– TNA wrestler A.J. Styles is taking independent wrestling bookings through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com. Styles is starting to look for regular work in the first quarter of 2014.
– In addition to the quotes we reported earlier today from TNA president Dixie Carter regarding the TNA sale rumors and Billy Corgan rumors, the Tennessean.com article also covers TNA planning 24/7 programming in challenging WWE. You can read the complete article online at Tennessean.com.
– As of earlier this week, AJ Styles had yet to sign a new deal with TNA. Both sides continue to negotiate a new deal, however as of a few months ago, the two sides were reportedly far apart on the financial side of the agreement.
– Former AAA Cruiserweight Champion Xtreme Tiger worked a match for the TNA Xplosion taping recently. There is no official word yet, however, as to whether or not Tiger, who wrestled Zema Ion at the Xplosion show, has been officially signed by TNA.
In a match taped for TNA’s “Final Resolution” edition of Impact Wrestling on Tuesday night, Magnus defeated Jeff Hardy in a “Steel Cage Dixieland” match to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
The rules of the match stated that the wrestler must escape the cape and advance to the TNA stage where a ladder was set up. The wrestler must then climb the ladder to retrieve the belt. As Hardy was going to do exactly that, Rockstar Spud came out and knocked the ladder over, which allowed Magnus to pick up the win.
With the victory, Magnus is now set up for a unification match against fellow TNA Champion AJ Styles whenever TNA decides to pull the trigger.
For those interested, full TNA Impact Wrestling taping results are available on the newsboard.
– AJ Styles and Jesse Sorensen are now accepting independent bookings through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com.
-Aside from the Impact Wrestling episode that aired on November 20th, TNA announcers Taz and Mike Tenay have not been present at recent television tapings. TNA has been bringing the announcers to Nashville to do taped commentary for the shows.
[Credit: F4WOnline.com]
TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles has been announced for a five-night speaking tour in Europe.
The tour, which is being dubbed, “An Evening With A.J. Styles,” is scheduled for March 6-11 in England and Scotland. Each show will include a meet and greet and Q&A with the fans.
Speaking of Styles, his autobiography, “Phenomenal,” has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2014 due to changes to the book content.
“The book was originally slated for an earlier release but was delayed so changes could be made in various chapters including the one dedicated to TNA,” said Styles’s representative Bill Behrens.
– TNA is reporting that AJ Styles is receiving booking requests from wrestling promoters in the UK, Puerto Rico and Canada following his “unsanctioned and unauthorized” TNA World Heavyweight Championship title defense at the Wrestle-1 event in Japan this past Saturday.
– Diamond Dallas Page recently spoke to the RCWR Show about what led to him leaving TNA back in 2005. DDP said the following:
“Uumm, money; hahaha. I came back for one reason, to show that I could still go at 49. I was 49 years old when I was bouncing around out there like that in TNA and I wasn’t about the same weight I was at 44, not the same but I wasn’t that far off. I just really wanted to come back for that one year, you know, rack it up, have some fun matches, you know, make some money and then when it came time to renegotiate the contract we just didn’t agree and I was like no big deal, thank you very much, I had a great time. I was really done. I didn’t have the run I wanted in the WWE, obviously. I did have a great little run with Christian, we had a great WrestleMania but you know, two and a half years later I wanted to show that DDP could still go and that was the only reason that I did it. It was more about showing that what was possible with DDP yoga than it was about being in the ring, so I obviously had lived the dream on a whole different level at WCW and I make a lot of money. I wasn’t going back for the money, of course you want to make a lot of money but I’m not going to beat up my body unless I’m making a certain number because for me to risk hurting my knees anymore or for me to risk hurting my back, my hips and my ankles, for me its pivotal that my body be in the best shape that I can be in. I don’t want to be broken down and beat up like so many of my other brothers.”
You can check out the complete interview online at BlogTalkRadio.com.
– Part-time TNA star and MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson won his Bellator MMA debut on Friday night. Rampage knocked out former UFC veteran Joey Beltran in the main event of the show, which aired for free on Spike TV.
– TNA has added a new “#IMPACT365” video to their official YouTube channel. The latest video features Jay Bradley in Japan with updates on AJ Styles and an earthquake during his appearance at the Wrestle-1 show. You can watch that video below:
http://youtu.be/bIU6Ho24Vww
– Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling drew a 0.96 cable rating, up from 0.90 last week.
The program averaged 1.139 million viewers over the course of two hours, up 12 percent from 1.019 million viewers last week.
Thus far in 2013, Impact Wrestling has averaged 1.270 million viewers. The program, however, has not topped the yearly average since the most-recent special, No Surrender, on September 12.
– AJ Styles, who is planning to defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at an event presented by Wrestle-1, a promotion in Japan being run by Great Muta, is shown arriving to the country in this “#IMPACT365” video.
Styles is in possession of the belt that he took with him when he left TNA Wrestling, but has been technically stripped of the title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IohFt0Qqa5Y
– ShopTNA.com has released its 2014 TNA Knockouts Calendar, which features Brooke, Christy Hemme, Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell and Velvet Sky on the cover. Mickie James, who has since parted ways with TNA Wrestling, is also featured in the calendar.
-The Aces & 8’s group is reportedly going to be dismantled soon, as that was an Eric Bischoff project. With Bischoff being sent home by TNA recently, there is no word on how that will affect Garett Bischoff. Garett is considered a hard worker and is well liked by many in TNA.
-Jeff Jarrett is the man responsible for securing the deals to send AJ Styles to outside promotions to defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Additionally, Jarrett is in charge of agent work for most of the big matches in TNA, including the recent Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode match.
-Seiya Sanada, the guy who will be wrestling AJ Styles when he defends the TNA title in Japan for Keiji Mutoh’s Wrestle-1 promotion, has expressed interest in coming to TNA.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
TNA World champion AJ Styles will once again be one of the hottest free agents in professional wrestling when his short-term contract with TNA expires at the end of the year – but it doesn’t seem like we’ll be seeing the Phenomenal one in WWE anytime soon.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE made AJ Styles a ridiculously low offer when he became a free agent just a few weeks ago. The offer was so low that it was for approximately 1/5 of what he makes in TNA.
There’s still no word on what AJ Styles will do when his TNA contract expires at the end of the year – but based on WWE’s level of interest, TNA appear s to be his best option. The current plan is for TNA to keep him off television for a few months while he defends the TNA World title for different promotions across the world.
– AJ Styles will be defending the TNA World Heavyweight title at another upcoming event not sanctioned by TNA. Styles will wrestle Seiya Sanada for the Great Muta’s Wrestle-1 promotion in Japan on November 16th. TNA stars Rob Terry and Jay Bradley will also be on the show.
– The latest Impact Wrestling podcast (11/6) is now online:
On this edition of the IMPACT Wrestling Podcast, Bully Ray takes JB backstage at Steel Panther at the House of Blues in Hollywood! Plus JB and Christy decide to prank call three members of the TNA roster!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RUc1RSqgROE
– ShopTNA.com has released a slew of new t-shirts for several of the company’s top stars, including AJ Styles (even though he’s “no longer under contract”), Sting, Gunner & James Storm, Ethan Carter 3 and more.
– The Orlando Sentinel has published an article looking at TNA’s upcoming return to Universal Studios as the “new” home of Impact Wrestling.
Even with Impact returning to Orlando, there are still plans to run several special editions of Impact on the road in 2014.
– Following up on the news that TNA will also be moving its developmental system to Orlando, TNA talent that were training at OVW in Louisville, Kentucky have been told to relocate to Orlando, another sign that TNA’s relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling has come to an end.
(Information from PWInsider.com was used in this report)
-AJ Styles defeated Judas Mesias to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at the AAA event in Jalisco, Mexico on Sunday night. Konnan, Hijo del Fantasma and Texano Jr. all attacked Mesias at one point, which led to him teaming up with Styles to run all of them off.
-In addition to Orlando Jordan, who got married this weekend in Australia (photos of his wedding can be viewed here), fellow former TNA wrestler Jesse Neal also tied the knot recently. Neal married his longtime girlfriend, retired independent women’s wrestler Brittney Savage, on Halloween night.
-TNA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles is officially scheduled to work the November 16th Wrestle-1 event in Tokyo, Japan. Styles’ match, which will be against rising star Seiya Sanada, will not be for his TNA title. The reason the match will be a non-title bout is because Styles is already scheduled to defend the belt against Judas Mesias for the AAA promotion in Mexico.
According to one source, TNA executive Jeff Jarrett pushed for the Styles vs. Sanada match, and it could lead to Sanada coming to the United States as a part of the TNA partnership with The Great Muta’s (Keiji Mutoh) Wrestle-1 promotion.
-TNA added a new “#IMPACT365” video on their official YouTube channel with the title, “#IMPACT365 – Kurt Angle’s condition after his match on IMPACT.” The video is accompanied by the following description: “#IMPACT365 – TNA wrestling medical staff attend to Kurt Angle backstage during IMPACT after his match with Bobby Roode”
You can watch the “#IMPACT365: Kurt Angle’s condition after his match on IMPACT” video below:
http://youtu.be/1olWVSwsvSA
DIRECT LINK TO ARTICLE: Kurt Angle Suffers Another Real-Life Injury
-TNA announced that there next pay-per-view themed edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV will be on November 21st. TNA will present a “Turning Point” themed edition of their weekly television show, which will emanate from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
-TNA announced the following brackets for their eight-man tournament to determine the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion:
–Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Sabin
–Bobby Roode vs. James Storm (winner faces the winner of Hardy vs. Sabin)
–Magnus vs. Samoa Joe
–Kurt Angle vs. Austin Aries (winner faces the winner of Magnus vs. Joe)
The matches will carry stipulations which will be determined by the “Wheel of Dixie.” The Hardy vs. Sabin match will be a Full Metal Mayhem match. While Styles is still technically the owner of the TNA title, the tournament will decide the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Basically, it looks as if TNA is setting up a future “Champion vs. Champion” match between Styles and the winner of the tournament.
Update On The Sale Of TNA, Hulk Hogan’s Future In The Company + Sting Leaving ..
-The TNA Impact Wrestling television taping on December 26th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been changed to a non-televised live event that will now take place on December 27th.
-TNA has removed both Hulk Hogan and AJ Styles from their official online roster page. Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson has been re-added to the page.
-The following is a new 24/7 video of Dixie Carter and John Gaburick discuss the AJ Styles at TNA World Heavyweight Champion situation. Check it out below:
http://youtu.be/MMNEKLSEWwA
-As previously reported, TNA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles is scheduled to defend his TNA title in outside promotions to bring legitimacy to his storyline of winning the title and leaving the company with it. AAA promoter in Mexico, Dorian Roldan, tweeted the following regarding Styles defending the belt in AAA:
Acabamos de recibir un correo de @AJStylesOrg y quiere exponer el campeonato de TNA el domingo en Tonalá. Hoy mismo se definirá su oponente.
— Dorian Roldan Peña (@dorianroldan) October 29, 2013
-According to Google Translation, the above tweet in English reads: “We just received an email from @ AJStylesOrg and want to expose the TNA Championship Sunday Tonala. Today will define their opponent.”
Quién podría ser un buen retador por parte de @luchalibreaaa para @AJStylesOrg y su campeonato de TNA? Este domingo en Tonalá, Jal.?
— Dorian Roldan Peña (@dorianroldan) October 29, 2013
-According to Google Translation, the above tweet in English reads: “Who might be a good challenger by @ luchalibreaaa for @ AJStylesOrg and TNA Championship? This Sunday in Tonala, Jalisco.?”
-TNA is hyping the return of Abyss for their Halloween edition of Impact Wrestling this Thursday night on Spike TV. The company posted the following tweet on Tuesday afternoon:
This Thursday Night: Will Abyss return on Halloween? http://t.co/qSEqcn6b5n
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) October 29, 2013
-Below is the photo linked in the above tweet:
DIRECT LINK TO ARTICLE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th Update On The Carter’s Looking To Sell TNA
As we previously reported, there are rumors that the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, AJ Styles, will be defending the TNA belt outside of the organization to bring credibility to the current storyline that he has left the company. Specifically, Styles is rumored to defend the title on shows for the AAA promotion in Mexico, as well as the new Wrestle-1 promotion led by wrestling legend Keiji Mutoh (The Great Muta) in Japan.
The early stages of the angle began on Thursday’s live edition of Impact Wrestling, as Styles turned down a new contract offer from TNA president Dixie Carter, and spoke about how he was going to “bring the belt” to the people.
Styles posted his first tweet since “leaving TNA” on Impact Wrestling on Thursday. You can read the new tweet below:
Really looking forward to defending my title around the world. No worries, I'll bring the belt to you.
— AJStyles.Org (@AJStylesOrg) October 26, 2013
Did Gail Kim Get A Nose Job Recently? Before & After PHOTOS Tell The Story >>
-The autobiography for the new TNA Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion, AJ Styles, has been pushed back once again. The book, which was originally scheduled for an October release, has been pushed back to “early 2014,” according to a recent press release. For more information, visit VIPInkPublishing.com.
-The latest edition of the TNA Impact Wrestling podcast has been released. This week’s podcast features clips from the Kurt Angle Hall Of Fame banquet from last Saturday, as well as interviews with the new TNA Impact Wrestling World Tag-Team Champions, Bro-Mans, as well as the new TNA Knockout’s Champion Gail Kim. You can check out the new TNA Impact Wrestling podcast below:
http://youtu.be/t2JjC566dgI
HUGE Match CONFIRMED For The Next TNA Impact Wrestling Taping [>>]
– In a re-match from Bound For Glory, AJ Styles will defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Bully Ray this Thursday on Impact Wrestling.
Infuriated, TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter ordered the match in response to Styles capturing the strap at Sunday’s pay-per-view event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvx7-rkTqSw
– Sunday at Bound For Glory, Gail Kim captured the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship for a third time by defeating ODB and Brooke, with assistance from Lei’D Tapa. Upset, Brooke remarked following the match on Twitter: “I dragged each of you @TheODBBAM @gailkimITSME! I was completely robbed by @LeiD_Tapa!! This isn’t over, it’s just began! #FirstLady.”
Kim responded to Brooke on Monday, stating, “I don’t understand your ghetto language. I’m classy and intelligent and so is @LeiD_Tapa. She knew what team to be on #teamgail.”
– Hernandez is scheduled to appear at the Alamo City Comic Con at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center 200 E. Market St. San Antonio, Texas, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Former TNA Wrestling talent Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Scott Steiner, Sean Waltman, Scott Hall, Buff Bagwell, as well as WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and Virgil are also advertised to appear at the event.
TNA’s official website posted the following medical update on some of the superstars injured during Sunday’s Bound For Glory PPV.
AJ Styles: Sustained rib cartilage damage and will be evaluated by his home doctor in Georgia later this week
Bully Ray: No concussion, but sustained a bruised sternum
Kurt Angle: Left the arena with his family and refused to be evaluated on-site by medical personnel
Bobby Roode: Cervical swelling (vertebrae/back), triceps hematoma
The official TNA Impact Wrestling website posted an update on injuries sustained to performers involved in Sunday’s “Bound For Glory” pay-per-view. The official website posted the following regarding the condition of some of their top stars following the big event.
AJ Styles: Sustained rib cartilage damage and will be evaluated by his home doctor in Georgia later this week
Bully Ray: No concussion, but sustained a bruised sternum
Kurt Angle: Left the arena with his family and refused to be evaluated on-site by medical personnel
Bobby Roode: Cervical swelling (vertebrae/back), triceps hematoma
Tons Of Backstage News & Notes From Bound For Glory — CLICK HERE!
The following are highlights from a new TSN interview with TNA Impact Wrestling star AJ Styles
On people he would like to see signed by TNA: “They’re overlooking the guys who deserve a shot at the world title, who have the talent to be a world champion. They don’t have to come from that other place [WWE], they can come from the independents. But we have to leave the door open for young guys to come in and get a chance. Let them be their own guy instead of a cookie cutter like they get at that other place. From the independents, Delirious has been one of my favorites for a long time. I’d like to see him signed. I also miss Alex Shelley. He and [Chris] Sabin, as the Motor City Machine Guns were a great tag team. I would love to see him back.”
On the change in his personality over the past year: “I think it’s a personality that everyone has. You reach a breaking point, you push the right buttons, and you see this guy come out that you never knew you had in you. I got pushed over the ledge and it turned me on, turned me into this new guy. A little more aggressive and a lot more drive.”
On his thoughts on working with Hulk Hogan: “[Hulk] Hogan can open up doors that we normally wouldn’t be able to open without that. He adds experience and it’s been an experience working for him.”
On his match with Bully Ray at Bound For Glory: “I’m going to leave it all out in the ring. These people paid their hard earned money to see two people beat the crap out of each other in the ring. Be ready to be entertained and maybe even have your breath taken away. Hard-hitting and a match that you’re going to remember. I have to be more focused than ever. Bully Ray will have to kill me if he wants to beat me. And I just don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Check out the complete interview online at TSN.ca.
TNA star AJ Styles spoke with Mike Riker and Dave Lagreca on SiriusXM’s Busted Open to hype Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view. We posted the first batch of interview highlights here yesterday – the following are more of what AJ Styles said about:
The journey through the past year: “Well, it’s definitely been a journey. The ups and downs. The roller-coaster that has been A.J. Styles. Going from wrestling James Storm and Bobby Roode and having it all on the line and couldn’t wrestle for TNA World Heavyweight Title, it could have been James Storm or Bobby Roode or myself. Lucky me, I had the opportunity to lose that match and it really set me in a different mindset and losing to Christopher Daniels in a match that I should have never lost but when your head is all screwed up as it was, it send you to a whirlwind of “I don’t knows and I don’t know who I am” and problems occur and its reality and that’s what happens to a lot of people in life. They may lose their job, they may lose a marriage and stuff like this happens. Sometimes people forget who they are and what’s there purpose in life and that’s the same thing that happened to A.J. Styles.”
Deserving the respect: “I do and that’s what bothers me a lot, that I didn’t get that respect and when I called Dixie (Carter) out about it, she showed her true colors. She has shown who she really is. She’s a snake. She’s a money hungry person. She’s out for “what’s best for Dixie”, not for what’s best for the boys, what’s best for the company and what makes her the most money and if you don’t, well, she’s going to cut the fat.”
Being relied on: “What was bothering me was is that, you called on me every time you needed someone to take you to the next level to have that great match, you called on me. Then when it wasn’t called on me than what’s the deal. Then I realized for a second, I’m pissed off because I like being the go-to guy. I want to be that guy. Now that you are not giving me that chance, it’s pissing me off. That’s basically what I was saying. I enjoy being that go-to guy. I love being the guy that you’re going to give the ball to when it’s fourth down. I want to be that guy you give the ball to and I think a winner wants that. They want the ball in their hands when the championship is on the line or when the match is on the line but that fact that I wasn’t getting it is what really bothered me. You talk about not being in the main event, that’s exactly what I’m talking about here. I want to be the go-to guy but if you don’t give me the opportunity, how can I do that and what is stopping you and it was stuff like that, that really bothered A.J. Styles through the whole thing.”
Top priority resigning with TNA: “Here is the reality. I love TNA. I grew up there. It’s who I am. You said it before when people think of TNA, they think of A.J. Styles. I take pride in that. But something has to change and I want to be there. I don’t know any other way to say it. I love the place. I’m not saying I love what happened to it but I love that place and I want to see it grow. I know we have the talent. We have everything we need. The puzzle is not put together yet but once you get those pieces in there, you will see how it connects. Then you will be like: “Wow, we really got something” but we need someone in charge that knows what to do with it once they see what’s going together well.”
Changes if A.J. Styles was in charge: “Well, there would be some guys that we can bring in. We need to open up. The one thing that separated TNA from the beginning was the talent. The fact that they were from all over the world, from a lot of different states, having different wrestling styles. When you’re from the south, it’s a little different. When you’re from the Northeast, it’s a little different. When you’re from the West Coast, it’s a little different and that’s what was so great about TNA. We had guys from all over the nation and doing all different styles of wrestling and that’s what separated everyone else. We weren’t cookie cutters. We were all different and I think we need to bring that back. We can’t be focused on certain people. Don’t get me wrong, there is talent in the other place that can definitely come here and do well in TNA. But there are also talents in the independent circuit that deserve a chance too. I’m not saying they need to come here for a terrible contract to whatever it is. Give them a credible contract and come in here and show these people what they’ve been doing on the independents and doing well. We got to open up that door for younger talent to come in here because I was one of the first guys here and I’m getting older.”