— On last Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling, Sting defeated longtime rival Ric Flair to earn the right to face Hulk Hogan at Bound for Glory. The match will feature a stipulation as ImpactWrestling.com posted a graphic advertising the contest as a “Battle For Control Of The Company.”
The graphic, however, was removed from the website Sunday.
On the March 3 episode of Impact, Hogan regained storyline ownership of TNA after winning a court battle against Dixie Carter.
— Angelina Love, Madison Rayne and Tara are 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.
Prices are set at $325.00 for Angelina, $300.00 for Madison, and $450.00 for Tara. The offer is available at shop.leesouth.com.
Ric Flair suffered a broken bursa sac in his left elbow during his match against Sting last Monday, which aired on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling. The injury occurred when he took a superplex off the top rope.
“It was brutal,” Flair told Mike Mooneyham of The Post and Courier. “I thought I had broken my arm on that spot. I don’t know how I did it either.
“Sting put me down flat on that superplex, but somehow I hit something. It broke the bursa sack in my elbow. But at that moment I was sure I had broken my arm in half.”
Flair says the move was perfectly executed.
“I must have put my arm down wrong or something,” he said. “I really don’t know how it happened. I’ve got one arm twice the size of the other right now.”
Flair says the injury definitely affected the rest the match, though they were able to finish it.
“When he hit me with the (Stinger) splash and went for the Scorpion, I couldn’t even take a face bump. I couldn’t put my arm down to take it. I couldn’t hit him either. It was brutal.”
Flair added that his elbow no longer hurts and he merely needs to be cautious of acquiring an infection.
— The September 15 episode of Impact Wrestling featuring Sting vs. Ric Flair garnered a 1.20 cable rating, up from 1.02 the week before. The program averaged 1,640,000 viewers compared to 1,358,000 the week before.
Recent ratings: September 1 (1.06), August 25 (1.21) August 18 (1.05), August 11 (1.07), August 4 (1.14).
— This week’s Impact Wrestling Post Show features interviews with two top Knockout tag teams. Rosita and Sarita talk about their match on last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling and their opponents Tara and Brooke Tessmacher. Tara and Tessmacher then give their thoughts on Mexican America as well as the new Knockouts VP, Karen Jarrett.
During the interview, Triple H was asked about wrestling legend Ric Flair and his infamous partying ways. Triple H had this to say about Ric Flair, who is still going hard after all these years:
“Ric is one of my best friends. Ric doesn’t know when to walk away. Ric doesn’t want to be told to walk away. And Ric can’t afford to walk away. Ric has lived every day of his life like it’s the last for almost the fifty years he’s been in the business. In Ric’s mind, it’s still 1982, he’s on top of the world, he’s young, he’s got a lot of money. Ric has never questioned spending.”
“We have a term on the road where if you go out and you have a crazy night that you spent a ludicrous amount of money or you just lose it one day and you can’t go through another airport and you’re trying to get a jet instead, we call it ‘Naitching.’ Ridiculously spending money for no point is called ‘Naitching.'”
Triple H also spoke about the competition between WWE and UFC – which is leading many to say that Triple H is stuck in the “WWE bubble” and out of touch with reality. To read what Triple H had to say about WWE vs. UFC, hit the link below:
At Monday’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando, Ric Flair wrestled Sting in a match that’s been discribed as a “disaster” by one reader who was at the show and sent in a live report. The match was so bad that many have said it has no place airing on television, considering the classic encounters between both men and what most fans will be expecting from a ‘Flair vs. Sting’ match.
Ric Flair reportedly injured his left arm during the match. Flair had TNA officials worried during the match after he clutched his shoulder and rolled out of the ring to re-group. Flair was icing his arm backstage after the match.
Regarding who is to blame, Flair was rusty from not wrestling lately and is in his 60’s, Sting appeared to have forgotten a few spots in the match as he’s been known to do, but at the end of the day, TNA are the ones who have the ultimate say and decided to book the match.
— Ric Flair appears as an animated version of himself on the season premiere of The Cleveland Show taking place September 25 on FOX.
The plot for the episode reads: “Cleveland is upset when he finds out that his best friend Peter Griffin came to Stoolbend and did not call him to hang out. In an effort to bond with the guys, Cleveland takes them on a camping trip hosted by guest star Ric Flair.”
— Matches taped last night in Orlando, Florida for upcoming episodes of TNA Xplosion were Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne and Magnus vs. Jesse Sorensen.
— Velvet Sky said on Twitter that she has a Women’s Shirt coming out soon. The only other Knockout TNA has released apparel of is Mickie James.
— In the October 2011 issue of WWE Magazine, John Cena was asked if has his sights set on breaking Ric Flair’s record number of world title reigns.
Cena, who has amassed eleven world championships over the course of his career, replied, “Not at all. I think one day at a time. In this business, I don’t think about what I’ve done or long-term plans. If you think about what you’ve done, you become complacent. If you think too far ahead, your vision gets a little cloudy. You truly have to think about it one day at a time.”
— Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis has teamed up with AfterBuzzTV.com to host a live aftershow on Raw Supershow.
The show will stream live every Monday night immediately following Raw on the USA Network at ustream.tv/afterbuzztv. The first episode will stream live on Oct. 3.
— Jerry Lawler is advertised to tag team with Dory Funk Jr. and Colby Weston at the Sept. 10 !BANG! TV taping in Ocala, Florida. Lawler will also referee a match between Hollywood Heather and Claudia Reiff.
Below is the official preview for next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling:
Jeff Hardy returns Thursday on IMPACT WRESTLING At 9/8c on SpikeTV
Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, featuring the return of Jeff Hardy and a huge World Title match! 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:
– Starting this Thursday, it’s two back-to-back weeks of “can’t miss” IMPACT WRESTLING broadcasts on SpikeTV!
– All roads lead to Sting vs. Ric Flair next week (Sept 15), but this Thursday the World Heavyweight Title is on the line in the main event as Kurt Angle defends against Mr. Anderson, who cashes in his rematch clause
– Plus, the “Final Four” superstars in the Bound For Glory Series go face-to-face – who will advance to the main event at Bound For Glory?
– The British Invasion vs. Devon and The Pope to determine the #1 Contenders to the World Tag Team Championship
– Eric Young defends the Television Championship against Robbie E
– And what does Karen Jarrett have planned for the Knockouts Division? Will the new Knockouts Law rule the lovely ladies with an iron first?
— It was announced last night on Impact Wrestling that Sting will face Ric Flair two weeks from now on the September 15 show. A stipulation is in place where Sting will receive a match against Hulk Hogan if he wins, but must leave wrestling if Flair wins.
— The “Final Four” wrestlers of the Bound For Glory Series concluded Thursday night on Impact Wrestling with Bully Ray ranked No. 1 with 49 points. He is followed by Robert Roode (42 points), Gunner (42 points) and James Storm (40 points). Ray will face Storm in a semi-final match at No Surrender while Roode will square off against Gunner. The Bound For Glory Series Finals takes place the same night and the winner will automatically be ranked the No. 1 contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Crimson, who obtained 50 points during the series, was officially scratched Thursday afternoon due to injuries he suffered from Samoa Joe last week.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Rey Mysterio’s Recent Knee Surgery: “Get well wishes to Rey Mysterio who had knee surgery in San Diego this past Friday. Rey had ACL and MCL issues addressed and will be out of action for several months. This is the same knee that Rey has had multiple surgeries so his rehabilitation work will be even more magnified and important.”
Ric Flair’s Personal Issues: “Many have asked me via Twitter @JRsBBQ and in the Q&A Section of this site to comment on the ESPN/Grantland article regarding Ric Flair’s personal finances and other personal issues. Ric has been a friend for well over three decades and I was uncomfortable reading the piece. Ric has always enjoyed life to its fullest, and beyond, which, last I looked, wasn’t a crime. Lots of famous athletes and entertainers have had financial hurdles to overcome. If Ric has the issues that Grantland outlined, I wish Naitch well and he has my support.”
Samoa Joe: “Several people have asked me about Samoa Joe. I personally like Joe’s work and feel that his best days lie ahead. I do not know Joe. I’ve never conversed with him that I can recall. Bottom line is 1. he has a contract where he now works and 2. I am not involved in talent acquisition for WWE.”
Scott Hall Announcing: “Could Scott Hall fit in the announce booth as a color commentator? It’s not an easy transition for many former wrestlers to make the move from the ring to the announce table so it wouldn’t be automatic. However, Scott is a bright guy who is glib and he knows the genre well. If he put in the work that it would take to be an asset who’s to say that Scott Hall wouldn’t be a good broadcaster? I do know that it takes great focus, commitment and study to be as good as one needs to be in today’s world. I don’t know if Scott has an interest in this matter but it was a question from a Twitter follower.”
TMZ.com reported tonight that Ric Flair is threatening to sue ESPN.com-affiliated website Grantland.com over columnist Shane Ryan’s claim in an unflattering article published Wednesday that he is suffering from a heart condition caused by several years of drinking.
A representative for the WWE Hall of Famer told TMZ that Flair does not suffer from alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a disease caused by years of alcohol abuse which often leads to heart failure.
“While the information gleaned from courthouse records may be credible, Mr. Fliehr is currently evaluating his legal options with respect to falsehoods in the story, specifically the untrue statement that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy,” said Melinda Morris Zanoni, of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, LLC.
“Our client understands that these allegations are part of the territory when you are not only famous, but a living legend. Ric Flair is a sports entertainer, which has been a lifelong passion that he still enjoys delivering to his fans today, along with his work outside of the ring with various charitable causes. We will be sure to advise Mr. Fliehr against running for County Treasurer and instead to continue entertaining his millions of fans all over the world as he has been doing for the past 35 years.”
Contrary to Zanoni’s statement, Flair admitted in his 2004 autobiography, Ric Flair: To Be the Man, that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy as a result of his “many years of partying.”
“Through my many years of partying, I also developed something called “alcoholic cardiomyopathy,” a weakening of heart muscles,” Flair stated on page 304. “I first detected that there was something wrong when my heart began skipping beats. I went to a cardiologist friend who told me that when your heart pumps, it expands to a rubber band. But mine was doing it too much. Initially, I thought that steroids might be responsible, but the doctor dismissed this theory. My heart was fluttering from thirty-five years of hitting it hard.
“It’s the part of the price of being Ric Flair. In exchange for the glory and the good times, I acquired a heart condition, self-esteem issues, and cataracts from tanning beds—and very nearly wrecked my marriage to a great woman. But incredibly, I remained ageless in other ways. And in 2002, at nearly fifty-three years old, I was about to see if I could show a new generation of fans what they missed in the 1970s and 1980s.”
Ric Flair is suing the website who wrote a scathing exposé story earlier this week about the personal and financial hardships he’s put himself and his family through over the past 20 years. Despite the fact that most of the article’s facts were pulled straight from court documents the countless lawsuits that Flair’s been involved in (ex-wives, business associates, horrified flight attendants), Flair claims the Grantland.com investigative piece written by Shane Ryan falsely states that he suffers from Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy — a disease caused by years of alcohol abuse which often leads to heart failure.
The following statement was released by Flair’s representatives, Legacy Talent and Entertainment:
“Mr. Fliehr has declined to comment on the “Grantland” story published this week, as he has consistently with media inquiries regarding legal affairs. While the information gleaned from courthouse records may be credible, Mr. Fliehr is currently evaluating his legal options with respect to falsehoods in the story, specifically the untrue statement that he suffers from alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Our client understands that these allegations are part of the territory when you are not only famous, but a living legend. Ric Flair is a sports entertainer, which has been a lifelong passion that he still enjoys delivering to his fans today, along with his work outside of the ring with various charitable causes. We will be sure to advise Mr. Fliehr against running for County Treasurer and instead to continue entertaining his millions of fans all over the world as he has been doing for the past 35 years.”
Grantland.com, a sports and pop culture affiliated with ESPN.com, has published a major expose on Ric Flair comparing him to a real life version of The Wrestler. In the 2008 film, Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, an aging professional wrestler who continues to compete in spite of his failing health in an attempt to cling on to his glory days.
In tremendous detail, the article examines the wrestling legend’s personal struggles, financial issues and allegations of physical abuse by his ex-wives. The story states that Flair continues to perform for TNA Wrestling despite suffering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy (a heart problem) and that almost everything he earns from the “second-tier outfit” goes toward paying off old debts: lawyers, ex-wives, the IRS, former business partners and “anyone who made the mistake of lending him money.”
In April, a judge evicted Flair from his home in Charlotte, North Carolina because he couldn’t afford to pay rent.
The lengthy piece can be accessed here. The author notes that Flair declined to be interviewed for the article.
— Ric Flair returned to television on Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling, challenging longtime rival Sting to a match. Sting agreed to put his career on the line if Flair promised to deliver him Hulk Hogan.
— Mickie James will receive her TNA Women’s Knockouts Championship re-match against Winter on the September 1 episode. TNA Wrestling tapes the episode next Thursday in Huntsville, Alabama.
— TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle will face Crimson in a non-title match on next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling. The match was set up following an in-ring confrontation.
— Zema Ion stated on Twitter that he is suffering from an injury.
He wrote, “Off to the doctor to see wtf this chest pain ive been having for last 4 days is all about… bruised sternum. wonder how that happened?”
— TNA Wrestling has released the promotional poster for Bound For Glory, which takes place Sunday, October 16 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
— On Twitter, Velvet Sky was asked to name which woman which she would like wrestle that she hasn’t before. She replied, “Lita!!!”
The TNA Knockout has stated in the past that Lita inspired her to enter the world of professional wrestling.
Sky also noted that she won’t be appearing on Impact Wrestling until next week’s show.
Ric Flair, who has not appeared on TNA Wrestling programming in two months, is scheduled for tonight’s Impact Wrestling taping in Orlando, Florida.
He is slated to engage in a verbal exchange with longtime rival Sting for the episode airing August 18.
Flair stated during a newspaper interview last month that he would be returning to the ring in September to face either Sting or Kurt Angle.
“I don’t know for sure, but it will be either Sting or Kurt Angle,” Flair told the Albany Herald. “It just depends on whoever wins between them (at Hardcore Justice). You got the scoop right there, brother.”
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.”
— Ric Flair has launched an online memorabilia store via RicFlair.com.
Along with autographed books, photos, posters, T-shirts and video releases, the legendary grappler is selling five minute phone calls and live video chats for $495 and $750, respectively. He is also selling custom-made replicas of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for $4,550.
— Hulk Hogan has changed his Twitter user name to twitter.com/hulkhogan. He also had the account officially verified by the social networking site, the first TNA star to do so.
— Tickets for Bound For Glory, which takes place Sunday, October 16 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are now on sale at the Liacouras Center box office and ComcastTIX.com. The event is being presented by Direct Auto Insurance.
— Kurt Angle appears at the Spike TV Booth (#3945) at the San Diego Comic-Con today beginning at 1:00 p.m. The event is located at the San Diego Convention Center 111 W. Harbor Drive San Diego, California.
During an interview on Thursday with the Albany Herald, TNA star Ric Flair announced that he will be returning to the ring once again in September.
Flair’s next match for TNA will take place at the No Surrender pay-per-view – but his opponent won’t be decided until Hardcore Justice next month. Flair told the Herald:
“I don’t know for sure, but it will be either Sting or Kurt Angle. It just depends on whoever wins between them on Aug. 6. You got the scoop right there, brother.”
Aside from Sting vs. Angle for the TNA Championship, also confirmed for Hard Justice on 8/7 is Mexican America vs. Beer Money for the TNA Tag Team Titles.
We’ve gotta ask – what do you think about Flair getting back in the ring again? Who would you rather see Flair wrestle – Sting or Kurt Angle? Should this be Flair’s final match? Comment Below.
— Ric Flair is not scheduled for this week’s Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, Florida.
— Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Mickie James appeared at last night’s Asistencia Asesoría y Administración television tapings in Veracruz, Mexico.
— TNA Wrestling will be holding an event at the Chenango County Fair in Norwich, New York on Friday, August 12, 2011. Bell time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale.
— Orlando Jordan celebrates his 38th birthday today.
Ric Flair’s son Reid Flair appeared on the Hit the Ropes radio show on Wednesday and spoke about the possibility of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a pro wrestler.
Despite the fact that Reid’s father works for TNA, the second generation wrestler’s ultimate goal is to make it to what he calls “the big time” – WWE.
“No, I have not ruled out TNA. I respect the guys that are there. I respect the people in management and stuff like that. My dream since I was five years old was to work for the WWE and that’s my goal.”
Reid acknowledges that working for TNA has its benefits, but his perception of the company is similar to the reputation that TNA has earned in recent years – which is that TNA is where “established” wrestlers go after they’ve been in WWE.
“I think for people who are already established as stars, TNA is a great place to go. But me being a young kid and stuff like that, not having established myself, I think that sometimes the younger guys may be misrepresented and stuff in TNA. And I’m not saying anything malicious about TNA, WWE is just where I want to be. That’s my goal. WWE is the big time and I want to be with the best.”
You can listen to audio of the full interview here:
TNA Wrestling talent Ric Flair appeared on Charlotte’s “The Fan” 610 AM WFNZ sports radio station on Friday to discuss Randy Savage following his passing earlier in the day. Highlights are as follows:
Flair on “Macho Man” Randy Savage:
“It sure did (hit hard). It’s pretty sad. He just recently got married, it’s been a little over a year, and was happy and, you know, really seemed to be at peace with himself. He just had a phenomenal career and to have this happen is just really, really sad.”
Flair on his WrestleMania VIII match with Savage:
“That was a huge day for me and my first dance at Wrestlemania, of course. It was just a tremendously well-written program. It was like he was married to Liz back then and she was a huge commodity and a huge star with the WWF, or that’s what they were called back then, of course. And the thing was, ‘She was mine before she was yours.’ It was well-written and done and Randy worked hard at it and I worked hard at it. We had a really good match. Curt Hennig, God rest his soul, managed me and Liz managed Randy and we gave them a helluva show and it was awesome. That was my first Mania and one of the finest memories of my career.”
Additional thoughts on Savage:
“My thoughts about Randy are different. I think he was such a competitive guy. Randy had a really hard time relaxing and I feel bad. I think about the times I used to say to him ‘Hey man, just calm down and don’t worry about this and this and this… whatever happens is going to happen.’ If you go to sleep at night worrying about what’s going to happen the next day, it’s just too hard. You know, he worked like I did, 365 times a year back in the old days. He actually broke in in Charlotte in 1975. I’d only been here a year when Randy moved in down here. He played semi-pro baseball, I think, in St. Louis and was doing fairly well but wasn’t blowing up the ladder like expected so he came here and broke in the business.
“The irony in that is when I first moved here in ’74, I actually traveled with his dad several times. I knew the whole family very well. His dad just passed recently and I think that hurt Randy really bad. They were very close. Randy just dropped out of sight when the company was sold from WCW (to WWE).
“The thing I feel worst about, of all of the guys that are available and eligible to be in the WWE Hall of Fame — there most be something that I’m unaware of that’s gone on and they’ve never inducted him because Randy certainly was a major player for the WWF in the mecca days of the eighties and nineties.”
Flair on whether Savage is one of the 10 greatest wrestlers ever:
“Of course. Yeah. Of course. … I didn’t always agree with Randy. I’m not gonna lie to you. I didn’t sweat things out like he did. But I wasn’t… I didn’t have to fight like a dog in that race they had to be whoever they were in the eighties in that show, where everybody was fighting for position everyday of their life. I didn’t have to evolve from that. I never had personal differences with him, nothing about lifestyle. It was just about business and it doesn’t stop my opinion (of him) — he always did favors for me. He came in and opened some of my Golds Gyms. We were great friends. He and I clashed in business, but outside of the ring we were great. He could drink beer and have a good time. And, I made him laugh and helped him take his mind of things that bothered him. We got along great and had a lot of fun together.
“I used to say to him all the time, he probably died with 300 million dollars in the bank. I’m not exaggerating. I’m being facetious. But, Randy was very thrifty. I used to say to him all the time, because he would stay at hotels that were less cost effective than where I stayed. (laughs) You can criticize it all you want but I’m going to enjoy the moment because you never know, you know.
“The irony in that is Randy was only 58-years-old. That’s sad because I guarantee you he’s got enough money to live 200 more years. He made it. He worked hard to earn it. He worked very hard to earn it. He deserved it. But I always used to say to him, ‘Man, you live for the day.’ Today’s another example of why you have to live for today. You never know.”
— Ric Flair claimed during an endorsement for the Tampa Orthopedic and Pain Clinic that he has wrestled 100,000 matches—which equates to one match per day for 274 years.
He said, “I broke my back in a plane crash, wrestled 100,000 matches and been world heavyweight champion 16 times. Thanks Tampa Orthopedic & Pain for keeping The Nature Boy Stylling and Profiling, Whooo!!!”
— TNA Wrestling announced the following today:
The TNA Live! event scheduled for Friday, June 3 at the Rapids Parish Coliseum in Alexandria, Louisiana has been canceled. Refunds will be available at point of sale.
The TNA Live! event scheduled for Saturday, June 4 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana has been canceled. Refunds will be available at point of sale.
