Cheeseburger has worked his first dates for TNA Wrestling, and the longtime Ring of Honor fan favorite is framing it as a starting point rather than a one-off.
TNA ran a two-night taping block at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia on July 30 and 31, recording matches for upcoming episodes of Thursday Night iMPACT on AMC and Xplosion. Cheeseburger worked both nights.
In a statement posted to social media after the shows, he described the reaction from the Philadelphia crowd as the thing that settled him down.
“This past week I was fortunate enough to make my debut with TNA Wrestling! I had a lovely time meeting new people and seeing a ton of old friends! Weeks of preparation getting into what I feel is the best shape of my life, I had a lot of nerves prior but walking through the curtain and hearing the roar of the Philadelphia fans once again put me at ease.”
He also took stock of a career that started with low expectations from the people around him.
“I learned a lot, and most importantly learned there’s a lot more work left to be done to continue reaching my goals. The guy nobody expected to make it past training has wrestled for major companies, travelled the world and won championships! What a life!”
“16 years in the game this October, better than I’ve ever been! Thank you to everyone that has supported me on this journey thus far, there’s still a lot more to come so hold on tight! You ain’t see nothing yet!”
What He Did In Philadelphia
Spoilers follow for episodes that have not yet aired. Per taping results published by Jeff Quinton at DMV Wrestling News, Cheeseburger lost to Brian Johnson on the first night in Philadelphia.
He got the win on night two, teaming with The Home Town Man to beat The Verdict, the pairing of Bryce Donovan and Vinny Scalice.
Cheeseburger made his professional debut in 2012 and first appeared for Ring of Honor in July 2013, picking up the name that stuck from an off-the-cuff Charlie Haas promo. He has also worked as World Famous CB since rebranding in 2021.
The timing lands during a stretch of roster turnover in TNA. Mara Sade hit free agency at the end of July, and Jody Threat was granted her release days later.
