Earlier today, we ran a report that TNA talent is “freaking out” over the lack of communication from management regarding the direction of the company and the ongoing negotiations to land a new TV deal for Impact Wrestling in 2015.

On Wednesday afternoon, TNA star Bully Ray took a not-so-subtle shot at “generals” who do not properly communicate with their “soldiers” –

When Generals do not properly communicate with their soldiers, consider the war lost and the soldiers dead.

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) November 12, 2014

The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling Podcast interview with Hernandez:

On Chavo Guerrero using Eddie Guerrero’s mannerisms to get himself over: “TNA wanted him to do that. You know damn well when he was in WWE he wasn’t doing that crap. Why else would he do it? The guy’s been wrestling twenty years, he’s not retarded. He’s an excellent wrestler. Why would you want to be a novelty act? They didn’t even give us a team name because they wanted to sell Guerrero t-shirts.”

On his departure from TNA: “The only way I know that I’m not on the show no more is I don’t get a cheque no more. The last time I got a call from TNA was the end of November 2013; my contract ended May 12th (2014), which is awkward because I thought it was the 14th of May. I wake up on the 12th, and it was all over social media, Impact wrestling unfollowed me on Twitter… I text Mrs Carter the day after my contract expired saying “thanks for the eight years”; I’m still waiting for a response. It is the most bush league thing I’ve ever heard of.”

On the main problem with TNA: “As long as the Carters have billions of dollars, that company will never go away. I just think the infrastructure just needs, you know, how you snake a toilet? They have Jeff Hardy, you had Sting, Kurt Angle, the best up and coming talent (like) Austin Aries, Roode, Styles, all these guys that could do anything, and you let every former WWE employee that served coffee to Vince McMahon try to be the boss time after time after time.”

On LAX: “The reason why you saw LAX being so good and so strong on TV was because Konnan literally had to threaten to quit and take his bag and roll into the parking lot every time they came up with some corny ass idea for LAX.”

On whether he would return to TNA: “Of course not. You wrestle somewhere eight years, you do every stupid semi-racist vignette. I know how a Mexican looks, acts and talks. I don’t need a fifty year old white man telling me I’m not being Mexican enough. At the beginning of Mexican America I was doing all the talking, but because I wasn’t saying essa and orale I magically became the non-speaker. I told them I wouldn’t talk like that because I live in Houston and I’m not gonna get my ass kicked because I’m making fun of my own people.”

Hernandez also revealed that he has signed on to wrestle for Lucha Underground.

Check out the complete interview at v2Wrestling.com.

– The weeks are flying by and there’s still no definitive word about the future of TNA’s television deal come 2015. While the lack of information is certainly frustrating for fans invested in the product, TNA employees are also very worried about the company’s future. According to a report at PWInsider.com, a good portion of TNA’s wrestlers and employees are “freaking out” due to the complete lack of communication from top TNA officials. There have been various teases for “major announcements” that have come and gone without producing confirmation of a new TV deal.

– TNA posted the following video interview with Taryn Terrell:

Taryn Terrell talks about the recent turn in her friendship with Madison Rayne and what she expects to happen in their match this Wednesday on IMPACT

– Kevin Nash worked as a special referee for a tag-team match between TNA stars The Wolves and The Maddox Brothers. After the match, Nash praised the two teams on Twitter.

Watched some great indy wrestling last night.The Wolf's vs the Maddox Bros. Nice to be a part of it.

— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) November 10, 2014

– WWE Superstar Justin Gabriel played the heel against Adam Rose in his match at the WWE live event in Leeds on Sunday. Gabriel cut a heel promo before the match and during the match, was hit with “you can’t wrestle” chants and general heel heat from the fans in attendance. After the match, Gabriel joked on Twitter that as a result of the chants, he was leaving Europe earlier and skipping the rest of the shows. For the record, he is not.

Leeds you suck. I'm never coming back to this town. #WWELeeds

— Justin Gabriel (@Justin__Gabriel) November 9, 2014

I'm booking my flight back to the USA right now. I'm skipping the rest of the towns on this tour.

— Justin Gabriel (@Justin__Gabriel) November 9, 2014

– TNA posted the following video of Samoa Joe being injured during the TNA Tag-Team tournament on this past Wednesday’s edition of Impact Wrestling:

http://youtu.be/X0K4YgSz_jw

– Below is an excerpt of a new Brooke Tessmacher interview where she talks about her goals and desire to have a shot against Havok:

“I have been gone this past year and can’t wait to prove myself again. It was something that I wanted to be was [a wrestler]. I wanted a chance to prove myself. I think I‘ve done that very well. Every time I wake up I think, ‘Wow, I’m a two-time champion. I did that. I know if I wanted to do it again, I could.’ It’s a dream come true.”

“I hope in January to be on the U.K. tour. I’m looking forward to working with Jessicka Havok. I would love to see what I can do in the ring against her. She is quite scary, obviously. I think I have mental prep from Gail Kim and Lisa [Marie Varon, a.k.a. Tara]. I also would love to have a few matches with Taryn Terrell. She is doing great and a good friend of mine, but I would love to see how we would do in the ring together. I think we could put on something amazing together.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

– Speaking of Tessmacher, she and Robbie E. finished fourth place on this week’s edition of “The Amazing Race” on CBS, which allows them to advance to next week.

The following press release was issued today …

Brimming with a fighting spirit and a take-charge attitude, TNA Triple Crown Champion wrestler Austin Aries issues a challenge in a new ad for peta2, PETA’s youth division: “I Want You to Try Vegan!” The ad, available here, goes on to point out that everyone who goes vegan saves the lives of more than 100 animals every year and protects their health and the environment. “Try going vegan,” reads Aries’ ad, “I dare you!”

As a five-time TNA X Division Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and TNA World Tag Team Champion, Aries takes home win after win on the strength of plant-based nutrition—and in a video interview with peta2, whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat,” he explains why. “[I]t doesn’t feel right to exploit other living creatures for my pleasure,” Aries says, “because I’m proof that you don’t need those things to sustain yourself. You have a choice.”

Athletes who ditch meat report health benefits across the board, including increased energy, strength, and stamina. Delicious, nutrient-rich vegan foods provide all the protein and complex carbohydrates that athletes need in order to excel in every aspect of life, including in the ring. And of course, vegan meals also spare animals immense suffering on factory farms, in slaughterhouses, and on the decks of fishing boats—and vegans decrease their carbon footprint, as the meat industry is a major producer of the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.

Aries is part of a long list of athletes and other celebrities—including UFC fighter Thiago Alves, pro surfer Tia Blanco, mixed martial arts fighter Jake Shields, Dave Navarro, Ty Lawson, and Metta World Peace—who have teamed up with peta2 to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit peta2.com.

The Most REVEALING Photos Of RONDA ROUSEY That You Have EVER Seen!

The Wednesday, November 5th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.75, which is the same as the 0.75 number that the show drew the previous week.

This week’s Impact Wrestling averaged 930,000 viewers, which was actually up a bit from the average of 911,000 viewers who tuned in the week before.

TNA failed to crack the top 100 shows in the 18-49 demographic on Wednesday night.

The Wednesday, October 22, 2014 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.83, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 0.83 final draw marks a healthy increase compared to last week’s show, which finished with an 0.73 cable rating.

Impact Wrestling viewership was also up this week, as Wednesday’s show averaged 1.065 million viewers, up from the average of 922,000 viewers who tuned in the week before.

The following are highlights of a new Sports Vibe interview with TNA Knockout Gail Kim:

When you began your first stint with TNA back in 2005, did you imagine there would be such a great Knockouts division seven years later?

I just knew I wanted to wrestle and I wanted the company to have a women’s division. Never did I imagine that we would have such a great and talented amount of girls. I love our division now because everybody has something different to offer.

Who has been the toughest opponent you’ve come up against in TNA?

The toughest physically I would say is Taryn Terrell. I worked with Taryn in WWE and there we never really got to showcase what we could do. We never really developed a women’s division to what we have here. I never knew what to expect from her. She told me she loved physicality but I’ve never met anybody who wanted to go to that level. That was the first time in fourteen years that I was blown away. We’ve had a great chemistry since we started wrestling each other regularly.

TNA is putting heavy emphasis on expanding its international image. What was your view on taking Bound For Glory to Tokyo?

I think it was a great idea. We’ve never done a pay-per-view in Japan before. I know from my experience that the fans are different because they clap more and are less rowdy than in the United States. So it’s always interesting and it translated different on television. I think real true wrestling fans appreciated the idea. Wrestling is huge in Japan so to see a different style matched with the American style was great.

The likes of Ethan Carter III, James Storm and Austin Aries have all publicly opposed the return of the six-sided ring. What are your thoughts on bringing it back?

People don’t like change. I was fortunate enough to wrestle in that ring before so I knew it was going to take time to get used to. We’re still getting used to it. But honestly, we left it to the fans and it was certainly an overwhelming decision. I think it makes us different but at the beginning when we got it back, we could feel it physically on our bodies. Luckily, we have a great ring crew and we addressed the issue by working on it for us. It’s great now and it’s just a matter of getting used to where you are in the ring. I honestly think in a couple months nobody will realise.

Check out the complete interview at SportsVibe.co.uk.

Bully Ray tweeted the following on Wednesday night, teasing that he’ll be appearing on one of his favorite shows live next Monday night – with the Dudley Boyz’ WWE theme music (“Bombshell”) blasting. This was the latest cryptic tweet from Bully, who has been saying it’s time for him and Devon to go after another set of their favorite tag team titles – leading many to believe he’ll be showing up in WWE sooner than later.

https://twitter.com/REALBully5150/status/525092614002204672

As it turns out, Bully was just ribbing the fans, revealing after Impact that the big appearance he was teasing is actually Eddie Trunk’s Sirius XM radio show.

Attn fellow ROCKERS! Next Mon night, I will be live on @EddieTrunk show on @SXMHairnation 9EST talkin Rock n Roll. Call in!! m/ m/

— Bully Ray (@bullyray5150) October 23, 2014

Matt Hardy spoke with Brian Fritz of BetweenTheRopes.com this week about this stage of his career, why he thinks he’s better than even before, life after the WWE and why this past year has been so much fun for him. Plus he talks about teaming with Jeff again, being back in the ring against Team 3D in over a decade and still working in TLC matches. He also gets into the the current tag team landscape in wrestling, working against the Briscoes and the Young Bucks, TNA going forward, his goal of working behind the scenes in creative for a promotion, working for Maryland Championship Wrestling and losing his title following a low blow from former WWE creative team member Kevin Eck along with his thoughts on the WWE and what he thinks is missing right now.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

On having more fun in the business now:

“This is the most fun I’ve had in wrestling because there’s no pressure, there’s no stress. And I’m not afraid to tell people no. If someone says “we want you to do this” and I’ll go that’s OK, I’m not interested. There’s people that contact me all the time with decent offers and I’ll go I’m not interested. I really am my own boss and it’s nice. I know there’s guys I talk to here and there with WWE and sometimes I hear about the stresses or the pressures or I even think about when (CM) Punk left or the deal when (Alberto) Del Rio left. I was like man, it can be such a pressure cooker there, so stressful. Trust me, I know there’s no power like their TV and it’s great to perform in front of those audiences and just be a part of that WWE machine but there’s just such a stress and there’s such a pressure that comes with it and there’s so much politics. Now, I do some really cool stuff. It’s not as glamorous as being in the WWE, but the fact of the matter is I’m having fun and I’m still being able to do what was my dream as a child and that’s be aprofessional wrestler. And I’m still making fantastic money. I have no complaints on that end.”

On TNA having better TV lately but having to overcome their bad reputation:

“You’re right, they do have a very bad reputation. I can tell you this too — I pride myself on being a good ambassador for whoever I’m working for currently right now. I’ve done things where I’ve been bitter or hurt or angry and been negative. Man, I’ve learned to just stray away, turn completely away from that stuff because anything that is negative is just corrosive. It’s ultimately bad for you. So when I was with Ring of Honor, I knew I had some good stuff coming up on TV or the stuff I was doing with Adam Cole or other stuff it was easy to endorse that and people were like “oh my God, that’s cool, I’ll check Ring of Honor out”. I have a huge chunk of that WWE fan base that watched me for those 12, 13 years who would say “OK cool, I’ll check out this Ring of Honor”. With TNA now, it’s still hard to convince some people. There are people who have tuned in to see the Hardy’s and they’re like I love these matches that you’re having, but it is an uphill battle to try and convince people that this place is going to be different. I can’t really say that it is in the long term. They’ve tried hard and my relationship with them has bene great. As I’ve said before, I’m not under contract with them. I have a great more or less handshake, verbal deal, relationship with them right now where I do their big stuff. I told them to keep me in the loop going forward and I’m totally cool with working with them. I hope they really do have their head screwed on straight and I hope they try and give wrestling fans and the wrestling industry the best product possible and do a smart, no nonsense product and do their own thing but really stay true to the wrestling in the ring.”

On teaming with Jeff again:

“Yeah, I think as long as we’re both doing this stuff — I feel like Terry Funk now, we’re the old guys still going and doing crazy stuff. As long as Jeff and I are actively wrestling, I’m sure there will be a point where we team. People always love stuff we do when we’re together. Jeff is amazing as a singles star on his own. He’s unbelievably great. He’s better now that he’s even been from a psychology and story-telling standpoint, no doubt. And I have a pretty good grasp on who I am but it’s always just magic when we’re together. There’s something special about when we’re together and fans love it. There’s that nostalgia effect that people get into. Man, these are two guys who started as enhancement talent, doing jobs for the big stars who pursued their dreams and they stuck together and they made it. Then they innovated all these crazy ladder and table matches and took them to a whole new level. People love seeing that success story come back together and they always will.”

Here’s a preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV, taped from Bethlehem, PA:

– Kurt Angle, TNA’s Executive Director, will oversee the contract signing between the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Lashley and Bobby Roode who go one-on-one for the TNA Title next next, Wednesday October 29th on IMPACT. Angle promises to make an announcement that will, “change the complexion of this match.”

– An update on why Bram attacked Devon last week.

– The 8-team #1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament kicks off.

• The Latest On TEAM 3D Returning To WWE

The following are highlights of an Under The Mat radio interview with Kenny Omega:

On his time in WWE Developmental: “I went there and it was like really grueling physical training we were training to be MMA fighters not professional wrestlers (laughter). I liked it and enjoyed it because that’s the kind of training that I like to do. The problem with Deep South to me is that there was a group that were tight with the boss and they would always go out and drink and have barbeques. Then when WWE would say who should we look at? Bill Demott would say oh look at this guy and this guy. Of course those were his buddies….”

On Bob Holly being a bully: “We had guests come in at times like Benoit (Chris), William Regal, Dean Malenko, and Bob Holly would come and kick our ass. I don’t know what the guy problem was he was always grumpy. I remember one time he (Holly) got mad at one of the guys and kept punching him in the face…”

On how he thinks the Japanese fan base wouldn’t like TNA style of wrestling: “Not to knock TNA but there’s too much hokey talking and segments that don’t really involve wrestling. Of course everyone in TNA speaks English so if there’s an angle going on they won’t be able to understand it. TNA has a talented roster but when I looked at it seems as if everyone was rushing it’s like the time is given to the talking and when it happens in the ring everyone rushes to the finish. In Japan it’s the opposite when you talk make it quick and tell your story in the match.”

Check out the complete interview at BlogTalkRadio.com.

The following are highlights of a new Digital Spy interview with Al Snow:

Mick Foley’s recent Facebook post praising him: “I wondered whether he was sick or dying, because it was so out of character! We’re good friends, and we go back and forth at each other all the time. We’ve done that for years and we will continue to do so for years to come, it’s just what we do. Mick of course takes it to an obsessive level! But that’s Mick.”

Six-sided ring returning: “The six-sided ring is not that controversial to me. I don’t know what the controversy is. It’s two more sides. I think it’s a great identifier for TNA. You’re flipping through the TV channels and you see it, it stands out. It looks different, catches your attention. It might captivate somebody to watch for a few moments, and who knows, we may have another audience member.”

Can TNA be competitive in today’s wrestling landscape: “Back in the day in the US when there was different territories and things like that, one territory would get hot, become very successful and another one would cool off. It went that way. TNA has got all the tools to be a major success and a major competitor in the wrestling landscape. It’s just a matter of when, not if, it’ll fall together and click. Everybody will be like, ‘See, I told you it was going to happen’ when they’ve been naysayers this entire time. Everybody will jump off the bandwagon at that point. ‘I always knew that they could do it’. Sure you did.”

Check out the complete interview at DigitalSpy.com.

It looks like Kurt Angle is going to remain in TNA, despite recent reports to the contrary.

Angle’s contract with TNA reportedly expired on September 21st and according to reports, TNA wants people to believe that he is leaving the company so that when it’s revealed that he’s actually staying, it will come off like a big surprise to the fans.

As noted recently, Angle apparently turned down an offer to return on a full-time schedule with WWE because he felt his body couldn’t hold up to such a schedule. Whether or not that offer was ever really made, was never actually confirmed.

It appears as though we have yet to see the last of Team 3D, formerly known as The Dudley Boyz, in WWE.

Recent reports suggest that there has been some movement on both ends to get both Bully Ray, formerly known as Bubba Ray Dudley, as well as Devon (formerly known as, well, D-Von) back into the biggest sports entertainment company on the planet.

Both Team 3D members were set to finish up with TNA after the Bound For Glory event, which aired this past weekend. Due to TNA’s budget limitations, it appears that even if the company lands a new cable television home, one of their biggest tag-teams (and in Bully Ray, one of the top individual stars) could be on their way out.

At the aforementioned Bound For Glory show, Bully Ray declared war on the “Bullet Club,” which is the top faction in the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. Additionally, he declared his interest in going after “another” set of titles, which many believe to be the NJPW belts.

If the two were to return to WWE, according to rumors circulating on the internet, it would likely take place after the two finish up their planned run in Japan. However, it does appear that there is strong interest from both WWE, as well as Bully Ray and Devon, to see the Dudley Boyz finally make their way back to WWE.

RONDA ROUSEY Gets PHYSICALLY INVOLVED At Pro Wrestling Show — PHOTOS INCLUDED!!

(Partial Credit: PWInsider.com)

Former ECW, WCW and TNA manager James Mitchell posted the following story on his official Facebook recently, revealing a conversation he had with Vince Russo:

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD

During a recent conversation with former WWE and TNA head writer, Vince Russo on Vince Russo’s Pyro & Ballyhoo, I asked him to explain to me how the decision was made in TNA creative to fire me, when I was clearly a good soldier, a top tier on-screen presence who got real heat and unquestionably one of the very few money-promo guys. He offered the following-

“Two overlaying things with TNA. One is much bigger than the other. And Jim, one of ‘em is like almost unbelievable to say, okay? Dixie Carter, I hate to say this, and I hate to use this word, but after owning the company for so many years, Jim, was still such a mark that if Jim Mitchell would be the Devil on television and was getting heat because that was his job, and that’s what he was paid to do, because people were booing and hissing you, Dixie did not like Jim Mitchell. Not that she, and you shouldn’t laugh, this is a shoot, so literally bro, if you’re getting heat and people are booing you and she doesn’t like you because of your “character”, a lot of times that transforms into her not liking you.”

Priceless.

That explains a lot about her subsequent creative input. Perhaps if I posted Tweets insensitive to Japanese typhoon victims, as she recently did, I would have been more in line with her vision of how a heel gets heat.”

• Cyborg & Transgender MMA Fighter Trade HEATED Insults Back & Forth [MUST READ >>]

The Wednesday, October 15, 2014 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.77, down from last week’s 0.85 final draw.

Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling averaged 922,000 viewers, which was also down from the 1.102 million viewer average that the show drew the previous week.

– Although it may sound repetitive at this point, TNA has reportedly been telling business partners that they are associated with that a new television deal for the company will be announced within the next ten days.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross posted the following on Twitter about last night’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling:

Hats off to @REALBobbyRoode @ShowtimeEY @JEFFHARDYBRAND @AustinAries for strong work tonight. Appreciated @OfficialTAZ & @RealMikeTenay too

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) October 16, 2014

TNA President Dixie Carter has apparently told several people to expect a “major announcement” in the near future. While some may believe that the announcement will be a new television deal for the company, that may not be the case.

There has been some claims that TNA has been negotiating with a talent that would reportedly “shock people.” It’s said that if it comes to fruition, the new signing would create a buzz around TNA, however no one seems to know who the talent is.

We can confirm that the person is not CM Punk or Mick Foley.

The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling Podcast interview with TNA Knockout Gail Kim:

On whether she was comfortable seeing Dixie Carter go through a table: “Oh my God, yes, I felt very comfortable with it. I was so excited. Because, you know, if you wrestle this long, you’ve seen it all – not that you’ve seen it all – but it’s hard to maybe get surprised by something. And that was the first thing in a long time where I was saying, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening.’ I think the fans were excited, I think we were all excited. I thought it was a great thing that happened.”

On whether the Knockouts belong in the main event: “I definitely think so. I think it shows that Impact Wrestling has confidence in their women, and I think that they should because we are just as passionate and we can deliver when the pressure is on. I can’t speak for the fans and I’ve only heard positive reactions in terms of us main eventing the show, but I think we have something different to offer that the other promotion doesn’t offer, and that’s a strong women’s division. I think we have all taken the ball and ran with it.”

On the WWE Divas: “I don’t get to watch a lot of wrestling because I’m on the road all the time, but I still have friends there. Alicia Fox has always been a really good friend of mine from the day that we started together there, and we kind of catch up every once in a while and I hear what’s going on in that world. To me, I don’t think they’ll ever give the girls the main event. I mean, they have in the past, but I just feel that it hasn’t happened as consistently for years with the way that women’s wrestling is portrayed there. Hey, I want to be wrong, but all I can do is really concentrate on my job and where our women’s division is going. I just want to make this a success and I want to give the fans an opportunity to see the girls on that platform, and I think it’s a great alternative.”

On possibly being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame: “I don’t think about those things, I always think about the now. I’m very honored that people even bring up my name. Without Impact Wrestling I wouldn’t have been able to create all those moments, so I just thank them that they gave me the platform to do what I do best. I hope [to be inducted] in the future and we’ll just come to that when the moment happens, if it happens.”

On the audition process for British Bootcamp 2: “We were there in terms of the first process. The first round is ‘show your personality’ – we kind of get to know each contestant and see what they’ve got. If you can entertain us and show us something, whether it’s presence or charisma, then you can move on to the next round and show us what you have in the ring. Sometimes we would ask them to show us a little bit of physicality in the ring. Certain people are known for their wrestling, so we wanted them to show us a little bit of their strengths. I think we picked the right ones; everybody can see on October 19th when the show premieres. I’ve been told that we picked the right ones, so we’ll just let the viewers decide.”

Check out the complete interview at v2Wrestling.com.

The following is a preview for tonight’s post-Bound For Glory edition of Impact Wrestling:

#1 Contender’ Match:
* Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries vs. Eric Young

TNA Knockouts Championship Match:
* Havok vs. Madison Rayne.

Mixed Six-Person Tag Match:
* Knux, Crazy Steve & Rebel vs. Jessie Godder, & DJ Zema & Angelina Love

Plus, EC3’s new bodyguard will be revealed.

Below are some tweets posted by Bully Ray over the weekend, which includes a post-Bound For Glory tease on the future of Team 3D:

I get inducted into HOF every night I go through the curtain and get to perform for the fans. Thnx for Cheering and Booing for past 20yrs!!

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) October 11, 2014

THANK YOU to EVERY wrestling fan we have ever performed for . YOU are the reason we were inducted into HOF. #RESPECT pic.twitter.com/mdHNnFktBj

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) October 12, 2014

I would also like to THANK "the boys." You are only as good as the guys you're workin with. THANKS to EVERY wrestler who ever worked with us

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) October 12, 2014

Its true what they say…"When 1 door closes, another 1 opens." And sometimes it's a door you least expect.

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) October 12, 2014

Team 3D Japan facts: Undefeated…All Japan Tag League Champs…Hustle Champs…NJPW Tag Champs for 1 year. 4 Tokyo Dome appearances. NEXT?

— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) October 13, 2014

TNA Wrestling is expected to make a big announcement regarding within the next seven days, according to F4WOnline.com. The announcement is likely to be about their new TV deal.

That said, there were no indications backstage at Bound For Glory that a TV deal has been signed.

Once TNA does announce a new deal, the company will be signing a lot of their talent to new contracts. Several top stars’ contracts have already expired and are expiring soon, with the uncertainty regarding TNA’s TV deal being the main factor.

The following is a transcript of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with TNA star Bobby Roode:

Donald Wood: TNA’s Impact Wrestling has recently made the transition for Thursday nights to Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET. What are your thoughts on the move and TNA’s future on Spike TV and beyond?

Bobby Roode: I think the Wednesday night move is a great idea especially this time of year trying to compete with NFL football games on Thursday nights now. Without going to a different network, I think going to Wednesday nights now there isn’t any real serious competition on those nights. I think the adjustment has gone quite well. We didn’t expect the ratings to be as good so fast. I think overall it was a great move and I hope in the future we will continue to go Wednesday nights.

Mike Chiari: You recently fell just short of winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an entertaining, hard-fought match with Lashley. While Lashley’s title reign hasn’t been nearly as long as yours, how do you feel it stacks up in terms of overall dominance, and what is it going to take for someone to take him down?

Bobby Roode: I’ve only held the World Heavyweight Championship once but I held it for a very long time. I’ve held the Championship longer than anyone else in the history of our company. Lashley is the most dominant Champion our company has ever had. Sitting back and watching the matches he has had with our top stars like Austin Aries, Eric Young, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, he dominated those guys. Those guys are no slouches either, they are the top guys in our company and some of the best wrestlers in the world right now. Lashley is definitely the most dominant Champion that our company has ever seen no doubt about it.

Brandon Galvin: You’ve been widely regarded by fans and other professional wrestlers as somebody who would be a main-event player in any company. What do you feel is your greatest asset or skill as a professional wrestler?

Bobby Roode: I’d like to say my passion and my love for the sport. Over time the business itself has evolved and changed almost seemingly every year. I’ve been able to adjust and change my style and adapt to whoever I’m in the ring with. Whether it’s a smaller, faster guy like an Austin Aries or a bigger guy like Lashley. I’m able to adjust my style and change with the times so to speak. I study a lot of tapes, I have a passion for the business, and I’ve always wanted to be the best ever since I got in the business. I have a love for this sport and just want to be the best in it. At the end of the day when I hang up my boots for the last time, I hope I have the respect from the other wrestlers and fans alike who enjoyed my matches and thought that I was one of the best.

Donald Wood: During your first run with the company’s championship, you became the longest reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion in history. How did your run at the top impact your drive to return to that level?

Bobby Roode: I got into this business for one reason and I stayed in this business for one reason: To be the World Heavyweight Champion. I think if you are in professional wrestling and you don’t have that dream or aspire to be the best and carry that World Heavyweight Championship then you are in the wrong business. The first time around I got to experience a lot of things: I got to experience main eventing pay-per views, main eventing live events, main eventing television shows, carrying that title outside of the ring, doing a lot of media appearances, representing the company, and being the face of the company for 8 months. It’s something I look forward to all the time to be that guy and carrying the weight of the company. There is a lot of responsibilities being the World Heavy Weight Champion both in and out of the ring and it’s something I look forward to doing again.

Mike Chiari: TNA has recently placed a ton of emphasis on the tag team division with The Hardys, Team 3D and The Wolves vying for the tag titles. As a five-time TNA tag champ and formerly one half of Beer Money, does seeing these elite tag teams going at it and having great matches ever give you the itch to jump back into the tag team ranks even just on a temporary basis?

Bobby Roode: My main focus right now is being a singles competitor and being the World Champion. I love tag team wrestling and I came into TNA as part of tag team with Team Canada. Being a part of Beer Money was one of the greatest parts of my career so far. When James and I were part of Beer Money there was a lot of great tag teams we could run with. Looking back, teams like Motor City Machine guns, Main Event Mafia, British Invasion, Team 3D, there was a lot of great tag teams. Since that point the tag team division has fizzled until recently. The Hardys, Team 3D, and the Wolves coming off the Full Metal Mayhem match. It was such an unbelievable match and those guys put everything on the line and that definitely brings back some memories of tag team wrestling.

Donald Wood: You’ve had extended runs in both singles competition and in the tag team division. As a wrestler who has achieved the top titles in both divisions, which do you prefer and which has been more rewarding?

Bobby Roode: I think to me personally they both have positives and effects on my career thus far. To be able to be the best at tag team wrestling and an individual star it means a lot. As part of a tag team at the time in TNA, with such great tag teams and having the tag titles at that time with all those other teams around us meant a lot. I’d like to think James and I became one of the greatest tag teams of all time during our tenure together. Holding the World Heavyweight Championship is something that you can’t put into words and being able to hold onto it as long as I did is something that I’m extremely proud of.

Brandon Galvin: You’ve excelled as part of a tag team and on your own as a singles competitor. Do you approach or prepare for those matches or story lines differently and if so, could you explain how?

Bobby Roode: There’s not a lot of difference really. I’ve been doing this for almost 17 years now, little over 12 with TNA. I approach every match the same. Whether it’s a tag team, singles, 6 man tag, 4 way, whatever the case may be, I always mentally and physically prepare for matches the same so there is no difference.

Mike Chiari: There’s been a lot of speculation about TNA and what the future holds for it lately. As a guy who’s been with the company since 2004 and as presumably a locker room leader, do you ever feel a need to address the other wrestlers when a negative report comes out, or do you just kind of roll with the punches when that happens?

Bobby Roode: I guess in a way I could be looked at as a locker room leader. Unless someone comes up to me and asks me my opinion on something I don’t usually go and talk to anybody or say how I feel about things. I just try to focus on what my job is and my job is to go out there every week and put on great matches with great story telling and be the It Factor every Wednesday night now. With all the behind the scenes stuff and rumors it’s just that; rumors. As far as the locker room and I are concerned the negotiations are ongoing not only with Spike but a bunch of Networks. Every things a positive. There’s been nothing shown by Dixie or the TNA offices that would make us think that things are going to go bad. It’s been positive and our show on Wednesday night has reflected that positivity.

Brandon Galvin: Many people have considered you the franchise player of TNA. What does it mean to you to be recognized as such a talent and what type of pressure do you put on yourself to maintain such a status?

Bobby Roode: Lot of pressure on myself, I am my own worst critic. It’s a good thing I guess. I got in this business to be the best and I’m going to continue to try to be the best. If I am out there for five minutes in the ring or 30 second backstage interview or a 20 minute match I am going to try to make my segment of the show the best that it can be. I am a perfectionist like most everybody else in the business. I’m hard on myself sometimes but I always want to get better. I study tapes of guys and different wrestling all over the world and I always want to get better. I think that’s key to being the best in the business.

Donald Wood: You’ve had legendary feuds as a singles competitor with top stars like Kurt Angle, James Storm and Austin Aries. Are there any feuds or matches in particular that stick out as unforgettable moments in your career?

Bobby Roode: I’ve been blessed to have a lot of great moments in this company. Right off the top of my head the run with James in Beer Money being so successful is one. Taking a nothing tag team and turning it into something big is something that I will always remember. My matches that I had with Aries, I love working with Austin Aries and hope to work with him again someday. I think one of the things that sticks in my mind are the matches with Kurt Angle. In my opinion he is the best wrestler that has ever been pound for pound. He can wrestle, he can go every night, never had a bad match, he’s entertaining, and can do anything. I was able to go out there and compete with Kurt and stay at his level. I just really, really enjoyed our matches. I loved the professional wrestling aspect of it. It was a special moment being able to wrestle with Kurt and be on his level and have great matches.

Mike Chiari: TNA’s biggest pay-per-view, Bound For Glory, is going to take place on Oct. 12 in Japan. There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding the event now that TNA has announced the card, but your name is conspicuous by its absence. Can fans expect to see you added to the card? And if not, is there any disappointment on your end that you’re not part of it?

Bobby Roode: There’s negatives and positives to this year’s Bound for Glory. Obviously it’s disappointing that I’m not going to be there and be a part of it. I’ve been a part of every single Bound for Glory that’s there has been with this company. I think the very first Bound for Glory, Eric Young and I were defeated for the tag team titles by 3 Live Crew. It’s a lot disappointing not being on the card. I love Japan and performing in Japan and just being a part of Bound for Glory. The positive part of it is we are taking Bound for Glory to Japan and taking it internationally and giving the fans in Japan a chance to take in and be a part of Bound for Glory. To work alongside Wrestle One which is a great partnership for our company. I think at this point, Bound for Glory is going to be a showcase of TNA talent and Wrestle One talent and it’s going to be a hell of a show.

Brandon Galvin: It’s been nearly one year since you introduced the Roode Bomb as one of your new signature moves. Could you explain what goes into adding a new signature move to repertoire and why a wrestler may not look to add more?

Bobby Roode: Wrestling evolves all the time: Every day, every week, every year, and every month. You got to keep up with the times to be successful. You look at guys like Kurt Angle, he’s got the Angle Slam and the Ankle Lock. I’ve also incorporated a submission move and there’s different variations to my game now and making things more exciting. I was using the Payoff for a while and I just wanted to change it up a little bit. I wanted to make my moves more impactful and maybe a little more believable. Roode Bomb has been one of those things I added to my repertoire and has been working and I believe is starting to get over. The fans can recognize it and that’s one of the most important things. When fans can start to recognize your moves and you start to go for a move and the fans react to it that’s when you know it’s working.

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