Former WWE Head Trainer Tom Prichard recently blogged on the problems with TNA, his dealings with the promotion and his brother’s recent release. Here is what he wrote at DrTomPrichard.com:

“First of all, I never worked for TNA. That was my brother Bruce. I don’t care what happens to TNA. It was evident long before Bruce ever got there that their problems were (are) deep. Maybe TNA should start at the top (the very top) and look at what the real issues are. Hiring and firing people is all well and good if it produces the desired changes and makes the company more successful. I can’t speak about what’s going on behind the scenes and I never discussed that with Bruce or anyone else at TNA.”

“I can tell you I got a call last July with an offer to help with the developmental system in OVW. As seems to be the case with TNA, lack of follow up and professionalism was indeed the case as I didn’t go to Louisville. Why? Never got a straight answer or courtesy call explaining why a representative of the company called and initiated talks about going to OVW as a trainer, ask what I would want to go and then promise an answer “by Monday.” Monday has yet to come…”

“It’s a shame when a talented roster can’t get a straight answer or get paid on time. Who’s to blame? All I know is if no one can get a straight answer at WWE they go to Vince McMahon. At this time, Vince has the last word and accepts responsibility. Did Bruce screw up or make bad decisions? Don’t know. I wasn’t there. But I do know enough people in TNA who enlightened me on the dealings they’ve had with upper management (long before Bruce ever entered the picture) and the song remains the same…”

Following up on our reports that TNA is making big changes behind the scenes – we can confirm that both Bruce Prichard and D’Lo Brown are gone from the company

Bruce Prichard has been the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Programming since October 2011. D’Lo has been working behind the scenes as an agent since 2009, as one of the top guys with TNA’s developmental and Gut Check programs.

They appeared on Impact Wrestling together as two of the judges in the Gut Check segments, until D’Lo joined forces with the Aces & Eights.

The news comes after several recent high-profile TNA talent departures (including Matt Morgan, Doc, Tara and others) and reports that TNA has been way behind on paying a lot of its people.

COMMENT BELOW and tell us who YOU think TNA should fire as a cost cutting measure.

* HOGAN & BISCHOFF Leaving TNA? Find Out How TNA Will Cut MAJOR Costs Soon

(Source: PWInsider.com)

According to reports, TNA Sr. Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, Bruce Prichard, is likely on his way out of the company.

The restructuring within TNA lately has led to a number of talent being released from their contracts or TNA simply allows contracts to expire without renewing them.

Aces & Eights member DOC, formerly Luke Gallows in WWE, is the latest contract to lapse. He tweeted on Monday:

My contract with TNA Wrestling expired July 12th, as of this evening we have officially parted ways. #SUNTANBIKERMAN tours again!!

— “The Big LG” Doc Gallows (@The_BigLG) July 17, 2013

TNA Executive Eric Bischoff wrote this about DOC’s departure from the company:

https://twitter.com/EBischoff/status/357309625198059521

Prichard was reportedly asked to restructure his deal, and reportedly declined. As a result, it is expected that Prichard’s days with the company are numbered.

Additionally, TNA agents have been asked to restructure their deals to a per-night agreement.

Apparently D’Lo Brown agreed to the new terms, only to be fired by the company shortly after.

SHOCKING TNA Releases Expected In The VERY Near Future!

[Credit: ProWrestling.net]

– Three matches have been announced for next Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast, which is the final show before Final Resolution.

* TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and James Storm face Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a tag team match.

* Samoa Joe defends the TNA Television Championship against Devon.

* Kurt Angle takes on a member of Aces & Eights, D.O.C. (f/k/a Luke Gallows).

– Wes Brisco is the newest member of the TNA roster. After defeating Garett Bischoff in his “Gut Check” challenge match on Impact Wrestling last Thursday, becoming the first contestant to defeat his opponent, he received a “yes” from two of the three judges to earn a contract—Bruce Prichard and D’Lo Brown both said yes, while Taz said no.

Brisco, who is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, remarked on the accomplishment immediately afterwards via Twitter, “Greatest day of my life just made on the TNA Roster!!!!!” He was also congratulated by company president Dixie Carter (see photo).

– The Wrestling Observer reports that one of the reasons ‘some women’ have quit TNA Wrestling in the past year stems from the belief that Bruce Prichard, Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, is not in favor of women’s wrestling. This would also explain why the Knockouts division is not as given as much prominence as in the past, with only a few talents being highlighted.

Angelina Love and Velvet Sky reportedly left the promotion on their own accord and the roles of Mickie James, Rosita, Sarita and Winter were greatly curtailed after Prichard came into power last October. (more…)

Sean “X-Pac” Waltman took to Twitter on Wednesday to vent on former employer TNA Wrestling. He directed his frustration toward organization president Dixie Carter’s account with a series of messages.

“Highly disappointed with you as a person who claims to care. More disappointed in your handling of the only alternative to WWE,” he wrote. “Been meaning to tell you that since your Co. tried to make it look like I no showed your PPV.”

Waltman was scheduled for a tag team match at the 2010 Lockdown pay-per-view event, but was absent. On the night of the show, announcers were instructed to say that Waltman had no shown. He reportedly let organization officials know days in advance that he was not cleared to wrestle by the Missouri State Commission due to his hepatitis C diagnosis and was not going to be able to attend the event. He is now denying the story.

Waltman explains, “They knew I wouldn’t be there for over a week. They alluded that I no showed was bcuz I was on a drug binge. They lied to the PPL. The thing is that it’s easy to believe a story like that about me, which makes it even more of a low life move.”

When a Twitter user wrote to Waltman that if he wasn’t a “boozer and a fool,” he might still be employed by TNA, he responded, “@TNADixie Had nothing to do with it. Plus are u serious w/ the crew they have there. Plus, I am sober & never cared 4 booze.”

Waltman then continued railing the organization’s upper hierarchy and made a stark prediction.

“Im just sick of @TNADixie running around playing this benevolent role, when it’s a facade. BTW Congrats on hiring Bruce Pritchard. Perfect fit . Oine of the biggest lowlifes in the business. Treats ppl like shit if he can,” Waltman wrote. “Mark my words TNA will be a part of WWE’s video catalog before the decade is up. I dont hope. I just think it’s a matter of time. Unfortunately. I love the crew over there. Great guys, almost all of them.”

— Traci Brooks has confirmed her departure from TNA Wrestling after her profile was removed from the company’s official website over weekend.

“Yes it’s true my time with TNA has come to an end, what a great time I had,” she wrote on Twitter. “I love the TNA family and will miss everyone but will be watching every Thursday!

Following a one and a half year hiatus, Brooks returned to the organization last summer to help Velvet Sky combat ODB and Jacqueline. She was then made Karen Jarrett’s executive assistant, a title she held until Jarrett’s on-screen firing in December. Brooks began competing following Thanksgiving but became inactive again a few weeks later and wasn’t used again.

— Bruce Prichard, TNA Wrestling’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, returned to work at Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view. It was his first appearance at an event since suffering a pair of recent heart attacks.

source: ProWrestling.net

– TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter says major changes are coming to Impact Wrestling. Dixie Carter tells f4wonline.com  that she met with Spike TV executives this week and both parties decided it was time to make significant changes to the presentation of the show.

While she did not reveal specific details, the transformation is taking place soon and will include “format changes and new elements.” Carter added the company is making a very conscious decision to focus now on young talent.

Carter also provided an update on Bruce Prichard, TNA’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, who recently suffered a heart attack. Prichard has returned to work, has dropped over thirty pounds and was actually scheduled to undergo heart surgery when he suffered the heart attack.

— Tara is signing autographs today at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. She will also be on hand for the event on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m. Visit www.c2e2.com for event information.

— Madison Rayne is auctioning off a gold and silver wrestling outfit she has worn on Impact Wrestling and in a pay-per-view match against Mickie James.

Following a series of messages on Twitter blasting TNA Wrestling’s upper hierarchy, Scott Steiner urged fans to turn off tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV whenever Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Garett Bischoff appear. “Big Poppa Pump” says he doesn’t want TNA to meet the same fate as World Championship Wrestling and that the fans’ voices can be heard by lowering the show’s ratings. He wrote:

Getting alot of support from evrybody bcuz im sayin what they wish they could

Even guys from back in WCW who hogan kept his thumb on and Eric was an asshole to

Tonite is a good nite for you fans to help save TNA,so all u fans of AJ Roode Angle Abyss Sting Morgan Magnus Kazarian

Everybody who was a fan of Tna b4 bitchoff hogan n Pritchard fuckd Tna up,tonite during the show

If u see hogan bitchoff or his son turn the channel..wait 5 mins and turn it back you wont miss amything

Except their bullshit..and it will give u fans a voice thru the nielson ratings

Lets show these assholes that we dont want their bullshit and its time to save TNA from the same fate as WCW

Scott Steiner, who parted ways with TNA Wrestling two weeks ago, has continued to fire off messages on Twitter trashing his former employer’s brain trust. In a series of messages posted Wednesday evening, “Big Poppa Pump” blasts Hulk Hogan for deeming Bobby Roode “not ready” in a radio interview days before his heavily promoted World Heavyweight Championship match against Kurt Angle at Bound For Glory.

“Nah, he’s not ready. He’s not the next guy,” Hogan said of Roode to Busted Open in October. “Ya’ know, they might think he is. Dixie Carter might think he is. The whole world might think he is. He’s not the next guy. If I had to bet money on anybody and really be serious about betting money on anybody, I’d say Jeff Hardy is the next guy if he keeps his act together. Um, that’s what you gotta to have, man. This is much more than being a wrestler, this is crossing barriers, medias, ya’ know media barriers, and, and entertainment barriers of all kind. Getting your character down verbally has 90% to do with getting over.”

Steiner says Roode was infuriated by Hogan’s remarks and planned to call out him out in a radio interview. Prichard, however, begged Roode not to and he ultimately kept quiet.

Steiner also slams for TNA for nonsensical storylines and compares the promotion to World Championship Wrestling. He wrote:

When i look at hogan i see the same thing as the nielson ratings system does …….low fuckn ratings

Hogan also attackd Bobby Roode on the radio b4 he was going to wrestle Kurt Angle

In Philli on ppv sayn Roode wasnt ready,Ive wrestled Bobby a bunch of times n he wrestles hard every nite n he can go

He can talk,wrestle and looks good,and hes proving that hogan doesnt know shit(except that garrett is the future)..WTF

At the ppv he was pissd n went up to Pritchard and told him he was going on the radio and calling hogan out

And Pritchard beggd him not to,so i see him n he tells me what happend,I told him thats whats hogan does,

In WCW hogan put his thumb on evrybody,deciding who wins in every match bcuz he has creative control in his contract

Hogan shows up and changes the outcome of his match,Bobby was going to kill him but he kept his cool

Every tv every ppv the place is zoo a circus bcuz these assholes change things every hour,the storylines are stupid and dont make sense

And when u ask questions they cant give u a reason why they want u to do something that doesnt make sense

And since hogan bitchoff n pritchard brought the chaos the circus to Tna they also brought their own clown,midget

Which is Jason Hervey,(yep that one)the insignicant bro in wonder years this 5’5″ midget walks around

Fn crazy,why is he there hes business partners with bitchoff just like hogan n bitchoff are business partners

Now do u know why Tna is the titanic and is sinking fast…..Need to save TNA

They are doin the same stupid bullshit that they did in WCW..except now instead of pushing Flairs son David

To the point where he beat Chris Benoit,he is now pushing his own son,where is David Flair today

Ive seen all this shit b4,Remember he made David Arquette champion,Fuck!!Ted Turner ownd WCW and they ran it into the ground

And he was a multi multi BILLIONAIRE

We were all in the back sayin WTF are we in the twilight zone ….fn crazy

That same wkend he was suppose to go on ESPN and promote the ppv,so he is on the show

And the host ask him whats his most embarassing monent in the ring..remember hes there to promote the ppv

He says wrestling Andre and he shits himself…the host asks him a couple more questions

Which i dont remember bcuz im on the floor belly laughing..then the host thanks him for bn on the show

And he says “Be COOL EAT FRUIT…thats right BE COOL EAT FRUIT…WTF way to promote the ppv DUMBASS

— TNA Wrestling’s creative department has contemplated making Bully Ray the World Heavyweight Champion as they feel he is the best heel in the professional wrestling industry today.

— Sarita stated on Facebook that she missed Tuesday evening’s CMLL show at Arena México due to an emergency requiring her to visit her native country (Canada, which she does not mention). The TNA Knockout issued an apology and promised to return to action soon.

— TNA Wrestling Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations Bruce Prichard missed last week’s set of Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, Florida. He recently suffered a pair of ‘small’ heart attacks, causing him to miss the prior set of tapings.

— The official Twitter feed of Impact Wrestling announced Wednesday that first and third row tickets have been made available for Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view event at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee via Ticketmaster.com.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Scott Steiner, who parted ways with TNA Wrestling two weeks ago, has continued to fire off messages on his Twitter account trashing his former employer’s brain trust, particularly Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard. He says TNA is sinking under their watch and their tactics have instilled fear among employees. “Big Poppa Pump” also sounds off on TNA not acknowledging the ratings success of Indian based promotion Ring Ka King, the Abyss brother storyline, Garett Bischoff, cutting costs in catering and more. Steiner says:

With all the media coverage via U tube,http://GQ.com and the 40 billboards of me thruout India covering Ring ka King

Isnt it strange that Tna mentiond very little about it thats bcuz Pritchard hogan n bitchoff

Were pissd bcuz it did so well drawing 14 mill viewers n they had nothin to do with it

U couldnt talk about it at the office or tweet about it.THINK ABOUT THAT! We went to India for Tna but Tna did very lil coverage of it

Bcuz these idiots were pissed they had nothing to do with the success of it..so they tried to bury the ppl who went over there

They tried to bury me they imediately startd beating morgan,they couldnt bury Magnus bcuz

They had sent him home when they first came in,so they startd using him bcuz nxt trip to India

They’ll say he cant go ..Magnus is 25 yrs he can talk,wrestle and he looks great why would they send him home for about a year

Oh,yeah bcuz Garrett is 28 yrs has had less than 10 matches has great sideburns cant throw a clothline

And is the future of wrestling Fuck! But the guy they r burying the worst is abyss.fucking why!

They made him take off his mask cut his hair n walk around sayin he is abyss’s brother

Which makes everybody look stupid,like we dont know what abyss looks like,what he never took off his mask

Why…abyss has bn there from the begining n is a nice guy…but they just fuck with everybody bcuz they r assholes

As soon as these assholes took over they built up a barrier where u could no longer talk to dixie u had to talk Bruce

We all thought pritchard is a prick n didnt want to talk to him.but those who tried to contact dixie either got ignored or reprimended

Not sure how pritchard hogan n bitchoff convinced dixie to turn her back on the ppl who built up Tna

And listen to the 3 jackoffs that are sinking Tna..wrestling has always bn about ratings ratings ratings

Ratings are like a scoreboard,there isnt one coach that looks at the scoreboard at the end of the game

And wonders who won..and since these guys came to tna the ratings suckd and still do !!!!!!

So was is it so hard to figure out who is the problem

Since they came in ratings are down but costs are up,so to cuts cost in other areas to pay for these worthless ratings killers

They cut the money for catering and we startd using paper plates n plastic.fucking crazy!!!!

Pritchard hogan n bitchoffs tactics were to make everyboby job scared by fn with everybody and turnd tna into a zoo a circus

And just like every good circus u have clowns n midgets ……:..

— After parting ways with TNA Wrestling last week, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner slammed the organization’s creative heads Monday afternoon on Twitter.

“Can somebody send tna’s booking team of pritchard hogan (and) bischoff video’s from ring ka king..booking hogan in a sex tape wont help ratings..what an embarassment to TNA (and) spike tv. Brother…” he wrote via text.

Steiner continues

— After being excluded from the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings, Angelina Love stated today on Twitter that she will appear on this week’s shows. She has not appeared for TNA since February 27.

To correct an earlier report, Sarita will be on hand for this week’s show (according to her official Facebook page). She is being erroneously advertised for a CMLL event tonight in Puebla, Mexico.

— Christy Hemme will perform with her band at House of Blues Orlando on Saturday. Details are available here.

– During Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVIII pay-per-view broadcast, Jerry “The King” Lawler referenced TNA Wrestling Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations Bruce Prichard’s former WWE character Brother Love while expressing his disdain for John Laurinaitis’ white suit. Lawler said:

“That suit is so ugly, it would give Brother Love a heart attack.”

Prichard recently suffered a pair of ‘small’ heart attacks, causing him to miss the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings.

– Former WWE Superstar Kevin Nash ranked the top three matches at WrestleMania XXVIII via Twitter.

1. The Undertaker vs. Triple H – “End of an Era” Hell in a Cell Match

2. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Championship Match

3. John Cena vs. The Rock

Nash also refuted Michael Cole’s claim that Sheamus’ defeat of Daniel Bryan was the quickest world title change in WWE history at 18 seconds. “Hey Cole Diesel-Backland 8 seconds,” he said in reference to defeating Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship in 8 seconds in November 1994.

EXCLUSIVE: Key TNA Insider Discusses Prichard-Russo Tension

Despite TNA officials’ claims to the contrary, there is a very real power struggle going on behind the scenes at TNA Impact Wrestling, and the bad blood dates back many years.

When Vince Russo ascended to the top of the WWE creative power structure in the Attitude Era, he did it at the expense of Bruce Prichard and Pat Patterson, who were WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s closest confidantes at the time.

Even Jim Ross, who was head of talent relations, found himself out in the cold when it came to creative pitches to McMahon, who used Russo to “fill in the blanks” (according to a well placed source who was in WWE at the time) as McMahon took total control of his product and went forward with the Stone Cold Era.

Now, Bruce Prichard seems to be in position to, as a key insider in TNA points out, “deliver one hell of a receipt to Russo,” as no one is alllowed to pitch directly to TNA President Dixie Carter anymore, everyone must go through Prichard.

“Russo is on the chopping block, no matter what anyone else says,” our key insider told us exclusively, “and Prichard is the one swinging the axe!”

TNA star Samoa Joe was interviewed this week on AllWrestling.com’s Week In Review podcast. You can listen to the full interview here. Here are some highlights of what Joe said about:

Not being in the world title picture: “It’s always rough not to be in the world title picture but at the same time right now we are finding new talent and establishing new characters. TNA gives me opportunity to work with tremendous young talent. Playing a part in developing young talent is rewarding.”

Bruce Prichard As The Head of TNA Creative “TNA put me in the main event picture pretty early and these guys have been around just as long if not longer in Storm’s case. I’m very thankful to see those guys where they are right now from a personal standpoint.”

Whether He Would Jump Ship To WWE: “I’m still with TNA; we have a fantastic financial agreement. The relationship between me and TNA has always been great. I’m the type of person that really lives in the moment. I don’t put too much into trying to build scenarios that are bad. As long as I get an opportunity to wrestle and wrestle great people then I have the greatest job in the world.”

Stone Cold Saying WWE Should Sign Him: “That was one of the greatest compliments ever given to me in my career by far by one of the greatest athletes in the industry. Just hope that TNA sees that and we can take it from there. I’m big on loyalty. Some people are of the thought process that if you don’t like something, you quit. You go somewhere else. That’s just not me. I think it’s silly. I think it’s shallow and tawdry. I don’t think I’m done with what I want to do in TNA.”

Matt and Jeff Hardy: “I’m ecstatic for Jeff. I’ve never seen him more healthy and look so much more alive. God bless Matt. Matt is battling those same demons now. I hope and pray that he makes it through. At the end of the day, wrestlers are human beings. These are real people. No matter how much you hate their antics, no matter how much they disgust you, as a person, as a responsible human being I would never wish death on these people.”

On TV wrestling: “TV wrestling is very flash, bang, get it going. I’ve been told by many people in creative that those wrestling fans love the wrestling but it’s the other fans that don’t understand what a wrist lock is etc. I have had my disagreements on this. I think that the art of professional wrestling speaks for itself. I think if you are good enough professional wrestler you can tell your own story regardless of what extraneous feuds you have going. Fundamentally we may differ on that.”

His shoot on Scott Hall At Turning Point 2007: “There was an incident where Scott Hall no-showed. They handed me the mic and said “get him”. That’s what I was told. I went out there and got him. I ruffled a lot of fathers that day, in particular Kevin Nash. Kevin knew about the demons Scott was facing. None of us knew the extent of Hall’s issues.”

TNA IMPACT WRESTLING ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM AT OVW

Focus On Development Key To TNA

NASHVILLE, TN (November 7, 2011)– TNA IMPACT WRESTLING announces that they are entering into an exclusive relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), effective immediately, as the official training and developmental facility for TNA’s current and future stars of TNA IMPACT WRESLTING. Former wrestling star and OVW owner Danny Davis will work closely with TNA SVP of Programming and Talent Relations Bruce Prichard in the development of the talent through training, live events, and weekly television production allowing talent to explore every aspect of the business.

“OVW is the best of the best as far as training and nurturing potential superstars. Their track record speaks for itself. Whether looking to develop brand new talent or to fine tune existing talent, OVW has the talent and program to fit our needs.” says TNA’s Prichard. “TNA is providing developmental talent the opportunity to hone their craft in an environment that will allow them to grow and prosper.”

TNA talent will be arriving soon at the facility to begin an extensive training program with the industry’s leading experts. The program is akin to a college scholarship program where talent is provided a scholarship style agreement with TNA to learn the craft. The talent to attend the program is selected by TNA’s Prichard and TNA officials who will be monitoring the progress of each wrestler at camp and the live events.

TNA issued a press release on Tuesday formally announcing that Bruce Prichard is the company’s new Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations.

TNA President Dixie Carter said the following about Prichard’s new role in the company:

“TNA is gaining such a wealth of knowledge and insight as we continue to grow our business with the addition of Bruce to our senior management staff.”

“This appointment is another indication to the community that TNA’s Impact Wrestling is gaining ground across all platforms; we are thrilled that Bruce is bringing his knowledge in television production, writing and talent relations to TNA.”

As previously reported, Bruce Prichard took the role of Vince Russo, who now works under Prichard as part of the creative team.

• More On This: Vince Russo Removed as TNA’s Head Writer

Prichard, best known as “Brother Love” in the WWF and a former high-ranking WWE official and confidant of Vince McMahon,  is also quoted in the press release:

“I am looking forward to working with the exemplary talent both in front of the camera and behind the scenes at TNA. ?There are some exciting new ventures in progress as we speak involving the tremendous roster of current TNA superstars, as well as, development for the TNA superstars of the future.”

“We are expanding our roster and looking for new and adventurous additions to our television product. I welcome the challenge and am invigorated by the endless opportunities this company provides. Our fan base for our brand continues to grow and I am proud to be a part of it.”

To read the full statement from TNA, head on over to IconVision.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