I figure we've been talking a lot about the happenings in TNA for the last month or so, why not have an actual thread for TNA news?

Current hot topics (as of August 17, 2009): Jeff Jarrett sent walking, Kurt Angle's been stalking, and Don West is done talking.

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The TNA site Wrote:SPIKE TV AND TNA WRESTLING EXTEND PARTNERSHIP THROUGH 2012

Deal Includes New Weekly Installments Of “TNA: iMPACT!” And The Addition Of New Original Series Of Specials

Spike TV and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling have agreed to a new, three-year extension of their partnership, it was announced jointly today by Kevin Kay, President, Spike TV and Dixie Carter, President of TNA Entertainment.

The deal, which begins October 1, 2009, includes three new years of TNA’s weekly “iMPACT!” show as well as the addition of a new original series of one-hour specials. Each special (title TBD) will feature the biggest personalities and highlight some the greatest and awe-inspiring bouts in the history of TNA, many of them never before seen on basic cable. TNA Entertainment will produce 10 one-hour installments.

“TNA: iMPACT!” is coming off its highest-rated and most-watched quarter on Spike TV. During 2Q09, more than 1.8 million viewers on average tuned in to “TNA: iMPACT!” on Spike each week. Overall, “TNA: iMPACT!” saw an impressive 31% overall growth compared to YAGO, with double digit increases in the key demographics of M18-49 (+33%) and P18-49 (+40).*

“With the tremendous success and record ratings we have achieved over the past three years, we are very happy to continue to have Spike TV as TNA Wrestling’s partner,” said Carter. “We are excited to continue our relationship with the fantastic team that has supported TNA from the very beginning, and look forward to even greater success with all of our TNA programming on Spike TV.”

“TNA Wrestling has consistently delivered strong ratings in key male demographics and has continually grown its weekly audience. In the past year alone, “iMPACT!" has seen a remarkable increase of 30% in overall growth," said Kay. “We are excited to not only continue but also expand our relationship with the world’s fastest growing wrestling organization.”

Cross The Line to TNA Wrestling, the most innovative experience in professional wrestling today. Watch "TNA iMPACT!" every Thursday night (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) only on Spike TV. TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.

Spike TV is available in 98 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is http://www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

I hope it isn't true that Awesome Kong is leaving! She posted on Twitter that she'd be making her big announcement on her next Tweet, and thanked management for being so understanding. This does not sound good.

The brackets for the #1 Contender for the World Title at No Surrender are out.

BRACKET #1:
Sting vs Rhino
Hernandez vs Homicide

BRACKET #2:
AJ Styles vs Chris Sabin
Suicide vs Doug Williams

Not only, is it set up for Sting vs AJ in the finals, but is it also the end for LAX?

Who the fuck set up these brackets? Did they just have a random pairing or something?

I mean...really?

Yeah, there's no question about the outcomes of any of those matches. At least if it were supposed to be random pairings, publicly play up the fact that they will be random pairings first.

BREAKING: Cornette and BG James released from TNA. Discuss.

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(09-15-2009 11:08 PM)ThinkSoJoE Wrote:  BREAKING: Cornette and BG James released from TNA. Discuss.

I just read that. BG James doesn't surprise me. He may be a really nice guy who is liked by others, but how critical to the company was he?

Getting rid of Jim Cornette is idiotic. Yes, the man has his flaws, and pointing out what went wrong in Smokey Mountain is fair enough. However, Cornette is a guy with tremendous knowledge and some of TNA's best stuff has been his work. If it's true that Jim Cornette and Vince Russo hate each other, and could only coexist because Jeff Jarrett was there to act as a buffer between them, then it's no wonder that something had to give. I have to find the exact quotes that I've read recently to finish my point, so there will be more.

Getting rid of Jim Cornette because Vince Russo doesn't like him may prove to hurt TNA more than anyone is willing to admit right now.

Quote:"You can't get there in a week. Keep in mind, Jeff was in charge of creative for seven years--and it was heanily based on wrestling--you can't change that overnight. Plus--it's a different crew I'm working with--a lot of these younger guys can't yet pull of what Austin, Rock, DX, and Mick did. They're still green and very young--they're not seasoned professionals. I'm taking baby steps with these younger guys--because they still have so much to learn." - Vince Russo in recent email

How can this be said with a straight face? This is what is supposed to be so vastly superior to anything that Cornette had to offer? Where to even begin?

He says "heavily based on wrestling" as though that were a terrible thing, and that Jeff Jarrett is to blame for it. Why SHOULDN'T a pro wrestling tv show be heavily based on wrestling? Yes, people watch wrestling for different things. They always have, and they always will. That's why both ROH and WWE have audiences. However, the claim that storylines are the thing, and that the wrestling is the payoff to the storylines is patently absurd. Storylines link the wrestling matches together, not the other way around.

A different crew that he's working with? No! Really? Austin, Rock, DX, and Mick all have one thing in common that the non-WWE talent under the age of 30 do not have. They all went out and did what they wanted to do to entertain the fans, and created personas that were natural extensions of themselves. They weren't scripted to death and forced into gimmicks that didn't suit them, not in the examples listed, anyway. Prior to that, those were the precise reasons why those wrestlers/characters did not connect with the audience and succeed. WWE management at the time decided that money was more important than control and being right, so they allowed the guys mentioned by Russo to keep doing what they did best. Show me anyone in TNA right now who has been accorded that same opportunity who did not used to work for WWE and is under the age of 30. The closest thing is Beer Money. They're hugely over, but they're still floundering in the "Team 3D's bitches" role, to an extent.

Green and very young? Baby steps? So much to learn? Considering how long Russo has been involved with TNA, he can't seriously believe this. When a guy has been making a living exclusively through wrestling for almost a decade, HE IS A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL!!! Most of the guys he's talking about have wrestled all over the world, for almost every international and indy company that can be named. They have developed personas and a set of in-ring skills that would place them at the top of the game under the right backing. It's easy for guys to look unskilled and awkward when they get saddled with abrupt and random face or heel turns, gimmicks that don't suit them, and a complete lack of tv time.

This quote makes me sick.

According to a report on The Sun website, Jim Cornette's contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling was terminated after throwing one temper tantrum too many. Reportedly, he caused a major scene at the most recent Impact television taping during an argument with head writer Vince Russo.

Cornette directed his anger toward the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion during a production meeting calling for more focus on Eric Young on television.

"Everyone was in a production meeting with Russo running down the show, but Cornette went nuts screaming 'why are we pushing Eric Young?'," according to The Sun's source. "Russo reacted calmly and said it wasn't a big deal, but Cornette wouldn't let it go and kept screaming about it, really causing a scene. He just wouldn't stop. Even after the meeting broke, Cornette was walking around complaining to everyone who would listen."

A few concerned co-workers went to management to voice their displeasure over their belief that Cornette had been acting unprofessionally. Apparently, this was "his latest refusal to be a pro," so the organization decided to release him from his contract.

Similarly, Cornette was released by World Wrestling Entertainment in July 2005 after slapping current WWE star Santino Marella for breaking character and laughing at The Boogeyman during a live Ohio Valley Wrestling show.

"This wasn't politics or anything to do with Jeff. It was purely a decision prompted by the same behaviour that got Jim fired in WWE," the source said.

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Hey, that report could be true, but Aaron Wood's posting on the WWI thread for TNA might have some validity to it as well.

TNA signs Nigel McGuinness!

Apparently, WWE took too long in signing his (and possibly Bryan Danielson's) contract, so TNA snatched him up.

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(10-20-2009 06:00 PM)ThinkSoJoE Wrote:  TNA signs Nigel McGuinness!

Apparently, WWE took too long in signing his (and possibly Bryan Danielson's) contract, so TNA snatched him up.

WHAT????

Are you shitting me?

If this is a prank, Boss....

(10-20-2009 06:51 PM)drowgoddess Wrote:  

(10-20-2009 06:00 PM)ThinkSoJoE Wrote:  TNA signs Nigel McGuinness!

Apparently, WWE took too long in signing his (and possibly Bryan Danielson's) contract, so TNA snatched him up.

WHAT????

Are you shitting me?

If this is a prank, Boss....

Nope. Not a prank.

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This isn't exactly news, however,

Abyss now has a weekly column at TNAWrestling.com

You can read the latest edition HERE.