Former multi-time X-Division Champion, multi-time Tag Team Champion and one half of “Bad Influence” ‘The Physical Fascination’ Frankie Kazarian joined “2012 Award Winning Best New Show” the Rack Thursday Night. In a nearly 20 minute interview, he discussed his upcoming three-way tag team championship match this weekend at the Lockdown PPV, what his favorite Lockdown memory is, if being part of Bad Influence is the most fun he’s had in wrestling, TNA going on the road and where he might want to go in the future, if he has a fond memory of the Impact Zone, his thoughts on the One Night Only events, his love for comics and comic fans including Spiderman and Iron Man, his feelings on the ‘imposter’ team of Roode and Aries, if he has his sights set on singles gold in the future and more.

If they are looking forward to this weekend’s Lockdown PPV: “Of course, because we get the chance to become the World Tag Team Champions of the World for the third time, which we’re going to do and we’re going to do it on one of the biggest stages that Impact showcases every year and that’s Lockdown, this time in San Antonio. So, of course we’re psyched because we’re going to be there and, spoiler alert, it’s going to be great. “

His favorite Lockdown memory: “Lockdown, to be honest, is not one of my favorite PPVs simply because it is a very brutal Pay-Per-View in the past. Anytime you are in a steel cage environment, it presents a lot of dangers and I’ve done a lot of different types of matches: I’ve done X-Division Escape style matches and I’ve done numerous Lethal Lockdown matches. I don’t know if I have a favorite, but the year that Fortune defeated Immortal, which I believe is 2011 at Lockdown, was a very successful year for Fortune as a group and individually and it was a great way to close out the show that night and bring an end to that feud, so I guess I’d have to go with that one. Coincidentally, it was right when Christopher Daniels returned to the company so it was great to have him back.”

If being in ‘Bad Influence’ is the most fun he’s ever had: “Oh, absolutely; it’s F-U-N and what you see is what you get, you know? The good thing is it’s just us being us, it’s not us just trying to pretend or play somebody else; it’s just us being us. Everything we say, everything we do comes from our heads and we’ve been given a lot more creative freedom than in the past, which is awesome and we’re both very grateful for. Yeah, we’re absolutely having fun and it’s great to be doing this with Chris because I’ve known him the better part of 15 years and we’ve been very, very good friends; he’s been my best friend outside of the business so we obviously have a chemistry inside of the ring as well. Individually, we’ve both had a lot of success in TNA and now collectively, so it’s awesome and it’s a lot of fun. We always try to outdo whatever we’ve done in the past; we always try to one-up each other and I’ll be honest, he’s hard to keep up with. He’s so quick witted on the mic and in the ring, he can do such incredible things that I’m always trying to stay on an even keel with him, and even go a little above. But it’s awesome; I’m definitely having one of the funnest times in my career right now.”

What he thinks about TNA going on the road for Impact starting next week: “Psyched. You know, being a guy that’s been here since day one, that was one of the goals, one of the huge, way far down the road goals that we had set out when we just a little tiny company, struggling every week in the Fairgrounds in Nashville at the Asylum. That was one of the ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be great if we had a television show?’ and then ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a weekly television show in primetime?’ and then it was ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we were on the road?’. That’s where we are right now, this dream has become a reality; not just for the company but us as individuals and us as performers. So I’m psyched! Nervous? Not at all, just psyched; just really, really excited to bring our brand of pro wrestling to the people and just to give them an alternative, you know?

These people in Orlando have been: “I don’t know if they realize how lucky they’ve been to see the matches and the entertainment they’ve seen over the last nine years because we’ve given them some incredible stuff here in Orlando and it’s only fair that the rest of the country, and the rest of the world for that matter, get to see what the guys and gals of Impact can do. So, I’m psyched; it’s just super cool to be on the road and to be in different cities and to hear the hateful shouts from people in different cities, as opposed to just Orlando. These Orlando folk are getting a little bit stale, I want some new hate. I want to hear some new haters.”

If he has a fond memory of the Impact Zone: “All joking aside, I could joke and say ‘I can’t wait to get out of here’ and part of that is true, but this place has been our home for many years and I have a lot of memories; good, bad and indifferent here. I’ve suffered a couple of bad injuries here, which is some of the bad memories, you know what though, just being here for the first time, walking into the building and wrestling one of the first ever matches in this building; winning numerous X-Division titles and wrestling main events and television main events and just going live for the first time; there’s just so many memories, it would be hard to condense it into just one. So, it’s a little bit bittersweet; I feel like the fans here to a certain extent have been spoiled but at the same time I know the do appreciate what we do but hopefully they see this as part of TNA’s growing process and this is what we have to do; the little bird has to leave the nest. So, the Impact Zone has been great, it’s been our home for nine years and it was a really cool wrestling venue. I think when it’s all said and done, the Impact Zone will be one of those like ECW Arena-like venues, the intimate venues that was known as a really cool place to see pro wrestling.”

You can follow Frankie Kazarian through his Twitter (@FrankieKazarian) for all the latest on his news and notes. You can also see Kazarian and his ‘Bad Influence’ partner Christopher Daniels weekly as part of TNA’s IMPACT Wrestling, Thursday Nights at 8 pm Eastern on Spike TV, check your local cable listings for channel availability and location. And, as always, you can follow Kazarian and all the stars of TNA IMPACT Wrestling though their Twitter (@ImpactWrestling) and their website (www.impactwrestling.com) for all the information on their weekly television programming and up to the minute news and matches listings for the upcoming “Lockdown” PPV this Sunday, March 10th, call your local cable provider for information and ordering details.

Audio of the interview is available here.

Remembering The Twin Hebner Angle And Hogan’s First Title Loss

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, HULK HOGAN LOSES HIS MIND (AND THE WWF TITLE)
by The Solomonster (thesolomonster@gmail.com)
Podcast | Twitter | Facebook

“HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY SPEND ON THE PLASTIC SURGERY??!”

Those infamous words were uttered by Hulk Hogan on national television 25 years ago today. And astonishingly, Hulk wasn’t referring to his (now ex) wife and her friend when he said that. No, you see, he was referring to the evil trio of Ted DiBiase, Andre the Giant and… EARL HEBNER! What? Earl Hebner, evil? Bret Hart would find out years later exactly how evil Dave Hebner’s baby brother really could be, but let it be known that Hulk Hogan was the original Screwjob victim way back in 1988 when INXS had the #1 hit single in America and the Road Warriors made it cool to wear Zubaz pants.

Here in 2013, Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian are trying hard to make Zubaz cool again, but it’s just not the same.

So, why then was the Hulkster ranting and raving like a mental patient about plastic surgery? Let’s set the stage. The date was February 5th. The WWF had been airing taped “Saturday Night’s Main Event” specials on NBC for a few years by this point. As a young wrasslin’ fan, I have fond memories of those shows. The sight of Andre the Giant sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Hogan, following his victory over King Kong Bundy, and wrapping his massive hands around Hogan’s throat, squeezing the life out of him, gave me nightmares. But this show was different. This show, dubbed simply “The Main Event”, aired live on Friday night (back when Friday was perhaps the best night for television) and would feature the first singles meeting between Andre and the champion since their epic encounter at WrestleMania III the previous year.

WWF and NBC hit a homerun that night. The show would do a 15.2 rating, good for 33 million viewers (that number is a bit skewed and likely also includes international viewers, so figure half that number were watching in the U.S. – still impressive), making the Hogan vs. Andre sequel the most watched wrestling match in history, a record that still stands today. Hulk Hogan had headlined as WWF champion for four consecutive years and was arguably at his peak of popularity. Andre, on the other hand, was clearly in physical decline and had long past his peak. In fact, he was barely mobile. One memorable spot from their match saw Andre simply fall face down in what the announcers could only describe as an attempted headbutt (he missed). And maybe it was, but it looked terrible. In fact, as a wrestling match, this pretty much sucked. But with these two guys in the ring, it was never about workrate. That’s what guys like Savage and Steamboat and Santana were there for.

As the match drew to a close, Andre grabbed Hogan and flung him around in the worst excuse for a hip toss I’ve ever seen in my life. As he covered the champion and the referee began to count, Hogan got his shoulder up off the mat, but Hebner kept counting. Just like that, Hogan’s run came to a screeching halt at 1,474 days and Andre was awarded the title.

I guess in hindsight, CM Punk’s 14-month reign ending on a People’s Elbow doesn’t seem nearly as ludicrous.

After the match, Gene Okerlund interviewed Andre, who inexplicably talked about winning the World tag team championship (?!!) and proceeded to surrender the tag team title (don’t look at me, that’s what he said) to Ted DiBiase. And I must say, the title looked awfully good around DiBiase’s waist. I believe he got to defend the title at some house shows in the days that followed before Jack Tunney officially declared the title vacant, but it really is a shame he never had a run on top.

As Hogan stood flabbergasted by what had just taken place, THE GOOD HEBNER emerged to confront his evil twin. It’s funny because, while Dave and Earl do look very much alike, I never had much trouble discerning one from the other, even as a kid. Dave was always the pudgier one. Maybe he was simply big-boned. Whatever the case, when Hogan turned around, he could not believe his eyes, nor could he tell one from the other. He figured it out when Earl knocked his brother to the mat and caved in his ribcage with a wicked kick (supposedly breaking a rib legit). Now, Hogan figured it out. He hoisted Earl high above his head, got a running head start, and proceeded to overshoot his target by a country mile, sending Earl SOARING into the aisleway over everyone’s head (including Andre, and he was a giant!). They were supposed to catch him, but hey, shit happens.

Backstage with Mean Gene, Hogan was a wreck. He was so distraught, he was literally in tears over this grave injustice that had just been committed. It’s too bad The Shield came 20 years too late. Maybe they could have helped prevent all of this. As Hogan whined and cried about plastic surgery, he talked about seeing both Hebners for the first time, exclaiming, “When I turned around, they were identical. IDENTICUUUUULLLL!!!!” Moments later, as they showed a replay in slow-mo of the finish, Hogan desperately tried pointing out to us all the hundred dollar bills falling out of the referee’s pocket. Okerlund didn’t have the heart to tell the big guy that, in fact, there were no hundred dollar bills. As hilarious as this all was, Hogan was a pathetic mess here. Between this and his temper tantrum at the 1992 Royal Rumble when he helped Flair eliminate Sid (who did nothing wrong!), I’m not sure how I was ever a fan of this man.

By the way, there’s a little “easter egg” of sorts to watch for on this show. Prior to his title defense, WWF shot to a pre-taped Hulk Hogan interview backstage. In it, he can be seen wearing what has since been dubbed as the “Hogan ‘87” belt. Yet moments later, when he emerges from the curtain, he’s wearing the Winged Eagle belt that would become synonymous with the company over the next decade. Not sure if the ’87 belt held out for more money before Hogan walked out or mouthed off to the wrong person, but it was never seen again.

A quarter century ago on this date, history was made. Hogan lost his smile. The plastic surgery was bought and paid for. And Andre won the tag team title. A memorable night, indeed.

thesolomonster@gmail.com
@solomonster

– The profile of Christian York was temporarily removed from the TNA Wrestling website roster page today, leading to speculation that he may have parted ways with the organization. Meanwhile, the profile of Kid Kash remains offline.

– On this edition of the Spin Cycle, Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Joseph Park and SoCal Val make their predictions for the winner of British Bootcamp—as revealed Tuesday night, it was Rockstar Spud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APACW-rBkHg

– TNA Wrestling’s 2012 Bound For Glory, No Surrender and Hardcore Justice pay-per-view events are now available on DVD on ShopTNA.com. It is the company’s first DVD releases in months due to a lack of a video distributor.

– 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).

– Following recent productive weekends with Angelina Love at various events, Velvet Sky posted a message on Twitter Sunday thanking Vince Russo for teaming the two together five years ago when he devised characters and storylines for TNA Wrestling.

“Wanna shout out Vince Russo & thank him 4 creating the team of #TBP. After all this time we r still going stronger than ever @ActualALove,” Sky wrote. “I for one never forgot where I came from and who helped create my success along the way. Thank you Russo!!”

Love added, “He was always wonderful to us!!”

Sky was then notified of the “bad things” Russo did for professional wrestling. She responded to the fan, “Fortunately I am a positive person and focus on the good on people.”

She also re-tweeted, “That’s very nice of you & I hope people realize that Vince Russo did great things in wrestling & should not be bashed.”

– Sunday at Bound For Glory, Kazarian had a bad fall while executing a leap from the top rope into a hurricanrana off the apron on Hernandez as he landed hard on his shoulder and side torso. He is said to be fine following the event, minus some soreness in his ribs, according to PWInsider.com.

Kazarian and Christopher Daniels lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship to Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez in a three-way match, which also included AJ Styles and Kurt Angle.

– Mixed martial artist King Mo is currently slated to begin competing for TNA Wrestling in January. However, he will not be a full-time wrestler as organization officials plan to use him as a special attraction.

Mo is training this week at Ohio Valley Wrestling, TNA’s developmental territory in Louisville, Kentucky.

– One-half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions, Kazarian, takes on one-half of the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Eric Young, on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion. (Watch)

– TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Miss Tessmacher will be answering fan questions on Twitter tonight at 8:00 p.m.

(source: F4WOnline.com)

– Hulk Hogan said on Twitter Tuesday that he would like to see Devon return to TNA Wrestling.

“I want Devon back more than anybody and on top of everything else he’s a quality person and a gift from the man above,” he stated.

Devon could appear on this Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling. The organization announced that TNA Television Championship, which he held before departing from the organization last month, will be defended on the show. Four competitors will vie for the right to compete for the title.

– Christopher Daniels and Kazarian appeared on TNA Today Tuesday to discuss their upcoming matches against AJ Styles and Kurt Angle as well as Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez.

To view the episode, click here.

– Magnus will co-host the U.K.’s Strongest Man, TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter announced Thursday on Twitter. The program airs on Challenge, which airs TNA Wrestling programming, including Impact Wrestling and TNA Xplosion. Carter wrote, “Was excited to secure Magnus as co-host of the UK’s Strongest Man for @ChallengeTV! Looking forward to more exciting things in his future!”

– Posting her first message on Twitter since October, former TNA Knockout Lacey Von Erich announced that she is pregnant and expecting any day now.

“I’m tired of all the Lacey posers! Not sure why anyone try’s to be me. Just an update, I’m having another little boy! Due anyday!” the 26-year-old wrote.

Von Erich, whose real name is Lacey Adkisson, left TNA Wrestling in October 2010 to pursue endeavors outside of wrestling.

– Devon successfully defended the TNA Television Championship against Kazarian on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion.

Nick Dinsmore, who appeared as the beloved character Eugene for WWE for several years, competed in a dark match prior to Thursday’s live Impact Wrestling broadcast on Spike TV. Under the Nick Dinsmore name, he lost to TNA Wrestling veteran talent Kazarian.

Dinsmore has ties to TNA as he works as a trainer and wrestler for developmental promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling and also appeared as the character “Dr. Nicholas Dinsmore” for their Indian-based satellite promotion Ring Ka King last year.

Dinsmore’s appearance comes days after he “stood up for WWE” in response to negative media portrayals toward the Eugene character and the sports entertainment organization. Darien Times writer Joshua Fisher stated in an editorial last week blistering Linda McMahon’s United States Senate campaign that her job creation method included “making fun of retarded men” during her reign as WWE CEO, which spurred Colin McEnroe of the Hartford Courant to assert in an editorial that the Eugene character was “mentally retarded” and “unmistakably, played for laughs.”

WWE then issued a statement “setting the record straight” regarding its programming and storylines: “It is clear, based on Mr. McEnroe’s latest blog post, that he does not understand WWE’s programming. Like Hollywood movies and Broadway shows, it is an exciting blend of action, characters and fictional storylines of good versus evil that entertains millions weekly. His assertion that the Eugene character was “essentially a comic device” is inaccurate and lacks total perspective.”

In their statement, WWE enclosed a video of Dinsmore offering a “truthful portrayal” of Eugene where he argued that the character is an underdog who “always came out on top” and “overcame adversities.”

IMPACT WRESTLING Preview: Open Fight Night Returns LIVE On Thursday

– The monthly “Open Fight Night” returns, involving the competitors in the Bound For Glory Series! All 12 Wresters in the BFG Series will be in action – 6 men make challenges, 6 men will be called out! Who will take the early advantage in the point standings? Tune in and find out!

– What will be X Division Champion Austin Aries’ decision about Hulk Hogan’s officer of a potential World Title shot?

– Also on the broadcast, TNA President Dixie Carter and AJ Styles vow to come clean about the recent allegations by Daniels and Kazarian

– In addition, the Knockouts Championship will be on the line on the LIVE IMPACT! Knockouts Executive Brooke Hogan will announce on the broadcast who Miss Tessmacher will defend the gold against that night!

– Plus, it’s also the return of the monthly “Gutcheck” – one newcomer will get the chance to prove themselves! Will they make the cut and join the TNA Wrestling roster?

– The road to the July 8 “Destination X” Pay-Per-View event continues, with more news on the big event!

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast LIVE at 8/7c on SpikeTV

(source: ImpactWrestling.com)

ImpactWrestling.com has released the official preview for Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

IMPACT Preview: Flair Demands Hogan, Roode & RVD, Knockouts & More

Preview Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c. If you can’t watch it Thursday, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the action.

– After what happened this past week during the Eric Bischofff Appreciation ceremony, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair has promised to call out General Manager Hulk Hogan to address what happened

– Before their World Heavyweight Championship bout at Sacrifice, Bobby Roode and Rob Van Dam will pick each other’s opponents on the huge broadcast

– As a preview to matches that will take place at Sacrifice, AJ Styles teams with World Tag Team Champions Samoa Joe and Magnus to face Kurt Angle, Daniels and Kazarian

– In Knockouts Tag Team action, Knockouts Champion Gail Kim and Madison Rayne face Velvet Sky and Brooke Tessmacher

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast at 9/8c on SpikeTV, plus news on the upcoming “Sacrifice” Pay-Per-View event on Sunday, May 13

— TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter has promised “big surprises” for the organization’s tenth anniversary celebration on June 10 at Slammiversary in Arlington, Texas.

“I promise you an historic night for TNA & big surprises at Slammiversary. I will be announcing soon! You won’t want to miss this night,” she wrote Thursday on Twitter.

She also addressed the organization’s “Open Fight Night” concept: “So excited for #OpenFightNight next Thurs on @SpikeTV! Just one of several changes coming to #ImpactWrestling. Who do you want to see fight?”

— Kazarian addressed his haircut in an interview with The Roman Show.

“It is what it is; it is a haircut nothing more nothing less,” he said. “Pro wrestling and entertainment itself is all about reinventing itself. You look fresh and everything. But, I am still heavy metal. It is easier to manage as a fighter its one less thing that gets in the way in the heat of battle.”

The former X Division Champion said he donated his hair to the non-profit organization Locks of Love.

*SPOILER PHOTOS* of tonight’s SmackDown

— Eric Bischoff, who once considered Bret Hart a friend, now views “The Hitman” in a negative light. When asked for comment on the legendary wrestler on Twitter, he responded, “Another sad, bitter person. Too many of them in this business.”

Bischoff made similar comments two years ago during an interview with Monday Night Mayhem shortly after Hart railed the TNA Wrestling executive producer and Hulk Hogan via Twitter: “I feel sad for Bret, because Bret is one of those people, and there are a lot of them, he’s the type of person that needs someone to hate in order to feel significant himself.”

— Kazarian will sport an all-new look when he competes in tonight’s Lethal Lockdown match at TNA Lockdown. The TNA veteran cut off his trademark long hair as he appeared at Saturday’s Lockdown Fanfest with a shaved head.

— TNA X Division Champion Austin Aries turns 34 years old today. He will celebrate his birthday by competing in Lethal Lockdown tonight at TNA Lockdown.

TNA Wrestling’s eighth annual Lockdown pay-per-view takes place tonight at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The following matches have been announced for the show:

Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Bobby Roode (c) vs. “Cowboy” James Storm

Lethal Lockdown
Team Eric Bischoff (Eric Bischof, Gunner, Bully Ray, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) vs. Team Garett Bischoff (Garett Bischoff, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson and Austin Aries)

Steel Cage Match
“The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle

Steel Cage Match for the World Tag Team Championship
Magnus and Samoa Joe (c) vs. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin

Steel Cage Match for the Women’s Knockout Championship
Gail Kim (c) vs. Velvet Sky

Steel Cage Match for the Television Championship
Devon (c) vs. Robbie E

Steel Cage Match
“The Blueprint” Matt Morgan vs. Crimson

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

ImpactWrestling.com has released the official preview for this Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

Preview Thursday’s can’t-miss IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road to the March 18 “Victory Road” Pay-Per-View event continues!

– Sting dropped a bombshell on Bobby Roode this past week, telling the World Champion that he would battle him at “Victory Road” on March 18! Roode’s actions have unleashed Sting’s maniacal side – and now “The Icon” wants revenge. He doesn’t want the World Title – he just wants to annihilate Roode! How will Roode react this Thursday on IMPACT? Rumors have it that Roode is reaching out to several Impact Wrestling superstars to see if they will join with him to ban together against Sting.

– Also on the broadcast, Kurt Angle has requested time to address the reason why attacked “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy two weeks ago and cost him his chance at regaining the World Championship against Bobby Roode. No doubt, Hardy will be in attendance, and will be watching closely!

– “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles has been vocal about the alliance between Christopher Daniels and Kazarian, and on Thursday’s broadcast on SpikeTV, he wants answers! AJ will face Daniels and Kazarian in a Gauntlet Match and rumors have it that Styles has a challenge to make to Daniels and Kazarian that will end the mystery once and for all! Tune in and find out!

– In Knockouts action, Madison Rayne will battle ODB, as Rayne prepares for her upcoming Knockouts Championship match against Gail Kim at “Victory Road”

– Plus, in X Division action, Zema Ion gears up for his X Division Title shot at “Victory Road” as he faces off against Shannon Moore on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast

All this and much more this Thursday on SpikeTV at 9/8c!

The eighth annual Against All Odds pay-per-view event will take place tonight at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. The following matches have been announced for the event.

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm vs. Bully Ray

Challenge Match
Gunner (with Eric Bischoff) vs. Garett Bischoff (with Hulk Hogan)

Challenge Match
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. Kazarian (with Christopher Daniels)

World Tag Team Championship Match
Matt Morgan & Crimson (c) vs. Samoa Joe and Magnus

X Division Championship Match
Austin Aries (c) vs. Alex Shelley

Women’s Knockout Championship Match
Gail Kim (c) vs. Tara

#1 Contender’s Match – X Division
Jesse Sorensen vs. Zema Ion

Don’t miss Thursday’s TNA IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, featuring the aftermath of the “Genesis” Pay-Per-View as the road to the February “Against All Odds” begins! If you can’t watch it on Thursday night, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the Total Nonstop Action!

Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:

– Bobby Roode is STILL the World Heavyweight Champion, having beaten “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy in controversial fashion at Sunday’s Genesis, earning a disqualification by attacking the referee! The World Champion told us he plans to open Thursday’s broadcast to discuss his PPV win over Hardy! HOWEVER, what will Sting have to say about what happened? Will the General Manager Sting deal with Roode and his actions?

– How will “Cowboy” James Storm react to losing to Kurt Angle at Genesis? Obviously, Storm will be hellbent on revenge after what went down at the PPV, with Angle taking the easy way out to beat his nemesis after a low blow and kick to the head! Will Storm unleash hell on Angle this Thursday night? Plus, is Kurt Angle now next in line for another shot at the World Title?

– Also at Genesis, “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan and Crimson retained the Tag Team Championship against Samoa Joe and Magnus – but the champs won’t get any rest! Morgan and Crimson are scheduled to compete this Thursday on IMPACT!

– Plus, sources tell us AJ Styles is coming to IMPACT and he wants answers from Kazarian about what he did last week! Also, will Eric Bischoff speak out concerning the return of his son, Garett Bischoff?

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c!

source: ImpactWrestling.com

Three matches have been announced for this Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike.

* In the main event, Jeff Hardy will team up with James Storm and Abyss to take on World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, and Bully Ray.

* In tag team action, Knockouts Tag Team Champions Gail Kim and Madison Rayne will defend the straps against Mickie James and Traci Brooks.

* The finals of the Wild Card Tournament will be held to determine who challenges Matt Morgan and Crimson for the World Tag Team Championship at Genesis as AJ Styles and Kazarian take on Samoa Joe and Magnus.

World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode and Jeff Hardy will go face-to-face one last time before their match at Genesis.

— Rosita posted several messages on her Twitter account Wednesday mocking an Asian woman she rudely encountered the night before at a Fuddruckers restaurant in Connecticut following her twenty-first birthday party. The TNA Knockout claims the woman tried to cut in line. She then posted a picture of her, calling her “Kung Foo Panda.”

She tweeted, “THIS IS KUNG FOO PANDA.. PERFECT PICTURE TO DESCRIBE HER IGNORANCE. http://yfrog.com/kicpkdzj.”

She then wrote to Velvet Sky, “You sooo shoulda been there! King foo panda was allllllll ready! Offered to order the bitch bamboo sticks but she wasn’t having it..”

— Samoa Joe faces Kazarian in a Maximum Impact tournament match on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion (video available here). The winner of the eight-man tournament will receive a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship during TNA’s tour of the U.K. in January.

— Bobby Roode and Mickie James appear at the Poughkeepsie Galleria (located at 2001 South Road Poughkeepsie, New York 12601) this Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Don’t miss Thursday’s TNA IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road to the January 8 “Genesis” Pay-Per-View event continues! If you can’t watch it on Thursday night, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the Total Nonstop Action!

Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:

– The main event of the broadcast will feature Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle taking on Rob Van Dam

– The Knockouts Championship will be on the line as Gail Kim defends against Mickie James

– The Wild Card Tag Team Tournament continues with two semi-final matches:

Match 1: Eric Young & ODB vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus

Match 2: Abyss & Scott Steiner vs. AJ Styles & Kazarian

– In addition, it will be the final match in the Best-Of-3 Series between Anthony Neese and Zema Ion, with the winner earning a shot at the X Division Championship

– Also scheduled to appear are World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode, “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy, IMPACT WRESTLING General Manager Sting, “Cowboy” James Storm and many more!

– Plus, more big news on the upcoming January 8 “Genesis” Pay-Per-View event

source: ImpactWrestling.com

Don’t miss Thursday’s holiday TNA IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, as the road to the January 8 “Genesis” Pay-Per-View event continues! If you can’t watch it on Thursday night, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the Total Nonstop Action!

Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:

– How will IMPACT WRESTLING GM Sting react to what World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode did to him during this past week’s main event? At the end of the broadcast, Sting hit the ring to try to help Jeff Hardy, but Roode smashed Sting with the World Title! The rumor is that Sting will hand down punishment on the World Champ, but what does he have planned for Roode? Tune in and find out!

– The number-one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy, will be on the huge broadcast as he prepares for his shot at the gold at “Genesis” against Roode! What roadblock will Roode try to put in Hardy’s way this week – and what will Sting have to say about it?

– The Wild Card Tag Team Tournament continues this Thursday with more first-round matches: “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles & Kazarian vs. Rob Van Dam & Christopher Daniels plus Eric Young & ODB vs. Shannon Moore of Ink Inc and Anarquia of Mexican America

– Also on IMPACT WRESTLING, the Best-Of-3 Series between Zema Ion and Anthony Neese continues, with the winner getting an X Division Title shot at the “Genesis” Pay-Per-View

– Plus, now that Karen Jarrett is gone from IMPACT WRESTLING, who will manage the Knockouts Division? Will the other Knockouts rise up against Knockouts Champion Gail Kim and Madison Rayne now that Karen is out of the picture? Don’t miss Thursday’s broadcast!

source: ImpactWrestling.com

— PWInsider.com confirms Jesse Neal has parted ways with TNA Wrestling. He worked one final match for the organization at Monday’s Impact Wrestling taping in Orlando, Florida.

The founding member of Ink Inc. decided to leave TNA Wrestling after declining their request to relocate to Louisville, Kentucky to work out of developmental league Ohio Valley Wrestling.

— Matches taped Monday and Tuesday in Orlando, Florida for upcoming episodes of TNA Xplosion are as follows: Christopher Daniels vs. Devon; Kazarian vs. Samoa Joe; Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe.

— To celebrate TNA Wrestling’s upcoming tour of the United Kingdom, Challenge have teamed up with the wrestling organization to run a competition which includes a first place prize of dinner with Velvet Sky. Details are available here.

source: PWInsider.com