Hogan upsets Karen Jarrett

Hulk Hogan discussed Kurt Angle's recent arrest for driving under the influence during an interview with Busted Open and said ex-wife Karen told him Kurt's a horrible driver and that she didn't allow him to drive their children during their entire marriage.




"The Kurt Angle thing, I don't know what to think of it yet. They said he blew, you know, and he wasn't drinking. I can't even begin to go there, I’m not going to put Hulk Hogan's opinion over what the legal system comes up with, because I don’t even know what we are talking about with Kurt. I don’t know what the facts yet, I don’t know what’s going on," Hogan said.



"You know I talked to his wife and she said he's a horrible driver. The whole time they were married she wouldn’t even let him drive the kids. He texts when he drives, he's great in the ring as far as focusing but his people skills are horrible. He’s got two left feet, and it translates into his driving. I'm not making any excuses for him, but I want to know what the facts are before I pass any judgement."



Karen, after reading Hogan's remarks, wrote on Twitter, "People should never make false statements and say they had conversations with people they didn't!!!!"



She then wrote to ProWrestling.net target=_blank>ProWrestling.net's Twitter page requesting an interview to "set the record straight on Hogan's comments."



The Vice President of the Knockouts Division added, "One thing EVERYONE needs to know about myself...DON'T mess with my family!!!! If you do..GOD help you!!!!"

Jeff Jarrett wins AAA title

Jarrett conquers Mexico




By Phil Allely







This past weekend TNA founder Jeff Jarrett toppled El Zorro to become the new Mexican World Heavyweight Champion at the AAA organisation's Triplemania event. Cheered on by his wife Karen, Jarrett made history and shocked those in attendence by raising the prestigous belt. Post match the new champ teased a possible feud with Dr Wagner Jr as fans went crazy for his surprise win. Also on the card were Mr Anderson, Rob Van Dam, Velvet Sky, Mickie James and Angelina Love. Mexico is a hotbed of wrestling activity and TNA's recent journeys there have proved very successful, it will now be interesting to see if Jarrett's win leads to co-pomoted shows or mexican challengers appearing on US TV.

Sting's Impact! return review

Hulk’s Immortal TNA Takeover has a Sting in the tail!




By Phil Allely



After months of internet rumblings and rumours about his jump elsewhere, former multiple time TNA Heavyweight Champion and WCW legend Sting finally returned to TV this week and instantly made an Impact!. The rejuvenated Stinger winning the world title from Immortal’s Jeff Hardy in a surprisingly enjoyable main event of the flagship show.



Elsewhere on the highly hyped card Hulk Hogan returned from his recent back surgery to face off against TNA President Dixie Carter (revealing he had won their court case and was now in charge of TNA). The segment saw Immortal and Fortune have a verbal battle, Flair’s former charges making the save to rescue Dixie from Hulk and Co’s clutches.



Beer Money defended their Tag Team belts against Gunner and Murphy in a fast and furious bout, the ever sharp combo of Roode and Storm got the win though. Ink Inc. then challenged them for a match at Victory Road.



Jersey Shore star Angelina, joined Robbie E and Cookie to interrupt The Beautiful People’s celebration of Velvet Sky’s win over Sarita. The sequence ending in a cat fight to build up a new feud.



Jeff and Karen Jarrett’s wedding vow renewal (parts 1 & 2) degenerated into a fun brawl that saw Karen end up face deep in her own wedding cake courtesy of her former husband Kurt Angle and an oddly amusing/vomit inducing series of love, which was rounded off by an axe wielding psychotic faced Kurt Angle taking some flak from a New York Jet member.



Rob Terry battled Scot Steiner in a muscleman scrap, Steiner continuing his impressive ways by overcoming the younger mans onslaught with brute strength for the win.



Supermex Hernandez and former tag partner Matt Morgan pummelled each other in a bloody no contest revenge match and kept their war alive until perhaps a cage match beckons.



Stings re-signing with TNA puts rumours of him either facing Undertaker at Wrestlemania or entering the Hall of Fame to bed for now at least. As one of the few still in-ring active members of wrestling’s veteran elite the invigorated Steve Borden as TNA champ is a major factor in the ongoing war with WWE. With the Hulkster and his Immortal brand being rocked by Sting, Fortune and a resilient Dixie Carter, perhaps TNA’s lead into next weeks Victory Road PPV was so perfectly planned even (much berated) head writer Vince Russo needs commended for it.

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."

TNA Against All Odds 2011

Hardy beats the odds and Knockouts Challenge a blackout!




By Phil Allely



TNA’s first PPV event on its new UK channel Challenge proved to be the night that not only the company finally came home (even with a slight technical hitch), but the one where former World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy would regain his gold from Mr Anderson in the main event. The main event was an exciting and entertaining one, but it wasn’t the only highpoint in this event, that came hot on the heels of TNA’s best received UK tour to date.



Elsewhere on the card Robbie E claimed his spot as number one contender to Kazarian’s X Division Title after Generation Me were stranded due to travel issues. Fortunately the champ decided he would defend his belt anyway and he took Robbie to one of his best outings to date. Even with Cookie’s interference the Fortune member had the upper hand and retained with a good looking inverted tombstone piledriver.



Next up the boozed up trio of Scott Steiner and TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money took on the team of Rob Terry, Gunner and Murphy. AJ Styles on colour commentary and the presence of Fortune’s ring masters Roode and Storm all helped ensure the lesser in-ring experienced Immortal members looked decent throughout. Steiner’s first match back in TNA went well too, with him nailing an impressive Frankensteiner for the win.



The ongoing Pope and Samoa Joe feud continued next, with both men trading the offensive and Joe’s cameraman Okado stopping Pope‘s hasty escape early on, Joe eventually took the advantage and struck with a ‘rear naked choke’ to gain the submission win. The cocky Pope’s post-match assault leaving Joe bloody and furious, this personal battle is one that will continue it seems.



In a bout missing from the UK broadcast due to a technical fault (which saw Challenge lose it‘s feed for a short time) TNA Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne faced Mickie James in a Last Knockout Standing brawl. Holding nothing back the pair battled around the ringside area and both went for it with gusto. James saw her title aspirations slip away once again after Rayne’s partner in crime Tara and the ever present loaded glove became involved in proceedings. Rayne nailed a brass knuckles shot to put James down for the ten count and end this chapter of their bitter war for the gold.



Hernandez and Matt Morgan took to the mic next, Supermex’s new pro-Mexican stance, heel status and anti-white stance had the crowd riled up and Morgan in pain with ease.



The RVD versus Matt Hardy scrap that followed was every bit as involving as their previous encounters and the pair were able to bring new depth and creativity to it as well. The back and forth action saw both unleash their trademark moves, neither holding back and Van Dam being fortunate enough to dodge a Hardy moonsault attempt and hit his ‘Five Star’ Frog Splash finisher to put Matt down for the three count.



Former tag team greats Team 3D’s separation has become increasingly violent and with Devon’s sons now involved it got worse. The former team mates Street Fight saw Ray take great delight in punishing his former set up the ‘what’s up’ head butt, Ray’s nasty side soon took over and he nailed Devon with a chair, decked his sons and handcuffed Devon to the ring, he won the match with ease and still decided to brutally put one of the boys through a table for good measure.



Kurt Angle’s very sanity was on the line in the penultimate match-up, he was placing the custody of his own children up against his walking ex wife Karen up the aisle for her wedding vow renewal with current husband Jeff Jarrett. Karen’s involvement, referee distractions/bumps and a lot of emotion played a big part in this one. The back and forth action saw numerous near falls, nice set-pieces and some great moves, Kurt however failed in his quest and lost the match and a chance at custody of his kids. As Jarrett gloated and vacated the ring a despairing Angle removed his boots and (in a move reminiscent of an amateur grappler retiring) he left them in the ring.



The main event for the TNA World Championship was everything it was expected to be, a violent, high-spot heavy ladder-based match up that saw challenger Jeff Hardy in his element and any limitations between him and his opponent become lost amongst the in-ring spectacle. Hardy after a few attempts was successful in regaining his grandiose gold belt and once again hold the title for his faction Immortal.



Against All Odds was a very good effort by TNA, it may have had a few moments where things could have been smoother and better produced, but overall the hits far outweighed the misses. With Jeff Hardy as new champ the chase is once again on to wrestle the gold away from Immortal’s clutches. The returning Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair may have a big part in who does that and where it happens. With a new home on UK TV and some heated re-matches and feuds in the works 2011 just got hotter for TNA.

TNA Impact! Highlights Jan 27 2011

Thursday's "iMPACT!" on SpikeTV featured the shocking return of Scott Steiner to assist Kurt Angle! Plus, World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson battled Matt Hardy, the X Division stars in action, a brawl between Velvet Sky and Winter over Angelina Love and much more!

Jeff Jarrett: Highlights from a recent Zoo Magazine interview

Jeff Jarrett: Highlights from  a recent Zoo Magazine interview:

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) will next month begin its tour of Europe once again with a number of shows all over the UK. How would you describe an event for those who are unfamiliar with TNA?


It is a unique experience first of all. I believe we have the best in-ring action in the world. With our four main divisions of the women's 'Knockout Division', Tag Teams, ‘X Division’ and Heavyweight make it the best in-ring action.

But it is not just a wrestling show, it's a TNA experience. What I mean by that is that the VIP meet & greets, the pictures and autograph sessions allow fans to really interact with the TNA wrestlers. We don't want fans to just watch a TNA show. We want them to be involved as much possible. It is a very unique philosophy to TNA where we want to give an altogether different experience to the fans at our shows.



The UK is well represented in TNA wrestling with the likes of Doug Williams and Desmond Wolfe, what difference do the Brits make to the roster?

The Brits we have bring their talent to the roster, just like everyone else we have in TNA Wrestling. You know, fifteen to twenty years ago there was a whole array of different wrestling styles from the European mat wrestling, the high flying style of the Mexicans to the classic showmanship of the US wrestlers. British wrestlers do have the talent and Douglas Williams proves that after his win over AJ Styles. At TNA we want the best talent not just from the US but from all over the world.



You are currently exploring the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in TNA. Is this the company recognising and respecting the threat companies such as Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) pose?

I wouldn't necessarily say that it's a sign of recognising the threat of MMA companies such as UFC. To be honest I don't think comparisons can really be made because pro-wrestling and MMA are two different businesses altogether. It's an entirely different business structure and product.



Would you say you are you a fan of MMA promotions such as UFC?

I've seen UFC and respect what those guys do but not as big a fan as many would perhaps think just because of what I am doing in TNA right now with the 'MMA Challenge'.

TNA Live Review Dublin Jan 24 2011

Irish fans vote for Flair as TNA Invade Dublin




By Phil Allely



It’s been a heck of a year or so for TNA since they last made the long trip to the UK and Ireland. There have been ups and downs, Monday Night Wars won and lost, star signings gained and star leavings missed, Hulk Hogan and Co. joining the fray with that WWE and so much more in that short space of time. It goes to show though that TNA have grabbed fans attention when even the lack of TNA UK TV coverage (which is now sorted via Freeview, well done Dixie) couldn’t stop almost 2000 very vocal and enthusiastic Irish fans from coming out to see the show this week though.

Fair do’s to TNA they did not skimp on the roster in attendance either, from top to bottom the card had it all, cat fights, brawls, high flying action and some superb crowd-baiting fun and games. One highlight was Ric Flair’s chant and dance-athon to the sound of ‘Flair for Taoiseach’ (Irish President), considering the current political situation in Ireland, the overjoyed Flair’s appointment would not shock this journo.



In the ring things kicked off with the as normal high-octane X Division match. Dublin was treated to a three-way bout for Kazraian’s gold, with the champ opposing Chris Sabin and new boy Mark Haskins. Dragon Gate regular Haskins proved himself to be a worthy TNA roster member by not only keeping up with, but dictating the pace at times, in what was a fast and furious flurry of set-pieces, near-falls and stunning action. Sabin and Haskins failed though, Kaz nailed a brutal finisher to retain his strap.



Next up Earl Hebner tried to steal the show with his picture perfect ‘You Screwed Bret’ set-piece and accompanying hilarious tee shirt and crowd-playing combo. The Knockouts tag match he officiated was a fairly decent affair, Hebner playing his role perfectly, not only becoming a deciding factor, but even sneaking a kiss from current Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne along the way. Tara and Rayne fell to Mickie James and Angelina Love with relative ease, after some good in-ring work from all concerned though.



In a Genesis re-match RVD bettered a slightly out of shape Matt Hardy, both worked their boots off though. Hardy missing a moonsault and Van Dam barely hitting a ringside one onto the concrete to audible gasps, the hugely popular RVD recovered quick and had a blast trundling out his trademark moves and unleashing his ‘five star frog splash’ on a prone Hardy for the win. Hardy was left fuming amidst derogatory chants as RVD claimed another win for himself.



The TNA Tag Team Championships were on the line next and the re-formed duo of (UK nationals) Magnus and Douglas Williams were already on dodgy ground before they even tackled champs Beer Money Inc. With Ric Flair at ringside to manage his Fortune buddies the match was a superb mix of comedy, action and set-pieces, the aforementioned dance/chant, Flair’s ring-mastership, Roode and Storm’s abilities and those of Magnus/Williams all made this a match of the night for many (including yours truly). Beer Money kept their belts after a few heelish tactics worked in their favour and they wiped the cocky smiles off their British opponents, to great applause from the Irish fans.



The penultimate match-up saw TNA founder Jeff Jarrett pair up with The Pope to tackle the little and large duo of Matt Morgan and Shannon Moore. The pairings worked well together and had the crowd whipped up into a frenzy too, pulling those long-lost Rock‘n‘Roll Express hot tag moments out of the bag. Jarrett and Pope however couldn’t overcome the combination of speed and strength their opposing team had though, Morgan and Moore taking the win and savouring their moment.



Finally after a hot and exciting night of top class action it all boiled down to TNA Heavyweight Champion Mr Anderson getting his hands of his nemesis Jeff Hardy. Whilst not on a par with the ‘classic’ tag match earlier, the guys worked hard. They threw everything they had into the mix, near-falls, ref bumps, run-ins and some stiff action. Even with the help of his brother Matt, Jeff fell to Anderson’s ‘mic check’ finisher to keep the gold with the (a**hole) leader.



The surprise post-match party (which is something TNA love to do) saw Flair, Beer Money, Mickie James and many others join Anderson and Dixie Carter in sharing a few beers and Dixie promising the crowd that TNA will not only be back on these shores, but on our screens very soon to ( a promise which she fulfilled a few hours later via Sun Sport).



The TNA live experience is one not to be missed and just goes to show that the company want to give their fans as much as they can, no one holds back or goes through the motions, the action never stops and with Jeremy Borash as host things never slow down a beat. Roll on Maximum Impact IV.

TNA Recent Impact Pics

Some pics from this weeks TNA Impact!

Scott Future aims for a TNA role

Is UK’s Scott the ‘Future of TNA?


By Phil Allely

A number of the UK’s finest wrestling talent will be on hand on January 29th at Wembley Arena for TNA’s first UK Gut Check clinic. Where TNA founder Jeff Jarrett and road agent D-Lo Brown will put aspiring star through their paces to see if they have what it takes to become a member of their roster.

One such potential star hoping to join fellow UK stars Magnus, Rob Terry and Douglas Williams is 13 year veteran Scott Future. Future started his career in 1998, participating in a Royal Rumble in Folkstone, Kent and hasn’t looked back since. Future was trained by the legendary Andre Baker at Hammerlock Wrestling in 1997. Has trained in the Hart family Dungeon and been a part of short US tours and many UK/European ones.

“There are ups and downs when you are on the road in the UK. There is a great team spirit amongst wrestlers that are on the road though, and we all have something in common that often no one else can understand, but equally it's tough because you are away from your family missing birthdays and driving hundreds of miles. It's all worthwhile once you step in the ring and the crowd responds.”

Scott has already had a little bite at the big time apple, having had a WWE try out during a recent tour, his dreams didn’t materialise then, but now he hopes that this opportunity to impress TNA’s movers and shakers may lead to his break. As the eager young star in waiting explains he really has worked hard to get this shot at TNA stardom. Having been fortunate enough to work with people like Sonny Oono, Jimmy Hart and former WWE star Chris Nowinski along the way, all of which have helped the young man build on his persona and in-ring skills.

“It (the WWE try out) was by far one of the best experiences I have had. I stood in the ring and gave a promo and Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat nodded his head in approval. He even fed me some lines to say as I made my speech on the WWE RAW microphone, underneath the steel cage. To have someone like Ricky Steamboat get something from one of my promo's meant the world. We only had something like 90 seconds to talk, and when my time was up and someone told me to stop, referee Jack Doan said "That’s too bad I was interested to see where that was going".

“Kurt Angle (who is a part of the current TNA tour) oversaw proceedings and to be in the presence of an Olympic Gold Medalist and a pro wrestling legend was like a dream come true. I got to show a little of what I've got and was happy with my performance but I wasn’t given any promises. Since then I have continued to train hard, and following the try out and the positive feedback I got, I have worked on my physique and tried to improve my technique so that when the next opportunity comes knocking, it’s not wasted. I'm now bigger and faster than I was then.”

“For me this is the next opportunity and the most important. When you talk about TNA, you talk about wrestlers who are passionate and love what they do. There is a hunger there. That fits with my mentality. What I need to do is show them why they need 'Scott Future' as opposed to anyone else out there. That's not easy, but I don't think anyone will give it a better shot than me. It means all the more because I only have a handful of wrestlers in my life that have inspired me and shaped the way I think about wrestling, and Jeff Jarrett is certainly one of those wrestlers.

“The dream is to stand out and finally show, on a large platform, what I can do. I have a good ring psychology that would translate well on television, and the dream is to showcase that. But the dream would be to learn from the best and to try to compete with the big boys and the legends. I have had so much encouragement from people who have ruled the industry, and I want to work hard and fulfil my dream of entertaining and wrestling full time.”

“I can’t really put that into words what a TNA contract would mean to me. The thought of it makes my chest flutter. I have been around for 13 years and 'paid my dues' but I am still young and I have time to make a real Impact at TNA. My outlook on the wrestling industry is still positive after all these years and I can’t think of anything I want more than to sign with one of the big companies.”

Scott will be giving his all on January 29th at Wembley Arena, and anyone interested in seeing his promos, photos and learning more about him can visit www.scottfuture.com

TNA’s Maximum Impact! tour starts on January 24th in Dublin, Ireland.

Ticket information and card line-ups are available from www.tnawrestling.com

Jeff Jarrett Interview Highlights

TNA's Jeff Jarrett spoke with The Baltimore Sun this week. Here are a few highlights:




Without getting into specifics, is TNA profitable at this point?



Absolutely. We turned that corner four or five years ago. Like WWE or any other business, would we like to be making more money? Sure, but the reality is that the U.S. economy is still in a recession, and internationally we have different economies to deal with, but all in all, we're pleased.



Do you have any specific goals for TNA in 2011?



We want to grow the brand globally. We've got a tour of Europe coming next week. We're looking at taking it potentially to a couple other sites overseas. We want to see the live events continue to grow, [merchandise] to grow. We just want to continue to grow on everything, and that's sort of a broad answer, but it's the truth.



It’s been a little over a year since Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff came on board with TNA. Are you happy with where the company is at this point?



We have people in positions now more than ever to succeed. And I’m talking about behind the scenes and as far as our roster goes from top to bottom – Kurt Angle, X Division, the Hardys, RVD, Mr. Anderson. We’ve got an incredible roster. Short answer: Yes, I’m very pleased with where we’re headed.



I know that pretty much since the beginning of TNA that you wanted to one day see the company go head-to-head on Monday nights against Raw. That happened in 2010, but, obviously, it didn’t turn out well for TNA. Is that something that you would look to do again at some point in the future, or is it kind of “been there, done that, it didn’t really work so we’re going to stay where we are?”



We learned, just like the wrestling fans learned, that the world has changed. Back in the “Monday Night Wars,” that was before our good little friend called the DVR was around, and you had to flip back and forth. Nowadays, the viewing habits are just entirely different and we found that out. The landscape has changed, so we’ve planted our feet in our ground and we’re making it grow, and that’s our strategy right now. Had we not tried it, though, we would have never found out.



What’s it like working in a story line with your wife and her ex-husband, Kurt Angle?



Well, story line is a word that doesn’t quite actually apply if you know what I mean. Me and Kurt – on a personal note, we’re good; on a professional note, I don’t think we’ll ever be on the same page. But it’s very unique, real, raw emotions. He’ll say his piece, and I’ll say my piece, and probably more importantly, Karen’s going to say her piece. It’s going to be very, very interesting.

TNA Genesis 2011 Final Card

Tna-Genesis 2011Below is the final card for Sunday's TNA Genesis pay-per-view. As noted before, the X Division Title match will kick off the show.




#1 Contender's Match

Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson



MMA Match

Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle



TNA Tag Team Title Match

Beer Money vs. The Motor City Machineguns



TNA X Division Title Match

Kazarian vs. Jay Lethal



TNA Television Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Douglas Williams



TNA Knockouts Title Match

Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne



Rob Van Dam vs. Mystery Opponent



Brother Ray vs. Brother Devon

TNA Star to face Scottish Wrestler

TNA Star To Face Scottish Champion


By Phil Allely

TNA founder Jeff Jarrett’s recent visit to Scotland has left the country’s top wrestling star, Lionheart, with a very sore head and set him up for a big match in January.



This past Tuesday Jarrett visited Glasgow’s PBW Wrestling School and gave excited students an impromptu mini ‘TNA Gut Check’ seminar.



During the workshop, he was challenged to a match at TNA's huge show at the Braehead Arena on Thursday January 27 2011 by PBW Heavyweight Champion, Lionheart.



Not only did Jeff accept the bout, but he cracked his guitar – which he’d signed earlier as a present to the school – over Lionheart’s head.



Jarrett said: "I've really enjoyed my visit to Scotland - a lot more than that Lionheart kid did, anyway. He learned the hard way that you don't go around challenging real superstars in this sport. So, now his mouth has gotten him in trouble. If he wants to be embarrassed in front of his friends and family, that's fine with me. If he is the best this country has to offer, then he really needs to step up his game come January 27."



Lionheart responded after: "It's a shame someone the status of Jarrett felt the need to feed his ego in that way. And reality is, come January 27, whatever it is Jeff Jarrett expects, my advice for him is simple: Expect Different."

TNA Final Resolution Card

TNA World Title Match
Matt Morgan vs. Jeff Hardy

Full Metal Mayhem for the TNA Tag Team Titles
Generation Me vs. The Motor City Machineguns

TNA TV Title Match
Douglas Williams vs. AJ Styles

TNA X Division Title Match
Jay Lethal vs. Robbie E.
Cookie will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage.

Submission Match
Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Jarrett

Casket Match
Abyss vs. The Pope

First Blood Match
Rhino vs. Rob Van Dam

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Tara vs. Mickie James

#1 Contender's Match
Beer Money vs. Ink Inc.

Karen Angle set to re-appear on TNA TV?

Kurt Angle's former wife and Jeff Jarrett's current one Karen may be on her back to TNA TV. The lady who became a big part of the real life battle between Jeff and Kurt (leading to jeff's removal from TV and PPV for a while) may well be a catalyst and big part of the upcoming feud between the two.

TNA Turning Point 2010: Review

Turning Point 2010: Salute to Sabu!

By Phil Allely

With financial strains hitting the global market place and everyone tightening their belts TNA have been on a roll as of late, producing some top notch PPV’s that have gotten the fans attention and their rivals the WWE wondering just who the company or going to sign next or what kind of surprise storyline they will pull out of the bag next in search of those all important ratings.

Turning Point had a few things going against it form the get go. Main event star Mr Anderson was on the injured list, after a mistimed Jeff Hardy chair shot left him concussed and replacement Matt Morgan had had very little time to hype up his World Title shot. Hulk Hogan was still out of action due to his recent back surgery and he was a big part of the main storyline of the Immortals taking over the company from President Dixie Carter.

The event opened decently with newcomer Robbie wrestling the X Division Title from the proud hands of the always impressive Jay Lethal. E’s win coming from some timely interference by Cookie, Lethal’s loss didn’t go down too well with the crowd either.

Former WWE divas Mickie James and Tara met finally one-on-one next, the pair had a lacklustre match at times, which ended in a no contest, but the ensuing brawl (which ran throughout the PPV) certainly proved that both still have it in them to pull of a good bout and perhaps reboot the Knockouts Division.

TNA’s most underrated tag team met their most decorated next, champions The Motor City Machineguns facing the 23 time former gold holders Team 3D in what promised to be 3D’s last match as a unit. In-ring wise the Guns shone as only they can, outperforming their brawling counterparts, but it worked and as the pendulum swung between the teams the thought of 3D raising a 24th set of straps did cross many minds. The near falls, table related spots and Guns’ suicidal moves all whipped things up nicely for the finish, Sabin and Shelly retaining after overcoming their larger foes. All four showing mutual respect after the decision.

EV2 members Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer had set their sights on a match of the night no doubt, but unfortunately an untimely injury to Dreamer halted that slightly, but their fight came pretty close. The pair however didn’t let Dreamer’s (nasty looking) broken wrist slow them down. Both reliving their hardcore arena days by utilising the ring barriers, a ladder and anything else they could to brutalise each other. RVD nailed a lovely five star frog splash to win the bout and in turn cement his friendship with Dreamer and allegiance to EV2.

The EV2/Fortune feud steamrolled on with a member of the losing teams career on the line. The odds quickly became stacked against EV2 as Kendrick was carted off after Douglas Williams nailed him hard. The remaining members gave their all, Sabu especially turning the clock back a few years to put in an above par performance. UK star Williams was also impressive in his role as Fortune’s technical wizard and hard-hitter. Things quickly broke down as the teams began to take each other out and fight around the ring, Style and Sabu ended up facing off and as they traded some high spots the frustrated Sabu (who is legitimately leaving TNA) fell to a well adapted Styles Clash to lose his spot on the roster and the match for his team.

Pope D’Angleo Dinero’s Lumberjack match with Abyss was a well planned affair, rising star Dinero had been a pawn in the monsters recent mind game sand this was his chance to settle things. Having his ‘Congregation’ as the lumberjacks was a plus point too in his favour against his larger and crazier opponent. The Congregation and a certain Immortal front man called Eric Bischoff would ensure The Pope’s dominance was short-lived, Bischoff allegedly paying Pope’s friends and brother to turn on him in favour of cold hard cash. Their attack on Pope and subsequent beat down leading to his loss to Abyss.

Samoa Joe versus Jeff Jarrett was a reasonable scrap, both swapping the advantage as things got serious. A ref bump and interference from Eric Bischoff’s security team saw Jarrett nail Joe with a nightstick and lock on Joe’s ‘rear naked choke’ for an unpopular win.

The main event saw unlikely title contender Matt Morgan face off against the unbelievably ‘over’ Jeff Hardy. The David and goliath style match had some good moments., each man jockeying for space to unleash a power move or crazy set-piece. The referee causing the end as he called a definite three count a two as Hardy kicked him, but not out of the pin. Morgan failed to reclaim his momentum afterwards and fell to a ‘whisper in the wind/twist of hate combo‘.

Hardy celebrated with Fortune as the show went of the air.

Turning Point had some fairly decent moments, but TNA do need to keep their eye on the ball and not get complacent. Even without Hogan, Angle, Sting and others the roster is filled with eager and willing guys who just need the chance to shine on the big stage. TNA have all the components and momentum building to freshen up their product and tackle the big boys, fingers crossed this continues in 2011.

TNA: The Asylum Years Vol 1 - DVD Review

DVD Review: TNA The Best of The Asylum Years Vol. 1

By Phil Allely

TNA is a relatively young company by all accounts and yet it has come on so far in it’s eight year lifespan to date. This the latest release from it’s archive is proof if needed that the company has been determined to prove itself as a viable wrestling organisation right from day one.

This DVD taken from TNA’s vaults is a great snapshot of just how far the company has come. Way back when it started out in 2002 TNA ran monthly Pay-Per-View events and had no weekly TV presence., what we have here over a two disc set are some of the best and most memorable matches from the 2002-2004 period.

The Asylum title refers to the Nashville Fairgrounds venue, where these shows took place, a renowned wrestling mecca for decades and one that many felt suited TNA perfectly.

Even back then with low budgets and an affiliation with the NWA, TNA had a great relationship with its performers and was in a position to hire in some of the biggest names on the independent scene. Some guys were like Sting, who has stayed with TNA since then, whilst others have drifted in and out depending on their financial situation or their schedule. Across the two disc you can see some legends such as The Stinger, Terry Funk, Raven, Shane Douglas, Road Warriors, Sabu, Lex Luger and many more make their TNA debuts.

Match wise the ones on offer here give a wonderful glimpse into the booking of TNA in its early days, without weekly TV to tell its stories the monthly PPV’s were used well to get developments across, mostly they left the in ring action to tell it for them and it really did work.

2002’s TNA had not yet moved onto a six sided ring and it’s odd to see guys like AJ Styles, Sabu and Abyss in one back then. Of course now they have returned to it once more, but this is where it all began and you can see the hunger in the performers eyes, as they fight to build up TNA.

Each match/section of the discs are book-ended with talking heads from TNA stars past and present, who discuss the match, storylines and much more, these really do build up a nice picture of what you are about to see. This is a history lesson as well as a wrestling box set and it works very well indeed.

TNA: The Best of The Asylum Years 2002-2004 is a wonderful introduction to the companies early days and shows some of its current headliners, as they plied their trade and learnt the ropes from the trusty veterans who gave TNA chance.

You can pick this two disc set up now from all good stockists and find more at www.tnawrestling.com

TNA Turning Point Card for Nov 7 2010

TNA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Mr. Anderson vs. Champion Jeff Hardy of Immortal

TNA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Team 3D vs. (c) Motor City Machine Guns

X DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Robbie E (with Cookie) vs. (c) Jay Lethal

WINNING TEAM GETS TO FIRE A MEMBER
OF THE LOSING TEAM
EV2 vs Fortune

KNOCKOUTS MATCH
Mickie James vs. Tara

plus more matches tbc.

TNA Jeff Jarrett DVD Review

TNA Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain DVD Review

By Phil Allely

Jeff Jarrett has pretty much done it all in wrestling, working for the likes of Vince McMahon (WWE), Eric Bischoff (WCW) and of course the USWA alongside co-owner Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. He has also netted himself many headline runs, title wins and also had his fair share of stand out matches.

Jeff is now better known as the man who built TNA, personally funding the company in its beginnings and forging the partnerships that have kept it in business today. This four disc set takes a look at Jeff’s TNA career (2002-2008) and throws in a look at some of his earlier matches too.

In recent years Jarrett’s personal life has preceded his in-ring actions and although he now has no real say in the day-to-day running of TNA (Dixie Carter having majority control) Jeff is still a prominent character on and off screen and remains as an ambassador for the promotion in many areas.

The matches on this lavish set cover all the bases for Jarrett’s TNA tenure. We see him face legends such as Sting, Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner. There are enjoyable outings with TNA originals AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, plus entertaining bouts with Team 3D and The Road Warriors amongst others.

Having a four disc release based on one person does prove to be a bit repetitive at times however. There are a number of excellent matches here, but when you factor in such characters as Raven, Dusty Rhodes and even Sean Waltman, they usually make up for the athleticism by pulling out all of the stops in the entertainment stakes.

The good point here also is that we get to see the six-sided old style TNA ring in use too.

TNA Bound For Glory 2010 PPV Review

Bound to Please

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?

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. The bucks did get in some great looking double teams and near falls against their more experienced and confident opponents, but a final flurry of tight ring work by the Detroit natives put their dreams of gold to rest.

A sexy looking 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. The match itself saw some decent action, the finish saw Tara sneak the pin and belt for herself much to Rayne’s dismay. Post-match James lamped a mouthy Rayne to ignite a possible feud.

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, Moore pinned Jordan to end proceedings. EY’s increasingly erratic behaviour causing his own teams loss.

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. Lethal was lucky to steal a three count as he rolled through on a William hurricarana. Lethal received a post victory beat down by newcomer Robbie G after his win.

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. Van dam started fast on the offensive, taking the action in and out of the ring. Incorporating everything from chairs, barbed wire boards, tables and trashcans, the brawl lacked blood, but had some very good, back and forth action, featured some risky moves, career shortening manoeuvres and nasty falls. RVD pulled off the win with a nice frog splash.

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. The numbers game proved to be the deciding factor though, the end coming when Jarrett turned on his partner Joe, leaving him to take the a three man beating and Nash powerbomb for the loss.

Team 3D 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 blood flowed freely from the onset, the teams brawled and when the cage top lowered the adreniline in and out of the ring began to pump big time. Kazarian and Stevie Richards took to the cage roof, the weapons were used by all and sundry and the teams took the war to the ringside area as well as above and in the ring. Brian Kendrick’s timely surprise appearance on the cage top gave EV 2 and nice assist. Dreamer ended the war by pinning recent nemesis AJ Styles whilst his weary team mates battered Fortune about the arena.

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 is a star on the rise out to prove a point and Jeff Hardy sits atop a short list of men who deserve a long world title run, if they can keep their noses clean.

After trading moves and match advantages, Angle made his move, nailing some brutal looking two man suplexes, a cool double ankle lock and more ludicrously insane moves, before Anderson and Hardy took their turn in the spotlight.

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.

So where new champ Jeff Hardy and his new associates the immortal Hulkster, Bischoff, Jarrett and Abyss go from here is anyone’s guess. It has just opened up another dimension to the TNA product, with Fortune, EV 2 and now ‘the immortals’ on the scene it’s going to be essential to tune into Impact! To see what will now happen to Dixie Carter’s company, as the power seemingly shifts once again.