The Daily Dropkick

Spoilers - End of the line for Hulk Hogan in TNA?

2011-09-17T09:29:00.000+01:00

Photo Courtesy IMPACTWrestling.com / Lee South Photography

Just wanted to comment on a news/rumour piece that is currently being reported on the various new sites and add my two cents:

In an update on Hulk Hogan’s announcement at the final set of iMPACT! Wrestling tapings this week (the show will air on 9/29 in the USA), it was being portrayed as the end of the road for Hulk Hogan in TNA. This would obviously change all plans involving a Sting vs. Hogan match at Bound for Glory that they have spent months building up. Hogan being able to physically do a match has been questionable for some time following his recent set of back surgeries. Hogan was told he “absolutely can’t take any falls.” This comes the same week of news that Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s deals with TNA will be expiring in a few weeks in October.

From what I've heard though, Knoxville will NOT in fact be Hogan's last appearance. The latest is that in order to lighten the load on Hogan, his bout with Sting will be changed to a Tag-Team match, the other participants have yet to be confirmed but Jeff Hardy is one of the names that's been thrown out there. I've also been told that Hogan's TNA contract does expire in the fall but rather next July, so I don't see any of these changes affecting the Bound For Glory match - IT'S A WORK FOLKS!! Personally I see Hogan bowing out at Bound For Glory and sitting out his contract until July but in saying that, Hogan is being advertised for the post-Bound For Glory TV Taping in Macon, Ga:

Claudio Castagnoli Signs with WWE

2011-09-17T09:15:00.000+01:00

WWE has signed former ROH star Claudio Castagnoli.

Castagnoli, one half of the ROH tag team “The Kings of Wrestling” (along with Chris Hero), has reported to WWE developmental and will be known as “Antonio Cesaro.”

Cesaro has already changed his Twitter account to reflect his new name (@AntonioCesaro) and his Twitter account description reads:

“The official twitter of Very European Antonio Cesaro. Swiss world traveler, FCW Superstar and coffee connoisseur. Universal European Uppercut Master”

At this time, there’s no word on the WWE status of Chris Hero. Both men impressed WWE officials during their tryouts and the most recent talk was that they’d be brought in together as a tag team.

Back in July, Cesaro was interviewed by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas for the Right After Wrestling radio show and had this to say about going to WWE without his ROH tag team partner Chris Hero:

“I think I would prefer to go as a package with Chris Hero. But I would be comfortable working there on my own. We have a the unique ability to perform in a singles environment and in a tag environment. I think we definitely have very good chemistry and we have greater potential as a team.”

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending September 4th 2011

2011-09-13T08:13:00.000+01:00

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending September 4th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2102)	180,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	153,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2200)	72,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 119,000
5	WWE LATE NIGHT SUPERSTARS (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 2301)	38,000
6	WWE LATE NIGHT BOTTOM LINE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2202)	35,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland. The show garnered 180,000 viewers (down 14,000 viewers from last week) for the Sunday September 4th episode (Originally aired Thursday Sep 1st on Spike in the USA) which saw IMPACT Wrestling on the road in Huntsville, AL and a show headlined by a huge Sting vs. Kurt Angle World Heavyweight Title match.

WWE RAW rebounded from last weeks big viewership drop, drawing 153,000 viewers (up 52,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 29th "RAW Supershow" episode which featured John Cena & Sheamus vs. Christian and Mark Henry as well as the revelation that Triple H would face CM Punk at the Night of Champions PPV.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 72,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday September 2nd edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Christian Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Title.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 26
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Breaking News: Jeff Hardy Headed to Jail

2011-09-08T20:22:00.001+01:00

Photo Courtesy TNA Wrestling / Lee South Photography

After numerous continuances, Jeff Hardy was in court today and pled guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver a controlled substance and a single count of conspiracy to traffic in a substance containing opium, all felonies, pending from his September 11, 2009 arrest.

Hardy was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 30 months of probation and a $100,000 fine as a part of a plea deal that was reached. All other counts that were against Hardy were dropped, again due to the plea agreement reached.

Hardy’s lawyer requested that Jeff be allowed to travel outside of North Carolina to work for TNA, and the request was granted.

To recap:

Hardy will serve 10 days in jail and will pay a $100,000 fine.
Hardy will then serve 30 months of probation. If Hardy violates probation, he’ll likely be sent to jail.
No details yet as to when he’ll start his 10 day sentence.
Hardy has agreed to remain in a drug abuse treatment program.
Jeff requested that he be allowed to travel outside North Carolina so he can continue working for TNA. That request was granted.
Jeff Hardy returns to TNA IMPACT Wrestling tonight on Spike TV in the United States. This episode will be broadcast in the UK & Ireland this Sunday at 9pm on Challenge.

TNA Xplosion - September 7th 2011: Mark Haskins vs. Brian Kendrick

2011-09-08T20:21:00.000+01:00

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 28th 2011

2011-09-07T10:44:00.000+01:00

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	209,000
2	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2100)	194,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	101,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2100)	97,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 160,000
6	WWE AFTERBURN (Wed, Sky Sports 4, 1800)	19,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland but garners more viewers this week than WWE RAW and Smackdown combined! The show garnered 209,000 viewers (down 9,000 viewers from last week) for the Tuesday August 23rd episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 18th on Spike in the USA) headlined by Mexican America's World Tag-Team title victory over Beer Money.

IMPACT Wrestling also debuted in it's new Sunday night at 9pm slot with the Sunday August 28th episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 25th on Spike in the USA) headlined by a hotly anticipated Crimson vs. Kurt Angle main event. The show garnered 197,000 viewers on the night, which despite being down is a very impressive showing given the move to a new timeslot which naturally usually sees a slight drop in viewership initially.

WWE RAW drew 101,000 viewers (down a whopping 35,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 22nd episode which featured John Cena defeating CM Punk to become Number 1 contender in the main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 97,000 viewers (down 23,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday August 26th edition which saw Bret Hart as GM for the night and Sheamus defeat Mark Henry in the main event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 25
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of September 6th 2011

2011-09-06T22:21:00.001+01:00

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following a Super edition of Smackdown, a thrilling IMPACT Wrestling on the Road and a very exciting RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

The Top 10 rankings are based on television and Pay-Per View win-loss records over the course of the month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or team. All other rankings are based on the official current positions of challengers to the Top Title in each category (I.E. Should a wrestler win a number 1 contenders match, he will automatically be afforded that ranking regardless of current win-loss record).

Ray’s ‘Rasslin’ Rankings – As of September 6th 2011:

Well that’s all for this week folks, if you have any comments or questions pertaining to the rankings, feel free to drop me a line at raymullan@gmail.com, my blog "The Daily Dropkick" or alternatively you can tweet me via @RayMullan. Thanks for reading, see you next week!

Thoughts on IMPACT Wrestling: Aired Sep 1st (USA) / Sep 4th (UK) 2011

2011-09-05T11:00:00.000+01:00

Photo Courtesy ImpactWrestling.com

What a difference a live crowd makes huh? Credit to the Huntsville crowd who were loud all night. The show, the very impressive set and the crowd moise made TNA look big time. It was also interesting to gauge the crowd reactions for many of the roster in comparison with the IMPACT Zone. By and large the crowd reactions were as desired by creative, with Hogan and Angle getting roundly booed as opposed to the mixture of boo's and cheer's in the IMPACT Zone where some fans let their respect for Kurt Angle's abilities get in the way of booing him, which as a Heel at the moment is what I'm assuming he'd like to be hearing.

The opening promo from Hogan, Angle and Sting was tremendous and has really got me chomping at the bit for Hogan vs. Sting at Bound For Glory. I know both guys are older now, I know both guys perhaps won't have the kind of match they could 10 years ago but come on, surely there's others like me who will enjoy the spectacle of two of the all time greats going at it one last time? And you never know...they just might surprise us!
Also interesting to note the mention that Flair vs. Sting will take place on the September 5th edition of IMPACT Wrestling. Many will question why TNA haven't kept this one for the No Surrender Pay-Per View. Yes, this is a match many are looking forward to but those same fans are also criticising TNA for letting nostalgia acts get in the way of pushing the younger stars. Remember that No Surrender features the battles of the Final Four participants in the Bound For Glory series, the focus is and rightly should be on these four men and their match-ups, Sting/Flair would likely overshadow this and is best kept for an episode of IMPACT which hopefully will garner a good rating to boot. Good call by TNA Wrestling here in my opinion.
On the subject of Pay-Per Views - let's face it the Pay-Per View industry is dying, certainly in wrestling's case. It's time to either cut the number to four pay-per views a year and reserve a spot for an extended live special of Impact every other month or simply look to find a new medium of broadcast i.e. Itunes, IPPV etc. which is surely where the next battle ground will be.
Rob Van Dam vs. Gunner was a decent bout, with some clumsy spots but a nice surprise finish. I don't think many expected Gunner to go over, so this was a welcome surprise and Jerry Lynn finally revealed his true intentions by costing RVD the match, anything that results in these two squaring off again is good news in my opinion.
Samoa Joe's attempted interference and subsequent exchanges with Matt Morgan through the night were great stuff, very intense and reminded me why Samoa Joe can still be a big player in this business. I had assumed that Joe's attacks would in the end propel him into the final four, obvious creative have something else up their sleeves, interesting to see where this is all heading to.
Regarding the Bound For Glory Series Final Four, with Gunner, Bully Ray, James Storm and Bobby Roode all in the mix, my pick will be Roode vs. Storm in the final with Roode ultimately winning the tournament and the World Heavyweight Title at Bound For Glory in October.
The build and reveal for the Knockouts VP was sublime and there could be no better choice than Karen Jarrett. She will make the knockout's lives hell in a very entertaining way and we can always expect great dialogue from Karen, one of the best female talkers in the business right now in my opinion.
I just love how Brian Kendrick's "Wizard of Odd" character has developed over the past few months. His title reign has been great, and the focus on the X-Division, coupled with the many new names that now make weekly appearances has really freshened up the product. They've been making Jesse Sorensen look like a million bucks in recent weeks as the upstart rookie and I think everyone will agree he has all the tools to make it big. However he does need some mic time and more character development but I guess that will come with time.
Mickie James vs. Winter for the Knockouts title was a surprisingly clumsy match with a lot of missed spots, unusual for these two as they are impeccable workers, but I guess even the best can have bad nights. Great to see Mickie James get the title back and the crowd seemed happy with this development, hopefully this is the beginning of a run up to the Mickie vs. Velvet money match at Bound For Glory.
The preview for Jeff Hardy's return was very well recieved in my household. My son has not been into wrestling as much since his hero's departure but is very excited to see him return. I think they've done the right thing in addressing Victory Road and having Hardy return as a face (at least that's how it looks given Hogan and Angle's reactions...). Hardy has the potential to turn this into one of the greatest comebacks of all time, he's incredibly charismatic, very talented and has a cult following. If Hardy's on his game he will mean big business for TNA.
I enjoyed AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels tonight much more than their Destination X encounter. That could be because I, like many wrestling fans today, am no longer accustomed to hour long matches. But I did feel tonight's bout was much more action packed and fast paced and the ending was a bit of a surprise. I'm guessing AJ will now begin to chase Daniels who will let the win go to his head.
The main event between Sting and Kurt Angle was very good, even though the ending was somewhat predictable. I really enjoyed seeing Sting no sell the chair shot from Hogan etc. it brought back memories of the "Crow" Sting back in WCW when he would come out and take on the nWo single handedly most nights. Great reaction from the crowd throughout and Anderson's save with the baseball bat was exciting, though they should have saved his return until this show rather than last week in my opinion as it took the edge off of it a little.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable show and a success presentation and entertainment wise, if not financially. Spike is footing the bill for IMPACT Wrestling on the road and given that the show was the first of their recent run on the road and it featured all the top talent in Sting, Hogan, Angle etc. it won't bode well that tickets didn't sell particularly well and the rating dropped this week.

Taking the show on the road certainly makes the product look ten times better, but financially I'm not sure it's viable. I guess this is only one stop and by next week things might look a lot different but I fear a permanent move to IMPACT "on the road" will upset talent with added travel, increase expenses and negatively affect the Live event business in those markets with fans waiting out for IMPACT rather than House Shows. It might be a better idea to keep IMPACT tapings at the IMPACT Zone and take the Pay-Per Views on the road. But that's just my two cents on the matter.

TNA Xplosion - August 31st 2011: Abyss vs. Kazarian

2011-09-01T19:25:00.000+01:00

TNA Spin Cycle with Jeremy Borash, Bobby Roode, Matt Morgan, Rosita and SoCal Val

2011-09-01T19:19:00.001+01:00

TNA Tag-Team heading to WWE?

2011-08-31T21:24:00.000+01:00

There is currently some chatter regarding TNA Tag-Team Ink Inc. making an attempt to move to the WWE in the near future. Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore were supposedly scheduled to make their on-screen return at the Huntsville Tapings but their return was pushed back, not for the first time, causing both members to be upset. Shannon Moore's wife currently works for WWE and he believes he and Jesse could get a tryout.

Personnally I would hate to see the duo move and from what I've heard TNA have Ink Inc. in their plans going forward and the delay was to benefit those plans, put this down to rumour for now. More to come on this...

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 21st 2011

2011-08-30T22:29:00.001+01:00

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2201)	218,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	136,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2200)	120,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 136,000
5	WWE AFTERBURN (Sun, Sky Sport 3, 1900)	54,000
6	WWE VINTAGE COLLECTION (Sun, Sky Sport 3, 1800)	31,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, a position it has held now for 20 consecutive weeks. The show garnered 218,000 viewers (down 23,000 viewers [9.5%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 16th episode (Originally aired Aug 11th on Spike in the USA) headlined by a four way bout pitting Crimson against Scott Steiner, Gunner and Bully Ray of Immortal and the subsequent post-match attack on Crimson from Kurt Angle.

WWE RAW drew 136,000 viewers (up 7,000 viewers [5.4%] from last week) for it's Monday August 15th episode which featured an Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 120,000 viewers (up 19,000 viewers [18.8%] from last week, ending a two week ratings slide.) for the Friday August 12th edition which saw Mark Henry win a 20-Man Battle Royal to become Number 1 contender to the World Title.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 24
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 30th 2011

2011-08-30T21:28:00.001+01:00

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following thrilling episodes of IMPACT Wrestling, Smackdown and RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

The Top 10 rankings are based on television and Pay-Per View win-loss records over the course of the month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or team. All other rankings are based on the official current positions of challengers to the Top Title in each category (I.E. Should a wrestler win a number 1 contenders match, he will automatically be afforded that ranking regardless of current win-loss record).

Ray’s ‘Rasslin’ Rankings – As of August 30th 2011:

WWE & TNA News: Original Sin Cara fired?, Foley-WWE, Chavo-TNA, Mysterio Injury Update and More

2011-08-29T00:37:00.000+01:00

Photo Courtesy WWE.com

– Mistico (the original Sin Cara) has not been released by WWE. While WWE Developmental Talent Hunicio worked under the hood for TV this week, Mistico worked the gimmick at the house shows. Word is that creative is in a state of confusion, but as of right now, Hunico is Sin Cara going forward.

– Mick Foley posted a blog regarding his experience at the “Gathering of the Juggalos” earlier this month and addressing rumors of a potential return to WWE.

“As I mentioned, there’s this rumor out there that I might be returning to WWE sometime soon, and if the rumor proves to be true, my chances of returning to this one-of-a-kind atmosphere in 2012 will be dramatically reduced,” Foley wrote.

- Chavo Guerrero did an interview with Monday Night Mayhem this past week and spoke briefly about TNA:

"TNA is also a huge up-and-coming company that you want to see succeed. Not only is my uncle Hector there, but the X-Division there is tremendous. You have Kurt Angle there, one of the best wrestlers of all-time. They have some great talent, and there's such big potential there to really do good."

– As many of you know by now, Rey Mysterio underwent surgery Friday after sustaining an injury to his knee. The procedure included a repair to two major ligaments in his knee and bone spurs removed.

Mysterio wrote Saturday night on Twitter: “Pain comes & goes but coping through it! Had acl, pcl, & bone spurs removed! Never felt pain like this one! All good though thx to y’all!619″
He blew out his knee while attempting a baseball slide during a match against Alberto Del Rio on the August 15 episode of RAW. There is talk that he may not be able to return to action until WrestleMania XXVIII.

What happened @TNA Xplosion - August 24th 2011

2011-08-25T21:34:00.001+01:00

The following article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Ray Mullan reporting for 1Wrestling.com. This week on TNA Xplosion, the Xplosion Championship Challenge heats up as we reach the final. The British Invasion’s Magnus, goes head to head with Alex Shelley for a guaranteed shot at a championship of their choice. Find out what went down and much more…

Before we kick off the action, let’s take a look at where we are in the tournament bracket:

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Round 1:
“The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero def. Suicide
Crimson def. Robbie E
Devon def. Anarquia
Douglas Williams def. Amazing Red
Magnus def. Orlando Jordan
Alex Shelley def. Okada
Shannon Moore def. Jeremy Buck
Hernandez def. Max Buck

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Quarter Finals:
Alex Shelley def. “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero
Magnus def. Shannon Moore
Crimson vs. Devon (Double Countout – Both men eliminated)
Douglas Williams def. Hernandez

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Semi Finals:
Magnus recieves a bye to the final
Alex Shelley Def Douglas Williams or Hernandez

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Final:
Magnus vs. Alex Shelley

We open with the Xplosion promo video and “Welcome to the gun show” by In this Moment . We cut to crowd shots and we join JB and the "Human Suplex Machine" Taz at the announce booth to take us through what’s in store this evening. The big news of course is that the Xplosion Championship Challenge final is tonight, better yet its now! The announcers hand over to SoCal Val for the ring introductions.

Match 1: Magnus w/Douglas Williams vs. Alex Shelley
Really liking the new British Invasion theme tune, very "London Punk Scene" sound to it. As much as I like Alex Shelley, your 1Wrestling.com Xplosion correspondent will be decidely biased tonight in favour of my home boy Magnus. Good response from the crowd tonight, their looking forward to this one.

Jackson James is the official for tonight’s bout. Lock up to start and Magnus uses that height and weight advantage to just toss Shelley across the ring. Armbar from Magnus. Spinning reversal into a drop toe hold from Shelley, very smooth. Some good mat wrestling from these two tonight. USA Chants breaking out right now, I guess we know where the IMPACT Zone's loyalties are this evening. JB informs us Magnus believes he is the greatest wrestler to come out of Great Britain - Magnus my friend, your great but you've a long way to go before you touch the one and only Dynamite Kid Tom Billington. Still, got to love the outright cockiness of Magnus. Speaking of whom, he just drops Shelley like nobody's business with a powerful shoulder block. Misses and elbow drop, rollup from Shelley for a two count. Spin kick from Alex, but his sliced bread attempt is reversed. Stuns Magnus over the ropes as Doug Williams looks on menacingly. "You can never trust a man in a vest"...wise words Taz, wise words. Shelley attempts a monkey flip, but Magnus showing his great agility and lands on his feet and knocks Shelley for six with a big boot.

Back from the break as Magnus continues to work over Alex Shelley. Shelley begins a fight back with some vicious rights and lefts and lays in that boot to Magnus' skull. Covers but only gets a two count. Crowd getting behind Shelley as he takes it high risk and heads to the top. Goes for a splash but Magnus manages to get his knees up, ouch that looked sore. DDT from Magnus, but only two from Jackson James. Magnus over the top rope to outside as he misses a clothesline, and Shelley follows up with a plancha to the outside which connects! That was impressive folks!

Back in the ring goes Magnus, but Douglas Williams attempts a sneak attack on Shelley, but is repelled with a sliced bread on the FLOOR! WOW! Shelley heads back into the ring and climbs the turnbuckle. Misses the stop and Magnus hits the Mag Daddy Driver for the 1...2...3! YES! Magnus is the Xplosion Championship Challenge Winner!
Winner: Magnus

Great match and a great way to close out the tournament. JB informs us that Magnus is planning a victory parade in his home town of Kings Lynn, England - where's my invite? We'll find out soon which title shot Magnus will select, but judging by his post match smack talking towards Mexican America, I suspect the British Invasion are about to get a shot at Tag-Team gold.

Back from the break and we are treated to a very cool TNA No Surrender promo video.

Back to the studio and it’s time for a very special "social media" edition of the TNA Spin Cycle with Jeremy Borash. This week’s guests are Austin Aries, ODB, Magnus and Robbie E. The panel discuss how facebook, twitter et al have changed their lives, their "porn names" and Austin Aries' akward T-Shirt. You can see a full video of the segment here.

We cut to footage of Eric Young as he goes to Hollywood to become a star and track down Scott Baio for a TV Title defense. We see what happens as Eric takes acting lessons. If you haven't seen it yet, here's the full segment courtesy of IMPACT Wrestling's official Youtube channel.

Next up, it's "TNA Underground" as we take a look back at classic matches from TNA's formative years in the Asylum. This week features some legendary names as Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, Low Ki and Vince Russo take on Jeff Jarrett, Dusty Rhodes and the RoadWarriors! Interesting that the RoadWarriors used Abyss' old theme, easy to forget that some of these names graced TNA rings not so long ago - I used to love the weekly Pay-Per Views, they always had surprise appearances like this. Overall the match was surprisingly good given the ages and physical conditions of some of the combatants. In the end it was Russo's Sports Entertainment Xtreme team that got the victory following interference from Mr. Wrestling IV who revealed himself to be none other than the "Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, cool moment.

And finally we close out the show with a special look at TNA's upcoming Pay-Per View "No Surrender" in a Before the Bell special.

Well folks that’s all for this week. As ever, if you have any questions, comments or feedback concerning this report, feel free to drop me a line at my blog The Daily Dropkick, E-Mail me at raymullan@gmail.com or tweet me at @raymullan.

TNA Xplosion - August 24th 2011: Magnus vs. Alex Shelley

2011-08-25T21:19:00.000+01:00

TNA Spin Cycle with Jeremy Borash, Austin Aries, ODB, Magnus and Robbie E

2011-08-25T21:13:00.001+01:00

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of August 23rd 2011

2011-08-23T22:05:00.001+01:00

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following thrilling episodes of IMPACT Wrestling, Smackdown and RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...

The Top 10 rankings are based on television and Pay-Per View win-loss records over the course of the month, quality of opposition, and inherent skill of each wrestler or team. All other rankings are based on the official current positions of challengers to the Top Title in each category (I.E. Should a wrestler win a number 1 contenders match, he will automatically be afforded that ranking regardless of current win-loss record).

Ray’s ‘Rasslin’ Rankings – As of August 23rd 2011:

[Spoiler] Jeff Hardy's Return Revealed!

2011-08-23T08:40:00.001+01:00

Photo Courtesy IMPACT Wrestling/Lee South Photography

A word of warning, the following article contains spoilers for upcoming episodes of TNA Programming and Pay-Per Views, should you not wish to spoil any surprises I suggest you give this article a miss. Otherwise, read on.

Photo Courtesy Impact Wrestling/Lee South

The "Charismatic Enigma" is on his way back to IMPACT Wrestling!

Jeff Hardy will be making his return to action this Thursday at IMPACT Wrestling's huge Television taping at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Hardy confirmed this via his twitter account, stating:

"Ok it's official...time to go back2work!I will be in Huntsville,AL this Thursday with ImpactWrestling!!!!"

At this stage there is no word on what exactly Hardy's involvement will be at the show, but many suspect him to return as a babyface aligned with Sting and against Hulk Hogan and his former Immortal brethren.

IMPACT Wrestling are taping two episodes in Huntsville, AL which will be broadcast in the US on Spike on Thursday 1st & 8th September and on Challenge in the UK and Ireland on Sunday the 4th & 11th. There's already a huge buzz around the show and this only adds to it, these will be two "must see" episodes.

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 14th 2011

2011-08-22T21:26:00.001+01:00

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	241,000
2	TNA HARDCORE JUSTICE PPV (Wed, Challenge, 2201)	214,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sport 3, 2600)	129,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2233)	101,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 177,000
6	WWE EXPERIENCE (Sun, Sky Sports 4, 1730)	25,000

Despite a drop from last week's all time high viewership record, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland, but once again outdraws the competition with more viewers than WWE Raw and Smackdown COMBINED. The show garnered 241,000 viewers (down 56,000 viewers [18.9%] from last week) for the Tuesday August 9th episode headlined by an RVD/Crimson vs. Scott Steiner/Gunner main event and the contract signing for Kurt Angle vs. Sting at Hardcore Justice.

Speaking of the Pay-Per View, TNA Hardcore Justice, which featured a highly anticipated World Title bout between Sting and Kurt Angle, garnered 214,000 viewers for it's airing on Wednesday the 10th. This was a rise of 34,000 viewers [18.9%] from last months pay-per view, TNA Destination X and up 10,000 viewers from the previous most watched pay-per view - Sacrifice. This means Hardcore Justice becomes the most watched TNA pay-per view event ever broadcast on UK television.

WWE RAW drew 129,000 viewers, equalling last weeks numbers, for it's Monday August 8th episode which featured the CM Punk/John Cena contract signing for their Summerslam bout as well as an R-Truth vs. John Morrison main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 101,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers [19.8%] from last week and the second consecutive ratings drop for the show.) for the Friday August 12th edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Great Khali Main Event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 23
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

IMPACT Wrestling celebrates record ratings with move to Sunday nights on Challenge!

2011-08-22T16:16:00.003+01:00

In a press release issued today, it has been confirmed that IMPACT Wrestling will now be broadcast on Sunday nights in the UK and Ireland after winning record ratings on Challenge TV.

The show – which features Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, AJ Styles, Mr. Anderson, the TNA Knockouts and many other huge wrestling stars – will now air every Sunday night at the earlier time of 9:00pm starting this Sunday, August 28.

A repeat of the episode will then be shown every Tuesday at 10pm in Impact Wrestling’s current slot.

The move to an earlier day in the week is due to fan feedback, with British and Irish fans using social media to request transmission closer to the US airing of Thursday nights. This means only a three day wait for viewers in the UK and Ireland, with the show airing the same week as in the United States and ensuring fans are bang up to date with events state-side.

The move can also been seen as recognition from Sky of the superb ratings IMPACT WRESTLING has received since starting on Challenge in February. In the last six months, the programme has doubled its audience, in some weeks drawing more viewers than the WWE's flagship shows RAW and Smackdown combined and has become the most watched weekly wrestling show on British television of the last 10 years.

Companion show TNA Xplosion recently moved to a prime time slot on Challenge and is broadcast every Wednesday night at 10pm. IMPACT WRESTLING’s monthly PPV events will also continue to go out on a Wednesday night at 10pm, with Xplosion moving to midnight on Tuesday on those weeks.

Challenge is part of Sky TV and can be found on Sky channel 125, Freeview channel 46 and Virgin Media channel 139.

Andy Barton, IMPACT WRESTLING’s Executive Vice President, said: “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve been enjoying in the UK and were determined to reward the fans by giving them exactly what they’ve been asking for – IMPACT WRESTLING earlier in the week.”

“Sunday nights will never be the same again!”

Barbara Gibbon, Sky’s Director of Production for Sky Entertainment Channels, added: “We are delighted to be working with IMPACT WRESTLING at this exciting time.”

“British and Irish fans are among the most ardent in the world – and we are thrilled to be able to bring them all the latest action on Challenge.”

Ray Mullan is a contributing writer at 1Wrestling.com and a number of other online wrestling media, you can find his work via his blog at http://dailydropkick.blogspot.com.

IMPACT WRESTLING will be touring the UK in January 2012 with shows in Nottingham, Manchester and London. To buy tickets go to www.gigsandtours.com.

Thoughts on IMPACT Wrestling: August 18th 2011

2011-08-21T19:13:00.001+01:00

Photo Courtesy IMPACTWrestling.com

I thought I would give my two cents regarding the events on this weeks episode of IMPACT Wrestling. Going into the show we were promised a main event calibre match-up between A.J. Styles and Rob Van Dam, a response from Crimson regarding his attack at the hands of Kurt Angle last week, an X-Division Gauntlet, a Tag-Team Title bout between Beer Money and Mexican America and a surprise return. All in all the show was one I couldn't wait to see which was exactly why I caught the Spike TV airing rather than wait for the UK broadcast on Challenge this Tuesday. So a word of warning for my readers in the UK and Ireland, this will be full of spoilers so if you haven't seen the show yet, I'd recommend giving this article a miss until Tuesday night after Impact.

When you heard that Ric Flair and Sting will be squaring off, many of you were likely checking your calenders just to make sure it was still 2011 and you hadn't somehow travelled back to the nineties. Personally, I think Flair's return was a welcome sight and he was simply hilarious on tonight's show. As a former WCW fan and a huge fan of both Sting and Flair, I'm more than looking forward to the prospect of a rematch between the two. Ric Flair vs. Sting defined WCW for me and the chance to see them go at it one last time is exciting. However that's where it ends, it's nothing more than a nostalgia moment, the real focus is and rightly will be on the Bound For Glory series, where something BIG is about to go down, I can just sense it.

Speaking of the Bound For Glory series, we had two contrasting matches this week. The first of which saw Scott Steiner defeat Devon in under a minute. Not exactly a way to make the series feel important, but the post-match attack from Samoa Joe was what really matters. Joe has gone off the handle and looks like a complete monster at the moment, THIS is the Samoa Joe the fans want to see, so kudos to TNA creative on this one, I'm very intrigued to see where this goes. Joe has injured Devon, removing him from the tournament. Could Joe's plan be to injure everyone in the series so that only he is left come Bound For Glory? Interesting concept...

On the flipside of Steiner vs. Devon, the other BFG series match was a real treat. It's crazy to think that little over a year ago, A.J. Styles vs. Rob Van Dam was a main event feud that headlined a huge epiosde of iMPACT! and the Sacrifice PPV, but has now been reduced to a Semi-Main attraction on free televison. Both these men are reliable guys, with established following and can WORK in the ring like few others, why they aren't the main focus of the power struggle storyline is beyond me.Given RVD's title loss thanks to Immortal hospitalising him and Styles pretty much being the franchise player for TNA, it would make sense for either to be the Hero at Bound For Glory.

Personally I'd have Sting try and ultimately fail to save the company. I'd have Sting then take the ear of either RVD or Styles, admit that time has maybe past him by and have Sting attempt to build one of them to be the guy to save the day. But on the other side of the coin, I'd have Hogan chipping in at Styles or RVD to join Immortal, it would be Hogan's "End justifies the means" attitude vs. the "With great power comes great responsiblity" mantra of Sting - a morality tale at it's best! Of course Styles/RVD would eventually side with Sting and save the day, perhaps in a winner takes all battle with Angle at Bound For Glory.

Anyway, getting back to the current storyline. RVD is disqualified again thanks to interference from Jerry Lynn, losing him a further 7 points and realistically taking him out of the running in the BFG Series. I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Lynn seems to be either deliberately screwing over RVD or is just a huge idiot but if I get to see a rematch between these two talented individuals then I'm all for it.

The match of the night had to be the X-Division Gauntlet. I'm very happy to see the division finally getting the focus back on it and this match was the sort that could be a huge attraction to the company. This is the sort of match a fan shows their "casual wrestling viewer" friend in attempt to hopefully draw them into watching the product.

The match had unpredictability, excitement and suspense. Jesse Sorensen really stood out and it looks like the company has big plans for him. I liked the resiliance he showed when Aries attempted to waltz in and pick off the pieces that were left in the end. Aries was again stellar, it's been a long road back to TNA for this guy and it appears he's finally being given an opportunity to showcase his great skills on a international stage. The next step is for Aries to take the title from Kendrick, a move that I envision happening over the next month or so.

Interesting to see Traci Brooks attempting to woo Bischoff into re-instating her as Knockouts Law. I like that Brooks is being returned to an onscreen role and that TNA are acknowledging their history, Brooks should be billed as the "Original Knockout" much like Trish Stratus has been billed as the "Original Diva". Given that Traci has been acknowledged on screen as Kazarian's other half, I suspect this is going to be part of a master plan from Fortune.

ODB vs. Mickie James was a solid match. ODB really adds a whole new dynamic to every match she's in. She's so much bigger and physically imposing than the other Knockouts that no matter who she's in there with it feels like an almost David vs. Goliath match-up, making the victory that much bigger for those that can pull it off. I'm really enjoying ODB and Jackie's attempts at being good to get a contract but suspect this will blow up spectacularly in the coming weeks.

I've been a huge advocate for Crimsons push of late and was even more impressed this week following an intense exchange with Kurt Angle in the ring. Crimson spoke well and by standing up to the company's most lethal man in Kurt Angle he looked even more of a bad ass tonight. I for one am looking forward to their match-up next week, though I would much rather have seen this on Pay-Per View as given the right build and with the added dynamic of the undefeated streak, this is a match I think people would pay to see.

Many were disappointed with Beer Money dropping the titles to Mexican America tonight, I was not one of those people. Beer Money are at their peak with regards to popularity and Bobby Roode has all the tools to make it in this business as a Main Event player, if TNA don't try it now they may never get another chance. Beer Money don't have to split and Roode can always go back to tagging should the push not work out. Strike whilst the iron is hot.

I'm also excited as Mexican America were the Team to get the belts. This team draws legitimate heat from both American's and Hispanics alike - not to mention Europeans if you think back to their breif feud with the British Invasion. A few months back I suggested on twitter that Jarrett should return from Mexico with some Mexican wrestlers and together with Mexican America should attempt to take over TNA, I was greeted with mostly positive responses from fellow tweeters. So to say I was excited about Jarrett's alliance with Mexican America this week would be an understatement. I said it before and I'll say it again, Jeff Jarrett is thee most entertaining man on the roster right now. His attempts at portraying himself as a Mexican Wrestling Legend are hilarious and given the fact that NONE of the Mexican America members are actually Mexican, we could be on the verge of seeing a classic feud with the Guerrero's should TNA's rumoured interest in Chavo Guerrero turn into a contract offer. Either way, this storyline has got legs and I for one am excited to see where it leads.

TNA Wrestling confirms Matt Hardy's firing

2011-08-21T15:35:00.001+01:00

TNA Wrestling announced Saturday on their official website that Matt Hardy has been released from its roster.

Their statement reads: “TNA today released IMPACT WRESTLING star Matt Hardy from its roster. Hardy was already under suspension from the company.”

His bio was also removed from the website’s roster page.

According to a source, company president Dixie Carter made the decision to terminate Hardy’s contract following his arrest earlier in the day in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated.

Personally, I'm a little disappointed as my son and I are both huge fans of the Hardy's and based on my own experience of meeting them last year, both men are top guys. I was particularly looking forward to a potential face return of the Hardy's and feel there is a ton of great potential storylines there. However I guess this puts an end to all that and probably now means Jeff will return to the WWE down the road. There's no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated, Hardy was already under suspension and TNA have already had enough bad press this year, Dixie was left with no choice and I don't think there's another promoter out there that wouldn't have done the same thing. I should have more on this as it breaks.

What happened @TNA Xplosion - August 17th 2011

2011-08-18T21:20:00.001+01:00

The following article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Ray Mullan reporting for 1Wrestling.com. This week on TNA Xplosion, the Xplosion Championship Challenge heats up as we reach the final match of the Semi Finals. The British Invasion’s Douglas Williams, goes head to head with Alex Shelley for a place in the Final, find out what went down and much more…

Before we kick off the action, let’s take a look at where we are in the tournament bracket:

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Round 1:

“The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero def. Suicide

Crimson def. Robbie E

Devon def. Anarquia

Douglas Williams def. Amazing Red

Magnus def. Orlando Jordan

Alex Shelley def. Okada

Shannon Moore def. Jeremy Buck

Hernandez def. Max Buck

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Quarter Finals:

Alex Shelley def. “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero

Magnus def. Shannon Moore

Crimson vs. Devon (Double Countout – Both men eliminated)

Douglas Williams def. Hernandez

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Semi Finals:

Magnus recieves a bye to the final

Alex Shelley vs. Douglas Williams or Hernandez

Xplosion Championship Challenge – Final:

Magnus vs. TDB

We open with the Xplosion promo video and “Welcome to the gun show” by In this Moment . We cut to crowd shots and we join JB and Taz at the announce booth to take us through what’s in store this evening. We kick off with a bang this week as we jump straight to the action with this weeks Xplosion Exclusive matchup. The announcers hand over to SoCal Val for the ring introductions.

Match 1: Douglas Williams vs. Alex Shelley
Great new theme tune for the British Invasion tonight. Magnus joins JB and Taz on commentary for this one. Magnus is rooting for Williams of course but is looking forward to what he describes as a match between two of the finest technical wrestlers around. Amen to that!

Jackson James is the official for tonight’s bout. Divided crowd here tonight, with duelling chants for both men. Lock-up to start. Taz mentions Shelley's "skunk like" hair cut, the man has a point. Takedown from Shelley, applies an ankle lock variation. Doug Williams with an unreal reveral! Spins over pushes Shelleys arms to the ground with his legs and applies a side headlock, WOW! That has to be seen to be believed. These two begin trading reversals at a frantic pace. Floatover attempt from Shelley, into a pinfall attempt from Shelley, but only gets a two count. Magnus is apparently thinking about going for the Tag-Team titles should he win the Xplosion Championship Challenge, he still harbours ill feeling towards Mexican America it seems. Doug bending Shelley over his knees in a painful looking backbreaker variation, oh but Shelley spins out and covers Doug, but again only gets two. Shelley sidesteps a charge from Williams, sending him crashing through the ropes to the floor.Shelley jumps over the top rope to the apron but Williams dives back into the ring, attempts to club Shelley round the head but it's blocked and Shelley drives Williams head first into the corner. Shelley to the top! He drives a knee right across the throat of Williams. Crucifix pin attempt but again only a two for an increasingly frustrated Shelley.

Back from the break and Shelley has his knee dug into Williams is back but a submission is not forthcoming. Doug gets out driving Shelley to the corner post and follows up with a flying clothesline from the top turnbuckle. Both men down as the crowd stomps in unison, and they slowly rise back to their feet here. They begin trading blows. Shelley comes of the ropes and is met by a series of big uppercuts from Williams.Gut wrench suplex, cover and a two only. Williams sizing up Shelley here for that Chaos Theory...but no it's reversed into a pin by Shelley, 1...2...Oh so close! And Williams somehow locks in a reverse surfboard! This match has been a wrestling clinic folks, great stuff.

Back to their feet and Shelley with a spin kick to the head of Williams, taking him off his feet. Sliced bread attempt here, but its reversed. Shelley sidesteps Williams and heads out to the apron, attempts a spingboard but is met with a vicious uppercut sending him crashing to the floor outside. To quote Joe Styles - "OH MY GOD!", suicide dive to the outside from Williams connects and sends Shelley careening into the guard rail. Both men make their way back into the ring, Williams is heading to the top rope as Shelley is still sat on the mat. Out of nowhere Shelley connects with an audible kick to head with Williams still at the top turnbuckle! Shelley looking for a superplex only to be thrown off by Williams, who then lands a perfect knee drop! Magnus informs us it's referred to as the "Bombscare Kneedrop". 1...2...NO! I thought he had him there, this is great! Rolling Chaos attempt, reversed into sliced bread attempt but that is reversed too. Kick to the gut as Shelley goes back to the well and another Sliced bread attempt, this one connects and this one is done! Shelley is your winner and faces Magnus next week in the Xplosion Championship Challenge final. Another great match-up this week, a really enjoyable old fashioned Pro Wrestling match.
Winner: Alex Shelley

Back to the studio and it’s time for the latest edition of the TNA Spin Cycle with Jeremy Borash. This week’s guests are Austin Aries, ODB, Magnus and Robbie E. The panel discuss the most intimidating person to be in the ring with, their favourite beverages and share some revelations. You can see a full video of the segment here.

We cut to footage of Eric Young as he goes to Hollywood to become a star and track down Scott Baio for a TV Title defense. We see Eric attempting to woo David Hasselhoff's agent with hilarious results. If you haven't seen it yet, here's the full segment courtesy of TNA Wrestling's Official Youtube Channel.

Next up, Jeremy Borash interviews "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero regarding the upcoming Maximum Impact European tour in January 2012. I used to love hearing and seeing some of the localised promos for live events etc. that promotions do for various towns and cities in the states, but we never got those over here in the UK, so this is pretty cool and pretty unique - nice to know their thinking about us. Pope promises to win the Bound For Glory Series and arrive in the UK this January as World Champion. Considering Dinero hasn't been previously advertised as part of the UK tour, I'm guessing that means we can now officially add him to the list?

We then join "The Fallen Angel" himself, Christopher Daniels at the recent San Diego Comic-Con event. Daniels interview many big names from the comic book industry, all of home seem to see similarities with wrestling and all of whom seemed to be enjoying the spectacle of the live show that TNA put on at the event. TNA setup an IMPACT Wrestling ring at the event and held a small card there for the visitors in attendance. We saw footage of Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne aswell as a superb three-way bout pitting Christopher Daniels (dressed as "Arch Angel"), Kazarian (dressed as Captain America) and Eric Young (dressed as Batman) against each other. This looked like a pretty cool event that was well recieved by those in attendance.

Next up, it's the debut of the all new "TNA Underground" segment, which will feature a classic match from TNA's formative years at the Asylum in Nashville. This week we were treated to a tag-team match-up featuring Jeff Jarrett and sworn enemy (and then NWA Heavyweight Champion) Ron "The Truth" Killings (now R-Truth in WWE) against then NWA Tag Champions Jerry Lynn and a young AJ Styles. This brought back some real memories. The match finished with a series of near falls and false finishes before Jarrett hit the stroke on Lynn as AJ hit the Spiral tap on R-Truth and both went for the pinfall at the same time. Downed referee Scott Armstrong made the count for Jarrett whilst replacement referee Rudy Charles made the count for AJ resulting in a finish of confusion as both refs tried to declare opposing teams as victors. A great match that you should checkout if your yet to see it.

With that we get the "A TNA Wrestling Production" credit and we fade out.

Well folks that’s all for this week, join me next time as Alex Shelley takes on Magnus in the Final of the Xplosion Championship challenge, with the winner earning a shot at any title they please. As ever, if you have any questions, comments or feedback concerning this report, feel free to drop me a line at my blog The Daily Dropkick, E-Mail me at raymullan@gmail.com or tweet me at @raymullan.

TNA Xplosion - August 17th 2011: Douglas Williams vs. Alex Shelley

2011-08-18T20:46:00.001+01:00