TNA Impact Wrestling moved to Wednesday nights this week and it appears that many fans were unaware of the change.

Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling drew a 0.65 cable rating with 852,000 viewers.

This is way down from the previous week’s show which did a 0.96 rating and 1.126 million viewers.

Two weeks ago, Impact did a 1.09 rating.

As previously reported, TNA extended their deal with Spike TV through the end of the year and are negotiating for a new contract for 2015.

Vince Russo sent along the following …

This week on “The Swerve” with Vince Russo, things get very, very interesting and the fans get double their money’s worth.

First off, Vince interviews “Above Average” Mike Sanders, a veteran of WWE, WCW, TNA as well as a US military veteran, stand up comic, and TV star (including Burn Notice, Homeland, and The Game). As somebody who Vince describes as “by far the most underrated person I ever worked with in wrestling”, Vince walks Mike through his wrestling career, from his quick start in front of the camera, to how the left the business, and everything he’s accomplished in the entertainment business since the departure.

How DDP got him started in the business: “In 1998, I was training in Main Event Fitness, and at the time, DDP was there, and Ray Lloyd (Glacier), Billy Kidman, High Voltage – basically if you were a WCW wrestler back then, you trained at that gym. And I remember having conversations, I was a 235lb guy, and I remember training alongside guys like Horshu and DDP and just having conversations. And I was like, “I wanna be a stand-up comic!” and DDP was like “No no…bro…you wanna be a pro wrestler!”

How Paul Orndorff tried to fire him, and Russo saved his job: “Paul’s famous line was ‘Put on 20lbs, come back, and we’ll look at you.’, and I left that day. Later on that evening, Terry Taylor called me and said “Man, I know you got released, but I’d really hate to lose you.” So, Terry called me later that week and said, “Would you be interested in doing some Russo-Bischoff security?” We were at the Georgia Dome, and I remember Orndorff wanted Vince to look at everybody including Sean O’Hare, and there was a brief moment when Vince said “Give him his job back.” I was standing right there, Terry Taylor was there, and Orndorff was there. But Orndorff wasn’t happy about it.”

Mike also shares his memories of the WCW Power Plant, including how he went down to the Power Plant as one of 50 students, which then shrank to 3 students, with Mike ultimately being the only one to graduate. Four months later, he was on TV performing as a WCW Superstar.

Vince also discusses Mike’s heat with a number of people backstage, his short time in WWE and why it didn’t work, comedy, religion, and how a 28 year old father of two, working for his dad’s towing business, was able to become a professional wrestler so quickly.

Regarding Mike’s career ending so quickly, Vince also shares what he considers to be “one of the biggest problems in professional wrestling, has been since day one, and will continue to be.”

Plus, if that’s not enough, Vince Russo himself also shares his opinions on the recent comments of TNA’s John “Big“ Gaburick, who claimed that Vince has been “acting in a self-destructing manner that could hurt the company” – and it all started with Russo talking to Jim Ross!

TNA having a problem with Vince and JR: “Prior to the start of my falling out with TNA, I had committed to JR’s podcast. The day before I was to do it, I received an e-mail from TNA management telling me that they did not want me to. Knowing that was coming, because I know TNA’s elementary and childish ways of doing business, I called JR and told him that I couldn’t discuss ANY TNA business during our interview. JR told me that while that wasn’t an issue, he still had to ask in doing his job, so upon his question I could just say that, “I was not at liberty to talk about TNA”. Simple. Easy. Done. I went back to TNA and told them about my conversation with JR. That wasn’t good enough—they still didn’t want me to do it. Also, as a side note, just keep in mind that BOTH Kurt Angle and Bully Ray were ALLOWED to do JR’s podcast just week’s prior—but, not Vince Russo.”

Russo on TNA having bigger problems than him: “In TNA management’s own words, they were worried about me hurting the company by talking to my colleagues and friends, but yet they are not hurting their own company by (a) Not having a new TV deal (b) Possibly losing Kurt Angle (c) Bully Ray “allegedly” telling the locker room that he didn’t plan on resigning with TNA. With the monumental problems that TNA management has before them—they are afraid of the damage that Vince Russo will do by talking to Good Ol’ JR?!”

The audio interview can be found now at http://www.pyroandballyhoo.com/Plus, become a member of #TheBrand to check out Vince’s extended VIP VIDEO INTERVIEW with Mike Sanders (another hour-plus interview), exclusively in our VIP Section. More information here:http://www.pyroandballyhoo.com/vip/

Check out the complete podcast above.

TNA ring announcer and creative team member Christy Hemme announced via Twitter that she is about five and a half months pregnant.

Hemme and her husband, Charley Patterson, are expecting the new child to be born on December 31st.

A baby!!! 5 1/2 months down!!! See article and photos at http://t.co/klFejylEsg http://t.co/pPfJPFhTbl @fitpregnancy pic.twitter.com/971FLeX14D

— Christy (@hemmepowered) August 21, 2014

Thank you all for the sweet congrats… We are BEYOND excited for this lil wee one!

— Christy (@hemmepowered) August 21, 2014

TNA stars MVP, Low Ki, Samoa Joe and Homicide all appeared together on a special round table edition of The Sam Roberts Show recently to discuss the current state of TNA.

Additionally, the four guys talk about being independent, their time in WWE, the culture of internet fans, training and more.

Check out the complete appearance above.

TNA President Dixie Carter was challenged by Kurt Angle, Robbie E. and Phil Vassar to take part in the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge.” Dixie accepted and then challenged Bully Ray, Devon and Tommy Dreamer to do the same.

Above is a video of Dixie taking the “Ice Bucket Challenge.”

As we reported on Sunday night, Bully Ray held a meeting with talent backstage at the TNA live event this weekend, pretty much saying his “goodbyes” to friends and co-workers in the company.

Ray’s contract is reportedly set to expire in a few weeks and due to the fact that he is so heavily figured into everything from key storylines to behind-the-scenes work, the news of his departure from the company surprised almost everyone.

Bully Ray reportedly held a meeting with wrestlers at the TNA live event in Hagerstown, Maryland earlier today, thanking them and saying goodbye to them, noting that he doesn’t expect to re-sign with the company.

Ray’s TNA contract is expiring in the near future. In fact, it is believed that his deal with TNA expired after tonight’s live event.

Bully Ray is scheduled to be inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame in October during Bound For Glory week in Tokyo, Japan. As noted previously, TNA hasn’t talked a lot about Bound For Glory in recent weeks and there’s been no real promotion for the show in Japan, where the pay-per-view is scheduled to take place.

TNA President Dixie Carter recently took to Twitter to promote her upcoming sit-down interview with Mike Tenay, which will air during the Hardcore Justice-themed edition of Impact Wrestling, which will air as the first episode of the show to run on Wednesday night on Spike TV.

Dixie tweeted the following:

I have invited @RealMikeTenay to my home to interview me… You will see it very soon on @ImpactOnSpike

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) August 15, 2014

See you NEXT WEDNESDAY for #HardcoreJustice on @ImpactOnSpike. Impact's NEW day. Spread the word. http://t.co/c9ev3bCVV1

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) August 15, 2014

With the announcement of TNA airing Impact Wrestling on Spike TV on Wednesday nights, the company has confirmed their next set of television tapings.

TNA will be taping Impact Wrestling and One Night Only pay-per-views on September 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Originally, TNA was going to return to New York City on those dates, however they decided instead to run in Bethlehem, as they reportedly loved the location when taping there back in June.

The following matches and segments have been announced for next week’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, which is the first show scheduled to air in the new Wednesday time slot on Spike TV, as well as a “Hardcore Justice” themed show.

– Mike Tenay will interview Dixie Carter about going through a table

– Samoa Joe vs. Low Ki for the X-Division Championship

– Six Sides Of Steel to determine the new number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

– Abyss vs. Bram in a Stairway To Janice match

The Thursday, August 14th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling averaged 1.126 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 1.126 million average viewership marks a decrease as compared to last week’s number, which was 1.411 million.

The final Imapct Wrestling rating for this week should be available soon.

Kurt Angle was recently a guest on 105.9 The Xin Pittsburgh and spoke about his contract status with TNA and possibly making the jump back to WWE.

Angle noted that his current TNA deal expires on September 21st and at that point he will have a decision to make.

You can listen to the complete interview above.

As noted previously, TNA and Spike TV announced today that Impact Wrestling will move to Wednesday nights beginning with next week’s show.

The decision for the move was reportedly made within the past few days and one of the key reasons behind the switch was all of the competition that TNA faces on Thursday nights, with NFL games on CBS and the rumored move of WWE SmackDown to Thursday nights on SyFy.

The first edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Wednesday will air next week, August 20th on Spike TV.

The following is from ImpactWrestling.com:

IMPACT WRESTLING MOVING TO WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 9/8C ON SPIKE TV BEGINNING NEXT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 14, 2014) – TNA today announced its flagship program, IMPACT WRESTLING, will make a permanent move to Wednesday nights at 9/8c on SPIKE TV beginning next Wednesday, Aug. 20.

“Moving IMPACT WRESTLING to Wednesday nights gives existing fans and new viewers an opportunity to enjoy both wrestling and live sports even more throughout the week,” said TNA President Dixie Carter.

IMPACT WRESTLING has enjoyed sustained ratings growth this summer, drawing over 1.5 million viewers each week this quarter, and is among the most watched cable series in key male demos in its timeslot.

The following are highlights of a new Wrestle-1 interview with Tajiri:

On TNA using former WWE stars: “Very surprising. Al Snow, Tommy Dreamer, Dudleys, Hardy Boys, Mr. Kennedy. TNA has lots of dominant former WWE stars. Very surprising to see them in TNA.”

On TNA’s six-sided ring: “Yes, the hexagon. It’s very different. It ‘s very awkward. You have a different sense of direction in it. I hesitated for a moment when i decided which direction to take.”

On finally working for TNA and comparison to WWE: “I really didn’t know much about the organization. I’ve been offered to come to TNA in the past but would turn it down because of my promised association with the WWE. The organization is great.”

“The backstage atmosphere is not the same as WWE. The scale of the venues is also different, the staff is tightly condensed but the level of wrestling has not changed from the WWE.”

Check out the complete interview at W-1.co.jp.

Kurt Angle’s name was not mentioned in the advertising for TNA’s 2015 U.K. tour that came out this past week. Angle’s contract expires at the end of September and this is another possible sign that he will not be re-signing with the company.

Also not advertised for the tour were Austin Aries, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and Devon. In the case of Aries, it is believed that his contract could be expiring before the tour as well. Jeff Hardy is not allowed in the U.K. due to a felony conviction, while Devon and Matt Hardy are likely under short-team deals that wouldn’t include an international tour.

The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s taped edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, which airs on Spike TV:

– Team 3D vs. The Hardy Boys

– Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky vs. Taryn Terrell vs. Gail Kim [TNA Knockouts Championship]

– Gunner vs. Mr. Anderson

– Kenny King, MVP & Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Aries, Eric Young & Bobby Roode

TNA executives reportedly tried to contact Alberto Del Rio immediately after reports surfaced that he was released from WWE. The word within the company is that if he does sign with TNA, he will immediately become their new World Champion.

Del Rio likely has a 90-day no compete clause in his WWE contract, ruling out the possibility of a move to TNA in the near future.

TNA has cancelled two live events scheduled for next month: September 26th from Enid, Oklahoma and September27th from Salina, Kansas.

TNA cited “an unforeseen scheduling conflict” was the reason for the 9/26 show being canceled.

Both shows have been removed from TNA’s touring schedule.

Aside from next month’s Impact Wrestling tapings from the Manhattan Center, the only other shows listed on TNA’s official website are August 15th-17th in Pennsylvania and Maryland and September 5th-7th in Virginia and North Carolina.

The Thursday, August 7th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 1.09, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 1.09 final draw marks an increase compared to the previous week’s 1.02 final rating.

Thursday’s Impact Wrestling averaged 1.411 million viewers, which was also up from the 1.383 million viewers who tuned in the previous week.

TNA Knockout Rebel from The Menagerie fractured her arm while competing in her first match for the company, a Battle Royal taped last week at the Manhattan Center in New York City. The episode of Impact will air in September.

She tweeted:

https://twitter.com/RebelTNA/statuses/498560334475821056

TNA star Mr. Anderson appeared on MainEventRadio.com this week. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

TNA’s Negotiations With Spike TV:

“I’m sure that both sides will come to some sort of agreement. In the end, whatever is going to be best for both worlds will end up happening. I’m very optimistic that if we stay at Spike it will be for the good. And if we end up leaving, we make things for wherever we go.”

Working For TNA:

“I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I’ve continued to travel all over the world, meet the greatest fans in the world; wrestle the greatest talents in the world. Championship gold is always on my mind. That being said, one of my big priorities is always entertaining people. Going out there and telling them a story, and just having fun. This is one of the coolest jobs anyone can ever hope for. Any time that I start to feel aches or pains, tired from traveling; I just got back from the UK so I’m jetlagged. When I start to feel sort of sorry for myself, I remember how damn cool this job is.”

Taping at the Hammerstein Ballroom:

“It’s phenomenal. There’s so much history in this building. The fans here turn it up for a level that we do not see in many other places. Every once in a while you’ll run into a crowd that is really rambunctious, that really likes to get into things. This crowd loves to chant, loves to be entertained. If they aren’t entertained, then they like to entertain themselves. It can be scary, nerve-wracking as a performer. If I go out there and I don’t entertain them, they will entertain themselves; at my expense.

There was said to be a lot of concern backstage at the TNA Impact Wrestling television taping on August 6th, as the rumors that WWE SmackDown may be moved to Thursday nights — which is the night Impact Wrestling airs — began to spread on the internet.

Combined with the fact that talent has yet to hear anything official regarding the company’s future on Spike TV, the feeling was that many were panicking about their jobs and the future of TNA.

As things stand now — several days later — there has still yet to be any official word as to what the future holds for TNA on the cable channel.

The Thursday, August 7th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew an average of 1.411 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 1.411 million average for the New York-based edition of Impact Wrestling marks a slight increase compared to last week’s average of 1.383 million viewers.

It’s worth noting that Impact Wrestling had stiff competition on Thursday night, as the show went up aganist a pair of NFL games on the NFL Network.

TNA taped the September 25th “No Surrender” episode of Impact Wrestling on Thursday night from the Manhattan Center in New York City. Here are spoiler results, courtesy of Lordsofpain.net:

– MVP kicks off the show with Kenny King and Bobby Lashley. He cuts a promo and calls out Chris Melendez to join their group as their bag boy. He turned the offer down and King cut a promo on him, making fun of his prosthetic leg.

– Chris Melendez defeated Kenny King but got beat down after the quick match. Mr. Anderson made the save.

– A Knockouts Battle Royal with Jessicka Havok, Madison Rayne, Rebel, Taryn Terrell, Brittany, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love is up first. Havok dominated and won after last eliminating Velvet Sky. Havok is over already.

– Bobby Roode vs. Bobby Lashley for the World Heavyweight Title is next. Lashley gets the win in a decent match. MVP was ordered to the back after interfering at one point.

– Abyss defeated Samuel Shaw.

– Samoa Joe defeated Homicide with the X Division Title on the line. After the match, James Storm, Sanada and Manik attacked. Manik has new gear and a new mask after he was taken away by Storm and Sanada last week. Storm & friends triple team and destroy them.

– Magnus defeated The Freak in a match for Xplosion.

– Tajiri vs. MVP vs. Austin Aries vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Abyss in a random match is next. Aries got the win.

– Low Ki defeated DJ Zema Ion.