Archive for the ‘TNA’ Category

Jeff Jarrett Sells His Minority Stake In TNA Wrestling

TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrett is no longer a minority share holder in TNA Wrestling, according to a report at PWInsider.com.

Jarrett shocked the wrestling world this past summer when he made a surprise return to Impact Wrestling. TNA’s pitch to Jarrett included a buyout of his remaining TNA ownership, an induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, promotion for Global Force Wrestling and GFW acquiring the rights to book TNA talent for their live events.

The real-life situation will play out on tonight’s Impact Wrestling, with TNA and GFW stars squaring off in a Lethal Lockdown match. Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett will be represented by their respective teams, with the winner receiving full control of TNA.

TNA issued the following statement regarding tonight’s big match:

“The real-life drama between Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett, that for weeks has played out on IMPACT WRESTLING, will all come to a head tonight in a shares vs shares, Winner Take All match. It is true that if Dixie’s Team TNA defeats Team GFW, Dixie will acquire Jeff’s shares in TNA and he will no longer be a stakeholder.”

The Latest On TNA Star Bram’s Domestic Battery Arrest

We’ve got an update on TNA star Bram (Thomas Latimer), who was arrested last month for felony domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment after an incident with his girlfriend.

He posted $6,000 bond and was released from jail a few days later, but remains suspended from TNA.

Bram has plead not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to have a hearing next Monday, September 21st. The hearing relates to the order that states Bram is prohibited from contacting the victim

Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan To Induct Earl Hebner Into TNA HOF, Hebner Comments

TNA issued the following press release to officially announce the TNA Hall Of Fame induction of veteran referee Earl Hebner at their live event on October 3rd in Salem, Virginia, which is the night before TNA Bound For Glory 2015.

WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS REFEREE EARL HEBNER MAKES HISTORY WITH TNA WRESTLING HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

HEBNER BECOMES FIRST REFEREE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME OF ANY MAJOR PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING PROMOTION

HEBNER’S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, OCT. 3, DURING THE ROAD TO BOUND FOR GLORY TOUR LIVE EVENT IN SALEM, VA., HEBNER’S HOME STATE

TNA SENIOR PRODUCER AND SMASHING PUMPKINS FRONT MAN BILLY CORGAN TO INDUCT HEBNER

NASHVILLE, TN (Sept. 14, 2015) – For 27 years professional wrestling referee Earl Hebner has entered millions of living rooms across the globe every week, officiating the wildest and most memorable matches and main events of wrestling’s top promotions. On Saturday, Oct. 3, in front of family, friends and fans in his home state of Virginia, Hebner, the most famous professional referee in the world, will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame.

“Earl Hebner is not only one of the most recognizable personalities in professional wrestling, his passion for the sport, in-ring management skills, and ability to entertain audiences has set the standard by which all professional wrestling referees are measured,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “ It is an honor to have Earl as part of the TNA family and as the newest member of the illustrious TNA Hall of Fame.”

Hebner’s TNA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 3 during The Road to Bound For Glory Tour live event in Salem, Va. Smashing Pumpkins front man and TNA Senior Producer, Billy Corgan, will induct Hebner, with TNA Ring Announcer and Hebner’s dear friend, Jeremy Borash, emceeing.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, during TNA’s biggest night of the year, the Bound For Glory Pay-Per-View event, a special segment will be dedicated to Earl’s TNA Hall of Fame induction and will feature career highlights and portions of his induction ceremony from the previous night.

Hebner will be the sixth inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame, joining Sting, Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, Devon and Jeff Jarrett. His TNA Hall of Fame induction marks the first time a referee of any major professional wrestling organization has become a member of the promotion’s Hall of Fame.

“When I received the call from John Gaburick (TNA’s Executive Vice President of Television and Talent Relations) and he told me I am being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame, I was stunned and my eyes welled up with tears,” said Hebner. “I’ve been working for 37 years for this incredible honor. It is rare for a referee in any sport to be recognized in this way, and I am proud TNA is recognizing me as the first referee to ever be inducted into a professional wrestling Hall of Fame.”

Hebner fell in love with professional wrestling during his teenage years while working concessions at the Richmond, Va., fairgrounds, where local and regional promotions would run shows every Friday night. He first became involved in professional wrestling by volunteering on the ring crew. Hebner’s foray into refereeing came about by happenstance when a referee fell ill and Earl was asked to fill in on a moment’s notice. Hebner went on to referee for Jim Crockett Promotions, and in the late 80s he made his debut with World Wrestling Federation, when he replaced his twin brother, Dave, mid-match and influenced the outcome of a title bout. Hebner made his TNA debut in 2006 where he has served as Senior Official, managing TNA’s other referees, including son Brian.

Event Information for Earl Hebner’s Hall of Fame Induction:

TNA Wrestling presents The Road to Bound For Glory Tour
Featuring the Stars and Knockouts of IMPACT WRESTLING
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Salem, Va. – The Salem Civic Center
Tickets start at $15 and are available at ticketmaster.com

Kurt Angle’s Return Opponent Revealed, British Rock Band Records TNA Theme, Abyss

– As noted, Kurt Angle is scheduled to return to the ring at the TNA live event in Salem, Virginia on Saturday, October 3rd, which is the same night that TNA will be inducting Earl Hebner into the TNA Hall Of Fame. It is now confirmed that Angle will be facing Eric Young in one-on-one action at the 10/3 event. There is no word yet as to who Angle will be wrestling at the TNA Bound For Glory pay-per-view the following night in Concord, North Carolina.

– TNA posted the following video which features Abyss sending a message to Mahabali Shera as they prepare to square off on this week’s edition of Impact Wrestling, which airs Wednesday night on Destination America.

https://youtu.be/-i9_90_8X6w

– TNA announced that British rock band “Chasing Cadence” is doing the new theme song for their TNA Xplosion show. The song is called “Dear Life.” Check out the new intro below.

https://youtu.be/LdQL0mNuNFY

TNA To Induct Earl Hebner Into TNA Hall Of Fame On 10/3

TNA announced that veteran referee Earl Hebner will be inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame on Saturday, October 3rd.

The induction of the first ever referee into the TNA Hall Of Fame will take place at the 10/3 live event scheduled for Salem, Virginia.

TNA tweeted the following about the induction:

Backstage Update On TNA’s Future On Destination America

While as of Thursday nothing has been stated to talent and employees yet regarding the future of TNA on Destination America, on the official company website and on the Destination America listing, Impact Wrestling is still scheduled to air at 9pm and midnight on Wednesday, October 7th.

The Discovery Network sent a company memo to employees back in May informing them that they were going to exercise their option to cancel Impact Wrestling at the end of September, as the last taped episode was originally scheduled for September 30th.

According to a company source, the feeling is that a lot of the matches that were taped during the early portion of the tapings that were not taped as part of an Impact Wrestling show will be able to be edited together to fill international television programming and meet their contractual requirements with those particular networks, and could also be done for domestic commitments as well.

Currently, the company has not scheduled any future television tapings, however there is a deal being negotiated for tapings to be scheduled in India in late November.

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Tyrus Talks About Partnership With EC3, Transition From WWE To TNA & More

TNA performer Tyrus, formerly known as Brodus Clay in WWE, recently took some time to speak with the folks at Ring Rust Radio about his career. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On branching off from his bodyguard role to having a run as a singles wrestler: “The one thing I have learned in trying to be successful in this business is timing. Sometimes you are a fly on the wall but really you have your own personal agenda. You have to play the game the way that they play it. It’s always been my plan whether it’s been to be a tag team partner and get the tag team gold or a singles championship, that’s always been my mind set and that’s what I train for and I’m willing to work my ass off to put myself in that position. Sometimes with politics being what it is, sometimes you have to sneak in underneath their noses then all of a sudden they can’t do anything about it. When EC3 came to me and said he needed help I said I would get his back and help him get to the championship and I have done that. Now I am looking at things differently since I have accomplished that goal and helped my friend out.”

On what makes his partnership with Ethan Carter III work and where does he rank amongst those he’s worked with: “For one, we are complete opposites. I talk loud and he talks loud but he really isn’t saying anything, like he is always talking. He is pampered obviously and I have come from a rougher upbringing. I don’t have a lot of family support where he has been coddled from day one. Like if his Mom and Dad aren’t in the audience then he has an aunt or uncle or cousin there. The guy’s family list just goes on and on and it doesn’t hurt that Dixie is his Aunt, that kind of helps a little bit. I’m sure his job interview went a lot smoother than mine did. At the same time though, we both do push each other. We both train hard, work that hard knocks style, we experience the ups and downs and just handle people in different ways. As far as people I have worked with I think he is one of the most creative guys I have worked with. A lot goes into being EC3 and Tyrus and you would be surprised how some of those conversations go. We understand where we are at and he has gone on record a lot of times saying I have taken a lot of bullets for him character wise. Overall, I would say we are the top of TNA. Even with the invasion going on it didn’t even faze us nor have anything to do with us. PJ Black got a title shot and he handled it well. I don’t want to say an easy defense cause PJ Black is one of the best in the world, he definitely showed up and that was one of his defining moments. He wrestled a guy from another place he didn’t really expect to wrestle and went out there and beat him clean. Technically he should have both titles around his waist but I don’t make those decisions. I have been in there with some really good guys with a lot of experience, but as far as creative I would say EC3 is definitely the most creative.”

On going from WWE to TNA and what went into his decision to sign with Impact Wrestling: “The biggest thing to me, and I had the opportunity to sign with other companies, it was the overall professionalism. A big thing to me was to be able to be in a situation where I could speak my mind freely especially when it came to my character. Get the actual right feedback and not have too many chefs in the kitchen and allow me to be me. They didn’t plug me with a bunch of false promises and wild stories. Dixie said we would like to have you here and just do your thing and that was enough for me. I enjoy the family atmosphere and everyone in back is very close with one another. I fit in right away and the locker room is just outstanding here. You can hear a lot of things from the outside but it’s generally a very positive place to work with everyone pulling for each other to do great work even if you disagree with each other. Perfect example is I can’t stand Matt Hardy to save my life but he is one of my biggest supporters even if the night before I was bouncing him all over the ring. As wrestlers we may hate each other in the ring but we still want each other to do well and I think that’s the difference in TNA. Maybe in other companies you wouldn’t see guys so positive for each other even when they disagree or stand in the way of championships or dreams and things like that.”

On whether the Brodus Clay “Funkasaurus” gimmick ultimately helped you or hurt him in the long run: “First of all, when you are a little kid and you say someday you want to be a football player and a wrestler and all this stuff. Then your Mom looks at you and just says yea whatever, all right. If you remember that’s what your dream was, it didn’t matter what they asked me to do or what they threw at me, I still was given the chance to go out in the ring and entertain and do what I do. The Funkasaurus character was great and it taught me about being humble, about the character, about not being concerned with what people think you should be. If you’re good at what you do regardless of what is thrown in front of you, you will make it work. It was a challenge for me and lucky for me, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes worked with me and helped me make that work. Even to the point of working better than what people were expecting from the character. Sometimes when things get bigger than they thought they take it the wrong way. I enjoyed that time and even now that it’s still being talked about goes to show it was a good character and I enjoyed it. Tyrus is what I enjoy doing and I think at some point there may be a marriage of the two but I don’t miss the dancing character as much with the character.”

Check out the complete interview at BlogTalkRadio.com.

TNA Announces Kurt Angle’s In-Ring Return

Following the announcement earlier this week that he will not be signing a new TNA contract after his current deal expires at the end of this year, Kurt Angle’s in-ring return was announced.

On Thursday, TNA announced that Angle will make his in-ring return at the TNA live event in Salem, Virginia on October 3rd.

Additionally, Angle is also scheduled to work the TNA Bound For Glory event in Concord, North Carolina on October 4th.

Gunner Reportedly Attacks Fan In Front Of His Son At Indy Event, Gloats About It Online

Former TNA star Gunner was involved in an incident with a fan at a PWX independent wrestling event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on September 6th.

According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a Carolina fan named Adrian Rohr had apparently written negative things on social media about Gunner, which apparently upset the wrestling star.

During the event, fans reportedly broke out into a “Dixie’s Reject! Dixie’s Reject!” chant at the show, which allegedly led to Gunner kicking Rohr in the chest in front of his young son.

Most of the wrestlers apparently took Gunner’s side in the situation, although that is often the case even when the wrestler involved is wrong. Others who worked the event, however, noted to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the assault was completely unprovoked and that Rohr is actually a respectful fan “who is not a nut in any way.”

Gunner reportedly posted the following online shortly after the incident, but later deleted the comments.

“And for the record, don’t be an idiot fan and step up to my ring. You will get kicked.”

Kurt Angle Reveals He Will Not Re-Sign With TNA, What’s Next For Him

Kurt Angle appeared on Mark Madden’s radio show on 105.9X this week and revealed he will not be re-signing with TNA when his contract expires in January.

Angle said even though he’s close to “100% healthy” and will be at Bound for Glory next month, he will not attempt to get signed by WWE once he becomes a free agent.

Angle, who turns 47 later this year, will be taking a break from pro wrestling when he’s done with TNA.

Update On TNA On Destination America, TNA Stars Talk Sports (Video), Marti Bell

– In an update on the TNA Impact Wrestling schedule with Destination America, TNA’s official website posted the following dates scheduled for September.

* Wednesday, September 9th: New Impact episode
* Wednesday, September 16th: New “Winner Takes All” Lethal Lockdown episode
* Wednesday, September 23rd: New Impact episode
* Wednesday, September 30th: Countdown To Glory
* The Bound For Glory pay-per-view takes place on October 4th

– The latest edition of TNA’s “My First Day,” which you can check out below, features Marti Bell of The Dollhouse.

https://youtu.be/YzCu5q1Lt0g

– The latest edition of TNA’s “The Question Mark,” which you can watch below, features TNA stars takling about the best sports teams.

https://youtu.be/8Z9EVRaVEuo

Impact Wrestling Opener For This Week, TNA & EC3 To China, Bobby Roode/BFG

– TNA has announced that TNA World Champion Ethan Carter III and his personal assistant will kick off this week’s edition of Impact Wrestling on Destination America.

– TNA is headed to China in the near future to do some promotional work. The SWE promotion based out of England announced that Ethan Carter III had to cancel his scheduled appearance at their fifth anniversary show on October 24th due to the fact that TNA is sending him to China for promotional reasons.

– In the following video, Bobby Roode talks about his most memorable TNA Bound For Glory moment.

https://youtu.be/qZnH-2t2wC4

Backstage Rumor On Someone From TNA’s Past “Coming Back In A Bg Role”

There are those within TNA who insist that they have big announcements coming soon in regards to their future on television and on Destination America.

Additionally, for whatever this is worth, there have been consistent rumors in the past three weeks about someone who used to be involved with TNA returning to the promotion to work with them once again.

According to those “in the know,” the person that is returning to TNA could be coming back in a big role.

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

Gail Kim Talks WWE’s Divas Revolution, Who Should Be A Part Of It & More

TNA Knockout Gail Kim recently spoke with Scott Fishman of Channel Guide about a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On WWE’s Divas Revolution: “I made a comment on Twitter that we’ve been doing it all along, but that was not to bash any other company at all. I think it’s great what they’re doing. I’ve been waiting for them to do that for years now. I think it’s great. I think they have a really great group of talent, especially the girls that have come up through NXT. I wish Nattie was a part of it because I don’t see how see she can’t fit into the equation. She should have been in there from day one.”

“They just have a really good core group of girls. I really like Sasha [Banks]. I know she is a fan favorite. I just love what they’ve been doing. It’s so funny I saw a match I thought, ‘That’s so like TNA knockouts style.’ They are bringing it to another level, and I love it. I the saw Sasha and Bayley match. I just loved the psychology and the crowd was into it. It was great.”

On Taryn Terrell’s heel turn: “With Taryn, there were just things that had to change that fans don’t know about in terms of why Taryn turned heel. That’s up to creative to tell you. I can’t say, but when it happened I think everyone was kind of surprised. It was nice because in this business you can sort of see things coming a lot of times. She didn’t even see it coming. They told her she was going to turn heel and this was going to happen.”

“I remember her and I talking about it, and she had never been a heel in her life. I said, ‘Don’t worry. You just have to find that zone and you will get used to it.’ Honestly, we all laughed because wow, she was so good at it. It was really good for her and Marti and Jade because they got to work with one of our top girls and characters. I think Jade is really strong in the ring, but got to explore a different character she would probably not do on the independents on her own. That’s how you learn. It’s been a great progression with all three of them.”

Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

Update: CM Punk’s UFC Debut Delayed? Find Out Why Here!

TNA Announces Updated Lineup For “Road To Bound For Glory” Tour

TNA announced the following updated lineups for their TNA “Road To Bound For Glory” tour, which takes place throughout September in the Northeast.

September 17 in York, Pennsylvania:

TNA World Title Match
EC3 with personal assistant Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

TNA King of the Mountain Title Match
Bobby Roode vs Drew Galloway vs. Mr. Anderson

York Fairgrounds Brawl
Tommy Dreamer vs. Eli Drake

Knockouts Match
Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong

The Wolves vs. Abyss & Manik

Rockstar Spud vs. Tyrus

Morgantown, West Virginia on September 18:

TNA World Title Match
EC3 with personal assistant Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

TNA King of the Mountain Title Match
Bobby Roode vs. Drew Galloway vs. Mr. Anderson

Mountaineer Mayhem – Falls Count Anywhere
Tommy Dreamer vs. Eli Drake

Knockouts Match
Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong

The Wolves vs. Abyss & Manik

Rockstar Spud vs. Tyrus

September 19 in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania:

TNA World Title Match
EC3 with personal assistant Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

TNA King of the Mountain Title Match – Steel City Steel Chain
Bobby Roode vs. Tommy Dreamer

Knockouts Match
Madison Rayne vs. Awesome Kong

The Wolves vs. Abyss & Manik

Drew Galloway vs. Tyrus

Mr. Anderson vs. Eli Drake

Special appearance by Kurt Angle

Title Changes On TNA Impact, Josh Matthews Marries TNA Knockout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=257gngLSUlg

– There were two title changes on last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling. Global force Wrestling stars Trevor Lee and Brian Myers defeated The Wolves to become the new TNA Tag Team Champions. The Wolves will get their title rematch next week.

Bobby Roode also defeated GFW’s PJ Black to become the new TNA King of the Mountain Champion.

– TNA announcer Josh Mathews and TNA Knockout Madison Rayne were married in Nashville last week.

Rayne was previous married for four years and had a child with Jesse Cabot. Their divorce was finalized just this year.

Jeff Jarrett Talks GFW Takeover Of TNA, Impact Preview, TNA Star Gets Married (Photos)

– Tonight’s edition of Impact Wrestling on Destination America will feature Bobby Roode vs. PJ Black for the King Of The Mountain title, Matt Hardy vs. Ethan Carter III for the TNA World Heavyweight title and more.

– In the following video, Jeff Jarrett talks about what fans can expect after GFW’s hostile takeover of TNA. According to Jarrett, Impact Wrestling will soon be called Global Force Wrestling on Wednesday nights.

https://youtu.be/eSIVziava8Q

– TNA star Robbie E. and longtime girlfriend Tara Sue were married this past weekend. Below are some photos of the two at their ceremony.

https://instagram.com/p/7BX-89shcN/

https://instagram.com/p/7BoYwSshSB/

https://instagram.com/p/7EmWgCshYR/

Jim Ross Blog: Sting vs. Seth Rollins, Bram’s Arrest, Hulk Hogan & More

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts and comments on a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On Sting vs. Seth Rollins at Night Of Champions: “The Sting-Rollins NOC Title bout is intriguing to me on a variety of fronts. It’s great to see old friend Sting get to headline a major WWE event even thought as I write this he has yet to win a WWE bout if you’re keeping score at home. Perhaps tonight will change that piece of business unless WWE is ‘saving’ Sting’s next in ring appearance for NOC. Rollins is evolving into a top hand without question and it will be interesting to see how he and Sting compliment each other’s strengths on September 20 in Houston. I like the booking. I think the match will out perform some skeptics predictions and that it should be a significant night for young, Rollins. Or does Sting score the upset and Sheamus cashes in the MITB Contract to become the Champ? I assume any thing is possible but I see Rollins retaining.”

On Hulk Hogan: “I missed the Hulk Hogan on ABC appearance Monday morning and it will be interesting to see the fallout or lack thereof will be on this matter as the week progresses. I’ve never considered Hogan a racist but obviously his choice of words is unacceptable in any environment. Hopefully, his public will forgive him and he can get on with the business of being “The Hulkster” and earning a living of which everyone has the right to do. Forgiveness isn’t a foreign term and can still be done in today’s cynical world if the individual seeking forgiveness is sincere and I have every reason to believe that Hogan is sincere as his rant was embarassing and humiliating with the ability to completely wreck one’s career.”

On Bram’s arrest: “Sad to hear that TNA’s now suspended Bram has been arrested on two, felony counts of domestic battery in Florida. It might be challenging for the Brit to keep his credentials to stay in the USA under these circumstances considering that he has an existing arrest record that prompted him to get released by WWE. The entire matter is unfortunate as Bram aka Thomas Latimer is a solid talent? who I thought had a significant upside when I first saw him in WWE developmental. I’d be shocked if TNA retained his services if these charges are validated. Plus, one has to feel empathy for the alleged victim.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Bram Released From Jail, Photo Of His Mug Shot

As reported on Monday, TNA star Bram (aka Thomas Latimer) was arrested for domestic battery and false imprisonment on Sunday in Gulfport, Florida.

Latimer was released on Tuesday on $5,000 bond for the domestic battery strangulation charge, and an additional $1,000 bond for the false imprisonment charge.

TNA announced that they have indefinitely suspended Bram while they work to “gather facts and obtain additional information related to the arrest.”

Below are details of Bram’s arrest courtesy of The Gulfport Police Department:

Professional Wrestler Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

Gulfport, FL—On 8/30 at approximately 6:00 AM, officers responded to a call about a disturbance in an apartment at 3205 58th Street South. There they encountered Thomas R. Latimer and a woman who identified herself as his girlfriend.

The officers observed evidence indicative of a physical altercation, and their investigation revealed that, after the couple had been arguing, the woman felt threatened and sought refuge in her bedroom.

Latimer followed her into the bedroom, closed the door, and refused to allow her to leave. He then pushed the woman onto the bed and was holding her down by her neck.

Latimer, who is a wrestler with TNA Impact Wrestling, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. Both are felony charges, and he is currently being held in the Pinellas County Jail.

TNA Star Bram Arrested On Felony Charges Of Domestic Battery & False Imprisonment

TNA announced on Monday that Bram (Thomas Raymond Latimer) was arrested over the weekend in Gulfport, Florida on two felony counts of “domestic battery by strangulation” and false imprisonment. He has been suspended indefinitely.

His charge report is now online and can be viewed at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office website.

Latimer is the ex-husband of WWE Diva Charlotte (Ashley Fliehr) and has been been dating Ashley Allen, a fashion designer based out of Atlanta.

He was released from WWE on November 30, 2012 after being charged with battery of a law enforcement officer and disorderly intoxication in St. Petersburg, Florida. He had previously been arrested in January 2011 ford riving under the influence.

Here’s TNA’s official statement:

Bram Arrested in Florida, Suspended Indefinitely

TNA has been advised by the Gulfport, Florida Police Department that Thomas Latimer, known as Bram, has been arrested and charged with two felony counts of domestic battery and false imprisonment. TNA is working to gather facts and obtain additional information related to the arrest.

“The charges against Thomas Latimer are serious, and he is immediately and indefinitely suspended from any future TNA-sanctioned events awaiting the outcome of the case,” said TNA Executive Vice President of Television and Talent John Gaburick.

Backstage News On TNA’s Future On Destination America

Tomorrow is September 1st and the start of what is looking like TNA’s final month on Destination America.

The company has yet to respond to reports that Destination America will be exercising their “out clause” and dropping Impact at the end of the month. TNA has already taped the next several weeks of Impact programming and there are currently no tapings scheduled for future episodes.

It’s worth noting that international Discovery Network-owned networks that air Impact have already pulled the show from future listings. Saturday’s episode of Impact on Discovery En Espanol was replaced with two episodes of a show called “Curiosity” and they were pulled from the schedule in Finland and Romania on the Discovery-owned Eurosport channel.

There has been talk of TNA holding tapings in India in November and they are trying to get other international deals, but it’s a tel.ling sign that there haven’t been any announcements from TNA regarding the future of their flagship show

Backstage Update On Former TNA Knockout Sarita Possibly Signing With WWE

There has been some speculation recently regarding former TNA Knockout Sarah Stock (aka Sarita and Dark Angel) possibly signing with WWE, and in this scenario, it appears to be a case of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

It was noted by Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Stock, who recently announced her departure from Mexico’s CMLL promotion, is indeed expected to sign with WWE and work as a coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Stock has been brought in to the WWE Performance Center as a guest coach a few times in the past year to help teach aspects of the “Lucha Libre” style of wrestling to the NXT Divas.

Image Of Two TNA Knockouts Shown At WWE Live Event Saturday Night

During Saturday’s WWE live event in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center, an image of TNA Knockouts Angelina Love and Velvet Sky was briefly displayed on the big screen.

WWE was plugging hashtags for attendees to tweet about the show. Here are shots of the image from two attendees.

Both Love and Sky responded to the news on Twitter.

Viewership For “Turning Point” Themed Impact Wrestling, ROH Numbers Rise

The Wednesday, August 26th edition of Ring Of Honor on Destination America, which featured an ROH Tag-Team title main event, drew 149,000 total viewers, up slightly from last week’s show, which drew 145,000 viewers.

This week’s “Turning Point” edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, which also aired on Destination America on Wednesday evening, drew 362,000 total viewers for their first and second airing combined. The number was down, however, from last week’s combined total of 396,000 viewers.

Drew Galloway Talks Ambitions In TNA, Wanting To Work With Kurt Angle & More

Drew Galloway recently spoke with Tom Feaheny about his ambitions in TNA, wanting to work with Kurt Angle and the British wrestling scene. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his ambitions in Impact Wrestling: “I’m not here to make up the numbers, I’m here to eat them up, being the number one, I’m very much looking at getting the title and elevating more than it already is, like ICW, Evolve, I have something like seven world titles at the minute and when I get the title I want to represent the company and do my best with the belt.”

On who he would like to wrestle next: “Kurt Angle is top of the list, he is someone I looked up too, he’s done so much in the ring, then there is Bram he is from England, I’m Scotland we can have a battle a war in America and EC3 is such a good bad guy and a perfect opponent for myself.”

On wrestling in Britain: “It’s on fire, the second documentary I stared in in Insane Championship Wrestling did so well, places like ICW and PCW (Preston Championship Wrestling) have got real popularity, the scene is on fire here, in ICW the fans are a part of the roster, there is always something that happens that you can remember in each show.”

On his advice to people who want to get into the industry: “I’d say it is practice, practice, practice, and I wouldn’t say you have to be really young to start because people like DDP (Diamond Dallas Page) was in his mid 30’s when he really broke out on the roster and he won World titles.”