TNA has announced Drew Galloway will be unable to compete at TNA Bound For Glory in the Grand Impact Championship finals match. Galloway, who is dealing with a neck injury, says he still plans to be at the show.
Ahead of Sunday’s TNA Bound for Glory PPV, “Broken” Matt Hardy has posted a serious of cryptic tweets that reference the uncertainty regarding the company’s future. Matt and “Brother Nero” Jeff Hardy look to reclaim the TNA tag team titles against The Decay. Keep it locked to SEScoops.com this weekend for the latest on TNA’s future and our Bound For Glory Live Coverage Sunday night.
Ethan Carter III wrote the following about Sunday night’s TNA Bound for Glory pay-per-view:
“This is a wrestling show. This is a wrestling show that takes place due to an unparalleled effort of it’s talent, production, and host of others who’s names you may never hear. This is a wrestling show that is a combined effort of those women and men, who through turbulence, constant noise and leadership decisions outside of their control will take whatever opportunity they have to deliver. To do what they love. This is not a perfect wrestling show, this is not a perfect company, and this is not a perfect industry. The only thing that can be perfect is the combined effort from each individual to move forward as team. For the person next to you. For the fanbase that supports you. This is a wrestling show.”
EC3 challenges Bobby Lashley in the main event for the TNA World Championship. As of this writing, the show is still scheduled to take place.
The speculation in question revolves around whether or not TNA will even be running Bound For Glory on Sunday and the subsequent TV tapings. Reportedly, being that banks will be closed for the weekend and TNA needs funding to run the week of shows (Billy Corgan largely confirmed the latter when he appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show), the company had until the close of business Friday to make a deal. With TNA based in Nashville, which is in the Central Time Zone (where it was still 4:41 .m.),if a deal was made before the tweet, then they would have barely made it.
If they did make a deal, it’s not yet clear who would be providing the investment, if not outright buying the company. In the Le Batard interview, Corgan said that his understanding as a TNA shareholder was that WWE was not in negotiations for the company.
As seen below, TNA has announced 9 of the 10 Bound For Gold participants that will do battle at Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view from Orlando. It’s believed the final spot will go to Cody Rhodes.
Here is the updated card for Sunday:
– No Holds Barred for the TNA World Championship: Lashley vs. Ethan Carter III
– The Great War for the TNA Tag Team Championship: The Decay vs. The Hardys
– Tournament finals to crown the first Impact Grand Champion: Drew Galloway vs. Aron Rex
– TNA Knockouts Championship Match: Maria vs. Gail Kim
– Bound For Gold: Braxton Sutter, Mahabali Shera, Jessie Godderz, Robbie E, Tyrus, Eli Drake, Baron Dax, Rockstar Spud, one other
Wrestling fans know there’s a great deal of certainty regarding the future of TNA Wrestling and we’ll know something definitive any time now over the next few days. Will Billy Corgan (by himself or with a team of investors) assume a majority stake in the company? Will a media company or another investor group make Dixie Carter and company an offer they can’t refuse? Would WWE buy their competition once again ala WCW/ECW 2001 and acquire the tape library while shutting the company down?
Controlling shareholder and former TNA President Dixie Carter checked in with a (minor) update on Thursday evening, doing what else but teasing a “big announcement.” If that’s not the TNA of the past several years, we don’t know what is.
Earlier today, Billy Corgan appeared on The Dan Le Betard Show to discuss TNA’s precarious situation right, and while there wasn’t a ton of new information, there were a couple interesting quotes.
With regards to WWE buying TNA or its intellectual property, Corgan said “No, as at this moment that has not happened.” He explained that “I have a piece of the company and so I have to be informed we hope to have to be informed — at least i would hope to be informed of that.” It sounded like he may have been joking about that last part and not doubting himself, but at this point, nothing would be surprising.
When asked of Bound for Glory is happening this Sunday, Corgan didn’t answer the question directly. Instead, he said that “I don’t expect anybody’s going to do anything too ridiculous to make sure that doesn’t happen; it would put a lot of people out of work.” That’s a strange answer: Even if you don’t blame him for not giving a direct answer, what’s something “too ridiculous” that someone would make sure to do to keep the pay-per-view and subsequent TV tapings from happening? The shows aren’t happening if TNA doesn’t get funding for expenses before the end of business tomorrow. That’s not “ridiculous,” that’s no funding coming through.
As he’s explained in his other interviews this week, Corgan does not want to fund the shows just to keep the company on life support again, something he strongly implied he’s done three times so far. But can he make a deal to outright buy the company with a day or so to go and a “standoff” (as he put it to Le Batard) going on between various interested parties?
The prospects for TNA surviving as a wrestling promotion in time for Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view event and the subsequent TV tapings appear to be getting more and more grim by the hour. First, on Wednesday evening, a report from WrestlingInc revealed that according to “a veteran TNA talent,” a number of wrestlers’ flights to Orlando for next week have been cancelled. It wasn’t made clear if this was any of the advertised talent for Bound For Glory or just wrestlers set to be in matches not yet announced for the show.
In addition, the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscribers only), there are arguably some mixed messages. Dave Meltzer writes that “the feeling now is [Dixie] Carter is going to make the best deal for her[self],” but that at least as of press time late last night, WWE, who’s in the best position for a mercenary deal like that, is not at the negotiating table. Of course, it should be noted that when WWE bought WCW’s assets in 2001, WWE had already passed on a buyout and stepped in when it became clear there were no other buyers. Like with WCW, if WWE were to get TNA, it would be expected that they would buy only the assets and not the company outright.
Meltzer added that TNA’s debt “is in the millions of dollars” with creditors including Billy Corgan, Aroluxe, and others, and the debt may very well be greater than the value of the company at this point. That gap is even more pronounced if the company can’t get the ~$600,000 they need by Friday: TNA will be in breach of its TV deals, quite possibly lose them, and literally lose all value other than that of the tape library.
As of this writing, TNA has 30 hours or so to secure funding. If they don’t, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the company doesn’t need to file bankruptcy. Even if the tape library and trademarks are sold to WWE, that most likely won’t cover all of TNA’s debt. For WWE’s purposes, with no rush on their side and no competition for the intellectual property if it went it’s not ridiculous to suggest that they could get a lower price that way.
Matt and Jeff Hardy spoke with ESPN’s Extra Mustard blog this week to hype Sunday’s TNA Bound For Glory PPV. The “Boyz” from Cameron, North Carolina will face The Decay this weekend for the TNA Tag Team titles. Matt told ESPN that Decay “perpetrated blasphemy” when they visited his compound for the Delete or Decay spectacle. This Sunday, they’re out for revenge. “We are not only going to render Decay obsolete, we’re also going to delete them until their vessels have perished,” Matt said.
Whatever happens at Bound For Glory and whatever the future holds for TNA, a lot of fans want to see Matt and Jeff back in WWE. Their TNA contracts expire in February and Jeff says the possibility of him returning to WWE really depends on what happens between now and February with TNA.
“If it feels right and good, I don’t see anything wrong with staying,” said Jeff. “When you commit to a WWE contract, you’re committing to some serious time away from home. If it were under my terms, there might be a chance, but I’m really not sure. Of course it would be nice, but what we’re doing right now is so much fun. I don’t want to go back to WWE and burn out within four or five months, and having another run as TNA world champion would feel just as good.”
“Broken” Matt has essentially been given complete creative freedom in TNA. The results speak for themselves. Matt’s Broken Brilliance, Senior Benjamin, Vanguard-1, Baby Maxel and the”DELETE!” phenomenon have caught on in the pro wrestling world unlike anything we’ve seen out of TNA in a long time. In WWE, he might not have that freedom.
“I am very content at Impact Wrestling,” said Matt. “I don’t know if I trust that Meekmahan, or if he’ll try to stifle my broken brilliance. I’m able to live in my broken universe here at Impact Wrestling to the fullest extent, and Impact Wrestling needs me as their savior, so I’ll do everything I can to help them grow. They’ve had many setbacks in the last few years, but things are changing. I don’t have an end game. Being a celestial being, I live for the moment to fight the Great War, and that is to light the darkness. Right now, I’m able to do that at Impact Wrestling.”
Other topics discussed include Matt Hardy’s rebirth as Broken Matt, Jeff Hardy’s time away after his dirt bike incident last year and the creativity behind the Broken Matt persona and the universe he’s created around it. Check it out at SI.com.
TNA hasn’t yet announced what Cody will be doing at the show, but he’s stated that he’d like for her and his wife Brandi to work with Mike Bennett & Maria Kanellis. The 4 of them will most likely be working together at Bound For Glory and next week’s Impact Wrestling tapings, which are also up in the air pending additional funding.
While Brandi Rhodes has joined TNA and will be wrestling for the Knockouts division for the foreseable future, Cody is only scheduled to work for TNA over the next week through this upcoming round of television tapings. Cody will then move on to Ring of Honor. He’s scheduled to wrestle at December’s Final Battle PPV and will be working for ROH through May 2017.
Cody is the first person to work WrestleMania, Bound for Glory and Final Battle in a calendar year, which is a pretty impressive feat.
Billy Corgan appeared on the SiriusXM Busted Open wrestling radio show on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the pending sale of TNA Wrestling. Corgan, currently a minority stake investor, is looking to become the majority shareholder when TNA’s imminent sale goes down over the next several days.
Corgan said there are many people “at the table” right now looking to purchase TNA and whatever happens, the face of the company will be changed forever by the time the opening bell rings at Sunday’s Bound For Glory PPV. “I am working very hard to acquire a majority share of this company and keep it going into the future,” he said.
One of the other potential investors looking to acquire TNA’s assets is WWE. Although WWE could buy TNA out from under him or be his main competition should he become the majority investor, Billy Corgan has no hard feelings towards the company. “I do not root against the WWE . I am a fan of the WWE and they are the gold standard of our business.”
We’ve heard that a lot of people in TNA are pulling for Corgan to be steering the ship come Bound For Glory. Corgan acknowledged he has a very strong show of support from involved parties and he feels strong about TNA’s relationship with PopTV moving forward.
TNA’s financial troubles are well documented. He acquired most if not all his stock by stepping in and opening his check book when TNA television tapings almost didn’t happen due to lack of funding. Corgan reveals exactly how dire things have gotten in recent months.
.@Billy "The last 3 tapings, I've had to step in at the last minute and walk to the ring as the ink is drying."
Corgan is a passionate wrestling fan with experience running a promotion before (Resistance Pro). He said he does not take his membership in the professional wrestling ‘fraternity’ lightly and feels we’re on the cusp of another wrestling boom – thanks to technology. “The TV on the internet era that is on the horizon will be the greatest era of professional wrestling we’ve seen.”
Catch Busted Open on SiriusXM channel 93 Mondays-Wednesdays from 2-4pm EST.
Since Monday night, we’ve gotten two separatereports suggesting that WWE is back in play as a suitor for TNA. Dixie Carter has been attempting to sell the company in time to be able to fund Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view and the subsequent TV tapings, to the point that a deal needs to be made by Friday, the last business day before the PPV. That said, if WWE were to buy the company, one would think that they’d have little reason to continue operations, and based on past precedent, it may be best for them to just let TNA fall flat on its face.
To WWE, it’s hard to see the value to TNA as much more than a video library. Ever since the purchase of WCW’s assets in 2001, WWE has acquired the vast majority of historical master video and film footage left of American and Canadian wrestling, to the point that just a small handful remain outside of their control. Generally speaking, WWE purports to pay $500/hour for each library, though there have always been stories of WWE paying more for some collections. For TNA, that would mean that, if for argument’s sake, if we say that they’ve averaged three hours of programming a week (weekly PPV or Impact and Xplosion) for their existence, then you’re at over $1.09 million for 14 years of footage just using WWE’ video library formula.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-235kTGl0Vs
Granted, it’s possible that the argument could be made for TNA’s library to be worth more than others WWE has acquired. Barring maybe a small number of late era developmental promotion shows, none of WWE’s acquisitions have had high any definition content. TNA, on the other hand, has been producing their shows in HD for many years, and those HD shows include a lot of talent now in WWE like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, and Bobby Roode. Maybe that’s worth more to WWE than $500 an hour.
Still, past reports suggest that TNA needs somewhere in the mid to high six figure range to hold a block of Impact tapings at Universal Studios. It would make no fiscal sense for WWE to put money into running next week’s tapings. If Billy Corgan, Aroluxe, or anyone else like that doesn’t buy the company, then it’s highly unlikely that there will continue to be a company. It would require a much higher valuation on the library for it to make any sense for WWE to fund next week’s shows.
It may actually be to WWE’s benefit to let TNA go bankrupt and try to pick up the pieces at auction. This is what they did with ECW, which, like TNA has now, had all sorts of financing agreements going on at the end to keep it afloat. Most notably, Annodeus, an affiliate of Acclaim, ECW’s video game licensee, loaned the company $1 million with the idea of keeping the promotion alive to boost the video game license. And while WWE met some opposition from Annodeus, who wanted ECW’s intellectual property so they could keep making ECW video games, there would be nobody similarly situated with TNA.
To prevent anything like the above scenarios, TNA, as a wrestling promotion, has a little over 72 hours to be rescued. It wouldn’t be the first time that Dixie Carter has pulled a rabbit out of her hat, but it would be the most miraculous.
As noted earlier via Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, time is running out for TNA to make a sale this week to fund Sunday’s Bound For Glory PPV and next week’s Impact Wrestling tapings. WWE is said to be back in the mix as a potential buyer, but that would involve acquiring the tape library, picking up select talent and effectively ceasing operations.
PWInsider followed up on the story, noting that Dixie Carter has had talks with WWE over the past week about selling her majority stake in the company. With at least 4 companies invested the company, it’s become a complicated situation. Dixie Carter can sell to whoever she wants, which could put a wrench in Billy Corgan’s plans to take over the company. Corgan is still in the running to buy TNA, but Mike Johnson ominously stated “the fuse on the TNA bomb is close to the end.”
Based on various interviews from this year, Billy Corgan has made a lot of good points regarding his vision for TNA’s future. In addition to wanting to change the company’s name, Corgan sees the need for TNA to establish their own identity. He told ESPN this week that the company should avoid signing WWE castoffs.
“Many times in the past, TNA has made the mistake of bringing in WWE people to sort of create a buzz that didn’t sustain,” he said. “But success is building a culture that is distinctly your own, with your own identifiable signature. If everything you do doesn’t feed into that, you are making a big mistake that history shows does not work.”
Regardless of who becomes the new owners, it should be a very interesting week for TNA.
TNA Bound For Glory is fast approaching and the urgency of TNA being sold is growing. Billy Corgan has been public about wanting to wrap up a deal to buy the company by this weekend, as additional funding is needed to produce Sunday’s Bound For Glory PPV and next week’s Impact tapings. Essentially, a deal needs to be made by Friday, as it’s the last business day before Sunday’s big PPV.
On a related note, it’s said that WWE is back in play in regards to a potential sale. We noted before that WWE has a real offer to purchase the company but it was described as an option of no other party wanted to purchase the company. While WWE would likely keep a few wrestlers, they mainly just want the tape library and if they were to purchase the company, TNA would be done for the most part.
Dixie Carter is able to sell to who she wants to and the whole deal has reportedly become very complicated.
Billy Corgan spoke with ESPN today and revealed that if he purchases TNA, the first major order as owner would be to change the company name. Corgan feels this is needed to truly move on and begin a new era. Corgan also revealed that a full-length movie on the “Broken” Hardys is in the works but he did not provide further details on that project.
Corgan also expressed interest in CM Punk coming to TNA, whether it be as an in-ring performer or in a creative role. He said:
“I hope that someone who is so gifted comes back to professional wrestling if he wants to be there. So of course I would just love to see him in a ring. If it’s our ring, even better. Even if he just wanted to be involved, I would love to have that conversation with him.”
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman also admitted that TNA using some former WWE stars in the past has been a mistake:
“Many times in the past, TNA has made the mistake of bringing in WWE people to sort of create a buzz that didn’t sustain. But success is building a culture that is distinctly your own, with your own identifiable signature. If everything you do doesn’t feed into that, you are making a big mistake that history shows does not work.”
You can read the full interview with Corgan by clicking here. He discusses the current Hardys storyline, TNA establishing their own identity and more.
– Vanguard1, Matt Hardy’s beloved drone, now has a Twitter account and is posting footage from Hardy’s compound in North Carolina. Follow @Vanguard1AAR.
– Joey Styles was asked on Twitter if he’d consider working for TNA. The former Voice of ECW made it clear we won’t be seeing him on Impact any time soon and took a dig at TNA’s lackluster digital presence.
As revealed on TNA Impact last night, Cody Rhodes, using just the name “Cody” as WWE has his full name trademarked, will make his official debut at Bound For Glory on 10/2. TNA issued this announcement on the signing today:
IMPACT WRESTLING Signs Cody!
Rumors were buzzing last Friday as TMZ Sports announced that Brandi Rhodes, a former In-Ring Announcer, would be joining the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Roster. On Monday, TNA Management confirmed those rumors to be true.
So it was official, Brandi Rhodes would be joining the IMPACT Wrestling team, but there was much speculation about her husband, Cody.
On Thursday, we saw a tease of who would be making their way to IMPACT. The world went wild with guesses and possibilities!
But during Thursday night’s IMPACT on POP, we got confirmation. Cody is coming to IMPACT. And he’ll be making his arrival at Bound For Glory on October 2.
A game-changer to say the least. But what does this mean? What will happen when Cody makes his presence felt at Bound For Glory? And who does he have his eye on?
So many unanswered questions and so much to learn in the future. Being at Bound For Glory 2016, will be one of the best decisions that you will make all year. Purchase your VIP Package Today to be able to witness the Glory up front and honest at Bound For Glory.
– Drew Galloway revealed on Twitter that he’s currently out of action after taking a bad shot last week during a match. Galloway is scheduled to face Aron Rex at Bound For Glory to crown the first Impact Grand Champion. He tweeted on the injury:
– The main event of next week’s TNA Impact on POP will feature Lethal Lockdown with Team EC3 vs. Team Lashley, with the winner picking the stipulation for their World Championship Match at Bound For Glory on 10/2. Next week’s go-home show will also feature DJZ defending the X Division Championship against Eddie Edwards.
Cody Rhodes is coming to TNA Bound For Glory. Well, “Cody” is.
In a promo that aired on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, TNA confirmed former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes is headed for the company’s biggest show of the year.
TNA Bound for Glory takes place Sunday, October 2nd from Orlando, FL.
Current TNA star and former WWE star Gail Kim has worked with most of the big names in women’s wrestling, but was able to narrow down her top three favorites in a recent interview with Ring Rust Radio. The top spot on her list goes to none other than fellow former WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix.
“She is probably, from my recollection, the best person I have been in the ring with from a worker’s point of view,” Gail said. “She is always so calm and collected and really knew what she was doing in the ring. She was a great leader as well.”
The other two names that made her top three were Alicia Fox, and second-generation wrestler Natalya Neidhart. As far as who she hasn’t worked with yet, Gail said that Sasha Banks and Bayley catch her eye.
She spoke on the new generation of female talent in TNA, noting that her and Madison Rayne are the only two left from the previous generation of Knockouts. Gail says she is in a place in her career now where she can help younger talent and rebuild the division in TNA. She says many of the new women in TNA have a “thirst and passion” for the business, and she loves working with them on improving the entire division.
Top WWE officials are reportedly interested in signing Matt Hardy when he becomes a free agent next year. Hardy has completely revitalized his career over the past year, transforming himself into “Broken Matt” and producing some of the most entertaining segments from any wrestling promotion. According to the Wrestling Observer, intermediaries of Triple H have made it clear to Hardy that he’d be welcomed back in WWE. He hasn’t worked for the company since 2010.
Hardy’s TNA deal runs through Spring 2017. While the notion of Broken Matt back in the WWE Universe is full of entertaining possibilities, there are several hurdles standing in the way. Aside form whatever efforts TNA would make to keep the deranged performer, Matt currently has free reign over the creative direction of his character. He would have far less creative control in WWE and he’s very aware how different things would be with WWE’s creative writers scripting Broken Matt.
There is also the issue of WWE’s travel schedule. He currently works limited dates for TNA and commands top dollar on the independent scene without having to endure everything associated with life on the road full time.
It appears Cody Rhodes’ TNA debut will come on tomorrow’s Impact on POP episode, likely by taped video. TNA posted this teaser video for Rhodes’ debut: