Posts Tagged ‘Tna Hard To Kill’

Killer Kelly on TNA Wrestling morale, working with Masha Slamovich & more (Exclusive)

Killer Kelly had every right to feel all sorts of emotions walking out the TNA Hard to Kill 2023 PPV event over the weekend. She and tag team partner, Masha Slamovich, lost the Knockout Tag Team Championships to Decay during the event, but the show itself was one of the most successful that TNA has put on in the last ten years. All things considered, Kelly said it all was “crazy.”

In an exclusive interview with SEScoops, Kelly spoke fondly about her company and the progress she’s seen it make the last few years. She also detailed how her chemistry with Masha Slamovich came to be, their Dog Collar Match, and what her top future goals are for herself.

Here’s our interview and highlights:

TNA backstage morale

“The first thing that comes to mind is ‘crazy,'” Kelly said of company morale after Hard to Kill. “Everyone is so happy backstage. Everyone is excited to be a part of TNA. People from the roster, people that aren’t on the roster. Will Ospreay. He was just a kid. Super happy to be a part of TNA. Everyone who arrived at the venue, who saw the tunnel, just freaked out. Like ‘oh my god this is so cool!’ Everyone wanted to show out. Everyone was like, we’re going to show what TNA is all about and everyone did.”

Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich were a part of a heated rivalry over the summer — a rivalry that jumpstarted their work as a team and one that culminated in vicious Dog Collar Match. Kelly was insistent that working with Slamovich as a partner or opponent was easy due to just how good Slamovich is in the ring.

“We were very lucky that we’re very alike,” Kelly said of Slamovich. “It wasn’t hard at all to get on that level and have that chemistry. It just popped up. We didn’t have to force it. It was just natural to us. That Dog Collar Match was one of my favorite matches ever. We’ve created history together and that chemistry, you can’t make it up. It was there the moment we had our first lock up.”

Regarding the Dog Collar Match between Kelly and Masha Slamovich at Against All Odds 2023 in June, Kelly revealed it was quite easy putting the match together. 

“We didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about that,” Kelly said of planning the match. “It was literally, we got in that day and we’re like ‘ok,’ let’s see how the chain and the dog collar feel because we hadn’t done anything like that before. It was on the day a few hours before the match and we were like ‘oh, this is quite heavy.’ But it was so easy and so quick to come up with ideas. Of course, we had Tommy Dreamer there helping us with the match and it was easy for us because we have the same mind. We’re twisted in our own way. The storytelling, everything. It was a beautiful ending to our little feud and a beautiful start to the relationship of Masha and Killer Kelly.

Jordynne Grace

With TNA momentum behind her, Killer Kelly says she wants to regain the Knockouts Tag Team Championships that she lost, but also would like to have a match with Jordynne Grace.

“I’ve never had a singles match with Jordynne Grace,” Kelly said. “That is one match I’d love to have. Just to push me to my limits. Because every single person you see wrestle her, they just go to another level when they step in the ring with her. She would beat my ass probably, but I would love it.”

Follow Killer Kelly on Twitter @Kelly_WP. She and TNA will be in Florida over the weekend for a set of shows. Visit TNAWrestling.com for ticket information.

TNA No Surrender returns to pay-per-view on February 23 in New Orleans.

Posted January 18th, 2024 in Interviews, News. Tagged: , .

Bret Hart Wants Grandchild to Wrestle, TNA Hard to Kill Proposal, MJF’s Rumble Odds

Bret Hart’s Question for his Grandchild

Bret Hart is unquestionably one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and the Hitman has high-expectations for his new grandchild. In a wholesome video shared online, Hart can be seen holding his new grandchild and asking how their ‘tie-ups’ are. 

TNA Hard to Kill Proposal

TNA Hard to Kill was a historic night for the promotion, with Nic Nemeth debuting in the closing moments of the show to confront Moose. Ash By Elegance also made her debut during the show. Before Hard to Kill went on the air though, one member of the ring crew won big when he popped the question to his partner, who was thrilled to say yes. 

https://twitter.com/JoelPearl/status/1746682871929246018

MJF in the Royal Rumble? 

For some time, MJF teased that he would be leaving AEW when his contract expired on January 1, 2024, and that he’d be joining WWE, Despite reports that MJF signed a new deal with AEW last year, Bet Online have listed MJF as a potential winner of the Royal Rumble, giving him +1000 odds. The current favorite to win the match (according to Bet Online) is CM Punk with +150 odds, followed by GUNTHER (+300) and Cody Rhodes (+400)

Ash By Elegance’s Sponsorship

Ash By Elegance (fka Dana Brooke) made her TNA debut at the recent Hard to Kill event. On Instagram, the elegant wrestler shared that she has partnered up with Draft Kings for UFC 297 and urged fans to use a special promo code to get bonus bets for the Draft Kings app. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:C2H-bT0LFwk

Posted January 15th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , , , .

Nic Nemeth Got Chills At TNA Hard to Kill: “This is a Locker Room That Wants to Be the Best”

Nic Nemeth was amazed by the efforts of the TNA Wrestling roster that he was able to watch in person at last weekend’s Hard to Kill event. 

The ‘Wanted Man’ made his debut in the closing moments of Hard to Kill, confronting new TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose. Nemeth was released from WWE in September 2023, ending his nearly two-decade tenure under contract. 

Nic Nemeth Wowed By TNA’s Roster

Speaking on Instagram Live about his arrival in TNA Wrestling, Nemeth said he was blown away by how hard the roster worked to make Hard to Kill such a success. 

“Not only did I want to make an impact by making an entrance, showing up, making it seem like ‘Man, this is a special moment’ [but] I was trying to figure out the best possible way to do so. Coming down the entranceway, everyone’s doing that. I’m hiding out, watching the show, I got to really, really enjoy the entire card. So I got here secretly and was hiding out, and I was watching on a tiny phone the show all the way through.

“I was blown away by, everybody works hard, in this business. Everybody works hard. But to actually see it come through to fruition, while you’re watching, and you can just see it in the wrestlers’ eyes. You can see it in their faces and their emotions go ‘This is not just a special night. This is a locker room that wants to be the best. Man, it put chills on my arms. 

“This is a special thing. In a world where everybody is special, this was standing out to me. I was so grateful that I got a chance to see it and I go ‘What is the most exciting moment I could do?’ The main event of this special night with the new champion crowned. And I go ‘This is where I can stand out and say everybody If you don’t know about TNA, hopefully you do, and if you already know, it’s just gotten better right now.’

After his debut, Nemeth didn’t waste time in competing in his first TNA match… 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

Posted January 15th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , , .

TNA Wrestling Announces Partnership with Lucha Libre AAA at Hard to Kill

The new era of TNA Wrestling will see the promotion work alongside Lucha Libre AAA to bring the most exciting stars of both companies to a greater number of fans. 

During Hard to Kill, TNA President Scott D’Amore and Lucha Libra AAA Worldwide CEO Dorian Roldán Peña appeared in front of the fans in Las Vegas, Nevada. D’Amore said that TNA has already been about collaboration and spoke about the mutually beneficial partnership TNA and Lucha Libre AAA have enjoyed over many years. 

Roldán Peña thanked Scott for inviting AAA to TNA, and said he has been thinking about how he could bring more luchadors and Lucha Libre to the U.S. He added that with the flair of Lucha Libre AAA stars and the intensity of TNA talent, they will change the landscape of wrestling over the next year. 

TNA Wrestling & Lucha Libre AAA

This upcoming partnership will hardly be the first time that the two promotions have teamed up. TNA Wrestling and Lucha Libre AAA began a working agreement in 2015, and in 2018, announced a partnership with the AAA-affiliated Lucha Underground. This allowed for AAA wrestlers to appear for TNA (IMPACT Wrestling at the time) on a regular basis. 

In April 2018, the two promotions held Impact vs Lucha Underground from WrestleCon in New Orleans to a sell-out crowd. The following year, IMPACT and Lucha Libre AAA would co-promote the Ultra Clash supershow in the Monterrey, Mexico area. This event marked IMPACT’s first show in Mexico since 2019. 

TNA Hard to Kill went off the air with a massive debut… 

Posted January 14th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , , .

WWE’s Dana Brooke Arrives in TNA Wrestling as Ash by Elegance

Former WWE Superstar Dana Brooke will bring her own sense of elegance to TNA after making her debut at Hard to Kill.

TNA Hard to Kill took place last night and marked the official relaunch of the promotion. The change from IMPACT to TNA Wrestling was announced at Bound for Glory in October 2023. As Alex Shelley told SE Scoops, the fan response to the change was even better than the high expectations those in TNA/IMPACT had for the move. 

Ash By Elegance Arrives in TNA Wrestling

At TNA Hard to Kill, Trinity lost the TNA Knockouts World Championship to Jordynne Grace. Before the match began though, Brooke appeared in the crowd, with a nameplate reading ‘Ash by Elegance.’ The former Superstar was certainly dressed to impress at the show, wearing a bedazzled outfit and white fur coat. 

In a bold move, the TNA commentary team made reference to her time as Dana Brooke and mentioned both her WWE name and her former employer, by name. 

Ash By Elegance

This was Ash’s first appearance in wrestling since her release from WWE in September 2023. Ash had been part of the NXT roster at the time of her release. During a media call, NXT head Shawn Michaels admitted that her release caught him and the NXT backstage team by surprise. 

Ash By Elegance competed for WWE from 2015 until last year. During her tenure, she became a 15-time WWE 24/7 Champion. She would also rack up the second-most days with the gold, only behind R-Truth. 

Posted January 14th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , , .

Trinity Gets Emotional After Knockouts Title Loss at TNA Hard to Kill, Wants Rematch

TNA Wrestling’s Trinity was understandably emotional after losing her Knockouts World Championship at Hard to Kill 2024. 

In the penultimate match of the evening, Trinity lost the title to Jordynne Grace in 14:30. Grace earned a shot at the gold by winning the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound for Glory in October 2023. She was the first woman to win the Call Your Shot Gauntlet. Last night’s victory marks Grace’s third Knockouts World Championship win after previously capturing the gold in January 2020 and at Slammiversary in June 2022. 

Trinity Reacts 

Trinity had held the Knockouts World Championship since Slammiversary 2023 when she dethroned Deonna Purrazzo in July of that year. Understandably, the Glow was emotional after her title loss, as seen in clips shared online. 

What’s Next for Trinity? 

Trinity’s Knockouts World Championship has ended and she’s hungry to regain the gold. On Twitter, Trinity made it clear she wants a rematch with Jordynne Grace. 

Leaving TNA Wrestling? 

Trinity left Hard to Kill without the Knockouts World Championship and could be leaving TNA Wrestling altogether soon enough. Trinity is expected to finish her TNA run at the promotion’s next set of tapings. She is also expected to make her return to WWE later this month as part of the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. 

Trinity, then Naomi, walked out of WWE in May 2022 alongside Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks). The two had different ideas about the creative plans at the time. The then-WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions felt that their title run was being overlooked as WWE had plans for singles feuds for both women. 

Trinity isn’t the only surprising name the WWE Universe should expect to see at the Royal Rumble… 

Posted January 14th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , , .

Mercedes Mone & Bayley Spotted Watching Trinity’s TNA Wrestling Hard To Kill Match

Trinity Fatu battled Jordynne Grace at TNA Wrestling’s Hard to Kill event. The pro wrestling world was watching, and she had two very special friends who were also there to see her big match.

Mercedes Mone & Bayley Spotted At TNA Wrestling Hard To Kill

TNA Wrestling hosted their Hard to Kill event on pay-per-view. The event featured noteworthy moments, such as Trinity Fatu’s potential final match in the company. 

It was previously reported that the current thought is that Naomi will make her return to WWE. So, Fatu lost her Knockouts Title to Jordynne Grace, marking her 3rd reign with the title.

During Hard to Kill, Mercedes Mone and Bayley were seen behind the French announce team’s table, witnessing the matchup between Trinity and Jordynne Grace. They were not shown on screen during the actual pay-per-view event.

Both Bayley and Money were decked out in shades, and beanies, but they were still spotted. It was obvious who they were, but the two stayed off the radar, because they were not there to be a focus.

What’s Next For Mercedes Mone

As of right now, Mercedes Mone appears to be heading to AEW, but she has not debuted for the company yet. It was reported that talks with WWE stalled, because they were far apart with money. 

Even if Mercedes Mone and Bayley end up in different wrestling companies, they are still very close. Their presence at Hard to Kill also proves that Naomi has their support. 

Posted January 13th, 2024 in News, WWE. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Nic Nemeth Debuts at TNA Hard to Kill, First Match Announced

The ‘Wanted Man’ of professional wrestling Nic Nemeth has arrived in TNA Wrestling after making his debut for the promotion at the Hard to Kill event. 

In the main event of TNA Hard to Kill, Moose dethroned Alex Shelley to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. After the match, Nemeth made his debut by confronting the new champion in the ring. 

Watch Nic Nemeth’s TNA Debut

Things got physical between the two and Nemeth would get the best of Moose. After the brawl, Nemeth went into the crowd and ripped off his shirt to reveal a TNA shirt underneath. 

Nemeth’s First TNA Match

Nic Nemeth made quite the ‘impact’ with his TNA Wrestling debut, and it won’t be long before fans see him in the ring. It has been confirmed that Nemeth will compete at the TNA Snake Eyes event that’ll take place in Las Vegas today. Nemeth will take on The Rascalz’ Zachary Wentz. 

Wrestling’s ‘Wanted Man’

Nemeth is best known for his time with WWE as Dolph Ziggler, a run that saw him become a two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Dolph Ziggler was among those released by WWE in September 2023, as part of the first wave of cuts following the launch of TKO Group Holdings. 

The release of the Show-Off led to several people in the industry sharing tributes to his WWE run, including John Cena. Nemeth has since admitted that he was being paid to sit at home and do nothing during the latter stages of his WWE career. More recently, Nemeth reintroduced himself as wrestling’s ‘Wanted Man’ with a zombie-apocalypse-themed video. 

TNA Wrestling isn’t the only place fans can see Nic Nemeth… 

Posted January 13th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , .

The Best Moments From TNA Hard To Kill 2024 – Ex WWE Superstars Debut, Title Changes, & More

TNA Wrestling brought their Hard to Kill event to pay-per-view on January 12th. That event also marked the company’s official re-branding effort, and there were a lot of moments that stood out during the show.

AJ Francis Makes Shakes Up Hard To Kill

AJ Francis and DJ Whoo Kid debuted a new music video. Then Joe Hendry came out to shake things up. Whoo Kid blindsided Hendry, and then Francis nailed a chokeslam on him.

New TNA Digital Media Champion

Tommy Dreamer received a brand-new TNA Digital Media Championship from Scott D’Amore in the lead-up to Hard To Kill. Dreamer was set to defend his title against Crazzy Steve.

After a pretty insane match, Crazzy Steve picked up the TNA Digital Media Title from Dreamer, after winning clean.

Knockouts Ultimate-X Match

Gisele Shaw vs. Xia Brookside vs. Jody Threat vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Dani Luna lit up Hard to Kill in a big way. Those women left it all in the ring.

Ultimately, Gisele Shaw secured victory in this intense and hard-fought contest, earning the crowd’s appreciation for her impressive efforts. The audience expressed their gratitude with chants of “Thank you, Knockouts,” acknowledging the incredible performance.

New Debut Teased

TNA Wrestling promised a new star, and they teased their arrival during Hard to Kill. Judging by the back view fans received, that definitely narrows down the possible options for the company’s big surprise.

New Knockouts Tag Team Champions Crowned

Rosemary and Havok became the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions, as they defeated MJ Ultra. This marked the second title change of the night after the Digital Media Title.

Chris Sabin Retains X-Division Title

Chris Sabin vs. Kushida vs. El Hijo del Vikingo went down for the X-Division Title. This was a pretty wild match, but in the end, Sabin retained.

Alexander Hammerstone Makes His TNA Wrestling Debut

Alexander Hammersone made his TNA Wrestling debut at Hard to Kill, where he took on former World Champion Josh Alexander. Sean Ross Sapp reported that the former MLW star has not signed a deal with the company yet, so this is a per appearance deal.

Hammerstone and Alexander delivered plenty of chops and strikes. The TNA newcomer hit a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall, and then they continued until Josh Alexander scored the victory with the C4 Spike.

Grizzled Young Veterans Make TNA Wrestling Debut

Grizzled Young Veterans were not happy in NXT, where they were the Dyad and member of Joe Gacy’s Schism faction. They asked for their releases, and those were granted. Then it was time for them to take on the rest of the pro wrestling world without the creative baggage. 

They were a part of the match for the brand-new TNA Tag Team Championships with ABC, The Rascalz, and Laredo Kid & Mike Bailey. Laredo Kid was a late change, as Trent Seven couldn’t make the show due to travel issues. In the end, Chris Bey and Ace Austin retained their titles.

Dana Brooke Makes TNA Wrestling Debut

Brooke was released in September, and her 90-day non-compete clause is over. TNA hyped a big debut, and it appears that the former WWE Superstar fit the bill.

Going as Ash By Elegance, she sat at ringside to survey the action for Trinity Fatu’s Knockouts Title defense against Jordynne Grace.

New TNA Knockouts Champion Crowned

Jodynne Grace battled Trinity Fatu for her Knockouts Title. In the end, Grace won the match and became champion. This was somewhat expected, because the former Naomi is expected to make her WWE return very soon.

Moose Wins TNA World Title

Alex Shelley defended the TNA World Title against Moose in the main event match. In the end, Moose won the title to exit Hard to Kill as champion, but the company had another big surprise in store.

Nic Nemeth Debuts For TNA Wrestling

Nemeth, former WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler, showed up after the main event match. He jumped Moose, and then made it very clear that he is now with TNA Wrestling.

Now with two more ex WWE Superstars on their roster with Nemeth and Ash By Elegance, TNA Wrestling kicked off their 2024 with a successful re-branding and an exciting event.

Posted January 13th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , .

Dirty Dango Details Will Ospreay’s Influence On The TNA Locker Room (Exclusive)

Dirty Dango isn’t quite dancing with the devil at TNA Hard To Kill, but he will be squaring off against someone who is “Not Human.”

On January 13, the TNA brand officially returns with their Hard To Kill PLE and Dango will be one of the featured fights as he squares off against PCO in singles action.

Speaking with SEScoops.com in an exclusive interview, Dango made mention of all the premiere athletes TNA have on their roster. You can catch the complete interview with Dirty Dango here:

When asked who has been great at balancing their athleticism with their in-ring persona. The first person he thought of was Steve Maclin, who Dango first worked with in NXT.

“Talking about a guy who kind of got brushed aside and, you know, maybe overlooked in the past, and he totally reinvented himself, came up with a really cool character. His promos are on really on par and his work I feel is way better than it was.”

Will Ospreay & TNA

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However, another name Dango brought up is Will Ospreay, who will be competing this weekend in Las Vegas at the TNA Snake Eyes tapings.

“The thing I like about Ospreay is he can do the high flying, but his ground game and aggressiveness is really, really, really good.He lays his s*** in which I really like and I appreciate he doesn’t throw things away just to get to the high spot, right?

“In my book, probably the best out there right now. So it’s cool to have him around and he’s bringing out the best of the TNA locker room for sure.”

Ospreay has signed a long-term deal with AEW, but TNA expressed major interest in inking him to a contract before that. 

Ospreay’s talent is obvious and Dango saw his influence first-hand behind the curtain and in the ring.

“Guys like Will Ospreay that bring that level up and so it’s cool. It’s cool to see. It’s fun to watch. I don’t get excited watching a lot of wrestling now, but his matches do make me sit down and watch. So it’s good.”

Other topics covered in our interview with Dirty Dango include Arn Anderson’s influence on his career, what pro wrestling can learn from baseball and so much more. 

Watch WILL OSPREAY vs. MIKE BAYLEY from Bound For Glory 2023 | Impact Wrestling’s Match of the YEar

Posted January 12th, 2024 in Interviews, News. Tagged: , , .

“Are you guys paying attention?” – AJ Francis Ready for TNA debut at Hard to Kill

Former WWE superstar AJ Francis(FKA Top Dolla) has made his presence felt since the company let him go. WWE released him on September 21, 2023, a year after he returned for his second stint. Since he bid farewell to WWE for the second time, he has been exploring his options on the independent scene. 

To fans’ surprise, Francis returned to Game Changer Wrestling on December 21, 2023, and attacked Joey Janela. This helped set up a featured match between the two for GCW Look At Me on January 26. However, Francis isn’t done exploring his options in wrestling.

While attending the 2024 Chees-It Citrus Bowl on January 1, he announced on Twitter that he would be at TNA Hard To Kill on January 13. Francis, alongside DJ Whoo Kid, shared that they will premiere a new music video of their song “WE OUT$IDE” live on the pay view. Although he isn’t involved in a match, Francis doesn’t rule out competing in a TNA ring.

When asked by a fan if he would compete for the company, Francis replied, “If the bag is right.” 

TNA hopes to start their year with a bang, heading toward their upcoming PPV. The company decided last year to rebrand from Impact Wrestling to TNA, which has fans excited for their creative direction. As well as new title designs for their current champions, TNA President Scott D’Amore also teased a big signing will be made by Hard To Kill. 

Francis’s announcement has increased fans’ interest in whether he’ll stick around with TNA. 

What’s Next For AJ Francis? 

Francis is set to appear for GCW and TNA but is still looking to see what deal comes his way. The former WWE superstar is accepting bookings, which he shared on his Twitter account on September 22, 2023. From his standpoint, his impact is being felt online, and he is confident about what he brings to the table for any promotion. 

The following day after announcing his TNA debut, Francis wrote on Twitter:

“I say I’m going to GCW, it does astronomical numbers online for them. I say I’m going to TNA, it does astronomical numbers online for them. Are you guys paying attention?” 

Francis seems to be looking to take advantage of his free-agent status and show that he is still a superstar outside of WWE. If he continues his success, he should be in for a great year as an independent wrestler. 

Posted January 10th, 2024 in News. Tagged: , .