Noon-1 PM ET.
TNA Knockout Brooke Tessmacher noted on Facebook recently that she and TNA star Robbie E. are no longer an item.
The two apparently broke up before finishing the filming of CBS’s “The Amazing Race” reality show a few months ago.
Tessmacher wrote the following on her official Facebook page.
“I do not mind sharing my personal life on social media. I normally would never comment on this but it’s beyond annoying at this point.
NO, I am no longer with Robbie E. We filmed the race this past summer and separated by the end of filming. I am so so incredibly happy in my life and have fully moved on. Hope you guys can as well.”
The following are highlights of a new In Your Head Wrestling interview with Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett:
How did the deal with New Japan to promote Wrestle Kingdom 9 come about? Was this something that GFW wanted to do or something New Japan wanted to do to get into the North American market?
“Well, a little of both. Back in April of 2014 when I announced the formation of my company and founded Global Force Wrestling, I had already been talking to the partners around the world and piecing things together. New Japan approached me and knew that they wanted to bring their product to the North American audience. It became real obvious real quick that what better way than to pick their biggest event, this is the 24th year, the annual Tokyo Dome show,…to really make a splash on the North American scene with the New Japan product. So we started piecing things together, and quite frankly we couldn’t be happier with where we’re at now: The Bullet Club red hot, Jim Ross getting on board, Matt Striker, all the videos and promotional stuff that we’ve put out, the buzz, the excitement. It all just sort of came together one thing after another and it has shaped up very nicely, and I’m really excited for January 4th.”
Are the plans for GFW in the future to do more shows like Wrestle Kingdom 9 where you present different wrestling from around the world or will you have your own roster and have more of a traditional wrestling program?
“The answer is both. In 2015 we will continue the rollout of Global Force Wrestling. I am talking with several international companies about bringing their product to North America. We are in the process, and there was a press conference December 22nd in South Africa and we have big plans down there in 2015. Then there is the stand-alone company with talent and sponsorship and venue and distribution and everything that goes together; that rollout will continue in 2015 as well.”
Have you seen a lot of guys on the Independent scene that you would like to bring into GFW?
“Absolutely. I’ve said it dating back to February of this year that I believe the professional wrestling business is just on the cusp of a boom period and I think a big component of that is that wrestling is healthy, and wrestling’s healthy because the free-agent market …I don’t like to refer to it as the Indy wrestlers; they may be independent promotions but I like to call them free-agents…is red hot. I’m sitting in my office right now and there’s a white board and there are 64 names on it and 48 of them are guys who have never worked for a major company with worldwide distribution. The Independent scene is red hot in my opinion.”
What do you think about TNA’s new television deal with Destination America?
“Thank the Lord that they got a deal. You know there was a couple of months there that I didn’t know, and certainly anybody else didn’t know, and there were reports online…I don’t think it would’ve been good for the industry whatsoever. Remove the fact that I’m still a minority owner; the wrestling business is my passion and I want everyone to succeed and I think there’s plenty of room. You have ROH in the syndication market and they’re just entering into the pay-per-view world. You have TNA with Destination America. You have New Japan coming on AXS TV. You have El Rey with Lucha Underground. You have Global Force – we’re going to continue our rollout. With all of that being said, the WWE still probably has 75, 80, 85, 90 percent of the market share. Other promotions need to be healthy.”
Check out the complete interview at IYHWrestling.com.
Former WWE and TNA wrestler Mickie James announced on Instagram that she is now engaged to TNA star Magnus. The two had a son back in September named Donovan Patrick Aldis. Here’s a photo of the ring:
TNA tweeted a photo for the holidays of the company’s championship belts under a Christmas tree. TNAInsider.com noticed that the TNA Knockouts championship has been upgraded. The design of the belt is similar, but the belt now has a black strap (instead of white) and the highlight colors are blue instead of red.
TNA executives were reportedly upset with Spike TV for pushing back the final two episodes of Impact Wrestling to late night slots, according to a report at f4wonline.com. TNA was expecting to remain in prime time for the final two episodes on the network.
It’s also worth mentioning that there was no reference to TNA moving to Destination America, or even leaving Spike TV, during the final Impact Wrestling broadcast this past Wednesday night.
The following are highlights of a new U.K. Mirror interview with TNA President Dixie Carter:
On the live edition of Impact Wrestling on Destination America on Jan. 7: “Our first show, which is live, will be similar to what we’ve done in the past. There’ll be a few new bells and whistles but it’ll be similar because there’s only so much you can do live because you don’t have the post-production time to dive into unique, different production aspects.
But if you give us a few weeks, I think everyone will start to see a transition of very new and very exciting ways to watch Impact. I don’t want to say too much, I’d rather it just unveil itself. I’m definitely excited about some of the changes coming up.”
On disagreeing with Vince McMahon’s “millenials” comment during his “brass ring” speech: “I can’t even comprehend that statement. It doesn’t sit with our group. My own roster’s completely different than that. I don’t have a complaint about anybody on my roster.
The young guys are just as hungry … the young guys from 10 years ago are now the Bobby Roodes, Samoa Joes, James Storms. My main eventers, who were brand new young talent from 10 to 12 years ago, I’m proud of how far they’ve come. This young group of talent we have right now, they’re the hardest working, most positive team players around.”
Check out the complete interview at Mirror.co.uk.
The following are highlights of a U.K. Mirror interview with TNA British Bootcamp 2 winner Mark Andrews:
On winning the second season of British Boot Camp: “To get an opportunity like that will be amazing – I’m glad they’re focusing more on homegrown talents because that’s exactly what I could be. I’d love to be a regular fixture in the X Division – there’s a gap for me to shift into leaving me more opportunities. Hopefully I can take advantage.”
“I was like, ‘Oh s***…I’m in the top three! This is going to be really great for Rampage of Kay Lee, this will be awesome for them’…and then they were like, ‘You won!’ I was like, ‘s***…that happened really fast’.
On being on a major platform like Destination America: “To get an opportunity like that will be amazing – I’m glad they’re focusing more on homegrown talents because that’s exactly what I could be.
“I’d love to be a regular fixture in the X Division – there’s a gap for me to shift into leaving me more opportunities. Hopefully I can take advantage.”
Check out the complete interview at Mirror.co.uk.
The following are highlights of a new Main Event Radio interview with Jeff Jarrett:
On the NJPW ‘Wrestle Kingdom 9’ pay-per-view: “This is truly a global event. The most widely distributed live wrestling event in history. New Japan is a red-hot promotion. Expecting over 50,000 fans and I can tell you this will be a card that is on par with a Wrestlemania. Jim Ross, the voice of a generation of wrestling fans is going to be calling the action. This truly is a can’t miss event.”
On The Young Bucks: “I consider the best tag team in wrestling today. New age wrestlers of 2015 and beyond.”
On AJ Styles: “We’ve gone side-by-side together for the last 12 years…he stepped away, out of his comfort zone and he had in my opinion possibly the best year of his career. He’s an incredible athlete and an even better person. I met AJ when he was in his early 20’s and now he’s married with 4 kids. I’ve seen him develop as a man and I’m very proud of him as a man and in his career. The X division matches that he had and his world title runs, he is without a doubt the hottest free agent out there and a great professional wrestler.”
On Jim Ross: “We knew when Global Force Wrestling and New Japan cemented the deal in August and then got the PPV contracts confirmed throughout United States and Canada with every provider in both countries. So when we looked around to find out who would be the English-speaking announcer and realized that Jim Ross was available, it was a no brainer. He is the best of the best of the best, he has no peers and he is simply the best. We knew by signing him, by acquiring him, he was going to raise the profile of the event. But over the last 3-4 weeks the amount of publicity and media requests has taken off a whole new life. The buzz is taken off the charts. With the Flipps app, this event is available on a worldwide basis for anybody to watch.”
On leaving TNA: “It was time. I founded the company back in 2002. We were rocking and rolling. I put everything I had into that company. I knew when 2013 came to an end; I looked in the mirror and knew it was time for me to take the next step in my life and my career. I’ve got no regrets, I’m very happy with my time there but it was time for me to go in a different direction. Very thankful, very blessed, and very grateful for my time in TNA. The early years were such a unique set of circumstances. The rabid fan base began to grow back on a weekly basis back on the Wednesday night PPVs. The original fans, then we got the Spike deal and things began to gel. From 2002 right through 2009 were my favourite times. A lot of fun, great talent, the X division, it really exploded.”
On if it bothers him at all that TNA refers to Bobby Roode as their longest reigning champion: “No, because that’s wrestling. Bobby’s a good friend. I can remeber him at the early days at the asylum. I walked up to Bobby and I scratched my head why he wasn’t signed to WWE. We jumped on him immediately and signed him. He’s a great talent, I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy and he can get it done in the ring.”
On his plans for Global Force Wrestling: “We have very methodically rolled out the Global Force Brand. Partnering with AAA in Mexico, New Japan in Japan, with announcements to come for United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. Systematically, we’re having patience. We’re going to be a fully-functioning promotion with our roster, sponsorships, venues, talent, distribution. We’re putting those all in place. In early 2015 the roll-out of GFW will continue. Stay tuned. We’ve got some really unique opportunities ahead of us. A wrestling PPV has not been promoted without a traditional cable outlet. We’re innovative. Everything, not just the wrestling business, is headed to the digital world. WWE Network, New Japan World, Major League Baseball. With us partnering with other promotions around the world, that is a fundamental difference in today’s wrestling.”
Check out the complete interview at MainEventRadio.com.
DESTINATION AMERICA EXPANDS WEEKEND WRESTLING LINEUP WITH
ADDITION OF TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES
(Silver Spring, Md.) – Destination America today announced it is adding TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to its weekend lineup of wrestling programming. An hour-long show, GREATEST MATCHES presents the most remarkable and unforgettable contests of iconic TNA superstars such as Kurt Angle, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. TNA Wrestling’s Greatest Matches debuts with a three episode mini-marathon on Saturday, January 10 beginning at 10 AM ET followed by two new additionalpremieres on Friday January 16at 9AM. TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES will continue to premiere in its regular time slot starting January 17 on Saturdays at 12PM.
“We joined forces with TNA because of their rich history with wrestling and have compiled an incredible anthology of TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to share with our audience,” said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. “We’re bringing fans and viewers together as we celebrate the wildest, the most intense, and the most jaw-dropping moments in the careers of some of the best professional wrestlers in the world with TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES.”
“The legacy of TNA is best celebrated by looking at the amazing moments created by our iconic wrestlers in their finest matches,” said TNA president Dixie Carter. “It’s why we are so thrilled to bring TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES to the ever-growing lineup on Destination America, the new home for fans looking for professional wrestling at its best.”
With a special LIVE broadcast, IMPACT WRESTLING debuts on Destination America on Wednesday, January 7 from 9-11 PM ET, televised from New York City’s legendary Manhattan Center. IMPACT WRESTLING moves to its regular time slot on Fridays from 9-11 PM ET beginning January 16 on Destination America. IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED, with announcer Mike Tenay, will kick off Saturday wrestling with premieres in its permanent (again, regular) time slot on Saturdays from 10 AM-12 PM ET followed by brand-new episodes of TNA WRESTLING’S GREATEST MATCHES at 12PM.
January Airings of TNA Wrestling’s Greatest Matches include:
Saturday, January 10
10 AM ET: Best of Sting
11 AM ET: Best of Kurt Angle
12 PM ET: Best of Kurt Angle Part 2
Friday, January 16
9 AM ET: Best of Ron Van Dam
10 AM ET: Best of Mr. Anderson
Saturday, January 17 at 12 PM ET: Best of Jeff Hardy
Friday, January 23 at 1 PM ET: Best of The Knockouts
Saturday, January 24 at 12 PM ET: Best of Samoa Joe
Saturday, January 31 at 12 PM ET: Best of Bully Ray
TNA issued the following today …
Josh Mathews To Join Impact Wrestling Announce Team
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 18, 2014) – TNA, today, announced seasoned broadcaster Josh Mathews will join Taz to form the new IMPACT WRESTLING announce team. With Mathews doing play-by-play and Taz color-commentary, the new IMPACT WRESTLING announce team will debut during the LIVE broadcast of IMPACT WRESTLING on Destination America from New York City on Wednesday, January 7 at 9/8c.
“Josh Mathews is a dynamic talent who brings great energy and experience to commentating,” said John Gaburick, TNA’s Executive Vice President of Television. “I’ve had the pleasure to work with Josh for many years and know he, alongside Taz, will captivate fans and enhance the viewing experience.”
Raised in Indiana, Mathews moved to New York as a teenager to pursue his professional wrestling career and quickly established himself as a leading voice in sports entertainment and professional wrestling.
“I was amped up when I heard the news Mathews would be joining me to announce IMPACT WRESTLING on Destination America,” said Taz. “Our goal is to be the best announce team in wrestling today, combining Mathews’ work ethic and experience with mine alongside the best roster in wrestling. I am looking forward to sitting next to my friend and new announce partner on January 7 in New York City.”
“I’m elated to join TNA and be the new voice of IMPACT WRESTLING alongside my friend and three-time World Champion Taz,” said Mathews. “I’d like to thank Dixie Carter and John Gaburick for this incredible opportunity. Mike Tenay is a legend in this business and I am humbled to build on the body of work he has established over the past 12 years on IMPACT. To have my voice attached to the amazing athletes who do what they do better than anyone in the world is a dream come true.”
IMPACT WRESTLING debuts on Destination America with a special LIVE broadcast on Wednesday, January 7 from 9-11 PM ET, televised from New York City’s legendary Manhattan Center. IMPACT WRESTLING will move to its permanent time slot on Fridays from 9-11 PM ET beginning January 16 on Destination America. And, IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED with Mike Tenay premieres in its permanent time slot on Saturdays from 10 AM-Noon ET beginning January 17.