The Thursday, May 15th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 0.83, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 0.83 marks an equal rating compared to last week.
Thursday’s edition of the show averaged 1.053 million viewers, slightly down from the previous week, where 1.055 million viewers tuned in.
The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling Podcast interview with Christopher Daniels:
On whether Frankie Kazarian will be departing TNA soon: “I can’t really confirm 100% but I can tell you that the odds are very good that rather soon the both of us will be doing what we want to do in the world of professional wrestling.”
On why he was released by TNA: “I’m not sure what their reasoning was. It wasn’t money, we never even got to (talking about) money. Part of me takes it personally. Anybody that is in some sort of entertainment field where they are their own product, when you’re told “No, we don’t want you”, of course a little bit of you takes it personally.”
On rumours that Vince Russo is back in the TNA fold: “I never saw Vince, and the creative team never said one way or the other. They’re denying it now, but when I was backstage, Frankie and I never saw any hint that Vince was there.”
On the likelihood of working with Jeff Jarrett’s new promotion: “I’m certainly hoping to work with Jeff Jarrett, I think he’s a great mind. I think that if someone could take something and make it out of nothing, I think it’s Jeff Jarrett.”
On breaking kayfabe: “I definitely respect the business enough to try and protect it as much as possible. When I came up, kayfabe was solid, but now I’ve seen the change in the mentality. The curtain has been pulled back and it’s hard to unring that bell now the word is out. It’s one thing for everybody to be in on the gag, but you don’t want to make people aware of it while they’re watching the product. Like, people know there’s a gimmick to magic, but they never really know what the gimmick is. You want them guessing what they’re watching.”
Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.
Just two years ago, TNA had 60 performers under contract to the company, however now they reportedly have 33 signed.
Of the 33 talents signed, the only ones with any real money involved would be Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Bully Ray, Abyss, Samoa Joe, James Storm, Bobby Roode and Mr. Anderson.
As far as Anderson is concered, it’s believed that he signed a new deal a while back that was considerably lower than the one he had previously.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
TNA has released a “CRAY-Z” video of Dixie Carter attacking her Chief of Staff Rockstar Spud in an elevator – a parody of Beyonce’s sister Solange attacking rapper Jay-Z in an elevator at the Met Gala after party at the Standard Hotel in New York City, which has been a major celebrity tabloid story this week.
An article at TNA’s official website states:
“IMPACT announcer Jeremy Borash was getting Dixie’s thoughts on MVP but things begin to get interesting when Spud shows up and mentions that Dixie has been ignoring him this week.”
“Loud screams and an unmistakable thud caught our attention and we were able to get our hands on the security footage from inside the elevator. As you will see, the TNA President wildly attacks Spud on the elevator before an intervention by Borash.”
The article adds that “repeated attempts” to reach Dixie Carter and Rockstar Spud for comment have been refused.
The following is TNA’s preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:
– This past week, Director of Wrestling Operations MVP shocked the TNA fans when he blindsided World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young and announced HE would face EY for the title at June’s Slammiversary! Why did MVP attack the World Champion – and why did he name himself the new number-one contender? Eric Young wants answers! We’ll hear from both EY and MVP on Thursday’s broadcast! What will happen when champion and challenger come face-to-face?
– After taking over TNA Headquarters this past week, Bully Ray continues his hunt in Nashville for TNA President Dixie Carter! Now in possession of Dixie’s home address, will Bully pay a visit to the President’s estate on Thursday? If so, is Dixie prepared for a potential home invasion from her biggest enemy on the TNA roster? Tune in to see what happens next between Bully and Dixie!
– Also on Thursday’s IMPACT, it will be Jeff Hardy’s bizarre alter-ego WILLOW battling both Magnus and TNA newcomer Bram in a handicap match! Bram brutally attacked Willow this past week – handcuffing the superstar to the ropes and beating him with a steel wrench. Will the maniacal Willow get his revenge on the British superstars, or will the odds be too much for him to overcome? Don’t miss Bram’s in-ring debut on Thursday!
– The X Division Championship will be on the line on Thursday on SpikeTV as Sanada defends the gold in a three-way bout against Tigre Uno and DJZ from the BroMans!
– Plus, “Cowboy” James Storm will be in action against Mr. Anderson on Thursday night!
Former TNA star Christopher Daniels spoke to Aaron Oster of The Baltimore Sun this week about his TNA departure, backstage morale in TNA, if he’d be interested in working for Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling promotion and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
When He Realized He’d Be Leaving TNA: “I didn’t know until the day they told me. I went in to speak with TNA officials the last booking that I had, which was a taping of one of the One Night Only pay-per-views, on April 12. That was when I found out. I didn’t know before then. I kind of assumed, because Frankie [Kazarian] and I were still an entertaining tag team and our wrestling spoke for itself, I thought they were going to renew, but I was wrong.”
Negotiating With TNA: “I talked to them for the first time at Lockdown, and they told me that they wanted to speak to me face to face. I was then off television for a month, so the next time I got to talk to them was at that One Night Only pay-per-view. So I had no idea until then. They pretty much just told me that they were going in a different directions with different people.”
Does He Think TNA Would Bring Him Back? “The way it was explained to me, they said they wanted to leave the door open to do stuff in the future. But at this point, they couldn’t continue to keep me under contract if they weren’t going to use me as regularly as that. Who knows what will happen in the future? I’m not sure what their plans are. I had hoped there was going to be an opportunity for me and Frankie to wrestle the Wolves in a longer program, but that’s obviously not TNA’s priority at this point.”
TNA Locker Room Morale: “It’s sort of a “wait-and-see” approach there, man. Every company makes decisions that may or may not be popular with the locker room, but you have to see how it turns out. And I think that’s what everyone is doing, waiting to see how everything lands and continue to put out the best product that they can once they see the lay of the land.”
Would He Work For Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling? “I figure that anything that Jeff puts his mind to when it comes to creating a promotion has the potential to be very formidable in terms of the landscape of pro wrestling. Just look what he did with TNA. If he has the right people behind him when it comes to finances, then Jeff is creative enough to make something happen. So it’s definitely on my radar, just like I think it’s on everyone’s radar at this point. Everyone’s just waiting to see exactly what Global Force Wrestling is going to be. We have to see where it is, what it is, and who is going to be involved. Jeff is starting to answer slowly but surely.”
We reported yesterday that former TNA Tag Team Champion Hernandez is no longer with the company.
It was TNA’s decision not to offer him a new deal and his Superstar profile has been moved to the ‘Alumni’ section of TNA’s official website.
Hernandez tweeted the following regarding the situation, thanking TNA’s employees and talent:
As my contract expired yesterday, I thank TNA -both wrestlers &staff for the last 8 years. Lots of ups and downs but good times nonetheless.
— Shawn Hernandez (@SuperMexCTM) May 13, 2014
He is currently taking indy bookings at Erik@WrestlingMarx.com.
– Katie Ryjavec, who had been in charge of TNA’s live event marketing and media buys, recently gave notice that she’s leaving. She has been with the company since 2011.
– To update the story of Chris Sabin leaving TNA, he reportedly turned down an offer from TNA that is believed to be for considerably less money than he had previously been making.
– There continues to be a lot of concern in TNA about the company’s future with Spike TV. There are a lot of people that believe the upcoming Impact tapings from New York City will be “make or break” for the company. United Talent Agency, which represents TNA in their TV negotiations, will be shopping Impact Wrestling around to other networks before deciding on staying with Spike TV – if that’s even an option at this point.
(Source: PWInsider)
– Former TNA tag team champion Hernandez is the latest high-profile wrestler to leave the company. After months of being off television, TNA decided not to renew his contract. Hernandez’s superstar bio has been removed from the active roster page and is now in their ‘alumni’ section.
Aside from Hernandez, other top names who have left the company in the past year include Hulk Hogan, Sting, AJ Styles, Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Devon, Chavo Guerrero, Matt Morgan, Mickie James, Tara and Lei’d Tapa.
– TNA star Kurt Angle has launched a new Youtube channel, which you can subscribe to here. Below is the first video:
As Kurt Angle starts his road to recovery from ACL surgery last week, he wants to make sure that his friends, family, and fans can keep up with his progress. Kurt has created this video journal on YouTube and will be posting regularly to this channel. Please make sure to subscribe and keep up his comeback!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3ruW-7VE9o
TNA Director of Operations MVP announced on Tuesday that he has suspended former TNA World Champion Bobby Roode “indefinitely” as a result of his “unacceptable conduct” on last week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.
And @REALBobbyRoode is indefinitely suspended from @IMPACTWRESTLING for his unacceptable conduct! Take the time to think about your actions.
— MVP (@The305MVP) May 13, 2014
Former TNA star Christopher Daniels appeared on this week’s episode of The Shoot podcast, around the 1-hour mark. the May 11th edition of The Shoot. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Dixie Carter & If She’s Changed Since Becoming TNA’s Top Heel: “My opinion is that she’s always been the same. I mean i feel like because she’s taken on the responsibility of being a character on the show, she’s a little more stressed out maybe cause there’s a little more responsibility rather than just her going out there and sort of being herself like she’s going out there and portraying a character. There’s a lot of effort, a lot of stuff going around when she became this character and there’s a lot of pressure for her to perform, so i think that effects you in certain ways. But she hasn’t changed in a negative way in that respect. She’s just got a lot of pressure on her now to perform and sort of hang with guys who have been doing this for a lot longer than her. It’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, to go in there and sort of get some story lines across with a lot of the big guys. I think she’s got a good group of people working for her and she’s working hard to get as much done for the company as she can.”
TNA World Title Matches Often Ending With Screwy Finishes: “I don’t think it’s an idea where oh well here’s a world title match lets dilute it down with wacky finishes. I think whenever they use it the mentality is that there’s a reason they’re trying to get a specific response from the fan base at that point. They have their reasons for doing these things. Do they always translate to the viewers? Maybe not. But i mean like i said before they’re making their decisions and they have a certain mindset, they have a certain goal that they’re trying to reach and the message that they’re trying to reach that goal with, whether they reach it or not is i guess up to the fan base. If the fan base is turning off the television when they see these things going on i mean that’s the message to send. But that’s up to the fans at that point to say well we’re not going to put up with this, we want to see something different. Let your voices be heard.”
There is major concern backstage in TNA right now about the financial future of the company.
At this past week’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando, members of the production staff were going to walk out in the middle of the tapings due to the company being behind on paying them. TNA caught wind of the situation and immediately cut checks to the production staff to cool them off.
There was a lot of tension behind the scenes last week, with money being tighter than it ever has been.
TNA has been cutting talent since last summer, with Frankie Kazarian being the latest casualty. He is no longer with the company because TNA did not want to (or could not) continue paying him what he was making.
Instead of keeping veterans like Kazarian and Daniels on board, TNA will be signing younger talent that will work for half of what Kazarian was making.
(Source: PWInsider.com)
– According to reports, TNA was very pleased with the work of some of the independent women wrestlers that competed at Saturday’s “One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown” pay-per-view taping in Orlando, Florida. In particular, the company was said to be impressed with the work of Veda Scott and Jassika Havok.
– The following is a video with several TNA performers wishing their mother’s a happy Mother’s Day:
http://youtu.be/xm-V4oloQec
The following is an excerpt from a new Vince Russo blog on Eric Young winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship:
“Over the years there were many other conversations with EY backstage at Universal Studios, during times when he may have been getting down on his position in the company, again, I would look him in the eye and say, “Eric–this is the WRESTLING BUSINESS, you have very little control over anything. All you can do is go out there and be the best you can be, but remember–-the cream ALWAYS rises to the top–-you can’t stop talent”. I told EY those words, because from my heart–-I meant them. Over the years EY had become one of the most talented personalities I had ever worked with. I knew that EY was great inside, and out, and he didn’t need his spot on the roster to affirm that. But, I also knew that some day, some way, some how . . . .
I was watching from home the night EY won the TNA World Title in Orlando. I’m not ashamed at all to say that I cried. I cried because no matter how “predetermined” wrestling is–-this moment in time was not fake to EY. This was that one moment that he had dreamed about his entire life–-and it was here! I would have done anything to be there with him that night–-ANYTHING.
I love Eric Young, and if you personally knew him–-you’d love him too. As somebody who was there for the entire ride, I just want to tell you from the bottom of my heart–-don’t you dare take anything away from the current TNA World Champion. Everything he has at this moment in time of his life–-HE HAS EARNED. And, he has earned it not through politicking, not through power plays, not through stepping over others, and not by putting himself first–traits that have come with many of the “Champions” I have worked with over the years. NO–-EY did it the right way. He did it by believing in himself and never giving up on his dream. He did it through hard work, through dedication, through every bead of sweat that fell from his body, to every kid in the crowd whose face he’s ever put a smile on.
To take nothing away from anybody else, there is no one like EY–-no one. Men like him were the sole reason that I survived in a business for 23 years, when on more occasions than one I wanted to take my ball home and punt it over the freakin‘ fence. Guys like EY gave my job meaning, and made me realize that “it wasn’t so bad”.
EY, I thank you, I love, and I respect you more than you will ever know.”
Check out the complete blog at PyroAndBallyhoo.com.
Frankie Kazarian is the latest high-profile star to be leaving TNA.
Kazarian had been with TNA on and off for over a decade, competing in the first-ever Ultimate-X match back in 2003. He’s a former X-Division and Tag-Team Champion. He also wrestled as the masked wrestler Suicide.
According to one source, Saturday night’s TNA ‘One Night Only’ pay-per-view taping was the final appearance for the long-time veteran.
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
– High Spots is currently working on a documentary-style DVD project focused on the life and career of WWE Hall Of Famer and former multiple-time NWA Heavyweight Champion Harley Race.
– TNA star Kurt Angle is filming a television pilot called “Emergency: L.A.,” which is a dramatic emergency unit of the fire department in Los Angeles, California. Angle is expected to be one of the leads of the show. Former TNA wrestler Katarina Waters (Winter) also has a role in the show.
The TNA stars scheduled for next year’s European tour, which was a solid success for the company earlier this year, are Bully Ray, Magnus, Samoa Joe, James Storm, Bobby Roode, Ken Anderson, Eric Young, Gail Kim, Gunner, Abyss, Ethan Carter III, Tigre Uno and Rockstar Spud. That would lead you to believe that all of those talents are under contract through the rest of 2014 and into 2015.
In the case of Jeff Hardy, whether he’s under contract or not, he can’t be part of the European tour because of his past drug conviction.
The European tour dates are January 29th in Glasgow, Scotland, January 30th in Manchester, England and January 31st in London, England.
The only show announced as a TV taping is the 1/31 date in London, where two episodes of Impact Wrestling are scheduled to be taped. They’ve also announced an Ultimate-X match for the London show.
As seen throughout the week, TNA taped several weeks worth of Impact Wrestling shows in Orlando, Florida. The next Impact Wrestling TV taping is scheduled for June 19th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with the next set of TV tapings scheduled for their New York loop. After those tapings, the company will have their TV shows in the can through the month of August.
The next show the company will produce will be their Slammiversary pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 15th. After that show, the company won’t be running another pay-per-view until their Bound For Glory event.
The following are spoiler results of the TNA One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown pay-per-view taping, which was held on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
– Gail Kim def. Veda Scott
– Angelina Love def. Scarlett Bordeaux
– Madison Rayne def. Jessika Havok
– Reby Sky def. Velvet Sky after Angelina Love’s attempt to interfere with the hairspray backfired
– Taryn Terrell def. Karlee Perez
– Mia Yim def. Brittany
– Brooke Tessmacher def. Deonna
– Marti Belle def. ODB with help from her new boyfriend, Rockstar Spud
– ODB def. Rockstar Spud
– A gauntlet match took place for the main event, which features Tessmacher, Yim, Terrell, Sky, Love, Rayne, Belle and Kim. In the end the only two Knockouts remaining were Rayne and Love, with Rayne ultimately picking up the victory to become the 2014 Knockouts Queen.
The following are spoiler results of the TNA One Night Only: Victory Road pay-per-view taping, which was held on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
– The winners of the matches tonight will compete in a battle royal in the main event. The winner of that will receive a check and a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match.
– Bram def. Davey Richards
– Austin Aries def. Kenny King
– James Storm & Kazarian def. Knux & The Freak
– Bobby Lashley def. Samoa Joe after interference from Kenny King
– Abyss def. Mr. Anderson
– The Bro Mans def. Bully Ray & Rockstar Spud when Spud turned on Ray during the match
– Gunner def. Magnus
– Ethan Carter III def. Sanada
– Samuel Shaw def. Crazy Steve
– Eddie Edwards def. Zema Ion and Tigre Uno
– Gunner won the battle royal, last eliminating James Storm, to earn a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match. The other participants in the match included Kazarian, Edwards, Shaw, EC3, Abyss, Lashley, Aries, Bram and The Bro Mans.
– Despite previous speculation, Tara (Lisa Marie Varon) did not return at TNA’s all-Knockouts “One Night Only” pay-per-view taping in Orlando on Saturday night. The list of Knockouts that did work the show include Reby Sky, Maxine, Veda Scott, Scarlett Bordeaux, Jessicka Havok, Deonna, Mia Yim and Marti Belle.
– Bandai Namco is working on a “TNA 2” mobile game that is scheduled to be released later this year. You can check out a trailer for the game below:
The current TNA X-Division Champion Sanada is not currently scheduled for TNA’s 2015 “Maximum Impact” tour of the United Kingdom due to the fact that he is not expected to be with the company by that point.
Sanada, who debuted with TNA back in March, is scheduled to leave the company in the fall and return to Wrestle-1 in Japan. The idea is that he will be the promotion’s rising mega-star after having championship-level success in a major company in the United States.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
As previously reported, Dixie Carter recently took a shot at Jim Ross on her official Twitter account, responding to a fan with a fake JR account by saying, “you know as little as the real JR.” Carter has since deleted the tweet.
Also as previously reported, TNA announced during their Impact Wrestling taping on Friday night at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida that they are not sure when they will be returning to the venue. Dixie tweeted about the topic prior to the start of the taping on Friday, writing the following:
Tonight is the last #Impact taping at Universal Orlando. There will be a special meet and greet ringside immediately following the show.
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) May 9, 2014
TNA will be taping two “One Night Only” pay-per-views today in Orlando, Florida. The theme for the 1pm PPV taping is rumored to be “Victory Road.” The 7pm PPV taping is confirmed to be an all-Knockouts themed show.
Names expected for the Knockouts PPV taping include Mia Yim, Scarlett Brodeaux, Jessika Havok, Brooke Tessmacher and Taryn Terrell. It’s also rumored that former Knockout Tara (Lisa Marie Varon) will be making a one-night return at the show, but that has yet to be confirmed.
We should have a spoiler report for both shows up on the website before the end of the night.
– As previously reported, TNA star Jessie Godderz will be hosting an upcoming ESPN arm-wrestling show called “CAWL To Arms,” which will feature a co-ed college arm wrestling tournament. The first three parts of the show will air on ESPNU at 7pm EST on May 13th, 20th and 27th. The last part of the show is scheduled to air in July.
– For those who missed it in the June 15th Impact Wrestling taping report up on the site, Jeremy Borash opened the show by announcing that TNA is not sure when they will be returning to Universal Studios after last night’s event.