Let's get right to it so I don't go for 8000 words like usual!
IMPACT TIME CHANGED ON THURSDAYS
In what seems at first like a setback for TNA, Impact will not be airing on Thursdays at 9 p.m. as planned. The show will air at 11 p.m. on Thursdays starting April 13. This may seem like a backslide but isn't because UFC is on before Impact. The UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter 3, will be on directly before Impact and ratings have shown that Impact does better when following UFC programming. Apparently, those who enjoy Ultimate Fighting also enjoy TNA and stay around to catch the show. However, if the show airs at 9 p.m., they wouldn't have a good lead in and would probably not get the ratings they need to stay alive on Thursday nights.
The UFC/TNA block is a good one for Spike TV and ratings show that the Ultimate Fighter reality show and Impact compliment each other well as does any UFC show before Impact.
So, set your DVR's or VCR's for Thursdays at 11 p.m. EST on Spike TV for TNA Impact beginning on April 13.
Note that the Ultimate Fighter 3 reality show begins on April 6 at 10 p.m. EST on Spike TV, a week before Impact begins. If you are a UFC fan, be sure to catch the first episode then watch The Ultimate Fighter and TNA every week beginning at 10 p.m. EST on Spike TV.
Ironically, Impact will be in direct competition with WWE's Hall of Fame Ceremony airing at 11 p.m. Saturday on USA this week. It will be interesting to see how TNA holds up against such a powerful WWE show.
"PRINCE OF PUNK" JUMPS TO WWE FROM TNA FROM WWE
As I mentioned in my latest WWE Update, Shannon Moore, dubbed "The Prince of Punk", has left TNA to return to WWE. Moore was fired from WWE along with a slew of other lower card wrestlers last year. He had been a regular on TNA shows for the last few months and TNA had actually gotten a copyright for "The Prince of Punk" moniker. Whether WWE will be able to use that or not, I don’t know, but since TNA holds the copyright, WWE would have to buy them out and I doubt the moniker is that big a deal to WWE.
TEAM CANADA'S ERIC YOUNG HAS SURGERY, NEARLY DIES
Team Canada's Eric Young recently underwent surgery for a throat polyp. While on the operating table, his heart stopped beating for a full 10 minutes before doctors were able to revive him. He amazingly made a full recovery and is back to wrestling a full schedule. In an interview on the TNA website (www.tnawrestling.com), Young said of the incident, "It scares the hell out of me because I'm probably going to have more of these (surgeries). This was my sixth one and I might have 40 or 50 of them."
I am glad that Young bounced back so fast and suffered no brain damage as a result of his heart stopping for such a long time and hope a similar incident in the future never occurs!
TNA's FIRST HOUSE SHOW RESULTS
TNA held their first house show in Michigan on March 17. The crowd was estimated at between 1500 and 2000, which is pretty good for a non-televised show. Even WWE is having trouble pulling in that many fans for house shows these days.
Here are the show results:
* Shark Boy pinned Simon Diamond
* Chris Sabin pinned Alex Shelley
* ICP pinned Petey Williams & Eric Young
* Booby Roode pinned Jerry Lynn
* Sabu pinned Abyss in a Street Fight
* Rhino pinned A1
* Samoa Joe submitted A.J. Styles
* AMW defeated the Naturals following a chair shot to Andy Douglas' injured knee
* Christian Cage defeated Jeff Jarrett
SCOTT STEINER OPENS WEBSITE
Scott Steiner, who recently showed up in TNA, has opened a new website at BootyDaddy.com.
TNA RELEASES A BLOODY BRAWLS DVD
ECW (owned by WWE) isn't the only promotion releasing gory DVD these days. TNA just released "TNA's Bloodiest Brawls" available at retail stores now. The following are the matches you will see if you pick up this DVD:
* Monster’s Ball 1 - Victory Road 2004 – “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown vs. “The Monster” Abyss vs. Raven
* Six Sides of Steel Cage Match – Turning Point 2004 - America’s Most Wanted vs. Triple X
*Final Assault – Destination X 2005 – “The Monster” Abysss vs. “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy
* Six Sides of Steel Cage Match – Lockdown 2005 – “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. “The Monster” Abyss
* House of Fun Match – Hard Justice 2005 - Raven vs. Sean Waltman
* Dog Collar Match – No Surrender 2005 – “The Monster” Abyss vs. Raven
* Tag Team Match – Sacrifice 2005 – “The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal” Sabu and Raven vs. King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and “The War Machine” Rhino
* Monster’s Ball 2 – Bound For Glory 2005 – “The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal” Sabu vs. “The Monster” Abyss vs. “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy vs. “The War Machine” Rhino
* Six Man War – Genesis 2005 – “The War Machine” Rhino and Team 3D vs. “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and America’s Most Wanted
* Barbed Wire Massacre - Turning Point 2005 – “The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal” Sabu vs. “The Monster” Abyss
These matches were listed on the TNA website. If they really wanted to gross out the fans, they could have aired the disgusting head shaving of Raven by Jim Mitchell. Raven was a victim of a man who didn't know how to use clippers and he was literally scalped. It was not pretty and was the bloodiest and goriest scene I have seen on TNA. I guess even TNA didn't want to go that far.
This looks to be a good compilation of matches and, blood aside, most are actually really solid matches, not just traditional "bump fests" that you often see with bloody matches.
WORLD WRESTLING LEGENDS (6:05 REUNION) PAY PER VIEW MATCHES
The 6:05 Reunion pay per view will air on Saturday April 29 at 6 p.m. EST with a replay at 8 p.m. The cost is only $19.95. Below are the matches you will see:
* Hacksaw Duggan vs. Nikolai Volkoff (with the Iron Sheik)
* Rick Steiner vs. Virgil
* Disco Inferno vs. Koko B. Ware
* Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart) vs. Jimmy Snuka
* Eddie Colon (with Carlos Colon) vs. Vampiro
* Kamala (with Friday) vs. Jake Roberts
* Tully Blanchard and David Flair (with JJ Dillon) vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Mike Graham (with Bruno Sammartino)
* Diamond Dallas Page vs. Chris Kanyon
* The Midnight Express (with Jim Cornette) vs Brad & Scott & Bob Armstrong (with Bobby Heenan)
* Scott Steiner vs. Buff Bagwell
After the pay per view, there are plans to release a DVD version of the show with exclusive footage and interviews.
That's it for now!
WWE NOTE!!! This isn't TNA related but I wanted to remind you that John Cena will be a guest judge on the USA Network's "Nashville Star" show this Tuesday, March 28 at 10 p.m. Nashville Star is the country equivalent of American Idol but the singers are much more polished. Cena will judge the contestants and give his opinions along with two other judges. Even if you don’t like southern rock or country music, tune in to see Cena live and adlibbing. He should be a lot of fun to listen to and watch.
I will be back with lots of WWE news and notes and a few columns when I can squeeze them in. I will also be back VERY soon with a WrestleMania contest complete with a great prize for the winner!
Have a great week! Lots of wrestling and wrestling related shows to watch this week - Raw, Nasville Star with John Cena, Smackdown, Impact, WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, and WrestleMania 22!
Until Next Time,
Patty
Some Hardcore DVDS you might like:
