The offical TNA thread - News, Spoilers and the rest...

waltersobchak

Partial Source: The Pro Wrestling Torch

In response to iMPACT!'s lackluster ratings, discussion of bringing Jim Ross and Paul Heyman to TNA has heated up amongst company officials.

Ross remains under contract to World Wrestling Entertainment through the 30th and has indicated on his official website that he doesn't know what the future holds for him in WWE.

Heyman is contractually free, but hasn't shown much interest in joining TNA when friends have asked him about joining the company in the past. However, they feel he would accept a position with the company if he was given power beyond appearing as a character and writing shows.

It should be noted that Heyman recently blasted the promotion on his Twitter account, more specifically the current RVD and Jeff Hardy storyline.

Vince135792003

waltersobchak wrote: »

Partial Source: The Pro Wrestling Torch

In response to iMPACT!'s lackluster ratings, discussion of bringing Jim Ross and Paul Heyman to TNA has heated up amongst company officials.

Ross remains under contract to World Wrestling Entertainment through the 30th and has indicated on his official website that he doesn't know what the future holds for him in WWE.

Heyman is contractually free, but hasn't shown much interest in joining TNA when friends have asked him about joining the company in the past. However, they feel he would accept a position with the company if he was given power beyond appearing as a character and writing shows.

It should be noted that Heyman recently blasted the promotion on his Twitter account, more specifically the current RVD and Jeff Hardy storyline.

Jim Ross's bargaining power has just gotten a whole lot better if he's looking to get a better deal from the WWE. The more TNA talk about him joining, the more leverage he has.

waltersobchak

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Jim Ross's bargaining power has just gotten a whole lot better if he's looking to get a better deal from the WWE. The more TNA talk about him joining, the more leverage he has.

I wonder what WWE will use him for if they resign him especially since they dont seem to want to use him to commentate anymore.. Maybe for his opinions on DVD's and WWE 24/7 Classics and roundtables etc etc

Machismo Fan

Here's the Hardy Fireball video (which already has a fairly impressive 210,000 views):

savemejebus

waltersobchak wrote: »

I wonder what WWE will use him for if they resign him especially since they dont seem to want to use him to commentate anymore.. Maybe for his opinions on DVD's and WWE 24/7 Classics and roundtables etc etc

He did have a knack for picking talent when he was vp of talent relations...

waltersobchak

savemejebus wrote: »

He did have a knack for picking talent when he was vp of talent relations...

He certainly did.. I think WWE would definitely benefit from that again but who knows..

D2D

Machismo Fan wrote: »

Here's the Hardy Fireball video (which already has a fairly impressive 210,000 views):

Seriously, was there any need to do that at all??

BTW, that was obviously cut from iMPACT! due to Spike not letting them show it so Bravo won't show it on Saturday night.

Machismo Fan

Speaking of iMPACT! on Bravo, for the week ending April 4th iMPACT! had 75,000 people watching in the main Saturday slot and 51,000 for the +1 showing. In comparison, Smackdown did 119,000 with Raw live doing 133,000, 66,000 for the Thursday repeat and 68,000 for the Friday repeat. The Bottom Line, Vintage Collection and Afterburn did 64,000, 63,000 and 57,000 respectively.

Machismo Fan

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

Seriously, was there any need to do that at all??

Was there any need to hit Abyss with a car? It gives the faces something to fight for in Lethal Lockdown.

Vince135792003

waltersobchak wrote: »

I wonder what WWE will use him for if they resign him especially since they dont seem to want to use him to commentate anymore.. Maybe for his opinions on DVD's and WWE 24/7 Classics and roundtables etc etc

Maybe they'll sign him and offer him alot of money for doing very little, just so others can't get him.

Tricity Bendix

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

Seriously, was there any need to do that at all??

It grabs attention and entertains the fans.

waltersobchak

Jim Cornette has made some very strong comments on his blog towards Vince Russo, which you can read at http://www.jimcornette.com/ The comments are from an email he sent to Terry Taylor, who is a TNA employee. Also available at that link is a letter Cornette received in response to his blog post from the law firm of Davis, Shapiro, Lewit & Hayes, LLP.

The letter calls Cornette's comments "terroristic threats" and claims that as a result of those comments, Russo "has understandably experienced extreme fear for himself and his family."

Here is the letter Cornette sent to Terry Taylor:

Email from Jim Cornette to Terry Taylor dated March 19, 2010:

TT,

I was going thru and deleting a bunch of old emails and found this last one from you. I don't mean to stir anything up, but I felt I had to write and get some things off my chest.

I have always liked you and we have never had a problem. I am sure you have heard some of my many commentaries on TNA and I wanted to make sure you knew I wish you no ill, nor do I wish anyone in TNA ill, including talent, TV crew, and office staff. If the "incident" had not happened when it did, I would have quit anyway a month later when the news broke that Hogan and Bischoff were taking over the company, and you know this to be true, because the only reason I was ever there was that I thought TNA would be the promotion to keep Vince from having a monopoly, and be an alternative to this bull**** sports entertainment. Obviously, with the new regime, that is not in the plans, and I would have made a (hopefully) graceful exit shaking my head and wondering why. But taking that out of the equation, I was glad I worked for TNA, it's just frustrating and disappointing to me that it couldn't have turned out better. If not for one thing, I could move on with no hard feelings. But that one thing is big, and is in danger of consuming my life if I don't just come out and say it.

I will say it because I am trying to quell the burning in my heart--I hate Vince Russo. I despise Vince Russo. I want Vince Russo to die. If I could figure out a way to murder him without going to prison, I would consider it the greatest accomplishment of my life.

I hate him for the money he's cost me. I hate him for what he's done to the business. I hate him for keeping TNA from being competitive to WWE. I hate him for the careers, even the lives he's ruined with his ****ty booking and the irreparable damage he's done to every promotion he's been involved with. I regularly wake up from dreams in which I am in the act of murdering him. I literally burn whenever I think of him. I have sworn to myself that I will willingly go to jail if I ever see him in person again, and he had better pray to his fictitious invisible man in the sky that that day never comes. I intend to make it my life's work and mission to **** with him and anything he ever has anything to do with in the wrestling business.

Why am I writing you this? One, I got the irresistable urge to explain to you the depth of my abhorrence for this abominable prick, and two, I want to make sure that you, and anyone you care to share this with, knows that I truly and genuinely wanted TNA to succeed and liked working with all of you. I am no longer a supporter of TNA as a company, I hope it goes under quickly and painfully because of the stupidity Dixie has exhibited in employing Russo and now the WCW murderers, and I apparently will see my wishes come true with the new direction, but I really did want to see it succeed. I still like everyone there, and am only mad at a few people--Jeff, for talking me into co-existing with that miserable waste of human flesh for 3 years to the point where I have trouble looking at myself in the mirror and not a day goes by that I am not ashamed of myself for abandoning every principle I ever had and speaking to the mother****er; and Dixie, not just for employing that useless twat, but for lying to me about the reasons for my firing (never mentioning Ed Ferrara's name and acting like Russo had no part in it), and lying ABOUT me (letting some Russo stooge spread rumors that I was fired for acting unprofessionally toward him, then not putting her name on the retraction while knowing it wasn't true.)

Otherwise, I like everyone there and wish their hard work could be rewarded, and they could all make millions--but they won't, because of a lack of competence and judgement in their leadership. I have nothing to lose--I'm done with corporate wrestling, and I will never again have to occupy the same arena or even city with Vince ****ing Russo, but I still feel bad for everyone else who has labored long and hard in vain because of what he's done to the company's chances. I like you--I like Tenay, and West, and Mitchell, and Sahadi, and Ryder, and the talent, and the crew, and all the rest--even Penzer! And I don't want you or any of them to take it personally when I verbally roast TNA every chance I get--but as far as I'm concerned, Jeff should have WAY known better than to hire that asshole, and Dixie, as clueless as she may be about wrestling, should have been more careful in whom she entrusted her father's money, and more perceptive when it came to spotting imbeciles. I don't want any of you to be harmed or affected because of their stupid decisions, but as I said, it's now my life's work to **** with anything Russo has anything to do with.

I wish you all good luck--I'm sorry if anything I say or do causes you any problems, and I hope one day to be in charge of a wrestling promotion with the funds to hire all of you to work in it--but just so you know, I will **** with any company Vince Russo is involved with until I draw my last breath, and if there IS an afterlife I will return to haunt his miserable ass. Either that, or I'll will myself to live long enough to piss on his ****ing tombstone. And hey--hatred is a helluva motivator!

JC

Here is the legal letter Cornette received from TNA Wrestling:

Response dated April 9, 2010 via Certified Mail:

Mr. Cornette:

This firm represents TNA Entertainment, LLC ("TNA").

TNA has recently intercepted a shocking and appalling email communication (a copy of which is enclosed) which was sent from your email address to the attention of TNA's talent coordinator, Terry Taylor at his TNA email address. Upon review of the content of said email, TNA was so concerned that they have turned the email over to this firm to take appropriate action in order to protect the safety and welfare of TNA's staff and talent.

Your email reads in part: "I despise Vince Russo. I want Vince Russo to die. If I could figure out a way to murder him without going to prison, I would consider it the greatest accomplishment of my life.... I regularly wake up from dreams in which I am in the act of murdering him."

The email goes on to say: "I have sworn to myself that I will willingly go to jail if I ever see him in person again, and he had better pray to his fictitious invisible man in the sky that that day never comes."

It is our view that the foregoing statements constitute "terroristic threats" under virtually every jurisdiction in the country, including under the US Code (18 USC 875) and Kentucky State Law (KRS 508.080). Generally, under both Federal and State Law, a person will be guilty of having made terroristic threats if such person willfully threatens to commit a crime which would result in death or great bodily injury to the victim and demonstrates specific intent to communicate such threat to the victim or to a third party who the perpetrator believes will convey such threat to the intended victim. Your email satisfies all of the foregoing elements and it is irrelevant whether you intended to actually carry out such threat or not. Nonetheless, we must assume the worst. Indeed, the language of the email is so specific, unequivocal and unconditional that Vince Russo (a TNA employee) has understandably experienced extreme fear for himself and his family. TNA management shares his concern, not only for Vince, but for all of it's employees, staff members and talent (some of whom were specifically named in your email as being targets of your anger).

Accordingly, be advised that we have taken action to notify all applicable Federal and State law enforcement agencies and have provided them with a copy of the email, together with your personal information, including your home address, social security number, and other pertinent information which would facilitate their efforts to investigate any violent acts taken against TNA employees, staff members, talent or any of their property. Any further threats to contact Vince Russo or any other TNA personnel (directly or indirectly) shall be viewed as acts in furtherance of such threats and shall be pursued and prosecuted accordingly.

On a related note, it is our understanding that you were recently employed by TNA as an independent contractor and talent and, as such, you had access to confidential/proprietary business information related to TNA (hereafter "Confidential Information"). Your email contained certain statements which discussed internal TNA management decisions and the circumstances surrounding your departure from TNA. Those matters constitute Confidential information. Accordingly, we are taking this opportunity to remind you that the Confidential Information is proprietary and is not to be revealed except as expressly permitted by TNA in writing. As a former talent of TNA, you continue to be bound by your legal obligations and duties to maintain the confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with the terms of your various talent agreements. You cannot share Confidential Information with ANYONE (including current or former TNA talent) and TNA will vigorously enforce it's rights in this regard.

Please be advised that this letter is written without prejudice to any rights, actions or claims otherwise available to TNA (or any of it's employees, staff or talent) now or in the future.

Sincerely,
Guy S. Blake, Esq.
Davis Shapiro Lewit & Hayes, LLP
Beverly Hills, Ca.

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

jaykhunter

wow; that's crazy. I understand wanting Russo out of the wrestling industry, but having dreams of murdering him and contemplating ways of actually killing him is too far. That's messed up. I understand how much Cornette loves the business but ya gotta believe a lot of the blame is on the people who hired him and continue to pay him.

At some point you have to accept "it's Russo; he's retarded, and so books retarded things". Just stop watching TNA ffs... Cornette's gonna have a heart attack....

waltersobchak

jaykhunter wrote: »

wow; that's crazy. I understand wanting Russo out of the wrestling industry, but having dreams of murdering him and contemplating ways of actually killing him is too far. That's messed up. I understand how much Cornette loves the business but ya gotta believe a lot of the blame is on the people who hired him and continue to pay him.

At some point you have to accept "it's Russo; he's retarded, and so books retarded things". Just stop watching TNA ffs... Cornette's gonna have a heart attack....

Cornette's always come across as an agressive arrogant prick who probably wears his heart a bit too firmly on his sleeve, but thats definitely a wee bit too much even for him.. but the real lesson here jayk is.. Never send an email to Terry Taylor:pac:

flahavaj

Jesus.

The man needs a little perspective.

geeky

flahavaj wrote: »

Jesus.

The man needs a little perspective.

+1. But perspective and Cornette are like oil and water.

For a guy who's so insightful and an intelligent observer of the industry, he does some seriously stupid things because of his temper.

Tribesmen7

Cornette is an idiot to send this to a corporate address. Have TNA over reacted? Maybe. But still this is just another reason why I have no time for Cornette. He is arrogant and thinks just because he shouts louder than others that he is always right.

Memnoch99

I guess he doesnt like Russo then?

I dont think TNA are overreacting there, that email from Cornette is totally uncalled for. Regardless of Russos rubbish booking etc. you cant make statements like that about people these days.

Cornette has gone too far with that email and just comes across as he always has,as a loudmouth clown.

jaykhunter

I always regarded Cornette as outspoken and highly opinionated, and condemning of TNA and even WWE's practises (being an 80s wrasslin person himself) but I didn't know people thought he was a dick. He's edging towards "don't take his opinion seriously" territory with Sheik and Warrior with these disturbing remarks. I suppose on paper you can't gauge the tone of it; but a hate/threat message like this shouldn't be sent; it's completely unprofessional. Isn't that what RF video shoots are for?

D2D

On Eric Bischoff's Facebook, he responded about Jim Cornette (who recently made a death threat to TNA creative writer Vince Russo).

Fan: Cornette knows this business and is quite inteligent but either he's suffering from dimentia or he has realized that he has burned every viable bridge and has become desperate to get over using the "shock" approach. It comes off as pathetic. If that's how you feel then keep it to yourself. Mr. Tayler really had no choice in this matter. Heaven forbid if Mr. Russo would have been murdered (by Cornette or anybody else) then Mr. Tayler could have been in a lot of hot water.

Bischoff: Cornette doesn't know any business. He is a low rent con man that is only good at gaining the attention of the internet wrestling community. He's all yours! Trust me, he never has nor ever will become a part of a meaningful national promotion. But if you are looking for a bootleg dvd or a fake autograph....hes your guy!

Vince135792003

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

Bischoff: Cornette doesn't know any business. He is a low rent con man that is only good at gaining the attention of the internet wrestling community. He's all yours! Trust me, he never has nor ever will become a part of a meaningful national promotion. But if you are looking for a bootleg dvd or a fake autograph....hes your guy!

Bischoff trolls well.

Machismo Fan

It amazes me that Cornette thought it was OK to send that to the man responsible for the welfare of TNA's employee's, friend or not.

D2D

Credit: F4WOnline.com

- TNA has currently sold around 2,600 tickets for Sunday’s Lockdown PPV. They are hoping for 4,000 in the arena for the night of the show.

- Vince Russo will be moving from Colorado to Nashville soon and has made rumblings about accepting another job in TNA away from writing for creative. As noted before, Russo has been saying he’s burnt out on writing as of late.

Vince135792003

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

- TNA has currently sold around 2,600 tickets for Sunday’s Lockdown PPV. They are hoping for 4,000 in the arena for the night of the show.

Time changes everything. Although wrestling is big worldwide, in many ways it's smaller. Back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's Sam Muchnick ran shows in St. Louis (where Lockdown is going to be) every month getting crowds ranging from 8000 to 13000 a month.

jaykhunter

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

Credit: F4WOnline.com

- TNA has currently sold around 2,600 tickets for Sunday’s Lockdown PPV. They are hoping for 4,000 in the arena for the night of the show.

it's on in a few days...i think 4,000 is asking a lot but i'm sure they could fill it up with free tickets if need be. should be cool since they're outside of Orlando this time.

Machismo Fan

jaykhunter wrote: »

it's on in a few days...i think 4,000 is asking a lot but i'm sure they could fill it up with free tickets if need be. should be cool since they're outside of Orlando this time.

Depends on how much the do local media they do this weekend. If they put Pope cutting one of his awesome promos on any and every radio station in St. Louis that'll take him, that should increase attendance but TNA never do nearly as much local advertising as they should.

Tricity Bendix

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Time changes everything. Although wrestling is big worldwide, in many ways it's smaller. Back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's Sam Muchnick ran shows in St. Louis (where Lockdown is going to be) every month getting crowds ranging from 8000 to 13000 a month.

Wrestling isn't a "draw" in the same sense it used to be. In old days, people would go to wrestling shows. Now wrestling shows come to the people - both physically (touring) and electronically (through the TV).

Vince135792003

Tricity Bendix wrote: »

Wrestling isn't a "draw" in the same sense it used to be. In old days, people would go to wrestling shows. Now wrestling shows come to the people - both physically (touring) and electronically (through the TV).

When Muchnick drew those 11,000 plus cards a month, I would bet that 99% of those people were from St. Louis. Now WWE will do well to get that twice a year if they go there. Wrestling for better or worse isn't part of the social fabric of cities like St. Louis any more in the way it used to be.

jaykhunter

yeah, wrestling isn't territorial, they visit often, there are a lot of alternatives for entertainment and money's tight so i imagine things'll never go back to that way....unless business gets really bad and then undergoes another revolution....can't see it happening, since WWE is so dominant and they're doing just fine putting on a relatively mediocre product (compared to the innovation 10 years ago)

sometimes i wish i lived in the states so i could go to these free shows....free tix wouldn't last long if they were touring the UK/Ire!!

D2D

- Kevin Nash suffered a concussion during the steel cage match on Impact two weeks ago after Jeff Hardy landed on his hand while hitting a Swanton Bomb reports The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. There is said to be lots of discussion within TNA over the state of Hardy and how his in-ring work has been less than amazing since returning to the company. Some have described Hardy as being "virtually incoherent" and people have definitely noticed. Many have compared this to the last time Hardy was in TNA When he was released from WWE for refusing to go to rehab.

- Scott Hall and Sean Waltman have been described as being much more coherent and showing more passion for their work since they have arrived in TNA reports The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Most feel that both have realized this could be their last shot in the business and have made some major improvements. Both are arriving each day early and Hall has dropped a lot of weight (his goal is to get down to 255). Neither Hall or Waltman are signed to regular contracts with TNA and are working on a nightly deal. Hall is receiving a reported $3,000 per appearance.