TNA Pics Dublin January 2013

Phil Allely Meets TNA Wrestlers, Dublin Jan 2013

This January Phil Allely caught up with a number of TNA wrestlers at the first night of the Maximum Impact UK/Ireland Tour. Here are some pictures, interviews and more coming soon.

TNA Final Resolution 2012

Hardy still champ as Ace's invade the ring.

By Phil Allely

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy retained his gold in the main event of the Final Resolution PPV. However his victory celerations were short-lived as Aces and 8's beat hiom and opponent Bobby Roode down in the middle of the ring.

The event kicked off with an impromptu scrap beween Kaz and James Storm. Storm swiftly put the former tag team champ away easily with a 'last call' superkick for the popular win.

Rob Van Dam retained his X Division Title against challenger Kenny King. The action was decent here and the pair gelled well.

The TNA tag team division is swelling nicely these days. The company have perhaps the best talent in pro wrestling at present. Champs Hernandez and Chavo worked hard against foes Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan. Both teams matched styles well, however the DQ finish did leave us wanting more.

Austin Aries then beat Bully Ray in a scorcher of a match. Ray is fast-proving how valuable a player he is in the industry and the new heel Aries is a real star performer too. The end came as Brooke and Hulk Hogan got involved, allowing Aries the chance to hit a low blow on a bloody Ray for the win.

With Mickie James returning to action and Velvet Sky back on the scene the Knockouts Division may get the shot in the arm it needs now. Next up we had James face KO Champion Tara. James showed no signs of ring rust, but the outside interference from Jesse saw her title hopes dashed. Tara picking up the win.

The team of Kurt angle, Samoa Joe, Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco tackled the Ace's and 8s next. This was a hard-hitting affair and one that showed the mighty Aces may have a few chinks in their armour. Angle and Joe shone throughout, Angle nailing an 'angle slam' to claim victory.

AJ Styles and Daniels pulled out all the stops in what was billed as their final match. All those years of friendship and working together certainly paid off here. Unleashing every move in their arsenal the pair put on one heck of a show for the fans. Daniels pulled off the win with his take on AJ's 'styles clash'.

In the main event Hardy and Roode battled in and outside of the ring. Each trading the advantage and near-falls. The finish saw Roode get double crossed b Aces and 8s and Hardy retain his gold. The show went off the air with the masked gang beating down both men.

Final Resolution was a mixed bag of matches, when they were good they were very good, however too many run-ins/cheap finishes continue to hamper the TNA product. The aces and 8s storyline is going well and will surely lead to a big reveal soon. 2012 has been a great year for TNA, they just need to fine tune their creative team and let the talent do the work for them. Roll on January's UK/Ireland tour.

TNA Turning Point 2012 Review

TNA Turning Point 2012

by Phil Allely

Jeff Hardy retained his prized gold in the main event of TNA's Turning Point PPV and former champion James Storm saw his dreams come true as he netted a number one contenders spot for the belt.

TNA's Turning Point PPV continued the on-going storyline of the mysterious Aces & 8's members and their association with former Team 3D member Devon. We were also treated to a few key challenge matches and more, all of which gave fans the opportunity to join in the excitement of the ongoing storyline featuring the invading group.

TV Title holder Samoa Joe opened proceedings up with a successful title defence against his former pal Magnus. Brit Magnus is far better as a heel and his work against the talented pro Joe proved his worth here. After a few nice teases Joe nailed the submission win.

Although a very exceptional grappler Eric Young has seen his career lend itself towards the more comedic side of things. His partnership with ODB has made Impact Wrestling house shows an event to see. Here we were greeted by the combos of ODB/Young versus Tara/Jesse Godderz. This fun encounter ended with EY nailing a nice looking elbow drop to take the win for his team.

In a nice change of pace for a TNA PPV outside interference did not effect Rob Van Dam's successful defence of his X Division Title next. RVD and opponent Joey Ryan gave us all a fine example of how to construct a match without any interjections. Of course following Van Dam's bout winning 'five star frog splash' the champ was flattened by Ryan's associate Matt Morgan.

Ace's and 8's member Doc (a familiar shaped grappler to a former WWE one) tackled Joseph Park next in a match that needed Park to channel the aura of his brother Abyss. Park is a fun character, but he runs away from violence and Abyss does not, fans would appreciate a more violent approach to proceedings we are sure. Doc was well on form here and nailed a choke slam for the storyline efficient win.

With tag teams thin on the ground TNA's best duo (Kazarian/Daniels) faced new Tag Team Champs Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero in a reasonably paced scrap. The combo of Kaz/Daniels are well worth a viewing every time they appear. The union between big man Henandez and veteran Guerrreo have boded well here. The Mexicans pulling off the win with ease.

The TNA World Title scene took a new step when Austin won the belt. The fact that Jeff Hardy was able to wrestle the gold away from him meant that the roster were having ot be on top form to get a shot at the gold.

Next up we saw former champs AJ Styles, Bobby Roode and James Storm step in to the ring for a number one contenders match. Styles worked his socks off here, but still fell to a Storm 'superkick' the cowboy winning and netting himself a shot at the world champ.

Newly designated Sergeant at arms of the Aces and 8's Devon faced Kurt Angle in a decent match next. Angle was seeking revenge for his recent beat-down and Devon was asserting the power his associates have on TNA. As usual Angle made his opponent look a million dollars and gave Devon a fair amount of spots. Kurt did however lock in his patented ankle lock for the submission victory.

Ladder matches are a tough thing to consider (both as grappler and fan) the wrestler has to risk his body against the steel item and trust that his foe is as willing to do the same. Jeff Hardy and challenger Austin Aries are two prime examples of wrestlers who willingly give up their bodies for their art. This match was a by the book stroll through ladder match psychology and bouts of old. Hardy was back on form and Aries as always showed his true talent too, the ensuing match was a mixed bag if high-risk spots, near falls and much more.

Hardy grabbed the win by overcoming Aries to snag the belt.

TNA Turning Point 2012 was a fun outing for the company. The results may not have been ground breaking, but the results will shape the company for a while. James Storm will make a formidable world title chaser, Aries will be a great challenger and the Aces and 8's storyline seems to continue.

By Phil Allely

Kurt Angle Interview Highlights

Speaking to ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com, Kurt Angle discussed his movie career, various stars of TNA Wrestling talents, wrestlers small in stature being involved in the heavyweight championship scene and whether he still aspires to compete in mixed martial arts. Highlights from the interview are as follows: Whether he's still interested in competing in mixed martial arts: "The last time I talked was two and a half years ago with Dana White, I took the UFC physical. We just couldn’t come to terms on a starting time. I wanted it 3-6 months, Dana needed me in four and a half weeks and I understand he wanted me to be ready and he needed me at that point and it just wasn’t gonna work out." When asked whether White had an opponent in mind for Angle, he responded, "Well, they wanted me to be on Ultimate Fighter but I told them I wouldn’t do it for free. So he came up with a very nice deal, that being I would get paid very well for that, thank god, and a 6 fight deal. I didn’t want to go in there half prepared. I wanted to go in there full blown. I’m 43 now, I tried out for the Olympics or I was going to and I got injured five different times last year. So my body’s just not holding up the way I want it to so I don’t think it’s going to be a possibility." On being the go-to guy in assisting new talent in getting over: "I really enjoyed it, I took it as a compliment. At TNA they did the same thing. They’d bring in somebody like the Pope or Mr. Anderson or whoever else that was coming in that was coming from WWE or had somewhat of a name, the first program they’d do would be with me. I’ve always enjoyed that it’s a good challenge and Desmond Wolfe was another one that came from Ring of Honor. So I like that and I know that the company has faith in me. Both WWE did and TNA had the faith in me to make the guys look as good as I could." Whether Austin Aries is too small to be TNA World Heavyweight Champion: "No. I think Austin Aries as champion, I think he deserves it, he’s an awesome talent. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, unfortunately their tragedies really damaged the ability for smaller guys to step up and become champions. I don’t know why but I think they were just unfortunate. I don’t think it was because of their size, I think they were just terrible tragedies that happened with both those families and it’s gotten a little bit of a bad reputation now, the under 6 foot club and I don’t think it should be that way. I think any size is a good size."

Kurt Angle Interview Highlights

Alex Barie of WNW interviewed Kurt Angle earlier this week in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Below are the highlights: Who convinced him to go to WWE over WCW: Kurt Angle: WWE, F at the time, was going through the Attitude Era. I actually, thank God, met Ric Flair. I asked him about WCW and he straight up told time right to my face to not go there and go to WWE. Ric pretty much scared me off. WCW would do nothing with you. Vince McMahon would make you a star. Ric was right. I am very grateful what Vince did to me. He utilized me the right way. I believe if I would have went to WCW, it would have taken a heck of a lot longer to get to where I am now. The program that "put him on the map": Kurt Angle: My favorite was Triple H and Stephanie. That is what really put me on the map. That was my first year wrestling. Triple H, God bless him, is a great leader . Talk about getting in the ring with somebody and just carried you through everything. I had a concussion at Summerslam that first year and I don’t even remember what I was doing. I don’t even remember the match, but I know watching it over again Triple H, Dawyne, The Rock, just kept telling what to do and carried me through it. When I was suppose to duck out of the way, they literally pulled my head down themselves to miss and hit the other guy. You can just tell if you look back that I literally knew nothing what I was doing. I learned a lot that year. But that storyline with Triple H and Stephanie was my favorite. That or the comedy I did with Stone Cold. That was different. We were both injured and Vince McMahon wanted both of us on TV. We just had great chemistry. One of those two. Would you ever believe you'd be working with Eric Bischoff? Kurt Angle: No. At first I didn’t like Eric Bischoff. I didn’t think he would do anything to help the company. Hulk Hogan…..I always liked Terry. I didn’t have a problem with him. I thought he had one of the top three minds in the business because he was around Vince McMahon so much and when you are around Vince McMahon so much, you learn a lot! Thank God. …Him, Bruce Prichard, and Hulk Hogan are going to take TNA to the next level. Have they yet? No, but it always takes time. Everybody is always expecting overnight result. It doesn’t happen like that. Will you ever return to WWE? I can’t answer that (he smiles). I will say that I signed a three year deal with TNA recently. They want to extend the deal. I probably will. But anything is possible. A lot of wrestlers like to retire at Mania. They like to go out with 80,000-100,000 fans watching you. I’m no different, but I like the way TNA treats me. I like the money they pay me. Put it this way, my schedule, which is a part-time schedule, Thank God, I’m making the same money in TNA, maybe more, than what I would make in WWE if I was on the same schedule, so why would I want to leave? It doesn’t make any sense.

TNA Destination X 2012 Review

Destination X 2012 Review By Phil Allely Destination X is TNA’s annual homage to the sometimes overlooked, but exhilarating X Division. During the companies humble beginnings it was the high-flying roster members of this division who lit up arenas and made TNA a viable number two promotion in the US. This years event offered forth a great looking main event, an undercard focusing mainly on the X Division grapplers and a few surprises along the way. However the lack of big name draws and numerous little known wrestlers did mean some matches played to poor reception. Austin Aries vacated his X title to face World Champion Bobby Roode in the main event of the show and what a blistering encounter they put forth. Given Aries had already shown his mettle against larger foes such as Bully Ray, his tackling of the top company heel in Roode was a match to look forward to. Both men traded near falls and the advantage throughout, offering up a believable scrap where the finish could not be predicted. The end came as Roode pulled every dirty trick out of his bag (including a belt shot and referee bump), Aries nailed a nice ‘brain buster’ to score the shock win for his first TNA World Heavyweight Title. Elsewhere the show kicked off with the ‘X Division Tournament Last Chance Qualifier‘. Here Rubix, Mason Andrews, Lars Only and Dakota Darsow squared off for a spot in the next match and possible shot . at the vacant X gold later on the show. The spot-fest was quick and crowd-warming at best, which Andrews won after some reasonable exchanges. Kid Kash versus Andrews followed directly and built momentum up in the arena. Veteran Kash was on fine form, but fell to a roll-up. UK star Doug Williams fell to up and comer Kenny King in a reasonable match next. Former TNA wrestler Sonjay Dutt received a decent pop from fans as he beat Rashad Cameron. Dutt showed no signs of ring rust in this encounter. Zema Ion bested Flip Casanova in a far too quick match that did not highlight either mans skills. The Bound For Glory Series match between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe was a welcome addition to the card. The back and forth action livened up things nicely and worked well amongst their highflying peers matches. The finish came when Joe applied the ‘rear naked choke’ and Kurt passed, netting Joe 10 points for the win. Former buddies AJ Styles and Daniels’ ‘Last Man Standing’ encounter was a blinder, both men risking life and limb in and out of the ring. Interference by Kazarian couldn’t help his fellow tag Team Champion Daniels though as AJ hit a ‘Clash’ through a table to win. Ultimate X was, as expected, a flurry of high-risk moves, tope rope spots and much more as the steel structure ‘X ropes’ came into play. Zema Ion overcame Dutt (via hairspray assist) to grab the title belt. The main event bout between Roode and Aries rounded this hit and miss PPV off in style. Destination X was yet another event where the company showed its support for its younger roster members. The crowing of Austin Aries as champ will shake up the title picture, and the emphasis on the once winning formula of X Division performers worked very well indeed. With no sign of Hogan and many others, this was a night that belonged to the often neglected and yet so refreshing high-flying TNA stars. We all knew Slammiversary would be a hard act to follow and that an X Division heavy event would be a hot and cold affair. That said this was a decent offering from the always improving Impact Wrestling crew.

DVD Review: River of Darkness

DVD Review: River of Darkness

By Phil Allely

Having met TNA’s Kurt Angle and interviewed him about not only his wrestling career, but his budding acting one, I had high hopes for this release by his own company G2 Pictures. However even though it starred Angle in the lead role of Sheriff Logan this horror thriller film failed to ignite my interest too much.

That’s not to say that this is a movie to steer away from, if you take it as a throwaway made for TV style effort with a reasonable story, then you will get something from your viewing. It is fun to see how Kurt handles having more serious dialogue than when in the wrestling ring, he also does have a certain stage presence that if explored could be interesting in future efforts.

River of Darkness is about a small river town’s inhabitants and a series of horrible murders that befall them. The murders are quite graphic, so perhaps keep youngsters away from this movie due to that. The murders all lead back to a shady piece of town history and the return from purgatory of long-deceased river squatters the Jacobs Boys (former wrestling world champions Kevin Nash and Psycho Sid Vicious).

You can pick up a copy of this movie form all good stockists and online stores, visit www.g2pictures.co.uk for information on other releases too

Kurt Angle Story Link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/17027704

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/17027704

Kurt Angle Interview Highlights

Kurt Angle appeared on Busted Open, which airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Highlights from the interview are as follows:




2011 for TNA: "I think that 2011 was a subpar year, I think We did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong. The most important thing I would say is the lack of communication within the writing and creative team. When you have a written show and you present that to everybody and then they start changing things and it becomes a watered down version of what the writer wanted in the first place. Now you don’t know which way to go. We do have a lot of chefs in the kitchen. I think that is the hardest part for our company because when Vince Russo is writing the show and you have Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and a few other people and other TNA writers changing it up the last second which I don’t disagree with what Hogan says, I agree with him 100 percent.



"But we need to regroup earlier, maybe a week earlier and get it done, change it up, make sure we have the right changes so that we can keep going with the story the right way. So I think 2011 was a confusing year, so this is what we are going to capitalize on in 2012. We are not going to make the same mistakes. I think Hulk Hogan will get with to Vince Russo quicker, I think Eric Bischoff will get with Vince Russo quicker. We will get the show written, get it done a week earlier instead the day of the show, and changing it up. It was just very frustrating. Because I’m a little bit of part of everything in TNA and I watch what’s going on and sometimes I get a little frustrated when I see what Vince Russo is trying to do and I see what the outcome is."



Bound For Glory: "We literally had a change in 2011 at Bound For Glory right before the match in the main event. In other words, somebody was supposed to win and it got turned to me winning that night. It worked out for the better, I’m not going to lie to you. So the change was good, but literally we didn’t hear about it until that night and me and Bobby Roode was like What?! I’m winning?! I have a torn hamstring and I can’t even wrestle."



Samoa Joe: "We have not done Joe justice. Whether it had to do with an attitude problem an attitude change. In wrestling you have to play by the rule book. Joe was a little bit of a rebel. I think that might have hurt his cause. I believe Joe is rational. I think we can still make Joe a big star again. I think Joe is a full time main eventer. I think we need to do it now because if we don’t do it now it will never happen."



The next main eventers: "AJ Styles was there for a while. And then we pulled him down which I didn’t agree with. Now we got AJ up there, Jeff Hardy is here, Robert Roode, James Storm. We’re starting to get to a point where these guys are going to start full time and Kurt Angle and Sting can dwindle off and retire. That’s what we need to happen and that’s what’s happening now and I’m glad because I don’t want to leave TNA and leave an open spot there. I cant wrestle forever. As a matter of fact I am already talking retirement. It’s about making guys and putting them in my spot and making sure they are secure there before I leave."

Kurt Angle New Interview Highlights

The New York Post has published an interview with TNA Wrestling star Kurt Angle discussing his Olympic aspirations. The interview includes discussion of his professional wrestling career, and he explains how he made the transition between the professional and amateur ranks.




"It was a complete career adaptation. It wasn't a step above, going from amateur wrestling to pro wrestling, it was going from real wrestling to sports entertainment," Angle said. "A lot of people put me up there as far as saying he's one of the best ever. And I've only been wrestling for 11 and a half years. I think that Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, guys who have put 30 years into it deserve it. Me getting that praise after only 11 years—it's not fair.”



Though Kurt Angle has not competed inside a WWE ring in over five years, his impact is still seen today. The Olympic Gold Medalist, however, does not appreciate his moves and style being replicated.



"When Jack Swagger copies my ankle lock and Randy Orton does my Angle Slam, it's disrespectful," Angle said. "I didn't come up with the Ankle Lock, Ken Shamrock came up with the Ankle Lock but I waited until he retired to do the Ankle Lock. That company has no respect for me."



Despite his displeasure with WWE grapplers using his moves, Angle is grateful that he has been able to parlay Vince McMahon's vision for him into a successful career in both WWE and TNA Wrerstling.



"I love Vince McMahon. He came up with the Kurt Angle character,” Angle said. "He ran with it and then I was able to run with it. I thank him for the opportunity he gave me. Vince McMahon was one of my best friends, period. Now I'm loyal to Dixie Carter."

Kurt Angle Inetrveiw Highlights

“Sports Axxess” on PW 24/7




Hosts: Jerry Sorrentino, James Jefferson, and Joey Image



Full episode available at http://www.pw247radio.com/



Kurt Angle on his return to collegiate Olympic wrestling:



“I’ve been training for the last six months. The training has gone phenomenally well. I didn’t realize I was going catch on this quickly, but you know it’s like getting on a bicycle and riding again. That’s not to say it didn’t go without any injuries here and there. I’ve hurt my Achilles tendon and my hamstring but I’ve been hanging on tightly and training very hard. I’m on schedule so thank God, I have a very good chance of making the team. A lot of it has to do with me beating a guy named Jake Barter, who is a world silver and bronze medalist. He hasn’t had quite the success I have had when I was there but when I was there I was very young. I was in my mid-twenties and I didn’t have a game plan. Now I’m a lot older and wiser; I look at my training, I look at my game plan, I look at the way I’m going to wrestle. I know I’ll make a lot less mistakes and I know I’ll train more properly. The thing was that I had over-trained in the past. I was training nine or ten hours a day, and at some point it became counterproductive. I think I could have been a much better wrestler if I had done things the right way.”



On his line of food products:



“You know, a lot of people have been counting calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, but never count fiber. I’m going to say this now: fiber is the best kept secret in the world. It can really make or break your body. Fiber can help you lose fat, body weight, lower cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar. Basically it is the healthiest product on the market. There are a lot of fiber products that are one or two layer fibers. UltraFiber DX from Angle Foods is and eight layer fiber developed by a doctor in Germany. It was intended to help obese and diabetic patients to get off medication and help improve quality and longevity of life. You can purchase it at anglefoods.com. This is what you should be feeding your kids. The powder works as a cooking agent. You can make it into pancakes, pizza and bread dough, and so many other things.”



On the current direction of Impact Wrestling and “passing the torch”:



“God willing, we have more wrestling and less talk. I’ve been pushing for that. Sometimes we have people there on the show that don’t wrestle. They take up a lot of the show with only promos. The young guys need to step up and be the guys cutting the promos. It’s kind of a catch 22. We need to realize who we are and we need to fix the problem. The young talent needs the opportunity to shine. I’m one of the top guys in the company and I don’t want to remain there. I don’t know who it will be but I am more than willing to find somebody in the company to hand to torch over to and say ‘hey, you take the lead and I’ll follow you.’



"I’m near the end of my career. I’ve got three more years left with TNA Wrestling and then I’m done. I signed that deal with TNA so I can help the company. I want them to compete with WWE. It will take some time, but it will happen.”



In the remainder of this 20 minute interview, Kurt Angle also discusses his thoughts on Bobby Roode and why he considers Randy Orton to be one of the top guys in all of professional wrestling. This interview, along with many others, can be heard in its entirety exclusively on PW 24/7 Radio.

Sting Reclaims TNA Title

Sting reclaims TNA Championship and fulfils Angle’s Prediction!








By Phil Allely







It’s rare to see a major wrestling title change hands on free TV, but this past week on Impact Wrestling (shown in the UK last night on Challenge) that very thing occurred, as former World Champion Sting reclaimed his prized World Heavyweight Gold from Immortal’s henchman Mr Anderson. Their physical and pretty evenly paced encounter was made possible after a number of TNA’s top names gave ‘The (Joker faced) Stinger’ the assist. Throughout the two hour programme a number of Sting’s ‘Clown Minions’ (Fortune and later Kurt Angle) took out Immortal members Scott Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss, Gunner and Bully Ray, to give the veteran fan favourite a fair crack at the belt. Anderson's Scorpion Death Lock and Sting's enthusiastic approach (including a mic check) all helped too, the end coming as a ref bump allowed Angle's clown to erase Bully Ray's interference and allow Sting to nail Anderson for the three count.







In a recent interview with Sun Sport’s Phil Allely, Kurt Angle seemed to predict that he would be the man facing Sting for the gold on the upcoming Maximum Impact IV tour of the UK and now he just may be (or vice versa!). Angle as per his win over Jeff Jarrett at Slammiversary is now the number one contender for the gold and will face new champion Sting for the title at the upcoming Hardcore Justice Pay-Per-View.







“Yeah having a guy like Sting spearhead this tour is a big deal all round. I was so pleased to hear him mentioned for the shows. You know he never did tour much and it has been over a decade since he was here. So this is major news and I’m especially happy as I get to join him on this one. I’d love to face him on the shows, in fact it would make perfect sense to do just that. Us two headlining would be the icing on the cake, he is one of the top guys of all time and he’s in the best shape he has been in years, both of us at our peak physically would be intense. Yeah I’m hoping that’s the case, though we do have so much talent here in TNA, the guys will be fighting to get a post on this tour. We intend to bring the best over here and put on the quality of shows you become used to.” Said an enthusiastic Angle, whilst in the UK to promote the upcoming tour.







Sting’s latest championship reign puts him level with Kurt Angle as a four time TNA champion. This also means that once again the power within TNA has shifted and Hulk Hogan’s Immortal faction are back in the challenger/intimidator role. Sting’s alliance with Fortune and Kurt Angle may be short lived, but it will make the upcoming TV shows and PPV’s a lot more fun to witness as the storylines unfold and new allegiances appear.







Just who will we UK fans get as touring TNA Champion come January 2012?

Kurt Angle Interview - With Phil Allely

Kurt Angle Interview – I’ll battle Sting on the UK Tour!


By Phil Allely

TNA’s Kurt Angle was in the UK for a fan interaction event this past week, hyping up the upcoming Maximum Impact tour next January whilst talking to some of the local media. He also took some time out of his busy schedule to chat to Phil Allely about his past, his future, dreams, aspirations and much more.

Due to various reasons it has been two years since Kurt Angle was able to perform in the ring in front of fans in the UK. This whirlwind trip was to give fans and media the chance to meet the intense performer and hear how he feels about touring to the UK and what it means to him.

“You know everyone has been so great to me here, the media stuff is going real well, I’ve had two days so far and I’m still pumped up doing it. The Maximum Impact tour is really selling out, its popularity is great, even more so than our previous tours, it’s looking like sell-outs all round. Stings return to the UK is a huge thing, with guys like him and I on the card it’s gearing up to be an awesome tour.”

The announcement that current TNA Heavyweight Champion Sting will headline the tour has caused no end of added publicity for this upcoming series of live shows. It has been over a decade since The Stinger set foot in a UK ring and even longer for fans outside of London. With Sting on a limited appearance contract and nursing various injuries his appearance on the roster for the UK tour has indeed boosted ticket sales. With everyone scrambling to see one of the industry’s last real living legends of the squared circle.

“Yeah having a guy like Sting spearhead this tour is a big deal all round. I was so pleased to hear him mentioned for the shows. You know he never did tour much and it has been over a decade since he was here. So this is major news and I’m especially happy as I get to join him on this one. I’d love to face him on the shows, in fact it would make perfect sense to do just that. Us headlining would be the icing on the cake, he is one of the top guys of all time and he’s in the best shape he has been in years, both of us at our peak physically would be intense. Yeah I’m hoping that’s the case, though we do have so much talent here in TNA, the guys will be fighting to get a post on this tour. We intend to bring the best over here and put on the quality of shows you become used to.”

After missing the tour this past January angle is especially eager to get back in the ring on UK soil and show fans why he is still at the top of his game and continually in the title picture.

“You know last tour I’d just got here when I had to leave. My fiancé had complications with the birth of our daughter, luckily all was ok and we are a wonderful family now. The fans and TNA management were very sympathetic and everyone understood my missing the shows. So this time around I’m determined to show the loyal fans a wrestler at the top of his game.”

The majority of the wrestlers we are fortunate enough to meet in the world of journalism rave about the UK/Irish fanbase and how different they are from the ones in the US who see big name wrestling on a regular basis. Angle is another such grappler who has nothing but praise for these wrestle starved people.

“Yeah the UK has a speciall place in our hearts, we love coming here, they are by far our favourite fans. There’s always a good crowd, they are very vocal, smart fans even, they know the story and follow us into it. They are loud, have fun and when you have a live crowd like that it rubs off on us in the ring. They go with the program, you know realising the good guy/bad guy roles, I’d go as far as to say they are old fashioned and honest wrestling fans.

In recent months Kurt angle has teased retiring from the ring and become embroiled in a bitter, personal and bloody feud with perennial nemesis Jeff Jarrett and Jeff’s real life wife Karen (who just happens to be Angle’s ex-wife also). The pair have faced each other in every type of match imaginable, exchanging wins and continuing to belittle and outdo each other at every opportunity. Although good things must come to an end some time and fans are beginning to lose interest in the pairs battles.

“Well I believe that once I beat Jeff once and for all at Slammiversary , that will finish our thing. Then I really think it could be me and Sting facing off for the title. Which is why I believe it could be us for the gold on the maximum Impact Tour in January.”

Sting of course has to overcome Mr Anderson this coming week at Slammiversary to allow Kurt his dream.

“I agree Mr Anderson is a great wrestler, he has the style, talent, charisma and ability to beat Sting, so the champ will have to work hard. But Sting is on top of his game right now. I think it will be him and I next.”

Most wrestlers are happy if they can have one or two big matches under their belts to make their own personal highlight reel, when their in-ring career ends. Not everyone can have the long list of top matches in various promotions to choose form like Angle. But what does he class as his standout moment in the squared circle?

“Gee that’s a tough one. I’ve had a lot of good matches over the years. I enjoyed my one with Mr Anderson in the cage, Jeff Hardy was fun too. My favourite right now has to be my fights with AJ Styles, we have a real chemistry, our matches have been unbelievable. They are among my favourites of all time. I’d go as far as to say as to say that they have been even better than my WrestleMania match with Shawn Michaels.”

According to rumours Kurt is beginning to wind down his in-ring career and hopes to work a lighter schedule for the remained of his TNA years. Unlike many of his peers he has got an idea what he’s like to do when he does eventually hang up his boots.

“Well I’ve just signed a new three year contract with TNA, it will allow me a lighter schedule though, more time to be with my family and still be wrestling. What I’d really like to be able to do now and with my reduced schedule is to be able to help other wrestlers. You know give the next generation support and advice. You know a way of preparing the company for the coming years, as older guys move on and even retire. To give something back to the business and company who have done so much for me”.

Of course one big thing in the future of Mr Angle is his bid to one again grace the Olympics as a member of the US wrestling team.

“I started training two months ago for the Olympics, TNA are fully behind me with this and I’ll be able to do it at my speed and by my rules. A while back I was hoping to get into MMA and it just never worked out. The money was good and I did try, but it just never worked out, it all boiled down to start dates. With the Olympics it’s just like something clicked inside me, my competitive spirit returned, I’m more focused than ever. There are guys who say yeah Kurt Angle is all talk, he said he’d do MMA and didn’t so he’ll do the same with the Olympics. That’s not true, it never was a case of I never wanted to do it (MMA), it just wasn’t possible. This time the Olympic training is down to me, this stuff comes easy to me. It’s what I am used to. It may be 16 years since I won the Gold medal, but this is on my terms. I know I’m up against some world class wrestlers, but I’ll make the tram. You’ll see me at London 2012, once I make the team I’ll concentrate on getting another medal.”

Over the past few months the WWE have been distancing themselves from the term wrestling, whereas TNA have opted to embrace it. Changing the name of their TV show to Impact Wrestling and stating ‘We are Wrestling’, even going as far as to filming videos of key wrestlers explaining ‘Why Wrestling Matters’. Diehard wrestlers like Kurt surely have an opinion on this turn of events.

“It’s a gigantic mistake, you can’t take wrestling out of wrestling. If you are in this business and you have an issue, it ultimately comes down to wrestling. TNA are indeed wrestling, wrestling matters to us and we are a wrestling company. This development is a stepping stone for us as a company. You see that’s their (WWE) thing, they have their movies, music, TV programmes and other ventures on the go, so they want to try to distance themselves. Yet the irony is shows like Tough Enough are in fact about wrestling and TV shows, movies etc. get publicity because of the wrestlers involved. Them (WWE) doing this just helps us out even more, we are wrestling and always will be”.

Kurt’s also been branching out into the world of acting, many fellow wrestlers have been able to jump to the acting world with ease and carve successful careers for themselves.

“I actually made five movies last year. I’ve done three this year to date, I have an MMA themed one planned soon too. They sit well alongside wrestling to TNA, interestingly my original plan was to act, then I got the wrestling bug and never looked back. Wrestling has given me the opportunity to perform in front of the camera, work to a live audience and read dialogue or work off the cuff. I think that’s why many wrestlers can be great actors, we have already gained the experience and training without realising it”’.

With wrestlers jumping ship from company to company with ease these days and trends moving so quick. The chances of a big name WWE star coming to TNA has greatly increased. Recent years have seen names like Mick Foley, Christian, Hulk Hogan, Booker T, Kevin Nash and others make the trip. Given a free reign would Kurt wish any currently active WWE star to do the same?

“Great question, I’ll be honest I’ve two guys I’d love to see here (TNA). Rey Mysterio is a real talent and I’d love to see him round off his career here. He still has so much to give and we could let him do that. The other guy is Randy Orton (although I believe he has just signed a new 10 year deal). Those guys would be great here and we’d see they got to shine. Personally I’d enjoy being able to go around the ring against Randy and see Rey teach the X Division a thing or two. They’d be great here and compliment our already talented roster.

You can see Kurt angle on Impact Wrestling every week and as a part of the TNA Maximum Impact Tour next January. Check out www.tnawrestling.com for more details.

Kurt Angle recently spoke with BamberMedia.co.uk. Here are some highlights:

Kurt Angle recently spoke with BamberMedia.co.uk. Here are some highlights:




The Olympics:



"After Atlanta (1996), I wanted to take a break. Then I got caught up in pro-wrestling. I was going to try-out in 2004 but I broke my neck. Before 2008 I went a divorce and was at a really difficult time in my life. I’m a very competitive person. With the UFC I needed three to six months to get ready. They wanted me ready in four and a half weeks. I wanted to do it under my terms. A lot of people were saying ‘Kurt said he was going to fight but he didn’t. He backed out six different times and he’s going to back out of the Olympics’. No I’m not – because this is under my terms."



His new TNA deal:



"I’m going to start going part time. I’m at a point in my career where TNA can’t afford me to be travelling around and getting injured at house shows when they need me on TV. If I want to perform the way I do and steal the show every time I wrestle I have to be 100% healthy and we are both in agreement on that."



Helping TNA's younger stars:



"When you’re on your way out you want to make the younger guys more popular. You want to put these guys over and that’s where I am with my career. Look at James Storm, Robert Roode, Crimson, Amazing Red, Kazarian, Mr Anderson, The Pope. We’re starting to get the Brits where they need to be. Desmond Wolfe, Magnus or Doug Williams – one of those three are going to end up being World Champion. They’re great technicians, they’re great in the ring, and they’ve got a lot of charisma. Those are the kind of guys I want to help."

Kurt's Sacrifice for Olympic Gold!

Kurt's Sacrifice for Olympic Gold!








By Phil Allely







In a recent interview with the Busted Open Radio Show in the US TNA's Kurt Angle let slip his current drems of once more representing the United States at the Olympics.



Kurt famously won Olympic Gold at the 1996 games (prior to his turning professional and joining the WWE) and now he has dream and aspirations of retruning to do it all again "I started training two weeks ago. I’m not allowed to really talk about but I’m gonna make a formal press conference in August. I will be training with my nephew who’s never tried out and it’s gonna give him that opportunity to realize his dream….to not say ‘What if? Why didn’t I try?’ So him and I had a long two hour conversation one night and we were very serious about it. I mentioned it on WTAE in Pittsburgh and it just went out like wildfire. I’m very serious about it. I am going to do it and I believe I have a very good shot."



Before joining TNA Angle's career seemed to be in a tailspin and due to his collective injuries many had written him off as an in-ring performer. That jump to riavl company TNA seemed to rejuvenate the wrestler in Kurt "I love wrestling. I will always love wrestling, but now for me, it’s a job. My responsibility is to have the best match on the card every time I go out there and I usually do. That’s my job, and I get paid very well to do it, and I don’t want to quit wrestling because that’s getting me to where I can get my Angle Foods where I need it to go. It’s also getting me so I can train for the Olympics. TNA is going to give me time off to train. If I make the Olympic Team, obviously I’ll have to leave for 3 months to train in Europe. So TNA has been a blessing for me to be able to do this. I don’t think I could have done it in the other company."



There is of course the thinking that even if he can still pull off the match of the night at TNA PPV's and hosue shows Kurt should have retired by now and allowed his body to heal fully rather than continuing to inflict damage on his surgically repaired neck etc. "I could retire. I made enough money to sit back the rest of my life and retire, but I do love it. I know that if I left now, I would miss it significantly. I am signing a new deal with TNA right as we speak. It’s another three and a half year deal. It will be part time, I’ll be doing very few house shows, I’ll be doing a number of TVs and I promised I’ll do all the pay-per-views. My wrestling will calm down. I’ve been more of a TV/PPV schedule and a lot less of the house shows. I’d rather wrestle six days a month than doing what I’m doing right now which is 18. With WWE I was probably doing 18-24 so I’m almost as busy as I was then and I went to TNA to back off so we came to an agreement that I should definitely be taking off house shows and be able to rest and recuperate.”





Kurt Angle is currently embroiled in a feud with TNA founder Jeff Jarrett and the former Mrs Angle Karen Jarrett. Tomorrow/to night at PPV event Sacrifice you can see their feud continue as Angle and his mistress (former WWE IC Champion Chyna) face off against Jeff and Karen in a mixxed tag match.




Sacrifice is on Challenge at 10pm on Wednesday May 18.

Latest news on Kurt Angle's arrest...

Despite being arrested Friday morning, Kurt Angle wrestled Jeff Jarrett at last night's TNA event in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Regarding the incident that was reported by TMZ, Angle wrote the following on Twitter:


"Thank U to my supporters. I was not drunk. I was in ice storm and my car slid into 3 ft of snow median. I called police 4 help. They had other plans. I was stuck and wanted to go to my hotel. I was not passed out Drunk. I was co-herent. I'm sorry if I let you down. Don't believe everything You read. My life is good and this is a speed bump in the road. The truth will come out. GOD Bless. I take responsibility."



Angle also wrote that his job is to stay clean and never put himself in jeopardy, noting that TMZ blew the story out of proportion that and that he would give the real story once his hearings were over. He since deleted that message.

Sting & Jeff Hardy TNA Victory Road

as is customary with my wrestling reviews I prefer to watch the event when it is on here in the UK to give it the semi-live feel to it. I kow there are many reports about the main event of last nights Victory Road PPV going about the web, until I see the match in full I will hold off comments. Check back here on Thursday though.

TNA Bound For Glory 2010 DVD Review

TNA Bound For Glory 2010 DVD Review




By Phil Allely



TNA’s flagship pay-per-view Bound For Glory had to pull off an awful lot to please its loyal fans, the event promised a new world champion, RVD’s revenge bout with Abyss, Mickie James first PPV appearance, the EV 2 and Fortune feud was to culminate in Lethal Lockdown and after some teases Abyss would finally reveal who ‘They’ were, so did 10/10/10 ultimately fulfil its obligations? This newly released double DVD set helps make sure it does.



Opening things with a bang were Generation Me who took on the Motor City Machineguns for the Guns World Tag Team Belts. Shelley and Sabin proved once again just how slick a unit they are, systematically picking apart their younger rivals.



New signing Mickie James featured in the TNA Knockouts Title match, holding the action together well in her role as special referee.



The four-way battle saw Knockouts champion Angelina Love defend against, her Beautiful People partner Velvet Sky, returnee Tara and Madison Rayne.



Oddball team Orlando Jordan and Eric Young were up next battling the colourful duo Ink Inc. Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore were on form throughout. Their bizarre opponents were fun, but a tad too off kilter for many in attendance, Young’s comic turns however were spot on.



The UK’s own Douglas Williams represented Fortune in his quest to recapture the X Division Title, current champion Jay Lethal of course had other ideas. Both men used their particular talents to their own ends, Williams utilising his mat based style, whilst Lethal tried his best to fly and use his speed.



Rob Van Dam then finally got his hands on Abyss, seeking revenge for the brutal and bloody beat down that saw him lose his beloved heavyweight championship. The best place to do this was of course a Monster’s Ball match, where weapons are welcome and rules don’t exist.



Handicap rules were to the fore as Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett faced off against the trio of Kevin Nash, Sting and The Pope. With some bitter attitudes on hand, the teams recent war of words became a stiff reality.



Team 3D then made a special appearance to announce their retirement, the 23 time former tag team champs asked for one more match with the Motor City Machineguns before hanging up their boots.



Lethal Lockdown was everything it should be, a full throttle cage match where all hell breaks loose and the opposing teams finally get the chance to work through their differences with the cage and weapons as added extras. Mick Foley and Ric Flair had a brief ringside brawl before the EV 2/Fortune team stepped inside, Fortune having the man advantage throughout the first portion of the ten man event.



Flair’s foot soldiers took control from the outset, having a fired up Foley, Flair and the remaining team members at ringside helped keep the crowd pumped up as well. EV 2 however quickly clawed back some leverage of their own with each fresh man who entered, the extreme team proving to be better at handling the brutal setting.







The main event promised a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion and the trio participating all seemed equally likely candidates. Kurt Angle said he’d quit if he was beat, Mr Anderson was the star on the rise out to prove a point and Jeff Hardy was atop a short list of men who deserve a long world title run, if they can keep their noses clean.



The finish was a shock for many reasons, after the many near falls, moonsaults, Angle Slams, swanton’s, mic check’s and obligatory ref bump, the title went to the unpredictable Hardy, but he had a bit of help.



Prior to his win Eric Bischoff and an on-crutches Hulk Hogan appeared and in a major swerve turn Jeff turned heel to join them, blasting both opponents with the walking aids, to gain an easy pin.



The crowd were obviously stunned, as we saw a newly heel Hardy deck an enquiring RVD, he joined a smiling Hogan, Bischoff, Abyss and Jarrett, subsequently revealing them to be the mysterious ‘They’ as the PPV went off the air.



Bound for Glory was perhaps TNA’s best offering of 2010, a new champion was crowned, we finally saw EV 2’s veterans beat Ric Flair’s young guns Fortune, the under card held its own amongst the bigger tales unfolding, RVD got his vengeance on Abyss, plus we finally saw who the much hyped ‘They’ were.



The second disc here adds to the value of the package greatly, BFG was a fine example of how to do a PPV right but the extras go above and beyond the call of duty and help enhance an already purchase worthy item. There is a nice documentary style feature on the event, interviews, fan interaction footage and photo galleries to peruse at your leisure.

New Jim Ross Blog Highlights

Jim Ross is back with another blog on jrsbarbq.com. Here are highlights:


SmackDown going live:

"No...I don't ever see Friday Night Smackdown going live, full time IE weekly. It might happen occasionally but it isn't cost effective or travel friendly to do live TV on Mondays, Fridays, and some Sundays and still try to do live event touring. Makes no sense."



The Angle-Jarrett storyline in TNA:

"An emailer asked me what I thought about recent TNA storylines involving Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Jarrett and their children. I'm not a regular viewer of TNA first of all but what I have seen of this storyline that's allegedly based in reality isn't my cup of tea. I could care less what the adults do in their storyline but having minor children involved doesn't personally work for me. TNA isn't my hill to die upon and I harbor no ill will toward them but I find it challenging to believe that some individuals actually think that this is effective, episodic TV."



Tonight's Elimination Chamber:

"I'm anxiously looking forward to Sunday's Elimination Chamber PPV from WWE that emanates from Oakland. Obviously, and based on precedent, the Chamber bouts will occupy the majority of the ring time on this event but my focus is on the King vs. Miz bout for the WWE Title. Miz will likely see every trick in the wrestler's handbook in this one and I don't expect this title bout to be a marathon. It can't be a marathon bout if The King Jerry Lawler wants to win the WWE Title IMO. The 61 year old WWE HOF'er, who buried his 90 year old mother on Wednesday, needs to essentially tell us what time it is and not how to make the watch when Jerry looks to make history. Not only would Jerry be the oldest WWE Champion ever, or so I think, he would also be in rarefied air as a WWE Hall of Famer who wins the title after being inducted into the WWE HOF."