TNA Wrestling talent Ric Flair appeared on Charlotte’s “The Fan” 610 AM WFNZ sports radio station on Friday to discuss Randy Savage following his passing earlier in the day. Highlights are as follows:

Flair on “Macho Man” Randy Savage:

“It sure did (hit hard). It’s pretty sad. He just recently got married, it’s been a little over a year, and was happy and, you know, really seemed to be at peace with himself. He just had a phenomenal career and to have this happen is just really, really sad.”

Flair on his WrestleMania VIII match with Savage:

“That was a huge day for me and my first dance at Wrestlemania, of course. It was just a tremendously well-written program. It was like he was married to Liz back then and she was a huge commodity and a huge star with the WWF, or that’s what they were called back then, of course. And the thing was, ‘She was mine before she was yours.’ It was well-written and done and Randy worked hard at it and I worked hard at it. We had a really good match. Curt Hennig, God rest his soul, managed me and Liz managed Randy and we gave them a helluva show and it was awesome. That was my first Mania and one of the finest memories of my career.”

Additional thoughts on Savage:

“My thoughts about Randy are different. I think he was such a competitive guy. Randy had a really hard time relaxing and I feel bad. I think about the times I used to say to him ‘Hey man, just calm down and don’t worry about this and this and this… whatever happens is going to happen.’ If you go to sleep at night worrying about what’s going to happen the next day, it’s just too hard. You know, he worked like I did, 365 times a year back in the old days. He actually broke in in Charlotte in 1975. I’d only been here a year when Randy moved in down here. He played semi-pro baseball, I think, in St. Louis and was doing fairly well but wasn’t blowing up the ladder like expected so he came here and broke in the business.

“The irony in that is when I first moved here in ’74, I actually traveled with his dad several times. I knew the whole family very well. His dad just passed recently and I think that hurt Randy really bad. They were very close. Randy just dropped out of sight when the company was sold from WCW (to WWE).

“The thing I feel worst about, of all of the guys that are available and eligible to be in the WWE Hall of Fame — there most be something that I’m unaware of that’s gone on and they’ve never inducted him because Randy certainly was a major player for the WWF in the mecca days of the eighties and nineties.”

Flair on whether Savage is one of the 10 greatest wrestlers ever:

“Of course. Yeah. Of course. … I didn’t always agree with Randy. I’m not gonna lie to you. I didn’t sweat things out like he did. But I wasn’t… I didn’t have to fight like a dog in that race they had to be whoever they were in the eighties in that show, where everybody was fighting for position everyday of their life. I didn’t have to evolve from that. I never had personal differences with him, nothing about lifestyle. It was just about business and it doesn’t stop my opinion (of him) — he always did favors for me. He came in and opened some of my Golds Gyms. We were great friends. He and I clashed in business, but outside of the ring we were great. He could drink beer and have a good time. And, I made him laugh and helped him take his mind of things that bothered him. We got along great and had a lot of fun together.

“I used to say to him all the time, he probably died with 300 million dollars in the bank. I’m not exaggerating. I’m being facetious. But, Randy was very thrifty. I used to say to him all the time, because he would stay at hotels that were less cost effective than where I stayed. (laughs) You can criticize it all you want but I’m going to enjoy the moment because you never know, you know.

“The irony in that is Randy was only 58-years-old. That’s sad because I guarantee you he’s got enough money to live 200 more years. He made it. He worked hard to earn it. He worked very hard to earn it. He deserved it. But I always used to say to him, ‘Man, you live for the day.’ Today’s another example of why you have to live for today. You never know.”

TNA Wrestling held a ten-bell salute for Randy Savage at tonight’s live event at Amsterdam High School in Amsterdam, New York.

Savage, who performed for the organization in 2004, died in an automobile accident this morning in Seminole, Florida.

Meanwhile, new WWE Hall of Famers Road Warrior Animal and Paul Ellering attended the event and were introduced to the audience alongside legendary grapplers Nick Bockwinkel, Danny Hodge, J.J. Dillon, Dominic Denucci, The Destroyer, Mark Lewin and Doink the Clown.

Animal was advertised to guest host next weekend’s Raw live events in Canada, but pulled due to WWE’s belief that he was critical of their drug testing policy in a recently published interview with Power Slam magazine. He appeared on a Minneapolis based sports radio station yesterday and said his remarks were taken out of context by a wrestling website—actually copied verbatim from the magazine article.

— The first official episode of iMPACT Wrestling scored a 1.17 cable rating, with 1,714,000 viewers.

Last week’s “Night of Reveals” themed episode scored a 1.26 cable rating.

— Christian radio host Harold Camping predicts that a Rapture will take place on May 21, 2011 at 6 p.m. local time (the rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011.

TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Rosita commented on the possibility of the event today on her Twitter account.

She wrote, “Wow there really are some sad and troubling things going on in the world today.. heard the world is ending tomorrow.. God forbid it does I want all of you to know that I truly love and appreciate you all from family to friends to fans.. you all have been incredible and big thanks to certain people who know who they are.. you are positive motivating forces within my life. I love you all.”

She also noted the following regarding an oral procedure: “In the oral surgeons office again… let’s hope its good news today. Grrrrr…”

source: PWInsider.com

Terry Taylor, TNA Wrestling’s Director of Talent Relations, has resigned from his post with the organization.

TNA published the following statement on the company website: “Terry Taylor, TNA Director of Talent Relations, has decided to leave TNA effective May 31, 2011. TNA is grateful for Terry’s contributions to TNA’s growth and wishes him success in his future endeavors.”

Dean Broadhead will oversee contractual matters while former WWE executive Bruce Prichard will handle Taylor’s remaining duties.

Taylor had been with TNA since 2003 in a management role and served as head of talent relations for the majority of the organization’s existence.

According to sources in TNA, Prichard is not well-liked by most wrestlers in the organization. He joined the organization last year in a backstage capacity after spending a number of years in WWE as Vince McMahon’s “right hand man.”

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

Both WWE and TNA Wrestling have issued statements concerning the passing of “Macho Man” Randy Savage, who died in an automobile accident Friday morning in Largo, Florida.

WWE stated:

“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time, Randy Poffo, a.k.a. Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn. Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans.”

TNA stated:

“TNA joins the entire wrestling world in mourning the passing of the legendary “Macho Man” Randy Savage

“Savage was one of the most talented athletes to ever compete inside a wrestling ring. He truly transcended professional wrestling, becoming one of the true “icons” of our sport. Millions of wrestling fans grew up watching Savage battle other legends such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat and many more.

“Savage appeared with TNA during our 2004 “Victory Road” and “Turning Point” events – memorable moments that we hope wrestling fans will never forget.

“TNA hopes all of our fans remember Randy Savage’s amazing life and career, and how he helped shape the sport as we know it today.”

— Goldust stated on his Twitter account that he will not be returning to the square circle in the near future.

“Here’s the deal…I’m not coming back to wrestle anytime soon,” he wrote.

Goldust has been sidelined since December due to a shoulder injury, which was expected to keep him sidelined for five to six months. He has since undertaken a behind the scenes role with WWE.

— Matt Hardy stated on Twitter that Shane Helms is undergoing “major surgery” today to repair his broken leg.

Helms suffered the injury after he and his girlfriend were involved in a motorbike accident in Smithfield, North Carolina on May 5. The former WWE Superstar also suffered a broken ankle, jaw, and nose during the accident, as well as sustaining other fractures and receiving over 200 stitches, while his girlfriend sustained a broken neck.

— Former WCW World Tag Team Champion “Dirty” Dick Slater celebrates his 60th birthday. Also, WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant was born on this date in 1946.

Mick Foley, who instigated the change of TNA iMPACT! to iMPACT Wrestling on last Thursday’s broadcast, says he is still confused about the matter.

“You know, I’m still wondering in a lot of ways,” Foley said in an interview with Brian Fritz for BetweenTheRopes.com “But I think we wanted the name for the show specifically that made people instantly aware that we were a wrestling show.”

He was asked whether he expects to see more wrestling on iMPACT! Wrestling.

“You know, I hope so. And not just more wrestling, but hopefully better wrestling. I’m not taking a knock at any of the guys. I think, for example, when Ric Flair and I had the big match in October, it took people by surprise and they said, ‘Wow, that’s something we’d expect to see on a pay-per-view.’

“I think there has been a little sense over the years that wrestling was secondary to the other things going on in the show. So I’d like to see an increase in the number of minutes of wrestling, but I’d also like to see an increase in the seriousness of the matches – that more matches are seen as being pay-per-view quality.”

He also responded to skepticism that significant changes won’t be made to the show despite its rebranding.

“I would say that personally, I’m doing my very best to make the show different and to make the show matter, and that hopefully we will see a positive change,” said Foley. We’re going to know one way or another in the next month or so if people are happy with the changes. If they’re not, we’ll try to tweak them again.”

The interview is available here.

As we reported earlier this week, TNA Wrestling has purchased a number of billboard advertisements near WWE headquarters in Stanford, Connecticut as part of their new “Wrestling Matters” ad campaign.

The editor of WWE’s website Craig Tello posted a picture of the billboard online with the caption:

“Just saw a #TNA billboard in Stamford on the train to work @WWE. They re-booking the Invasion angle? #IWantWrestling…to stop recycling.”

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross commented on the situation at JRsBarBQ.com, writing:

“I heard about TNA putting up billboards in Stamford, Ct, which is the world HQ of WWE. Thoughts? A complete waste of money unless obscure mentions such as this one is what TNA is looking for. Silly expenditure of money IMO. One would think that organization would have bigger and more important fish to fry. However, what TNA does isn’t any of my business or concern but the question was asked and has now been addressed. I would guess that many WWE, Stamford based employees learned of TNA for the first time via the local billboards.”

Here is a picture of the billboard that’s getting so much attention .. What do you think about TNA buying billboards in WWE’s home turf? Is it a clever marketing move, or a waste of resources like Jim Ross says? COMMENT below..

— Mick Foley was not TNA’s original choice for the role of Network Consultant. Company officials had a nineties star in mind for the role but couldn’t come to terms on an agreement—it was not Bill Goldberg.

— Scott Steiner has apparently resolved his financial dispute with TNA Wrestling as he appeared at last night’s iMPACT! Wrestling taping in Orlando, Florida.

After building up a match between Matt Morgan and Scott Steiner for TNA Sacrifice, company officials stopped pushing it just prior to the event since “Big Poppa Pump” accepted a booking for an independent show in Port Colborne, Ontario on the same night.

He was also scheduled to participate in a TNA vs. AAA match at TripleManía XIX (Mr. Anderson and Scott Steiner vs. Jack Evans and Extreme Tiger), which takes place on Saturday, June 18 at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City. However, his issues with TNA may prevent the booking from being finalized. AJ Styles has been discussed for the role in case Steiner is unable to compete.

— Jeremy Borash will be hosting a TNA UK Fan Party in Manchester, England on May 26 at a “secret location.” More details are available here.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

– While the official numbers are not publicly released, we have approximate data regarding how many people are purchasing TNA’s monthly pay-per-view events.

While WWE shoots for the big “1 million buys” mark every year for WrestleMania, it puts a lot in perspective to learn that TNA Bound For Glory 2010 drew just over 30,000 buys. The next most-ordered show of 2010 was Hardcore Justice, which did around 20,000 buys. TNA’s other pay-per-views in 2010 did between 8,000 and 15,000 buys.

– With TNA’s recent image change that included re-branding the Spike TV show and the company’s new “Wrestling Matters” tagline, there has also been a strong push behind the scenes to change the company’s name entirely.

Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in particular want the name changed, with Hulk Hogan saying in recent radio interviews that TNA does not get taken seriously in high-level business meetings because most people think “tits and ass” when they hear the letters.

– Reality TV star Jessie Godderz worked a dark match before Monday night’s TNA tapings in Orlando, losing to Robbie E. Godderz has worked several TNA dark matches in the past and sat ringside with Dixie Carter at several events.

Check Out:

• *Spoilers* Impact Wrestling Tapings Results For Thursday 5/19
  
• *Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Results For Next Thursday 5/26

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Kurt Angle conducted an exclusive hour-long interview with Busted Open, which will aired earlier today on Sirius 92 and XM 207.

Here are some highlights of what Kurt said about:

Chyna’s debut with TNA: “She looked good. She looked healthy too. You know what even though we only had 1,400 people there. The response that just came from those fans sent a big message to Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter and myself as well that Chyna will always be a huge name. It was cool because when they introduced her this “Y” came up. It was a heartbeat. It was a “Y.” All of a sudden there was an “H” and an “N” next to it and there was a heartbeat. And then when there was a “C-H-Y-N-A,” people were like “Holy….” No way. Chyna. She’s coming. Oh my God and then she came out and she looked good. It was like she is back. It was one of the feel good moments for Impact Wrestling. It was cool. I mean, Chyna is going to….shes going to cause a ruckus in Impact Wrestling. I hope they have her wrestle the guys she was, but TNA, I should say Impact Wrestling is very pro-women as far as women wresting women. I remember when Awesome Kong came in and I told Jeff Jarrett I want to wrestle her right now. Let me put me over. He’s like no. She’s going with women. I believe Chyna should go with the guys eventually.”

Working With His Ex-Wife Karen: “Thank God everything worked out well because I found the right person in my life and Karen would be the first to admit that I was very questionable about the whole marriage. It was a rough marriage, but we kept trying to make it work and we tried to make it work for our kids, but with Jeff it was a trust factor because Jeff and I are really tight and then this happened. It was like I couldn’t have done that to you? God bless him. His wife had cancer and died. She was a wonderful lady. I don’t think I could have done that. For a while there was a trust factor. I had them both written off the show just until my anger dropped. I had some anger towards the both of them. I wanted to be released and they gave me my wishes of what do you want? I wanted them gone. I can’t work with them here, but once I realized the right thing happened. The only downfall to it is my kids live in Tennessee. Other than that everyone is happy. We actually get along really well. My kids we try to keep them…they’re not allowed to watch the show. We’re down with this angle. They were only in the show or they were in the park or my son or my daughter walk into an arena with me, but they didn’t see any of the drama. We’ve protected our kids and a lot of people would differ with that. We have kept our kids out of it completely. I’m happier now then I have ever been and Karen is happy. I love Jeff’s kids like they’re my own kids, so when I see them I treat them like they’re my own kids. If I’m watching them and my kids are there and Jeff’s kids are there I will treat them all the same, great kids, so with that may fiancé Giovanna and my new daughter Juliana I’m just in a good place in my life. When I found the right person with Giovanna it made it easier for me. I knew Karen was a great talent. You have to admit Karen is very talented at what she does. She’s pretty good as a character on TV. I knew that for a long time and she wasn’t real interested. She wanted to get back on the show. I figured she’s going to bring the kids down. I’m going to see the kids more. Thank god I did get to see my kids more, but I think the angle went a little bit too long. We went a little bit too far and other then that I don’t regret it. I saw my kids and because Karen would bring them down during the shows when they come. In that aspect I wouldn’t have seen my kids for the past three months if it weren’t for Karen bringing them down. It’s been a blessing.”

Did He And Brock Lesnar Wrestle For Real In WWE? “Brock is a very dear friend. He is a beast. To be honest with you me personally right now and there’s a difference between Olympic wrestling and MMA fighting and there are also a lot of similarities, but I do well. Yes I do incredibly well. Have I’ve been offered to do it? Yes I’ve been offered a lot of money to do it, but my focus is more on the Olympics because I have been so good at wrestling my whole life and that’s what I’m best at. I think I have a better shot at making an Olympic team then going and getting beat up doing MMA and having five fights. Those fights, these guys take a beating. You have to train so much and when you fight the fights are the ones that take years off your life because they are brutal. You’re getting banged up and beat up, your joints, your neck, your face, so Brock and I had…the thing is Brock was dodging me for a few months because everyone wanted to see it happened and I kept asking him and asking him and one day he got in a ring with Big Show and he was tossing Big Show around. Big Show was about 520 pounds at the time. Brock was picking him up and slamming him down and I’m going “Wow maybe I shouldn’t get in the ring with him.” I looked at Big Show and Brock back was looking towards me and I said get out and he said “Okay. Okay.” He snuck out of the ring and I go out and I tapped Brock on the back. He turned around and said “Ah s–t.” I said, “Let’s go,” because he said six months before they asked how would he do against me? He said, “Well Kurt is too small. I’m way bigger than him. I’ll kill him, so I took that personally. I wouldn’t let it go until we got in the ring. We got into the ring and I got a good piece of him. I will tell you this: Listen Brock is no joke. I think he is the best heavyweight fighter in the world. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a good friend of mine. You know him and I did go at it and I did get the best of him, but you know I still have so much respect for him.”

Here are spoiler results for next Thursday’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:

– Ken Anderson, dressed like Sting came out and cut a promo. He brought out, no kidding, Disco Inferno as his guest on the “Scorpion Sitdown”, so he did an entire talk show mocking Sting before laying out Inferno. Sting made the save.

– AJ Styles and Chris Daniels defeated Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer in a Street Fight.

– Velvet Sky cuts a promo saying she is tied of the accusations against her. ODB comes out and says that a year ago, she was fired because she didn’t have the right look and she’s tired of people like Sky being what everyone thinks a female wrestler should be. ODB said she’s a pathetic woman and that’s why her best friend Angelina walked out on her. Sky tried to leave but ODB laid her out.

– Jeff Jarrett defeated Matt Morgan after Scott Steiner interfered.

– Eric Bischoff came out and said last week, they met with the Network and convinced them that only one person is qualified to run Impact Wrestling and that man is Hulk Hogan. Hogan came to the ring and gloated, saying his genius is second to none. Hogan told Bischoff that what he did to the X-Division last week was genius as well. Mick Foley came out and said that no matter what Hogan thinks, all he did was make the Network mad, because after Hogan left the meeting, Foley showed them how the X-Division put TNA on the map, so it’s here to stay. Bischoff told the Bischoff told Foley it doesn’t matter because he has no power over what goes on the PPV shows. Foley said they can’t promote the PPVs without the Network, so they have no choice. Hogan tried to goad Foley into wrestling Abyss but a number of the X-Division talents come out. Brian Kendrick says he wants a shot at Abyss and that match is made.

– TNA Knockouts champion Mickie James pinned Winter. Angelina Love attacked James after the match.

– TNA X Division champion Abyss pinned Brian Kendrick.

– They refilmed the ODB and Velvet Sky segment.

– Eric Young pinned Gunner to win the TNA TV championship. Young laid down for Gunner and then small packaged him for the surprise win.

– Kurt Angle pinned Rob Van Dam with the Olympic Slam

(Source: PWInsider.com)

— TNA Wrestling kicked off a tournament at last night’s Xplosion taping for the Xplosion Championship. The premise of the title is that it’s holder would be able to challenge any champion on iMPACT! Wrestling.

“The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero squared off against Suicide in the opening match of the tournament.

— Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) announced last Thursday that Mickie James, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky and Sexy Star will face Faby Apache, Mari Apache, Lolita and Cinthia Moreno at the organization’s biggest show of the year, TripleManía XIX, which takes place on Saturday, June 18 at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City.

— The new TNA Wrestling Mobile Video Game from NAMCO BANDAI will be released this Thursday. It will be available on the iPhone, iPad and Android.

source: PWInsider.com

— “The Pope” ‘Angelo Dinero appeared on 540 ESPN Radio’s Pro Wrestling Report last night and said he’s not leaving TNA. It was speculated that he would leave the organization due to cryptic comments he made last week on Twitter about “moving on.”

— Desmond Wolfe returned to TNA Wrestling at last night’s television taping in Orlando, Florida as the commissioner of Xplosion.

He still not has been cleared to wrestle.

— Okada worked New Japan Wrestling’s tour over the weekend.

— The May 26 episode of iMPACT! Wrestling is being taped tonight in Orlando, Florida.

source: PWInsider.com

Credit to TNAInsider.com for the following spoiler results for Thursday’s Impact Wrestling:

* Immortal minus Hulk Hogan come out to begin the show with an in-ring promo. Brian Kendrick interrupts and all the X Division comes out as well. A huge brawl ensues as Fortune hits the ring.

* TNA X Division Champion Kazarian vs. Abyss is announced for later tonight as well as Amazing Red vs. Samoa Joe and Generation Me vs. Eric Bischoff & Matt Hardy.

* Rosita, Sarita & Madison Rayne vs. TNA Knockout Women’s Champion Mickie James, Tara and Miss Tessmacher with Mexican America on commentary. Winners, Mickie, Tara & Miss Tessmacher.

* Kazarian vs. Abyss for the TNA X Division Championship. Winner and new TNA X Division Champion, Abyss.

* Samoa Joe b. Amazing Red in an 8 seconds squash match. After the match, Joe doesn’t let up but Crimson hits the ring and makes the save.

* AJ Styles comes out for a promo and calls out Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer comes out and beats down Styles. Christopher Daniels makes the save. Bully Ray joins in the melee and helps Dreamer take out Styles and Daniels.

* Kurt Angle comes out for a promo and says he and Jeff Jarrett will have a match and it will be for the number one contendership for the TNA Championship. Jeff Jarrett comes out and it ends up being announced they’ll face off at Slammiversary for Angle’s 1996 Olympic Gold Medal. Velvet Sky pushes Karen Jarrett down the ramp in a wheelchair

* Eric Bischoff and Matt Hardy b. Generation Me when Hardy hit the Twist of Hate on Jeremy allowing Bischoff to score the pinfall. After the match, Bischoff was celebrating and mocking the X-Division roster to close the show.

Here are some highlights of Hulk Hogan’s appearance on The LAW radio show over the weekend:

Wrestling One More Match: “Well it’s a calculated risk, it’s not like ‘Oh my God he’s an idiot with all the back surgeries he’s going to wrestle in Brantford and if he gets knocked down he’s in a wheelchair’ – it’s not that story. If I do get in the ring it’s a calculated risk, these guys are professionals and instead of being body slammed someone can hit me in the throat, rake me in the eye, I can crumble down to the ring or take a bump on the back of my neck and shoulders and not hurt my lower back. There are a lot of ways to do it and if you think of the risk versus reward, it does matter, it’s a pretty foolish thing to think about wrestling after eight back surgeries but then there’s also the love of the business and how I love being around the guys, the fans and you guys so I’m torn between what really makes sense and what I feel. It probably has a lot to do with ego, which I try not to get involved with, I like to take ego when it comes up and put it on the wall and go back to what makes sense so it doesn’t make a lot of sense when you ask the question but it’s a consideration at this point.”

TNA Struggling To Get Viewers To Order PPVS “A lot of it has to do with awareness and the fact that we can get to the people. If I go into my hotel room in Chicago there are certain cable networks that are on like USA Network – there is no Spike TV. I mean a lot of it depends on who you can get to and who you can reach there is a lot more than ‘the fans aren’t buying it’ there is more to the equation and that’s a very shallow statement and that’s not a fact. The people that see it are buying it, there just aren’t enough people seeing it. That’s what it is – it’s creating awareness, a marketing plan we have to work with Spike TV and boost them up the ladder. I don’t know how many cable networks there are in the States if it’s 25 or 35 but in the paper it shows you who the top ten are so if we can get Spike up to that number one position the whole equation would change on how many people are buying it and change the equation and someone wouldn’t say ‘no one is buying it’ well the people that are seeing it are buying it so it’s creating that awareness to make people more aware that the product is there and that they can get it and when they walk into a hotel in Brantford that Spike is available.”

Catch The LAW every Sunday night at 11pm EST on The Score on Sirius 158

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com .. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

The Rock Back On WWE TV: “Yes…I can easily see the Rock back on WWE TV in some form and feel that matter is essential to promote his main event level match at WM28 in Miami vs John Cena. How Rock could NOT make reoccurring appearances on WWE TV and headline WMania is beyond me. However, I don’t see Rock wrestling on free TV before WM28 but that’s simply one man’s opinion.”

Drew McIntyre’s Potential: “What do I think of Drew McIntyre? Lots of potential, nice look, seems to be athletic but it needs to be established as to who the Scot is and what his immediate objectives are.”

TNA Billboards Near WWE Headquarters: “Yes…I heard about TNA putting up billboards in Stamford, Ct which is the world HQ of WWE. Thoughts? A complete waste of money unless obscure mentions such as this one is what TNA is looking for. Silly expenditure of money IMO. One would think that organization would have bigger and more important fish to fry. However, what TNA does isn’t any of my business or concern but the question was asked and has now been addressed. I would guess that many WWE, Stamford based employees learned of TNA for the first time via the local billboards.”

As always, we recommend you check out JR’s site for his amazing line of BBQ products .. His BBQ sauces, ketchups and mustard are out of this world and a staple of the refrigerator at SEScoops’ global headquarters.

Jim Ross has posted a new blog entry on his official website, www.jrsbarbq.com. Highlights are as follows:

Drew McIntyre: “What do I think of Drew McIntyre? Lots of potential, nice look, seems to be athletic but it needs to be established as to who the Scot is and what his immediate objectives are.”

Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan: “I did enjoy Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan’s match on Smackdown a great deal and the involvement of Chavo Guerrero into the Cara mix as well. Cara is developing nicely, was a predictable, HUGE hit in Mexico last weekend for WWE, but Cara needs to accelerate his learning to speak English so he can communicate with a large portion of the WWE audience.”

WWE utilizing Hall of Famers at live events: “Yes…I like the way WWE is using WWE HOF’ers to add to the live event experience ala The American Dream this weekend in Lake Charles, La and Dream’s hometown of Austin, Texas. These specific bookings provide many potential resources including meet and greet opportunities, advance PR/media work, a reconnection to previous generations of fans, and adds much needed star power to the live events. I’d pay good money just to hear Dusty cut an impassioned promo about any subject that he chose. Perhaps WWE should draw suggestions for a Dusty promo from a hat and watch him go to town…..if you will.”

TNA placing billboards near WWE HQ: “I heard about TNA putting up billboards in Stamford, Ct, which is the world HQ of WWE. Thoughts? A complete waste of money unless obscure mentions such as this one is what TNA is looking for. Silly expenditure of money IMO. One would think that organization would have bigger and more important fish to fry. However, what TNA does isn’t any of my business or concern but the question was asked and has now been addressed. I would guess that many WWE, Stamford based employees learned of TNA for the first time via the local billboards.”

Recap of Kurt Angle’s appearance on the Busted Open satellite radio show on Sirius 92 and XM 207.

This interview was pretaped before the announcement of TNA Impact becoming Impact Wrestling, and before the news that Brock Lesnar had to pull out of his upcoming UFC fight because of his condition.

Angle on his Olympic comeback: “I started training two weeks ago. I’m not allowed to really talk about but I’m gonna make a formal press conference in August. I will be training with my nephew who’s never tried out and it’s gonna give him that opportunity to realize his dream….to not say ‘What if? Why didn’t I try?’ So him and I had a long two hour conversation one night and we were very serious about it. I mentioned it on WTAE in Pittsburgh and it just went out like wildfire. I’m very serious about it. I am going to do it and I believe I have a very good shot.”

Angle on whether he still have the passion for wrestling: “I love wrestling. I will always love wrestling, but now for me, it’s a job. My responsibility is to have the best match on the card every time I go out there and I usually do. That’s my job, and I get paid very well to do it, and I don’t want to quit wrestling because that’s getting me to where I can get my Angle Foods where I need it to go. It’s also getting me so I can train for the Olympics. TNA is going to give me time off to train. If I make the Olympic Team, obviously I’ll have to leave for 3 months to train in Europe. So TNA has been a blessing for me to be able to do this. I don’t think I could have done it in the other company.”

Angle on whether he’s still the best in the business and whether he still loves pro wrestling: “I could retire. I made enough money to sit back the rest of my life and retire, but I do love it. I know that if I left now, I would miss it significantly. I am signing a new deal with TNA right as we speak. It’s another three and a half year deal. It will be part time, I’ll be doing very few house shows, I’ll be doing a number of TVs and I promised I’ll do all the pay-per-views. My wrestling will calm down. I’ve been more of a TV/PPV schedule and a lot less of the house shows. I’d rather wrestle six days a month than doing what I’m doing right now which is 18. With WWE, I was probably doing 18-24 so I’m almost as busy as I was then and I went to TNA to back off so we came to an agreement that I should definitely be taking off house shows and be able to rest and recuperate.”

Angle on the Jeff Hardy incident at the end of the Victory Road PPV: “That was an unfortunate situation where I think Jeff realizes it now. Whatever he did…this is something that’s been talked about many times. Jeff made a mistake. If he was going to take any form of, let’s say, sleep medication… he probably should’ve waited an hour before he did that. Jeff made a bad decision and he’s learned from it.

“Jeff has been clean for the last month and he wants to come back and he’s ready to come back and I believe that he won’t make that mistake it again. But it did happen. I felt really bad. I felt bad for TNA, I felt bad for Jeff, I felt bad for the company. Jeff Hardy is an amazing wrestler. I have nothing bad to say about him, actually I love the kid. I wrestled Jeff at his best and I wrestled Jeff at his worst, and it’s night and day.”

Preview This Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING Broadcast On SpikeTV At 9/8c

This Thursday on IMPACT WRESTLING at 9/8c on SpikeTV, it’s the aftermath from Sunday’s Sacrifice Pay-Per-View event as the road to the June 12 Slammiversary epic event begins! Can’t watch IMPACT WRESTLING on Thursday? Make sure to set your DVR to record it!

On Sunday night, Sting retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Van Dam – and now Sting must defend the gold against Mr. Anderson at June’s Slammiversary! What does Mr. Anderson have planned for Sting this Thursday? Sunday’s Sacrifice ended with Anderson claiming he has something in store for Sting on Thursday’s broadcast on SpikeTV.

Has Kurt Angle finally won his war against The Jarretts after he and Chyna beat them on Sunday night at Sacrifice? Tune in Thursday night for the latest!

Plus, Mick Foley is the new Network Consultant, and he’s promised more changes coming to IMPACT WRESTLING this Thursday night! What does Foley have in mind after last week’s big announcement? Tune in and find out!

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING – plus news on Slammiversary as TNA celebrates 9 years of action!

TNA and Spike TV sent out the following press release to announce the official rebranding of TNA’s weekly television show:

SPIKE TV AND TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION (TNA) WRESTLING RELAUNCH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM AS ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling and Spike TV announced today that TNA’s flagship program would be rebranded as IMPACT WRESTLING, beginning Thursday, May 19 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on SPIKE.

With the debut of “TNA iMPACT!” in 2005, TNA and SPIKE have partnered to bring U.S. television audiences the most exciting professional wrestling in the world today. TNA iMPACT! has been averaging 1.8 million viewers this year and ranks among the top programs on cable with Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 in its timeslot. In 2011, TNA is up 11% in HH rating vs.Q1 2010 and 9% in viewership of persons 2+.

“While the name change is subtle, it is also very powerful. TNA is proud to be in the wrestling business, and not afraid to say it. And, to emphasize our commitment we have added the word ‘wrestling’ to our already well-known ‘iMPACT!’ brand,” said  TNA chief marketing officer Al Ovadia.

In addition to rebranding IMPACT WRESTLING, TNA is launching the tagline, “WRESTLING MATTERS,” a statement that reflects every aspect of TNA Wrestling, from program content to marketing to live events.

“We wanted a branding initiative that was scalable and could extend across all platforms,” added Ovadia. “We asked our fans what it was about professional wrestling that they found most compelling. We learned it was no single aspect, their passion for wrestling was all-consuming. Whether it’s the in-ring action, backstage brawls, the feuds or classic dramatic conflict of good vs. evil, it’s the entire experience that makes ‘wrestling matter.’”

“TNA is a proven ratings winner on Thursday nights for Spike, delivering a consistently large audience of hard-to-reach young men,” said Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports and specials, Spike TV. “We feel the new IMPACT WRESTLING branding message will resonate with our audience who crave the action-packed wrestling that only TNA can provide.”

Effective immediately fans can visit www.IMPACTWRESTLING.com for exclusive news and content on the stars of IMPACT WRESTLING. Fans can also access over 300 hours of TNA programming at www.TNAOnDemand.com.

As part of TNA Wrestling’s new “Wrestling Matters Again” re-branding effort, the company has purchased a number of billboard ads in Stanford, Connecticut – home of WWE headquarters.

The ads, which are to promote TNA renaming its Spike TV show to “Impact Wrestling” – can be seen all over Stanford, including right down the road from WWE HQ. There are said to be 4 or 5 billboards spotted so far.

WWE employee Craig Tello had posted a picture of one of the billboards on Twitter, but it has since been takent down. He tweeted:

“Just saw a #TNA billboard in Stamford on the train to work @WWE. They re-booking the Invasion angle? #IWantWrestling…to stop recycling.”

We’ll post a picture of one of the ads here as soon as it is posted online again.

If you’re located in Stanford and can take a picture of one of the billboards, feel free to send in a picture to SEScoops@gmail.com.

Check out this backstage footage of Mick Foley and TNA newcomer CHYNA:

— Sting successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Van Dam at tonight’s TNA Sacrifice pay-per-view.

The thirteen minute match concluded with Sting dropping Rob Van Dam with the Scorpion Death Drop for the win.

Mr. Anderson, who won a 25-Man Battle Royal last Thursday on iMPACT! to become the No. 1 contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, confronted Sting following the match. Sting will face Anderson next month at Slammiversary, which takes place June 12.

— WWE.com editor Craig Tello posted a photo on Twitter of an iMPACT! Wrestling billboard located near WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The image, however, has since been removed. He posted the following the tweet:

“Just saw a #TNA billboard in Stamford on the train to work @WWE. They re-booking the Invasion angle? #IWantWrestling…to stop recycling.”

– TNA’s 2011 Sacrifice pay-per-view opens up with a promo focusing on the World Heavyweight Title. The video shows Rob Van Dam and Sting working out for their main event match tonight.

– And we’re live from the iMPACT Zone in Orlando as the pyro goes off. Mike Tenay welcomes us to Sacrifice and runs down the top matches. We go to the ring.

Mexican America vs. Ink Inc.

We go to the ring and out comes Anarquia and Hernandez, led to the ring by Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Rosita.

Out next comes Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal, who is carrying an American flag. The crowd chants “USA” as we get ready to go. It’s going to be Moore starting things out with Anarquia. They lock up and Anarquia takes control first. Moore turns it around and takes it to the mat. Anarquia with a headlock now and then a shoudler block. Moore with a hip toss after running the ropes. Moore with an armbar now.

More back and forth action. Hernandez distracts the referee while Anarquia hits a cheap shot and keeps Moore on the mat. Anarquia pins Moore’s shoulders to the mat for a 2 count. Moore gets up and takes Anarquia down with a dropkick. Rosita distracts the ref while Hernandez hits Moore from behind and he goes down. Hernandez is tagged in now and beats Moore down to the mat. Hernandez takes it to the corner but Moore drops him and hits a leg drop for a 2 count. Neal is tagged in and they do some double teaming on Hernandez for a 2 count.

Neal works over Hernandez and dodges a splash in the corner. Neal hits a belly-to-belly. Sarita distracts the referee now while Anarquia hits Neal from behind, allowing Hernandez to take control. Anarquia is tagged back in and hits Neal with knees to the gut and knife edge chops. Moore tags himself in and hits a crossbody on Anarquia for 2. Moore slides out of the ring and traps Anarquia in the apron with right hands. Hernandez comes over but Moore moonsaults onto him from the apron. Rosita distracts the referee while Sarita runs in and hits Moore from behind now. Anarquia works over Moore and tags back in Hernandez. Hernandez comes in and holds a torture-rack like move on Moore, drops him and gets a 2 count.

Another tag to Anarquia for some double team action. Hernandez drops Moore and Anarquia covers for a 2 count. Anarquia takes Moore to the top now. Moore fights him off and hits another moonsault. Hernandez comes in and stops Moore’s tag. Moore kicks him in the head and tags in Neal. Neal takes out both Hernandez and Anarquia with clotheslines. They all go back and forth. Hernandez goes for a Border Toss on Neal but he slides out. Moore goes for the Moore-gasm but Rosita gets in and causes interference. Anarquia and Sarita pull Moore to the floor and work him over while Hernandez lays out Neal in the ring for the pin and the win.

Winners: Mexican America

– We go to Tenay and Taz to talk about tonight’s top matches again. Jeff Jarrett’s music hits and out he comes with Karen Jarrett, who has a brace on her foot and is walking on crutches. Jeff helps Karen to the ring.

Jeff takes the mic and says that unfortunately, Karen hurt herself while handing out the orders for their hired help at home on Friday morning. The crowd starts chanting “bullshit.” Jeff says Karen slipped on one of Cody’s action figures and her ankle is broken in two places. Another “bullshit” chant breaks out. Jeff says he and Karen are as disappointed as the fans are. Jeff says the match against Kurt Angle and Chyna won’t happen tonight. He says it’s not their decision, it’s the doctor’s decision. The crowd chants for Kurt Angle but out comes Mick Foley.

Foley says he saw the x-rays – there really is two fractures in the ankle. Foley says the x-rays weren’t of Karen though, she used the x-ray of a 6 foot 6 African American male. Foley says this is a wrestling ring and wrestling takes place inside of wrestling rings because wrestling matters. Karen says she didn’t bring anything to wear tonight. Foley had the TNA costume designer make a special outfit for Karen tonight. The crowd starts chanting for Chyna. Foley says Karen is likely to get her butt kicked all over the iMPACT Zone tonight but at least she will look good while it’s being done. Foley tells her to have a nice day, if she can, and his music hits. Karen takes off her boot and crutches, and throws it at Foley. She’s no longer injured.

– We go backstage with Jeremy Borash and Brian Kendrick. Borash asks him about the match with Robbie E. tonight. Kendrick blabs on like only he can about the X Division. Kendrick says he’s here to put the X Division back on its proper path.

Robbie E. vs. Brian Kendrick

We go to the ring and out comes Robbie E. with Cooke at his side. Out next comes Brian Kendrick. Kendrick meditates in the middle of the ring. Robbie escorts Cookie out of the ring and taunts Kendrick while he sits Indian style in the middle of the ring. Robbie runs his mouth and gets attacked by Kendrick from behind. Kendrick throws Robbie out of the ring and leaps through the ropes onto him. Kendrick brings it back in the ring and hits a crossbody from the top for a 2 count. Kendrick goes back to meditating.

Kendrick continues the offense on Robbie. Kendrick goes to the top and stalls. Robbie runs into his boot and goes down. Cookie brings Robbie out to the floor to re-group. Kendrick comes out and gets into it with Cookie. Kendrick tells her that God has a plan for her. He kicks Robbie off and brings it back in the ring. Kendrick goes up top. Robbie charges and knocks him outside to the floor. Kendrick comes back in but Robbie starts stomping on him. Robbie taunts Kendrick now before whipping him hard into the corner. Robbie works Kendrick over on the mat now.

Robbie with an elbow drop and a 2 count now. Robbie goes back to work on Kendrick on the mat now. Robbie clotheslines Kendrick over the top and he lands hard on the floor. Robbie comes out after Kendrick suplexes him on the floor. Robbie goes back in and distracts the referee while Cookie chokes Kendrick with her foot. Robbie comes back out for another suplex but Kendrick counters. Kendrick whips Robbie into the apron and superkicks him. Robbie rolls back in the ring but Kendrick hits a dropkick from the top. Kendrick puts his cape over Robbie’s face and wails away. He charges but Robbie catches him and drops his face into the corner. Robbie goes for a neckbreaker but Kendrick slides out and dropkicks Robbie for the pin and the win.

Winner: Brian Kendrick

– After the match, Kendrick shakes Earl Hebner’s hand but Hebner runs off. Kendrick goes to shake Robbie’s now but Robbie is asking him what’s wrong with him. Kendrick grabs Robbie’s arm but he pushes him off. Kendrick grabs Cookie’s arm now and plays tug of war over her with Robbie. Cookie and Robbie escape the ring and call Kendrick a freak before heading to the back.

– We go backstage with Tara. She’s asked about her being freed if Mickie James defeats Madson Rayne tonight. Madison walks up and tells Tara to keep herself backstage tonight because Madison doesn’t need her. We go to a promo for tonight’s Knockouts Title Match.

TNA Knockouts Title Match: Madison Rayne vs. Mickie James

We go to the ring and out first comes Madison Rayne. If Madison loses this one, Tara is freed from her contract. Out next comes the TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James to a nice pop from the crowd.

The bell rings and right before they lock up, Tara’s music hits and out she comes. This pisses Madison off. Madison meets Tara on the entrance way and starts chewing her out. Tara points out that Madison is being counted out. Madison runs for the ring but Mickie slides and kicks her to the floor. Mickie works over Madison but Madison pulls her face-first into the steel steps. They go back in the ring and Madison takes control, getting a 2 count with her foot on the ropes. Another 2 count for Madison. Madison charges in the corner now but Mickie hits her with an elbow. Madison drops Mickie on the floor by her hair and covers for a 2 count.

Madison goes to the floor and starts yelling at Tara again. Madison comes back in but Mickie hits her with a forearm shot and another. Mickie ducks a clothesline and hits a neckbreaker on Madison. Mickie rolls Madison up from behind for a 2 count after she’s caught with Tara. They go back and forth and the referee gets knocked down. Madison goes under the ring and pulls out her loaded glove. Madison readies for Mickie. Tara jumps on the apron and rips the glove off Madison. Mickie kicks Madison and goes for a DDT. Madison counters and rolls Mickie up for 2.

Mickie with clotheslines on Madison now after an elbow. Mickie picks Madison up and drops her on her face. Mickie climbs to the top now and goes for the Thesz Press. Madison moves and Mickie hits the move on the referee. Madison shoves Mickie to the mat beside the ref. Madison goes for her finisher but Mickie comes back and hits a clothesline. Mickie kicks Madison in the gut and goes for the DDT. Tara runs in the ring and Mickie drops Madison. Madison wants Tara to hit Mickie. Tara goes to hit Madison but stops. Madison sweet talks her and drops to her knees. Tara acts as if she’s going to hit Mickie but turns and lays Madison out with a hard shot. Mickie covers Madison for the pin after Tara wakes up the referee.

Winner: Mickie James

– After the match, Tara runs to the ramp and Mickie looks at her shocked. Tara drops to her knees and is happy that she’s free now.

– We go backstage with JB and Fortune. Kazarian talks about facing Max Buck tonight and AJ Styles talks about facing Tommy Dreamer. Beer Money is up next to talk about Matt Hardy and Chris Harris. Robert Roode says they will walk away still the champs tonight. James Storm says he’s here to drink his beer and whoop Chris Harris’ ass tonight.

– We go backstage with JB and Fortune. Kazarian talks about facing Max Buck tonight and AJ Styles talks about facing Tommy Dreamer. Beer Money is up next to talk about Matt Hardy and Chris Harris. Robert Roode says they will walk away still the champs tonight. James Storm says he’s here to drink his beer and whoop Chris Harris’ ass tonight.

TNA X Division Title Match: Max Buck vs. Kazarian

We go to the ring and out first comes the challenger, Max Buck. Out next comes the TNA X Division Champion Kazarian.

The bell rings and they lock up. Kaz takes it to the corner and comes out with an arm lock. Back and forth action with reversals now. They take it to the mat now with more back and forth. Kaz with a drop toe hold and another headlock on Buck. Buck charges in the corner but Kaz moves. Kaz slams Buck to the mat by his head for a 2 count. Kaz ends up on the apron and Bucks knocks him to the floor. Buck leaps through the ropes and kicks Kaz down.

Buck brings it back in the ring and works Kaz over. Buck chokes Kaz on the ropes with his boot. More offense and a 2 count from Buck. Buck drops several knees into Kaz’s back and gets a 1 count. Buck keeps Kaz grounded to the mat now. Buck keeps it up until Kaz rams him back into the corner. Max knocks Kaz off and goes to the top. Kaz runs up and gutwrench suplexes Buck from the top to the mat. They get up and Kaz clotheslines Buck twice and spin kicks him. Kaz catches Buck in the corner and slams him hard. Kaz with a springboard leg drop and another 2 count.

More offense by Kaz and a neckbreaker for a 2 count. More back and forth until Buck powerbombs Kaz into the turnbuckle. Buck with a blockbuster type move out of the corner for another 2 count. Buck drops Kaz in the corner and goes back up top. Buck hits a 450 splash on Kaz but only gets 2. Buck smacks and taunts Kaz now. Buck goes for a suplex but Kaz blocks it and slams Buck’s gut over the ropes. Kaz with a running kick to the head. Kaz runs the ropes and sunset flip powerbombs Buck from the apron down to the floor. Buck lands hard and smacks his head on the floor. Kaz brings Buck back in the ring and covers him for only a 2 count.

More back and forth action until Kaz hits a Shining Wizard out of nowhere for the win.

inner: Kazarian
– JB is backstage with Abyss. JB starts talking and Abyss tells him to shut up. Abyss talks about everything he’s been through and shows his missing teeth. Abyss says Crimson’s undefeated streak will end tonight.

Abyss vs. Crimson

We go to the ring and out comes Abyss. The undefeated Crimson is out next to a decent reaction from the crowd. They go at it and grab each other’s throats. Abyss knocks Crimson down and goes to work on him. Crimson comes back with a dropkick. Abyss kicks Crimson in the head. Crimson ducks a clothesline and sends Abyss over the top and to the floor. Abyss pulls Crimson out to the floor and hits a knee to the head and some right hands.

They go at it on the floor with Abyss throwing Crimson into the barrier. More right hands from Abyss. Abyss throws Crimson into the steel steps now. They bring it back in the ring but Abyss keeps dominating. Crimson tries fighting out of a headlock but Abyss knocks him to the mat. Crimson finally fights out but they double clothesline each other in the middle of the ring. They get up and trade shots. Crimson with a big clothesline and a splash in the corner. Crimson with big knees and a neckbreaker for a 2 count.

Crimson goes for a big splash in the corner but Abyss moves. Abyss chokeslams Crimson but he kicks out at 2. Abyss goes under the ring and brings out Janice. He chases the referee out of the ring. Crimson ducks a shot from Abyss with Janice and spears him for a 2 count. Crimson charges again but Abyss drops him with a boot to the chest. Abyss goes for Shock Treatment but Crimson slides out and drops Abyss with a DDT for a 2 count. Abyss goes back to the floor but Crimson cuts him off from the ring. Abyss drops Crimson with a cheap shot and goes to the second rope. Abyss hits a big Vader splash from the second rope but Crimson kicks out at 2. Abyss goes for a splash in the corner but Crimson moves. Crimson drops Abyss with a big sit-down powerbomb for the pin and the win.

Winner: Crimson

– We get a promo for tonight’s TNA Tag Team Title Match.

TNA Tag Team Title Match: Matt Hardy and Chris Harris vs. Beer Money

We go to the ring and out first comes Matt Hardy. Out next comes Chris Harris, for his first TNA match in several years. Out next comes the TNA World Tag Team Champions Beer Money. It’s going to be Storm starting things out with Harris, his former partner. Harris is wearing his AMW trunks. They go to lock up but Harris tags in Hardy.

Roode goes to tag Storm but Hardy pulls him to the floor. Roode turns around to a big full nelson slam from Harris for a 2 count. Hardy comes back in via tag and keeps the offense on Roode. Hardy with a side slam on Roode. Hardy drops an elbow to the back and goes to the second rope for another elbow drop. 2 count on Roode. Hardy puts pressure on Roode’s back now. They trade shots and Hardy takes it to the corner. He tags in Harris for more double teaming. Harris continues to work on Roode’s back. Harris taunts Storm and tags back in Hardy. Hardy with an elbow drop and a forearm shot to Roode’s lower back. Roode hits Hardy in the mouth with an elbow. Roode goes for a tag but Hardy stops him and continues to work on the lower back.

Roode and Hardy collide and both go down. Harris spits at Storm. Roode finally makes the tag to Storm and in he comes. Harris misses a clothesline and Storm unloads on him. Storm beats Harris down and clotheslines him back down. Storm with a Thesz Press and several right hands. Harris tosses Storm over the ropes but he hangs on and comes back in, knocking Harris down. Storm DDT’s Harris from the second rope for a 2 count as Hardy made the save. Roode comes in and throws Hardy out and they go at it on the floor. Storm brings Harris to the corner and hits an inverted DDT from the top but only gets 2. Roode comes back in for the double team but Hardy stops it. Hardy hits the Side Effect on Roode. Storm counters a Twist of Hate and hits a backstabber on Hardy. Storm counters Harris now but Harris spinebusters him to the mat. Harris turns around to an even bigger spinebuster from Roode. Beer Money hit a double suplex on Hardy and do their signature pose. Harris runs into a big superkick from Storm. They go for the DWI on Harris but Storm stops it and goes to the top rope. Roode holds Harris as Storm hits the AMW’s old move Death Sentence from the top rope for the win.

Winners: Beer Money

– We go backstage with JB and Brother Ray. Ray starts insulting Borash. JB asks Ray what his business is with Tommy Dreamer now. Ray goes on and says he can do whatever he wants, because he can. Ray threatens JB again and says AJ Styles represents everything he hates about modern day pro wrestlers. Twitter, video games – not what real wrestlers like Ray does – drink whiskey, listen to rock and roll and drink whiskey. Ray says he’s taken craps bigger than AJ. Ray snatches the mic from Borash and tells AJ he’s lucky he didn’t end his career when Ray powerbombed him from the stage weeks back. Ray says he will do whatever he has to take out Styles and then he’s going to take Fortune out and then take his redneck wife out.

No DQ Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. AJ Styles

We go to the ring and out first comes Tommy Dreamer. Out next comes AJ Styles to a nice pop from the crowd. They come face to face in the ring and get ready to go. They lock up and break it up before anything happens. Another lock up and AJ goes behind Dreamer. Dreamer takes Styles to the mat and they go back and forth. Dreamer begs the ref to get Styles off him but it’s no DQ. They lock upa gain and Dreamer hits a knee to the gut and some right hands.

AJ tries to make a comeback but Dreamer puts an end to it. Dreamer hits Snake Eyes in the corner but only gets a 2 count. Dreamer drops a series of elbow drops for another 2 count. Dreamer with a headlock now. AJ ends up on the apron and comes back in with a clothesline on Dreamer. More clotheslines from AJ and a dropkick. Dreamer is sent out to the floor. AJ slingshots over the top and lands on Dreamer. They fight on the floor now. AJ knocks Dreamer around and slams his head into the apron. Dreamer blocks AJ and slams his head into the ring steps area. Dreamer misses a clothesline but drops AJ near the guardrail. Dreamer lands on it and AJ knocks him off. They fight into the crowd now.

Dreamer gets cut open it looks like and slams AJ into part of the set near the fans. AJ is also cut open by his temple. Dreamer brings it back to the ringside area and goes under the ring for a trash can full of weapons. Dreamer comes in the ring but AJ runs and kicks the trash can into his head. AJ goes under the ring and brings a table into the ring. AJ drops the table onto Dreamer’s head as he tries to get up. 2 count for AJ. The crowd chants for fire. Dreamer and AJ trade shots now. Dreamer gets thrown into the ring post in the corner. The table is propped up on one leg. AJ runs across of it and leaps off onto Dreamer in the corner with a big right hand. AJ drops Dreamer head-first and gets a 2 count.

Dreamer counters and DDT’s Styles for a 2 count. AJ’s leg goes under the ropes and the referee stops the count, in a No DQ match. Dreamer pulls a fork out and tries to stab Styles in the eye with it. AJ blocks it and trades shots with Dreamer. Styles with a big trash can shot to the head of Dreamer. Dreamer goes to drive AJ through the table but AJ hits him with a pele kick. Styles goes for the Styles Clash through a table but Brother Ray runs in and hits AJ from behind with a chain around his fist. Daniels runs down and chases Ray off. Dreamer hits a big DDT on AJ through the table and covers him for the win.

Winner: Tommy Dreamer

– We get a promo for tonight’s mixed tag team match.

Karen & Jeff Jarrett vs. Chyna & Kurt Angle

We go to the ring and out first comes Karen and Jeff Jarrett. Karen isn’t happy about having to participate in the match. Out next comes Kurt Angle by himself. Chyna’s music hits next and out she comes in red, white and blue. Chyna hits the ring and poses for the fans.

Angle is all smiles at Karen being upset. Angle and Jeff start things off and the fans chant for Kurt. They lock up and Kurt takes control first, knocking Jeff down with a shoulder. Kurt takes it tot he mat now with a 1 count and a headlock takedown. They go to the corner and Jeff hits a cheap shot to take control. Angle comes back with a big hip toss and a suplex for a 1 count. Angle points at Chyna and the crowd pops. In she comes and Jarrett escapes from the ring. Jeff wants no part of Chyna. Jeff tells Karen she has to get in the ring but she argues with him. A “Chyna’s gonna kill you” chant breaks out. The Jarretts are being counted out as Karen finally enters the ring. Jeff sneaks in and takes out Kurt Angle. Jeff tells the referee to get Chyna out and she has to leave. Jeff stomps on Kurt now.

Kurt and Jeff both go down now. More back and forth until Kurt hits a belly-to-belly for a 2 count. Angle goes for the Angle Slam but Jeff slides out. Kurt grabs him and hits the trios German suplexes. Jeff blocks another Angle Slam attempt and drops Kurt with a kick to the head. Jeff goes for the Stroke but Angle turns it into the ankle lock. That’s also blocked. Angle goes for the Angle Slam and nails it this time for a 2 count. Jeff wants to tag Karen but she won’t. Jeff back kicks Angle below the belt. Angle tags in Chyna. Jeff turns around and she scoop slams him. Chyna with a big suplex now. She points at Karen but Karen walks away from the ringside area.
Chyna stalks Karen outside of the ring and back into it. Karen turns around in the ring to Kurt. He taunts her. She turns back around to Chyna. Chyna and Kurt corner Karen. Chyna splashes her in the corner. Chyna grabs Karen and lays her out with a Pedigree. Chyna applies the ankle lock on Karen. Jeff runs in but Jeff throws the ankle lock on him as well and they tap out for the win.

Winners: Chyna and Kurt Angle

– After the match, Chyna and Kurt pose in the ring as we go to replays.
– We go to promos for tonight’s main event.

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Sting

We go to the ring but Mr. Anderson’s music hits and out comes the #1 contender. Anderson cuts a promo and joins Taz and Tenay for commentary. The challenger Rob Van Dam is out next followed by the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting. The bell rings and they stall before locking up. They lock up and Sting applies a headlock.

Back and forth until they lock up again. This time it’s RVD with a headlock. Sting misses a clothesline and RVD takes him down with his legs for a 2 count. They go at it in the corner now. RVD goes to catapult Sting out and it gets blocked. Sting clotheslines RVD and goes for another but RVD jumps out of the ring. RVD finally comes back in the ring and we get 2 counts. RVD spin kicks Sting to the mat and shows off some more. RVD stalls some more and comes back in for a 2 count.

RVD goes for a running spin kick in the corner but Sting ducks and RVD lands outside on the floor. RVD goes to leg drop Sting on the guardrail but Sting moves and RVD lands hard. They go at it at ringside and fight up into the crowd. Sting and RVD make their way back down to the ring now. They bring it back in the ring for more back and forth. Sting gets fired up and hits RVD with right hands and a big clothesline, and another. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash but RVD kicks him in mid-air.

RVD misses the frogsplash and Sting rolls him up for a 2 count. Sting goes for the Death Drop but it’s botched. Sting goes for it again and lays RVD out. Sting covers him for the pin and the win.

Winner: Sting

– After the match, Sting celebrates with the title as we go to replays. Anderson, who is still on commentary, says he has a little something special for Sting on this week’s iMPACT. RVD raises Sting’s hand in victory. Anderson decides to go to the ring and congratulate Sting on winning. RVD leaves as Anderson heads to the ring. Anderson stares Sting down as the pay-per-view goes off the air.