TNA Live Show Review: One Night Only - X-travaganza

TNA Live Show Review: One Night Only - X-travaganza

TNA kicked off their new set of one-night-only special events by showcasing the much-lamented and missed stars of their famed X Division. Stars old and new joined in the action and for the most part the show impressed us here at Sun Sport.

When Impact Wrestling announced that they would be reducing their Pay-Per-View output to four a year many thought it would be a wise move. This decision could after all help storylines develop and make the remaining events all the more special. To fill in the gaps the company explained they would hold a number of themed one-off PPV's.

The aptly title X-travagana was a fun show that perfectly highlighted the fast-paced division we all know and love. There may have been a few blips here and there, but for the main this was a peek into one of TNA's early success stories. The always dazzling X Division.

The event also highlighted some of the divisions best moments, craziest moves, top matches and a gave look at the always inventive Ultimate X Match. This was a wonderful introduction for newer fans and a welcome glimpse into the past for more loyal fans.

One pet peeve for many (myself included) was the lack of a six-sided ring. That would have been the icing on the cake here.

The Main Event saw former X Division Champ Samoa Joe take on more recent title holder Austin Aries and was the perfect way to round proceedings off. Seeing big man Joe on form and matching the lighter Aries move for move was inspiring stuff. The ending where Aries reversed a 'Muscle Buster' into a roll-up did seem a bit flat though.

Elsewhere Christian Yorke won the slightly confusing Xscape match. If you take away the convoluted rules this was an exciting encounter that showcased the fast-paced style and skill set we all remember the 'X' stars for. York outlasted the risk-taking collection of Matt Bentley, Alex Silva, Lance Dorado, Sam Shaw, Puma and Jimmy Rave.

The Ultimate X battle featured Kenny King, Rubix, Zema Ion and Mason Andrews. It may have been a slow-burner, but when it got going this was a veritable feast of high spots and risky moves. King picked up the win in a nice twist on the finish, snatching the X out of someone else hands before he hit the floor.

Bad Influence took on Petey Williams & Sonjay Dutt in a tag team match that had its high points, but never fully lived up to its expectations. The returning Dutt and Williams were paired up nicely and blended well with the more polished combo of Daniels and Kazarian.  Both teams hit some nice double team moves and nailed some near falls.

 The unpopular win went to Daniels/Kaz, however Williams got some revenge for his team by nailing a very nice looking post match Canadian Destroyer.

The Kid kash/Doug Williams Vs Anthony Nese & Rashad Cameron tag match seemd to be merely a time filler and never really caught fans attention.  It went a bit too long and had no real build up either. The talents of Williams/Kash seemed wasted here.

Rob Van Dam had one of his last TNA matches, taking on former foe Jerry Lynn in Lynn’s final match (as part of his retirement tour). The pace was slow and sluggish throughout and failed to catch fire. The nostalgia aspect did work in parts, Van Dam picked up the win and the locker room came out to give Lynn a proper send off. This was a pale shadow of some of the classics the pair have had over the years.

The Chavo Guerrero and Robbie E match was a pretty throwaway affair that underutilised Guererro and also featured Joseph Park as referee.

One Night Only – Xtravaganza was a successful show that certainly hit more than it missed. It could have easily been cut down to a two hour show though (removing the dull matches). The six-sided ring would have added t the nostalgia factor too.  It was nice to see some old faces back in the company too. Roll on the next themed One Night Only show.

www.impactwrestling.com

BY Phil Allely

Rob Van Dam Interview Highlights

The Shining Wizards Podcast is featuring an interview with Rob Van Dam. Here are somehighlights from the interview.

Training with the Original Sheik: He was there almost always, in fact he didn’t like us to train without his presence. Which we did once in a while, especially more once we reached a certain level, where we understood the basic fundamentals, and at a certain point his nephew Sabu could teach us and it was only like 3 or 4 of us. It was a real personal, family like atmosphere, some other guys would come and go, but they never stuck around, our training was so stiff. We just got taught how to manhandle each other, squeeze each other and try and pin each other. That was the way we got trained, it was a really stiff style. That’s how we broke in. The Sheik was always besides the ring when he was there, once in a while he would get in the ring to really try and drive a point home. Usually the ring was outside, depending on the location, but i remember a lot of times it was in his backyard, and we would be working out in the ring and he would be in a chair soaking up some sun with some suntan oil all over him.

Having Second Thoughts on being a wrestler: I am sure there were, I don’t remember them happening during training. There were a few points early in my career when I thought, jeez what am I doing? I should be in college preparing for something else. I don’t have what it takes to make it. That certanly happened. I remember one time early on, in my career, it was 91, I had my 21st Birthday at a wrestling show in Jamaica. And we wrestled at Coney Island amusement park in Kingston and we had like 3 shows there over 3 nights. It was an awesome deal and a great experience, for me to travel somewhere like that, just everything about being there. The island, the feel, the reggae music. I had second thoughts then, I wrestled this dude named Mark Starr , and I did something, cause I was green at the time. I don’t know what it was, he just took it to me, and ended up PowerBombing me 3 times and pinning me. This was my first match after doing interviews for newspapers, and everything. I was pretty upset about it, and I had to check my gut later on that night, and fight down some thoughts of possible resentment, or regret. I had a scholarship to college. What the hell am I doing here? I don’t fit in with these guys. I hate these guys. During training, training was stiff, your sides hurt from hitting the ropes when you start and you have bruises on them. Let alone hitting the mat, I always went home with headaches. At that point I don’t remember ever doubting my choice. Not until I got into the actual business world of it.

On other wrestlers taking liberties on him when he first started: Oh sure, thats just part of the coming up. Thats part of what you do. You’re at a disadvantage, because you’re just trying to do the right thing. It’s not like it’s an all out fight in the street where you just wanna like take the guys eye ball out and leave him laying there with a punch to the throat or something. You’re trying to be respectful to him and the business. And you’re trying to gauge the whole ratio between entertainment and the physicality thats going on. So when you’re young and green like that it defiently happens. It’s not like an all out challenge, its about using tools against you that you don’t even know, they can use yourself against you at that point. Nothing comes to mind at the moment, but it happens. I remember one time in Japan, when I first started wrestling in Japan. I was young and green. I wore this happy coat like it was a karate gi. It was actually what japanesse wear when they get out of the bathtub, so they must have thought I was an idiot. I tied a black belt around it, and I had electric tape that I put around my ankles for some reason. For whatever reason, I thought I was getting support out of that. So they would kick the sh## out of me. Kawada would make it a point of not reacting to when I was kicking him, and then he would kick the sh## out of me and at first I really took offense to it, then it really fired me up. Made me want to give back, then I realized, thats what he wanted, thats what the match needed. Out of respect to him, you had to lay it in to him, or he can’t react to it. He was at that level. That really helped me step up my game. It was years later, that I was stepping my game up too much for most americans.

Using his Martial Arts Kicks in Wrestling: When I was training with Sabu, one time in the backyard. It was just Sabu and I, no Sheik. We were talking about a move. Which I still use today, in fact a form of that, is when I kicked Abyss and knocked his teeth out about a year ago. Sabu said you’re a martial artist, you should be able to control anything. I said it would be cool to jump off the second rope and do a flying spinning back kick, but I don’t really know how to do that without killing you. He said try, and I was like if I do it Bam, I can’t imagine it not knocking your head off. Sabu said, just try, and if you knock my head off, then try and pull back next time. I said, that sounds crazy, and he said just do it. So I bounced off the ropes and I kicked him so hard, he had to eat through a straw for 2 weeks. I felt really bad, but sure enough, he was back and wanted to try that kick again.

Training With Sabu: I think that our like minded opinion of what was entertaining and what was exciting to see that helped us really get along at that stage. I was acrobatic, mostly from showing off on a diving board or trampoline. And at that point I was kickboxing, so I was able to show Sabu how to do some backflips and stuff. He had a crazy way of doing it, it looked wild. It worked for him, and he was teaching me, arm bars, arm drags, stuff i needed to add to my repertoire. And we both really liked the same wrestlers, when we watched TV. We were drawn towards the same style. We both enjoyed someone who was considered a high risk flyer. It made an impression on people.

WCW: December of 92 to May of 93. Bill Watts hired me, through Ron Slanker. He was a promoter at the time, the same promoter who had given me the name Rob Van Dam. The first promoter to look at me, when I was 20, not old enough to drink, he saw me in USWA. Ron Slanker was there to visit his son in law, Tex Slazenger. He told me, not only that he was going to be running shows in Tampa, at the Sportatorium, and that he wanted my info and he would like me to come down there. He also told me, I would be World Champion someday. He said I might be wrong about you kid, but I wasn’t wrong about Curt Henning, I wasn’t wrong about Savage, he named a couple of guys. He said I have got this feeling about you. He was the first person to put that confidence in me that made me feel like, ya know I don’t know if I am better then a bunch of the other guys in the dressing room or not , but I am going to go for it like I am and see what I can get out of it. So Ole Anderson took over from Bill Watts in WCW, February of 93 when I did my first tour with All Japan. WCW wrestlers wrestled for New Japan which was the competition. I had this previous booking in All Japan in 92, so when I went to work for Bill Watts he said, go ahead do the booking. When I came back he was gone, and Ole had taken over. And I didn’t have that interest from him that I had from Bill Watts, he was putting me down, I was either getting beat on a regular basis or I was having dark matches giving guys tryouts. And I was young and green, but I still had enough self worth and business sense to decide to leave against the veterans wishes. They said I was crazy to leave, I was on TV and I have only been working a couple of years. I went and worked Independents, and made a lot moremoney doing that. And I also wouldn’t advise some of you young green kids to go the route that I did. I have no regrets, I walked away from every single company that I worked for until this point, with the exception of the USWA. I left WCW, I left WWE twice, I left All Japan, I left ECW, and fact is, I never regretted it.

Not being booked for the 1st ECW PPV: I am sure there was a reason. I don’t know why I wasn’t booked on the 1st ECW PPV. It wasn’t my job to make the matches. That was Paul Heyman’s. I am sure when he put the card together, he had a reason for not putting me on it, and I took offense to it. So I entertained the first offer that Eric Bischoff put on the table to go to WCW.

How ECW Countered the WCW Offer: He knew that things were looking like I may be going to WCW. The fans believed it, the internet reports believed it. Paul had a great idea, he said, what if we could use this momentum and capitalize on it and put the entire spotlight of the industry on you. I said what are you talking about. He said, what if everyone is expecting you to go to WCW, and we announce that you are going to Monday Nights where you belong, and we pull a switch. What if I can get you on WWF TV. And I was like, what the hell are you talking about. He is telling us, how Vince and him hate each other, how WWF wants us to die, cause we are in there backyard. I had no idea, they had a working relationship the whole time we were running, till I watched that DVD documentary, that was my first proof. He denied it all along the way. I said yeah, that sounds awesome, I am an opportunist and I could go to WCW, which by the way, the idea was to put me under a mask and make me the Mortal Kombat character, Glacier. I wasn’t wanting to do that, and I ended up not doing that. That wasn’t the entertaining part of the offer to me, it wasn’t the gimmick, we were talking numbers and stuff. Went to WWF TV while still working for ECW, which to the best of my knowledge hadn’t been done. I am all about jumping fences and breaking records and finding ways to put my mark on history, and I thought this was a great way to do it. On WWF TV I was a heel, and when I went back to ECW I was a heel because they thought I worked for WWF.

Wrestling Jerry Lynn: Every time that we wrestled we clicked right away. Since the first time we wrestled each other. Because of that, he has been one of my favorite guys to work with, and has produced my favorite match. If you had never seen an RVD match, I would show you an RVD/Jerry Lynn match to impress them. Including the last match that I had with him, a few weeks ago ,awesome match, everything was just great, everything a wrestling match should be. A kind of match, that not only the fans, but the boys in the back know that they wouldn’t survive one of those matches, everything so physical and everything was just there. I would put that match up against any of the matches we have had. Big loss to the business with Jerry Lynn tapping out.

His thoughts on weather Vince wanted the ECW Brand to be successful in WWE: No, No. I think that his ego was more important to prove that WWE was superior to ECW, then it was to try and do business. I think the king wants to be the king, and wants any competition to be visibly destroyed and devalued so everyone knows the king is the king.

His feelings on how the WWE was using RVD: I thought that the caliber of wrestlers that I was working with was great. I was in there with Main Event guys, the top stars of the industry, most respected wrestlers in the world. To be in there with them, and to be able to do some of my stuff, of course sometimes I felt held back. At Different times I was able to still show off, like when I had the hardcore title. Which is what I am out there to do, impress the people with my style, my way of doing things. My unique perspective of a fighting style that I can show with this world of entertainment. I was cool with it, but I was frustrated with the politics. But I didn’t have higher goals then where I was at, I didn’t have it in my mind, screw all these guys, I should be the one with the belt, I should be the one making the most money. I never had that in me. In fact, I never thought, and still don’t think I would have ever been World Champion had I not, personally changed the entire playing field in order to make that a possibility. By bringing back ECW, and spawning a 3rd brand and needing me to represent it. None of that would have happened without me, and my passion and desire for that, so otherwise I really didn’t think I would be wrestling main event single matches against the Undertaker and Steve Austin. I was cool with that, and I was starting to see how much more money they were getting then I was getting, and then I didn’t feel like we were on equal terms like we were in the fans eyes.

Injuring Triple H during the 1st Elimination Chamber: That was the only night that Vince McMahon ever called me, to tell me Hunter was ok. He knew I was concerned for a lot of reasons. I was visibly upset about it. I knew that it was a real big deal, and I never want to hurt anyone anyway. This was something, that was an accident. I wasn’t comfortable jumping off of there, it wasn’t my idea to do it. Just being off like that, BAM. Yeah and its Hunter, it wasn’t good, and they wanted me to know they understood. Vince was super cool about it.

Rumors of having heat about busting people open: When I came in, no one knew how to take the Van Daminator. I split open Booker T, Raven, Steve Austin, Test, everybody. The internet was going crazy with it. I had a match with Kurt Angle, and he got busted open, between the chin and the lip, I hit him with a leg drop on the table, and boom he was busted open. And when I was walking back, I passed Vince, and I said, Oh Vince, sorry about your boy, and Vince said, well next time he will learn to turn his head.

On Concussions: Its a very physical job. I am part of the Brain and Spine donation program through Chris Nowinski. I am part of that program, I am one of those people that have received hundreds and hundreds of concussions. Even now its like once every couple of months. I hit the back of my head, Bam, my equilibrium is off,or the sound is off and everything is in slow motion. You don’t even know when you’re watching, you think you’re in the know, but you don’t know. For me, I feel like I still have it together. I feel like I am in the minority. My friends and I talk about this, some of them are MMA Fighters, Football Players, a lot of these guys have had a lot of concussions, and some of them tell me, they know they have long term damage due to concussions. It surprises me how many of my friends have that and live with that. Weather its headaches, or dizziness, or fogginess or they lose their train of thought. They tell me they relate it to concussions, and me, who has had so many concussions, I thank my lucky stars that I am able to still feel like all the damage is temporary so far.

Bloodletting in Wrestling: I’ve never been a fan of blading. Its funny, cause the Sheik was the master of blading. The Original Sheik he bladed everybody, he cut everybody up. I have never been a fan of that, thats not what I like about the business. However when I am busted open hardway, I’m proud. Because, one I think its good for the business, and two, I am out there to show how tough I am, and thats why for over 20 years, I have been wrestling the same style, taking those DDT’s on my head, and those crazy bumps. I have been taking all that for so many years, I feel like its my position professionally to show how much punishment I can take, cause that’s one of my strengths.

WWE Departure: I was pretty much burnt out. It was nonstop travel. Going town to town to town to town, and the meaning behind it faded for me. I needed time away. So I took it. They had burnt me out, way past the point of being burnt out. It was something I knew I may never recover from. The thought about going back to that full time schedule hurts my chest thinking about it.

Arrival in TNA: I was excited to be there. I liked the business end of it. I wouldn’t have gone unless we worked out a deal that was cool for me. Which meant more balance in my life then I had with WWE. It was a big deal that I was there. As I was ready to make my debut the fans were chanting RVD while they were waiting to enter the building.I was glad to be back I was ready to get some exposure. I was wrestling a lot over seas, and the fans in the states hadn’t seen me. I knew getting back on TV would be good for me.

TNA Leaving the Impact Zone and if its a plus for TNA: I think that remains to be seen. Its a optimistic, hopefully adventure. The bigger crowds look much better on TV. Hopefully TNA hitting all these towns with bigger promotion then they do with the house shows, the live events, hopefully that will help the brand recognition get out there more. Its a lot more expensive to run shows on the road, then it is in the studio. Its more work for us, a lot more travel, we had routine. I love my flight from LAX to Orlando. I love the routine. Now, we gotta go places, where its cold and snow. Flight connections to the smaller cities, few hundred mile drives. There are a lot of different ways to look at it. Being a traveler, I am looking at it like that. Hopefully it will get the brand recognition out, it will look better on TV. So we shall see.

About finishing his career in TNA: Not necessarily. I really don’t look that far ahead. I go with the flow. I don’t know, when I will be completely finished and where I will be when I make that decision.

Rob Van Dam Interview Highlights

Rob Van Dam was recently interview by Brian Fritz of Between The Ropes. Here are some highlights. Whether or not he has thought about slowing down or changing his style in the ring: No bro! I’m a showoff. That’s my whole job is to show what I have and my problem is the opposite. My problem is I’m always only allowed to show 10% of what I got. You know what I mean? People ask ‘I want to see more Van Daminators’. Well, that’s cool but it’s illegal to bring a chair in. I happen to be in a company that has a certain style where, if I brought the chair in and did it every single night, it might not mean as much. But back in the ECW days, that was the standard. So every night, I knew I was going to be able to give the fans their money’s worth whether it was a house show, TV or even on pay-per-view. I like to show that I can take more punishment than the other guys. I like to show that I’ve got flashy moves. I like to show that I have creativity by bringing in other factors and elements besides a regular, boring, one fall match inside the squared circle. Whether or not he would still be in wrestling if TNA had not been around when he signed with the company in 2010 or even right now: Who knows? I didn’t think so at one point after I had left WWE. You know, a lot of fans seem to think that the weed bust got me kicked out of WWE or something. People that really follow it saw that I stayed there for a while but I see that a lot on the Internet. And you know it’s always true if it’s on the Internet! I did the time there and when my contract ran up and left in favor of not living on the road in a different town every single day, flying and driving, then trying to cut through the tension of the dressing room to get to my bag. I left there and I was so burned out because, while I was burned out, things were getting worse the last several months. I had it in my contract that I’d have a weekend off once a month which they never gave me. And then towards the end, after I was bi###ing about that, they started booking me twice a day to do two shows. I said you guys are crazy! And when I left, there was a while where I thought man, I don’t care if I ever step on an airplane again, I’ve had so much of it. I don’t care if I step in the ring again, I’ve had so much of it. And, you know, my priorities were different at that moment, what I needed in my life. I thought I might not wrestle again. I didn’t even know. I was open to seeing what life might bring me. It did end up bringing me back. It wasn’t in a hurry, that’s for sure. Whether not he came close to returning to WWE before signing with TNA: I actually contacted WWE when it looked like things might work out with TNA’s contract. I emailed Johnny (Laurinaitis) and I actually said are you sure there isn’t a part-time schedule there. I even had some ideas where they would come out financially ahead of me, paying me a limited amount of dates but it never, the conversation never got as far as me explaining what my idea was. I did explain it to Dixie (Carter), the same scenario. Johnny has responded with they’d love to have me there, please reconsider and do full-time because they need me there the whole time. I was not even thinking about doing that. Even now, I can’t imagine going back to that crazy ass schedule that I worked with them. I’m grateful that I had that time with them. Right now, at this stage in my career, it’s even less appealing than it was prior to coming to TNA.

Rob Van Dam Interview Highlights

The Phoenix New Times is featuring an interview with TNA wrestler, Rob Van Dam. Here are a few notes from the interview. RVD on the differences between wrestling for TNA and WWE: "In Total Nonstop Action, individual wrestlers have a lot more freedom to artistically express themselves versus WWE," Van Dam explained. "When we have our matches, they are known to be more athletic, more competitive in nature, and that's what wrestling fans really appreciate. And the fact there's more of a focus on wrestling in Total Nonstop Action over the other major company on TV. Whereas WWE has been known to feature more of the 400-pound giants that aren't necessarily going to [perform] quite as impressively. TNA focuses more on the wrestler's abilities and skills and gives them a chance to shine out there in front of the fans. "It's also more of an up-close-and-personal experience where wrestlers are more accessible and there's a lot of times spent on meeting the fans. And Bound For Glory will be no different and we'll be there on October 14 with a big meet-and-greet. The day before that is also something called 'TNA Fan InterAction,' which all the top stars will be there as well. People can meet and talk to their wrestlers and get their photos taken with 'em." RVD on Ryback asking him for permission to use his airbrush artist: "Ryback reached out to me and asked for permission to use the same airbrush artist that I use, Joe Holland in Savannah, Georgia," he said. "The guy's been making me the same outfits since like 1995 and he doesn't do a lot work for wrestlers. And I'm all for anyone that can make more business off of things they do for me. Ryback has my blessing [and] I'm flattered that he's a fan of mine. He's been very respectful in reaching out to me. I haven't met the guy but have nothing but respect for him."

RVD Interview HIghlights

- Rob Van Dam recently spoke with The Miami Herald. Here are some highlights from the article:




His match with Jerry Lynn at TNA Destination X:



"I was very pleased with the match as was Jerry Lynn. We had a competitive bout as we’ve always did. That same spirit that used to drive us for our matches before definitely came out. We haven’t wrestled since 2001. It has been quite a while, but we were able to pick right up and feel that chemistry together. According to the reports from the office, our match was off the charts. Especially for what they wanted the focus to be on right now and what they want the young guys to pick up and learn. I was super happy with the match. Jerry and I know the more we wrestle each other, the better the match gets."



His style:



"Before, my style was considered a pioneer style that people weren’t to, but now even on a pay-per-view like Destination X, everyone is flying and flipping. It’s the nature of that division. There are a lot of wrestlers who have been influenced by those earlier matches. Especially those matches that Jerry Lynn and I had in the 1990s. I don’t feel like right now, even after being in the business for as long as I have, anyone wrestles like me. I still stand out. Nobody does most of my RVD moves.



The truth is a lot of it is because they can’t. Some of it is out of respect. A lot of it is because normal people can’t jump off the apron and do a 360-degree spin in the air, then come back on one leg, with the other leg coming down on somebody on the guard rail. Normal people can’t do that. Normal wrestlers can’t do that, or they will get injured. That is still one of the things that set me apart. That’s not going to change."



Young stars not asking him for advice and a possible knock at Generation Me:



“I feel like I get respect, but not in that way. I’m open to it. Most of the guys, I don’t know if they don’t feel welcome to ask me or any of the other veterans or what. That is probably an issue that we have is the young guys should ask some of the older guys. They should be saying, ‘Hey, watch my match. Let me know what I can improve on.’ That never happens enough. Some of the young guys who are or were there, I don’t want to mention any names. There were two young guys who just left and looked like they were out of high school. The whole time they were there, they never introduced themselves or shook my hand. Things are way different than they used to be."



His time with TNA:



"I can’t say that I have been utilized to the fullest. I’d say very much not, but I don’t want that to come off as a complaint because I really like my deal with TNA. I’m very professional and there for whatever they need me to do. Having said that, I still care about my character and my career, and I’m very easy to get along with."



TNA not having brand recognition:



"We don’t have it. We have less than a handful of third party licensees, where as the big companies like with WCW there were a lot more. When they were around, they had a couple a hundred licensees. We need to get the TNA Impact Wrestling brand out there.



The most common comment I hear every day from fans that spot me for the first time at a restaurant, mall or beach. The one comment I get is, ‘RVD, you’re my favorite wrestler. What happened? Are you not wrestling anymore? Why did you retire?’ I get that all the time. It’s not a bad downside for the deal I have, but it’s something I put up with. I’m always like an ambassador. I would say, ‘You got Spike TV? The show is on Thursday nights at 9.’



That tells me there is a void there, where a lot of wrestling fans have yet to catch onto this product. Brand recognition is so important. When I was with WWE, people would have me sign merchandise that I didn’t even know existed. I would go, ‘What the f---? There is an RVD outlet cover for your wall? I had no idea.’



With TNA, unfortunately right now, we are dealing with T-shirts, action figures, trading cards and then a few key chains or something. That is all we got. We have a handheld game, I guess. I don’t think that many people know about it. Then we have a big void. I’m hoping at this weekend at the Comic-Con in San Diego that the TNA office will meet some third party licensees."

Rob Van Dam Recent interview highlights

Rob Van Dam participated in an interview with Stu Stone of MTV’s Blowin U and discussed his tenures with ECW and WWE. He also explained why he believes he is bigger than TNA.




“It’s different fun. When I was in ECW, all the major companies were jockeying for me and trying to sign me up. I was building my name up and at the same time i was using my momentum for the betterment of the company,” Van Dam said.



“Now I’m a bigger star than the company actually because TNA doesn’t have the name brand recognition yet.”



RVD made similar comments last August in the following blog post on his official website, which garnered a negative reaction in the locker room. It also prompted then-TNA talent Kevin Nash to lash out at RVD on Twitter.



“I’d imagine a lot of the old TNA guys are feeling like they’re taking a back seat. The thing is…you can’t argue with the numbers. Last week TNA broke new all-time records for ratings! TNA needed a change. The 6-sided ring and the great technical wrestlers -that nobody knew-wasn’t working. TNA brought in two rock stars, and look at the company now! Dixie often points out how hiring Jeff Hardy and RVD started a whole new era, why do some of the wrestlers not see it? Too, young, too green, too selfish to have the correct perspective. Whereas some of the TNA “stars” are lucky to get recognized walking around the studios, Jeff and myself live like actual celebrities, signing autographs and taking pictures EVERYWHERE we go. Without experiencing this, it’s probably hard to imagine. In fact, very few wrestlers stick out in people’s minds the way that Jeff and I do. WE love our fans and we love their love. TNA is blowing up. Good things will come our way and I see it all happening now.”



“This is a very exciting time. More people watching TNA means more people exposed to the other wrestlers on the card too…as long as they’re good enough to hang around with the rising standards.”

Rob Van Dam Exclusive Interview

Rob Van Dam: I Knew TNA Were Serious About Me When Hulk Called.




By Phil Allely



This past January (during the first leg of the UK Maximum Impact tour) Phil Allely was fortunate enough to chat with former TNA Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam about how his life has changed since he decided to take a spot in TNA.



Leaving the WWE after a long run the former ECW headliner had no immediate intentions of returning to the world of wrestling unless it was on his terms and the company he chose to work for gave him the backing he felt his former employers never really did.



“I was fortunate enough to be able to pick and chose what I wanted to do when I left the WWE, so many of the guys can’t afford to do that for various reasons. I just needed to recharge my batteries, pursue my many outside interests and see if I still wanted to step back in the ring again.”



During his break from mainstream wrestling the former ECW star was a major part of American Wrestling Rampage’s European Tour, there he shared the ring with Sabu, Scotty Too Hotty, Kid Kash and Sean Waltman amongst others. Tearing down houses and seemingly relighting along absent inner fire along the way.



“I loved those shows, you know Sabu is one of my closest friends and we enjoyed bringing back that ECW element to something like that. We did some crazy things in some very intimate venues and they went down a storm. It was great to be able to take our extreme influenced performances to people who only ever saw us on video or DVD. Those small arenas were just what I needed to get myself back into the frame of mind to compete again. But we knew it was a limited thing, we can’t keep doing that year in year out. I’d love to have him (Sabu) here with me now in TNA, but as Dixie has explained his stint here wasn’t long term and I understand that. We are in a business after all and he had a decent run before he moved on“.



Many were not shocked by Van Dam’s jump to TNA, but when it was mentioned he may be seeking work for Dixie Carter’s company there were rumours he may have been approached by the WWE in an attempt to stop another big name joining the opposition.



“Man I love TNA, it’s a wonderful place to work (after some of the places I was in before) I was probably one of the last guys approached by them though. There were big plans in motion it seems (if I’d joined right away) a spot in the Main Event Mafia was brought up, but I’m not and never have been one for sharing the spotlight, I prefer to be the star and in the limelight by myself. Plus I’d just came out of the WWE, I was ready for a break from the business at that point so that plan went away. WWE had really burnt me out, my contract stated I’d be given breaks and they never gave them to me, I heard many excuses why and wasn‘t happy about it. You know they did that constantly and they probably wrecked the chances of many guys going back by treating the talent that way. “When my contract ended (with the WWE) I just needed time to clear my head and find myself. Yes TNA tried to get me straight away, they tried (to hit me for my wrestling) passion and I said no. Bischoff called me, Dixie Carter called me, even Jason Hervey picked up the phone. But I said to myself they are not serious because Hogan hasn’t called yet.

Then he did, I was doing my radio show and he called in. The guy spent a half hour explaining on the air why I should join him in TNA.“



Hogan was at that point the major player in TNA and instead of filling the top tier of the company with his hangers on (like he had in WCW) he seemed to go head hunting genuine talent that would benefit Dixie Carter’s group as it grew and re-built its sometimes tarnished reputation.



“That was what got me here, Hulk is the most recognised guy there is in the industry, I value his opinion and knew he was doing what he felt was best for us all when he brought guys like myself to TNA. He has a presence, no matter where he features in the company he can make a difference, he may not be performing any more after his surgery, but he can still entertain and do what he does best, be a legend. People will always want to see him.”



RVD has pursued many outside interests since he left the WWE and continues to do so. Opening comic book stores, acting, hosting a radio show and creating his own reality TV series.



“Something WWE never let me do were acting jobs, they turned them down for me, but now (being in TNA) I’ m in a situation where I can do these things. WWE just didn’t see the potential of these opportunities and they really ruined my chances back then. I was in some very good places and they (WWE) just blew it for me, by refusing point blank to negotiate anything. Whereas Dixie let’s us explore our possibilities and gives us that chance. Her philosophy is that our extended profile helps TNA enhance its own and of course it does.”



Dixie Carter has been the driving force behind TNA for most of its life and continues to work very hard in making her brand a more family friendly, approachable and personable one than its rival. Van Dam like the every roster member we interview has only good things to say about the company President.



“Dixie is a real people person, she is what fuels TNA, we all feed of her enthusiasm for the company. She wants first hand connection with our fans. It’s so different to how Vince runs his company. At this stage of my career they take so much better care of me, than the WWE ever did at any point. I’d go as far as to say I mean more to TNA than I did at any point with them.”



TNA’s roster has featured/still features many former WWE/WCW/ECW, who work very well with their own homegrown talent, allowing both to thrive in the organisation. Many former big names though have tried and failed in TNA, their fate is something that Rob understands and explains with ease.



“I for one love the freedom here and I know the other guys do too. There are many people who want to work here that find the opportunity isn’t the easy ride they expected it to be. An awful lot of them can’t meet the standards and be in the same zone as the rest of us are. I mean look at Sabu, he has had an unbelievable career and yet he was let go, no matter who you are you need to prove yourself and if you don’t you’re gone. This company needs to continually trim the fat to keep ourselves up where we are. We need to be consistent. It keeps you on your toes.”



If the WWE came calling would Rob return for one last run, like some of his peers such as Booker T and Kevin Nash.



“You know fair play to anyone who does go back, but you know I was so burnt out and had so much trouble in my last year there that I just wanted away from that scenario. I couldn’t enjoy going out to the ring and doing my thing, it was killing me. My contract ended and I wanted out, they offered me a new one and I said no. I’m so happy being able to have the freedom at last to juggle my other projects and still go out each night and be the whole f’n show.”

TNA Dublin 24 January 2011 Personal Pics

here are a few pics taken at the TNA Dublin National Stadium show on January 24th 2011....

TNA Genesis Card to Date

It was announced on iMPACT! that Rob Van Dam would be competing at Genesis against a mystery opponent selected by Immortal.




Below is the updated card for the Jan. 6 pay-per-view event:



TNA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender’s Match

Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson



Rob Van Dam vs. Immortal’s Mystery Opponent



TNA Television Championship Match

Douglas Williams (c) vs. AJ Styles



TNA Tag Team Championship Match

Motor City Machineguns (c) vs. Beer Money, Inc.



TNA X Division Championship Match

Jay Lethal (c) vs. Kazarian



TNA Women’s Knockout Championship Match

Madison Rayne (c) vs. Mickie James



Brother Ray vs. Brother Devon