The Official Weekly LIVE iMPACT Wrestling Thread!

Machismo Fan

One of the most destructive force in the history of TNA might thankfully finally be on his way out the door:
http://www.pwinsider.com/article/93058/tna-at-odds-with-taz.html?p=1

A number of readers sent word that Taz removed all references to TNA on his Twitter account today and asked whether that was a sign of something greater going on. As it turns out, it is.

In asking around, we are told that Taz did not come to a planned voice-over session in Nashville, TN this past Thursday as scheduled to do commentary for several weeks of Impact Wrestling.

Sources within TNA claim that pay issues led to Taz effectively refusing to get on his flight from New York. So, the same pay problems that we wrote about over the last few days that have been frustrating TNA wrestlers for weeks was obviously a factor.

It appears Taz removed TNA from his Twitter to, at the very least, send a message to the company. When asked about Taz's relationship with the company, my source declined to comment. PWInsider.com efforts to reach Taz were unsuccessful.

As far as the Impact Wrestling episodes, I was told that Josh Mathews handled the commentary alone for the episode that will air this Friday but that could change as TNA has until Thursday to hand the episode into Destination America.

I was also told that TNA recently gave Al Snow a tryout as an announcer, so read into that what you will.

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Your reaction MF?

IF Taz goes what team would you use? What team would Destination America want? Tenay in the cupboard with Josh Matthews would be weird to me visually?

Machismo Fan

It's not like they have a lack of announcers. I think Mathews with Tenay doing his old WCW colour commentary stuff would make for a good team. Could also go for Mathews and JB, at least JB actually knows the wrestlers personally and that's always helped his commentary.

I really hope Taz is gone though. I don't think enough has been made over the last six years about the amount of damage Taz did to TNA's product by constantly undermining everything. Not to mention just how much he dragged down Tenay.

Best case scenario would be a Don West return of course.

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https://twitter.com/OfficialTAZ/status/588450023613988864

https://twitter.com/JohnGaburick/status/588450682002255873

Machismo Fan

*does celebratory dance*

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Leave the Yambags and Hot Tamales alone

ricero

Let the pidgeons loose

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https://twitter.com/tapemachines/status/588471012649381888

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Taz's best moment

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Josh went solo

Machismo Fan

He said Taz was on assignment. That's going to be a pretty long assignment as it turns out.

Machismo Fan

I was going to post the link to the podcast but Taz's endless rambling doesn't really make it worth it. The pertinent points regarding why he left TNA:

http://411mania.com/wrestling/taz-opens-up-about-his-tna-exit-his-pay-his-relationship-with-josh-mathews-more/
In the latest episode of his podcast, the “Human Podcast Machine”, Taz opened up about about his release from TNA. Taz left the company last week While there have been many rumors, he said he was not fired. Here are highlights:

On getting his TNA release: “I asked for my release and was granted my release. We parted ways mutually, the right way, professionally. I wish them nothing but success. My contract was ending in the summer of this year. I was looking to do other things and move on. I felt like I accomplished a lot in TNA, and TNA accomplished a lot with me. In defense to them, they wanted me to stay.”

On the rumor he didn’t make good money: “I was very happy with the money I was making. I have no complaint with the money I was making. I would not have stayed in TNA for as long as I did if they weren’t taking care of me. Did I feel like I could have been making more money? Absolutely. We all feel like that. Everybody wants a raise, all the time. That’s not why I left. Financially I was very happy there.”

On the rumor of Taz leaving TNA because of Josh Matthews: “Me leaving TNA had absolutely nothing to do with my relationship with Josh Matthews. It’s not true. I’ve worked with Josh for a long time. Did we have a fallout? Yes we had a fallout. Did it have anything to do with me leaving TNA? No. Why can’t two guys have an argument, or disagree, or end a friendship and people gotta speculate that’s why they left? I’ve wrestled guys that hated me, personally. And I’ve hated some of them. And we went out and had magic, and wrestled and drew money, and busted our ass and took care of each other. I’ve wrestled many guys that didn’t like me. It’s called business. While I was working with Josh I had zero problems with him.”

On the rumor of his TNA finances, late payment and not appearing at the Nashville voice-over taping: “My check was late, and I had to do what I had to do. The company was understanding in that. They understood my position. They were very professional, very kind, very understanding – business is business. This is how I pay my bills and I feed my family, for over 20 years. It’s well documentary – and it seems like they’re fixing that now – that my funds were not arriving to the house, and were very late. I did a service, I wasn’t paid for that service. I gave them a notice – they knew ahead of time that I wasn’t going to come, and they were awesome about it. They were apologetic about it.”

He said he’s since been paid by the company. He added he doesn’t know about his future, which would include re-signing with WWE and other projects, he’s just trying to focus on quality podcasts. He said he has meetings coming up in New York and will have news soon.

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2014 all over again

Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan was at the TNA offices in Nashville, TN last week. I haven't confirmed why Corgan was there. Beyond his initial appearances in ECW in the early 2000s, Corgan was head of creative for Chicago's Resistance Pro and has been working on a reality series based around his involvement in pro wrestling, which at one point was in development with AMC.

PWInsider

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Not much to IMPACT this week. Breaking up the Bro Mans is stoooopid. Even if Jade messed up getting signed by WWE twice I am still glad she's getting a break national television now. A very talented in ring Wrestler. Marti Bell is a terrible worker on the other hand. Jade can't talk well so I hope that is why Marti is there. I still hold a candle for the Hardys so seeing them win the NA tag belts was cool. Was glad to see the crowd treat it as a fair big deal.

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I know people who are gaga for Laura Dennis (Cherry Bomb) on the indies never saw it:

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Actually intrigued by what they are doing with Mickie James, Magnus and James Storm. Is Havok coming back to wrestle James in her next match? TNA needs to book Havok again as she is doing my head on Twitter about it.

So night of the Knockouts was 3 matches and 15 minutes of match time. Was amused they were trying to push The Dollhouse but Cherry Bomb was more over with the crowd Blue Pants style. Would use Laura Denis again but Jade and Dennis's lack of TV experience really shined through as they seemed lost in a storyline driven match. Don't really like the dynamic between Marti, Jade and Taryn as they seem a little too different personality wise first night at least. They already have The Rising suffering from that.

Would rather they would go straight forward and direct with characters rather than do weird/artsy/mysterious stuff they do. Once you dip into Angelina/Winter territory you should really reel it in. I need to ask around about Marti Bell but both Jade and Taryn are awful promos.

EC3 was sensational. So of course they are anchoring him down with Mr Anderson. Likewise with Anderson Eric Young as heel main eventer whooping ass in 2015 was another turn off.

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Gas
https://twitter.com/DeathToAllMarks/status/592259347637477376

Machismo Fan

I'd guess they might bring Havok back to team with Kong to take down The Dollhouse doing the whole mutual respect thing.

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Machismo Fan wrote: »

I'd guess they might bring Havok back to team with Kong to take down The Dollhouse doing the whole mutual respect thing.

Yeah Havok retweeted a tweet about ripping the heads off Barbies too.

Machismo Fan

Pretty much everything in this makes me wince: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/billy-corgan-tna-wrestling-smashing-pumpkins-1201480379-1201480379/

Here’s the latest arm-twist to the field of professional wrestling: Billy Corgan – yes, that Billy Corgan – wants to use a medium that is decidedly heavy on piledrivers and figure-four leglocks to explore issues of race, ethnicity and gender.

Corgan, leader of the innovative rock group Smashing Pumpkins, has joined TNA Impact Wrestling as senior producer of creative and talent development and, as such, will have a strong hand guiding such luminaries as Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode and Jeff Hardy and their exploits on TNA’s flagship “Impact Wrestling” program that has airs on Discovery Communications’ Destination America cable network. Rather than trotting out the same old “heels” and “babyfaces” – pro-wrestling argot for “bad guys” and good guys” – Corgan thinks fans are ready for new stories.

“There is a tremendous opportunity to go into really fresh, new directions,” Corgan explained in an interview. Having characters who explore race or transgender issues is certainly a possibility, he suggested. “There are ways to explore those themes in ways that are productive, create new stars and show that value-based ‘babyfaces’, no matter what their background, no matter where they come from, can draw new audiences and inspire people in new ways.”

Corgan’s thinking is necessary to stand out in a crowded field that is largely dominated by World Wrestling Entertainment and is also filled with overseas competitors like Japan’s New Japan Pro Wrestling and Mexico’s AAA Mega Championship, explained Dixie Carter, TNA’s president, in an interview. “We need to make our existing characters have a greater depth to them,” she said. “We want the stories to have a depth and a meaning to someone that is relevant today. Billy can really help that.”

In decades past, wrestling’s portrayal of different cultures has not always been kind, whether it be the headdress-wearing Native Americans known as Jay and Jules Strongbow, the mute behemoths called The Wild Samoans, or the effeminate character “Adorable” Adrian Adonis. TNA is betting that it can bring new fans to the arena by giving a stronger nod to cultures with growing influence in American society. It’s a tactic that big advertisers ranging from Coca-Cola to General Mills have adopted in the last few years, running commercials featuring families from a wider range of backgrounds and using multiple languages. TV networks have also begun to cast more broadly for programs like “Black-ish” and “Fresh Off The Boat” that try to offer viewpoints from African-American or Asian-American characters.

TNA’s maneuver comes as WWE has also begun efforts to bring a wider crowd to its antics. The Stamford, Conn.-based company recently launched a new campaign with NBCUniversal – which shows WWE programs on its USA cable outlet – that plays up the heroic and charitable works by such wrestlers as Tony Cena.

For Corgan, the match-up with professional wresting is not as unlikely as it might first seem. The writer of such tunes as “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Tonight, Tonight” says he has been a wrestling fan for much of his life, originally getting into the sport by following competitors such as Verne Gagne and Dick The Bruiser. “It was about tough guys in tights, before the really colorful stuff came in more fully into the 1980’s,” he said. In recent years, Corgan even ran a small wrestling promotion around Chicago.

TNA’s Carter said she met Corgan several years ago and was familiar with his deep interest in the sport, and convinced him to join her executives for a plotting session. Some of his creative work will begin to show up in TNA programming slated to hit the air in early May, she said.

Corgan believes his ideas will “ break new ground.” In 2015, he said, adding “those social and cultural issues that are sort of a ‘don’t’ go there’ subject” will result in themes that will feel more meaningful to current audiences. “I think there’s an endless supply of things in our culture where people are dealing with race or with gender, et cetera, and you can get into these things in a way that is both revelatory and enlightening. Treated the right way, ultimately, the good guy wins. The right ideas win.”

TNA bouts have run on Destination America since January. Discovery and TNA struck a multi-year deal in late 2014 that also includes the U.S. premiere of various series and specials from the company and gives Discovery international broadcasting rights for the programs in certain regions.

Loughc

that plays up the heroic and charitable works by such wrestlers as Tony Cena

Ah yes Tony Cena... great guy but he's no John Cena.

Machismo Fan

He's certainly no Juan Cena either. I can't believe that got by an editor. Firstly to not research it properly and then to not even have a basic idea of who John Cena is.

brassringclub

Can't wait for the Dust Brothers to move to TNA and have a gimmick conjoined twin tag team called Siamese Dreeeeeeeam (behbay)

rovert

Even TNA doesn't deserve Billy.

Billy's ideas:
Jesus as a Character.
The now NXT Dash Wilder wrestling in drag as Arika Cannons.
Billy's mentally handicapped brother Jesse as a heel manager.
A gong used for Women's matches.
Black dudes in convict outfits.
The King of the Night Time title seemingly only existing to reference KISS
Thinking Raven is a booking genius.

If you are really interested (2hr 6min mark):
https://twitter.com/thecubsfan/status/592737289962397697

I know a few who worked at Resistance Pro with him and found it a soul destroying experience.

Read the press release and all the big talk. He has always attached himself to progressive causes but is the first to use slurs. From women to homosexuals to trans. He is a bully and misogynist deep down. Has all these "progressive" and "intellectual" ideas with absolutely zero idea on how to make them work in Wrestling or to make money with them.

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https://twitter.com/wordsbig80s/status/592741409612005379

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Is third time the charm engagement wise for Davey:
https://twitter.com/ActualALove/status/592822056313606144

Do we approve?

billion dollar baby

As Jim Cornette would say "He don't know sh*t from apple butter bout bookin rasslin"

Hopefully he's joining the creative team in the same way that Christy Hemme joined the creative team...

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billion dollar baby wrote: »

As Jim Cornette would say "He don't know sh*t from apple butter bout bookin rasslin"

Hopefully he's joining the creative team in the same way that Christy Hemme joined the creative team...

Dixie has always wanted a reality series following her life and the behind the scenes of TNA. Billy Corgan had a contract with Network AMC for the same with him and Resistance Pro. But AMC dropped all reality TV and cancelled Billy's show while it was filming.

Long story short Billy has contacts.

Stereomaniac

One of the greatest musicians of the last 30 years, mind. If they want to employ him, leave them off.

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Stereomaniac wrote: »

One of the greatest musicians of the last 30 years, mind. If they want to employ him, leave them off.

Just don't give Billy Creative control.