— ImpactWrestling.com has announced Jeff Hardy vs. Bully Ray for Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast.
The synopsis reads: “After beating Jeff Jarrett in the Steel Cage match at Sunday’s Pay-Per-View, “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy is the NEW #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. He’ll get his shot at the upcoming “Genesis” event in January. However, Hardy won’t get any rest on Thursday, as he’ll face Bully Ray in one-on-one action!”
— Sarita survived a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake that shook Mexico on Saturday.
The TNA Knockout wrote Sunday on Facebook, “I survived yesterday’s earthquake in Mexico City (6.7!) and made it safely into Orlando today. Hug somebody you love.”
— Eric Bischoff is scheduled for this week’s Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, Florida night after missing Final Resolution due to business matters.
— Brooke Tessmacher participated in filming for a reality show pilot this past weekend in Dallas, Texas.
“Super long day shooting for the show. Not as easy as it looks!!!” she tweeted.
— Impact Wrestling is auctioning off the shirts the Knockouts wore for the holiday video promoting ShopTNA.com—Angelina Love, Brooke Tessmacher, Christy Hemme, Karen Jarrett, Madison Rayne, Mickie James, ODB, Rosita, Sarita, Tara, Traci Brooks, Velvet Sky and Winter.
Eric Bischoff was not at Sunday’s TNA Final Resolution in Orlando due to “personal business” in Arizona, but noted on Twitter that will be back in Orlando for this week’s TNA television tapings.
Bischoff made his first public comments about the latest Hulk vs. Linda lawsuit:
“Been silent on the Hulk and Linda divorce since the beggining. Glad to hear he is filing a suit against her. She is a pig in every sense. Actually the only thing more disgusting than Linda Hogan is that pissant creepy little punk thats sleeping with that skank.”
— Women Superstars Uncensored announced during Saturday’s Breaking Barriers 2 internet pay-per-view that TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter would be inducted into the WSU Hall of Fame next spring. She will be enshrined alongside Cindy Rogers, Jana and late journalist Georgiann Makropoulos.
— TNA Wrestling producer/personality Eric Bischoff published the following statement on Twitter regarding online critics and his son Garett: “If online critics were as smart as they like to think. They wouldn’t STILL be spelling Garett’s name wrong after all this time.”
A user on the site responded, “Nobody cares about the Garett angle, which is probably why no-one spells it properly. Nepotism rides again. #DavidFlair”
The TNA head wrote back, “Hmm…that would explain the consistently high ratings for it. MARK.”
— Angelina Love and Madison Rayne appear at Wrestling Universe 34-29 Francis Lewis Blvd. Flushing, New York on Sunday, December 4 from 2:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m. Visit WrestlingUniverseOnline.com for more information.
Preview TNA IMPACT WRESTLING Next Thursday At 9/8c On SpikeTV
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road continues to the November 13 “Turning Point” Pay-Per-View event! Can’t watch it Thursday night? Set your DVR to record it!
Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:
– In a huge main event bout, the World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line as titleholder “Cowboy” James Storm will defend the gold against his friend and tag team partner, Bobby Roode! This past week, Roode defeated Samoa Joe to become the #1 Contender, and now he gets another shot at the World Title he came so close to winning at Bound For Glory. Don’t miss the much-anticipated World Title bout between Storm and Roode on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING on SpikeTV!
– In addition, Ronnie from MTV’s “Jersey Shore” is coming to TNA IMPACT WRESTLING! After Robbie E and Big Rob put the beat down on Eric Young this past week, EY has promised he is bringing Ronnie to even the odds this week! What will happen when Ronnie from Jersey Shore makes his debut in IMPACT WRESTLING? Tune in and find out!
– In a huge tag team match, it will be “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy teaming with Mr. Anderson to take on “The King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and Bully Ray
– Plus, Knockouts VP Karen Jarrett has signed a Knockouts Tag Team Title Match, as Tara and Brooke Tessmacher will defend the gold against Gail Kim and Madison Rayne
All this and much more on Thursday night starting at 9/8c on SpikeTV – with appearances by Sting, Ric Flair, X Division Champion Austin Aries, Eric Bischoff and many more!
– TNA executive Eric Bischoff had some great things to say about Bully Ray on Facebook this week after watching Bully Ray’s work on this week’s Impact (airing tonight).
“Watched this weeks version of IMPACT for edit notes at 3 am this morning. IMO Bully Ray is emerging as one or the top talents in the business today. Flawless.”
Bully Ray faces Jeff Hardy on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling, airing tonight on Spike.
– TNA will tape Impact Wrestling tonight in Macon, Georgia – including the November 3rd episode that will see the debut of MTV Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro.
Following tonight’s tapings in Georgia, the rest of the 2011 Impact Wrestling shows will be taped at the Impact Zone in Orlando.
In late December, TNA will tape five weeks of Impact over four days and then will take the holiday vacation. Over the holidays, officials are planning to re-evaluate the future of taping Impact outside of Orlando.
Most within TNA aren’t expecting a lot of Impact tapings on the road in 2012.
— James Storm has responded to an online report stating that some people within TNA Wrestling consider him “too southern” to represent the organization as World Heavyweight Champion.
He tweeted Tuesday, “I think it’s awesome that I’m to “southern”. It makes me….ME. So to the people who don’t like it… Sorry about you damn luck. And a little FYI it’s not to southern, it’s to redneck and the are beer drinking rednecks all over THE WORLD not just the south.”
— Eric Bischoff praised Bully Ray on Facebook after watching his performance on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.
He wrote, “Watched this weeks version of IMPACT for edit notes at 3 am this morning. IMO Bully Ray is emerging as one or the top talents in the business today. Flawless.”
Ray faces Jeff Hardy on the show that will air Thursday.
Following Hulk Hogan’s wrestling return last Sunday at Bound for Glory and aftermath, TNA’s creative department is now building towards a match pitting The Hulkster and Garett Bischoff against Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff.
One TNA source believes the match will take place at Lockdown in April, but it is not definite. Nonetheless, this is the direction TNA intends to go for Hogan’s next grappling contest.
Sting defeated Hogan at Bound for Glory when referee Jackson James, who had earlier in the show been revealed as Bischoff’s real-life son Garett, reluctantly called the ring bell for a submission. This led to Eric hitting his son with a steel chair following the match, starting a rivalry between the two.
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road continues to the November 13 “Turning Point” Pay-Per-View event!
Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:
– NEW World Heavyweight Champion James Storm will appear on the huge broadcast! Just one week after the TNA Original captured one of the biggest prizes in pro wrestling, Storm will address the fans on his future as champion!
– In addition, the new GM “General Menace” of Impact Wrestling “The Icon” Sting will be in attendance this Thursday. Sting has promised to have a new #1 Contender for Storm’s World Title by the end of the broadcast. Who will get the next shot at the gold?
– Also on Thursday night, “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy makes his in-ring wrestling return against Bully Ray! Can Hardy capitalize on his second chance – or will Bully Ray ruin Hardy’s return? Tune in and find out!
– Gail Kim also makes her return to action on IMPACT WRESTLING, facing Tara in a Knockouts match! The question is, will Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky be waiting to get revenge on Gail for attacking her last week? Or, will Knockouts VP Karen Jarrett continue to make Velvet’s life a living hell?
– Plus, the Television Championship will be on the line as Eric Young defends against Robbie E….in addition, Christopher Daniels battles Rob Van Dam….and more!
Also appearing on Thursday night – Jeff and Karen Jarrett, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Eric Bischoff and many more!
Preview IMPACT WRESTLING On SpikeTV: Shocks & Surprises!
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, featuring the aftermath from our biggest event of the year, Bound For Glory! It’s a night of shocks and surprises on the packed show! Can’t watch IMPACT WRESTLING on Thursday night? Make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the action.
Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:
– Kurt Angle is STILL the World Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Bobby Roode in controversial fashion at Bound For Glory! The champ will appear on Thursday’s broadcast of IMPACT WRESTLING! What’s next for Angle? How will Roode react? Who will step up to challenge him next? Don’t miss it!
– Also, after defeating “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan at Bound For Glory, Sting returned control of TNA to President Dixie Carter! Both “The Icon” Sting and Dixie Carter will appear on Thursday’s huge broadcast on SpikeTV! The question is, what’s next for Hulk Hogan after what happened at BFG? Is it a new era for Hulkamania? How will Eric Bischoff react? Tune in and find out!
– Also at Bound For Glory, a new Knockouts Champion was crowned as Velvet Sky realized her dream of capturing the gold! Velvet will be on the broadcast this Thursday, but Knockouts VP Karen Jarrett isn’t happy that Velvet came out victorious. What will happen between Velvet Sky and Karen Jarrett this Thursday? Is Jarrett about to make Sky’s championship reign a living hell?
– After he was forcefully kicked out of the Immortal alliance last week, “The Monster” Abyss will battle Immortal’s “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner
– Plus, the Knockouts Tag Team Championship will be on the line as titleholders Tara and Brooke Tessmacher defend against Winter and Angelina Love
Also appearing on Thursday night – “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy, “The King Of The Mountain” Jeff Jarrett, X Division Champion Austin Aries and many more!
Warning: This article contains a MAJOR *SPOILER* for Thursday’s Impact Wrestling:
As you may have already read here on the site, James Storm captured the TNA World Title at Tuesday’s Impact taping, defeating Kurt Angle in the main event of the show.
TNA star Hulk Hogan has commented on the news of Storm’s win – and the fallout from Bobby Roode getting the rug pulled out from under him at Bound For Glory. After reports surfaced on Monday that Hulk Hogan convinced TNA management not to put the title on Roode because he’s “not ready yet” – Hogan maintains that everything is falling into place:
“Goodmorning HULKAMANIACS,can’t wait for all the Rood fans that turned to haters to see the big picture,thank God we still have real marks HH”
TNA executive Eric Bischoff also commented on the decision to put the TNA World title on James Storm instead of Bobby Roode. Bischoff tweeted:
“Having a blast watching Internet marks react. Candy from a baby!”
Hit up the COMMENTS below and tell us what you think about the events that have transpired over the past few days – and whether you think TNA had a “master plan” all along ..
Scott Hall’s struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction will be profiled on next Wednesday’s episode of E:60 on ESPN. ESPN’s preview for the show as well as a video of Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff talking about Hall’s demons can be seen below:
The Wrestler – Scott Hall
At the height of professional wrestling in the 90’s, Scott Hall was adored by millions, his name chanted by loyal fans. Today, he has hit rock bottom. E:60 follows his descent from superstar to a broken man battling alcoholism and drug addiction, but still trying to hold onto the glory he once found in the ring.
TNA/iMPACT Wrestling’s Eric Bischoff was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.
You can listen to an MP3 of Eric Bischoff’s appearance by clicking here.
Here are some highlights of what Eric Bischoff said about:
His reaction to Bruce Prichard replacing Vince Russo as the new head writer for the TNA creative team: “A lot has been written about that recently, and a lot has been written with a lack of full disclosure or full knowledge. I think the change that people are reading about probably represents more of a change in process than anything else. Vince Russo is still a vital part of the creative team in TNA and is a very talented, hard-working, & committed individual. Bruce Pritchard is as well. I think what we’re doing is fine-tuning a process, as opposed to fine-tuning or changing authority & control.”
Why he is not worried about Hulk Hogan’s decision to step back into the ring one more time & why he is “very confident” in the way that things will turn out when “The Hulkster” collides with Sting this Sunday night at Bound for Glory: “If I thought for a second that Hulk wasn’t capable and able to get into that ring safely, convincingly, and in a way to entertain the audience and in a way to protect his health, I would the first person that would step in front of it all and say no. But I don’t feel that way. I’m very confident that things are going to turn out great. I’m very confident in Hulk’s ability to do what he feels he needs to do to produce the match and a fight in the way that he wants to.”
The experience of sharing Bobby Roode’s story with the world in his quest to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion at Bound for Glory: “It’s been a real joy to watch Bobby Roode come from way behind in the Bound for Glory Series. He was somebody so far behind that nobody thought that he had a chance, and then to emerge as the winner, and to watch Bobby Roode’s story evolve to the point where we watch him week after week come from behind, and then emerge as a front-runner. I think it’s a story people can relate to. I think Bobby has done a phenomenal job both in the ring and outside of the ring helping make that story relatable and something the audience can relate to.”
His opinion of the X-Division’s progression & overall growth/expansion since Destination X: “We’re getting there. It’s a work in progress. I’m very happy with it, but I think there’s a lot of things we can do to enhance & improve on the presentation of the X-Division and really make it even more special than it already may be to some people. I would say on a scale of 1-10, we’re at a 4, and I hope to be at an 8 or a 9 in the next three to four months.”
More is contained in the latest installment of “The Hot Seat” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces), including Eric’s candid thoughts on the importance of Bound for Glory creating new fans for TNA/iMPACT Wrestling, his reaction to Mark Madden’s recent comments about himself & Hulk Hogan reportedly re-signing with TNA and referring to iMPACT Wrestling as “an abortion,” whether or not “The Hulkster” has received too much slack for promoting Micro Championship Wrestling more than TNA in his recent appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” if he is a fan of the recent “walkout” storyline on Monday Night RAW, his favorite memories of working with Eddie Guerrero & Brian Pillman, plus much more.
Following the recent news that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff signing new deals with TNA Wrestling – source indicate that they’ll be with TNA for two more years, through 2014.
Speaking of Hogan, he will be doing a live chat on ESPN.com’s SportsNation page tomorrow at 1pm EST. This is part of Hogan’s ESPN media blitz over the next few days to promote TNA’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view, where he returns to the ring against Sting in a no-disqualifcation match.
– After announcing that Hulk Hogan would be returning to the ring at Bound For Glory and wrestling his longtime rival Sting, there were plans for Ric Flair to be added to the match, making it a 3-way match. Considering Hulk Hogan’s lack of mobility and the history between all three men, TNA officials were hoping that adding Flair to the match would take pressure off Hogan and Sting and allow for more low-impact gimmick spots to be used in the match.
When Flair got injured during his match with Sting on Impact several weeks ago, plans to include Flair in the Hogan-Sting match were dropped and the no-DQ stipulation was added to Hogan-Sting.
– As reported here on the site yesterday, Hulk Hogan has signed a new deal with TNA just days before his previous deal was set to expire. A TNA source has confirmed to us that it’s virtually guaranteed Eric Bischoff will be renewing his deal as well.
– Hogan is in Los Angeles this week filming new commercials for Rent-A-Center with NFL Legend Troy Aikman.
– TNA sources have informed us that Hulk Hogan has signed a new deal with TNA Wrestling. Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s contracts were scheduled to expire next Monday, a week before Bound For Glory. It’s expected that Bischoff also signed a new deal as well.
– Prior to entering jail earlier this week, TNA star Jeff Hardy was interviewed by Damien Nelson of the Pro Wrestling Report. Hardy discussed his infamous Victory Road match with Sting and more. Check it out here:
Eric Bischoff stated on this week’s episode of Monday Night Mayhem that some TNA Wrestling officials wanted to cut ties with Matt Hardy prior to his arrest on August 20, 2011 for driving while intoxicated. Hardy, who was on suspension with the organization at the time, had his contract immediately terminated following the arrest.
“I think it was a great decision by TNA to release Matt Hardy. I honestly thought Matt was a questionable talent to begin with, not that he didn’t have any value. In my opinion, there was a liability there, and it manifested itself,” Bischoff said.
“We’ve see how Matt’s issues and the baggage he brought to TNA evolved in the last few months, and there a few people that wanted to pull the plug on Matt Hardy sooner than they did. I think once TNA made the decision to pull the plug, I was quite honestly happy about it and thought it was long overdue.”
— Mickie James beat Winter tonight on Impact Wrestling to capture the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship for the second time. It also marks as her eighth national title victory, breaking Trish Stratus’ record of seven.
— Eric Bischoff appointed Karen Jarrett the VP of the Knockouts division on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling. In her first act, she made Jackie and ODB full-time roster members. Jarrett then announced that Traci Brooks, who was scripted to act disappointed in being snubbed for the role of Knockout Law, would be her assistant.
Meanwhile, Jackie and ODB have been added to Impact Wrestling’s roster page.
— TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Tara, Tommy Dreamer and former TNA Knockout Sojo Bolt are advertised to appear for Remix Pro Wrestling on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Marietta Middle School 242 Seventh St. Marietta, Ohio. Visit www.remixprowrestling.com for more information.
The August 2011 issue of the UK based wrestling magazine Power Slam reports that there is a sizable pay discrepancy among the female performers of TNA Wrestling.
The magazine states that Christy Hemme and Mickie James are the highest-paid female talent in the organization: each earn more than $100,000 per year. Meanwhile, the rest of TNA’s female wrestlers and personalities (Angelina Love, Brooke Tessmacher, Cookie, Jackie, Madison Rayne, ODB, Rosita, Sarita, SoCal Val, Tara, Traci Brooks, Velvet Sky and Winter) earn far less: $600 per appearance at most.
Karen Jarrett’s salary is not stated, but the magazine indicates that she commands an above average appearance fee.
Hemme and James command the highest salaries because both were high-profile performers in WWE and thus are more valuable than the other women due to their name recognition. Though the magazine does not indicate which female talent earns more, it is noted that both make a similar low six-figure amount per year. Hemme, however, solely works televised events whereas James additionally appears on the company’s live event tour.
Hemme’s reported salary has drawn criticism from fans and colleagues as they feel it’s exorbitant for a non-wrestling female personality. The Honky Tonk Man claimed last year that her contract renewal with TNA last year was for three years at an annual rate of $175,000. He also said that Eric Bischoff, a huge supporter of the former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl, helped Hemme obtain the high-end deal. Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer would not confirm the veracity of the former WWE star’s claim but did say the deal made her the highest paid female performer in the company.
Reports of Hemme’s salary last year reportedly upset some of her female co-workers.
At the maximum second-tier rate, a TNA Knockout who appeared on every single television and pay-per-view event over the course of a calender year, 64 in all, would garner $38,400 at most. TNA solely covers airfare, leaving talent to cover all other expenses including lodging, wardrobe and medical. There is also no downside guarantee, thus meaning talent only get paid when they are used. And while the company holds numerous non-televised events, each tour features a rotation of two to five female performers.
Velvet Sky, who is arguably the organization’s top homegrown female star, is believed to be earning the maximum rate of the second-tier salary cap. Her contract renewal with TNA last year reportedly called for her salary to be bumped from $300 per appearance to $600. However, she is an exception to the rule on salary hikes for female talent. Gail Kim, Awesome Kong and Shelly Martinez (a/k/a Salinas) have all publicly stated that they left TNA because organization officials denied their requests for a pay raise.
Hulk Hogan and TNA Wrestling head writer Vince Russo engaged in a heated argument last Sunday at Hardcore Justice regarding the finish to the World Heavyweight Championship Match between Sting and Kurt Angle. Hogan later grumbled to colleagues that Russo doesn’t know anything because he was never a wrestler.
The two former World Heavyweight Champions made up at the following day’s Impact Wrestling tapings. There was, however, noticeable tension among the organization’s high ranking officials in the days that followed. Several employees feel it did more damage to a locker room already low in morale.
There has also been internal complaints regarding Eric Bischoff as many wrestlers feel he’s arrogant and snobbish. His criticisms over in-ring performances fall on deaf ears because some wrestlers don’t respect his opinion regarding their craft. An Eight-Man X Division Gauntlet Match that was originally taped on Tuesday was re-shot the following day because Bischoff didn’t like it.
iMPACT Wrestling’s Eric Bischoff was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.
Eric Bischoff Discusses Why He Does Not Feel Uneasy About The Future Of iMPACT Wrestling On Spike TV Amidst Reports Of The Network Looking To Rebrand, The Latest On The TNA Returns Of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, & Matt Hardy, Sting’s New Persona/Character And The Fan Split About Its Current Direction, If He Believes An Effective Relationship Between TNA & The World Of MMA Should Develop In The Near Future For The Benefit Of Both Entities, Whether TNA Plans On Adding An Additional Featured TV Program, A Possible Return To Commentating, Triple H Taking Over Vince McMahon’s Spot On WWE Television, The Strategy Of Wrestlers Being Moved From Heels To Faces Too Quickly & Its Impact On Storyline Continuity, How MTV Has Influenced The Worlds Of Professional Wrestling & Sports-Entertainment, The Evolution Of His Friendship & Business Relationship With Jason Hervey Through The Years, Plus Much More.
You can listen to an MP3 of the entire interview by visiting MondayNightMayhem.com.
Here are some highlights of what Eric Bischoff said about:
Why he does not feel uneasy about the future of iMPACT Wrestling on Spike TV, amidst reports of the network looking to rebrand:
“Once again the Internet Wrestling Community has taken ahold of a story that came out a month or two ago about rebranding, and a couple of quotes that were made, and noticed that TNA wasn’t prominently featured in that story, and jumped to conclusions. The truth is iMPACT (Wrestling) is the highest-rated show on Spike TV. iMPACT has been, over the past year, averaging the largest audience that it ever has in the history of the company. The audience is growing unlike other networks & television shows that have very short life cycles and that peak & valley very quickly. 2011 looks like it’s going to be the best year ever for iMPACT. I think the folks at Spike TV are pretty excited about it quite frankly, and I haven’t or heard anything that makes me nervous.”
If he believes an effective relationship between TNA & the world of MMA should develop in the near future for the benefit of both entities:
“Could it happen? Maybe. Should it happen? I don’t think so. MMA is a sport. It’s a legitimate sport. Professional wrestling is an entertainment property, and the similarities kind of end once you get past that they operate in a Pay-Per-View environment and in an arena environment. Anybody that operates under the assumption that there’s some really cool synergy between MMA & professional wrestling, it’s their opinion, but I don’t share it.
Whether or not he has given any thought on returning to commentating:
“Actually I have. Not on a regular basis, Mike Tenay is doing a wonderful job. I enjoy commentating. Play-by-play is one of the toughest jobs in the industry. The list of things for you to accomplish & maintain during the course of a broadcast, all while you are creating a story, and calling action, and making things seem larger than life; it’s very difficult job. I miss getting immersed in the story, and the energy, and getting caught up in the moment. It’s at those moments you forget what you’re doing, and you get caught up in the excitement & energy of that, and you do your best work. I miss that
TNA executive producer Eric Bischoff appeared on this week’s Monday Night Mayhem radio show and was asked about the TNA statues of Jeff Hardy and Ric Flair. Here’s a recap of what Bischoff said about:
Jeff Hardy: “I have no updates on Jeff Hardy. I’m not involved in his situation within TNA. I hope the best for Jeff. He’s a very talented young man. He’s a great guy. He really is. I haven’t gotten to know him very, very well, but I believe he’s a good hearted individual who just got caught up in some issues. From what I’ve heard, he’s dealing with them and hopefully successfully.”
Ric Flair: “Ric Flair is out with a shoulder injury. I haven’t talked to Ric in a while now, so I’m not sure what his status is. I know he’s anxious to get back. I’ve heard that through other people. This time of year is very busy for me with everything that has been going on with my family, I haven’t stayed in close contact with enough people. I hope to see Ric real soon. I enjoy the hell out of Ric, and respect the hell out of Ric. I love working with him. I look forward to seeing him back on Impact.”
– According to TMZ.com, reality TV star Jessie “Mr. Pec-Tacular” Godderz (“Big Brother”) has signed a deal with TNA Wrestling. Godderz, a former body builder, has been training at Bully Ray’s wrestling school in Florida and is expected to debut later this year.
– A rough estimate on pay-per-view buys for TNA’s Destination X last month would be between 8,000 and 8,500, which is a slight decrease from the prior month’s Slammiversary pay-per-view.
– Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s Micro Championship Wrestling will debut on TruTV on September 14th at 10pm EST. The series is currently slated to run for six episodes.
– TNA star Jesse Neal announced on Twitter last night that he and girlfriend wrestler Christina Von Eerie are engaged and will be getting married in Vegas:
“It is official guys me and Christina r engaged! She is the love of my life and we r happier then ever!!!!!”
Monday Night Mayhem Recap with Eric Bischoff Hosted By The Big Mos & “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent Heard LIVE Monday Evenings @ 7PM ET/6PM CT
IMPACT Wrestling’s Eric Bischoff was one of the featured guests on this week’s live edition of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem every Monday evening (at 7PM ET/6PM CT), exclusively on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network.
You can listen to Bischoff’s appearance on The Mayhem by clicking here (MP3).
Here are some highlights from the interview:
What wrestling fans can expect from the X-Division now that the Destination X Pay-Per-View has come & gone:
“One of the things that confused/frustrated me when i first got here was the X-Division. One of the things I first talked about in creative meetings was ‘What is the X-Division? Can someone please define it to me?’ It really never got a straight answer. One of the things we have realized in the last couple of weeks is that everyone knows that in the X-Division, that style of wrestling works really well, but it’s incumbent on us, as producers, if we want to showcase that style of wrestling to clearly define it in a way that fans can understand, and then have the discipline to stick with it.”
Whether the upcoming iMPACT Wrestling TV tapings (in Huntsville, AL, Knoxville, TN, & Macon, GA) should be seen as an experimental trial by TNA & Spike TV or something that will be an long-term investment for the viewing audience:
“It’s a little bit of both. We knew when we went on the road last March that we wanted to prove a point. We wanted to show people that we could pull it off from a financial point of view. We wanted to prove to the network that it would have an impact on the overall quality of the show, and we were successful, which led to what we are going to do this fall. Hopefully, what we do this fall is going to prove that it has long-term viability & sustainability. And if we are successful, as we were in March, my hope individually is Spike TV & the executives at TNA decide that this is the best strategy for this brand. I think that’s the one thing that will change the trajectory of this brand * this company for the better, and it is taking the show on the road.”
What he feels would be the market for a proposed Hulk Hogan/Sting in-ring showdown and why, if it happened, could be a “phenomenal event”:
“It’s hard to say. It’s a little bit early, but if you look at the fan reaction to the storyline so far, I would have to say that the market would be pretty good for it. I think you have got two icons, two of the biggest names in the history of the business, who are probably nearing the end of their respective careers. I think naturally people would love to see that match for a lot of reasons. There will be some that probably does not want to see that match for their own reasons, but I think the storyline will ultimately dictate how big the market is for that match. Given the performances that we have seen out of Hulk Hogan & Sting as of late, I’ve got high expectations. If everything else is right, and Hulk is feeling it, and he’s in good enough shape, and Sting is feeling it and really wants it, I think it could be a phenomenal event if it occurs.”