— Last night’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event concluded with a commercial announcing that next month’s Destination X pay-per-view would feature an X Division Championship Match, Ultimate X, the return of the six-sided ring and stars from the past.
Company officials are looking to utilize former TNA talent such as Senshi for the show, similarly to last year’s Hardcore Justice pay-per-view event featuring ECW names.
— Mr. Anderson beat “The Icon” Sting last night at Slammiversary to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, after questionable interference by Eric Bischoff. Anderson was able to hit a low blow and the Mic Check for the pin and the win to regain the gold. Meanwhile, Kurt Angle became the new No. 1 contender after beating Jeff Jarrett and therefore will receive a title shot against Anderson.
— The June 16 episode of IMPACT WRESTLING is being taped tonight in Orlando, Florida while the June
Mick Foley posted a blog on his official website commenting on his decision to part ways with TNA Wrestling.
LEAVING WITHOUT AN IMPACT
A few days ago, I woke up to the harsh realization that leaving Impact Wrestling meant I couldn’t take my kids to Universal Studios any time I pleased anymore. No Mummy or Simpsons without waiting, no post pre-tape rides on the Hulk-coaster. A few days from now, I will come face to face with an even harsher reality; for the first time in several years, there will be no paycheck awaiting me in the Foley mailbox. So with those two realities coinciding, I think it’s only fair that I’ve been asking myself whether working for TNA (Impact Wrestling) was really all that bad.
The answer I keep coming to is “no” – it really wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it was pretty good. Sometimes it was really good. I was treated treated with respect, paid well, and pretty much liked everyone I worked with… including Russo, Hogan and Bischoff, in case you were wondering.
I think it’s always a good idea to try see problems from other people’s points of view. I mentioned on Twitter a few days ago that I pushed hard for changes I thought would be beneficial to Impact, and as a result, was thought to be “difficult to work with.” You know, after a few days of serious thinking, I can really see how that “difficult” label could indeed apply to me. I was incredibly critical of the company on Jeff Katz’s “Geek Week” last November, did an interview with the opposition to support my book, forgot to mention the company I worked for on several interviews, took part in a handful of interviews that I was asked politely not to by the company that employed me, and lastly, sent out a fairly immature and hurtful tweet comparing my Empty Arena match with the Rock in 1999 to Impact house shows – in terms of attendance. If not for Congessman Weiner’s boner shot, my “empty arena” crack may have been the most ill-thought and costly tweet of the month.
I also mentioned my “request” to be released from my contract. Actually, it began as an a legitimate offer to Terry Taylor to help trim the Impact roster of some expensive fat. I had some genuine differences creatively with Impact, and honestly didn’t think the company should have to continue to pay good money to someone who had lost faith ion the product. At the time, it seemed like a pretty fair offer. But at the point we agreed to forge ahead with me as the Network rep, I should have just shut up and done the best I could in the role, at least until the Destination X show was over – at which point my departure could have become an interesting part of the show. I regret that an initial offer made in the company’s best interest became a request and maybe even a demand in my own self-interest – or at least what i thought was my own self-interest.. until I realized I didn’t get to go to Universal or to the mailbox anymore.
Somehow, during the exit process, I forgot the central theme of the Rally to Restore Sanity (and/or fear) – that people could disagree without being disagreeable. I think I did become disagreeable there for a few days, and ultimately, the manner in which I departed was not good for anybody involved – me, TNA, the wrestlers, or the fans. I am especially sorry that some of the things I did or said hurt Dixie Carter personally. While some of the criticisms leveled at TNA/Impact by me or others are valid, I think it’s been very helpful for me to step back and visualize the landscape of the wrestling business without the faith and vision of that one specific person. Because, make no mistake about it, without Dixie’s leap of faith several years ago, Impact does not exist. 100’s of incredibly talented wrestlers wrestlers would not have had the chance to show what they could do on a national stage. Dozens of others, myself included, would not have been able to enjoy second chances, last chances, or have the luxury or making choices, had Dixie chosen not to invest her time, passion and money into the complicated, frustrating world of pro-wrestling/sports entertainment. For me, personally, the opportunity at TNA/Impact afforded me the chance to enjoy almost three great years with my family, while being able to explore other passions, like my work with RAINN – even while my passion for wrestling was fading.
Far too often, I was guilty of looking at the Impact glass half-empty – wishing the show and the company could be what I thought it should be, instead of seeing it half-full and appreciating TNA/Impact for what it was – a very good place to work, full of good people, who treated me and my family very well.
TNA Wrestling presents the seventh annual Slammiversary live tonight on pay-per-view and online at TNAOnDemand.com from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Eight matches have been announced for the event. Here is the final card:
Slammiversary Match Line-up
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sting (c) vs. Mr. Anderson
The Final Battle
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett
(Match to determine the No. 1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship with Angle’s Olympic gold medal on the line)
TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
Alex Shelley and James Storm (c) vs. Douglas Williams and Magnus
Last Man Standing Match
AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray
TNA Women’s Knockout Championship Match
Mickie James (c) vs. Angelina Love
TNA X Division Championship Match
Abyss (c) vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Kazarian
During his recent interview with the UK Sun’s WrestleCast radio show, TNA star Kurt Angle spoke about his struggles with pain pill addiction during his time in WWE and how it affected his relationship with Vince McMahon.
Despite appearing glassy eyed and slurring his speech at a recent TNA PPV, the Olympic gold medalist maintains that he no longer uses pain killers and advises young wrestlers to avoid them like the plague.
“I had an issue in WWE and I think that’s the reason Vince McMahon and I became so distant. I did get myself in a position where I had a painkiller problem. I had to get myself out of it and I did that without going to rehab. I worked full time and had to go through a lot of withdrawal.
“I’ll never touch it again. I learned a lesson from that. Any wrestlers, or people that want to be wrestlers, that is not the thing you want to do. Stay away from that. It’s the devil. It’s not going to help you in any way or fashion. All it’s going to do is make you an addict.”
To listen to the full interview, visit TheSun.co.uk.
— The latest issue of Power Slam reports that Karen Jarrett recently underwent breast implant surgery.
— Rock Pink, a charity whose mission is to raise breast health awareness and support local breast cancer programs, is holding an auction for one lucky fan to bowl with TNA Knockout Angelina Love in Orlando, Florida.
The auction can be accessed here. It concludes next Friday.
— TNA Lockdown 2011 will be released on DVD on June 21.
— Fans can meet Matt Morgan and Velvet Sky tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Direct Auto Insurance 2552 Covington Pike Memphis, Tennessee. Call 901-388-0505 for more information.
In an interview with TheSun.co.uk, TNA star Kurt Angle reveals that The Undertaker wanted him to end his WrestleMania streak back at WrestleMania 22 back in 2002. Angle told WrestleCast hosts Rob and Joel:
“The person who wanted to do it was Undertaker himself. I was flattered, for him to go to Vince McMahon and pitch it.
“Undertaker at that point never had a five-star Wrestlemania moment match.
“He figured that the only one he could do it was me, at the time. Thank God a couple of years later he had Shawn Michaels, and it worked.
“But Undertaker really wanted to have that match, he asked Vince to push our match back from No Way Out to WrestleMania and, since I was champion they wanted me to keep the title, Undertaker was willing to take the loss.
“To me that meant a lot because Undertaker had a lot of respect for me — and I had more respect for him than he did for me.”
To listen to the full interview, head over to The Sun’s WrestleCast page.
Monday Night Mayhem: Hosted By The Big Mosh & “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent Heard LIVE Monday Evenings @ 7PM ET/6PM CT
TNA’s Eric Bischoff was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.
Eric Bischoff Discusses The Importance Of How TNA Is Actually Doing As A Company In The Eyes Of Spike TV, The Rumors Of Impact Wrestling Going On The Road This Summer, How Disappointed He Would Be If Mick Foley Left TNA At The End Of His Contract & If He Would Ever Classify Mick Being “Hard To Work With,” Whether Or Not Kurt Angle’s Full-Time Absence From TNA While Training For The 2012 Olympics In London Would Be A Blow To The Company, Chyna’s Decision To Restart Her Career In The Adult Entertainment Industry vs. Her Career In Professional Wrestling & His Reaction To Her Comments Of TNA “Missing The Boat” After Choosing To Not Bring Her Back After The Sacrifice Pay-Per-View, Why He Has Mixed Feelings About Mr. Anderson’s Impersonations Of Sting Over The Past Several Weeks On Impact Wrestling, Plus Much More In The Return Of “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (Flavored By Sizzlin Sauces)
You can listen to an MP3 of the appearance by clicking here.
Interview highlights courtesy of Paterson, MNM’s associate producer & official correspondent:
The importance of talking about how TNA is actually doing as a company in the eyes of Spike TV: “People keep making statements about how TNA is not doing well, or TNA sucks, or whatever juvenile trite that comes out of their heads. It occurred to to me that no one is talking about how TNA is doing as a company. Coincidentally, I got an e-mail from Spike Television talking about last Thursday night’s ratings. In the e-mail, it said that Impact Wrestling was the #1 rated show in its demo & in its time period, despite that we were up against the NBA Finals. Impact Wrestling is the #1 program on all of Spike Television. We outperform the UFC. To be able to be the the #1 show on that network in prime-time is a very significant achievement. I just wanted to point that out, because not enough people are talking about the good things going out in TNA.”
How disappointed he would be if Mick Foley left TNA at the end of his contract & whether or not Mick was ever hard to work with on or off-camera: “Mick wasn’t hard for me to work with. I thoroughly enjoyed the on-camera work that Mick & I had together. I think some of the best moments that I’ve had on camera on Impact Wrestling I’ve had with Mick Foley. I will miss working on camera with Mick Foley. In terms of being disappointed, as much as I enjoyed working with Mick, there’s a very limited role for someone like Mick Foley, a character like me who doesn’t wrestle, who is really only a talker. If you look at where Impact Wrestling is right now, there’s just not a whole lot of room for more guys like me or Hulk Hogan. We just have to be the central focus of the storyline and probably will be for some time, and there’s only so much real estate. A lot of that real estate has to go to guys who can deliver action in the ring.”
How big of a blow would Kurt Angle’s full-time absence be for TNA while he is training in London, England for the 2012 Olympics: “I don’t think it’ll be a problem at all. I’m a strong believer that when you have large characters like a Kurt Angle, or a Rob Van Dam, or a Ken Anderson, or you name it, you have to cycle those personalities out from time to time in order to keep them fresh. We have seen a lot of Kurt Angle over the last year & a half. He has been central to so many storylines that if Kurt needs some time away to pursue the Olympics, and I think the publicity surrounding that would be great for our company & for Kurt Angle himself, that it will give his character time to refresh and come back more valuable than if he would just stay around and work a full-time schedule like everyone else.”
His thoughts on Chyna’s decision to restart her career in the adult entertainment industry vs. her career in professional wrestling & his reaction to her comments of TNA “missing the boat” after choosing to not bring her back to the company: “I didn’t know she made the comment that TNA ‘missed the boat,’ but I was not excited with the fact that the company decided to bring her in for the (Sacrifice) Pay-Per-View. The initial thought was a turnoff for me, but I kept my mouth shut. When I saw her at the Pay-Per-View and saw that ‘deer in the headlights’ look in her eyes when it actually came time to do something, it kind of confirmed what my instincts told me. Then I read about the fact that she wants to build her career around doing anal sex videos for Vivid. I was really, really, really, really glad that I don’t have to try & explain to anybody why I work in the same company as her.”
Samoa Joe and Crimson participated in a bar fight angle over the weekend that TNA Wrestling publicized Wednesday on the company website. To video of their bar fight, click here.
Officials Investigating Samoa Joe’s attack on Crimson – New Footage & Details
Fans started emailing us on Wednesday afternoon regarding a video circulating the internet of Samoa Joe assaulting Crimson in a bar from this past Saturday. IMPACT WRESTLING officials are looking into the matter, but have declined to comment thus far. You can watch the footage below, which was shot by another customer. We obtained the video from the customer’s YouTube Channel.
Samoa Joe will face Crimson this Sunday at Slammiversary on Pay-Per-View and online at TNAOnDemand.com
Crimson responded via his Twitter account @OfficialCrimson:
“So a video of an altercation with me an Joe has hit the internet…not a proud moment for me but it shows you what a tough guy Samoa Joe really is to come to my spot on my time to fight.. I’m still alive Joe and I’ll be sober Sunday..hope you’re ready for the fight of your life..”
Samoa Joe has yet to respond in any way. We will keep you updated.
Tune into Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING on SpikeTV at 9/8c for more on this developing situation, as well as more on Sunday’s Slammiversary Pay-Per-View event.
— Shares of WWE stock closed at $9.70 per share on Wednesday after hitting a 52-week low of $9.69 per share. WWE’s stock price closed at $10.01 per share Tuesday before dropping 3.1 percent. At the time of this post, the stock is at $9.69 per share after hitting another 52-week low of $9.44 this morning.
WWE’s stock price has continuously plummeted since the organization announced in April that their dividend price would be slashed. One year ago, WWE stock was valued at approximately $16 per share.
— Ultimate Warrior’s inflammatory online video in which he accused longtime rival Hulk Hogan of being a cocaine-using, wife-swapping “dope head” as well as a “malicious, back-stabbing operator” has garnered mainstream coverage. FoxNews.com has posted an article on the story. The matter was also discussed some morning radio talk shows.
Meanwhile, Hogan explained to a fan yesterday on Twitter why he plans on filing a lawsuit against the master of the Gorilla Press Slam.
He wrote, “Deformation of character hurts business and lives and let’s people like you doubt, then follow and believe in the hate and lies.”
— Matches scheduled for tonight’s episode of IMPACT WRESTLING are as follows:
* TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting and TNA Television Champion Eric Young vs. Mr. Anderson and Gunner
* TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Mickie James and Tara vs. Angelina Love and Winter
* Hernandez and Anarquia vs. TNA World Tag Team Championship James Storm and Alex Shelley
* Rob Van Dam vs. Bully Ray
* Velvet Sky vs. ODB
— Today at 4:00 p.m. ET, Mickie James will be a guest of TNAOnDemand.com IMPACT WRESTLING Chat for an online chat session.
— TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Rosita is advertised to appear at Pro Championship Wrestling’s event on Saturday, June 18 at The Oak Lawn Pavilion in Oak Law, Illinois. Visit PCWWrestling.net for more information.
TMZ.com reports that Hulk Hogan is threatening to file a lawsuit against former WWE talent Warrior (a/k/a Ultimate Warrior) for alleged defamation.
The Founding Father of Life Intensity posted a seven-minute video Tuesday, saying, among other things, that Hogan is a cocaine user who had an open marriage and encouraged ex-wife Linda to indulge in sexual intercourse with other wrestlers.
Hogan says the allegation of drug use is “a blatant lie.” Regarding his claim on Linda, he said, “None of that ever happened. This guy is out of his mind.”
Hogan says he “tried ignoring” Warrior, but he’s now plans on filing a lawsuit against The Ultimate One to prevent him from “spewing sewage.”
— Ultimate Warrior revealed last night on Twitter that his much anticipated “Karma is Coming to Collect” video will be posted in less than 48 hours and that he has plans to expose him.
“Hogan takes high road-where?when? Never has,” Warrior wrote. “In WM6 best sports entertainer in the world prevailed. Today, best man will. No punches pulled.”
He added, “Terry, almost time for KiCtC. Better triple your meds — or have your PoS friend Knobbs come over and feign heart attacks…good for laughs.
Warrior also commented on Hogan’s Facebook flap over the weekend: “Hogan blames the fans, then acts like it never happened… good example of Hulkamania’s positivity and authenticity. He is totally lost.”
— Vickie Guerrero recently participated in a bikini photo shoot for her soon to be launched official website. She has plans to do another shoot in Los Angeles soon.
“Summerslam is right around the corner, this year is even bigger,” Guerrero wrote on Facebook. “I will be shooting a bikini shoot on the beaches of LA. I’m so blessed and excited!”
Kurt Angle was recently interviewed by the UK’s Bamber Media to promote next January’s Maximum Impact tour. Here are some highlights of what Angle said about:
Competing In the 2012 Summer Olympics:
“After Atlanta (1996), I wanted to take a break. Then I got caught up in pro-wrestling. I was going to try-out in 2004 but I broke my neck. Before 2008 I went a divorce and was at a really difficult time in my life. I’m a very competitive person. With the UFC I needed three to six months to get ready. They wanted me ready in four and a half weeks. I wanted to do it under my terms. A lot of people were saying ‘Kurt said he was going to fight but he didn’t. He backed out six different times and he’s going to back out of the Olympics’. No I’m not – because this is under my terms.”
His New TNA Contract:
“I’m going to start going part time. I’m at a point in my career where TNA can’t afford me to be travelling around and getting injured at house shows when they need me on TV. If I want to perform the way I do and steal the show every time I wrestle I have to be 100% healthy and we are both in agreement on that.”
Helping TNA’s younger stars:
“When you’re on your way out you want to make the younger guys more popular. You want to put these guys over and that’s where I am with my career. Look at James Storm, Robert Roode, Crimson, Amazing Red, Kazarian, Mr Anderson, The Pope. We’re starting to get the Brits where they need to be. Desmond Wolfe, Magnus or Doug Williams – one of those three are going to end up being World Champion. They’re great technicians, they’re great in the ring, and they’ve got a lot of charisma. Those are the kind of guys I want to help.”
The Official IMPACT WRESTLING Fantasy Game has arrived. If you think you know everything about IMPACT WRESTLING – better yet, if you think you can predict everything that’s going to happen on IMPACT WRESTLING – now there’s finally place to truly test that knowledge. Featuring a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind scoring system that tracks and awards points for happenings in each episode of IMPACT WRESTLING as well as Pay-Per-View events, the IMPACT WRESTLING Fantasy Game takes the extremely popular world of Fantasy Sports inside the ring…where “Wrestling Matters.”
“Our fans can now visit ImpactWrestlingFantasy.com to compete against one another the same way that tens of millions of Americans play fantasy football, baseball, basketball, golf and other fantasy sports each year,” said Al Ovadia, Chief Marketing Officer of TNA Entertainment, LLC.
“Our fantasy engine takes fantasy sports and entertainment to the next level, and may even change the way our fans tune-in. We have created a unique scoring system, a schedule that requires line-ups to be locked prior to IMPACT WRESTLING tapings, and ‘fantasy seasons’ that will last three months , in which fans can build teams that accumulate points based on IMPACT WRESTLING stars that they select to be on their fantasy rosters, ” added Ovadia.
Fans can create a fantasy roster to compete in the main public league free of charge, or upgrade to the premium Commissioner Package for less than $2 a month, which allows the user to create and customize an unlimited amount of their own private leagues to compete against friends and family, and hold live online drafts with league mates. The game includes customizable scoring, a live trash talk/trade talk feature, and real-time live scoring functionality, which enhances the fan experience, allowing access to a real time play-by-play of events and tally of fantasy points during each episode of IMPACT WRESTLING and Pay-Per-View broadcast.
“This isn’t your average fantasy sports and entertainment game,” said Paul Hickey, President/CEO of Fantasy Brand Marketing, LLC, the official fantasy partner of TNA Entertainment, LLC .. “A word to IMPACT WRESTLING fans and fantasy sports players alike – it’s not what you think. Wait until you see what we’re awarding points for and how we’re awarding them. Wrestling Matters…and everything that happens throughout every show matters when it comes to trying to win your fantasy league.”
– Prior to Season One of the IMPACT WRESTLING Fantasy Game, a one month free trial period will begin with the summer’s hottest Pay-Per-View, “TNA Slammiversary” on June 12, allowing fans to build their leagues, hold their live drafts and set their rosters.
– Rosters will lock prior to each IMPACT WRESTLING taping, assuring no unfair advantage for anyone who attends a live taping, or reads about the results. All of the game’s features will be offered free of charge, until the free trial period culminates with the airing of IMPACT WRESTLING on Thursday, July 7.
– The Official Season One of the IMPACT WRESTLING Fantasy Game will kick off on July 10 with Destination X. At that point, the three-month fantasy season format will take shape, and a free version of the game will remain, along with the ability to upgrade to premium features. Season One will culminate on Thursday, October 13 with the airing of IMPACT WRESTLING.
– Season Two of the IMPACT WRESTLING Fantasy Game will kick-off at TNA’s biggest PPV of the year, Bound for Glory, on October 16, and the quarterly fantasy season cycle will repeat itself.
– Fans will have multiple opportunities each season to manage their rosters by making waiver moves and trades, and they’ll be able to either redraft their teams prior to each season, or carry over rosters from season to season.
An inflammatory message being attributed to Hulk Hogan was posted yesterday on the wrestling legend’s Facebook account.
The message read: “That’s good to know brother. But in reality it was a lot of you idiot fans that killed wcw with your lack of appreciation and support for everything we did for you. Funny enough a lot of you morons like TNA too. Go figure. HH”
Hogan later denied writing the post, claiming it was done by a miscreant user.
“Something so evil to hurt me or my fans.I assure you I would never say anything so evil about the great fans that I love and have made my Career.I have nothing but love and respect for each and every HH fan.maby somebody that knows the INS and outs of computers can get to the Bottom of this and find out who is trying to hurt my fans and my career,thank you HULKAMANIACS nothing but love and respect. HH”
He added, “Hulkamaniacs – I have verified that my account was not hacked, and the posted screen shot was made by a person who was banned from this page due to abusive behavior. The screen shot was photo shopped, and the statement was NEVER made by me. You all make what we do worthwhile. HH”
Within TNA, no one spoken to on the subject believes that Hogan wrote the fiery comments in question.
“No way Hulk did that. You should know that. His entire I love the Hulkamaniacs shtick is 100% real,” said a TNA wrestler. “He’s not like some of the guys babyfacing fans in public and then mocking them behind the scenes. He cares and means it when he says it.”
Hulk Hogan is featured in IMPACT WRESTLING’s latest “Why Wrestling Matters” video. The legendary grappler discusses what drives his passion and dedication for professional wrestling.
“When I step in that squared circle, I’m in the moment,” Hogan said. “That’s all I care about, that’s all I focus on. It’s so simple to understand, it’s so simple for people to dive in and just forgot all their cures and everything that’s going in the world and live through IMPACT WRESTLING.
— Mick Foley took to Twitter to comment on an online report indicating that TNA Wrestling officials perceived him as being difficult to work with. Foley wrote,
“I pushed hard for changes I felt would benefit Impact Wrestling. I can understand how some would interpret that as difficult to work with.”
He did not deny reports that he asked for his release from the organization.
Earlier in the week, Foley wrote the following on Twitter, asking fans what his next career move should be:
“I am getting the sneaking suspicion that many of you would like to see me come back to WWE. It looks like a toss-up – 90% WWE, 5% Impact, 3% just want me to be happy, 2% try nude modelling! Okay, I made up the nude modelling part. But that really was an accurate breakdown.”
Barring a dramatic change, Mick Foley’s run as television character for TNA Wrestling is over. Though his contract with the organization expires in September, he reportedly asked to be released prematurely due to creative differences.
Foley was removed as on-screen character on last week’s episode of IMPACT WRESTLING. The program concluded with Hulk Hogan announcing that Foley had been fired as the Network Executive.
Both sides have been frustrated with each other in recent months. Foley was upset that TNA didn’t take interest in promoting his outside projects, while some within the company felt he was difficult to work with. Foley, however, wasn’t shy about expressing his disenchantment with the organization.
“The Hardcore Legend” stated during an interview late last year that he didn’t plan on renewing his contract when it expired not to mention that he was upset that TNA didn’t air footage of his appearance at Jon Stewart’s Rally To Restore Sanity at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Then last month, he took a shot at TNA live event attendance by comparing an “empty arena match” to a TNA house show. He later apologized.
— Former X Division Champion Suicide was removed from the official TNA Wrestling website’s roster page Friday.
The character was first dismissed last October, but returned at the January 31 Xplosion taping with Christopher Daniels once again donning the mask. Suicide last appeared at the May 16 Xplosion taping, losing to “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero in the opening match of the Xplosion Championship Tournament.
— Fans of Shannon Moore have asked “The Prince of Punk” if he is still affiliated with TNA Wrestling because he has not appeared on television in recent weeks.
“Hey guys some have asked if I’m still in TNA,” he wrote on Twitter. “I am still under contract. I have not been on tv the past few weeks or the next few to come.”
— TNA Wrestling has announced an IMPACT Wrestling World Tour date for Saturday, September 3 at the Shenandoan County Fairgrounds in Woodstock, Virginia.
— The June 2 episode of IMPACT WRESTLING scored a 1.08 cable rating, down from 1.20 last week.
The program averaged 1.4 million viewers over the course of two hours, down from the recent average of 1.7 million viewers. TNA went up against the Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which averaged 15 million viewers.
— Mickie James will be making five appearances at CMA Fest in Nashville from June 7-11 including four singing performances. Fans will be able to hear her sing songs from her album Strangers & Angels and she will also take part in meet & greets for photos and autograph opportunities. For all the details visit here. Please check out mickiejames.com for more updates and announcements.
— This past Thursday’s episode of IMPACT WRESTLING featured 28 minutes and 6 seconds of in-ring action, up from recent weeks.
Last night’s episode of IMPACT WRESTLING concluded with Hulk Hogan announcing that Mick Foley had been fired as the Network Executive.
Hogan opened up a legal document and said that effective immediately, The Network has exercised the option of terminating said position. He then said to the camera, “Mick Foley, you’re fired!” Hogan’s theme music played and Bischoff said, “This is the happiest day of my life.”
Foley lampooned news of his on-screen firing on Twitter. He wrote, “Wait, I was FIRED?!? Are you CEREAL..I mean SERIOUS?!?”
He added, “Wait, I just checked my DVR and it cut out during Bischoff’s speech. I can’t be fired; I just got back a few weeks ago. Right?”
Foley then teased a possible return to WWE, saying The Miz needs a new assistant (following the dismissal of Alex Riley) and he needs a new job.
He wrote, “Good point @DHStom – I think @mikethemiz might need a new assistant..and I need a new job. Interesting, huh?”
He then retweeted a fan’s comment indicating that he could have appeared at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s birthday bash rather than return to TNA for a few weeks. It read: “Good thing Mick had to stay around for 3 weeks rather than be at @TheRock ‘s bday bash. #baddecisions”
In accordance with the storyline, his profile has been removed from the company website’s roster page. Foley, however, is still under contract to TNA. It expires in early September and he stated during an interview late last year with GeekWeek.com that he doesn’t plan on renewing it. “The Hardcore Legend” said he was frustrated with communication problems inherent in the structure of the organization and that he wasn’t pleased that they didn’t air footage of his appearance at Jon Stewart’s Rally To Restore Sanity at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
– Jeff Hardy’s never-ending drug case was delayed once again this week, with the next court date set for June 27th. Back at the April 21st hearing, Moore County Sentencing Services program administrator Becky Carlson told the court she needed until June 1st to finish Hardy’s evaluation, but missed that deadline.
– TNA is now branding its live events as the “Impact Wrestling World Tour.”
– With the recent news of cellphones being banned from TNA television tapings due to spoilers being sent out while the events were taking place, the ban was put in place by Universal Studios, not TNA. According Universal’s policy, fans will get a warning the first time they are caught. A repeat violation will result in the fan being thrown out of the building and possibly banned from the Impact Zone.
A fan was ejected from Monday’s tapings for using their phone to send out spoiler results.
– Kurt Angle appeared on the Talksport radio show in London this week and talked about his quest to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games next summer. Angle said that he really misses the competitive edge that olypmpic-level wrestling offers. Angle talked about his disappointments of not negotiating a deal to pursue a career in MMA. He mentioned that he will make the odd TV and pay-per-view appearances for TNA, but as of now he is training for the olympics.
– With the recent TNA return of Chris Harris, company officials had discussed reuniting Harris with James Storm to reform America’s Most Wanted – with Robert Roode moving on as a singles wrestler. After Harris wasn’t getting over as well as TNA hoped and is not in great shape, the idea was scrapped. There are still plans for Beer Money to split up in the near future.
– Jeff Jarrett has the person handling most of TNA’s affairs with Mexico’s AAA promotion. Jarrett is booking the current TNA vs. AAA storyline that’s currently taking place on AAA television and Jarrett is said to have some big ideas for AAA’s upcoming TripleMania show.
Two matches were officially announced for Slammiversary on this week’s episode of IMPACT WRESTLING. AJ Styles will battle Bully Ray in a Last Man Standing Match. Also, the TNA World Tag Team Championship will be on the line as Alex Shelley and James Storm defend the gold against Douglas Williams and Magnus. Shelley replaces Bobby Roode in the match.
A TNA X Division Championship Match between Abyss and Kazarian was announced for the pay-per-view event at the beginning of IMPACT, but a No. 1 Contender’s Match between Kazarian and Brian Kendrick was subsequently held. The match was ruled a no contest and TNA does not have the bout listed on the company website’s pay-per-view line-up.
Slammiversary Match Line-up
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sting (c) vs. Mr. Anderson
The Final Battle
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett
(Match to determine the No. 1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship with Angle’s Olympic gold medal on the line)
TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
Alex Shelley and James Storm (c) vs. Douglas Williams and Magnus
Last Man Standing Match
AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray
TNA Women’s Knockout Championship Match
Mickie James (c) vs. Angelina Love