– It appears hat Chris Jericho accidentally posted two messages on his Twitter account which were not meant to be read by the general public as the following tweets were deleted shortly after its initial posting:
“Well u can invite her too! Gotta take care of my Aussie girls :) U ever come to the US?”
“Yes I have changed my wig a few times over the years :)”
Twitter has a feature which allows users to private message one another so it would appear that is what he meant to do.
For those wondering, it is believed that Jericho is still tied to his wife of ten years, Jessica, as he noted on his Twitter account several weeks ago during an an overseas tour that he missed her.
Early last year, Jericho was rumored to have been involved in a relationship with female performer Kelly Kelly. That particular rumor was largely based off of certain photographs which had surfaced online of the two getting cozy with each other at a party. For what it’s worth, I know Kelly herself asked owners of a Kelly fansite and wrestling diva message forum to remove all photos of her with Jericho.
– As part of the ongoing Eight-Diva Tournament for the vacant Divas Championship, Gail Kim will square off against Jillian on tomorrow night’s edition of WWE Superstars on WGN America. Other matches slated to take place during the broadcast include Mike Knox vs. Finlay and Yoshi Tatsu vs. Caylen Croft.
– The artwork for WWE’s upcoming three-disc DVD set highlighting the best of Monday Night Raw in 2009, The Best of RAW 2009, has been released. You can view the cover of the DVD at the following link.
TNA officials and Spike TV executives were thrilled with the iMPACT rating numbers that came in yesterday. As previously reported, iMPACT! drew a 1.5 overall rating (2.2 million viewers) with the show peaking at a 1.9 ratingng (2.5 million viewers) for start of hour 2, featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan.
TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on her Twitter yesterday:
“Thank you, thank you for helping TNA set RECORD ratings in every way last night. We ALL won.”
There is now serious discussion within TNA of putting on a weekly Monday night show head-to-head with WWE’s RAW. The most likely scenario we’ve heard would be TNA iMPACT! running from 8-10pm ET, only going head-to-head with RAW for 1 hour.
– In an update from last night’s TNA iMPACT spoilers, Hulk Hogan did in fact appear in a backstage segment. Jeff Hardy was not at last night’s iMPACT tapings.
TNA officials and Spike TV executives were thrilled with the iMPACT rating numbers that came in yesterday. As previously reported, iMPACT! drew a 1.5 overall rating (2.2 million viewers) with the show peaking at a 1.9 ratingng (2.5 million viewers) for start of hour 2, featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan.
TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on her Twitter yesterday:
“Thank you, thank you for helping TNA set RECORD ratings in every way last night. We ALL won.”
There is now serious discussion within TNA of putting on a weekly Monday night show head-to-head with WWE’s RAW. The most likely scenario we’ve heard would be TNA iMPACT! running from 8-10pm ET, only going head-to-head with RAW for 1 hour.
– In an update from last night’s TNA iMPACT spoilers, Hulk Hogan did in fact appear in a backstage segment. Jeff Hardy was not at last night’s iMPACT tapings.
Following this past weekend’s UFC event, President Dana White was asked about UFC’s Fight Night special going head-to-head with WWE RAW next Monday night.White claims that Vince McMahon is overreacting by bringing in Mike Tyson as the Guest Host of Raw and is a “fucking animal” when it comes to playing fair with his “competition.” White said:
“I mean we’re not trying to go against him. That night is the night Spike wanted the fight. Spike wanted the fight that night, so that’s the night they called for it and Vince goes into (expletive) war mode. He’s calling up (Mike) Tyson. He’s bringing this guy back and the Rock might come back. I love it. He’s a (expletive) animal. You’ve never heard me say we’re going to kick the (expletive) out of Monday Night Raw. You’ve never heard me say that. I think we’re two totally different, pro wrestling is totally different than the UFC and mixed martial arts. And I respect this guy. I like Vince McMahon. I’ve had breakfast with him. He’s a good guy, but he is a (expletive) animal. I’m not trying to beat him on Monday night. I don’t think we would beat them. Those guys pull killer ratings. It’s been like the highest rated show on television forever. We’re just putting a fight on Monday night because Spike wants us to.”
Following this past weekend’s UFC event, President Dana White was asked about UFC’s Fight Night special going head-to-head with WWE RAW next Monday night.White claims that Vince McMahon is overreacting by bringing in Mike Tyson as the Guest Host of Raw and is a “fucking animal” when it comes to playing fair with his “competition.” White said:
“I mean we’re not trying to go against him. That night is the night Spike wanted the fight. Spike wanted the fight that night, so that’s the night they called for it and Vince goes into (expletive) war mode. He’s calling up (Mike) Tyson. He’s bringing this guy back and the Rock might come back. I love it. He’s a (expletive) animal. You’ve never heard me say we’re going to kick the (expletive) out of Monday Night Raw. You’ve never heard me say that. I think we’re two totally different, pro wrestling is totally different than the UFC and mixed martial arts. And I respect this guy. I like Vince McMahon. I’ve had breakfast with him. He’s a good guy, but he is a (expletive) animal. I’m not trying to beat him on Monday night. I don’t think we would beat them. Those guys pull killer ratings. It’s been like the highest rated show on television forever. We’re just putting a fight on Monday night because Spike wants us to.”
Reader JP Nichols was at the Impact Zone for tonight’s Impact taping, airing on January 14:
Generation Me (The Young Bucks) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns with ‘More Bang for Your Buck’.
Kurt Angle comes out to the ring and he says that A.J. has proven that his title victory was not a fluke after their match last week. Angle says that A.J. has earned everything on his own and that A.J. was the better man that night. Angle says that at Genesis, he will be the better man and he will win his title back. A.J. Styles comes out and says that he appreciates what Angle said about him and that Genesis will be the last time that Angle gets a shot at his title in 2010. Angle says that is fine because he will only need one more match against A.J.
A.J. leaves the ring and walks up the ramp but he is attacked by the masked man again. The masked man lays out Styles and then he unmasks to reveal that it was Tomko. Tomko laughs at what he has done.
Angelina Love is sitting in the front row in the crowd.
The Beautiful People come to the ring for their match and they see Angelina in the crowd and they have a group hug.
TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions Hamada and Awesome Kong defeat Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky (with Lacey von Erich) when Kong pinned Madison after an Awesome Bomb.
After the match, Angelina goes over the rail and enters the ring and attacks Velvet, Madison, and Lacey.
They show a video of A.J. Styles confronting Eric Bischoff about Tomko’s attacks on him. Styles tells Bischoff that he wants a match against Tomko tonight. Bischoff wants to know if A.J. is willing to put the title on the line. A.J. agrees to put his title on the line against Tomko.
Jeremy Borash is shown on the video screen with Eric Bischoff. They are talking about Mick Foley and Borash defending him. Jeremy says that he needs to talk to Foley and he leaves.
Beer Money enter to talk to Bischoff and they say that they want to face Hall and Nash at Genesis. Bischoff takes Storm’s beer and he says that he will think about it.
’Your Feature Presentation’ Sean Morley comes to the ring and he says that him and TNA were made for each other. He mentions that he used to work with a different type of ‘T&A’, but those days are over. Morley says that TNA was poised to explode and he says that he will make TNA films that are works of art. Daniels comes to the ring and he shakes Morley’s hand. Daniels welcomes Morley to TNA and then he wants to pitch a screenplay to Morley. Daniels attacks Morley and then hits the Best Moonsault Ever. Daniels says that he wants to show how they eliminate scum in TNA. They brawl and Morley gets the upper hand and he throws Daniels out of the ring.
Hernandez and Matt Morgan defeat Beer Money by disqualification when Rob Terry attacks Hernandez. Terry and Morgan fight up the ramp. Hall, Waltman, and Nash come out and they attack Beer Money. Bischoff comes out and he watches things from the ramp. Bischoff says something to Beer Money that cannot be heard in the Impact Zone.
Bischoff comes out and he says that the fans bring a smile to his face. He brings out Hall, Nash, and Waltman and Bischoff tells them that he doesn’t know what to do with them. He then announces that Beer Money will face Hall and Nash at Genesis.
D’Angelo Dinero joins Taz and Tenay at the announce table for the next match.
Desmond Wolfe defeats Samoa Joe with the Tower of London after countering Joe’s choke on the turnbuckles. After the match, Desmond and Dinero had some words.
Lethal Consequences are attacked by Bobby Lashley before their match.
Team 3D defeated Lethal Consequences after Team 3D hit the 3D on Creed. After the match, Ray addressed the Nasty Boys while holding an axe. He says that they heard about what the Nasty Boys did to their locker room while they were in Japan. Ray says that they are coming after The Nasty Boys.
They show a video of Jeff Jarrett confronting Bischoff and Hogan. Jarrett talks about who built TNA and then Bischoff tells Jarrett that the company was saved by Dixie Carter. He tells Jarrett that the company will turn around because of Hogan and him. Hogan tells Jarrett to get out.
Ric Flair joins Mike and Taz on commentary.
A.J. Styles defeats Tomko with a pele kick. After the match, Tomko attacks Styles and then Kurt Angle comes out to make the save for Styles. Angle offers his hand to Styles but Styles refuses to shake it and the refusal pleases Flair. Angle and Flair stare at each other.
Monday’s 3-hour live edition of TNA iMPACT! featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan drew impressive 2.2 million viewers (a 1.5 rating), making it the most watched episode of iMPACT! in history.
The show opened with a 1.7 rating for the first unopposed hour, TNA’s venture into live Monday night programming. The second hour drew a 1.4 and the final hour did a 1.2.
The highest rated quarter hour of iMPACT! was the start of hour 2, featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan. The segment drew 2.5 million viewers (a 1.9 rating)and went head-to-head against Bret Hart’s return to WWE television, which did a 3.7 rating for that 15-minute period.
Monday’s 3-hour live edition of TNA iMPACT! featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan drew impressive 2.2 million viewers (a 1.5 rating), making it the most watched episode of iMPACT! in history.
The show opened with a 1.7 rating for the first unopposed hour, TNA’s venture into live Monday night programming. The second hour drew a 1.4 and the final hour did a 1.2.
The highest rated quarter hour of iMPACT! was the start of hour 2, featuring the debut of Hulk Hogan. The segment drew 2.5 million viewers (a 1.9 rating)and went head-to-head against Bret Hart’s return to WWE television, which did a 3.7 rating for that 15-minute period.
After making his shocking return to TNA Wrestling at Monday night’s live 3-hour iMPACT! special, Jeff Hardy has been dealt yet another legal setback.
Jeff Hardy’s drug charges went to the grand jury yesterday in Moore County, North Carolina. A grand jury found that there is enough evidence to indict Hardy and the case has been sent to Superior Court, according to a spokesperson with the Moore County Court. The case will be officially set on their docket within the next week, according to PWInsider.com.
Hardy was arrested on September 11th, 2009 after police raided his home in Cameron, North Carolina. A joint investigation conducted by officers with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the search. According to the police report, a search of his residence yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia.He was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jeff was set for a probable cause hearing later this month to determine wehther there was enough evidence to send the case to Superior Court, but it appears prosecutors opted to forgo that hearing and go right to the grand jury in order to move the case along.
On Monday’s RAW, we saw the long-awaited return of Bret Hart to WWE television. The Hitman made peace with Shawn Michaels and got screwed over by Vince McMahon once again. Here’s some news on Bret’s return:
– Bret Hart was at RAW last night with his girlfriend. He spent a lot of time introducing himself to the locker room, since Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Mark Henry were the only superstars on the roster since his last stint in the company.
– Hart stayed at the same hotel as the rest of the WWE crew and spent over an hour signing and taking photos for fans in the lobby.
– Although The Hart Dynasty were brought in for the show, there were never plans to use them, and they were there as trusted and known faces to Hart.
– WWE has already released a new t-shirt for Bret Hart. It comes packaged with a DVD on their shop website.
– WWE Superstar JTG of Cryme Tyme apparently wasn’t invited to last night’s RAW in Dayton. He said on Twitter that he was a “lil pisst” about not being there to meet his hero, Bret Hart.
(Credit to PWInsider.com for some of the information used in this report)
On Monday’s RAW, we saw the long-awaited return of Bret Hart to WWE television. The Hitman made peace with Shawn Michaels and got screwed over by Vince McMahon once again. Here’s some news on Bret’s return:
– Bret Hart was at RAW last night with his girlfriend. He spent a lot of time introducing himself to the locker room, since Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Mark Henry were the only superstars on the roster since his last stint in the company.
– Hart stayed at the same hotel as the rest of the WWE crew and spent over an hour signing and taking photos for fans in the lobby.
– Although The Hart Dynasty were brought in for the show, there were never plans to use them, and they were there as trusted and known faces to Hart.
– WWE has already released a new t-shirt for Bret Hart. It comes packaged with a DVD on their shop website.
– WWE Superstar JTG of Cryme Tyme apparently wasn’t invited to last night’s RAW in Dayton. He said on Twitter that he was a “lil pisst” about not being there to meet his hero, Bret Hart.
(Credit to PWInsider.com for some of the information used in this report)
SEScoops.com reader Andrew sent in the following report:
Bubba The Love Sponge
On his radio show today Bubba the Love Sponge talked about the fiasco at last night’s TNA Impact involving him and the passes TNA gave him to give to his fans. He is not happy at all.
– To clear it up (because even I didn’t fully understand it) TNA gave Bubba about 1000 tickets to give away to his audience.
-Bubba said that the people from Universal Studios where TNA is filmed told the fans the passes Bubba gave them were not real, even though they were given to him by TNA. As a result, a ton of fans were turned away and sent to watch the event at the Hard Rock Cafe.
– He said that during the “viewing party” at the Hard Rock, where the fans he gave passes to were sent after they were turned away, someone purportedly from either TNA or Universal got on stage and completely buried him.
– Also, after the show, AJ Styles appeared at the Hard Rock and also buried Bubba.
– When Bubba appeared personally at the Hard Rock to address the fans that were turned away, he said he was booed and spat on and had things thrown at him by angry fans.
– Bubba said that after the show last night he refused to return text messages or take calls from Hulk Hogan or Dixie Carter.
– Bubba said he is supposed to go to the taping tonight but he probably won’t go and he said he is “probably done” with TNA, and that they will do fine without him.
– Bubba said he thought the product TNA put on last night was good, and that they are well on their way to turning things around but he just wasn’t happy with how he or his fans were treated.
-I nterestingly, Bubba said that TNA bussed in a lot of high school kids (apparently they were the ones wearing the yellow shirts), and that the crowd was not hot because they were too young to know guys like Scott Hall, or Ric Flair. Personally, I thought the crowd came off as pretty hot on television.
– A caller called in and said she received e-mails from TNA prior to last night’s show confirming that the passes she received from Bubba were in fact real.
– Another caller said that they allowed people in with passes from Universal Studios that were not originally there to see TNA before they allowed people in with actual TNA passes. It seems like TNA, Hulk Hogan, and Dixie Carter really dropped the ball on this whole thing and Bubba was just trying to help out TNA and Hogan, and ended up looking bad and getting buried for it. Whatever the case may be, it’s pretty clear TNA needs to fix some of their organizational issues if they are really going to compete with WWE.
After a shocking appearance by Jeff Hardy at Monday’s TNA iMPACT! tapings, SEScoops.com can confirm that the former WWE Champion has signed a contract with TNA Wrestling. Here are some of the key details to this story:
– Jeff Hardy is now a full-time member of the TNA roster and will be working a regular television and PPV schedule.
– The main reason Jeff Hardy jumped to TNA is the work schedule and is at the point where he doesn’t want to deal with the grueling WWE travel schedule. In TNA, he can still remain a top star in the industry and make great money while working and traveling far less.
– On iMPACT!, we saw Jeff Hardy attack X-Division star Homicide. A feud between the two appears to be in the works. “Anything could change and I could do something else or Jeff could do something else at the TV tapings on Tuesday, and I think it would be a great match-up of Jeff Hardy vs. Homicide. I’m really hoping it will happen,” Homicide said on the “Right After Wrestling” radio program on SIRIUS channel 98.
– Jeff Hardy was in meetings with Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter throughout the day on Monday ironing out the terms of his agreement. Its believed that nothing was locked up until Jeff’s visit to Orlando on Monday.
UPDATES:
– On Tuesday, Jeff Hardy was indicted on the drug charges against him and his case will be moving on to Superior Court. READ MORE
– Jeff Hardy’s girlfriend Beth posted a message on Twitter responding to rumors that Jeff he signed with TNA after having a verbal agreement to return to WWE:
“I have no idea where these reports are coming from saying Jeff “had a verbal agreement to return to WWE by a certain date.â€That’s 100% falseâ€
Last night on TNA Impact, Jeff Jarrett returned to the Impact Zone to address the crowd. He gave a gracious, if not somewhat self-congratulatory, celebration interview for the progress of TNA and his role in it.
Hulk Hogan fired back that Jarrett was talking too much about himself and he didn’t want to him reference “I, I, I” again. Hogan came across as having an attitude and perhaps raining on Jarrett’s hard-earned parade. It wasn’t supposed to come across that way.
Jarrett was supposed to come across as self-absorbed and borderline delusional, but some of the ideas to get him there were edited out by various factions behind the scenes in recent days. Some insider references were removed and Jarrett himself may not have wanted some things that would have stung too much to be talked about, such as pushing himself at the expense of others.
Because Jarrett came up short on some of the items he was supposed to say, he essentially didn’t set the pin up properly for Hogan to knock down. So Hogan came across more heelish than intended.
There was recognition behind the scenes that the Hogan-Jarrett did not come across as the creative team originally envisioned and intended, with the heat being put on Jeff Jarrett.
After Monday’s Raw went off the air, Bret Hart’s music played as the entire Raw roster (except for Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Hornswoggle) came to the ring to cheer for Bret. The Hart Dynasty was a part of the celebration.
Hart was put on their shoulders and paraded around the ring. The roster returned to the stage, leaving Hart in the ring alone Hart took his time going around to ringside fans before waving goodbye and exiting up the ramp.
– The backstage atmosphere last night at iMPACT was described as “unique”. Among the talents, there were a lot of people scared for their long-term position with the company. Some feel that the new established stars will cause them to be overlooked and that they may be let go.
– TNA has pics from iMPACT up on their website at this link.
– The winter frost in Florida has made the TNA locker rooms very cold, as the facilities at Universal do not have heat — just air conditioning.
– Hundreds of fans were turned way last night at the iMPACT Zone. There were a vocal group of Bubba the Love Sponge fans, who were turned away and upset since they had passes from Bubba’s website to get in. Bubba responded to complaints on his Twitter, and noted that he knew that Dixie Carter would be upset, but said he would not speak badly of her again.
– The girls in the crowd that were shown on camera all night were local cheerleaders. TNA staff made sure they were seated where the camera would catch them.
– The person that got out of one limo and then to the other was supposed to be Eric Bischoff.
– The format that Eric Bischoff tore up and threw was the actual real format for the show. During the commercial break, security took pages away from fans who managed to catch them.
– The security guys that tried to keep out Mick Foley and The Nasty Boys were the old Phi-Delta Slam tag team, otherwise known as The Main Event Mafia’s security guards Rocco and Sal.
(Credit to PWInsider.com for some of the information used in this report)
– The backstage atmosphere last night at iMPACT was described as “unique”. Among the talents, there were a lot of people scared for their long-term position with the company. Some feel that the new established stars will cause them to be overlooked and that they may be let go.
– TNA has pics from iMPACT up on their website at this link.
– The winter frost in Florida has made the TNA locker rooms very cold, as the facilities at Universal do not have heat — just air conditioning.
– Hundreds of fans were turned way last night at the iMPACT Zone. There were a vocal group of Bubba the Love Sponge fans, who were turned away and upset since they had passes from Bubba’s website to get in. Bubba responded to complaints on his Twitter, and noted that he knew that Dixie Carter would be upset, but said he would not speak badly of her again.
– The girls in the crowd that were shown on camera all night were local cheerleaders. TNA staff made sure they were seated where the camera would catch them.
– The person that got out of one limo and then to the other was supposed to be Eric Bischoff.
– The format that Eric Bischoff tore up and threw was the actual real format for the show. During the commercial break, security took pages away from fans who managed to catch them.
– The security guys that tried to keep out Mick Foley and The Nasty Boys were the old Phi-Delta Slam tag team, otherwise known as The Main Event Mafia’s security guards Rocco and Sal.
(Credit to PWInsider.com for some of the information used in this report)
Jim Ross is back with another blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on last night’s RAW and iMPACT. Here are some highlights:
Bret Hart & HBK: “The dialog between HBK and the Hitman sounded so natural that I thought I was eavesdropping on two old rivals’ conversation. They were simply being themselves. Their handshake made the night complete for me but remember that I lived through the debacle of ’97 and was just a little immersed in it and spent many, many hours “talking wrestlers off the ledge” so to speak for hours after the controversial incident.”
Bret Hart & Vince McMahon: “The McMahon-Bret confrontation was well done especially planting the seed early and keeping me hooked until the end of the show for the payoff plus adding some spice to the dish in between. The Mr. McMahon persona is so easy to dislike and the Chairman got the last word and the final act of physicality in the exchange with his longstanding adversary and left me wanting to see more and wondering how Bret will respond next Monday night? Or will he? This issue has new, fresh legs.”
Jeff Hardy in TNA: “It surprised me to see Jeff Hardy on Spike TV Monday night which I am sure will get some fans talking and critics/pundits asking a great deal of questions. I’m a Jeff Hardy fan and I wish him well. Jeff had a great tenure in WWE and considering that I signed him and his brother Matt to their first WWE contracts I will always consider the Hardy brothers as being special. As Hall of Fame Coach Barry Switzer once told me, “Once you recruit a player you recruit them for life.”
Ric Flair in TNA: “Knowing how much Ric Flair still enjoys wrestling I was not shocked to see Ric on another channel Monday night. The WWE gave Ric the greatest send-off/retirement presentation that I have ever witnessed but nonetheless “Naitch” has wrestling running through his veins and he’s going lace ’em up until he simply can’t do it any longer. Ric Flair has been my friend for about 30 years and I wish him well in what ever he does in his career.”
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: “Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, another one of the guys that I signed to their first WWE contract, and A.J. Styles had a truly excellent wrestling match that I got glimpses of Monday night.”
Jim Ross is back with another blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on last night’s RAW and iMPACT. Here are some highlights:
Bret Hart & HBK: “The dialog between HBK and the Hitman sounded so natural that I thought I was eavesdropping on two old rivals’ conversation. They were simply being themselves. Their handshake made the night complete for me but remember that I lived through the debacle of ’97 and was just a little immersed in it and spent many, many hours “talking wrestlers off the ledge” so to speak for hours after the controversial incident.”
Bret Hart & Vince McMahon: “The McMahon-Bret confrontation was well done especially planting the seed early and keeping me hooked until the end of the show for the payoff plus adding some spice to the dish in between. The Mr. McMahon persona is so easy to dislike and the Chairman got the last word and the final act of physicality in the exchange with his longstanding adversary and left me wanting to see more and wondering how Bret will respond next Monday night? Or will he? This issue has new, fresh legs.”
Jeff Hardy in TNA: “It surprised me to see Jeff Hardy on Spike TV Monday night which I am sure will get some fans talking and critics/pundits asking a great deal of questions. I’m a Jeff Hardy fan and I wish him well. Jeff had a great tenure in WWE and considering that I signed him and his brother Matt to their first WWE contracts I will always consider the Hardy brothers as being special. As Hall of Fame Coach Barry Switzer once told me, “Once you recruit a player you recruit them for life.”
Ric Flair in TNA: “Knowing how much Ric Flair still enjoys wrestling I was not shocked to see Ric on another channel Monday night. The WWE gave Ric the greatest send-off/retirement presentation that I have ever witnessed but nonetheless “Naitch” has wrestling running through his veins and he’s going lace ’em up until he simply can’t do it any longer. Ric Flair has been my friend for about 30 years and I wish him well in what ever he does in his career.”
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: “Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, another one of the guys that I signed to their first WWE contract, and A.J. Styles had a truly excellent wrestling match that I got glimpses of Monday night.”
January 4th proved to be an eventful night. TNA Wrestling had a good showing on its first live Monday night show, with Hulk Hogan, Jeff Hardy, Ric Flair, Eric Bischoff, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett and many other familar faces laying the groundwork for the “new” TNA. On RAW, we had the surreal return of Bret Hart – who made peace with Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, only to have the WWE chairman leave him laying after a nasty kick to the stomach.
We want to know – What did YOU think of RAW and iMPACT! Which show was better?
Leave a comment below. If you haven’t signed up for an account already,REGISTER HERE.
RESULTS FROM MONDAY’S LIVE “iMPACT!” ON SPIKE TV – DON’T MISS THE REPLAY THIS THURSDAY ON SPIKE TV!
If you missed Monday’s historic TNA “iMPACT!” broadcast, catch the replay this Thursday on SpikeTV! The epic event featured Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, new champions crowned and so much more!
Check back later for photos and video from Monday’s huge broadcast!
– The huge event started with a recap of TNA Wrestling’s history, all leading to this huge night!
– Bubba The Love Sponge was introduced as the newest member of TNA Wrestling’s broadcast team
– In the first bout, the high-flying superstars of TNA’s X Division competed in the Steel Asylum match. However, the first of many surprises on the night took place when Jeff Hardy’s music played, leading to the “Charismatic Enigma” appearing! Hardy hit the ring, took the fight to Homicide and then climbed to the top of the Steel Asylum structure as the Impact Zone went insane!
– Footage was shown of Hulk Hogan’s limo traveling to the Impact Zone
– Christy Hemme interviewed Kevin Nash about the future of TNA. Nash said he was excited to make more money, and that he spoke to Hulk – and Hulk wasn’t coming alone.
– ODB won the Knockouts Championship by beating Tara, using a handful of tights to get the win and regain the gold she lost at Final Resolution. After the match, Tara hit the Widow’s Peak finisher for revenge, then put her tarantula on ODB
– In a huge surprise, the legendary “Nature Boy” Ric Flair was shown arriving to TNA Wrestling! Flair entered the building and went into AJ Styles’ locker room!
– Footage was shown of Mick Foley attempting to enter the “iMPACT!” Zone, however, security refused him entry
– “The Boss” Bobby Lashley came to the ring with Kristal! Kristal did all the talking, and ended up insulting wrestling fans for the lack of respect they feel Lashley has been shown. She stated this would be the last time that fans would see Lashley, and that they were demanding Lashley be released from his TNA contract!
– The Beautiful People took part in their Strip Poker Tournament, with footage airing throughout the program. Later in the broadcast, a familiar face wearing a towel interrupted their game! The Beautiful People accepted his offer to join in on the game!
– Scott Hall and Sean Waltman were shown trying to get into the arena. When they were stopped by security, Hall and Waltman and security had to be separated
– After a commercial break, Hogan’s limo was shown, when a second limo pulled up and a mysterious figure got out and entered Hulk’s limo! Back inside the arena, Hall and Waltman made their way inside the Impact Zone!
– The legendary Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited TNA Wrestling debut, hitting the ring as the crowd went crazy! Hulk talked about coming to TNA and getting ready to make history. However, as Hulk was talking, Hall and Waltman climbed over the rail and caused a distraction. Hulk invited them in the ring if they wanted to talk, and Hall and Waltman told him they were here to party. But, Hogan told them it’s a new day in TNA Wrestling, and that means change! Hall and Waltman argued with Hulk, bringing out Kevin Nash! Nash joined Hall and Waltman in questioning Hulk – leading to the TNA debut of Eric Bischoff! Bischoff hit the ring and told Hall and Waltman that everyone had to earn their spot in TNA Wrestling, and that it was time to change TNA. Hall, Nash and Waltman backed down and left the ring, leaving Bischoff and Hogan in the ring. They tore up the format for the night, the first of many changes coming to TNA!
– Sting was then shown in the rafters…he had been there the entire time watching Hogan and Bischoff! Sting hasn’t been in TNA in months! What will be his reaction to everything that’s happened?!
– Awesome Kong and Hamada became the new TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions by beating Taylor Wilde and Sarita in an action-packed match! In the end, Awesome kong held up Sarita as Hamada hit a top rope dropkick into an Awesome Kong powerbomb! The referee awarded the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles to the new champions!
– Mick Foley once again tried to make his way into the arena….followed by the arrival of The Nasty Boys!
– Up next, Raven and Dr. Stevie took on the team of Matt Morgan and Hernandez, with the winner earning a TNA World Tag Team Title shot against The British Invasion at Genesis on January 17. Morgan and Hernandez got the quick pin when Morgan hit his Carbon Footprint finisher on Dr. Stevie for the win! Morgan and Hernandez get the tag team title shot at the Pay-Per-View
– Backstage, Christy Hemme interviewed “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero about his match tonight against Desmond Wolfe. However, he was interrupted by Orlando Jordan! The Pope certainly wasn’t happy about the interruption.
– D’Angelo Dinero beat Desmond Wolfe with a small package! A huge win for The Pope on a grand stage!
– Earlier, The Motor City Machineguns were shown knocked out backstage. Then, JB found Rhino had been attacked! Bubba The Love Sponge then came onto the scene to follow the situation.
– In the back, JB interviewed AJ Styles about his upcoming “Genesis” Pay-Per-View main event World Title match against Kurt Angle. However, AJ was interrupted by Eric Bischoff, who announced we wouldn’t have to wait until “Genesis” and that AJ would defend the World Title later in the show against Kurt Angle!
– TNA Wrestling Founder Jeff Jarrett came out to the ring and spoke about starting TNA Wrestling in 2002. Jarrett said with great emotion that he was proud to be standing in the middle of the ring live on a Monday night! However, Hulk Hogan interrupted Jarrett on the big screen – and Hogan wasn’t happy. Hogan said it was true Jarrett started TNA, but Hogan said Jarrett almost ran it into the ground and that Dixie Carter was the one responsible for saving it. Hogan said he was now Dixie Carter’s partner, and that Jarrett’s past accolades and titles meant nothing to him. Hogan said Jarrett no longer had any power, and that he needed to get in line and prove himself like everyone else. Hogan told Jarrett to “lace them up and be ready”.
– Backstage, Christy Hemme interviewed Daniels. However, JB interrupted as Mick Foley called him trying to get into the arena. Foley busted past Borash and went looking for Hogan
– Backstage, Jeff Hardy was talking with Shannon Moore about meeting with Hulk Hogan
– Abyss battled Samoa Joe in a physical bout. During the bout, Sting was shown backstage! During the bout, with the referee distracted, Samoa Joe nailed Abyss with a steel chair. Joe locked on the Clutch, and after Abyss failed to get to the ropes. Abyss was forced to tap out.
– Backstage, Kristal confronted Eric Bischoff after Bobby Lashley’s demands. She demanded a meeting with Hulk Hogan – in turn, Bischoff told her to take a number, get in line and to drop her attitude. Kristal told her Lashley wouldn’t be happy.
– Bubba The Love Sponge found Beer Money knocked out in the back!
– The Nasty Boys tried to get back in, but security still wouldn’t let them. Bubba The Love Sponge distracted security so The Nasty Boys could sneak in.
– Jeff Hardy and Shannon Moore were shown leaving with two envelopes, which they said is “what they came for” (referring to their meeting with Hulk Hogan). Before leaving, Hardy gave his painting to a group of fans.
– The Nasty Boys found Team 3D’s locker room and proceeded to tear it apart!
– It was time for the TNA World Heavyweight Title match, as champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles defended against Kurt Angle! It started off fast with plenty of action, but the mysterious masked man came out to attack Styles! However, Angle fought him off, as Kurt didn’t want anyone to interfere! It was an amazing back-and-forth bout, with both men going all-out and using all of their high-impact arsenal. Later, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair came out to watch the main event! In the end, AJ was able to hit another 450 splash on Angle to get the win and retain the gold in a monumental match! After the match, Angle raised AJ’s hand in victory!
– After the main event, Hulk Hogan came out and said AJ Styles and Kurt Angle were the two greatest wrestlers in the world! Hulk said that history had been made and it was only the beginning! However, Hulk was interrupted and told that Mick Foley had arrived! Foley demanded to know where Hogan was backstage! Foley eventually found Hogan’s office, but Bischoff was there. Bischoff told Foley that he no longer had any power in TNA Wrestling. Foley went to knock out Bischoff, but Nash, Hall and Waltman attacked Foley as Hogan watched on and the broadcast came to an end!
RESULTS FROM MONDAY’S LIVE “iMPACT!” ON SPIKE TV – DON’T MISS THE REPLAY THIS THURSDAY ON SPIKE TV!
If you missed Monday’s historic TNA “iMPACT!” broadcast, catch the replay this Thursday on SpikeTV! The epic event featured Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, new champions crowned and so much more!
Check back later for photos and video from Monday’s huge broadcast!
– The huge event started with a recap of TNA Wrestling’s history, all leading to this huge night!
– Bubba The Love Sponge was introduced as the newest member of TNA Wrestling’s broadcast team
– In the first bout, the high-flying superstars of TNA’s X Division competed in the Steel Asylum match. However, the first of many surprises on the night took place when Jeff Hardy’s music played, leading to the “Charismatic Enigma” appearing! Hardy hit the ring, took the fight to Homicide and then climbed to the top of the Steel Asylum structure as the Impact Zone went insane!
– Footage was shown of Hulk Hogan’s limo traveling to the Impact Zone
– Christy Hemme interviewed Kevin Nash about the future of TNA. Nash said he was excited to make more money, and that he spoke to Hulk – and Hulk wasn’t coming alone.
– ODB won the Knockouts Championship by beating Tara, using a handful of tights to get the win and regain the gold she lost at Final Resolution. After the match, Tara hit the Widow’s Peak finisher for revenge, then put her tarantula on ODB
– In a huge surprise, the legendary “Nature Boy” Ric Flair was shown arriving to TNA Wrestling! Flair entered the building and went into AJ Styles’ locker room!
– Footage was shown of Mick Foley attempting to enter the “iMPACT!” Zone, however, security refused him entry
– “The Boss” Bobby Lashley came to the ring with Kristal! Kristal did all the talking, and ended up insulting wrestling fans for the lack of respect they feel Lashley has been shown. She stated this would be the last time that fans would see Lashley, and that they were demanding Lashley be released from his TNA contract!
– The Beautiful People took part in their Strip Poker Tournament, with footage airing throughout the program. Later in the broadcast, a familiar face wearing a towel interrupted their game! The Beautiful People accepted his offer to join in on the game!
– Scott Hall and Sean Waltman were shown trying to get into the arena. When they were stopped by security, Hall and Waltman and security had to be separated
– After a commercial break, Hogan’s limo was shown, when a second limo pulled up and a mysterious figure got out and entered Hulk’s limo! Back inside the arena, Hall and Waltman made their way inside the Impact Zone!
– The legendary Hulk Hogan made his long-awaited TNA Wrestling debut, hitting the ring as the crowd went crazy! Hulk talked about coming to TNA and getting ready to make history. However, as Hulk was talking, Hall and Waltman climbed over the rail and caused a distraction. Hulk invited them in the ring if they wanted to talk, and Hall and Waltman told him they were here to party. But, Hogan told them it’s a new day in TNA Wrestling, and that means change! Hall and Waltman argued with Hulk, bringing out Kevin Nash! Nash joined Hall and Waltman in questioning Hulk – leading to the TNA debut of Eric Bischoff! Bischoff hit the ring and told Hall and Waltman that everyone had to earn their spot in TNA Wrestling, and that it was time to change TNA. Hall, Nash and Waltman backed down and left the ring, leaving Bischoff and Hogan in the ring. They tore up the format for the night, the first of many changes coming to TNA!
– Sting was then shown in the rafters…he had been there the entire time watching Hogan and Bischoff! Sting hasn’t been in TNA in months! What will be his reaction to everything that’s happened?!
– Awesome Kong and Hamada became the new TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions by beating Taylor Wilde and Sarita in an action-packed match! In the end, Awesome kong held up Sarita as Hamada hit a top rope dropkick into an Awesome Kong powerbomb! The referee awarded the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles to the new champions!
– Mick Foley once again tried to make his way into the arena….followed by the arrival of The Nasty Boys!
– Up next, Raven and Dr. Stevie took on the team of Matt Morgan and Hernandez, with the winner earning a TNA World Tag Team Title shot against The British Invasion at Genesis on January 17. Morgan and Hernandez got the quick pin when Morgan hit his Carbon Footprint finisher on Dr. Stevie for the win! Morgan and Hernandez get the tag team title shot at the Pay-Per-View
– Backstage, Christy Hemme interviewed “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero about his match tonight against Desmond Wolfe. However, he was interrupted by Orlando Jordan! The Pope certainly wasn’t happy about the interruption.
– D’Angelo Dinero beat Desmond Wolfe with a small package! A huge win for The Pope on a grand stage!
– Earlier, The Motor City Machineguns were shown knocked out backstage. Then, JB found Rhino had been attacked! Bubba The Love Sponge then came onto the scene to follow the situation.
– In the back, JB interviewed AJ Styles about his upcoming “Genesis” Pay-Per-View main event World Title match against Kurt Angle. However, AJ was interrupted by Eric Bischoff, who announced we wouldn’t have to wait until “Genesis” and that AJ would defend the World Title later in the show against Kurt Angle!
– TNA Wrestling Founder Jeff Jarrett came out to the ring and spoke about starting TNA Wrestling in 2002. Jarrett said with great emotion that he was proud to be standing in the middle of the ring live on a Monday night! However, Hulk Hogan interrupted Jarrett on the big screen – and Hogan wasn’t happy. Hogan said it was true Jarrett started TNA, but Hogan said Jarrett almost ran it into the ground and that Dixie Carter was the one responsible for saving it. Hogan said he was now Dixie Carter’s partner, and that Jarrett’s past accolades and titles meant nothing to him. Hogan said Jarrett no longer had any power, and that he needed to get in line and prove himself like everyone else. Hogan told Jarrett to “lace them up and be ready”.
– Backstage, Christy Hemme interviewed Daniels. However, JB interrupted as Mick Foley called him trying to get into the arena. Foley busted past Borash and went looking for Hogan
– Backstage, Jeff Hardy was talking with Shannon Moore about meeting with Hulk Hogan
– Abyss battled Samoa Joe in a physical bout. During the bout, Sting was shown backstage! During the bout, with the referee distracted, Samoa Joe nailed Abyss with a steel chair. Joe locked on the Clutch, and after Abyss failed to get to the ropes. Abyss was forced to tap out.
– Backstage, Kristal confronted Eric Bischoff after Bobby Lashley’s demands. She demanded a meeting with Hulk Hogan – in turn, Bischoff told her to take a number, get in line and to drop her attitude. Kristal told her Lashley wouldn’t be happy.
– Bubba The Love Sponge found Beer Money knocked out in the back!
– The Nasty Boys tried to get back in, but security still wouldn’t let them. Bubba The Love Sponge distracted security so The Nasty Boys could sneak in.
– Jeff Hardy and Shannon Moore were shown leaving with two envelopes, which they said is “what they came for” (referring to their meeting with Hulk Hogan). Before leaving, Hardy gave his painting to a group of fans.
– The Nasty Boys found Team 3D’s locker room and proceeded to tear it apart!
– It was time for the TNA World Heavyweight Title match, as champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles defended against Kurt Angle! It started off fast with plenty of action, but the mysterious masked man came out to attack Styles! However, Angle fought him off, as Kurt didn’t want anyone to interfere! It was an amazing back-and-forth bout, with both men going all-out and using all of their high-impact arsenal. Later, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair came out to watch the main event! In the end, AJ was able to hit another 450 splash on Angle to get the win and retain the gold in a monumental match! After the match, Angle raised AJ’s hand in victory!
– After the main event, Hulk Hogan came out and said AJ Styles and Kurt Angle were the two greatest wrestlers in the world! Hulk said that history had been made and it was only the beginning! However, Hulk was interrupted and told that Mick Foley had arrived! Foley demanded to know where Hogan was backstage! Foley eventually found Hogan’s office, but Bischoff was there. Bischoff told Foley that he no longer had any power in TNA Wrestling. Foley went to knock out Bischoff, but Nash, Hall and Waltman attacked Foley as Hogan watched on and the broadcast came to an end!
