— This week’s edition of TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.0 cable rating. This is down from last week’s 1.1 figure. (source: PWInsider.com)

— One half of the TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions, Sarita, will be going for her fourth consecutive CMLL Bodybuilding Championship on Wednesday, November 25th.

— Jeremy Borash is covering this weekend’s slate of TNA live events in Wisconsin and Minnesota on the company’s Twitter account — including complete results, photos and more. Click here for photos and results from last night’s show in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Silicon Valley’s MercuryNews.com has an article that looks at WWE’s transition from TV-14 programming to TV-PG, with quotes from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

McMahon explains that desepite the success WWE saw during the edgy Attitude era, the time was right to shift towards more family friendly programming. “We just followed our audience and tried to listen to them,” McMahon said. “It’s a more sophisticated product. It’s just the right move business-wise, but more specifically the right move in terms of reaching our audience.”

Since going PG, WWE has picked up a number of new sponsorships, including Pepsi, 7-Eleven stores, Mattel toys and the Army National Guard.

Vince also said by toning down WWE’s programming, they are moving farther away from being in direct competition with mixed martial arts. “You really can’t compete with that,” he said. “Why not deliver a more sophisticated product and not go to those extremes? If the audience wants those extremes, they know where to go and how to get it.”

Wait, what?! WWE? Sophisticated? WWE? World Wrestling Entertainment?

The article also notes that singer Ozzy Osbourne will be hosting Raw this fall.

— TNA officials reached out to Terry Funk to work the Bound For Glory pay-per-view later this month. Apparently, they wanted the WWE Hall of Famer to be involved in the Abyss vs. Mick Foley “Monster’s Ball: Hardcore Extreme” match. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Lacey Von Erich has put up the gold jacket she wore during her TNA debut up for bid on eBay.

— In this week’s TNA webmatch, Kip James squares off against Rhino. You can view the match here. Also note, the multi-time WWE tag team champion is back to being a babyface.

— As noted earlier, the TNA Knockouts will be featured in the new issue of Muscle & Fitness, which goes on sale this Tuesday. Click here to see behind the scenes footage from the photo shoot.

— As seen last night on Impact, Madison Rayne scored the deciding fall in an Eight Knockout Elimination Match where she, Velvet Sky, Alissa Flash and Traci Brooks defeated Sarita, Taylor Wilde, Hamada and Christy Hemme. This was her first pinfall victory in TNA since joining the promotion in February.

— Click here for photos and videos from last night’s episode of Impact.

— Following a minor knee injury, WWE Diva Kelly Kelly has started back at the gym this week and should be returning to action soon.

 — WWE has changed the name of it’s February PPV fro No Way Out to Elimination Chamber, according to the Upcoming Pay-Per-Views list on WWE.com. The event is expected to feature multiple Elimination Chamber matches, much like the recent Hell in a Cell PPV.

— The WWE website has posted new photos of Beth Phoenix.

— Matt Hardy will be appearing on next week’s episode of Scare Tactics on Syfy. You can catch the episode Tuesday at 9:00 p.m ET. Here’s a teaser for the episode:

— Happy birthday to Paul Burchill, who turns 30 day and WWE United States champion The Miz, who turns 29.

Miz posted a message on his Twitter.com/mikethemiz page saying, “thanks for all the birthday wishes the mizfits remember. what am i doin on my bday? working of course have a thq video game appearance.”

— Former TNA creative team member Dutch Mantel has posted a blog this week where he talks about working with The Undertaker before he became a star. Mantel wrote on TheWorldAccordingToDutch.blogspot.com:

“When I first became acquainted with Mark, he was the complete opposite of what he is today. His hair was cropped short and he had no tattoos. When I first laid eyes on him, he actually looked too clean cut to be a wrestler. Today, he is a walking tat advert. He turned out to be a great guy and for a man his size, he moved like silk”

He continued, “At first glance, Mark had all the physical tools to succeed in the pro wrestling business. He had the size, the look and the raw talent to be a HUGE star. His next hurdle he would face would be to decide if he possessed the temperament to succeed. Over the next several months, I got to know Mark Calaway’s temperament very well and he passed the test.”

During an interview with the UK Sun this week to promote his new movie Damage, WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin says he’s spoken to former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy about his ongoing issues, but you can only do so much to help another person.

“I called him a while back and talked to him,” he said. “He’s a good looking kid, he’s got a really unique style, people love him, he has his own kind of charisma. I wish he could put it all together and get his personal demons behind him. He got caught with a lot of stuff and we’ll see what happens.”

Austin said he’s reached out to other WWE superstars when he they were having issues with drug addiction.

“I’ve called a few guys when I hear some of them getting into problems,” he said. “I try to give my two cents to the situation. They’ll all swear that everything is cool, it turns out things aren’t cool. [Vince McMahon] has offered to pay for rehab for anybody who wants it. Some people have taken him up on it, some people haven’t. I get made when people point the finger at Vince and say it’s his fault. It’s not his fault. He’s a third generation promoter who runs a wrestling company. I take responsibility for all my actions. I think everybody should. I refuse to think that it’s Vince McMahon’s fault for any of this.”

He said Jeff Hardy has a unique situation for WWE. One hand hand, he’s one of the most charismatic and popular superstars on the roster, but there’s such a risk of him screwing up that they’ve never been able to fully get behind him.

“Man. This last thing I just heard about the other day when I was driving back from Texas to L.A.,” he said. “They never gave that guy a full green light push, but you can’t keep him down. All the calamity and trouble he gets into, but people love him. If they ever fully gave him a green light push, who knows what would happen? But you can’t do that because you don’t know what he’s going to do because all of a sudden you have all of this time and money invested and then he screws up. So who knows what’s going to come out of it, if he’s going to do time or whatever. He has some serious stuff going against him.”

The WWE Studios feature film “Suckerpunch” starring the Big Show has been renamed to “Knucklehead” and has some new additions to the cast, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Big Show will be joined by Mark Feuerstein (USA Network’s Royal Pains) and Melora Hardin (HBO’s Hung).

In “Knucklehead,” fight promoter Memphis Earl (Feuerstein) is in debt and thinks his luck is about to change when he comes across the 7-foot lifelong orphan, Walter Kronk (Big Show). He tries to convince Kronk to wrestle professionally and Kronk finally agrees to wrestle on behalf of his fellow orphans, setting up a road trip. Filming kicked off this week in New Orleans.

The Hollywood Reporter article also notes that Big Show recently finished shooting the SNL feature film “MacGruber.” Last month, Chris Jericho wrote on Twitter that he and the Great Khali were also filming scenes for the MacGruber movie, so it looks like WWE will be well-represented there.

The following is from the official website of TNA Wrestling:

PREVIEW FOR TONIGHT’S “iMPACT!” ON SPIKE AT 9/8c – HUGE TAG TEAM MAIN EVENT, STING ANSWERS AJ STYLES AND MORE!

– In a major tag team main event, it will be Kurt Angle teaming with Mick Foley to take on the team of “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan and Abyss!

– “The Icon” Sting will respond to TNA World Heavyweight Champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles after their candid sitdown interview this past week

– The TNA Legends Championship will be on the line as Kevin Nash defends against Hernandez

– ODB will defend the TNA Knockout Women’s Championship against Tara

All this and much more, including more news on the “Bound For Glory” Pay-Per-View event, tonight at 9/8c on Spike!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

TNA iMPACT! *SPOILERS* for Tonight:
Thanks to reader Dylan Wolfe for this live report:

*Abyss comes out holding barbed wire cuts a promo in the ring.  He challenges Foley to face him in a Monster’s Ball match.  Foley, holding a barbed wire bat starts to cut a promo on Abyss but Abyss cuts him off and points out all the things he accomplished in his TNA career.  He rips on Foley playing with socks. Foley agrees to the match but says Dr. Stevie will be the referee and if Abyss uses thumbtacks, he will lose.  Out comes Stevie, who rips on Abyss.  Lauren gets involved and she and Abyss are laid out by Stevie and Daffney.

**TNA Legends champ Kevin Nash vs. Hernandez ends when Eric Young attacks Hernandez.  Young tells Nash that he owes Young a favor now.

*Amazing Red defeats Samoa Joe for the TNA X Division Championship after Bobby Lashley gets involved.

*D’Angelo Dinero & Homicide defeated Suicide & Daniels when the Pope pinned Daniels.

*They hold a contract signing for a Double Tag Team championship Ladder Match at the PPV with Scott Steiner & Booker T vs. The British Invasion vs. Beer Money vs. Team 3D.  It ends in a huge brawl.

*Taylor Wilde, Sarita, Christy Hemme & Hamada defeated The Beautiful People & Alyssa Flash & Traci Brooks in an elimination match.

*Sting responds to AJ Styles’ comments last week.  He says that after what Styles had to say, he gave things a lot of thought but in the end, he knows he can still get the job done.  Kurt Angle comes out and started ripping on Sting.   Angle told Sting to stop his whining and just retire and get it over with.  Sting dared him to try and retire him right now.  They got into it and Styles hit the ring.  Angle challenges Styles to face him next week and Styles accepted.

*The Motor City Machineguns came out to debut their new entrance music but were jumped by an angry Samoa Joe.  Joe called for Lashley to come out so Joe can kill him.  Lashley hits the ring and they brawl all over the building.  Joe jumped off an alcove and put Lashley through the spanish announcers’ table.

*ODB defeated Tara to retain the TNA Knockouts title.  Awesome Kong tried to kill Poison the Tarantula with a sledgehammer but Tara stopped her.

*Abyss & Matt Morgan defeated Mick Foley & Kurt Angle, sort of.  Foley and Angle were replaced by Stevie and Dafney as the match went on.  Richards took a bump into tacks.

TNA WRESTLING AND SPIKE PRESENT “GLOBAL IMPACT 2” – THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 AT 11PM ET (IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TNA “iMPACT!”)

This Thursday night, October 8 at 11pm ET, TNA Wrestling and Spike will present the “Global Impact 2” special, featuring an international showdown between TNA Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling from the world famous Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan!

The one-hour epic event will air immediately following that night’s TNA “iMPACT!” broadcast! Music throughout the broadcast is performed by the band “Five Finger Death Punch” with tracks off their album “Way Of The Fist”. TNA Wrestling would also like to congratulate Five Finger Death Punch for currently having the #7 album in the country, titled “War Is The Answer”.

Matches set to air on the broadcast are as follows:

MAIN EVENT MAFIA VS. NEW JAPAN MAIN EVENT:
Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Masahiro Chono, Riki Choshu vs. Giant Bernard, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii and Karl Anderson

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Team 3D (TNA) vs. Togi Makabe and Toru Yano (NEW JAPAN)

IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH:
The Motor City Machineguns (TNA) vs. Yujiro and Tetsuya Naito (NEW JAPAN)

Last year’s “Global Impact” was one of the most acclaimed events in TNA history, and this year’s broadcast will certainly be just as monumental! Don’t miss it on Thursday, October 8 at 11pm ET right after “iMPACT!”. Check out the special preview video below:

sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com

— Former WWE performer Edward “Eddie” Fatu (a.k.a. Umaga) was scheduled to film a shoot interview this week, but canceled. The reason he gave for pulling out of the interview was that he might be returning to World Wrestling Entertainment. The two-time Intercontinental Champion was released by the company on June 8, 2009 when he refused to enter a rehabilitation facility following his second Wellness violation.

— In a trivia note, ECW wrestler Naofumi Yamamoto’s ring name, Yoshi Tatsu, is based on his father’s first name, Yoshitatsu.

— Last night’s edition of ECW on Syfy scored a 1.05 cable rating. It is up from last week’s 0.97 figure.