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

cena

scott hall has put on loads of weight alright. he couild do with losing some.

Vince135792003

cena wrote: »

scott hall has put on loads of weight alright. he couild do with losing some.

He has. He was alot bigger this time last year.

Rjd2

flahavaj wrote: »

Jesus.

The man needs a little perspective.

He’s the wrestling equivalent of Dunphy. Both men know their stuff, but both are caricatures of themselves desperately using shock tactics to keep the masses entertained. Nobody really should get worked up over either, that’s what they desperately crave sadly.

jaykhunter

Rjd2 wrote: »

He’s the wrestling equivalent of Dunphy. Both men know their stuff, but both are caricatures of themselves desperately using shock tactics to keep the masses entertained. Nobody really should get worked up over either, that’s what they desperately crave sadly.

That's a fantastic analogy!

Hall has definitely dropped a lot of weight. He's not back to fighting form but he's moving around better and best shape of the last few years.

Machismo Fan

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/46802/superstars-impact-replay-and-epics-ratings.html?p=1

he 4/15 TNA Impact replay did a solid 0.72 rating with 986,000 viewers.

The episode of TNA Epics that followed did a 0.42 rating with 533,000 viewers.

D2D

Fanhouse.com is featuring an interview with TNA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles where he talks about TNA ever possibly shifting its current product and gearing it more towards kids.

"Well, I'm hoping we slow down on the whole blood thing. You know, it was what it was, and I think that we've gotten past that. I think we're going to have to slow down on that stuff, and I think we are, it's not that big of a deal. And I monitor what my kids watch, I'm not going to let them watch anything too gruesome or too stupid. So some things, I wouldn't let them watch because it's pro wrestling, and it's geared toward the 18-to-30-something-year-old guy, so I have to make sure that we'll [as parents] watch it first. We're gonna watch it because my kids love wrestling, they love it, especially my 3-year-old.

I would hope that we actually gear a little bit toward those kids, because whether we like it or not, they are our fanbase. I just think that the 18-to-30-whatever-year-old has slowed down on watching it, they're probably watching more UFC and stuff like that at this point. But there are always going to be kids that watch wrestling. I think we've got to cater to the kids. You don't want it to get too silly, because we still want whatever adults to watch it, but the kids are our foundation. They're going to always watch wrestling.

Like I said, we make toys for a reason, WWE makes toys for a reason. Even when they were definitely geared toward that adult rating, they were still making toys. The kids are our foundation."

Machismo Fan

Here's the entire AJ interview:

FanHouse: How does it feel to be the longest-reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, topping Sting's previous reign just recently, especially in an age where we see titles change hands often in pro wrestling?
AJ Styles: I actually didn't realize I kept it that long. That's pretty cool, and I'm going to see if I can hold it a little bit longer than that. I'd like to see if I can make it a whole year. But wow, I didn't know that. That's amazing. I'm going to have to fit that into promos of mine and let everyone know how great AJ Styles really is.

You've got TNA Lockdown coming up this weekend. You've been on lots of great matches on TNA pay-per-views in the past. Do you see your match with "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero being one of your best yet and what will that steel-cage match be like?
It's hard to go into Lockdown and not have a great match when you're in front of the St. Louis fans. They've been some of the best fans I've ever been in front of, and they know what it's like to have Lockdown there, so they know what to expect. It's gonna be hard not to have a great match. I think we're definitely capable of having that five-star match, it's just going out there and doing it.

What are your thoughts about TNA iMPACT! moving to Monday nights at 8 o'clock? Did you prefer the 9 o'clock slot or this 8PM one better?
Actually, I prefer the 8-to-10, because whether we like it or not, we have kids watching our show. And that sometimes is bad and good, but if they're gonna watch it at least they have the opportunity to do that at 8 o'clock. I know my kids are getting into bed by 9 o'clock, so at least they get an hour of wrestling, and you know, then we can get those fans before anybody else does. So I think it's a good idea, I wish we had done that from the get-go.

You mention an interesting factor with the kids, and obviously TNA has to try to distinguish a little bit from what the WWE product is, which seems to be very kid-oriented, if you look at a lot of what they do. How do you feel about stuff like the blood impact, since you mention you have kids of your own. Are you comfortable with any kind of product shift?
Well, I'm hoping we slow down on the whole blood thing. You know, it was what it was, and I think that we've gotten past that. I think we're going to have to slow down on that stuff, and I think we are, it's not that big of a deal. And I monitor what my kids watch, I'm not going to let them watch anything too gruesome or too stupid. So some things, I wouldn't let them watch because it's pro wrestling, and it's geared toward the 18-to-30-something-year-old guy, so I have to make sure that we'll [as parents] watch it first. We're gonna watch it because my kids love wrestling, they love it, especially my 3-year-old. I would hope that we actually gear a little bit toward those kids, because whether we like it or not, they are our fanbase. I just think that the 18-to-30-whatever-year-old has slowed down on watching it, they're probably watching more UFC and stuff like that at this point. But there are always going to be kids that watch wrestling.

Do you see TNA appealing to an older demographic at all? Beyond the blood, even as far as the Knockouts are concerned, things are done a little differently. Do you think for TNA to have long-term success, that they would need to appeal to that kid factor?
Absolutely. Why else would we make toys? And video games, and stuff like that. I think we've got to cater to the kids. You don't want it to get too silly, because we still want whatever adults to watch it, but the kids are our foundation. They're going to always watch wrestling. Like I said, we make toys for a reason, WWE makes toys for a reason. Even when they were definitely geared toward that adult rating, they were still making toys. The kids are our foundation.

What's it like to work with a legend like Ric Flair. What's the best piece of advice he's given you in the time you've worked together?
'Don't think, just do.' That's the best advice that I've gotten from him. Not that I don't learn something every time we're on together, or just watching him go out in his wheelchair. This guy can be the most entertaining guy on the show and he can do it from a wheelchair. So you can take anything and be entertaining but it's all up to you.

And Flair does so many things on the fly, a lot of it just seems right off the cuff. Is it hard to adjust to that when he just starts throwing stuff out there?
I just go with the flow. Don't think, just do, it's one of those things. Whatever Ric wants to do, he's gonna do, and I'm just gonna have to follow his lead.

With the latest heel turn, do you feel comfortable being one now or do you think it's still a process to get used to, especially when you're cutting promos?
I'm getting very used to it at this point. It's not that I haven't ever been a heel, but such a baby-face on that turn. But I'm still in the process, because I don't want to step over the line where I can never come back. It's a learning process about what I can do, what I can't do, what I think is right and what is wrong, because it's just who I am. Even though I'm a heel there's certain things I won't cross.

Were you more comfortable being a baby-face rather than a heel, or has it been just a different thing altogether?
It's just kind of a different thing altogether. Baby-face comes natural to me. I'd like to think it's because I'm a good guy, but I've known baby-faces who weren't good guys. But there's always that part of when you're a heel, there's always that part of you that wants to say something or wants to act like this at some point, but in your own conscience you just throw it back there, because you know it's not right. Well now you get to be that guy. You get to be that jerk that you've always wanted to be and say stuff off the top of your head, like Ric Flair does, it just comes off. You get the opportunity to be that guy, it's fun.

How many suits did you own before this new persona versus now that you're working with Flair?
Yeah ... I definitely have a lot more suits. At first I wasn't too gung-ho about it, but I actually do like wearing the suits. It's hard to keep them from getting wrinkled when you're on the road, but I think that would be the only problem with it right now.

You were an integral part of building the X Division which has undergone some changes over the years. What does it feel like to not be a part of that label now? Does part of you still wish you were kind of in those matches, those Ultimate X matches, and stuff like that?
Well, Ultimate X matches, maybe not. [laughs] But I do sometimes miss that X Division because those guys are so good in those matches. And I miss having those fast-paced, unbelievable matches that I used to have, because the heavyweight division isn't exactly like that. Not that I haven't had great matches in the heavyweight division, because I definitely have. The Amazing Red, there's so many things that him and I can do together, and the Motor City Machine Guns and Generation Me, those guys I haven't gotten in the ring with and had matches with them in a while. I've never wrestled Generation Me, and the Machine Guns it's been a long time since I wrestled those guys. Sometimes you miss it, and the X Division is always going to be something that I take pride in because I was their first X Division champion. So, I hope that we get a little more X guys, it seems like we're needing some at this point, but I still think a lot of the X Division for sure.

Speaking about the X Division, and I don't know if you can say anything about this, but I feel like you're the one who knows how it feels the most since you have such a lengthy history with him. What is it like to not have Christopher Daniels in TNA and to see him back in Ring of Honor?
[pause] Ooh, that's a tough one for me, man. ... It's weird. It's weird in the locker room. ... You know what, I don't think I can discuss it without sounding bad, and that's not the way I want to come off. I think Ring of Honor has made one of the greatest acquisitions in a long time, and I'm happy for them and I'm happy for Chris going back there. I'd definitely love to see him back in TNA, but that's not up to me.

So will you try to keep up with what he's doing or catch his matches in the future, whether it be on TV or DVD?
Absolutely. I'll definitely be checking him out. I mean, Chris Daniels is one of my best friends. Man, I'll support him in any way I can. I still think he's one of the best wrestlers in the world, and I'm not just saying that because he's my best friend, I truly believe that.

Generally speaking, how has it been adjusting to the roster changes that have happened, especially being such a veteran with the company? Do you have any input into the decisions that are made, especially how they may or may not affect rapport?
Well, you know, I wish that they would have said, 'AJ, who would you like to bring in?' Because I would have a list of them. And the fact that they've brought in some guys that, I don't know if they were the greatest thing we could have done for TNA, but there are some great pickups with Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam and Brian Kendrick coming over. Those are good pickups for us, there's no doubt about it. But there's definitely something missing in the X Division. I almost feel like there's not many X Division guys, and I'd like to see a little bit more of that come into play. But I'm not running the show and I'm just there to do my best and do what I can to make sure that TNA is the best product that we can put out there.

Regarding some of the great additions, you mentioned Van Dam and Hardy. Which one of those wrestlers are you more looking forward to maybe have a highlight pay-per-view match with?
I think that I could have a special match with either one of those guys. I've yet to wrestle with Rob Van Dam, so I think that him and I could get in there and do some good stuff. I'd like to have Hardy in a little bit longer of a match than we had, with no interruptions, I think we could have an unbelievable match. I think it's all in good timing, that's what it's all about.

What do you have to say to the fans who may not have seen you wrestle? Those who may have heard your name mentioned but are so used to watching a more mainstream product like WWE that they've truly never experienced and know that you're one of the greatest wrestlers in the world.

Well, I would say that they're missing out if they're not watching TNA because there's a lot of good stuff that goes on there. We have the best roster in the world. We've got guys that can really go at it in the ring, and if you're missing out on that, especially if you're someone who loves wrestling, then you need to tune in. I mean that, we have the best roster in the world, and it's just about getting it out there and having people see it. If you're not watching TNA, then you're probably just watching the other show because of habit. But if you're a person who loves wrestling, then TNA is definitely something you'd want to watch. I can't really toot my own horn though because that's up to you to decide.

I'll just throw in one more. Are you more of a fan of giving people more wrestling on these televised shows?
Absolutely. I'm a wrestler. I want to give you more wrestling. I'm not that actor, you know, some guys can do both. I would love to be better at it [laughs], but I am a wrestler. That's what I do. And I would love to put that on TNA a little bit more often. Not that it's just me, there are a lot of guys that are great wrestlers and they need to be shown off in that respect.

For those scoring at home, AJ is only the longest reigning TNA champ, whereas Jarrett is still the longest reining TNA-era champ holding the NWA title for 11 months.

Machismo Fan

RVD interview:

Brian Fritz: It wasn't too long ago when you decided to join TNA. Why did you finally decide to join the company?
Rob Van Dam: Well, the timing was just right. I'm very pleased with the deal -- it's just awesome. Everyone down there is too. It's really a good vibe at Universal Studios where like 80-85 percent of the travel is to and from, which is a great thing for someone like RVD. I don't miss going out there on the road and driving hundreds of miles and having to fly every day. It was the right time. I always said that when it came down to doing business and crunching numbers, which wasn't done for a long time although they had tried to get my interest for a long time before it came down to that. But when it came down to that and the time was right for everybody -- boom, that's where my path went.

You've come into TNA with a tremendous impact -- no pun intended -- and mixed in with the roster. Did you think it would be this easy of a transition to a busier schedule than what you had, and having this much impact this quickly?
Yes I did. I knew that I was going to be like a really big fish and, of course, everybody probably knew that the whole universe was directing me in that way to go there. I came in not feeling like I was going to have to prove myself to anybody except for the people that might have thought, 'hey, I haven't seen RVD wrestling in almost three years, what kind of condition is he in?' And in that case I wouldn't be surprised that a lot of people may have had that perspective because they may not watch RVD TV or keep up with my international bookings which have been everywhere else except for the United States over the last several years. But like I always say, I'm the real deal so I come in and I do my thing. I don't have to get worked up. I don't have to put a gimmick on. I'm just RVD all the time.

Although, I will say I am surprised at the energy from the crowd there at the studio. It sets more of an impact on me than I thought it would be. It doesn't come across on TV that loud or that responsive. When the crowd is chanting to my song 'Rob Van Dam -- the whole f'n show' when I'm coming down and they're screaming it, I really feed off of that. I noticed on television it doesn't come across quite that way. Also, like when they do the backstage segments, I was asking Eric Bischoff why don't they do a little pause like the WWE 3-2-1, you do a little pause to hear the crowd popping when you see us on the screen and you give them time to react. Eric said it doesn't really come across and you don't hear them that way. I think that should be capitalized on. I wish you could feel that energy from the crowd even more so than you do, so it could transcend into the show you're watching.

If you had not joined TNA, was there a chance that you would go back to the WWE? Or would you have just kept the schedule you had the last few years in working for various indie shows when you wanted?
Well, at a certain point anything was possible. I guess that never really changed, although when it came right down to it and I made the decision to sign with TNA, at that point I wasn't considering either it's going to be TNA or WWE. I had already ruled out the possibility of that happening at this time in my life. Returning to full-time is just not in my cards and that's what they (WWE) wanted. It was more or less continuing to do as I do or go with TNA, and TNA ended up being an awesome opportunity.

Let's move forward to Sunday with the Lockdown pay-per-view with Team Flair vs. Team Hogan and you are a big part of Team Hogan. If we look at what has happened on TV over the last few shows, Team Hogan is pretty beat down.
I'm going to give you probably a selfish perspective because I'm in it to rise out of all the mess and follow the bubbles up to the top. Basically, throughout my whole career all of the story lines that I've been attached to have always just been part of the job that I go through. I love being part of Team Hogan. I mean, he's Hulk Hogan! I have total respect for him and (Jeff) Hardy and Abyss. It's a sweet team and I'm looking forward to this, but what I expect to happen is even beyond this pay-per-view. I expect the crowd to react and cheer so strongly for RVD -- and I know they're going to do this for Jeff Hardy too -- that no matter what tries to stop us, I think we're going to rise up to the top. There's just going to be nothing keeping us from doing and being exactly where the fans want us to be, and that's at the top. That's how I've done it my entire career and I don't expect that to change.


Correct me if I'm wrong but throughout your career, you haven't been in too many cage matches have you?
I've been in a few. I don't know what you consider a lot. The first one I can remember was in the original ECW with me and Sabu against (Tommy) Dreamer and The Sandman, and Rick Rude was part of that and Beulah. It was kind of brutal. I remember jumping off the chair and doing a flying sidekick into a chair that Fonzie (Bill Alfonso) was holding into Sandman's face while he was handcuffed to the cage, and he said 'let's send it in' and he never said that again. I did some cage matches with The Undertaker at house shows in WWE. It's not something real new. I was in the first-ever Elimination Chamber match. Everybody remembers the Spider-Man spot and, of course, the crushed trachea spot from RVD (where he came down hard on Triple H's throat), that really stuck out in that match. So, I'm no stranger and anything hardcore I'm all about that, anything that takes it to another level that makes you think outside the box. I just look at it as other ways for me to shine, and when it comes down to people beating each other up to see who can take the most punishment, I'm always going to outlast everybody.

With your style in the ring, does being in a cage make it more difficult for you?
Not necessarily. One of the things I think about is a lot of times it ends up being a brawl and blood and heads being smashed into the cage, but that's where I try to think outside the box. In that Elimination Chamber match, the Spider-Man spot in particular, I did a cross-body out of the ring and (Chris) Jericho ducked and bam! I caught onto the cage like a spider and I flipped back and moonsaulted on him when he stood up. I like doing that stuff. It becomes hard to do something that hasn't been done before. I'm not thinking, 'let's get to the top and I do the frog splash off the top and Jeff, you do the shooting star.' Who knows? I'm pretty sure (Hulk) Hogan's not going to do a leg drop off the top of the cage. You never know what could happen. We've seen Jimmy Snuka and probably seen just about everything done. But when I'm in there, I bring something fresh and original. I think differently. I don't even look at what else has been done. I just do what comes to me, so put me in the cage. I don't consider it a disadvantage at all.

One thing that has jumped out since you joined the company is the chemistry you have with Jeff Hardy as a tag team. I know you see yourself as a singles guy, but it seems like there is something special between you and Jeff?
Yeah, I've always really liked Jeff and vice versa if I can speak for him. I think it's just because we're like-minded. We both have similar visions of what a good match is and we also have similar likes and dislikes about the j-o-b. When it comes right down to it and when it comes time to do promos and people giving us words to talk about, we're both rolling our eyes like 'oh man, can't we just get out in the ring and show off,' because that's what we really like to do and that's when we're shining. That's when we're having fun. We can have fun doing all the other stuff too. We enjoy each other's company but we also both feel like we rose to the top of the business against the odds, against the preconceived notions of the promoter that actually did try to hold us down. We did it through connecting with our fans in such a way that the fans brought us to the top. When I was in WWE, there was no way I was ever going to be WWE Champion. There's no way that ever went through Vince's (McMahon) mind or any of those guys' minds. For Jeff, same thing, but eventually through sticking to our guns that happened. We manifested it. We understand that and we vibrate in a similar fashion. Yeah, we click. It's so natural it's organic and we like that out here in Cali.

At the same time, I think when you came into TNA with Jeff Hardy already there that most people thought you guys could have some great matches against one another. Is that what you initially thought would happen and were you surprised when the company put the two of you together?
Yeah, I thought more about the fact that Jeff and I wrestling each other would be a hell of a match and a great draw that you couldn't see anywhere else. I expect that to eventually be something that TNA will utilize and the fans will go out of their way to see. Jeff started calling me a few weeks before I worked out the deal with TNA. I hadn't talked to him in years either by the way. It's not like he always calls me. Before this, I probably talked to him maybe once or twice on the phone ever. But he started calling me and said, 'hey man, I just want to know what you think about TNA cause I just think it would be great for you and me to be there man and we'd be able to ... I mean, (expletive) WWE!' It was aspiring and I was like, 'did they ask you to call Jeff?' This was after January 4th that he was just looking forward to being there so much. He hadn't even worked out his deal yet but he said he knew where it was going. It was going that way and he was saying he wanted me to go there. He was saying Sabu. He was saying we could have great matches and that would be such a better place for us than the other company. It was cool for him to call and say that. We're both looking forward to someday owning that main-event spot with just the two of us, but I'm not in a rush. I'm there for a while and we're on TV every single week. I'm watching what they're doing but at the same time I'm just going to connect with my crowd and have fun and at the same time kick some people.

You mentioned the TV show iMPACT! which is now on Monday nights from 8-10PM ET on Spike TV and just moved up an hour. A lot of people look at the ratings and compare them to WWE. How much do you pay attention to something like that?
Not at all. Since I started with TNA I quit reading any of the newsletters altogether because there's just so much negative energy out there. Somebody had sent me an e-mail talking about 'oh, watch your back there with the Hogan guys and their sabotaging,' and I said whatever. I'm happy. You have to be a (expletive) to (expletive) which you're there. It's a great working environment. People on the outside can (expletive). But this guy actually said, 'you debuted and then the ratings were down like 20 percent the next week so that could affect your asking price in the future.' I'm like, oh my God, what a mark! Do people really think that much about all that stuff? The other day, I looked at my first newsletter since I started wrestling there and that's because I wanted to find out some information on Chris Kanyon which I still don't know that much about. I'm just feeling the universe and it feels good. I think things are going to pick up. I think more and more good stuff is going to happen on the show that's relevant that people care about.

You've been so closely associated with (former ECW owner and booker) Paul Heyman over the years. Would you like to see Paul there at TNA and how often do people ask you about him because I believe you and Paul stay in touch?
Paul and I do stay in touch, we're friends. Of course, I would be thrilled to have him there and I think that he really, I know that he really has a way of staying on the pulse of people and staying really connected in what they want. He's a little bit ahead of them. He knows what the people want next week, what they're going to be listening to next, what kind of music is going to be coming around. That's something that is really important and he would make it cool. His name does come up a lot by fans or some of the other wrestlers or by people that are curious, wondering if he is going to come in. To the best of my knowledge, no. I don't know if he is. That would be nice but I have no reason that he is.

I was saying before about letting baby-faces shine -- this is definitely worth adding since you brought Paul Heyman up -- when I was with the original ECW and I was the television champion, I had like a two-year run. It's hard to argue the success of the company back then which, of course, Vince (McMahon) will knock it. I'm sure a lot of the promoters will knock it, but the rate that ECW was growing at the time was from 400 fans to 600 to 800 to 7,000 fans for our pay-per-views. It was growing and the formula we used was RVD is different, he's an exhibition. So let him go out there and do his stuff. They would bring in opponents from Japan, Mexico or wherever and I was always going to have the most outstanding match on the card. Everybody else was not held back. I was like, go ahead and try and do your best but I'm going to have the best match out there. That was the formula that we used. Obviously, one thing that RVD has is I'm one of a kind. I'm an original -- I stand out. But promoters don't know that. They try to put me in a formula for everyone else. In the 20 years of my career, there's only been one promoter that understood to just let me go out there and do my thing and that was Paul. In fact, he taught it to me.

D2D

Source: The Pro Wrestling Torch

Christopher Daniels has told friends that his attitude towards TNA's creative direction was cited among the reasons for his recent release from the company.

Meanwhile, company sources believe he had a guaranteed contract that was signed when he and Samoa Joe were prominently featured. He was given no warning that his release was coming and there were a lot of people surprised over the move.

Though he had done his share of complaining over the years, sources indicate he had been fairly quiet in recent months. Another source noted Daniels as "the ringleader" of a vocal group that includes AJ Styles, Joe and Kazarian. The source agreed that Daniels had been quiet as of late, but added that he believes people within the organization didn't forget that he complained previously.


- Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Kurt Angle was said to be banged up following his ladder match with Mr. Anderson on last week's iMPACT!. As noted earlier, he will be taking some time off following the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view tonight.

TNAWrestlingNews.com has learned that he's in real rough shape although he refuses to admit it to anyone. He's described as an 'animal' by several peers. Many are also concerned for his well-being as he mopes around with a very slurred voice. "It's not normal", said one source TNAWrestlingNews.com spoke with.

geeky

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

- 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.

Does anyone suspect the source for both these stories is a certain K. Nash?

Seriously, though, Hardy is fast becoming a disgrace to pro wrestling. On the flipside, Hall and Waltman have been a really pleasant surprise. I've still little or no interest in watching them, but they haven't been half as bad as many of us feared - and at least they're turning up sober. Hall will probably never be as good as he was, but it's good to see him getting his act together, and Waltman could have another good couple of years in him if he stays together.

D2D

- TNA was aware of the fact that Sean Waltman did not intend to work the Lockdown Fan Fest and PPV over the weekend. As we mentioned, he did work an independent show Saturday night in Milwaukee, so obviously he was not ill as rumored. Another story making the rounds is that Waltman had a wrestling license issue in the state of Missouri. Mike Johnson is reporting that Waltman is expected at television this week in some fashion.

- The Fallen Angel is headed south of the border...

According to AAA television, former TNA X division champion Christopher Daniels is headed to the Lucha Libre promotion. They announcement suggests that Daniels is now part of the coalition of foreign workers currently "invading" AAA called "La Legion Extranjera" (The Foreign Legion in English)

flahavaj

Dare_2_defy wrote: »

- 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.

Lets not pretend TNA care about this kinda stuff, not when you've had Kurt in the same condition there for a few years now.

JP Liz V1

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/article/big-exclusive-jim-ross-has-a-meeting-with-tna-officials-100507

According to a high level source within TNA, Jim Ross has had a meeting with TNA officials concerning the possibility of signing with the company.
I was informed that within the past week or so, Ross met with both TNA President Dixie Carter and Dean Broadhead, the CFO of TNA, and the two sides discussed the possibility of Jim Ross signing with TNA. I was told TNA has interest in bringing JR into the company as they are still in the process of trying to "shake things up" on TV.
It should be noted that this was just a meeting, and should not be taken to mean that Ross has signed, or is going to sign with TNA.
Currently, JR is still under contract with WWE, but the deal expires on April 30th.

JP Liz V1

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that although no date has been set in stone for a heel turn, current TNA creative plans do call for Abyss to eventually turn on Hulk Hogan.

Furious-Red

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that although no date has been set in stone for a heel turn, current TNA creative plans do call for Abyss to eventually turn on Hulk Hogan.

Needs to be done although it will prob lead to a match at Slammiversary

Machismo Fan

For the week ending April 11th, iMPACT! in the UK did 110,000 in it's main showing and 37,000 an hour later.

D2D

TNA star Daffney suffered a stinger during the dark match on last night's Impact taping.
"Daffney has been released from the hospital. She has a deeply bruised sternum & a severe stinger (temp spinal trauma) but no nerve damage," tweeted TNA President Dixie Cart

Furious-Red

Dixie Carter posted the following on her Twitter page:

"Daffney has been released from the hospital. She has a deeply bruised sternum & a severe stinger (temporary spinal trauma) but no nerve damage."

Credit: Gerweck.net

According to Steve Gerweck, AJ Styles was not happy about dropping the TNA World Title to Rob Van Dam on Monday's Impact. Styles was also upset over the ending of the match when RVD did not hook the leg for the pinfall.

Gerweck also reports that, after the match, Styles packed his things and left the building without speaking to anyone.

There were mixed feelings to the situation, with some feeling that Styles has gotten an ego and others agreeing with the idea that TNA made Styles look weak with the booking of the RVD match.


Dixie Carter posted the following on her Twitter account�

HATE these reports. Angelina Love suffered a partial bicep tear & complete ulnar collateral ligament tear at iMPACT taping. Out a few weeks

jaykhunter

I can't blame him. It's about time Styles grew some balls. The guy had been passed over for the world title for years despite TNA "calling him" the future of the company. Before he got the belt I thought that "if he were an a$$hole, he'd have the title by now"...The dude just got his big break winning the world title late last year only to put on a Ric Flair halloween costume and look like a fool.

Horrible news to hear of the KO injuries, at least Daffney seems to be ok. I wish the women got paid more in TNA. They deserve it.

savemejebus

jaykhunter wrote: »

I wish the women got paid more in TNA. They deserve it.

Some women in TNA do get paid, and they don't even have to step in the ring to get more than the biggest female draws...I think i read last week that Christy Hemme signed a contract worth alot more than the amount Awesome Kong quit over.

As for RVD not hooking AJ's leg, that's just ignorant, Styles is putting him over, even though it makes him look weak, and RVD can't be arsed to at least try and make styles look somewhat strong in defeat. What a prick, sounds like he'd have fit in well in WCW back in the day.....oh wait...:P

jaykhunter

savemejebus wrote: »

Some women in TNA do get paid, and they don't even have to step in the ring to get more than the biggest female draws...I think i read last week that Christy Hemme signed a contract worth alot more than the amount Awesome Kong quit over.

OK i'll revise that; the KO wrestlers should get paid more than what they're getting; they deserve it! :pac::pac:

Did you get any ballpark figures? All these women are on around $50,000 i thought

savemejebus

If i recall correctly it was a 3 or 4 year contract at 150k per year

waltersobchak

savemejebus wrote: »

If i recall correctly it was a 3 or 4 year contract at 150k per year

TNA talent aren't on guarenteed contracts

jaykhunter wrote: »

OK i'll revise that; the KO wrestlers should get paid more than what they're getting; they deserve it! :pac::pac:

Did you get any ballpark figures? All these women are on around $50,000 i thought

$500 dollars an appearance is what i heard the highest paid knockout gets

savemejebus

It was on a few sites, some sourcing it back to the observer and others to the honky tonk man site, i'd hope it is bull but it wouldn't suprise me if it was true http://www.honkytonkman.net/#/news/4533111673

waltersobchak

savemejebus wrote: »

It was on a few sites, some sourcing it back to the observer and others to the honky tonk man site, i'd hope it is bull but it wouldn't suprise me if it was true http://www.honkytonkman.net/#/news/4533111673

I wouldnt believe a word that comes out of HTM's mouth to be perfectly honest

geeky

waltersobchak wrote: »

I wouldnt believe a word that comes out of HTM's mouth to be perfectly honest

+1. No offence to the poster but that nasty greaseball is so full of sh1t it's a wonder he doesn't explode.

D2D

- Ex-WWE diva, Maria, is now in talks with TNA reports the Wrestling Observer Newsletter

D2D

- TNA Knockout Daffney discussed the stinger and bruised sternum she suffered at Tuesday's TNA Impact taping on Her Myspace.com blog, writing that after she took the sitdown splash from her opponent, Miss Betsy, she was out and doesn't remember finishing the match. The first thing she recalled after the splash was referee Andrew Thomas calling for a trainer.

Daffney wrote: "When the trainers & everyone came to the ring, our TNA on site trainer came up near my head and I told him that my lower sternum hurt. I also told him my neck hurt - yet felt weird and it felt very warm. He then told me to go ahead and straighten my leg. From the hush that fell and tense vibe in the air, I said, " It's not moving, is it?" They all distracted me with other routine questions. A few minutes later he asked me to wiggle my toes. Same tense air that could be cut with a butter knife. Me: "They're not moving, huh?" The whole time I just stared straight to the top of the Impact Zone and prayed. Everyone around me was saying reassuring things so I just stayed still and answered questions. The next time I was asked to wiggle my toes, I could feel them going - and there was a collected sigh of relief. Stingers - (especially bad ones) can make you go numb for a short while - so once the sensation came back I kept praying, "It's just a stinger. And NO - my sternum/ribs aren't broken..." X-rays at the hospital showed just that. Are you there God? It's me...Daff. "

Daffney also asked that fans keep Canadian female star LuFiso in their thoughts after she suffered a stroke at the age of 30 over the weekend after a wrestling match for NCW in Canada, noting she wasn't aware of LuFisto's situation until she read reports of her own injuries online.

partial source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-Angelina Love suffered an injury during a match at Tuesday's iMPACT! taping in Orlando as her arm was apparently caught in Tara's knee brace. It was later determined that she suffered a partial bicep tear and complete ulnar collateral ligament tear.

- Homicide has been told that the Latin American Xchange (LAX) will reunite when Hernandez returns to TNA in approximately two months. With that being said, Homicide is said to be skeptical of their plans. Also note, both he and Hernandez did not like being broken up in the first place.

Regarding Hernandez, it was TNA president Dixie Carter's decision to remove from him television in order to send him to Mexico full-time. There was at one point an idea to air a tape of him coming off as a big star in Mexico. However, he's working as a heel, so the idea is off. Several company officials including Terry Taylor were against sending him south of the border.

- Last week's TNA house show in Independence, Missouri drew 1,200 fans. It was the only house show of the week.

JP Liz V1

Stone Cold Steve Austin posted the following on his Twitter account earlier tonight: "Flair with the brassnucks to the balls...truly the dirtiest player in the game...still. Hogan to the ring...time to change the channel."

Machismo Fan

An Important Public Service Announcement From The Motor City Machine Guns: