TNA Wrestling News (Page 11)

• Monday’s ‘This Is TNA!’ special on Spike TV did a 1.2 cable rating. This is an earlier number; it may change as the day goes on.

• The following matches have been taped for tomorrow’s edition of TNA iMPACT:

- Gauntlet for the Gold with the winner receiving a Destination X NWA title shot at Christian Cage: Abyss, AJ Styles, BG James, Chris Sabin, Eric Young, James Storm, Kip James, Kurt Angle, Rhino, Robert Roode, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, Sting, and Tomko.

- NWA Tag Team champions LAX vs. Shark Boy & Norman Smiley

- Gail Kim vs. Ms Tennessee - Arm Wrestling Match

- Also appearing: NWA champion Christian Cage, Team 3D, James Storm, Chris Harris, Petey Williams, and more.

• Ron Killings was backstage last night on crutches. He seemed to be in a great deal of pain, but the exact nature of his injury is unknown at this point.

• Former WCW star Glacier, Dory Funk Jr., and former WWE developmental talents like the Riggs Brothers were backstage at last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings. As usual, Funk brought several students from his wrestling school with him.

• Rumors circulated backstage at last night’s tapings that TNA Wrestling star Apollo was suppose to return as part of LAX; however it did not happen.

• Bob Backlund continues to exhibit eccentric behavior, which is among much discussion and entertainment between wrestlers backstage.

The following report is courtesy of lordsofpain.net ...

- NWA World Tag Team Champions LAX defeated Team 3D in a Non-Title Little Italy Street Fight Match. The match kicked off with LAX attacking 3D from behind when 3D was distracted by Konnan who was staring them down from his wheelchair. One big spot saw Hernandez dive over the top rope, but Devon smashed him over the head with a steel chair. Lots of brawling on the outside of the ring ensued after this. Devon was busted open later in the match after Hernandez cut him with a pizza cutter. Brother Ray then came back and used a cheese grater. Members of LAX's "Latino Nation" also hit the ring, but Team 3D took all of them out. 3D then setup tables in the ring and Hernandez sent Brother Ray through one of them. The finish saw Hernandez hit a Border Toss on Devon to get the pinfall.

- Backstage, Jeremy Borash was with Austin Starr. He has a match against Senshi next that wasn't announced earlier. Bob Backlund made an appearance and Starr insulted him.

- Senshi defeated Austin Starr. Lots of back and forth chants for Starr and Senshi early on from the crowd in Orlando. Tons of reversals between the two during the match. Your typical X Division style match with many nearfalls. The finish saw Senshi get a pinfall over Starr, but it appear that the shoulders of both men were on the mat at the same time. After the match, Starr was upset over the finish and tossed a few chairs into the ring. Starr got on the mic and demanded that the match be restarted. Bob Backlund then came to the ring and got in Starr's face. Starr slapped Backlund and Backlund then put Starr into a crossface chicken wing to end the segment.

- Backstage, Jeremy Borash was with NWA World Champion Christian Cage. Tomko is still upset. Scott Steiner shows up and says he is done with him. Cage tried to calm things down between the two. Cage told Tomko to apologize, but Steiner said he didn't want to hear it. Steiner then told Cage that he wanted him just as much as Kurt Angle did. Cage told Tomko to fix the situation.

- Christy Hemme defeated The Big Fat Oily Guy in a Tuxedo Match. The Big Fat Oily Guy was being billed as from Stamford, CT. The fans booed Hemme (pictured) when she started taking the tuxedo off of the The Big Fat Oily Guy. At one point, the fat guy planted himself on top of Hemme and the fans went nuts. Hemme then got the pinfall to get the win. After the match, Kip James of the Voodoo Kin Mafia came out. James got on the mic and said he knows what the fans came to see and it wasn't to see Hemme wrestle. He then removed Hemme's top, the fans cheered and Hemme ran off to the back.

- Backstage, Alex Shelley was showing his footage of Ms. Brooks and Eric Young to Leticia, Kevin Nash, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. The footage airs and Traci is talking on the phone. There is a knock at the door and she walks over to answer and the video fades saying "to be continued."

- Lance Hoyt w/ David Eckstein defeated Dale Torborg (w/ AJ Pierzynski) in Basebrawl 2. Eckstein's brother was shown at ringside. The initial finish saw Hoyt go up on the top rope and Pierzynski hit him with a steel chair. Torborg got the pinfall after that went down. A second referee saw this and the match was restarted. Eckstein's brother Rick then interfered, using a steel chair on Torborg with the referee distracted. This allows Hoyt to get the pinfall on Torborg.

- The second part of the Paparazzi Productions' footage of Ms. Traci and Eric Young started to air. We see Traci answer the door and Young shows up with fake flowers and a box of candy that his half eaten already. Brooks starts stripping down and Young tells her that this is his "first time." Brooks then has Young sign something before they start the best night of his life.

- AJ Styles defeated Rhino in a Motor City Chain Match. Referee Earl Hebner wrapped a chain around the wrists of Styles and Rhino at the start of the match. Styles left the ring early on and Rhino went after him. There is a pole on the ring post with a key on it. Styles went up to top to get it, but Rhino pulled him back down. Rhino came back with some more offense on Styles, which included a big spinebuster. Rhino went up to the other pole in the opposite corner and took down a nightstick. Styles ended up getting the stick and used it on Rhino. Styles then went up to the top rope and got the key off the pole. Styles unlocked himself from the chain and then hit a big frog splash on Rhino in the ring.

Styles locked his end of the chain to the ropes to shorten the length. Styles dangled the key over Rhino and Rhino took him out with a big Gore! Rhino got the key and he is free of the chain. The finish saw Rhino setup a table in the corner and Rhino puts Styles against it. Rhino backs up, charges, looks for a Gore, but Styles moves and Rhino crashes through the table. Styles then gets the pinfall to get the win.

- The third part of the Paparazzi Productions footage airs with Ms. Brooks and Eric Young. Young tells Ms. Brooks that he doesn't want to sign the contract. Traci starts removing some clothing and Young signs the contract right away. Ms. Brooks then told Young to lay down on the bed and to close his eyes. Young does so and Brooks takes off and hands the contract to Robert Roode who was nearby. As the footage came to a close, Bob Backlund ran into the "viewing area" yelling at everyone for watching filth.

Continue Reading...

In what could end up being called the "Christian Coalition," a new faction has started in TNA Wrestling.

It will be featuring NWA World Champion Christian Cage, AJ Styles, Scott Steiner and Tomko. The feeling within TNA is that Christian and Styles have similar heel personas that could play off each other very well, while Steiner and Tomko will play the roles of the "muscle" in the faction and take care of business for Christian and Styles.

The following comes from TNAWrestling.com ...

COMPLETE LINEUP FOR MONDAY’S TWO-HOUR “THIS IS TNA” SPECIAL
This Monday night, Total Nonstop Action will present the two-hour “This Is TNA” special on SpikeTV starting at 9pm ET! Don’t miss TNA’s first-ever Monday night broadcast! The below is the complete lineup of what fans will see on the program:

FROM BOUND FOR GLORY 2006:

NWA World Heavyweight Title Match – Career vs. Title
Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting

NWA World Tag Team Title Match – Six Sides Of Steel
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. The Latin American Xchange

Eight-Mile Street Fight
Christian Cage vs. “The War Machine” Rhino

FROM SLAMMIVERSARY 2006:

King of the Mountain Match For The NWA World Heavyweight Title
Christian Cage vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting vs. Abyss vs. The Truth

FROM GENESIS 2006:

Dream Match Of The Decade
Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle vs. “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe

In addition, all matches on the two-hour special will be enhanced by TNA Film, giving viewers a unique perspective with never-before-seen footage!

ALSO FEATURED ON THE TWO-HOUR SPECIAL:

- A Countdown to the top five moments in TNA Wrestling history

- The unveiling of TNA’s newest innovative concept match set to debut at March’s “Destination X” Pay-Per-View!

- A music video from Chris Jericho’s band “Fozzy”

- A look back at the some of the legends and celebrities that have appeared in TNA Wrestling

- Highlights of some of the most bloody and gruesome moments in TNA history

- An extensive look at TNA’s X Division and the high-flying Ultimate X Match

Bill Goldberg recently spoke out in an article in the Miami Herald, talking about Showtime’s Mixed Martial Arts Company, Elite XC.

In the piece, Goldberg expressed his frustration with TNA Wrestling for using his name.

''If it wasn't for a phone call from Brock Lesnar, I wouldn't have known about that,'' said Goldberg. "Brock said, `You know that they are using our name again.' I told him it pisses you off to a point because you see people capitalizing on your name, and it benefits you in absolutely no way, except for the fact that it keeps the name out there.

If it were not for wrestling, I wouldn't be doing this Showtime gig and the Spike TV gig, because as many bad things that were associated with it, that profession kind of put me on the map. I owe a lot to it, and I owe the fans even more, but it pisses me off as a promotion that somebody would do that. That is no big deal. It just gives me more of a reason to beat the hell out of them even more.''

Goldberg, who will be doing color commentary for EliteXC, noted that at the age of 40, his days inside the ring are likely over.

"...my days of putting those skinny tights on, whether it be for wrestling or fighting, are pretty much over with,'' said Goldberg. and say `Ok, I'm going to fight.'''

Here is the current card for TNA Wrestling's Against All Odds PPV on February 11:

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Unofficial Enforcer: Samoa Joe
- Christian Cage (c) vs. Kurt Angle

Prison Yard Match
- Sting vs. Abyss

X Division Championship Match
- Chris Sabin (c) vs. Jerry Lynn

Basebrawl
- Team Eckstein vs. Team Pierzynski

- James Storm & Miss Tennessee vs. Petey Williams & Gail Kim

- Christy Hemme's in-ring debut

With no Monday Night RAW on February 12, TNA Wrestling will air a special, two-hour iMPACT. Here is a press release about it:

New York, NY, January 31, 2007 – Spike TV and Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling today jointly announce that they will telecast a special primetime two-hour wrestling event on Monday, February 12 (9:00 – 11:00 PM, ET/PT) entitled “This is TNA!” The two-hour special encores on Thursday, February 15 (7:00 – 9:00 PM, ET/PT), and will be followed by an all new “TNA: iMPACT!” (9:00 – 10:00 PM, ET/PT).

"Spike's not going to stand by and let wrestling go to the dogs on Monday February 12th. Wrestling fans deserve better!" says Kevin Kay, EVP and General Manager, Spike TV. “This special event is an opportunity for viewers not familiar with TNA’s distinct brand of high-impact wrestling to tune-in and see what TNA is all about.”

“This is TNA!” will offer die-hard fans and the casual viewer a fast-paced, action-packed look at TNA Wrestling.

The two-hour spectacular will showcase five of the greatest bouts in TNA history never before seen on television except pay-per-view, featuring some of the biggest names in wrestling today including Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Team 3-D, as well as TNA’s amazing young talent – AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe and Chris Sabin.

The special will spotlight TNA’s innovative concept matches including “King of the Mountain” and “Six Sides of Steel.” Throughout the night, there will be a countdown of some of the most extraordinary moments in TNA history – recalling the timeless wrestling memories that will stay emblazoned on the minds of wrestling fans forever.

“TNA is proud to answer the call of fans and bring the best wrestling in the world to a Monday night event. ‘This is TNA’ will give new fans an introduction and TNA fans a chance to relive their favorite moments,” says Dixie Carter, president of TNA Entertainment, LLC. “We’re confident that by experiencing the unforgettable action of our past and present, fans will call out the future of professional wrestling by chanting ‘TNA.’”

An added bonus for viewers, TNA will reveal its newest concept match which will debut at their March 11 “Destination X” PPV event.

• The debut of Kurt Angle in New Japan Pro Wrestling on February 18 will see Angle team with Yuji Nagata against Giant Bernar (former WWE star Albert/A-Train) and current TNA star Tomko.

• According to the website for the Family Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, ticket prices for TNA Wrestling's Lockdown PPV on April 15 will be $150, $125, $65, $55, $40 and $20. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 16.

TNA Wrestling is planning on holding a special on SpikeTV on February 12th. How come?

Because that's the evening Monday Night RAW will be pre=empted due to The Westminster Dog Show. The special will be comprised of recent pay-per-view matches, as well as introductory features of the company.

TNA’s announcer, Don West, made a note on his Nashville radio show yesterday that the special will feature five pay-per-view matches.

SpikeTV and TNA are still negotiating the exact length of the show; they are contemplating two or three hours. They don’t expect to get the high rating that WWE RAW gets each week, but at least they will gain a lot of attention from fans looking for a good filler for their normal Monday night timeslot.