As noted previously, TNA and Spike TV announced today that Impact Wrestling will move to Wednesday nights beginning with next week’s show.

The decision for the move was reportedly made within the past few days and one of the key reasons behind the switch was all of the competition that TNA faces on Thursday nights, with NFL games on CBS and the rumored move of WWE SmackDown to Thursday nights on SyFy.

The first edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Wednesday will air next week, August 20th on Spike TV.

The following is from ImpactWrestling.com:

IMPACT WRESTLING MOVING TO WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 9/8C ON SPIKE TV BEGINNING NEXT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 14, 2014) – TNA today announced its flagship program, IMPACT WRESTLING, will make a permanent move to Wednesday nights at 9/8c on SPIKE TV beginning next Wednesday, Aug. 20.

“Moving IMPACT WRESTLING to Wednesday nights gives existing fans and new viewers an opportunity to enjoy both wrestling and live sports even more throughout the week,” said TNA President Dixie Carter.

IMPACT WRESTLING has enjoyed sustained ratings growth this summer, drawing over 1.5 million viewers each week this quarter, and is among the most watched cable series in key male demos in its timeslot.

The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s taped edition of TNA Impact Wrestling, which airs on Spike TV:

– Team 3D vs. The Hardy Boys

– Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky vs. Taryn Terrell vs. Gail Kim [TNA Knockouts Championship]

– Gunner vs. Mr. Anderson

– Kenny King, MVP & Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Aries, Eric Young & Bobby Roode

The Thursday, August 7th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 1.09, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 1.09 final draw marks an increase compared to the previous week’s 1.02 final rating.

Thursday’s Impact Wrestling averaged 1.411 million viewers, which was also up from the 1.383 million viewers who tuned in the previous week.

There was said to be a lot of concern backstage at the TNA Impact Wrestling television taping on August 6th, as the rumors that WWE SmackDown may be moved to Thursday nights — which is the night Impact Wrestling airs — began to spread on the internet.

Combined with the fact that talent has yet to hear anything official regarding the company’s future on Spike TV, the feeling was that many were panicking about their jobs and the future of TNA.

As things stand now — several days later — there has still yet to be any official word as to what the future holds for TNA on the cable channel.

The following are highlights of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Paul Heyman:

Donald Wood: SummerSlam is Sunday, August 17, on the WWE Network. Your client, Brock Lesnar, will be fighting John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. After being behind one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history, what does the duo of Lesnar and Heyman have in store for SummerSlam?

Paul Heyman: The same thing that was in store for The Undertaker at WrestleMania; a beating beyond compare. I don’t need to hype SummerSlam to those who understand the dominance that prevails in the universe that has been conquered by Brock Lesnar. I think the people who need to be sold on this Pay-Per-View are John Cena fans, to which I offer this very quick sales pitch. If you are a fan of John Cena, and if you are there is no accounting for taste, this is your last opportunity to see him. And if you think it’s all hype and hyperbole, here’s something to consider; if you look back on 21 appearances at WrestleMania by The Undertaker, you can rarely find a video clip of someone even getting a two-count on The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar just didn’t beat The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar hospitalized The Undertaker. Brock Lesnar gave The Undertaker such an ass-kicking that The Undertaker has not been seen, nor heard from since. There was no controversy. There was no outside interference. There was no manager distraction. Brock Lesnar stepped into the ring and beat The Undertaker within an inch of his life, and the same fate awaits for John Cena at the Staples Center, on August 17 in Los Angeles at SummerSlam.

Mike Chiari: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena is the biggest money match WWE has to offer right now, but after SummerSlam what Superstar or Superstars would you like to see Brock face moving forward? Who do you think is ready to and worthy of going up against Brock?

Paul Heyman: I see Brock Lesnar defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against all comers. That could mean Randy Orton, that could mean Seth Rollins, that could mean Roman Reigns, that could mean Dean Ambrose, that could mean Big Show, that could mean Daniel Bryan. If there is anyone that wants to step up and try to take the title away, because that’s the key. You’re not going to just luck a victory over Brock Lesnar. You’re going to have to beat Brock Lesnar in order to take the championship from him. The same way Brock Lesnar is going to hoist John Cena up on his massive shoulders on August 17 at SummerSlam, drive John Cena down to the mat with such ferocity that John Cena will not know what hit him with the F-5 and pin John Cena’s shoulders to the mat 1-2-3 to take from John Cena the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. To strip John Cena of the dignity of being champion.

Brandon Galvin: The running joke among us is that every new promo you cut is a top 10 promo of the year because your delivery and intensity is impeccable and you always incite an emotional reaction from the audience. Is there anybody you’ve studied during your career, whether they be in wrestling or outside wrestling, to help you evolve into the best promo man in the business?

Paul Heyman: Everyone. I watch everyone. I look to see what everyone does. I watched my father present his case to juries, my father was a personal injury attorney in the Bronx, I watched my father present cases to juries when I was a kid. I look now at the WWE Universe as if they are my jury and I am the advocate for my client. In terms of people that I watch, I watch everybody. There is something to learn from every single person who goes out there and performs because you’re going to be judged up against them. The way they hold their hands, the way they hold the microphone, the way they tilt their head, the way they engage the audience, the way someone cuts their eyes to the right and to the left, the way someone avoids the camera, the way someone looks into the camera, how do they hold their legs, what is their body language, what does anything they do tell you in their desire to convey their message to you. And I study everybody because I’m competing with them in terms of being the best person on the microphone.

Donald Wood: Tuesday marked the release of the new “Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Paul Heyman” DVD. As someone who has been around the business for a long time, how does it feel to have a DVD made about you and what’s it like knowing the WWE is behind the production?

Paul Heyman: If you asked me two years ago if the WWE would’ve made a DVD of me, I wouldn’t say yes. I wouldn’t have envisioned this coming and I wasn’t particularly happy when I heard they were going to do it because I didn’t know what stories they were going to tell. I also knew that meant sitting down and reflecting upon my career and my life and I hate looking back. I’m obsessed with looking forward. I’m flattered by all of the positive reviews the DVD has gotten and I’m glad people like the take that was offered. Really, I have nothing to bitch about regarding it.

Brandon Galvin: Was there anything cut from the DVD that you wish made it?

Paul Heyman: I have no idea what was shot for the DVD. My participation in this DVD, besides giving them pictures of my children and a few pictures of my parents to the WWE, was I sat down for an interview, we did it all in one shot, it took about 16 hours. The only request that I had was that we kinda do it like a Charlie Rose interview. I’m sitting at a table because it’s a more relaxed atmosphere. I didn’t want to shoot it in my house. I didn’t want to shoot it in my office. I sat down for 16 hours and we banged it out. I went in with the full intention of just whatever the question was, I’m going to give it a 100 percent honest answer. I don’t know what else was shot. I wasn’t privy to who was being interviewed for it, although I had heard. I don’t know what footage that was shot ever made it, I don’t know which stories were told never made it, which probably means if this documentary goes well there will be a Part II. After doing an interview for 16 hours, I don’t really know what they asked me that didn’t make the cut simply because it was a 16-hour interview and I was glad to be done with it.

Mike Chiari: You were there front and center when Brock Lesnar picked up the biggest win in WrestleMania history against The Undertaker. Knowing what type of condition he was in after that match and knowing everything he’s accomplished over the course of his career, in your opinion do you believe we’ll ever see The Undertaker wrestle another match?

Paul Heyman: I don’t know. I truly don’t know. I don’t know as a human being and I don’t know as a character. I don’t know what he’s thinking and I don’t know what his reaction to this is. I didn’t see The Undertaker after the match. The Undertaker legitimately collapsed five seconds after he walked through that curtain. He never even made it to the Gorilla position. He was in between the set and the curtain that leads to the control room, known as the Gorilla position. He collapsed there. They loaded him into the ambulance down a side ramp from right behind the curtain and was taken straight to the hospital. That’s not a storyline, that’s the way it happened. I don’t know how he feels about it. I don’t know if he feels that once his streak was over, that’s what he had left to give. And I don’t know if he feels that he doesn’t want to go out like that. It’s not something I’m privy to the answer of and nor should I be for that matter. It’s clearly his decision.

Donald Wood: I’d be remiss as a kid from Philadelphia who witnessed the ECW revolution if we didn’t touch on that. You helped build one of the most successful wrestling federations in the history of the sport. With TNA struggling and a wide-open market desperate for a viable alternative, do you ever think about getting back in the saddle as a primary shot caller for a company again?

Paul Heyman: No. No. No. In 2010, after Brock Lesnar choked out Shane Carwin, there was a discussion that I had with TNA that involved Spike TV. Ultimately, because TNA had been trying to get me on the phone from the day I left WWE in 2006 and I never took the phone call. We finally got into a conversation because Spike TV had reached out to make that happen. Ultimately, the story of this is, if I was going to do it, I wanted the Dana White deal. I wanted complete control, I wanted a piece of the company and I wanted the ability to, when the time was right, to take it public. I wanted to do the programming completely different than the way they had been doing it and Spike TV signed off on it. The concept was a very youth-oriented, youth-based, youth-marketed promotion. A complete contrast to the way WWE does things. A complete and utter alternative to WWE at the time. While the ruling family in TNA had no problem with my salary request, my ownership demands, my concepts, etc. etc., they didn’t want to implement as much of a youth-oriented product as I was looking for and I balked at it. I have no regrets about that. At the end of the day, they were happier being a WWE-lite promotion than they were branding themselves something different as TNA. So that was the last flirtation I had with doing my own thing. I do my own thing with my marketing brand and talent agency in New York City called Looking 4 Larry Agency. I’m very proud of the body of work. We have a long list of clients including 2KSports and in the past THQ and EA Sports and a number of different clients. And I get to do my own thing in the mainstream world with a marketing firm right in the heart of New York City. In regard to doing my own thing in sports entertainment, I kinda do my own thing now with Brock Lesnar and I’m very happy doing it. Running a whole show is a 24/7 and 365 commitment, and you would need an enormous amount of financing and very strong distribution set up front to get me to the table to even consider such a task. Otherwise, it’s doomed to fail.

Mike Chiari: During your time at the helm in ECW you became known for your ability and willingness to scour the globe and bring in unique talent. With WWE currently doing the same in the form of Kenta and Prince Devitt specifically how impressed are you with WWE’s efforts to broaden its horizons in a sense?

Paul Heyman: Very. I commend them on this reach out for the best talent on the face of the planet. That obviously includes the two men you just mentioned. We’re getting the cream of the crop and that notes a style change in the WWE. A higher work rate. Higher customer satisfaction in terms of the actual in-ring product. It’s a very exciting future to think about the kind of people who have yet to debut on WWE television.

Check out the complete interview above.

• Jon Jones CAUGHT ON VIDEO Saying He’s LITERALLY Going To KILL Daniel Cormier

It has been reported by various pro wrestling media outlets that Spike TV recently made an offer to buy a partial ownership stake in TNA (rumored to be approximately 10 percent of the company), an offer that TNA President Dixie Carter reportedly declined.

Subsequently, a report on pro wrestling website PW Insider is now claiming that Spike TV President Kevin Kay is backstage at the TNA Impact Wrestling television taping in New York City, which is ongoing right now (Thursday) at the Manhattan Center.

It’s worth noting that Spike TV executive Scott Fishman was in attendance at the Impact Wrestling tapings in New York on Wednesday night as well.

While anything past this point would at best be speculation, many are considering this to be a positive sign in terms of TNA’s future on Spike TV.

We will update you here with any updates regarding this story as soon as they become available.

• Jim Ross/MMA Update, CM Punk To FIGHT In MMA?! + HHH & Stephanie TRASH UFC!

The following are highlights of a new Main Event Radio interview with Jeff Hardy:

What have been your favorite memories working for TNA Impact Wrestling? “For sure it was coming back after Victory Road 2011. 2012 was the best year of my pro wrestling career. Being clean and straight up. Looking great, loving life. 2012 was huge with me, every match. Winning the World title in a killer match-up against Austin Aries. The #1 year for me.”

Victory Road 2011 – I would assume that that had to be the worst night of your career? “I was too f—ed up to even try to get through the match. You see yourself on video, not knowing how bad you were. It’s embarrassing; it’s terrifying watching yourself. Me seeing myself in that shape devastated me. A huge let-down for the fans. Everything that was bad in me pretty much died that night.Thank God they didn’t fire me that night. After Victory Road, that was a huge eye opener. I had a huge decision…I had the chance to do a 120-day outpatient rehab. It was good for me. It saved me.”

When you came back later that year, how did it feel to be forgiven and embraced by the fans? “When I returned I had to go and apologize to everyone in the locker room. I could barely talk, it was horrible. I went in there and went through it, begged for forgiveness. I begged everyone for one last chance. I came out of that whole situation better than ever.”

Recently you were portraying the character of Willow, which we know you’ve done in the past – What brought Willow back in TNA? “We through it around maybe my 2nd or 3rd year. But my hair was cut short and I had to grow it longer for the character to work. One of my best friends, Shannon Moore, his wife made me this awesome mask for it. But it just wasn’t the right time for it. Me and Jeff Jarrett actually talked about it. Some time went on and then I had some time off in January and February this year. Then they called me and I tried to get it ready really quick. Try to develop my approach to the character. Debuted at Lockdown, lasted awhile, and was pretty cool as far as I’m concerned. It will be around, basically as a part of Jeff Hardy’s imagination.”

Reuniting with your brother Matt, the Hardy Boys “It was great. Matt’s been doing his own thing on the indies and Ring of Honor. I’ve been doing my thing in TNA. He went through his own dark period too. Now both of us are on the other side of that.”

Who he would like to work with: “The Wolves, I saw them in ROH and I thought these guys are special, crazy talented. There are so many young talents. We will work with anybody. Devon’s back in TNA. We’re older now and we have so much history with Team 3D. So amazing considering what we’ve put our bodies through and still going out there and doing what we do.”

Do you plan on bringing back the TLC match/Full Metal Mayhem (as it’s known in TNA), maybe at BFG vs the Wolves and Team 3D? “That would be a crazy main event and a definite show-stealer and is entirely possible.”

You recently had a world championship shot against Bobby Lashley. You did a Swanton Bomb and landed directly onto the steel steps. You’re now 36, I’m thinking that your body doesn’t heal as quick. Why put yourself through such risks? “People have texted me while watching Impact saying that I look great. I wish I felt great. It was rough after that match and I had to tape a few more days. I’m so blessed to be in TNA. I can go hard for 3-4 days then I have 2 weeks to heal. I see a chiropractor 3 times a week. I work hard then I go home to heal then I go hard again. My mentality will probably never be right. Each time I go out there and wrestle I think it could be my time, my luck could run out. Luckily I still have a little in me. I’m going to let my body decide. If I feel the same way I do in 5 years from now I will still keep doing what I’m doing right now.”

If you could go back in time and talk to a younger version of yourself, what would you say? “Don’t f*** up man. You know better. Don’t let a substance control you. There’s a long road to recovery and it’s crazy how long it took me to get it. I basically say get it now before it’s too late. Thankfully it never became too late; I never died. But I let the substances control me.”

TNA TV Deal thoughts: “I hope in two years you’re still watching me on Spike every Thursday night. I love being on Spike. I hope they work something out in their negotiations. They use me for my talents and I show up and do the best that I can. It’s not up to me to make that decision, out of my control and I just hope for the best. Ultimately, I would love to remain on Spike.”

Your current goals, as a singles competitor and as a tag team? “I’m not sure if Matt wants a long-term deal or not. As long as he is around we will team. We’ve both got great solo careers also. To win the world title again would be great but I just want to do the best I can. I want to make Jeff Hardy and Willow work in the “3 faces of Foley” character kind of way. In a way that the fans get a glimpse into my mind. When I’m getting ready for a match, the fans see me in as a dark room as Willow seeing what he is telling me in my mind and the fans get to see it and get pumped up. I want to make that work as the Charismatic Enigma.”

Check out the complete interview at MainEventRadio.com.

Vince Russo recently issued the following official statement regarding his situation with TNA and Spike TV:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING MY SITUATION WITH TNA/SPIKE TV

As always, there has been much rumor, hearsay and scuttlebutt surrounding certain topics concerning myself, TNA and Spike TV. At this point in time, having parted ways with TNA and the ability to finally speak freely–there are a few things that I would like to set the record straight on.

1. As I stated earlier this week on the VIP Section of pyroandballyhoo.com, I was officially hired by John Gaburick as a creative consultant on October 24, 2013, with the plan being that it could lead to a permanent position in the future. At the time of my hiring, the specific instructions laid down to me by Dixie Carter,was that if anyone was to find out about our working relationship outside of me, herself and Gaburick—it would come to an end. I asked why the blanket of secrecy from the start—but never received an answer. Almost 9 months later, when an e-mail that I had accidentally sent out to a third-party was brought to the forefront, Gaburick was untruthful in telling the source involved that I was recently hired to produce the TNA announcers.

2. John Gaburick told me sometime in January/February that at a recent TV taping, he DID INDEED tell Spike representative Scott Fishman, that I was working with TNA as a consultant. He even went as far as to tell me that Scott “was cool” with it. Therefore, the story that Spike just found out about my involvement with TNA merely weeks ago, which caused them to not renew their TNA contract, is an ABSOLUTE MISTRUTH. Spike knew of my TNA presence some 6-plus months prior.

3. YES, I am 100% GUILTY of trying to work that said source who received the e-mail, in an effort to protect the wishes of my employer. I regret even agreeing to be dishonest, deceitful and untruthful from the beginning, but the TRUTH is that I needed the income, so I agreed to the verbal restraints that were dictated to me from the start. I regret that now. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have never accepted the job under those circumstances being that my ability to be honest and truthful with family and friends was taken from me.

I hope that clears up many of the rumors that have surrounded me as of late. I take full responsibility for LYING to protect the wishes of my former company, but that is the extent of my responsibility. If I could do it all over again, I would have turned down the job under those guidelines, regardless of the financials involved.

There is much more to this story, but I choose to lay it out one step at a time due to the intricacies of the situation. I just feel it is VITAL at this time to, again, get this point across—if John Gaburick did indeed tell me the truth—that he informed Spike representative Scott Fishman of my working relationship with TNA back at the beginning of the year—then SPIKE TV HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS WORKING WITH TNA OVER SIX MONTHS AGO.

In going forward, my focus becomes 100% on my website pyroandballyhoo.com, and those who choose to go along with me on my journey. In addition to that, there are a couple of projects I’m currently working on and just wanted to share with you briefly.

-I am in talks to further develop a script that my son Will and I wrote about a year ago called Belle of the Brawl – the premise of the show involves a fictional wrestling company owned and operated by a woman.

– Also, I plan on writing the third installment of my wrestling trilogy series that will go into detail concerning my 10 year run with TNA from start to finish. The title of the book is Total Non-Stop Agony, and the plans are to release it digitally through pyroandballyhoo.com.

In conclusion, after 20 years of dedicating my blood, sweat and tears to three major wrestling organizations, without ever holding anything back, and always delivering the best product I possibly could, I think it’s fair to say that that portion of my life has officially come to an end…

…or has it???

Peace,

Vince Russo

– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features Jericho’s take on the TNA/Spike TV situation and an interview with a UFO expert, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:

TIJ – EP61 – UFO Expert Peter Robbins & Y2J talks TNA

“Y2J shares his take on TNA and what its potential demise could mean for pro-wrestling! Plus, it’s all about alien abductions, implants, and sightings with UFO expert Peter Robbins! He’s breaking down the evidence for you to decide… and sharing what he knows about Area 51 and government cover-ups. Skeptic or true believer – this one’s a must-listen!”

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

– Also new at Podcast One today is the latest edition of Goldberg’s “Who’s Next w/ Goldberg” podcast, which features an interview with NFL legend Herschel Walker and more. The official description for that show reads as follows:

Who’s Next w/ Goldberg – Ep11 – Herschel Walker & Wrestling Questions

“NCAA/NFL Legend Herschel Walker checks in with Goldberg. Then BG goes to the phones to answer your wrestling questions.”

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

Despite Vince Russo’s claim on Twitter on Wednesday that he left TNA, word from within the company is that he was actually fired.

As the story goes, TNA executive John Gaburick called Russo and suggested that TNA and Russo no longer work together due to all the controversy from Spike TV, however it ended up not mattering, as Russo was ultimately released from the company altogether.

The following are highlights of a new Alternative Nation interview with Jeff Hardy:

Moving onto wrestling, the first thing I’ve got to ask, is what’s your reaction to the reports that SpikeTV won’t be renewing their contract with TNA, and all of the crazy stories flying around?

I don’t know, I’m not a social network guy, I don’t even read timelines or tweets. But I’m sure negotiations are – I still have hope. It’s not really my problem, but I hope we remain on Spike, I hope they can work something out. Gosh, I hope 1 or 2 years from now we’re still coming on every Thursday night on Spike. I don’t know, I go to the shows, I do the best I can in the ring. That’s my commitment to the company, is to do what I can do to make the show good. It’s their job to use me in the right fashion. As far as re-signing with Spike, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I hope we remain.

You’ve gone through a lot of character changes in the last year. How did bringing your Willow character to TNA come about, and when and why did you go back to being Jeff Hardy recently?

Years ago, I think my 2nd year in TNA on this 2nd run, my buddy Shannon Moore and his wife, she’s a phenomenal seamstress, and she made me a Willow mask. We’d thrown the idea around, but my hair was short, so I was like: ‘I need to grow my hair back if I want this to really look right.’ She made the mask, and then some time passed, and then maybe a year and a half or so later, my hair got longer. Jeff Jarrett and I started talking about the possibility of bringing Willow to TNA. I was like, ‘Yeah!’ I was kind of intimidated, but it’s one of those things that when I look back on my career, I’ll be glad I that I did it.

It’s something I would have loved to do years ago, but the timing was never right. WWE never would have went for it. They would never want ‘Jeff Hardy staying covered, because [he’s] this money maker.’ But that’s what’s so cool about TNA being open-minded, they take a few risks, especially with me, and letting me do that. Because instead of that aggressive heel bad guy character that Willow was back in the OMEGA days, I think now that we’ve experimented with it, it can be a more kid friendly type of deal. Because my daughter Ruby just loves Willow, Kurt Angle’s son Kody loves Willow too. When Jeff Hardy came back, I was just starting to see masks in the crowd, it was just getting rolling good.

But then the reason for Jeff Hardy’s return, is obviously because Matt Hardy came back, and naturally we wanted to do some Hardy Boyz tag matches. That’s the big match this week on Destination X, Thursday night at 9PM on SpikeTV, it’s going to be the Wolves and the Hardy Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles. But that’s basically why Willow is not around right now, because the Hardy Boyz have reunited.

You mentioned Matt being back in TNA, your facing the Wolves on Impact, and Team 3D on an upcoming episode. What’s it like tagging with Matt again after awhile being at such a good place in your life now? Also what was it like being back in the ring with Team 3D after so many years, and do you think you will continue tagging in TNA, maybe some other matches, like getting Beer Money back together?

Oh, that that would be amazing if that happened. But as Matt goes, I don’t know if he’s going to sign a long term deal, I don’t know what he wants to do. But I think the coolest thing for me, I did a few independent shots with Matt back in June, we had two tag matches and they were just great. The guys we worked were just awesome, and we just felt like we were just as good as we were back in the day. Now bringing that back to TV, after Matt and myself, we went through our dark period, and to come out of that and the other side still rocking it, it feels really good to say that we can still go out there and be the Hardy Boyz, and for the fans to still vibe on our style.

That run ended obviously with the Victory Road thing with Sting, and you had a match with Sting on Impact too and wrestled him a few times. What was your relationship like with Sting over the years, when he was in TNA?

It was great, I was still always a bit starstruck every time I would say hello to him at TV’s, because he’s the man. He’s a huge influence for me, back in the day it was him in the NWA, and The Ultimate Warrior in the WWF, that was the combined Jeff Hardy. It really shows now, I’m 36 years old, I think that influence shows pretty clearly through who I am now. But yeah it was great, I can’t wait to see him pop up here in the future.

A guy you did a lot with in the past was CM Punk, who recently reportedly retired. There have been different things said between you guys during the years, but it’s been 5 years now, how do you look back at that now as being a key feud in your career?

It was one of the biggest, pretty close to the best. We had a good chemistry, completely different people, but at the time it was perfect. He is so good, he is so good. That’s another collection as far as feuds go, that I am going to look back at and go, wow I am glad I got to work with that guy and create some immortal artwork that is going to go down in the history books. It’s all good now, I went through my times as far as the way I felt about him, but he’s a good guy, and a good wrestler, he’s done great.

In a perfect world, who would you like to wrestle before you retire? May it be from WWE, TNA, ROH, or wherever?

I think deep down, it would have to be Jushin Thunder Liger. When I first started watching Japanese wrestling way back in the day, he just stood out to me. A lot of the inspiration for Willow back then, was from [him], as far as the mask, superhero, or villain. Oh my gosh, to know he’s still flying over here and working every now and then, makes me want to say: ‘Hey, I want to be part of that dream match.’ So more than anything, I’d say it’s Jeff Hardy vs. Jushin Thunder Liger.

Check out the complete interview at AlternativeNation.com.

The following are highlights of a new Between The Ropes interview with Jeff Hardy:

On whether or not he was worried that he wouldn’t get one more chance with TNA a few years ago following his personal problems: “Oh yeah, definitely. It was a dark, depressing time in my life after Victory Road 2011 was real … it was a sad time for me cause they could have easily fired me and let me go. As far as them giving me that second chance and letting me prove myself, TNA saved me. They saved my life pretty much.”

On hIs thoughts on the talk that Spike TV will not renew Impact Wrestling once the current deal expires: “I just hear that negotiations are ongoing. People have their doubts but me, I’m the type of guy that, you know, I have faith in TNA wherever we end up. I have faith that, you know, a year from now we’re still going to be on Spike. I don’t read Twitter timelines. I don’t follow the social network at all. So, I don’t know. I feel good about being in TNA and as far as I’m concerned I’m going to be on Spike this time next year.”

On if he would like to finish up his career with a return to the WWE like Kurt Angle has said he wants to do: “From time to time I’ll turn on Raw and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the WWE Universe man, because they, what a … the crowds. When I watch, it hurts a little bit. I’m going ‘oh man, that’s my creatures man, my fans’. They’ve supported me so much. And even on the Instagram posts that’s all I ever see. ‘Go back to WWE. You said you’d come back. It’s never forever, it’s just for now’. I mean, ultimately, when the time is right, who knows. But I started there and whether it’s 10, 15 years down the road I would like to end there.”

You can download a MP3 for the complete audio of the above Jeff Hardy interview by clicking here.

As previously reported, TNA President Dixie Carter sent out a tweet on Monday afternoon claiming that negotiations between TNA and Spike TV are still ongoing, despite reports to the contrary.

Additionally, TNA executive Bob Ryder flat out claimed that the reports about TNA’s status with Spike TV are “untrue.” Ryder tweeted the following today:

Reports are not true. Negotiations with @SpikeTV are ongoing.

— Bob Ryder (@brydertna) July 28, 2014

News broke today that Spike TV would not be renewing their television deal with TNA. The company – which is owned by Dixie Carter and currently employs Vince Russo – has had financial difficulties in the past.

In fact, it has almost become a joke to post pictures of TNA crowds on social media websites in recent weeks, as they more closely resemble the crowds one would find at a small county fair, not a touring professional wrestling promotion.

This recent TNA crowd perfectly illustrates why the company is having a hard time securing a television deal.

Although Spike TV decided not to renew TNA’s contract, the current deal still runs through October, providing the company with a few months to find a new home for Impact Wrestling. Initial reports indicate that there is little chance of that happening, however, as few cable providers will be willing to pay the company what Spike TV was paying to air TNA programming.

With their television revenue gone at the end of October and poor ticket sales not bringing in enough to keep the company afloat, Monday’s announcement was likely the death of TNA. With that said, it will be interesting to see if TNA’s departure from the world of televised wrestling will affect the WWE.

After acquiring WCW in March of 2001, the WWE held a virtual monopoly on the world of televised wrestling in the United States. That monopoly was eventually broken after Jeff Jarrett founded TNA in May of 2002. Although TNA has never provided the same level of competition that WCW brought to the table during the 1990s, it at least prevented the WWE from acting as a monopoly.

Other promotions have gained a sizable following in the United States (ROH, CZW, etc.), but TNA has been the only company the WWE had had to worry about finding on television.

Although TNA’s weekly Impact Wrestling show was not renewed by Spike TV, the show was not cancelled, meaning they still have the rest of the existing contract with the remaining dates still on the calendar.

At this point, TNA is still scheduled to run another set of Impact Wrestling tapings in New York City from August 5th – August 7th.

The company announced recently that former ECW Original Tajiri will be part of their NYC tapings in August. TNA wrote the following on their official website.

“ImpactWrestling.com has just learned that the Japanese Buzzsaw, Tajiri, is coming to New York City for the upcoming IMPACT tapings at the Manhattan Center from August 5-7. The thrilling Japanese star made a name for himself wrestling in ECW and currently works for Wrestle-1 in Japan.

Just weeks ago, Rockstar Spud and EC3 travelled to Japan and faced off with Tajiri, falling victim to his signature green mist. At this time, we are searching for details on Tajiri’s involvement at the upcoming #TNANYC shows, but if we had to guess, we’re predicting that someone will be eating a Buzzsaw Kick!”

– TNA and Dixie Carter have yet to officially comment on the news that Impact Wrestling is not being renewed by Spike TV, however Sunday afternoon, when Dixie likely knew about the news, she did post this Impact-related tweet. When she or the company comment on the subject, we will post an update.

Thanks to everyone for all the amazing feedback on #ImpactOnSpike. I'm trying to respond directly, if I miss you… THX DARLIN!

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) July 27, 2014

– Jim Cornette posted the following tweet, pointing the cryptic finger at Vince Russo while addressing the TNA/Spike TV news that broke late Sunday night:

The best comedy writes itself, but the worst writers repeat the same outcomes– #OopsHeDidItAgain #SayGoodnightDixie

— Jim Cornette (@TheJimCornette) July 28, 2014

The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:

On TNA’s TV deal with Spike TV: “It’s curious that Spike hasn’t renewed Impact Wrestling as of yet for the new, fall season. That’s not a great sign and I hope that they do renew their relationship. Spike doesn’t have an over abundance of shows that draw a million viewers in prime time each week. That number could be escalated easily over time.”

On Daniel Bryan: “Daniel Bryan has had a helluva, memorable year….main eventing WrestleMania, getting married, losing his Dad, undergoing neck surgery, subduing a home invader this week and now apparently needling an additional surgery to get him back in the ring. It’s not beyond the realm of comprehension that it could be 2015 until he’s back in a WWE ring. Nonetheless it gives his body a chance to heal and for Bryan and his bride to enjoy life off the road to some degree. The glass can’t always be looked upon as half empty even though DB will be missed by his fans.”

On Rusev and Lana: “The Lana & Rusev controversy is overblown in my view. They are fictional characters who are neither Russian. Could the writers have been smarter and more conservative in light of the recent tragedy? Absolutely. But is this a major travesty? Not even close. That’s my take.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

The Thursday, July 10th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 1.02, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 1.02 final number is the same number that the show finished with the previous week.

Impact Wrestling on Thursday averaged 1.284 million viewers, which was down slightly compared to the 1.325 million viewers who tuned in the week before.

Both TNA president Dixie Carter and the official Spike TV Twitter account posted tweets on Friday to hype up the return of the six-sided ring to Impact Wrestling.

You asked, we listened! Next Thursday on @SpikeTV, #6SidesIsBack! #TNANYC

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) July 11, 2014

Here's something else @IMPACTWRESTLING fans can look forward to next week. pic.twitter.com/dNb0EwAJY5

— SPIKE TV (@SpikeTV) July 11, 2014

– As previously reported, TNA has been contacting former X-Division Champions to appear at the upcoming Destination X pay-per-view event. TNA’s John Gaburick recently noted on Twitter that they will be announcing the names of guys who will be returning soon. He tweeted the following:

Reading all your suggestions for #TNANYC and that talents for #MyDestinationX. Keep them coming. Names announced soon!

— John Gaburick (@JohnGaburick) June 5, 2014

– Below is the official video preview for this week’s edition of Impact Wrestling, which airs this Thursday night on Spike TV:

http://youtu.be/rJzlh-jDpHQ

– Davey Richards noted in a recent interview that he and Eddie Edwards will be defending the TNA Tag-Team Championships at the Slammiversary pay-per-view this Sunday. While he wouldn’t announce who their opponents will be, he did say that fans would “dig it.” You can check out the interview at FightNetwork.com.

– TNA stars Velvet Sky, Taryn Terrell, Jessie Godderz and Bully Ray were in attendance on behalf of the company at the Spike TV “Guys Choice Awards,” which airs tonight at 9pm EST.

– The following is the ninth installment of Kurt Angle’s “#MyComeback” video series:

TNA issued the following press release today …

TNA Entertainment, the Nashville-based sports entertainment company known for the global pro wrestling program, IMPACT Wrestling, has signed with UTA, it was announced jointly today by Dixie Carter, President of TNA Entertainment, and UTA.

TNA Entertainment’s IMPACT Wrestling, one of Spike TV’s top-rated shows, averaging 1.4 million viewers each week, is broadcast in 120 countries worldwide. Additionally, TNA Entertainment produces more than 100 live Impact Wrestling events each year as well as monthly PPV events with such internationally beloved professional wrestling stars as Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, Eric Young, Magnus, James Storm, MVP, Gail Kim and the lovely and lethal Knockouts.

UTA will represent the 12-year-old company to extend its television broadcast reach as well as to expand its licensing programs and slate of live event programming. TNA will also leverage UTA’s expertise in digital and social media to build monetization strategies for its digital media operations. TNA launched a cross-platform programming effort, #IMPACT 365, in October 2013 to provide viewers with ongoing storyline and original content 24/7 on its website and across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and other platforms.

“UTA’s diverse range of capabilities make them an ideal partner to help TNA add tremendous visibility and value to the global IMPACT Wrestling brand,” said Dixie Carter. “We are confident that by working with the UTA team, we will not only expand our wrestling business in exciting ways, but we will also build new entertainment ventures and properties.”

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee, that specializes in events, products, numerous TV properties, merchandise and music, as well as, the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. The product is the world’s most innovative experience in professional wrestling and is broadcast in more than 120 countries. For more information, please visit www.impactwrestling.com.

United Talent Agency is a premier global talent and literary agency representing many of the world’s most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, video games, books, music, theatre and live entertainment. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, film packaging, corporate consulting, branding, licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. The agency operates the brand strategy firm UTA Brand Studio as well as New York and Los Angeles-based United Entertainment Group, a joint venture firm focusing on branded entertainment for Fortune 500 companies. UTA also owns leading broadcast and news agency N.S. Bienstock.

The wrestlers in TNA continue to be nervous over the fact that nothing has been announced regarding the company signing a contract renewal to remain with Spike TV.

Additionally, there has been talk that one of the reasons TNA is looking at going into the expensive New York television tapings this summer is to impress Spike TV management and prove that they are still looking to improve. They also feel that the Northeast audience will come across as more rabid on television.

Apparently many people within TNA are outwardly rooting for Jeff Jarrett and his new promotion to succeed. Not only is it because of the fact that it would open up more jobs for talent in the business, but as a safety net as well.

With every week that passes without an announcement from either Spike TV or TNA about a new television deal, as the current contract between the two is set to expire in the fall, concern grows.

Morale within TNA was said to be high during their recent U.K. tour, as the guys felt like they were part of a major league promotion, when the company failed to draw a decent crowd for Lockdown, their second biggest pay-per-view of the year, the mood changed.

For the most part, faith in TNA creative, as well as Dixie Carter and John Gaburick, is low right now. There’s also a belief that Vince Russo is secretly involved in the creative process, which doesn’t help morale as the feeling is Russo hasn’t led any company to legitimate success since he left WWE nearly 15 years ago.