Eric Bischoff, his son Garett Bischoff and his business partner Jason Hervey have filed a breach of contract lawsuit against TNA for the unpaid amount of $114,500.02. The lawsuit was filed in Davidson County, Tennessee on May 15, 2015.

Bischoff and Hervey are listed in the lawsuit under the company name of Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment. They were hired by TNA as executive producers at a base fee of $426,800 per year, which were to be paid out in monthly installments.

The suit claims the two were hired on a “pay or play” basis and are owed $101,500 by TNA for unpaid money from January of 2015 through March of 2015. They are also asking for the cost of “entering this action, including reasonable attorney’s fees.”

Bischoff’s son Garett was originally part of the BHE deal with TNA, but he ended up signing a separate talent contract on October 24, 2012. His deal expired on March 31st of this year and included monthly pay of $2,166.67, also on a “pay or play basis,” along with an additional $500 for paid performances. He is claiming he is owed $13,000.02 by TNA for unpaid compensation for work done from October 2014 through March 2015.

The lawsuit also notes that TNA paid in a timely fashion through September of 2014. BHE lawyers notified the company on November 4, 2014 about a breach of contract over October pay and advised TNA that they had 20 days to fix the situation. They then issued a second notice 20 days later, informing TNA that they had failed to cure the breach.

TNA eventually paid $101,500 on or before January 1, 2015, but BHE is seeking the same amount of unpaid money for the final three months of their deal with TNA, which expired on March 31, 2015.

TNA’s lawyer Guy Blake wrote a letter to BHE on January 12th, however his letter was not included in the lawsuit. BHE lawyer Bryan Lewis responded to the letter and said he did not agree with Blake’s statement that TNA paid BHE in full and that BHE refused to appear as requested by TNA.

Lewis wrote the following:

“When the money was sent, you did not make it clear whether it was in connection with the settlement offer that was on the table or a reinstatement by TNA. TNA did not make a request that BHE perform services when the money was sent.” He went on to write that BHE “stands ready, willing, and able to perform under the agreement in the event TNA is reinstating that agreement.”

• RONDA ROUSEY Worried About Nude Photos Of Her Leaking Online!

Jeff Jarrett has been contacting a number of talents to be part of his upstart Global Force Wrestling promotion in recent weeks.

Jarrett is apparently going after signed talents that have their deals with Ring Of Honor or TNA expiring soon, as well as unsigned talents.

The biggest name that GFW has reportedly reached out to is Roderick Strong, however there are rumors of talks with Team 3D, Chris Masters and Shelton Benjamin as well.

Jarrett has Sonjay Dutt and Scott D’Amore working on the office side of things for the promotion, and Dutt has been the one calling most of the aforementioned talents.

Regarding the offers to talents, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that Jarrett has been offering the possibility of working 39 dates with the promotion.

As far as the rumors of Eric Bischoff being part of the promotion, Jarrett is denying these claims. Regarding Bischoff, Jarrett stated, “If GFW and BHE (Bischoff-Hervey Enterprises) are going to work together, we will not announce it at a Q&A in the U.K. They obviously heard what they wanted to hear.”

• CM PUNK’S UFC Debut, Ronda Rousey/WWE Update + HOT Ring Girl Pics!

Eric Bischoff took part in a Q&A session with Jeff Jarrett over the weekend for Preston City Wrestling and revealed that he will be working with Global Force Wrestling.

Karen Jarrett asked Bischoff if he’ll be working with Global Force. Both Jarrett and Bischoff said yes, but noted that they are still in the early stages of launching the promotion.

Global Force will hold their first round of TV tapings on July 24th from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The WWE Fan Council issued the following survey to fans on possible DVD releases. Below is a list of potential titles under consideration.

Roman Reigns – Roman Reigns has burst on the scene to become one of the biggest superstars to date… but it’s no surprise as his historical lineage has set him up for greatness. Go behind the scenes with Roman as he prepares for the biggest match of his career – the main event of WrestleMania!

WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven – Tommy Dreamer and Raven had one of the fiercest rivalries in ECW… now get a chance to hear both sides as the two sit down with Joey Styles and discuss what worked, what didn’t worked and why their rivalry was so successful.

True Story of Tribute to the Troops – A behind the scenes look at what WWE calls the most important show of the year. Following its inception and with stories from those who traveled overseas each year and the importance of why it has lasted over a decade.

Booker T – An extended version of the network special – Booker T: Sentenced to Greatness. Get a behind the scenes look at Booker T, as he discusses his improbable rise from Prison to WWE Hall of Famer. PLUS a compilation of Booker T’s greatest matches, with commentary from the man himself.

Divas – The Women’s division in WWE has grown in leaps and bounds from the days of the Fabulous Moolah, to Sunny, to Trish Stratus, to Michelle McCool, and now to the future in Charlotte… hear from all the most important figures in history as they discuss how they changed the role of the female in a male dominated sport!

Lex Luger – A natural athlete, who played professional football in the CFL & USFL, then became one of the most popular wrestlers of the 80s and 90s, “The Narcissist” finds God and turns his life around, only to become paralyzed a short time later. Hear from the man himself as well as his friends and enemies as Lex’s remarkable story is told.

JBL: How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire – Follow a “day in the life” of JBL – a self-made millionaire, Texas born, New York refined. A former WWE Champion and currently a financial analyst, a political radio host, and commentator for WWE – JBL does it all, and now you can see and hear it all from the man himself!

Dudley Boyz Bio – Arguably the most successful tag team in the history of sports entertainment. Hear from Bubba Ray and D-Von as they discuss theirs trials and tribulations from the bottom to the top and what made they did that helped them become so successful.

OMG! ECW’s Top 50 Craziest Moments – OMG! It’s back and this time with by far the craziest moments to date, as ECW rears its head on this series. ECW was extreme and there is no shortage of OMG moments throughout its history. Hear exclusive interviews from ECW legends as they tell stories behind some of the craziest moments in ECW history!

Bruno Sammartino – For over 11 years there was no one better than Bruno Sammartino – WWE’s longest reigning champion of all time. Now hear from Bruno as he discusses his reign as champion in the ring and at home!

Sheamus Experience – Get a chance to follow Sheamus around on his daily routine to find out what makes the Celtic Warrior tick. Listen to him as he recalls growing up in Ireland as a fan, to beating John Cena for the WWE Championship in his first year in the WWE.

One Man Show: Stone Cold – Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the most popular athletes in one of the most exciting times in sports entertainment history, now hear from the man himself as he tells about his meteoric rise to the top. Steve discusses his life story in humorous fashion as only the rattlesnake can, live on stage!

Eric Bischoff – A rare look inside the man who ran WCW and almost put WWE out of business only to ultimately be defeated in the Monday Night War and become a WWE employee as told by himself and those closest to him.

WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Eric Bischoff vs. Vince McMahon – Sports entertainment was at its peak during the 1990s, and was dubbed the Monday Night War, as the two hottest brands battled in a ratings war for supremacy on Monday nights. Now listen as the head of both shows sit down and discuss this pivotal time period in the industry.

The Best of 1996: Twenty Years Later – WWE goes in depth with one of the greatest years in sports entertainment – N.W.O. takes over WCW; The Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12; Steve Austin’s rise as Stone Cold, The Rock makes his Debut; and ECW has some of best talent in the business like Mick Foley, Steve Austin and Chris Jericho, but lose them all to the bigger companies. Listen to all the important players from one of the most important years in sports entertainment history!

Hulk Hogan: Immortal – Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the most iconic figures in sports entertainment history – it is now time to make him Immortal! Hulk Hogan gets his face cast as his body will become a bronzed statue – living in Immortality in WWE lore forever. Hear from the Hulkster himself as he talks about his early days as a guitar player in a band, to his legendary prominence as Hall of Famer.

• Did Randy Savage and Stephanie McMahon Have A Relationship?

WWE Hall Of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase Sr. recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of Turnbuckle Weekly to discuss a number of topics. Below are some highlights from the interview:

On what Vince McMahon told him when his “Million Dollar Man” character debuted: “In an effort to make people believe you really are rich, we’re going to fly you everywhere first class. You’re going to stay in first-class accommodations, and you’ll have limousine service daily.”

On how his character compared to Ric Flair’s: “I was never as flamboyant as [Flair]. And the other big difference… Ric’s [tab] was coming out of his own pocket.”

On comparing Eric Bischoff to Vince McMahon: “The difference between Eric Bischoff and Vince McMahon is Vince McMahon knows how to create a star. Eric took a company and took it down. I remember a conversation one night after one of the shows, and Eric said he was going to put Vince out of business. I just laughed at him and said ‘are you kidding me?’ Even if Vince retreats a little bit, he ain’t going away. I don’t think you or anybody else are going to run him out of business.”

Check out the complete interview at CBSLocal.com.

• SHOCKER: THE ROCK & RONDA ROUSEY Break ONE-HUNDRED Year Old Record Together!

Google has released the search data for WrestleMania 31. “WrestleMania” had over 1,000,000 searches on Google back on March 31st, the most of any topic online. Here’s a full break down of the top WWE-related searches from WrestleMania Sunday:

• Ronda Rousey (100,000 searches)
• The Undertaker (81,000 searches)
• The Rock (56,000 searches)
• Brock Lesnar (56,000)
• Triple H (52,000)
• Roman Reigns (48,000)
• Seth Rollins (46,000)
• John Cena (41,000)
• Bray Wyatt (22,000)
• Rusev (21,000)
• Stephanie McMahon (15,000)
• Randy Orton (13,000)
• Hulk Hogan (10,000)
• Daniel Bryan (6,000)
• Kevin Nash (6,000)
• Scott Hall (3,000)
• Dolph Ziggler (2,000).

• WWE Changes WM31 Main Event Winner DURING The Show!

WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke with The Sport Vision about a number of topics, including his respect for John Cena, his wish that Hulk Hogan had the “courage” to work with him, the reason he would like to strangle Eric Bischoff and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

His time in WCW and Eric Bischoff: “I could only be frustrated right from the day I started in WCW, and realized that it was a company run by a bunch of idiots that didn’t have a clue what they were doing. And they dropped the ball with me just about from the time I got there. And then after they dropped the ball with me, they kicked it around, kicked it backwards and out of the stands for most of the time I was there. I look back today, I’d like to strangle Eric Bischoff with my own pair of hands, and just thank him for doing such a lousy job with my career, and lying about everything he ever said to me.”

Report: Vince McMahon Decides On New WrestleMania Main Event

Hulk Hogan: “There’s a lot of wrestlers I worked with in those days that still stop me and tell me that the greatest match they ever had was with me… I take pride in that… I wish guys like Hulk Hogan might’ve had the courage to get in the ring with me, because I maybe could’ve given him his best match that he ever had, also. I just think that as wrestling moves into the future, everyday it goes further and further from my day, I look at the wrestlers today and I realize that they’re carrying the torch of my style. It’s not about strongman spots and Hulk Hogan, and putting one hand behind your ear and working the crowd, and stuff like that. It’s about guys that are out there suplexing each other, and doing a lot of complex wrestling moves, and a lot of action. That’s the kind of wrestling that I brought to the game.”

Daniel Bryan and CM Punk: “The moves that wrestlers are doing today, the innovating that some of these guys are doing, it all is a throwback to Bret Hart. I think Daniel Bryan reminds me a lot of my brother, Owen. I thought Punk had a lot of Bret Hart-isms in his matches, and little things he did that reminded me of stuff I did.”

John Cena: “I have nothing but respect for John Cena and his work rate. He’s one of the hardest working wrestlers there ever was. He’s been a great champion, an inspiring role model. It’s not easy being John Cena and carrying all the weight of the company on your back all the time. What he’s done with Make-A-Wish kids, and kids in general, kids in general around the world. People don’t understand sometimes what it’s like to be John Cena, to understand how much pressure is on him everyday to do the right things and to always be the class champion that he’s been. He’s a tireless champion that gives 100 percent every night… He could do a little bit better with some of his technical moves sometimes, but I think in the long and short of it, I think John Cena’s established himself to be maybe one of the greatest wrestlers that ever lived. I think he’s an amazing wrestler.”

On his proudest moment: “When I stood up for myself in Montreal, and knocked out Vince McMahon for cheating me in that match. I think it’s still defines me as a wrestler, and as an artist, and a talent, and somebody that was betrayed. I’ve always been really proud of how I reacted, and how I carried myself that day. And in the end, I think I proved I was right.”

Check out the complete interview at TheSportVision.co.

• VIDEO: Ex-UFC Fighter Dares Young Girl To Punch Him, She Does — And BRUTALLY KOs Him!

– Randy Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo, is the guest on the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. The official description for the show reads as follows.

TIJ – EP111 – Randy Savage Remembered by his brother Lanny Poffo

“Macho Man Randy Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo, has agreed that it’s time for Macho Man to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, so that’s what’s happening this year! Why did Lanny change his mind? And what would his brother and father think about it? Lanny explains his decision… and shares some amazing stories about his brother’s as well as his own wrestling career as The Genius who only spoke in poetry and rhyme! He recites a few of his more famous & memorable poems & tells stories from his own in-ring career working with Hulk Hogan and Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig. “

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– Eric Bischoff was the guest on the latest edition of Bill Apter’s video chat, which you can see below. Bischoff talks to Apter about the Monday Night Wars, Randy Savage being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year, his debate with Bruce Prichard and more.

• MULTIPLE Stars PULLED From Royal Rumble Match At The LAST MINUTE + THE ROCK At Tonight’s WWE PPV?!

– WWE is now advertising a Roman Reigns vs. Big Show in a “Last Man Standing” match for the upcoming Fast Lane pay-per-view on Sunday, February 22nd from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennesse.

Previously, the advertising listed Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. Big Show and Seth Rollins in a tag-team match.

– The Monday Night War debate between Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard, which will be moderated by Chris Jericho, takes place on Sunday at Dave & Buster’s on Columbus Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit RFVideo.com.

• JIM ROSS and JOSH MATHEWS Involved In EPIC Twitter War! [READ HERE >>]

The reality show “Wrestling with Death” is scheduled to premiere on WGN America on January 13th. The show focuses on the Latham family of Osceola, Arkansas who are morticians by day and pro wrestlers by night.

Also launching on WGN America is a non-wrestling show called “Outlaw Country,” which is produced by Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey and premieres on February 24th.

For more information on the shows, visit BroadcastingCable.com.

• PHOTOS: CM Punk & AJ Lee Together In Las Vegas This Past Weekend

Chris Jericho has been officially added to the upcoming WWE vs. WCW “Monday Night Wars” debate between Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard, which is scheduled to take place on January 25th.

Jericho announced on his latest Talk Is Jericho podcast that he wants to be the moderator of the debate, noting that he worked for both WWE and WCW during the Monday Night War years.

The Bischoff-Prichard debate will take place from 1-3pm EST. at Dave and Busters at 325 N. Columbus Blvd. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is only a few minutes away from the Wells Fargo Center, where the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view will be taking place on the same night.

For ticket information for the event, visit RFVideo.com.

– The newest edition of WWE’s “Monday Night War” documentary series, which premieres this Tuesday on the WWE Network, will take a look at Eric Bischoff’s role in the WWE vs. WCW battle. The official description for the show reads as follows:

“The strategies that helped Eric Bischoff build WCW would hasten the decline of both he and his company.”

– The latest edition of WWE’s “30 Second Fury,” which you can watch below, takes a look at “spine-wrecking powerbombs.”

A “mystery” former World Champion, strongly rumored to be Chris Jericho, has been added to the upcoming “Monday Night Wars” debate between Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard on January 25th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Bischoff and Prichard are set to debate the real truth behind the Monday Night Wars on 1/25 from noon until 3pm at Dave & Buster’s. After that was announced, Jericho was reportedly strongly intrigued by the idea.

RF Video, which is promoting the event, said that when the announcement is official, the event is likely to sell out immediately.

– WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is no longer being advertised for next week’s Slammy Awards edition of WWE RAW from Greenville, South Carolina.

Lesnar had been advertised for the Slammy RAW for several months, but has been pulled from ads on the WWE website and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena site.

Brock Lesnar’s New Return Date Revealed

– Former WCW President Eric Bischoff and former WWE producer Bruce Prichard will have a debate on The Monday Night Wars on January 25th in Philadelphia, PA. This is the same day and city as WWE’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The event will take place at Dave & Buster’s on Columbus Boulevard at noon. There will be a one-hour meet & greet and the debate will feature questions from fans until 3pm. Fans attending the Rumble that night will have plenty of time to make both shows. Tickets for the event go on sale this week and RF Video will be releasing additional details.

Following the official WWE debut o Sting at Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, former head of WCW, Eric Bischoff, posted a congratulatory message on Twitter directed towards “The Icon.”

Bischoff tweeted the following after the show last night.

https://twitter.com/EBischoff/status/536942090836406272

For photos of Sting’s WWE debut at Survivor Series, click here.

E-C-W! E-C-W! E-C-W!

The chants can still be heard today. In fact, WWE still capitalizes on those three letters to this very day.

For example, last Monday night after RAW, WWE premiered “ECW Exposed” on the WWE Network as part of a full “ECW Week” theme for their digital subscription service.

Next Tuesday night, a second edition of “ECW Exposed” is scheduled to air on the WWE Network.

Hell, this weekend, Tommy Dreamer will be presenting the seventh “House Of Hardcore” event, which is considered by many to be a show with the old “ECW feel” to it.

My question is this, why do we see so many ECW reunion shows, but no WCW reunion shows? I’m assuming it has a lot to do with dollars and cents.

For an ECW reunion show to be held, you need at least some of the following guys: Paul Heyman, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Taz, Bully Ray, Devon, Terry Funk, The Sandman, Rob Van Dam, Raven and Shane Douglas. Sure, there are many other names you can go with, but you need at least a few of those guys on the event for it to feel like a legitimate ECW reunion show.

For a WCW reunion show to be held, you need at least some of the following guys: Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Diamond Dallas Page, Lex Luger, Sid Vicious, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and Rick Steiner. Again, many names are missing, but the fact remains, the price tags of the key guys needed for an ECW reunion show versus the price tags for a WCW reunion show are world’s apart.

WWE has at different points in time had enough of the aforementioned WCW names under contract, and certainly has enough money to secure the stars they didn’t have at a particular point in time, to put together a legitimate WCW reunion show.

Outside of the financial side of putting together a reunion show for the former two biggest rival promotions to WWE, there is the financial side of how much these shows would generate.

When you compare the amount of DVDs sold between “The Rise & Fall Of ECW” and “The Rise & Fall Of WCW,” again you will notice that they are world’s apart.

When ECW went out of business in 2001 they were still a beloved promotion that just didn’t have the financial backing or television exposure to stay afloat. When WCW went out of business in 2001 they barely had a pulse.

The fan-base for ECW was a rabid, cult-like fan-base that loved their home-promotion dearly. The fan-base for WCW by the time the company folded in 2001 was practically nonexistent.

Still, it feels like there is enough WCW nostalgia for a reunion show to work. Anytime rumors circulate that claim WWE is in negotiations with Goldberg, Sting, or any of the other major names wrestling fans associate with WCW, there is a huge buzz. Fans are excited at the prospect of these guys coming into the current fold and squaring off against today’s crop of WWE Superstars.

Currently, there is a lot of interest in a Sting vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania. There has been buzz in the recent past about a possible showdown between Goldberg and his modern-day carbon-copy Ryback. There’s even been a lot of interest in “The Hulkster” lacing up his red and yellow boots once more.

If WWE were to sign all of these guys, or ever considered the idea at any point in time, why is it out of the realm of possibility that a WCW reunion show would be a success? Personally, I think it would work, however, I think WWE wants the WCW legacy buried and forgotten, and wants the fans of today to only remember history the way Vince McMahon and company choose to portray it.

Ever watched the “Monday Night War” documentary series on the WWE Network? Right there is a perfect example of the WWE-version of history being told.

The fact is, ECW was never a close second to WWE. They definitely provided a template on how to change the wrestling product into something more modern that fans of that generation soaked up in droves. The fact remains, however, that WCW was kicking WWE’s ass for a lengthy period of time.

Prior to that, when WWE was the top dog, WCW was always nipping at their heels. NWA before WCW was at times a close-second to WWE, and for a long period of time was considered to have the better talent roster. Additionally, NWA would beat WWE in television ratings on a somewhat regular basis before fans really paid attention to TV ratings or considered them any legitimate measure of success, as was the case when the ratings became the focal point of the WWE vs. WCW “Monday Night Wars.”

Outside of WrestleMania once a year, WWE puts on pay-per-views that for the most part feel the same. Nothing seems special or different about them anymore, and the entire idea behind a pay-per-view is to put on an event that feels bigger and more unique than a typical weekly wrestling television program.

Unfortunately, current WWE pay-per-views just feel like a slightly better version of a solid edition of WWE RAW and/or WWE SmackDown, when the company should be striving to put on pay-per-views that feel like “must see” or “can’t miss” programming.

Something tells me if WWE were to book a WCW reunion pay-per-view, if they booked the right guys, it would generate a ton of interest and likely draw a solid buyrate. It would garner interest from fans who escaped the wrestling bubble and moved on with their lives back in 2001 when the only alternative to the WWE-style of wrestling went out of business.

Picture it guys — WCW One Night Stand!

I’d fork out $44.95 and spend three hours of a Sunday evening to watch it.

And something tells me many others would as well.

How about you? Would you be interested in buying a “WCW Reunion” pay-per-view event? Let us know by posting your feedback in the “Comments” section below. You can also connect with me directly on Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR and/or on Twitter @MBoone420.

WGN issued the following press release today regarding the addition of “Wrestling with Death” reality show …

Building on the bold expansion of its original programming slate, WGN America has ordered to production its first two unscripted series, the docudrama “Outlaw Country,” executive-produced by Bischoff Hervey Entertainment’s Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey (“The Devils Ride”), and the docuseries “Wrestling with Death,” executive-produced by Leftfield Pictures’ Brent Montgomery and David George (“Pawn Stars”). Kicking off the new year with thirteen weeks of unscripted original programming, “Wrestling with Death” is set to premiere Tuesday, January 13 (10:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. CT), followed by “Outlaw Country” on Tuesday, February 24 (10:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 p.m. CT).

Set in the town of Buckner, Missouri, “Outlaw Country” chronicles the perennial battle between law enforcement and crime by following Steve and Mike Cook, brothers who act as Sheriff and head of the Buckner Criminal Task Force, respectively, as they clash with John and Josh Monk, brothers they suspect are responsible for the town’s surge in crime. In this one hour docudrama, producers were given full access to both the police force and the Monk Brothers’ camp, providing an unprecedented look at crime in a small town from both sides of the law. “Outlaw Country” is executive-produced by Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey for Bischoff Hervey Entertainment (“The Devils Ride,” “Hardcore Pawn: Chicago”), alongside Robert Kaprill and Peter Karlin. WGN America has ordered seven one-hour episodes to premiere Tuesday, February 24, 2015 (10:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. CT).

Executive producers Leftfield Pictures (“Pawn Stars,” “American Restoration,” “Counting Cars”) presents “Wrestling with Death,” a unique family docuseries that introduces The Lathams of Osceola, Arkansas: morticians by day who run The Wilson Funeral Home, and professional wrestlers by night who run The Mid-Southern Championship Wrestling League. “Wrestling with Death” is executive-produced by Brent Montgomery, David George, Alex Weresow and Jordana Hochman, alongside Bill Katz and Michelle Katz for Espiritus Productions. Bill Duncan and David Duncan serve as consulting producers. Twelve weekly back-to-back half-hour episodes have been ordered to premiere Tuesday, January 13, 2015 (10:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 p.m. CT).

WGN America launched its strategy of delivering distinctive, original scripted and unscripted content last year. “Outlaw Country” and “Wrestling with Death” join a growing stable of destination programming on WGN America, which includes the second season premiere of its hit supernatural series “Salem” in April 2015, along with the second season of its critically acclaimed original drama “Manhattan” and exclusive syndicated series “Person of Interest” and “Elementary,” all scheduled to premiere in 2015. The network also recently announced a straight-to series order for the scripted drama “Outsiders” (formerly “Titans”).

Follow “Outlaw Country” and “Wrestling with Death” on Twitter @OutlawWGNA and @WrestlingWGNA. “Like” the series on Facebook at Facebook.com/WrestlingWithDeathWGNA and Facebook.com/OutlawCountryWGNA, and join the discussion with #OutlawCountry and #WrestleInPeace.

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff spoke to AlternativeNation.net this week about a number of topics, including David Arquette’s WCW Title win, how Vince Russo analyzes ratings, Triple H’s leadership in WWE, Randy Savage’s fallout with WWE, Global Force Wrestling and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Randy Savage’s Fallout With Vince McMahon:

“I think the general attitudes, and feelings – I don’t want to suggest I know Vince McMahon, because I don’t. I’ve met him, I’ve worked with him, I’ve had some good conversations with him. I have what I think is a pretty good perspective and read on him, but by no means do I really know him or understand him completely, but I think at his core, Vince is a very loyal person. He understands the nature of the business, and the mentality in it. There have been so many times where people who have left, or left under good circumstances, or in many cases have done things that were pretty shitty to him, he’s brought them back, and given them a soft place to land. But, you don’t know that, until you land there (laughs), you don’t know until you come back. For the most part, I think the feeling was that once you leave Vince, and go to the competitor, that you had burned a bridge. I think in retrospect that’s not true, clearly, but at the time I think Randy’s perception was that it was over, it was done, and Vince would never bring him back.”

Similarities between Vince & Stephanie McMahon:

“Vince was very, and probably still is, demanding of Stephanie. I think there’s one thing that I saw in Stephanie that made me think that she probably at some point could be Mini Me (laughs), so to speak, and I don’t mean that derisively, but she has a lot of Vince’s same personality traits and characteristics. She’s super-intense, she has an incredible work ethic, she is very strong willed, and she knows what she wants, and what she likes. I saw that when I watched her produce segments, I saw that when I watched her produce my segments. I watched that when I had her rehearse me over and over and over again, until she heard an inflection exactly the way she wanted to hear that inflection. That part of her personality is very similar to Vince’s, it was very very particular, so I saw indications of that early on, but I didn’t have an occasion to see that same thing out of Triple H, because he was probably 75 percent talent, and 25 percent in the circle so to speak.”

Comparing Hulk Hogan’s nWo Heel Turn To A Potential John Cena Heel Turn:

“You’ve got to put everything in the proper context. There were no NWO shirts for sale before I turned Hulk Hogan heel. One disadvantage I had when I launched Nitro, compared to WWE, is that they had very sophisticated licensing and merchandise, WCW didn’t have any. This is one of the reasons I had to guarantee contracts, because if I didn’t guarantee how much money somebody was going to make, there was no chance in hell they were going to make enough to live off of if it was in part based on licensing and merchandising that didn’t exist. It is what it is, and was what it was, based on what I inherited, when I inherited it. But it was also an advantage, because I didn’t have to risk the same type of financial impact that for example WWE might be analyzing, ‘Okay, what happens if John Cena merchandise goes away?’ I didn’t have that challenge, because I wasn’t making any anyways. I had nowhere to go but up.”

– After going to the doctor to get biopsy results from tests he took last week, WWE Hall Of Fame Jake “The Snake” Roberts posted the following update via Twitter:

Benign great to hear that . Thanx for the prayers.. Still have brain issues that must b investigated but I still call it a win.

— JakeSnakeDDT (@JakeSnakeDDT) September 25, 2014

– Below is a preview of the new RF Video shoot interview with Eric Bischoff:

As we reported earlier today, TNA President Dixie Carter reportedly held a meeting with TNA talent backstage at the Impact Wrestling television tapings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, informing them that the company will be announcing a new television deal that will see the company air a show on January 7th, which would be the first Wednesday after their deal with Spike TV expires.

According to television industry sources, TNA has likely not signed an official deal with anyone as of yet, however they are allegedly in “serious talks” to do so at this point. The belief is that TNA will actually sign an official deal and one that will see the company remain on television on Wednesday nights.

If everything goes as planned, TNA will be holding a live television taping from the Manhattan Center in New York City, New York on January 7th.

As far as which network TNA will move to once their deal with Spike TV expires, as noted in the past, WGN America and Velocity are two names that are being discussed, along with an additional option that is not an actual cable station.

In addition to those three options, the fourth is believed to be CMT. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey of “Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment,” who has worked with TNA closely in the past, teased something with WGN on Wednesday via social media.

– Former WWE Tough Enough contestant AJ Kirsch, who appeared on the most recent season hosted by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, has been announced as a cast member for the new reality television show, “Dating Naked.” Kirsch mentioned on the show that he was a pro wrestler and he ended up finding love.

– RF Video announced today that they are conducting a rare shoot interview with former WCW President Eric Bischoff. Apparently RF Video has been attempting to book Bischoff for a shoot interview for over a decade, so it should be a pretty interesting interview when it becomes available.

– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features Y2J’s WWE Payback review and an interview with KISS member Bruce Kulick, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:

TIJ – EP44 – Bruce Kulick of KISS & WWE Payback Review

“Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick sat at Paul Stanley & Gene Simmons’ table at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony, and has plenty of stories to share about that night, and about his time in KISS! Plus, Y2J breaks down the WWE Payback PPV. How’d he do vs Egypt?”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– The latest edition of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast, which features JR’s exclusive interview with Eric Bischoff, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:

TRR – Ep16 – Eric Bischoff

“JR and Eric Bischoff are talking wrestling business… and by that, we mean “the business of professional wrestling.” They get into Eric taking over WCW and firing JR, the Monday Night Wars, the current state and future of the WWE, and what Eric thinks about his own son’s foray into the business. Plus, hear creative strategy, brand building, and what it takes to be a star.”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

The following are highlights of a new v2 Wrestling Podcast interview with Jeremy Borash:

On Vince Russo: “I have not seen or spoken to Vince Russo in two years, so I couldn’t tell you of his involvement, on what level it is, if at all.”

On his spat with Eric Bischoff, after a bartender told Bischoff that Borash had been claiming to be the TNA owner: “The guy that told him that was a guy named Magnus – not the wrestler; Magnus the bartender – who is a family friend, and I believe knew that Eric and I had not exactly gotten along before. I think Eric might have been tipping a few back, and I think Magnus was effing with him a little bit. Anybody who knows me knows that I would not go around and tell anybody that I own TNA, that is absurd. And if I did own TNA, I’d be driving a much better car and dating a supermodel. Eric apologized to me a hundred times for it, and more than made good for it, and I totally forgive him. It was just a joke that got out of hand.”

On what he would do differently if he owned TNA: “Move it to London. The fan base is a huge missed opportunity. The production in the UK is miles ahead of anything that is in the U.S., and I have no idea why, but I am a huge fan of the production values over here. I would use that production, and take advantage of how passionate the crowd is.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

The following are highlights of a recent interview with Vader:

On his relationship with Vince McMahon: “As far as Vince is concerned, I’ve worked for so many great promoters such as Misawa, Inoki, etc who were very good at what they did. But Vince is the best. Everything he wanted to do with the WWE, he has done it and has done so successfully. It’s the largest pro wrestling company in the world and has been for a long time.”

On his relationship with Eric Bischoff: “Eric was a unique individual. He was an announcer and didn’t really know a lot about wrestling. When he first moved into the top spot, the top guys were me, Ron Simmons, Sting and Cactus Jack. The company drastically changed when guys like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair came in. But the thing you have to admit about Eric is that he made history. What he did is on the record books. He took the nWo and created a monster company that was highly successful.”

On the interview incident in Kuwait: “I was standing backstage watching a show on the air. The representative for the WWF was next to me. The producer of the show was a friend of the interviewer. He came over to me and said the interviewer was going to ask me if wrestling was fake. He told me to stand up, act insulted, kick over the coffee table and scare him, don’t hurt him. I said that we were told not to do anything of that nature in this country. And he said “No, this guy’s a good guy, he knows it’s gonna happen, he’s a good friend of mine and it’ll be funny.” The manager from the agent in charge from WWF said, “Leon, do what they want you to do.”
I was acting under orders from the producer, not the agent in charge. But when I did what I did, the interviewer was caught off guard and was frightened. The cops were called and I went to jail. I took the heat. But the point is that it was a skit. They wanted to use this thing to increase ratings, but it just wasn’t the case.”

On pulling off his moonsault: “I just have the athleticism to do it. I guess it gets harder if you’re heavier. But to me, it is just second nature and I am still able to do it to this day.”

Check out the complete interview at PWMania.com.

– Today’s wrestling birthdays include WWE Diva Natalya (32) and Eric Bischoff (59).

– NXT stars Simon Gotch, Braun Stowan, Becky Lynch and producer Ryan Katz appeared on RAW as Adam Rose’s Rosebuds.

– Former WWE star Johnny Jeter of Spirit Squad fame announced on Facebook yesterday that he recently got engaged.

– Christian is ready to return to action, according to Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer radio show. In the past, WWE has been in no rush to bring Christian back to television when he’s recovered for an injury, but he could be back soon.