PHOTOS FROM SATURDAY'S TNA LOCKDOWN INTERACTION FANFEST
Thanks to all of our great Total Nonstop Action Wrestling fans that turned out for Saturday's InterAction Fanfest, featuring over 40 TNA Superstars! We hope you had a blast meeting all of your favorites! Check out pics from Saturday's TNA Lockdown InterAction Fanfest in St. Louis
Smackdown to take over this Monday's RAW? Posted by Chris Kaufman on 04/17/2010 at 07:56 PM
Credit: F4WOnline.com
The Smackdown crew was able to get a flight out of Europe (Madrid, Spain) with Mickie James noting that the plane took off on Twitter. One idea going around is that the Smackdown wrestlers and the RAW wrestlers not on the tour would do Monday's show in East Rutherford, NJ. It is almost a sure thing that a show will take place on Monday in the United States as scheduled, with the worst case scenario being that the Smackdown stars are on the show if the RAW stars can't make it back in time.
Update on WWE wrestlers missing Monday's RAW Posted by Chris Kaufman on 04/17/2010 at 02:17 PM
Credit: PWTorch.com
The Associated Press has posted an article about how some WWE wrestlers might not be able to make it back to the United States for Monday nights RAW due to travel issues on the current European Tour. The report quoted WWE spokesman Kevin Hennessy that its unclear if everyone would arrive in time for the live Raw in East Rutherford, NJ.
The RAW brand has a show tonight in Belfast, Northern Ireland to complete the European Tour before they attempt to fly out on Sunday. According to Hennessy, the WWE wrestlers and crew normally fly commercial, but WWE is trying to book a charter flight to get everyone back to the United States. The AP report focused on entertainment acts that have been affected by the volcano explosion in Iceland that created havoc for airplane travel. The report noted the RAW brand required nearly 17 hours of travel in buses and ferries to make it Belfast.
The Irish Times is reporting that "The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has extended the closure of Irish airspace until 1:00 PM tomorrow due to the deterioration in conditions caused by ash from an Icelandic volcano." They will reevaluate the situation again tomorrow.
It's been a rough few days for WWE Superstars stuck in Europe due to the travel situation. Here are some messages from Twitter...
Justin Roberts: "Wishing the best of luck to the blue team for getting out...hope everyone is doing well over there. Got a lot of tweets about the red team..yes-we need some luck as well, not looking too good for us."
The Miz: "Not lookin good. Of everything to stop us a volcano really? time will tell"
Chris Jericho: "Been 36 hours since I've seen a bed. No end in sight either...."
At this point, all flights out of the United Kingdom are currently grounded until at least 7:00 AM tomorrow due to the lingering Icelandic volcanic ash. WWE is in jeopardy of not getting all of their wrestlers back to the United States for Monday's RAW in East Rutherford, NJ. WWE is trying to get the bigger names out of the UK for Monday's show, which is the final episode before Extreme Rules. The company plans on booking a charter flight in the event they can't get everyone out for the show.
Matt Hardy comments on his arm injury Posted by Chris Kaufman on 04/15/2010 at 10:18 PM
Matt Hardy commented on the diagnosis of his arm injury on Twitter. He wrote:
"Thx 4 the well wishes on my arm injury, all are much appreciated! My bicep & shoulder muscles are deeply bruised & strained, but not torn. Haven't missed any of my matches or appearances, nor will I on this tour. I'm working in pain, but attempting to work as smart as possible."
Shelly Martinez, who performed as Salinas in TNA Wrestling in 2008, recently inquired about getting her job back with the organization. According to company sources, they have not dismissed her as she's currently being considered for an on-screen role.
The former WWE Diva gave her notice to the company in September 2008 when she reportedly booked a role in an Italian film that would have conflicted with her TNA schedule. She was said to have offered to give up the film role if TNA would give her a pay raise. However, they refused, so she gave her notice and parted ways with the company.
Matt Hardy def. Carlito Christian def. Chavo Guerrero Ted DiBiase def. MVP
Ted DiBiase and MVP might have more in common than theyd like to admit. Each man likes money, each man likes to win and each man tries to look good while doing it. But its in how these Superstars go about achieving victory that the differences start to reveal themselves. MVP is a passionate athlete the product of a difficult upbringing who knows the value of hard work. DiBiase is an underhanded cheat the son of a millionaire who had everything handed to him on a silver platter. But who would win when they stepped into the ring on WWE Superstars?
Dont know where to catch WWE Superstars? Find WGN America in your area. Can't see WWE Superstars on WGN America in your area? Stay with WWE.com for full results, photos and video clips of all the action.
Ted DiBiase def. MVP (PHOTOS | VIDEOS) Ever since he strapped his fathers legendary Million Dollar Championship around his waist, Ted DiBiase has been competing with a newfound edge in WWE. This shot of confidence served him well in the main event of tonights WWE Superstars when he went one-on-one with the always-exciting MVP. While each Superstar has talent to spare, it was DiBiases underhanded tactics that won out tonight as he hit The Ballin Superstar with Dream Street to pick up a big victory.
Christian def. Chavo Guerrero (PHOTOS | VIDEOS) Few NXT Pros and Rookies have clicked as well as the duo of Christian and Heath Slater. Maybe thats because Captain Charisma is such a shining example of what a WWE Superstar should be that his Rookie cant help but be impressed. The Raw Superstar continued to impress tonight as he handed yet another defeat to Chavo Guerrero. With all these recent losses, the self-proclaimed Mexican Warrior is quickly earning his place amongst Susan Lucci and the Buffalo Bills as one of the great all-time losers.
Matt Hardy def. Carlito (PHOTOS | VIDEOS) After his loss to Evan Bourne on Mondays Raw, Carlito publicly complained about his treatment in WWE. Well, the Puerto Rican Superstar will have more to grumble about after chalking up a loss to Matt Hardy. With his NXT Rookie Justin Gabriel looking on, the WWE veteran put on a clinic, dropping Carlito with the Twist of Fate after NXT Rookie Michael Tarver's interference failed. Hopefully, Gabriel was taking notes.
Dixie Carter announced on Twitter today that The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Brian Kendrick & Homicide has been added to this Sunday's Lockdown PPV. NoDQ.com will have live coverage starting at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST. Here's the final card:
TNA World Title Cage Match The Pope vs. AJ Styles
Lethal Lockdown Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode, James Storm) vs. Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy)
TNA X Division Title Cage Match Shannon Moore vs. Kaz vs. Doug Williams
TNA Knockouts & Knockouts Tag Title Cage Match The Beautiful People vs. Angelina Love & Tara
Cage Match Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle
Cage Match Kevin Nash vs. Eric Young
Cage Match Scott Hall & Sean Waltman vs. Team 3D
Cage Match Brian Kendrick & Homicide vs. The Motor City Machine Guns
Cage Match Rob Van Dam vs. James Storm Winner gets numbers advantage for their team in Lethal Lockdown
- In addition to the neck problems Triple H is suffering from right now, one of his surgically repaired quads is giving him trouble. Right now Triple H is scheduled to work all upcoming TV and PPV events only.
Interesting story regarding Karen Angle Posted by Mark Virginia on 04/15/2010 at 03:17 AM
Credit: F4WOnline.com
As noted before, Kurt Angle is engaged to model Giovanna Yannotti. Karen Angle, who recently became engaged to Jeff Jarrett, has now become friends with Giovanna. Angles new fiancee has been at a lot of the TNA shows lately and believe it or not, her and Karen have been hanging out, even traveling together to shows.
- TNA has had talks with former WWE Superstar Nick Dinsmore about doing a spin-off of his Eugene character. It's said that those talks have recently stalled.
- Christy Hemme is said to be the highest paid female performer in TNA. Due to the fact that she was was a high-profile performer in WWE and had posed for Playboy, the company feels she is more valuable than the other women from a media standpoint.
According to Dave Meltzer, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman have been more "lucid and coherent" as of late, with both of them realizing this could be their last shot with a mainstream wrestling promotion. It is being reported that they have arrived to the shows early and Hall has been making an effort to lose some weight. Meltzer also reports that Hall is making $3,000 per appearance.
Click here for Cornette's audio response to the legal letter.
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 bulls--t 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 s--tty 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 f--k 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 motherf--ker; 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 f--king 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 f--k 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 f--k 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 f--king tombstone. And hey--hatred is a helluva motivator!
JC
Cornette's e-mail prompted a legal response from the law firm of Davis, Shapiro, Lewit & Hayes, LLP, a firm representing TNA Entertainment.
Their letter states that Cornette's comments towards Russo constitute "terroristic threats" and that he "has understandably experienced extreme fear for himself and his family" as a result of the comments made by him. They added that Cornette's "terroristic threat" has been reported to "applicable Federal and State law enforcement agencies." The letter also states, "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."
WWE Pro Christian def. NXT Rookie Wade Barrett WWE Pro William Regal def. NXT Rookie Daniel Bryan NXT Rookie Darren Young def. Luke Gallows
LONDON With the next Pros Poll just four weeks away, the NXT Rookies continued their mission to impress the WWE Pros and WWE Universe in the hopes of becoming WWEs breakout star. Several NXT Rookies shined during week eight of competition, and one even kept his hair.
NXT Rookie Darren Young def. Luke Gallows (PHOTOS | WATCH) In one of the biggest matches of his NXT Rookie career, Darren Young defeated Luke Gallows, not only proving his worth to his WWE Pro, CM Punk, but also saving his hair.
Earlier, Young apologized to Punk for his actions on SmackDown, and pleaded with him not to cut his hair. (WATCH) While Punk told Young he thought he showed guts, Straight Edge Society disciple Gallows took offense. Punk ordered his NXT Rookie to face the menacing Gallows with his hair on the line. When it mattered most, Young delivered, impressing Punk and the WWE Universe by pinning Gallows. Afterward, Punk raised Youngs hand in victory as a stunned Gallows looked on.
The South Beach party boy proved he could defeat a WWE Superstar on his own, without compromising his own wild personality and style. With the victory, Youngs record improved to 5-2.
WWE Pro William Regal def. NXT Rookie Daniel Bryan (PHOTOS | WATCH) After a negative reception from the WWE Universe in the Talk the Talk Challenge, NXT Rookie Daniel Bryans night didnt improve. Despite a strong offensive effort by Bryan, WWE Pro and Englands own William Regal defeated him with a Running Knee Trembler, causing Bryans win/loss record to sink to 0-8.
Earlier, The Miz gave a pep talk to his NXT Rookie who he referred to as the Susan Boyle of WWE before his match. (WATCH) After Bryans loss, a still-frustrated Miz, who watched the match from ringside, attacked Regal and then hit his NXT Rookie with a Skull Crushing Finale.
WWE Pro Christian def. NXT Rookie Wade Barrett (PHOTOS | WATCH) Thanks in part to a little assistance from his NXT Rookie, Heath Slater, WWE Pro Christian finally got retribution against NXT Rookie Wade Barrett. Two weeks ago, Barretts WWE Pro, Chris Jericho, distracted Christian, allowing Barrett to pin Captain Charisma in the WWE NXT All-Pro Eight-Man Tag Team Match.
But this week in a WWE Pro vs. NXT Rookie Match, the bareknuckle brawler was the one outsmarted. After Jericho distracted the WWE official, Barrett tried to take advantage of the situation, but Slater grabbed Barretts ankle, allowing Christian to capitalize and hit the Killswitch for the win. With his loss, Barretts record fell to 4-4.
NXT Rookies compete in the Talk the Talk Challenge (PHOTOS | WATCH) In just four weeks, the second WWE Pros Poll will reveal the Rookie Rankings, and the NXT Rookie who is ranked last will be eliminated. To avoid that fate, the NXT Rookies must win matches and continue to make positive impressions on the WWE Pros in various challenges. Last week, NXT Rookie Heath Slater showed off his physical strength and power by winning the Keg Carrying Challenge. This week, NXT Rookie Wade Barrett wowed the WWE Universe in his home country with his speaking skills.
The NXT Rookies displayed their charisma and ability to verbalize their feelings by connecting with the WWE Universe. The Rookies were given random topics, from cereal to passion to rainbows, and had 30 seconds to expand upon them with originality and creativity. Barrett faced fellow NXT Rookie Skip Sheffield in the final round, and won over the WWE Universe in Londons O2 Arena with his speech about the winds of change in WWE.
Since WWE NXT began, the NXT Rookies walked to the ring to the entrance themes of their respective WWE Pros. As the winner of the Talk the Talk Challenge, Barrett earned the opportunity to create his own entrance music!
Congestive heart failure hospitalized Gene Kiniski in early 2010, and he lost a lot of weight. The cancer which he had silently battled years before returned as well, eventually invading his brain. He passed away on the morning of Wednesday, April 14th, with family at his side.
While bed-ridden, he would complain about having to go out in such a way, but he never complained about the life he chose to live.
"I have one regret about the way I made a living I wish I could do it all over again," he said in 2006. "I had so many goddamn perks and all that. I just couldn't see myself being a 9-to-5er, not that there's anything wrong with it. I've been all over the continent, the world, and made a beautiful living. Hell, I'm still reaping awards."
- Rey Mysterio and John Morrison are among the WWE stars who are banged up from the European tour. Mysterio needed help leaving the arena after the Smackdown tapings last night and his dark main event with CM Punk.
Eve def. Divas Champion Maryse Unified Tag Team Champion The Miz def. David Hart Smith Evan Bourne def. Carlito WWE Champion John Cena def. David Otunga Kofi Kingston def. Sheamus by Disqualification The Bellas def. Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim and Jillian & Rosa Mendes in a Divas Baywatch Babe Triple Threat Tag Team Match Randy Orton vs. Batista ended in a No Contest
LONDON As an international star beloved by fans around the world, who better than David Hasselhoff to take the reins of Raw across the pond in London? To say he did a phenomenal job, would be like saying that KITT from Knight Rider was a decent ride. Lets face it, The Hoff went off!
Randy Orton vs. Batista ended in a No Contest (PHOTOS | WATCH) While Randy Ortons and Batistas ultimate goal is the World Heavyweight Title and WWE Title respectively, a more immediate goal lay in their paths namely, defeating each other. The two approached their match as a means of gaining momentum and sending a shot across the bow of World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger and WWE Champion John Cena.
After their match got underway, the two veterans proved why theyve accumulated 12 World Championships between them. Seizing a rare opening, The Viper struck The Animal with an RKO. As it appeared Batista would succumb, Swagger interfered, attacking Orton and causing chaos inside the squared circle. Not one to be left out, Cena also climbed through the ropes and locked in the STF on The Animal, who, after a powerhouse struggle, was finally forced to relent and tap out.
The Bellas def. Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim and Jillian & Rosa Mendes in a Divas Baywatch Babe Triple Threat Tag Team Match (PHOTOS | WATCH) Where ever David Hasselhoff goes, the actor brings the beach with him. As special guest host, the former Baywatch actor arranged a Divas Baywatch Babe Triple Threat Tag Team Match featuring Kelly Kelly & Gail Kim against The Bella Twins against Jillian & Rosa Mendes with Santino serving as special guest referee.
As the former Baywatch actor watched from a lifeguard tower, the bikini-clad Divas smashed into each other like waves against the sand. After The Bellas clinched the win, Jillian, who had gotten pinned, caused Santino to nearly swallow his lifeguard whistle. While the Divas pleaded for Hasselhoff to administer CPR, he begged off. Instead, Hornswoggle emerged and nailed the Italian with a Tadpole Splash, causing Santino to cough up the wedged whistle.
Kofi Kingston def. Sheamus by Disqualification (PHOTOS | WATCH) Sheamus continued this week to get his Irish up way up. After announcing that he will face off against Triple H at Extreme Rules in a Street Fight, The Celtic Warrior was interrupted by Kofi Kingston, the man he pummeled with a steel pipe last week. Never one to back down, The Dreadlock Dynamo confronted his assailant and demanded a rematch. Just when prospects were looking bright for Kingston, however, Sheamus nailed him with the television monitor. The transgression left Kingston down and the Irishman disqualified. His victory, however, didnt stop The Celtic Warrior from further punishing his opponent with a pump kick.
WWE Champion John Cena def. David Otunga (PHOTOS | WATCH) A rookie mistake or the beginning of a brilliant career? After last week, when NXT Rookie David Otunga betrayed WWE Champion John Cena, the fate and sanity of A-List Otunga was called into question. This week, a hint of his fate was revealed when he faced off against The Champ. With Cenas Extreme Rules opponent Batista looking on, the WWE Champion surmounted a couple of Otungas underhanded tactics to defeat the self-proclaimed A-List.
The Champ then called on The Animal to step into the ring. After advancing toward the ring, Batista thought better of tangling with Cena and retreated up the entrance ramp.
Evan Bourne def. Carlito (PHOTOS | WATCH) Carlito has always been known to have a fiery Latin temper. Tonight, however, the rotten apple appeared exceptionally overheated. Apparently, losing quickly will do that. After the high-flying Evan Air Bourne disposed of his opponent in short order, Carlito lost it and stormed out of the ring.
Unified Tag Team Champion The Miz def. David Hart Smith (PHOTOS | WATCH) In England, home of black pudding, jellied eels and blood sausage, even the Brits cant stomach The Miz. The Unified Tag Team Champion was showered with boos after proclaiming himself and partner Big Show the greatest tag team of all time. Even WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart emerged to confront The Cleveland Screamers claims before inviting out The Hart Dynasty Natalya, Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith who had defeated the champions two weeks prior.
Hart proposed a match between Miz and Smith with the stipulation that if Smith won, The Hart Dynasty would receive a Unified Tag Team Title Match at Extreme Rules. If Miz won, however, The Hit Man would be forced to proclaim Show-Miz the greatest tag team of all time next week on Raw.
Well, The Excellence of Execution should prepare to eat a little crow. After a tough back-and-forth battle, it was The Miz who emerged victorious over the young Hart.
Eve def. Divas Champion Maryse (PHOTOS | WATCH) It was like a scene out of the film Mean Girls. After all the abuse and put-downs suffered at the hands of Divas Champion Maryse, Eve finally got her chance to shut the mouth of her conceited Canadian rival in a title match. Summoning her natural athletic ability, Eve overcame the underhanded tactics and trash-talking to net the butterfly title and become the new Divas Champion.
Special guest host David Hasselhoff opened Raw (PHOTOS | WATCH) The Hoff is in the house! Actor, singer and producer extraordinaire David Hasselhoff was fittingly escorted to the ring by a host of beach-worthy babes. The worldwide star greeted the audience before informing them that he had arranged a match between the No. 1 contenders to the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles, Batista and Randy Orton respectively.
Concern in TNA for Jeff Hardy's well-being? Posted by Mark Virginia on 04/14/2010 at 04:14 PM
Credit: F4WOnline.com
According to Bryan Alvarez, here is much internal concern regarding the state of Jeff Hardy. Many feel his work since coming to TNA has been lackluster not to mention that his promos are rambling and sometimes virtually incoherent. Several people are comparing his current state to his previous run in the company, which occurred as a result of his termination from WWE for erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to enter rehab and deteriorating ring performance.
NXT's future in doubt with Smackdown on SyFy Posted by Chris Kaufman on 04/13/2010 at 12:08 PM
According to PWInsider.com, it looks like WWE Smackdown moving to the SyFy Channel this fall could spell the end of the company's new NXT show on the cable network. While there was talk that the series was "canceled," WWE is reportedly not ready to pull the plug yet and is currently seeking a new home for the show. WWE has had preliminary discussions with the Bravo cable network, which is also part of the NBC Universal family (along with USA Network & SyFy.) There's also the possibility of airing the show on WWE.com.
Dixie Carter comments on Impact's ratings Posted by Mark Virginia on 04/13/2010 at 05:09 PM
TNA President Dixie Carter is now answering fan questions are here are a few regarding ratings...
Gabe Ross, Athens, OH - Q: Ratings are a big deal for any company. What are your short and long-term goals in terms of ratings for TNA?
A: Good question. I want to be very clear on this, we NEVER expected to have competitive ratings with RAW at the beginning. I have been very specific in saying that our goal was to grow our brand and our ratings and we felt like we could do that faster on Mondays. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a big step forward. We expected to have to rebuild part of our audience when moving our programming day and timeslot. We have finally settled in to an 8 pm ET/7 pm CT Monday timeslot with an encore presentation on Thursdays as 9 pm ET. It is going to take some time to build both audiences. We have no ego in saying iMPACT! has to draw a big rating in one night. With the encore, we have grown our overall viewing audience significantly from 2009 averages. We have 4 hours of exposure in prime time on Spike TV. So short term, we have settled in to a new programming schedule and need to give both some time to grow, but are happy with our increased viewership. Long term we want to see the overall ratings for iMPACT! increase significantly, no matter how many airings we have.
Jared in NYC - Q: The move to Mondays looks like a failure when youre changing the timeslot a month later? Thoughts?
A: We discussed both the 8 10 pm ET and 7-9 pm ET timeslots with Spike before we moved to Mondays. It would be a failure to stay in a timeslot when you think another one might offer a greater chance for growth. When we started iMPACT! at 8 pm ET for the 3-hour January 4th special and on April 5th when we moved an hour earlier to get a jump on the NCAA Mens basketball championship game, we saw higher viewership. Instead of moving back to 9 pm the following week, we decided to leave the start time at 8 pm ET and build that timeslot. Now its up to TNA, Spike and all of you to spread the word.
Several matches were added to Sunday's TNA Lockdown card on this week's iMPACT!
Here's the final card for TNA Lockdown 2010:
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Cage Match A.J. Styles (c) vs. The Pope
LETHAL LOCKDOWN: Team Hogan vs. Team Flair Abyss, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam and Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting, Beer Money and Desmond Wolfe.
Cage Match Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson
3-Way X-Division Championship Cage Match Doug Williams (c) vs. Shannon Moore vs. Kazarian
Cage Match Rob Van Dam vs. James Storm * Winner receives advantage for his team in Lethal Lockdown.
Cage Match Kevin Nash vs. Eric Young.
Cage Match Scott Hall & Sean Waltman vs. Team 3D
Knockouts Championship & Cage Match Knockouts Champion Angelina Love & Tara vs. Knockouts Tag champions the Beautiful People (Velvet Sky & Madison Rayne) * Whoever who scores the pin wins either the Knockouts Title or Knockouts tag titles
TNA Impact Opener: Jeff Jarrett is out to the ring and says he founded TNA eight years ago and it stands for Total Nonstop Action. He tells Sting he isn't going to talk about kicking his ass, he is going to do it now. With this Jarrett goes up into the rafters looking for Sting. Sting finally appears and Jarrett begins to attack. He beats on Sting down the steps and back into the Impact Zone. Sting turns the tables with an eye rake and chokes Jarrett, but Jeff fights back and brings Sting down to the ramp and he rips Sting's jacket off. Jarrett is punching away at Sting and finally sends him into the ring with a right hand. Sting can't get up and Sting is trying to beg him off. Jarrett is screaming at Sting until the lights go off. When they come back on, Sting is behind Jarrett with his bat and hits Jarrett in the back and face with it. He stands over Jarrett until the rest of Team Hogan runs out to make the save and Sting bails to the outside and goes backstage.
JB is in the back with Ric Flair and the rest of his team. Flair says JB is with the the most important guys in TNA. He says Sting just set an example by taking out Jarrett, and they are going to end Team Hogan and Hulkamania this Sunday at Lockdown. Robert Roode addresses the high flyer Jeff Hardy and says he is going to make sure Hardy doesn't fly again, and sorry about your damn luck. Desmond Wolfe is next, and says last week he took out Abyss in one shot. He says Abyss is an animal, and like any animal, he can be tamed. He is going to beat Abyss, and take back his ring. AJ adds to this by saying he is going to end this thing with Pope at Lockdown, and Pope can do nothing, and like it.
6 Man Tag New York City Streetfight Match Team 3D & Jesse Neal vs The Band This one gets underway quick and all of the participants are in the ring with various weapons. Team 3D and Jesse are in control and they are using trashcans on Nash, and Ray snaps a kendo stick across the back of Hall. They set Syxx Pac in the middle of the ring and give him and Nash kendo stick shots across the back and in the head. This is a completely one sided fight and now the fans are chanting for tables. Ray puts a trash can on the head of Nash and hits it with the kendo stick. Devon uses the trashcan lid on Hall and Jesse Neal is in control of Syxx Pac. Devon hits the Wassup! and then they get the tables from under the ring. Ray sets up the table and gives Syxx Pac a back body drop in the ring. Bubba runs down to the ring and distracts Brother Ray long enough for Syxx Pac to recover and Syxx Pac gives Ray the X-Factor off the top rope through the table. Syxx Pac makes the cover and gets the win for his team.
Winners: The Band
After the match The Band tries to continue the attack on Team 3D and Jesse until Eric Young rushes to the ring to make the save. He is carrying a hockey stick and The Band and Bubba get away from ringside in a hurry. EY grabs a mic and tells Nash he has a bone to pick with him. He says he wants Nash one on one in a cage. He says it's going to be Nash and Young at Lockdown, and EY is going to get righteous. Nash and EY stare each other down as we go to a commercial break.
Backstage Segment: Christy Hemme is running down Hulk Hogan in the back and wants his thoughts on Lockdown this Sunday. She asks what's going on since we've seen his team beaten up over the past few weeks. He responds by saying he has four guys on his team that are really serious about Lockdown. He says they will prevail and that... he stops and behind a curtain we get a glimpse of Bischoff talking to Flair. He asks Christy to excuse him and sits down until Bischoff walks by. He asks what that was about and Bischoff says it was nothing and that he hopes Hogan isn't jumping to conclusions. Hogan says they should talk in his office and Bischoff rolls his eyes as Hogan walks away.
Shannon Moore vs Kazarian Kazarian and Moore lock up and shove each other around the ring. Moore poses and then they lock up again before they exchange side headlocks. Kazarian is trying to keep Moore grounded but Moore keeps fighting back. Moore hits a couple armdrag takeovers and now has Kazarian grounded. Moore hits an atomic drop and a legdrop for a two count. He goes off the ropes and hits a crossbody but still only gets a two. Moore goes to attack once again but Kazarian reads this and pulls the rope down and Moore falls to the outside. Kazarian brings him in and hits a slingshot legdrop and a suplex for a two count. During this part of the match, Douglas Williams comes out to the ramp and then joins Tenay and Taz on commentary. Back in the ring, Moore tries reversing Kazarian off the ropes with a bulldog but lands akwardly and both men are down. When they get back up, Kazarian bails outside and Moore follows by going for a baseball slide, but misses. He instead jumps up on the ringpost and hits a twisting moonsault on the outside.
Moore jumps on Kazarian's shoulder back in the ring but Kazarian holds Moore arms and dumps him back with an electric chair drop. Kazarian sets up Moore on the top rope but Moore fights back and hits a corkscrew moonsault for a two count. Both guys are trading pin attempts and the bell rings as Kazarian goes for a backslide pin. He doesn't get a three count, instead it is a time limit draw. As the announcer tells the crowd the result of the match, Douglas Williams gets on the microphone and blasts them both for not being able to finish the match in time. He is ripping on both Moore and Kazarian, asking if they are going to kiss and make up until Kazarian and Moore go after him on the ramp. Williams begins to retreat and goes backstage as Moore and Kazarian chase him up the entrance.
Winner: Draw (TV Time Limit)
Backstage Segment: JB is in the back with Velvet Sky and he is holding her open contract that she won last week. She says tonight's match won't be for the Knockouts Championship, because it will be on the line this Sunday at Lockdown in a match between The Beautiful People and Tara and Angelina Love. If a member of TBP gets the pin, they will becomes Knockout Champion, but JB mentions if Tara or Angelina get the pin they will become Knockouts Tag Team Champions. She doesn't like him interrupting and asks if he has anymore questions and cracks a leather whip in her hand to end the segment.
Bischoff is in Hogan's office and Hogan wants to know what is going on, and says Bischoff is running around like he is nuts. Hogan wants to know what he should expect, and Bischoff says Hogan should should know what type of person he is after 15 years. He says he was with Flair because Team Hogan is getting their asses kicked and he is just trying to help. Bischoff leaves and Jay Lethal comes in, he says the need to deal with The Band and Hogan tells him after Lockdown they'll get it together. Lethal leaves and Hogan leans back in his chair and looks really stressed out.
JB is in the back again, now with Knockouts Champion Angelina Love. She mocks Velvet's choice of a Leather and Lace match and says she came to TNA to be the best women's wrestler, not to parade around like a hooker. Tara come in and says Angelina didn't win the title, she stole it with a key. JB reminds them they have to coexist this Sunday, but they stay in each other's faces and Angelina taunts Tara, asking her what she is going to do about it. Tara asks if Angelina wants a piece of her and Angelina laughs as we go to another commercial break.
Backstage Segment: Christy Hemme is in the back with yet another backstage promo, this time she is with Abyss and Pope. Pope says after Lockdown he is going to be pimpin' and jivin' but Abyss says they have more important things to deal with. He says tonight, they have AJ and Wolfe right where they want them, and tells Wolfe it will take more than a fire extinguisher to take him down. He says they better take his last breath to beat him, because that is the only way he'll be defeated and vows he will not let Hogan down on Sunday.
Leather and Lace Match Angelina Love vs Velvet Sky Velvet Sky informs Angelina that another stipulation has been added to their match, and now Angelina has to fight with her hands handcuffed behind her back. As she says this the referee grabs her arms and puts her in the cuffs. Velvet goes to get in the ring by doing her pose on the ropes but Angelina kicks her and corners her by the ring post. Angelina tries attacking again but Velvet hits her in the face with the Knockouts Title. She grabs a mic and adds one more stipulation, telling everyone that this is an " I Quit" match. She asks Angelina if she quits yet, and Angelina screams no and Velvet beats away again. Velvet props her in the corner and says maybe if she strips Angelina naked she'll quit. She rips off Angelina's shirt, but Angelina says no and calls Velvet a bitch. Lacey and Madison Rayne come into the ring now and join the beatdown as this match is no disqualification. Tara's music and she runs out for the save. TBP clear the ring and Tara pulls Angelina up off of the ground. She uncuffs Angelina and TBP make their way backstage. Angelina reaches out to shake Tara's hand, but Tara turns her back and leaves the ring.
Winner: No Contest?
Backstage Segment: Christy is outside the Impact Zone and is looking upset. Abyss is on the ground as he is surrounded by trainers. She says all they know if they heard a car speed off and when they know more information they will keep everybody informed.
JB is with Matt Morgan and says the Motor City Machine Guns will still get their title shot, but since Morgan took out his tag partner Hernandez, he will have to defend with a new partner. Morgan says we don't need a partner, and that they can defend it ourselves. Morgan says TNA is making him get a new partner and brings in Amazing Red. He puts over Red's accomplishments and says Red can do his flip floppy stuff and Morgan will hit the Carbon Footprint for the win.
Tag Team Championship Match Motor City Machine Guns vs Amazing Red & Matt Morgan (c) Morgan starts off against Shelley and Morgan is overpowering him and Sabin. He throws Shelley outside and goes after Sabin before taunting the fans. Morgan tags out and Red comes in. Red hits a spinning headscissors and follows it with a dropkick. Sabin blind tags and kicks Red in the head. He goes for a pin but Red kicks out and then MCMG double teams him with a dropping neckbreaker like move. Morgan comes back in and takes control of the match. He splashes Shelley in the corner and goes to do it to Sabin but the Guns fight back. They double pin Morgan but he powers out and Morgan asks for a time out before tagging Red back in. MCMG dropkick Morgan off the apron and he comes back in and clotheslines Sabin. Morgan goes for the Hellavator but Red quickly hits the Code Red and gets a three count for the pin as Morgan looks pissed off that Red upstaged him.
When Red gets up they celebrate with the belts but Morgan isn't sincere and attacks Red. He sets Red up in the corner an elbows him repeatedly and then pulls him outside. He puts Red's head next to the ringpost goes to hit the Carbon Footprint but luckily Sabin pulls him out of the way and they retreat and Morgan is held back by the referees.
Winners and STILL Tag Team Champions: Matt Morgan (& Amazing Red)
In the back, Christy is updating Abyss's condition, saying he is being stabilized and that they have a surveillance tape showing what happened to him. When they show the tape, Abyss is in the parking lot and his is rundown by a white car. They enhance the video and catch a glimpse of the driver. It appears to resemble Desmond Wolfe, but Christy says we can draw our own conclusions and sends it back to ringside.
Robert Roode vs Jeff Hardy Roode starts off with a side headlock but Hardy hits an armdrag takeover. Roode goes to attack again but Hardy hits another armdrag. Hardy hits the double legdrop to the groin and goes for the Twist of Fate, but Roode dodges it and goes outside. He grabs Hardy leg and drags him outside. Roode throws Hardy into the ring steps and goes back into the ring. Roode hits a scoop slam and goes up top for a knee drop and covers for two. He goes back to working on Hardy's neck and Hardy hits a jawbreaker and a spin kick to get away from Roode. Both men get back up at the referee's five count and they exchange punches in the middle of the ring. Hardy hits a front suplex and hits a corkscrew moonsault off the top rope for a very close two count. Hardy misses the Twist of Fate again and Roode hits a spinebuster followed a suplex attempt. Hardy counters, hits a Stunner and measures his opponent. He goes up top and is interrupted by James Storm. He fights Storm off, and hits Roode with a Swanton Bomb to get the win.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
After the match, Storm throws Hardy into the barricade and then into the ringpost. He tosses Hardy back into the ring and grabs his beer bottle. He waits for Hardy to get up and when he turns around, Storm blows a fireball in the face of Hardy! The referee checks on Hardy as Storm stands over him. RVD finally makes the save and goes after Storm until Roode helps his partner. Beer Money hits the DWI on RVD and they pose to the boos from the fans as they go to commercial.
When we come back, they show a replay of the fireball incident that just happened in the ring. Tenay says the network wouldn't show the entire thing, but fans can see the uncensored footage on TNA's website after Impact. Hardy is being shown taking to the back and having his face treated by medical personnel as Tenay is explaining all of this.
JB is in the back with Pope and is trying to get his thoughts on what is going on with his partner for tonight's main event, Abyss. Pope is serious and says he has a job to do and he sends his prayers to Abyss. Jay Lethal walks in and calls JB "Mean Gene" and calls Pope "Slick". He says they'll take care of business and walks off as Pope looks like he has no idea what just happened, so apparently Jay Lethal is going to take Abyss's place.
Impact Main Event AJ Styles & Desmond Wolfe vs Pope D'Angelo Dinero & Jay Lethal Lethal never makes it out to the ring and a camera crew in the back shows Lethal being beat up by Beer Money. Lethal tries fighting back but the numbers catch up to him. He fights off Roode and throws him into the interview set before Storm breaks a beer bottle over the face of Lethal. After this, AJ Styles makes his way down the ramp, followed by Flair and Chelsea. AJ says Pope's partner has a "drinking problem" courtesy of Beer Money. AJ says it looks like this will be a handicap match and tells Desmond Wolfe to come out for the match. Before Wolfe makes it to the ring, Hulk Hogan hits him from behind with a chair and Pope goes after AJ and it looks like the match has been thrown out.
Result: No Contest
Pope continues to attack AJ, and sends him headifrst into the ringpost and steps. AJ is trying to run away but Pope is all over him. He sends AJ into the ring and Pope holds him in a fireman's carry but AJ rakes the eyes and gets out the situation. AJ attempts a Styles Clash but Peope fights back and sets up for a DDE. Flair gets out of the wheelchair and nails Pope in the back with the title belt and the ref rings the bell eventhough the match never started. Flair gets in the rign and kicks away at Pope along with AJ. Beer Money comes out and joins in, and Flair takes off his belt and whips Pope with it. AJ throws Pope out of the ring and poses with his belt. Flair looks furious as Hogan makes his way out to the top of the ramp. Flair is daring Hogan to come down and Hogan looks worried as he stares at the men in the ring.
New WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres wrote the following on Twitter last night regarding her big win: "I am still on a high! Thank you for believing in me! That is how I got my win tonight. I aim to bring pride and honor to the WWE Diva's Championship. So much to say... I'll be writing a blog for WWE Universe tonight."
A report by the LA Times suggests WWE is days away from announcing a network change for WWE Smackdown. Over the past decade Smackdown has been a mainstay on UPN and CW network before making the move to MyNetworkTV in 2008. LA Times sources say Smackdown is moving to NBC Universal's Syfy, the same network that carries WWE NXT. The move could usher in a new partnership between NBC's Dick Ebersol and the upcoming WWE network. Here is an excerpt from LATimes.com:
"Although terms were not disclosed, My Network TV was shelling out roughly $20 million a year for 'Smackdown.' Syfy's price tag is believed to be closer to $30 million a year.
Although 'Smackdown' is more than 10 years old, it still does very well with men, particularly the 18-34 demographic, and generally averages about 3.5 million viewers overall. 'Smackdown' will continue to air on Friday nights when it moves to Syfy later this year, most likely in either late September or early October."
WWE results from Liverpool: Cena vs. Sheamus Posted by Chris Kaufman on 04/11/2010 at 06:39 PM
Thanks to Khyle Deen for the results...
Match 1: Evan Bourne vs Chavo Guerrero - quick match, good opener to get the crowd going, Bourne won with a SSP
Match 2: Dos Caras vs Christian - nobody knew who DC was, crowd was chanting who are ya?, for most of the match, good offense by DC but Christian won with an Unprettier, i enjoyed that match
After the match, Sheamus laid out Christian with that kick to the face, cut a short promo saying that it was a preview of what he'll do to Cena later, slated Liverpool's football (soccer to you) team
Chris Masters came out and did a Masterlock Challenge - Hornswoggle came out and just knocked him around, boring but it was for the kids so...
Match 3: Triple threat for the WWE Diva's Title: Maryse vs Kelly vs Eve - Kelly & Eve double teamed mostly, they both hung out the ring for certain spots, Eve did some random move on Kelly, Maryse re-enters the ring as Eve pins, pushes Eve out the ring and pins Kelly for the win
Match 4: Legacy vs Randy Orton - Legacy out first, cut a brief promo warming up the crowd, Rhodes had protective headgear and said he needed it due to the Punt at WM26, Orton out, decent match roughly halfway through the show, Orton won, but still made Legacy look good (Orton didnt pose, i was a little annoyed)
Match 5: William Regal vs MVP, good match, not too short but it was a little match, Regal won
Match 6: WWE Unified Tag Team Championships: ShowMiz out first, cut a good promo, Miz building heat, slating Liverpool, saying him and Show were bigger than The Beatles, they were facing Mark Henry & Kofi Kingston, typical match you'd expect from the 4 of them, ShowMiz retained
Match 7: WWE Title: John Cena vs Sheamus - i thought this was the best of the night, Sheamus dominated, lots of near falls by Sheamus, Cena bounced back, but then Sheamus got more near falls, then Cena bounced back, usual moves for the win
- Ted DiBiase was busted open at last night's RAW live event in Ireland during a match with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. Ted ended up receiving several staples in his head to close the wound.
Eric Bischoff says he doesn't hate Daniels Posted by Mark Virginia on 04/11/2010 at 06:34 PM
On his Facebook, someone asked Eric Bischoff whether Daniels was released because he hated him, and Bischoff responded:
Actually Antuan, nothing is farther from the truth. I didnt know he was going to be released until I read it on my Facebook page. Hes a good talent and sure he will do well in ROH.
Since WWE is a PG rated show, blood is not allowed to appear at any match unless by accident.
Fans during the latest Superstars episode were unhappy about a delay in the latest episode of Superstars. This was due to blood on Chavo's head as the latter suffered a minor cut on his head in his match with Kofi.
The official delayed the match to take care of it and since those present were sounding their unhappiness, the announcers tried to make excuses as to why this was being done. Michael Cole stated that if Chavo's blood entered in his eyes, he could go blind.
This also happened to Edge recently during a SmackDown! taping.
Ik ben Boon Kenneth, en gebruik soms ook wel de schuilnaam Sting.
Ik ben een man en woon in Dworp (Belgie) en mijn beroep is .
Ik ben geboren op 05/06/1989 en ben nu dus 36 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: Worstelen en films.
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