Here are some spoilers from tonight’s GFW Impact tapings, courtesy of PWInsider:
GFW will announce the return of the Super X Cup
Former ROH wrestler ACH is backstage and will be part of the tournament
Texas talent Sammy Guevara, who recently worked for EVOLVE is also in the tournament as well, as are Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Taiji Ishimora and AAA’s Drago
Octagoncito is backstage at the taping.
We hope to have full spoilers shortly.
It looks like the once “TNA” name is once again getting a new name change.
With the news of the merger between TNA/Impact Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling, Tenessean.com reports that this will eventually lead to the company being re-branded as GFW (Global Force Wrestling) moving forward.
The belief is that their weekly television show that airs on Pop TV will keep the “Impact” name and the headquarters will remain in Nashville, TN. Sunday’s Slammiversary show is being considered a ‘re-launch’ of the company’s pay-per-view business.
The following are highlights from Scott Steiner’s media call promoting Sunday’s Slammiversary event:
Legal issues with Dixie Carter: “I mean, [Dixie Carter] is a joke. She was basically a pain [in the butt]. Talked the truth about Hogan. She dropped the case and we’ll see what happens. It’s not over.”
Favorite TNA moment: “My favorite moment was the Main Event Mafia. The champions were all together, and that was a lot of fun because you had a lot of history in the ring every time we stepped in the ring. A lot of us had been around for a long time, so the stuff that we did backstage, the stuff that didn’t make it on TV was also entertaining and funny. To date, that’s been the highest rated portion of TNA’s existence. A lot of people bought into it because of the reality of everything. It was a lot of fun.”
The differences between Dixie Carter’s management and Jeff Jarrett’s management: “If you talk to anybody, there’s a huge difference. When people see Jeff, they know that he knows what he’s doing. Clearly, everyone knew that Dixie didn’t know what she was doing. She was a mark wanting to be on TV. It’s night and day. People wanna come to work, they’re excited about what everyone is doing, and it is a totally different atmosphere.”
What changes should occur in pro wrestling: “The first change they should make is getting rid of Stephanie McMahon and Hunter McMahon, because they’re two idiots who are running the whole place up there. It’s like, I feel sorry for the wrestlers nowadays. They’ve got to follow the instructions of these two idiots that clearly don’t know what they’re doing. They’re not watching because the ratings are down, and the reason why I call him Hunter McMahon is because she obviously wears the pants.”
Why he’s not going in the WWE Hall of Fame: “I’m not going into the WWE Hall of Fame, because I’m not going somewhere where there’s nowhere to go. GPS the WWE Hall of Fame. Where’s it at? See, I’m not going somewhere where if I get in trouble or something, I can’t call 911. I can’t have a beacon call, or call the coast guard. Cuz, who knows? It could be in Atlantis for all I know. Or it could be in parts unknown. It’s a joke. How can you go somewhere that is non-existent? I’d be better off if the WWE Hall of Fame was on the moon… cancel your reservations if you want to see me, because it’s not happening.”
Mike Tenay has reportedly turned down an offer to return to the announcers booth for Impact Wrestling.
According to the Wrestling Observer, with Jeremy Borash and Josh Mathews competing at the upcoming Slammiversary event, Impact wanted to have Tenay and Don West reunite and call the show. Tenay apparently turned the offer company down, which led to the Impact bringing in Robert Flores to work alongside West.
Jeff Jarrett has been teasing that the “most powerful, influential resident of Orlando, Florida” will take pace of this year’s Slammiversary week activities.
The word going around is that Jarrett is referring to NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neil made various appearances for WWE and WCW previously and was originally going to face The Big Show at Wrestlemania 33 until plans fell through.
Cody Rhodes defeated Christopher Daniels at Ring of Honour’s Best In The World Pay-per-view to become the new Ring Of Honour World Champion. Cody hit the Cross Rhodes on Daniels to get the win and the title.
This is Rhodes’s first big title win since he entered the independent wrestling scene after leaving the WWE. The American Nightmare has had a successful career after leaving the WWE, winning a number of championships on multiple promotions since his departure.
Rhodes is set to meet the IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada at the upcoming G1 Classic USA.
As we reported earlier, Cody Rhodes was successful in procuring the ROH Championship by defeating Christopher Daniels at Ring of Honour’s Best in The World Pay-per-view.
Here’s what Cody had to say after his surprising victory last night:
Here are some reactions from Cody’s friends, family and other wrestling and non-wrestling personalities on his huge victory:
Mr. Pogo has passed away at age 66, according to a report by Yahoo Japan. It’s being said that he died in the hospital from a cerebral infection after receiving back surgery in Gunma, Japan.
For those not aware, Pogo started working in the early 70s, and he faced off with such stars Ric Flair, Harley Race, and Terry Funk. He is most memorable for his death matches, including a famous Electrified Exploding Barbed Wire Double Hell Death Match with Atushia Onita.
Well, Reby Hardy’s wasn’t bluffing when she threatened to expose Jeff Jarrett DUI charge that has been kept on the down-low. She posted the following evidence on social media that indicates that Jarrett had a run-in with the law back in September of last year:
Alberto El Patron recently spoke with Sports Illustrated. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Match With Lashley Topping Lesnar vs. Joe: “Our match is going to be a thousand times better. I have deep respect for Brock Lesnar and Samoa Joe, and I know they’ll give the fans an amazing match, but they’ll be limited by the politics in that company. That company won’t let one of them give one-hundred percent to the audience, they’re going to hold them back. Impact Wrestling says, ‘Here is the ring, go do your thing.’”
Facing Bobby Lashley: “When you’re in the ring with Bobby, you feel it. You know you’re competing and performing with a guy that is not just a sports entertainer. He’s a real athlete and a real wrestler. When you combine two wrestlers with the same background and similar styles, you’re going to get magic. That’s what is going to happen at Slammiversary. We’re going to go the extra mile. We’re not afraid, and that’s just the way we were brought up in the business. If I punch him extra hard, and he kicks me extremely hard, then we’re OK with that–that’s part of what we want to offer to the audience.”
Calling Vince McMahon to Resign: “I was in a place where I was not happy. I was waking up every morning and really struggling to go to work. I got to the point where I asked myself if I wanted to continue in the pro wrestling business. I said to myself, ‘I’ve lost the passion and love for the business.’ But I was wrong. I never lost passion for the pro wrestling business. I lost respect for that other company. …I realized that it was not the business, it was the place where I was working. So I decided to call the one that matters in that company and said, ‘I’m sorry, sir. Thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for everything, but I’m not happy in this place and I need to move on.’ I am blessed and lucky to find a place like Impact Wrestling. They needed someone like me, and I needed a company like Impact Wrestling. It was perfect timing to start doing business together.”
Sporting News reports that former WWE ring announcer Mauro Ranallo will be doing the play-by-play announcing for the upcoming blockbuster boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and UFC’s Conor McGregor.
The fight takes place on August 26th, the weekend after Summerslam.
PWInsider reports that Dalton Castle agreed to a new deal to stay with Ring of Honor and will not be heading to WWE. Castle’s previous deal was set to expire this month and they had not yet come to a new deal until the last few days.
It should be noted that he only “agreed” and has not officially signed anything. Some websites have got those two terms confused.