Posts Tagged ‘Spike TV’

Spike TV: We’re Not Negotiating With Impact Wrestling About U.S. Return

Spike TV has publicly denied reports that they’re negotiating to bring Impact Wrestling back to their channel in the United States, after Impact recently signed with their United Kingdom channel. Brian Fritz of The Sporting News reports that Spike representatives told him channel executive Scott Fishman was only at the Impact tapings over the weekend to visit, and they are not in negotiations with Impact Wrestling. Fishman was also reportedly backstage at an Impact taping in January to visit, and he worked closely with the company when they were starting on Spike TV.

Fritz and the reporter of the original article, Ryan Satin of ProWrestlingSheet.com, discussed the conflicting reports on Twitter, which you can read below:


https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/838784814736015360


https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/838788099190611973

Spike is scheduled to rebrand as The Paramount Network sometime in the next year. Impact Wrestling’s deal with Pop TV ends at the end of 2017.

Jeff Jarrett Meets With Senior Vice President Of Spike TV About Impact Wrestling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLaxfptrzWY

After being brought back into the fold by Anthem Sports, Jeff Jarrett met with an executive from Spike TV about Impact Wrestling. According to a report by Ryan Satin of ProWrestlingSheet.com, Jarrett met with a high ranking executive from Spike on Saturday, and Impact’s new Spike UK deal wasn’t the only thing they discussed.

There’s no word how the talks played out, but Jarrett and Spike Senior Vice President and Executive Producer Scott Fishman reportedly discussed the possibility of Impact Wrestling returning to Spike in the U.S. Fishman worked closely with the show during their early days on Spike.

Spike will reportedly be rebranding as Paramount TV this year.

TNA Upset With Spike TV For Pushing Back Final Two Impact Wrestling Episodes

TNA executives were reportedly upset with Spike TV for pushing back the final two episodes of Impact Wrestling to late night slots, according to a report at f4wonline.com. TNA was expecting to remain in prime time for the final two episodes on the network.

It’s also worth mentioning that there was no reference to TNA moving to Destination America, or even leaving Spike TV, during the final Impact Wrestling broadcast this past Wednesday night.

Spike TV Bumps This Week’s Impact Wrestling To Bad Time Slot With No Notice

According to the latest Comcast schedule, TNA Impact Wrestling is being moved to 11pm to 1am for this coming Wednesday’s show, with no notice at all.

The December 24th edition of the show, which is the final TNA show on Spike TV, Impact Wrestling will air from midnight to 2am.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling Sees Healthy Increase In Ratings For This Week’s Show

    The Wednesday, October 22, 2014 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.83, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 0.83 final draw marks a healthy increase compared to last week’s show, which finished with an 0.73 cable rating.

    Impact Wrestling viewership was also up this week, as Wednesday’s show averaged 1.065 million viewers, up from the average of 922,000 viewers who tuned in the week before.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling Rating Drops Again, Viewership Under One Million

    The Wednesday, October 15, 2014 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.77, down from last week’s 0.85 final draw.

    Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling averaged 922,000 viewers, which was also down from the 1.102 million viewer average that the show drew the previous week.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling Rating For This Week Drops Again

    The Wednesday, October 8th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling drew a final cable rating of 0.85, according to Nielsen Media Research. That is down from the 0.875 final draw that the show scored last week.

    Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling show averaged 1.102 million viewers for Spike TV, which was actually up from the average of 1.097 million viewers for the previous week’s show.

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  • Eddie Edwards On Not Being On Bound For Glory, TNA/Spike TV Negotiations & More

    The following are highlights of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Eddie Edwards:

    Edwards on moving to Wednesday and Spike TV negotiations: “As far as the move to Wednesday, I think it was a good idea, you know, with the NFL having the Thursday night games televised now, I thought it was a good idea because it’s a similar fan base and it’s just a smart thing to do. As far as the contract situation, you know, we have nothing to do with that so we just focus on our stuff in the ring and let that stuff handle itself; if you can’t control it, no need to worry about it.”

    Edwards on working with Team 3D and The Hardys, and what he and Davey Richards have learned from the experience: “I mean, we have no choice but to learn from being in the ring with those guys. Both teams are legends and me and Davey both watched them growing up and we want to have careers like both of those guys. Being in there, you have no choice but to learn and see what true tag wrestling is and it’s just an honor to be in there with guys of that caliber.”

    Edwards on whether he prefers to work tag team or singles: “Right now it’s all tag team stuff, I feel like we have something great going and I would never want to do anything to deter that. Do I look forward to singles matches? Yes, but right now the main concentration is tag wrestling.”

    On disappointment that The Wolves are not scheduled for Bound For Glory: “I think as competitors we want to be on every event that they have, but I think they were just trying to play it safe due to Davey’s injury and whatnot. I know that we’re both disappointed but they gotta do what’s best for the company. Either way it’ll still be a great show.”

    The most important aspect of building an entertaining match: “I think it would be trying to connect with the fans. The crowd, you have to get that emotion out of them, so that’s the main focus because if the crowd is not paying attention and they’re not emotionally involved they’re not going to care, so you have to make that connection.”

    On some of the differences between American wrestling and Japanese wrestling, both in terms of style and crowd interaction: “The style is definitely more hard-hitting and more intense than one might see in the States, and the crowd, you almost have to earn their respect because they almost look at it as a pure sport over there, so they’re waiting to see what you can do and once you get them reacting to what you’re doing, you know you’re doing something right because they won’t just give it to you, you have to earn it.”

    Independent wrestlers who would be a good fit in TNA: “There’s so many talented guys out there right now, the Indies is overflowing with them. It’s unfortunate because obviously everyone can’t be seen all the time, but obviously Ring of Honor has a lot of great guys, I don’t know if they’re considered Indy or not, but look at the roster for PWG. You could just pick and choose from that roster and so many of those guys would be ready to jump right into TNA.”

    Would Edwards prefer to wrestle with Davey Richards in a tag team match or wrestle against him in his final match either with the company or his career: “That’s a good one, could I do them both? I don’t know, it’s a tough one, I think it’d be, depending on who our opponents are, tag wrestling.”

    Check out the complete interview at BlogTalkRadio.com.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling Rating Rises This Week

    The Wednesday, October 1, 2014 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew an 0.875 final cable rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

    Impact Wrestling on Wednesday averaged 1,097,000 viewers, which was up from the average of 969,000 viewers who tuned in the previous week.

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  • Strong Signs TNA Isn’t Sure Of New Deal, Uncertainty Heading Into 2015

    Apparently many people within TNA are confident that the company will continue to operate after their Spike TV deal expires heading into 2015. The main issue right now is what kind of company they will be. Some are under the impression that they will become a bare-bones skeleton company, while others feel they will be a top-level indie style company such as Ring Of Honor. There are others, however, who feel TNA will continue running as they have been, budget-wise.

    There is some talk that claims more permanent budget cuts will be brought on by TNA’s new deal, some that could really change TNA as we know it.

    The fact that top-level talents such as Bully Ray and Samoa Joe were not offered any kind of significant deals is considered a strong sign that TNA is not willing to bank on the idea that next year with a new network is a guarantee.

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  • Backstage Update On When & Where TNA Will Return On TV After Spike Deal

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Robbie E. Talks TNA’s Future On Spike TV, Bound For Glory, Amazing Race

    The following are highlights of a Ring Rust Radio interview with TNA performer Robbie E.

    On the changes Impact has been through and if TNA stays on Spike TV: “I think change is a good thing. It keeps things fresh and exciting. The new night is a shock to some people. Our ratings are already where they normally were. Wrestling really hasn’t been on Wednesday nights before. I think it’s a new setting, it’s ours, and we own it. As far as whether we end up staying on Spike TV or going somewhere else it doesn’t really matter. Our fan base is going to follow and TNA is here to stay.”

    On Bound for Glory being in Japan: “Change is good, something different is good. It is pretty rare and random for a wrestling P.P.V. to be held outside the U.S. especially somewhere like Japan. I think it builds excitement, it’s something different, and you don’t know what to expect. I’m excited to be a part of it; everyone is excited to be a part of it. I think it will be fun as a fan to watch. I think it will be a whole new cool experience with everyone involved.”

    On he and Brooke starring in The Amazing Race: “When you think of me and when you think of Brooke, you think of two of the wildest and craziest people in wrestling. I think we are perfect for reality TV. We are the perfect two people to race around the world and do a whole bunch of crazy stuff. It is going to be a wild and exciting 12 weeks. You’re going to see Robbie E. do things you probably didn’t think he would ever be willing to do. Let’s just say I don’t like animals.”

    Check out the complete interview at BlogTalkRadio.com.

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  • TNA’s Plans If They Don’t Have Enough Material, TNA Employees Finish Up This Week

    This week’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania will be the final live events in the United States for the company. As a result, a number of TNA’s production crew members will be finishing their runs with the promotion at these events.

    TNA may end up producing some episodes of Impact Wrestling that will consist of mostly clips, highlights and storyline reviews. They will go that route if they end up not having enough material to air on Spike TV once they’re finished with this week’s tapings in Bethlehem.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling Viewership For September 10, 2014

    The Wednesday, September 10th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew 1,049,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

    The 1.049 million average marks a decrease from last week’s number, which was 1,095,000, the highest viewership the show has drawn since moving to Wednesday nights.

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  • Kurt Angle Talks About His Knee Surgery, Where He Ranks Himself, TNA & More

    The following is a transcript of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Kurt Angle.

    Donald Wood: Impact Wrestling recently made the jump from Thursday to Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV. What are your thoughts on the move for the company’s flagship show and what it could mean for the future of the TNA on SpikeTV?

    Kurt Angle: Well I believe it’s a positive step both for TNA and for Spike. You obviously want to keep ratings higher or get a high rating so Wednesday is always a good night. Thursdays you’re obviously up against football, also I believe WWE Smackdown might be moving to Thursday. There are a lot of people that like to watch both programs. I think it was a smart move both on Spikes part and TNA.

    Mike Chiari: Over the past couple months you’ve been acting as the on-screen Director of Wrestling Operations for TNA while healing from your injury. What are some of the challenges that come with serving in an authoritative role rather than being an in-ring performer, and is this something you’d be interested in doing more of when you’re no longer an active competitor?

    Kurt Angle: Oh without a doubt. I love the business and I caught on very quickly in every aspect of the in-ring work to mic work to the psychology. I really enjoy and have a passion for it. I thought I would never have a passion for it like I do considering I come from Olympic wrestling but for some reason I was bred to do it and I really enjoy my role right now. It gives you a broader perspective of what’s going on in the company, what’s the best situation for the company, and what wrestlers need to be pushed a little harder. You can’t push ’em all at once so it’s very difficult, you have to be very selective. John Gaburick, who is the head of our talent relations and head of production and everything else, asked me to help out with the situation and not only be on camera but also behind the scenes helping out any way I can. I do enjoy it and I do see a future in that when I retire.

    Brandon Galvin: On Jim Ross’ podcast and in other interviews, you’ve spoken in great detail about your start in professional wrestling. You instantly became one of the top wrestlers in the business. Could you share with us what you attribute your evolution as a performer to and what it means to you to be considered one of the best to ever step in the ring?

    Kurt Angle: Well I never considered myself one of the best ever. It had a lot to do with that I had a lot of success and I caught on very quickly. Within two years I was calling my own matches. That just doesn’t happen in the business. It’s way too difficult of a business to have somebody that’s two years green basically carrying the match, putting the match together, and structuring it. I did and the reason I did was because I was not a good leader. I forgot everything I had ever learned my whole life about Olympic wrestling and I decided that I was going to have the wrestlers in the ring teach me: The Undertakers, HHHs, Rocks, and Stone Colds. I listened and I was a very good listener. I listened to everything they did and why they did it. I studied the business but never watched a day of wrestling before I started. Now I watch tapes all the time especially of matches from the 70’s and 80’s to get ideas and to get a good grasp of psychology. I was a very good listener and because I became a very good listener I stepped into the leader part where I could be a good leader. Within three years, I was probably one of the best wrestlers in the business at that time. Overall, you can’t be one of the greatest of all time within three years. Now that I’m fifteen years in the business I would consider myself in the top 20. There are so many great wrestlers like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, HHH, and Stone Cold who never gets credit for being a wrestler. He was incredibly gifted as a wrestler but his character was just so strong that people didn’t care about his wrestling. There are so many great wrestlers in the business; even Undertaker. I was very blessed to be in the ring with those guys and I learned a lot from them.

    Donald Wood: We mentioned your knee injury earlier. You underwent ACL surgery in May. Can you talk about how the recovery process has been, where you’re at physically and when fans can expect you back in the ring?

    Kurt Angle: When I had the surgery I knew I had a torn ACL but the doctors told me I didn’t really have to have surgery. I’ve been wrestling on it for five years without an ACL so I might as well keep going. At this particular time last year it started limiting me and I can’t be a limited wrestler when I’m in the ring, I have to be able to go 110%. So because of the shifting in my knee it made me nervous and made me feel like my knee was going to blow out at any time. So I opted to have the ACL surgery so I could go back to the way I was. The recovery process was longer than I expected. I was expecting to be back in the ring by October which would have been five and a half months. That’s not possible. This is a very, very slow and steady process. I’d say I’ll be back in the ring by December or January and that’s rushing it. I want to be ready. I don’t want to just go in there and have to nurse my knee I want to be a 110 % so I can do what I do.

    Mike Chiari: Having spent eight years in WWE and now eight years in TNA you’ve had two extremely successful and unique halves of a professional wrestling career to this point. If you had to identify yourself either solely as a WWE guy or a TNA guy in terms of what you’ve accomplished, which would you label yourself and why?

    Kurt Angle: What I would label myself? You know you always go back to where you started. I don’t think you can label Sting as a TNA guy. He’s a WCW guy and even Sting in WWE now will always be remembered as a WCW guy. So I can’t say I’m a TNA guy obviously. WWE is where I started and Vince McMahon made me who I am and gave me the opportunity but I’ve had a better career in TNA. Now a lot of WWE fans might not believe that or they may have never seen me wrestle in TNA but the matches I’ve had in TNA were actually better than the matches I had in WWE. That’s a hard thing to say, but the matches I’ve had with Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and the different matches with different wrestlers like Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Desmond Wolf, Mr. Anderson, and Bobby Roode. I would say I was probably more consistent in TNA although I was always known to have the best matches and be a very consistent wrestler in WWE. I think it’s because the older I got the more I improved, the more I mastered the craft, the more I was able to let myself do what I do and have more confidence. The reason the second part of my career was better than the first was because of that.

    Brandon Galvin: A lot has been said by other wrestlers recently about the state of the industry. How do you feel about the current state of the industry compared to when you entered?

    Kurt Angle: Well ya know I think that we are at a time now where we need to go back. Let’s just say the WWE Attitude Era – what made it so successful? There were so many great wrestlers that were at the top. Stone Cold, the Rock, Undertaker, HHH, Kane, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, nobody was banking on one wrestler. For instance, Hulk Hogan in the late 80’s it was just Hulk Hogan. John Cena for the past 6, 7 years, it was just John Cena, I believe that the reason they had so much success is they didn’t bank on one wrestler. They had so many great wrestlers and they all shared time in the main events. That’s what we need to do in pro wrestling. To make it better, to add so more flavor to it, so it’s not the same person all the time. I think both companies are on the right track, for WWE and TNA I think you are gonna see a lot more improvement in the future.

    Donald Wood: Let’s talk about Olympic wrestling. You fought for its reinstatement as an Olympic event and the IOC has ensured it will be part of the 2020 Games. As one of the greatest wrestlers in Team USA history, what does wrestling mean to the Olympics and do you think the focus on the sport will help build an even stronger American wrestling program moving forward?

    Kurt Angle: Ya know it was shocking to everybody that wrestles, especially with the other sports that were considered in being dropped. Wrestling isn’t just an Olympic pastime, it’s as old as the Olympics, it’s the oldest sport in the world. There just is a lot of things that needed to be adjusted in the U.S.O.C. or I should say F.I.L.A., the World Governing Body of Wrestling. They always march to the beat of a different drum and they didn’t want to go to the meetings. The I.O.C. weren’t very cooperative, they did their own thing, and I think they did tick off a few people. They also have been changing the rules every four years. So even if you’re not an avid wrestling fan and you’re watching the Olympics on TV, and you remember four years ago you are wondering, “What’s going on? Why did this guy score a point? I don’t understand?” It’s very difficult to explain it when every four years you keep changing the rules. What the I.O.C. has considered with F.I.L.A. is to keep it consistent. I’ll give you an example: It used to be three-three minute periods, then it was three-two minute periods. Then it was just one five minute period, and then it was two-three minute periods again. Now its two rounds, now were into rounds. I don’t understand that if you win the first and second round there won’t be a third. You could score ten points in the first round and lose by one point in the second round it would go to the third round even though you were leading by ten points in the match. It’s just confusing to even tell you and but it’s even more confusing to watch. What they need to do is simplify it and to keep it that way and also to involve women. I believe that they are adding more women’s weight classes. They obviously brought women to the Olympics a few Olympics back and now they are adding more women’s weight classes but at the same time they are pulling back from the men’s weight classes and that’s gonna hurt a little bit. When I was there, there was ten men’s weight classes now I believe there are seven and they want to drop it to six. That’s gonna be very difficult to make the Olympic team. It’s difficult as it was and it was almost impossible back then when I wrestled now it’s even more impossible.

    Mike Chiari: You previously said on Jim Ross’ podcast that your TNA contract expires on September 21, which is now less than two weeks away. At that point, you seemed open to exploring all options whether that’s re-signing with TNA or perhaps returning to WWE. Now that decision time is kind of on the horizon, where do things stand currently for you and what direction do you envision yourself going in?

    Kurt Angle: Well right now I’m not at liberty to say where I’m going but I will tell you I’m going to do the right thing for me and my family. I am in the process of structuring a deal and I do have a company in mind. I haven’t said yes because I want to make it a public thing with the company and myself. I can’t really say who it is or where I’m going but I can tell you it’s going to happen in the next two weeks before my contract is even up. I won’t be wrestling until January but there will be a signing in the next couple of weeks.

    Brandon Galvin: You’ve had so many incredible matches and feuds over the course of your career in both WWE and TNA, but if you had to choose one guy as your greatest all-time rival who would that be and why?

    Kurt Angle: Well ya know a lot of people don’t get to see many of them. I wish I could’ve had a little more with Shawn Michaels. We had an amazing chemistry but we only had a few matches. The one I really, really meshed with very well was Chris Benoit. It’s hard for me to say that but it’s the truth. We were so equally matched with the intensity and the moves that we had and just our abilities, it was a downright war every time we wrestled. If you watch those matches, especially the match in Boston from Royal Rumble in 2003 there was maybe one punch the whole match. it was wrestling and submission trade off. That’s how you tell a story. When you can do that and you’re not running the ropes the whole time and throwing punches and doing high spots and you can wrestle in the middle of the ring and you have the fans in the palm of your hands that is magic. That’s what makes wrestling so great. When you can do that you know you’re one of the best.

    Check out the audio of the interview above.

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  • Vince Russo Responds To Spike TV Executive, Russo On “The Ross Report”

    Vince Russo has been having a field day on Twitter since David Schwarz of Spike TV released a statement in response to comments he made during a recent interview. Below are some tweets from Russo in response to Schwarz and Spike.

    Speaking of Russo, he is the guest on the latest edition of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast. The official description for the show reads as follows:

    TRR – Ep30 – Vince Russo

    “JR talked to Vince Russo the day before he was fired from TNA Impact, so you won’t hear much discussion about the current state of the promotion or its beleaguered future. What you will hear though is plenty of stories about Vince’s run in WWE during the Attitude Era, his longtime creative partner Ed Ferrara, both of his abbreviated runs at WCW, his relationship with Vince McMahon, Owen Hart, The Undertaker, & The Rock. Plus, JR & Vince Russo go head-to-head on wrestling philosophy & psychology.”

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

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    Spike TV Responds To Vince Russo, Says “He Never Meant Anything” To Them

    As we reported on Monday, Vince Russo made some comments about Spike TV during an interview on the Pro Wrestling Report. For those who didn’t see them, below is what Russo had to say.

    “I’ve been holding this back for years and I finally get to say this. I felt like Hannibal Lechter when he was strapped in and had his mouth wired shut. Spike TV is a horrible partner. Why TNA would ever want to partner with Spike is beyond me, unless there were no other options. If Spike TV were the only option to stay on television, then I would understand it. They are a horrible partner. They know nothing about the wrestling business. They way they advertised and marketed the program over the years was absolutely atrocious.

    I can tell you this from a position where I worked with the USA Network, I worked directly with Bonnie Hammer. She was the female version of Vince McMahon. She knew what she was doing. When you had Bonnie Hammer at USA and Vince McMahon, the sky was the limit. If TNA signs another deal with Spike TV, great for them. It will move along for another two years and everyone will work, but the product will not grow on Spike TV. My hope for TNA is that a new network comes along and embraces TNA and gives them the time and investment to help grow the product. I can’t say this enough. TNA on Spike TV will never grow.”

    David Schwarz, Senior Vice President of Communications with Spike TV, took exception to Russo’s comments and offered the following response:

    I want to start by saying we enjoyed a great relationship, a very collaborative relationship with Dixie Carter and her team over the years. We took TNA from a late night spot on Saturday nights, doing 500,000 viewers, to a two-hour time slot that did two million viewers over time. Spike went out of its way, not in just adhering to its contract, but above and beyond the contract. We paid Hulk Hogan, we paid Eric Bischoff, with our money. We financed many shows. We financed U.K. shows. We helped promote. We gave TNA a prime time slot of Thursdays from 9-11 p.m. I think his comments are way off base. Clearly, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s somebody who thinks more of himself than really exists. Vince Russo never meant anything to Spike TV. He had nothing to do with negotiations. Nobody cares about Vince Russo at Spike TV. Nobody cares or knows who he is. We have a great relationship with TNA. We went above and beyond for them, as they did for us. Dixie helped promote our shows. What Vince Russo is saying is complete nonsense.”

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  • Vince Russo Explains Why He Lied About Working For TNA, Talks TNA/Spike TV Issues

    The following are highlights of a new Pro Wrestling Report interview with Vince Russo.

    His last run with TNA: “I had been working with them just as a consultant since October (2013) so I was there for the last 10 months. I was told by John Gaburick, I guess he is vice president of talent and creative that he told spike of my involvement in working with TNA in January. so to set the record straight, if John Gaburick is telling the truth and I have no reason doubt him, spike knew about my involvement with TNA going back to January. To say that Spike found out around it right around the time contract negotiations broke down, That is just an untruth.”

    Lying about doing consulting work with TNA: “From the get-go my job at TNA hinged at nobody knowing I worked for them. It was going to be secretive. I didn’t like that from the get-go. I don’t like to be dishonest and not being in the open and to hide things. I don’t like that and I felt very uncomfortable. The fact of the matter is, that’s what Dixie Carter wanted. I did my best for 10 months and do the best i could do for what they wanted.”

    His thoughts on why he was asked to re-join the company in October 2013 and why it was kept a secret: “When they first signed me on, Eric Bischoff was still very hands on with the product. I thought that they just didn’t want Eric Bischoff to know that Vince Russo was back working on the product in a consulting role. As everyone knows, soon after Eric Bischoff was sent home. Yet the secret still remained. I think that Dixie may have just been afraid about the feedback she would get from the internet community about what their feelings would be to have Vince Russo back working with TNA.”

    Why he thinks the Internet Wrestling Community hates him: “Here’s the thing. I’ve been working in wrestling for over 20 years now. No nobody from this internet wrestling community has ever approached me or confronted me about anything. They just report what they have heard from another party. What they heard from hearsay. What they heard from this ‘source’ that nobody knows about. Nobody has ever dared to confront me as you and I are having this conversation right now.”

    “The point is this. the internet wrestling community is just a small part of the audience. My job as a creator is to make the highest rating I possibly could. When you are talking about high ratings you need to talk about the appeal to the masses. When you need to appeal to the masses you can’t exactly do things the internet wrestling community wants you to do them. You are more or less going after a broader appeal of that casual fan. So because I did not represent wrestling the way they (The internet wrestling community) wants it. That’s what started the personal attacks ‘I’m a moron, I’m an idiot, I don’t know what I’m doing’”

    The issues between Spike TV and TNA: “I’ve been holding this back for years and I finally get to say this. I felt like Hannibal Lecter when he was strapped in and had his mouth wired shut. Spike TV is a horrible partner. Why TNA would ever want to partner with Spike is beyond me unless there were no other options. If Spike TV were the only option to stay on television then I would understand it. They are a horrible partner, they know nothing about the wrestling business. The way they advertised and marketed the program over the years was absolutely atrocious.”

    “I can tell you this from a position where I worked with the USA network. I worked directly with Bonnie Hammer. She was the female version of Vince McMahon. She knew what she was doing. When you had Bonnie Hammer at USA and Vince McMahon, the sky was the limit. If TNA signs another deal with Spike TV great for them. It will move along for another two years and everyone will work but the product will not grow on Spike TV. My hope for TNA is that a new network comes along and embraces TNA and gives them the time and investment to help grow the product. I can’t say this enough. TNA ON SPIKE TV WILL NEVER GROW!”

    His relationship with Dixie Carter: “You know here is the thing. I’ve worked with Dixie Carter for over 10 years now. Every time I sat back and watched while Dixie brought in new leader after new leader. I know full well how things were going to turn out and where it was heading. But my job was the television part so I never got involved. I always took on this attitude of looking out for Dixie Carter and looking out for her interest and I think Dixie knows that. That’s why I think there will always be a relationship between us. I just wanted to have the best television show and protect her.”

    Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff coming into TNA: “You know here is the thing. I don’t know. I’m not privy to how much they made. I don’t know how much they affected international markets. I didn’t look into how much business they were able to ascertain with the Hulk Hogan name in other markets. I never looked into that. In terms of the impact they made on a week to week television show, I can say that it just wasn’t there. I don’t think it was realistic that some people thought that the rating was going to go from a 1.4 or whatever it was to a 2.4 or 3.4. It doesn’t work that way. But I also thought it was never going to work from the get-go to be honest with you.”

    You can check out the complete video interview above.

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  • Final Rating For The August 27th Edition Of TNA Impact Wrestling

    The Wednesday, August 27th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 0.79, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 0.79 final draw marks an increase compared to the 0.65 rating that last week’s show drew for the first Wednesday episode.

    Wednesday’s Impact Wrestling averaged 928,000 viewers, which was also up from the 852,000 viewers who tuned in last week.

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  • Big Update On TNA’s Future: Which Network Wants Them?, & More

    As noted over the weekend, TNA is under the impression that Spike TV will not be renewing them past 2014, however they feel they have another television deal lined up.

    According to recent reports, the network that has expressed interest in TNA is The Discovery Network’s VELOCITY channel, which is only available in 48 million homes and only in HD.

    The key issue with the VELOCITY deal is that it is reportedly only worth under a quarter of what they earn in rights fees from Spike TV.

    While TNA officials are reportedly relieved that they have at least another television option if Spike TV doesn’t work out, they are also reportedly disappointed in the financial offer that has been made. They also hope that this deal will lead to other potential partners contacting them in the near future, possibly with a better deal.

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  • Backstage Update On TNA/Spike TV: TNA Lines Up New Network, Likely Moving

    The word going around the television industry is that Spike TV wants out of the pro wrestling business and as a result, will not be keeping TNA’s Impact Wrestling on their schedule, nor will they be buying out TNA, or buying into any other pro wrestling promotions, as had been rumored in the past..

    The impression is being given that TNA has a new television home to move to once their deal with Spike TV expires, however it is said to be a smaller network.

    What’s interesting is that Spike TV is reportedly willing to let TNA remain on the network after their deal is up at the end of this year, likely week-to-week, until they transition to their new network.

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  • Vince Russo Shoots On TNA, Mike Sanders On Russo’s Latest Podcast & More

    Vince Russo sent along the following …

    This week on “The Swerve” with Vince Russo, things get very, very interesting and the fans get double their money’s worth.

    First off, Vince interviews “Above Average” Mike Sanders, a veteran of WWE, WCW, TNA as well as a US military veteran, stand up comic, and TV star (including Burn Notice, Homeland, and The Game). As somebody who Vince describes as “by far the most underrated person I ever worked with in wrestling”, Vince walks Mike through his wrestling career, from his quick start in front of the camera, to how the left the business, and everything he’s accomplished in the entertainment business since the departure.

    How DDP got him started in the business: “In 1998, I was training in Main Event Fitness, and at the time, DDP was there, and Ray Lloyd (Glacier), Billy Kidman, High Voltage – basically if you were a WCW wrestler back then, you trained at that gym. And I remember having conversations, I was a 235lb guy, and I remember training alongside guys like Horshu and DDP and just having conversations. And I was like, “I wanna be a stand-up comic!” and DDP was like “No no…bro…you wanna be a pro wrestler!”

    How Paul Orndorff tried to fire him, and Russo saved his job: “Paul’s famous line was ‘Put on 20lbs, come back, and we’ll look at you.’, and I left that day. Later on that evening, Terry Taylor called me and said “Man, I know you got released, but I’d really hate to lose you.” So, Terry called me later that week and said, “Would you be interested in doing some Russo-Bischoff security?” We were at the Georgia Dome, and I remember Orndorff wanted Vince to look at everybody including Sean O’Hare, and there was a brief moment when Vince said “Give him his job back.” I was standing right there, Terry Taylor was there, and Orndorff was there. But Orndorff wasn’t happy about it.”

    Mike also shares his memories of the WCW Power Plant, including how he went down to the Power Plant as one of 50 students, which then shrank to 3 students, with Mike ultimately being the only one to graduate. Four months later, he was on TV performing as a WCW Superstar.

    Vince also discusses Mike’s heat with a number of people backstage, his short time in WWE and why it didn’t work, comedy, religion, and how a 28 year old father of two, working for his dad’s towing business, was able to become a professional wrestler so quickly.

    Regarding Mike’s career ending so quickly, Vince also shares what he considers to be “one of the biggest problems in professional wrestling, has been since day one, and will continue to be.”

    Plus, if that’s not enough, Vince Russo himself also shares his opinions on the recent comments of TNA’s John “Big“ Gaburick, who claimed that Vince has been “acting in a self-destructing manner that could hurt the company” – and it all started with Russo talking to Jim Ross!

    TNA having a problem with Vince and JR: “Prior to the start of my falling out with TNA, I had committed to JR’s podcast. The day before I was to do it, I received an e-mail from TNA management telling me that they did not want me to. Knowing that was coming, because I know TNA’s elementary and childish ways of doing business, I called JR and told him that I couldn’t discuss ANY TNA business during our interview. JR told me that while that wasn’t an issue, he still had to ask in doing his job, so upon his question I could just say that, “I was not at liberty to talk about TNA”. Simple. Easy. Done. I went back to TNA and told them about my conversation with JR. That wasn’t good enough—they still didn’t want me to do it. Also, as a side note, just keep in mind that BOTH Kurt Angle and Bully Ray were ALLOWED to do JR’s podcast just week’s prior—but, not Vince Russo.”

    Russo on TNA having bigger problems than him: “In TNA management’s own words, they were worried about me hurting the company by talking to my colleagues and friends, but yet they are not hurting their own company by (a) Not having a new TV deal (b) Possibly losing Kurt Angle (c) Bully Ray “allegedly” telling the locker room that he didn’t plan on resigning with TNA. With the monumental problems that TNA management has before them—they are afraid of the damage that Vince Russo will do by talking to Good Ol’ JR?!”

    The audio interview can be found now at http://www.pyroandballyhoo.com/Plus, become a member of #TheBrand to check out Vince’s extended VIP VIDEO INTERVIEW with Mike Sanders (another hour-plus interview), exclusively in our VIP Section. More information here:http://www.pyroandballyhoo.com/vip/

    Check out the complete podcast above.

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  • Dixie Carter Speaks On Her TV Return, Impact Wrestling Moving To Wednesday Nights

    TNA President Dixie Carter recently took to Twitter to promote her upcoming sit-down interview with Mike Tenay, which will air during the Hardcore Justice-themed edition of Impact Wrestling, which will air as the first episode of the show to run on Wednesday night on Spike TV.

    Dixie tweeted the following:

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  • TNA Announces Next Set Of Impact Wrestling & One Night Only PPV Tapings

    With the announcement of TNA airing Impact Wrestling on Spike TV on Wednesday nights, the company has confirmed their next set of television tapings.

    TNA will be taping Impact Wrestling and One Night Only pay-per-views on September 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

    Originally, TNA was going to return to New York City on those dates, however they decided instead to run in Bethlehem, as they reportedly loved the location when taping there back in June.

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  • Matches & Segments Announced For Next Wednesday’s TNA Hardcore Justice Show

    The following matches and segments have been announced for next week’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, which is the first show scheduled to air in the new Wednesday time slot on Spike TV, as well as a “Hardcore Justice” themed show.

    – Mike Tenay will interview Dixie Carter about going through a table

    – Samoa Joe vs. Low Ki for the X-Division Championship

    – Six Sides Of Steel to determine the new number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

    – Abyss vs. Bram in a Stairway To Janice match

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