Tonight, Direct Auto Insurance and TNA Wrestling present Final Resolution live on Pay-Per-View and online at TNAOnDemand.com from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Eight matches have been announced for the event.
World Heavyweight Championship 30 Minute Ironman Match
AJ Styles vs. (c) Bobby Roode
Steel Cage Match
“The King Of The Mountain” Jeff Jarrett vs. “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy
(Karen Jarrett will be handcuffed to Sting at ringside)
The Olympic Gold Medalist vs. The Cowboy
Kurt Angle vs. “Cowboy” James Storm
Challenge Match
Christopher Daniels vs. Rob Van Dam
Women’s Knockout Championship Match
Mickie James vs. (c) Gail Kim
World Tag Team Championship Match
Matt Morgan and Crimson (c) vs “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero and Devon
X Division Championship Match
Austin Aries (c) vs Kid Kash
Television Championship Match
Robbie E (c) vs Eric Young
Vice President of the Knockouts division, Karen Jarrett, joined Diva-Dirt.com earlier this week on DD360 ahead of this Sunday’s Final Resolution pay per view.
When asked how she manages to be such a great heel and good on the microphone, Karen reveals she did not have prior acting experience — rather she was always a big fan of professional wrestling.
She says: “My entire life I’ve been a wrestling fan. From the age of 10 years old, I started watching wrestling with my grandfather and have just been a huge fan. I was a fan of Miss Elizabeth, Sherri [Martel] and I just loved the business.”
“Even when Kurt and I got married, he had never watched professional wrestling and when he started talking about getting into it, we were watching it and I would instruct him because I knew who everybody was. I was just very into it and love it.”
Karen also addresses recent drama on Twitter with fans pitting her and WWE’s Vickie Guerrero against each other.
She says: “To be honest, I think Vickie is an incredible woman. She was a great wife and she’s a great mother. As for the fans and the marks out there, or the people who get behind their little computer, you throw out some bait and they jump on it and I think people ran with it. It is what it is. But I have great respect for Vickie and her raising her daughters and everything that she has done.”
James Storm appeared on Busted Open, which airs every Monday and Wednesday on Sirius 92 and XM 207 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
Storm on his short TNA Title reign: “Like you said, it was a little bitter sweet, but it kind of makes me want it more now to go after it. I wasn’t really after the world title to say. It was kind of Bobby Roode’s spotlight moment with him and Kurt Angle and all this. I wasn’t told that I was actually getting a heavyweight title until like 2 hours before the show started. So, and to become the new world champion, it was a great moment, and one that I’ll never forget.”
Storm on Kurt Angle: “To me, without a doubt, Kurt Angle is the greatest wrestler to ever set foot in a ring, in a wrestling ring. I mean, there’s no one in professional wrestling that can out-wrestle Kurt, and always when I’m trying to put a story together, that’s one of the things that I put in there; that I cannot out-wrestle Kurt. I’m not gonna’ try it. I won’t go in there and try to take my fist and stick it to the back of his head as hard as I can. So, if it’s done right, I think me and Kurt can definitely be one of the feuds of the year.”
Storm on tweeting: “To me, it’s one of those things that I really wasn’t thinking I guess because I was so overwhelmed of me winning the world title that I don’t think…I don’t want to say that didn’t care that I got in trouble. But at the time,, that was my moment, and already you had all kinds of spoilers out saying that I won the world title, and all this. So, they already knew that I won the world title basically. So, I’m going to just say, “Hey, tune in this Thursday to see me win the world title, and enjoy this moment with me.” Instead of saying, “Hey, tune in to see if I win the world title.” It was the biggest ratings, and that’s kind of what I was trying to get at is, yeah I Tweeted, I won the world title, but I didn’t Tweet out how I won it, what happened during, after the match or anything like that. It was Tweeted, “Hey, tune in because I won the world title.” Even though I kind of ruined the surprise for some people, but like you said, I think people wanted to tune in to see it happen.”
Storm on Bobby Roode’s character: “My character…I have character. I have a character that a lot of people can relate to. A guy who drinks beer, and goes out hunting, and fishing, and just hangs out at the bar, and has a good time. Like you said, Walmart, Nascar, it’s all that character fit into one, which looking at Bobby Roode, who is Bobby Roode? What exactly is Bobby Roode besides being jacked? I mean, I don’t know what definition of a character you’d give him? Growing up, wrestling had characters, and I think that’s what wrestling today is missing. They don’t really have the flashy characters they did back then. You had the Jake Roberts, and you had The Macho Man. Even Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior. All of those guys were different characters. It seems like today all the wrestlers are almost the same. They’re like the same build, and they wrestle the same, and all this. So, it’s kind of hard to find a unique character.”
Preview IMPACT WRESTLING On Thursday Night On SpikeTV
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge TNA IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c as the road to the December 11 “Final Resolution” Pay-Per-View continues, just days before the epic event! The main event will feature AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy vs. World Champion Bobby Roode and Jeff Jarrett!
Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:
– The main event of the huge broadcast features World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode teaming with “The King Of The Mountain” Jeff Jarrett to battle “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles and “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy! Styles will challenge Roode for the World Title at Final Resolution, while Hardy faces Jarrett in a Steel Cage Match! What will happen when these four athletes battle just days before the Pay-Per-View? Don’t miss it!
– The GM (General Menace) “The Icon” Sting is back, and he’s asked TNA President Dixie Carter to appear on Thursday’s broadcast to discuss the ongoing situation with the World Champion, Bobby Roode. After Roode physically assaulted Dixie Carter just a few weeks ago, what will the TNA President have to say when she’s face to face with Roode again? Tune in and find out!
– Also on the broadcast, “The Cowboy” James Storm has promised to return – despite dealing with the effects of a concussion – to confront his attacker, Kurt Angle! Will all hell break loose when Storm and Angle are in the same ring again? Can Storm keep his anger in check when faced with the superstar that cost him his shot at regaining the World Title?
– In action on the broadcast, Samoa Joe battles Abyss, Knockouts Tag Team Champion Madison Rayne faces Mickie James, plus much more!
— Kurt Angle stated on Twitter that he will be participating in the United States Olympic wrestling trials that will be held in Iowa City, Iowa this April to determine the team that will go to London, England for the 2012 Olympics.
“I’m Already Qualified for final Olympic trials In June. But I Will Official Enter Olympic trial Qualifier Tourney in April in Iowa! I’m Ready,” he wrote.
Angle revealed his Olympic hopes this past June. He told The Sun, “I’ve set my sights on this. There are certain goals I had in my life and I’ve done them. I won an Olympic gold medal, but last time I did it I didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t have fun. It was more of a job and there was a lot of pressure on me. This time I’m going to soak it in, enjoy everything I do from the training to going to London and making the Olympic team, enjoying it and remembering the Olympics instead of putting it out of my mind.”
— Gail Kim has responded to criticism that she repeats herself in interviews regarding her views on WWE.
“I’m not gonna not answer questions people ask me,” she says. “Why don’t you ask them why they ask a question that’s been answered?”
— Sting is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Inside Wrestling.
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c – a special Thanksgiving holiday edition as the road to the December 11 “Final Resolution” Pay-Per-View event continues!
Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:
– What will be the reaction to Kurt Angle revealing that he was the person that attacked “Cowboy” James Storm and cost him his shot at regaining the World Heavyweight Championship? Both Angle and Storm will appear on Thursday’s broadcast, and “The Cowboy” is hellbent on revenge! Based on what happened, TNA officials have already announced the following match:
– Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING will feature an Eight-Man Elimination Match with “Team Storm” (AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam and Mr. Anderson) vs. “Team Angle” (Bobby Roode, Jeff Jarrett, Bully Ray and Christopher Daniels). No doubt, both Storm and Angle will be involved – will all hell break loose in the Impact Zone?
– In a rematch for the World Tag Team Championship, new titleholders Crimson and “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan will defend against former champions Mexican America (Hernandez & Anarquia)
– Plus, Knockouts VP Karen Jarrett has announced that there will be the 1st ever “Thanksgiving Thong Thunder” match in the Knockouts Division when Velvet Sky teams with Tara and Brooke Tessmacher to take on Winter, Angelina Love, and Madison Rayne. What does Karen Jarrett have planned for this contest? Tune in and find out!
– All this and much more on Thursday’s special Thanksgiving holiday edition of IMPACT WRESTLING on SpikeTV at 9/8 as the road to the December 11 “Final Resolution” Pay-Per-View event continues!
“Sports Axxess” on PW 24/7 Radio with Kurt Angle
Hosts: Jerry Sorrentino, James Jefferson, and Joey Image
Full episode available at PW247radio.com
Kurt Angle on the hamstring injury he had to work through during his title defenses against Bobby Roode and James Storm: “I did have to be careful of the injury when I wrestled James Storm at the TV tapings. I gave it all I could, which was only one minute of wrestling. I’ve only missed nine days but now I’m back to Olympic form. It was just a slight tear in my hamstring but there was a lot of bleeding. The bleeding went all the way down my hamstring, down my calf, down my shin, all the way down to my foot. It was black and blue, but the injury wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. But now I’m back to training. I’ve done a lot of interviews and gotten a lot of attention for training for an Olympic comeback. My only obstacle is Jake Barter. He’s almost guaranteed to win a medal because he is that good. So if I beat him, USA wrestling wants to make sure I’m capable of winning a medal. So they want me to come out and train at Colorado Springs, and I’m going to do that. I think I have a great shot at making the team.”
On getting into MMA: “I’ve had a lot of talks with Dana White. While he’s denied the offers, Dana and I respect each other enough for us not to say exactly what was offered. The thing was, he wanted me to be ready in a short time and I couldn’t do that. I wanted months, he wanted weeks. We’re good friends and I hope he has great success. But you know what, he’s said some negative things about me in the press. I still love him to death. I did pass his physical, meaning I was ready for competition, but he wanted me to be ready in four to six weeks and I couldn’t do that. It’s impossible. There’s also the fact that I’m signed with TNA and Dana didn’t want anyone fighting for him and wrestling at the same time. So Dana White, God bless you. Whatever you say, I’ll respect that because I know you wanted me to fight for you and wanted me to be your guy.”
On Kevin Nash: “I love him to death. I know why he went to WWE. He wanted the carrot. He wanted that carrot they dangled in front of his face. But has the WWE used him the right way since he came back? No. Kevin should come back to TNA where they can use him the way he should be. WWE thinks he’s old and washed up but TNA doesn’t think that. TNA wants Kevin Nash. He is so gifted, talented, and popular. I want him back in TNA because he’s one of my best friends.”
On working in wrestling after retirement and potentially joining the WWE Hall of Fame: “If I end up in the Hall of Fame in the WWE, I don’t know if I’ll accept it. I love Vince McMahon. He made me a lot of money and was like a father figure to me. But Dixie Carter is my boss and I love her to death. So I don’t know what I’m going to do. I would like to say that I am not going back to the WWE. But Vince McMahon may offer me something when I retire and I’m done with TNA. But I’d also like to be part of creative or be an agent in TNA. Out of everyone in the world, I am the best at coming up with finishes. I would like to stay with TNA and do that. A lot of people ask if I’d go back if Vince wanted me for WrestleMania, and I don’t know the answer to that. But I know I am happy in TNA and I’d like to stay there.”
All this and much more can be heard in the full hour long interview with Kurt Angle. This interview, along with countless hours of other original pro-wrestling content, can be found exclusively and for free only on PW 24/7 Radio.
A Virginia judge has ordered Kurt Angle must pay a $1,500 fine stemming from his reckless driving charge back when he got when arrested in September on suspicion of drunk driving. He will not serve any jail time and his license will not be suspended.
Angle was not in court on Tuesday when his lawyer plead No Contest on his behalf He was originally charged with DUI but was only tried for the reckless driving charge.
Angle’s lawyer says when he was pulled over for swerving on the road after a TNA live event in September, he was just texting on his cell phone. The story is that Angle was texting the promoter of the show, presumably a TNA employee, about his payment that night.
The state district attorney did not believe that Angle was simply texting while driving but the judge sided with Angle’s defense.
— AJ Styles said on Twitter he injured his ankle at Friday’s TNA Wrestling live event in Battle Creek, Michigan.
He wrote Saturday morning, “Rolled out of bed to see how the ankle was after last night………. Not good, crap!” Asked how bad his ankle is, he responded, “Not sure, hope I’m ready by next Sunday.”
— Kurt Angle tweeted an update on his health Saturday.
He wrote, “I Went for Bloodwork last wk.My Blood Pressure Dropped from 140/95 to 100/65. My cholesterol 199 to 140. And I Lost 30lbs.UltraFiberDX Baby!”
— Gail Kim will appear for Absolute Intense Wrestling on Friday, November 25 at Puritas Lutheran Church 13812 Bellaire Road Cleveland, Ohio. Visit www.aiwrestling.com for more information.
— Hulk Hogan nor Kurt Angle appeared at last week’s Impact Wrestling taping in Macon, Georgia. Angle is suffering from a hamstring injury while Hogan is being kept off television for a few weeks as to not overshadow wrestlers TNA is trying to promote.
— Hulk Hogan was scheduled to appear on the E! late night comedy talk show Chelsea Lately Halloween night but canceled due a doctor prohibiting from flying after he underwent dental surgery on Friday.
— As reported earlier, former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger was backstage at last week’s Impact Wrestling taping in Macon, Georgia. He attended the event to visit Sting, his friend of over twenty years.
— Both Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan missed Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling taping in Macon, Georgia. Therefore, both talents will not be appearing on the November 3 and November 10 episodes.
Angle is suffering from a hamstring injury. He is also missing this week’s California live events despite being advertised.
— Brooke Tessmacher, who serves plates of hot wings at a Hooters restaurant in Kirby, Texas when she’s not bashing heads in TNA, is in the running for the 2011 Hooters Girls Halloween Costume Contest. The Hooters Girl who garners the most online votes wins $3,000. To vote for the TNA Knockout, click here.
— Numerous NWA Rampage Pro Wrestling talents were used as extras at Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling taping in Macon, Georgia including Sal Rinauro, J Rod, AJ Steele, Dustin Robinson, Cru Jones, Chip Day, Corey Hollis and ring announcer Miss Allie.
sources: F4WOnline.com, Wrestling Globe Newsletter
— Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling saw Dixie Carter return as President of the company and place Sting in charge of the program. In his first duty, he attempted give Bobby Roode a rematch against World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle but a clause in the contract only allowed one match between the two–the match already held at Bound For Glory. James Storm asked and received a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship later in the show. He defeated Angle in a minute-and-a-half to win the belt for the first time.
— Gail Kim returned to TNA Wrestling as a heel aligned with Vice President of the Knockouts Division, Karen Jarrett.
Velvet Sky came to the ring to thank the fans after capturing the Women’s Knockout Championship at Bound for Glory. The Knockouts VP interrupted Velvet and vowed to strip of her newly won title. After being distracted by Madison Rayne, the new champion was attacked from behind by a returning Gail Kim.
— No matches were announced for Turning Point, which takes place Nov. 13.
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!
TNA Champion Kurt Angle appeared on PW 24/7‘s “Sports Axxess” radio and spoke about a number of topics over Bound for Glory weekend. Here are some highlights of what Angle said about;
Training for the Olympics: “I’ve been training for the last six months. The training has gone phenomenally well. I didn’t realize I was going catch on this quickly, but you know it’s like getting on a bicycle and riding again. That’s not to say it didn’t go without any injuries here and there. I’ve hurt my Achilles tendon and my hamstring but I’ve been hanging on tightly and training very hard. I’m on schedule so thank God, I have a very good chance of making the team. A lot of it has to do with me beating a guy named Jake Barter, who is a world silver and bronze medalist. He hasn’t had quite the success I have had when I was there but when I was there I was very young. I was in my mid-twenties and I didn’t have a game plan. Now I’m a lot older and wiser; I look at my training, I look at my game plan, I look at the way I’m going to wrestle. I know I’ll make a lot less mistakes and I know I’ll train more properly. The thing was that I had over-trained in the past. I was training nine or ten hours a day, and at some point it became counterproductive. I think I could have been a much better wrestler if I had done things the right way.”
His Line Of Food Products: “You know, a lot of people have been counting calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, but never count fiber. I’m going to say this now: fiber is the best kept secret in the world. It can really make or break your body. Fiber can help you lose fat, body weight, lower cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar. Basically it is the healthiest product on the market. There are a lot of fiber products that are one or two layer fibers. UltraFiber DX from Angle Foods is and eight layer fiber developed by a doctor in Germany. It was intended to help obese and diabetic patients to get off medication and help improve quality and longevity of life. You can purchase it at anglefoods.com. This is what you should be feeding your kids. The powder works as a cooking agent. You can make it into pancakes, pizza and bread dough, and so many other things.”
The Current Direction of Impact Wrestling and “Passing the Torch”: “God willing, we have more wrestling and less talk. I’ve been pushing for that. Sometimes we have people there on the show that don’t wrestle. They take up a lot of the show with only promos. The young guys need to step up and be the guys cutting the promos. It’s kind of a catch 22. We need to realize who we are and we need to fix the problem. The young talent needs the opportunity to shine. I’m one of the top guys in the company and I don’t want to remain there. I don’t know who it will be but I am more than willing to find somebody in the company to hand to torch over to and say ‘hey, you take the lead and I’ll follow you.’ I’m near the end of my career. I’ve got three more years left with TNA Wrestling and then I’m done. I signed that deal with TNA so I can help the company. I want them to compete with WWE. It will take some time, but it will happen.”
Angle also discusses his thoughts on Bobby Roode and why he considers Randy Orton to be one of the top guys in all of professional wrestling. This interview, along with many others, can be heard in its entirety exclusively on PW 24/7 Radio.
Fans who were expecting Bobby Roode to have his career-defining moment and win the TNA championship at Bound For Glory were not the only ones dumbfounded and upset after he came up short against Kurt Angle.
As we’ve been reporting this week, original plans called for Roode to win at Bound For Glory. Multiple TNA sources have confirmed to us that Roode was scheduled to win the title as late as Sunday afternoon, when Hulk Hogan reportedly convinced Dixie Carter that Bobby Roode was not ready yet.
As you can imagine, there is said to be a great deal of resentment in the TNA locker room regarding Hulk Hogan squashing Roode’s title win. There is a feeling among several of TNA’s originals that there’s no hope for them to reach their potential in TNA, and they’re wasting their prime years with a company that will never elevate them to the level of the former WWE & WCW stars in the company.
With Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view in the books, we’ve got some fallout comments from TNA champion Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan.
Following his successful TNA title defense against Bobby Roode, Angle tweeted:
“Great Ppv last night.Bobby Roode is one of the Best Wrestlers today! I am Still Going for Olympics. Only taking 1 Week Off 2 heal hamstring!”
Hulk Hogan, who reportedly used his backstage influence to convince Dixie Carter and TNA creative that Bobby Roode wasn’t ready yet to win the TNA world title, got a lot of negative feedback on Twitter regarding the situation. Hogan responded to those comments with –
“cool out it’s just the beginning of something really big brother. HH”
“keep watching you’ll finally figure it out,big plans for the Canadian HH”
“don’t be a mark keep watching you’ll figure it out. HH”
Regarding his own match against Sting, Hulk Hogan wrote:
“For all the ignorant haters that hate that I proved them wrong.bumpin after 8 back surgeries,suck it haters. http://lockerz.com/s/147871221” (That’s a rather graphic picture, so view at your own risk).
Sunday at Bound for Glory, Bobby Roode failed in his attempt to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship when he was pinned by Kurt Angle, after the referee failed to notice his arm under the ropes or Angle using the ropes for leverage.
TNA had originally planned for Roode to defeat Angle for the belt. Hulk Hogan, however, lobbied to have the finish changed since he felt that the former Team Canada member wasn’t ready for a run with the title.
Between that and his war of words with AJ Styles in the last few days, there was a lot of resentment towards Hogan among the long time employees. Especially since Hogan was criticizing Styles on Twitter when it was known that he had missed Saturday’s Fan Interaction event due to a death in his family.
“Sports Axxess” on PW 24/7
Hosts: Jerry Sorrentino, James Jefferson, and Joey Image
Full episode available at http://www.pw247radio.com/
Kurt Angle on his return to collegiate Olympic wrestling:
“I’ve been training for the last six months. The training has gone phenomenally well. I didn’t realize I was going catch on this quickly, but you know it’s like getting on a bicycle and riding again. That’s not to say it didn’t go without any injuries here and there. I’ve hurt my Achilles tendon and my hamstring but I’ve been hanging on tightly and training very hard. I’m on schedule so thank God, I have a very good chance of making the team. A lot of it has to do with me beating a guy named Jake Barter, who is a world silver and bronze medalist. He hasn’t had quite the success I have had when I was there but when I was there I was very young. I was in my mid-twenties and I didn’t have a game plan. Now I’m a lot older and wiser; I look at my training, I look at my game plan, I look at the way I’m going to wrestle. I know I’ll make a lot less mistakes and I know I’ll train more properly. The thing was that I had over-trained in the past. I was training nine or ten hours a day, and at some point it became counterproductive. I think I could have been a much better wrestler if I had done things the right way.”
On his line of food products:
“You know, a lot of people have been counting calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, but never count fiber. I’m going to say this now: fiber is the best kept secret in the world. It can really make or break your body. Fiber can help you lose fat, body weight, lower cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar. Basically it is the healthiest product on the market. There are a lot of fiber products that are one or two layer fibers. UltraFiber DX from Angle Foods is and eight layer fiber developed by a doctor in Germany. It was intended to help obese and diabetic patients to get off medication and help improve quality and longevity of life. You can purchase it at anglefoods.com. This is what you should be feeding your kids. The powder works as a cooking agent. You can make it into pancakes, pizza and bread dough, and so many other things.”
On the current direction of Impact Wrestling and “passing the torch”:
“God willing, we have more wrestling and less talk. I’ve been pushing for that. Sometimes we have people there on the show that don’t wrestle. They take up a lot of the show with only promos. The young guys need to step up and be the guys cutting the promos. It’s kind of a catch 22. We need to realize who we are and we need to fix the problem. The young talent needs the opportunity to shine. I’m one of the top guys in the company and I don’t want to remain there. I don’t know who it will be but I am more than willing to find somebody in the company to hand to torch over to and say ‘hey, you take the lead and I’ll follow you.’
“I’m near the end of my career. I’ve got three more years left with TNA Wrestling and then I’m done. I signed that deal with TNA so I can help the company. I want them to compete with WWE. It will take some time, but it will happen.”
In the remainder of this 20 minute interview, Kurt Angle also discusses his thoughts on Bobby Roode and why he considers Randy Orton to be one of the top guys in all of professional wrestling. This interview, along with many others, can be heard in its entirety exclusively on PW 24/7 Radio.
AJ Styles has responded to Hulk Hogan’s dismissive comments regarding himself, Bobby Roode and others during an interview Thursday on Busted Open on SiriusXM Radio.
He wrote on Twitter, “Frustration setting in when your own guys bury the company that u have worked so hard for…….. Brother!”
When asked whether Roode, who will challenge Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Champion tomorrow night at Bound for Glory, is ready to be the top guy in the organization, Hogan replied, “Nah, he’s not ready.”
The wrestling legend explained, “He’s not the next guy. Ya’ know, they might think he is. Dixie Carter might think he is. The whole world might think he is. He’s not the next guy. If I had to bet money on anybody and really be serious about betting money on anybody, I’d say Jeff Hardy is the next guy if he keeps his act together. Um, that’s what you gotta to have, man. This is much more than being a wrestler, this is crossing barriers, medias, ya’ know media barriers, and, and entertainment barriers of all kind. Getting your character down verbally has 90% to do with getting over. I just have a very strong feeling Kurt Angle’s going to clean his clock performance wise, and carry the match, and basically remains the champion. He’s training for the Olympics. He’s had some up and down moments, and I think this is not gonna be a down moment for Kurt Angle, so I’m betting that farm on him.”
Regarding Styles being the top guy in TNA, Hogan said, “It’s never too late. I mean, I just don’t know.”
He added, “I, when I first came in all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed a couple of years ago, I had a ton of suggestions which I was kind of pushing real hard, which I thought would take him to a crazy, crazy level, and nobody responded. So, I don’t know at this point. I have my ideas, but a lot of things that I believe in, and what I feel from the crowd, and what I know. The little I know about this business. Sometimes, it’s either taken and used, or used and it doesn’t work, or it’s not used at all. So, it’s just..it’s my opinion. I don’t know at this point.”
TNA World Heavyweight champion Kurt Angle appeared on the Philadelphia NBC affiliate’s “10! Show” Thursday morning to promote Sunday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view from Philadelphia. Here are some highlights:
– Angle reiterated what Hulk Hogan said later this week – that his match with Bobby Roode will be the main event of Bound For Glroy.
– Angle says Hulk Hogan’s fight with Sting on Sunday will be “the last time you will ever see Hulk Hogan wrestle.”
– Angle was visibly in pain when walking onto the set, which the hosts brought up during the interview. Angle said that he’s been battling a hamstring injury, which doesn’t bode well for his ability to deliver a star-making match with Bobby Rude, but we shall see.
— Kurt Angle and Don Curtis have been selected as the 2012 inductees into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
The selection committee includes all living Hall of Fame members, all living Frank Gotch Award winners, and a select group of wrestling historians. The selection committee votes for one living and one posthumous inductee.
“I can’t think of someone more qualified than Kurt Angle to enter the Hall of Fame,” said Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco. “He won gold at every level. Don Curtis was a great man and an outstanding wrestler. He spent his entire life bettering wrestling. Both are great additions.”
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle spoke to New Zealand’s NZPWI.co.nz over the weekend to promote Sunday’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view.
His Opponent This Sunday, Bobby Roode:
“You know what? I have had 5 star matches my whole career, and what I see in Bobby Roode is a talent that can go as far as he wants to go. I’m talking about Shawn Michaels. I’m talking about Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Triple H. Bobby has something about him that could make him a huge superstar. Now, at Bound For Glory, that doesn’t mean he’s going to win. I can guarantee the match won’t be short. And I can guarantee that it will be very competitive.”
Sting vs. Hulk Hogan and The Main Event of Bound For Glory:
“Hulk Hogan’s wrestled Sting so many times already. It’ll help the pay-per-view, but fans are more interested in what’s going to happen between Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode. I hope that we go on last, because it won’t be good for them if they have to follow us. Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode will be putting on a hell of a performance.”
Training for the Olympics:
“Honey, listen. I’m trying out for the Olympics next year. The pressure is nothing compared to trying out for the Olympic team at 43 years of age. I’ve lost 30 pounds. I’ve gone from 245lb down to 215lb. A lot of people will say I look smaller than the referee, which is kind of degrading, but it’s funny too. I am in the best shape of my life. Thank God TNA gave me a lot of time off to train. I have been home for three weeks now, training solely for the Olympics. I’ll be at my best when the Olympic trials come around. I feel good. I’m healthy, there’s nothing that’s going to hold me back. I know there’s one guy in my weight class that I have to beat – the #1 guy – his name is Jake Varner, he’s a world silver medallist. But I’m very serious about making the Olympic team. I love professional wrestling, I love TNA, but I’ve always wanted to do something that no-one’s ever done, and to win an Olympic medal at the age of 43 is far beyond anything anyone’s done before.”
His Future & TNA Talent:
“The best development is that we’ve got a lot of our own homegrown talent. The worst is that we’re not growing them fast enough, or pushing them hard enough. You’ve got Samoa Joe. He had been undefeated. I walked in and beat him on my first match. I didn’t like that. Then I had AJ Styles, and he went to main event status. Then they backed off from him. Then we’ve got Beer Money – James Storm and Robert Roode deserve to be main event status. We have Crimson and Amazing Red – we have all this talent, that’s never been touched. We need to elevate that talent. And you know who can do it? Me. And the other older talent. I’m not going to lie to you – I’m only going to be wrestling for 3 more years. Then I’m retiring. My job is to get this young talent to replace Kurt Angle.
“I’m going to be with TNA forever. I won’t be wrestling, but I will be there. I will be involved in the creative direction, training and development. And I want TNA to understand that we have a lot of homegrown talent that I think is better than the talent over in WWE. So why aren’t we using these guys, when they’re that good? The older guys – Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, Kurt Angle – the list goes on. Guys in their 40’s, 50’s and 60s. It’s time to let the younger talent shine through. If we do that, then we’re a new company. We’ll get higher ratings, and we can compete with the monster, WWE.”
The Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office has reduced a driving under the influence charge against TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle to reckless driving.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Fleming disclosed the amended charge during a hearing in Warren General District Court on Tuesday. Angle, however, is still facing the same penalties, a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Fleming refused to comment on the reasons for amending the charge. Judge W. Dale Houff scheduled a trial date for November 8, 2011.
Angle was arrested on September 4, 2011 by Virginia State Troopers for allegedly driving under the influence. He was placed in Warren County Jail before posting $2,000 bail and being released in the early morning. State police revealed that Angle’s initial breath test at the scene where he was stopped by police showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.091 percent, which was above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
In a written statement issued two days after the arrest, Angle denied he was driving while intoxicated.
“I was returning from an Impact Wrestling show in an unfamiliar place, late at night and trying to find the exit for my hotel,” he said. “I did not believe my driving behavior was reckless or otherwise improper. Apparently law enforcement may have believed otherwise and pulled me over.”
— Velvet Sky is offering custom professional photoshoots through TNA photographer Lee South. Those interested pick the theme and outfit style with an option to purchase the worn outfit after the shoot. Also included are professional prints and behind the scenes video from the photoshoot.
The offer, which is priced at $450.00, is available here.
— TNA Wrestling has announced live events for DAecember 29 in Albany, New York and December 30 in Poughkeepsie, New York at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, James Storm and Robert Roode have been announced for both shows.
— TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Tara is advertised to wrestle for FWE Wrestling on Saturday, November 5 in a match against Jackie Haas. The event takes place at 3 Legged Dog Studios in Downtown Manhattan. Visit www.fwewrestling.com for more information.