Category: Impact Wrestling

Styles? Mercedes? Who is the big signing TNA is teasing for Hard to Kill?

Whether it’s a returning legend or an incoming talent, TNA has people talking about a big signing it’s teasing for Hard to Kill.

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Most of the major signings in the U.S. pro wrestling scene over the past two years have involved the big two promotions, WWE and AEW, either signing talent from each other or inking coveted free agents from elsewhere. To start the new year, however, the third-largest company — in the midst of a rebranding meant to hearken back to its earlier days — is looking to steal some of that spotlight for itself.

In January, Impact Wrestling is kicking off its new/retro era by reviving the TNA Wrestling name in earnest at Hard to Kill in Las Vegas. And to do so, it’s touting a big signing of its own.

Company president Scott D’Amore didn’t hold back on the hype during an appearance on Busted Open Radio today, calling whoever is coming in one of “the biggest signings in TNA” (h/t Wrestling Observer for the transcript).

We’re going to have some surprises for you, some unexpected things including, guys, we are right there at the goal line of finalizing one of, I think, the biggest signings in TNA. I think it’s something that’s really going to shake things up here on January 13.

While there has been speculation about the likes of potential free agents like Kazuchika Okada — who is already slated to appear at the event — other fan theories are even more fun. For example, TNA recently signed a deal with Endeavor, the parent company of WWE, to help launch a new streaming service next month. Does that mean someone like AJ Styles, one of the most influential performers in TNA history, might be able to make an appearance?

Another popular guess is that it could be the former Sasha Banks, Mercedes Moné, who has been training for a return from injury but without a clear indication of where she’d turn up next. And it’s possible it could be another former WWE talent (say, Dolph Ziggler) as well.

Regardless, the tease has wrestling fans talking, which is exactly what TNA likely intended by putting it out there in the first place. TNA Hard to Kill 2024 will originate from Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Jan. 13.

Report: Deonna Purrazzo to explore options, will be free agent on Jan. 1

Might the Virtuosa soon be bringing her talents to WWE or AEW?

Wrestling companies looking to add more star power to their women’s divisions may soon be able to acquire the services of a Virtuosa.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required), Deonna Purrazzo will see her contract with Impact Wrestling expire at the end of the year, leaving her free to sign elsewhere on Jan. 1. Her final confirmed dates with Impact will be the upcoming Final Resolution tapings.

That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s on her way out, but it sounds as if she’ll at least consider a move.

Those that we spoke to claim that things have remained amicable between Purrazzo and IMPACT Wrestling, and that the door appears to be open to reach a deal or come back. However, as of now, the four-time world champion is set to explore her options.

The 29-year-old Purrazzo found her greatest success in Impact, winning the Konckouts World Championship three times. But she also has links to both of the top two U.S. wrestling promotions — Purrazzo worked for WWE from 2014-2020, including a stint in NXT.

She has a long history with Ring of Honor as well, both in its original incarnation and, very briefly, with the AEW-owned version as well. Purrazzo competed on the May 4, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite, where she lost the ROH Women’s World Championship to Mercedes Martinez.

With close friends Chelsea Green in WWE and Britt Baker in AEW, Purrazzo has familiar faces in both locker rooms too. Though it’s somewhat cliché to say a wrestler would be a good addition for any company, it’s really true in Purrazzo’s case. It will be interesting to see if one of the bigger promotions makes an offer she can’t refuse, or if she returns to Impact as it refocuses under the TNA name in 2024.

Report: CM Punk attended Impact Wrestling taping in Chicago

Say this about CM Punk: He isn’t acting like a person who’s done with the pro wrestling business.

It has only been about two months since CM Punk left AEW (against his will), but chatter about his pro wrestling future has not cooled down. Although rumors about his return to WWE have been debunked, fans are still speculating about a potential appearance at Survivor Series in his hometown of Chicago in November.

However, even without a company to work for, Punk is still making his presence felt behind the scenes. According to Haus of Wrestling, the former AEW World Champion attended the Impact Wrestling TV taping the day after Bound for Glory and was present in the locker room area. This was not his first time attending an Impact Wrestling taping, as he also attended one last April.

The report added that Punk spoke with anyone “who wanted to get some time with him,” including “key Impact talent.” Since he spent time backstage at a prior taping, his presence “did not faze any of the talent, as they were more used to his presence.”

It also noted speculation about Punk wrestling in the Gauntlet for the Gold since his friend, Ace Steel, served as a producer at the Impact Wrestling taping, but PWInsider said that it was quickly shut down to prevent false hope.

Basically, this is Impact Wrestling welcoming Punk to offer advice to other wrestlers. Nothing more, nothing less.

If that all sounded familiar, Punk attended the WWE Raw show in Chicago just before his AEW return earlier this year. The Impact Wrestling taping also transpired in the Windy City, but the WWE situation ended differently, as he was asked to leave the backstage area at the time.

Punk’s future will still be speculated about, whether it’s with WWE, Impact Wrestling (soon to be called TNA again) or another company. He remains one of pro wrestling’s hottest subjects, and this will continue until something definitive happens with the next stage of his career.

Mickie James explains why she feels ‘A lot of people sleep on Impact’

Mickie James pointed to the roster, the creative freedom and the storytelling as strengths of Impact Wrestling — particularly for women.

When Mickie James steps through the curtain at Bound for Glory near Chicago this weekend, she’ll truly be home again. Not in the geographical sense, mind you, as James hails from Virginia, but competing in the company that first put her on the map in its biggest show of the year — and in a first time singles match against Trinity for the Impact Knockouts World Championship she never lost.

James has reached heights few women have ever matched in pro wrestling, winning 11 world titles between WWE and Impact. At this point in her career, it’s important for her to work somewhere that is supportive of both her and women’s wrestling in general, and as she explained to Under the Ring host Phil Strum, that place is Impact.

“A lot of people sleep on Impact, and I’ve never, never understood it because I look at the roster and I look at the television product and the storylines and the different things that they do, and the packages, and I’m like, ‘this is so great.'” James said.

She added that when she parted ways with WWE in 2021, she wanted to make sure she did something for women’s wrestling. One of those projects became NWA EmPowerrr, that company’s first ever all-women’s event that featured talent from several companies.

Not only was Impact supportive of that card, but James says it has been consistently beneficial for women’s wrestling writ large.

“I feel like they’ve always done a really great job, before anyone else,” she said. “They were the first to really do an incredible job with their women, and to promote them and to give them the time that the men got. And so it felt natural for me.”

Listen to James’ full conversation with Strum above to get more insight from her on:

  • Facing Trinity for the first time one-on-one at Bound for Glory, and why Impact has been a great fit for Trinity
  • Why she feels every wrestler should have championships as their goal
  • What it was like being part of the Asylum era in TNA
  • This year’s Impact Hall of Fame class, which features Traci Brooks, Mike Tenay and Don West
  • How she feels about husband Nick Aldis becoming SmackDown General Manager in WWE

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Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk, longtime manager Father James Mitchell, and AEW star Swerve Strickland.

To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.

Tommy Dreamer on what differentiates Impact Wrestling: ‘It’s wrestlers running a wrestling company’

The ECW Original also talked about his potential final match at Victory Road and shared some great Terry Funk stories.

Tommy Dreamer knows what he likes in a pro wrestling company. And he should; along with his well-known status as an ECW Original, the New York native has wrestled in promotions large and small, worked as a producer and coach, and run his own school and promotion.

In short, he’s done everything there is to do in the business. Dreamer now finds himself staring down the potential end of his in-ring days thanks to a Title vs. Career match with Kenny King at Impact Wrestling’s Victory Road on Sept. 8 — and he vows that if he loses, this really is it for him.

Dreamer says he doesn’t need the money, and he certainly could take it easier and simply chill as a host on the insanely popular “Busted Open” show on SiriusXM. But he sees something special in Impact at this particular moment in time, as he told host Phil Strum on the Under the Ring podcast.

“You have a lot of hard-working men and women behind the scenes as well,” Dreamer said. “It’s wrestlers running a wrestling company, and it’s from different aspects of the industry. That’s a big key, because everybody’s who’s helping behind the scenes gets it. You get the wrestler’s point of view.

“You understand the trials and tribulations of travel or any other thing that pops up that a lot of people, or in a corporate world, they don’t understand those things.”

Dreamer also said he appreciates the way Impact has been continually innovative, noting that the company probably doesn’t always get mentioned enough in that vein.

“AEW has their stuff they do with the Forbidden Door, cool; Impact’s been doing it for a long, long time,” Dreamer said, mentioning the company recently bringing in Sanada and snagging Will Ospreay for Bound for Glory. “They’re willing to work with everybody.

“Another thing you say about Impact, I don’t think it’s ever gotten the credit for all the stuff that it’s done historically in professional wrestling, what they’ve done first. And there’s been a lot of firsts.”

Dreamer and Strum go back a long way, which you can tell by listening to their full conversation above. Among the topic they covered were:

  • What’s unique about the Westchester County Center, the site of Victory Road and Impact 1000 — and what the building means to Dreamer personally
  • Tommy’s mixed emotions about putting his career on the line, and the real life factors that got folded into his challenge to King
  • What Impact needs to gain more overall awareness, and the importance of strong platforms in the current era of pro wrestling
  • Many great stories about the late Terry Funk
  • How Dreamer hopes he’s remembered when he’s completely gone from the business

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included AEW’s Powerhouse Hobbs, veteran wrestler Greg Gagne, and AEW star and recent All In headliner Adam Cole (bay bay).

To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.

Eric Young says leaving WWE was the best decision ‘professionally, personally, morally’

Eric Young also explained succinctly why Impact Wrestling is the pro wrestling fan’s pro wrestling show.

When veteran pro wrestlers get a second crack in WWE, it’s often a highlight of their career. For Eric Young, it was more of a reminder that he probably was where he belonged all along.

Young had a memorable first stint in WWE as part of the Sanity stable that made a big impression in NXT. He was released in April 2020 as part of a round of budget cuts and made his way back to Impact Wrestling, where he had enjoyed previous success.

Though Young signed with WWE again in November 2022, he left the company earlier this year without ever making an appearance. A Fightful Select (subscription required) report earlier this week suggested he departed because he didn’t want to work with Vince McMahon after the longtime WWE owner looked entrenched in his return to power with the impending Endeavor to merge WWE and UFC.

As a guest on Under the Ring, Young told host Phil Strum that he still couldn’t speak in detail about what went down in his brief second WWE life, but did confirm it was his choice to leave.

“There’s lots of stories out there,” the 43-year-old Ontario native said. “Obviously, by law, I’m not allowed to really talk about it. I will say I signed up for one thing and was given the option to do something else. And I made the right decision being back with Impact, there’s no doubt about that. Professionally, personally, morally.”

While he’s back in his “home” in Impact, Young has had a long and versatile career. Listen to the entire interview above to hear him talk more about:

  • Whether Impact will address his character’s status quo after he was claimed by “the grip of death” last December
  • How he first met Impact president Scott D’Amore and started a long-lasting friendship
  • Why Impact stands out by being a professional wrestling show written for professional wrestling fans
  • What his creative process is like and how he’s been able to wear so many hats
  • Who he wants to work with now that he’s back
  • What made Team Canada work so well
  • The story behind signing his first pro wrestling contract

Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe, NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champion Madi Wrenkowski, and legendary wrestling journalist Bill Apter.

To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.

Report: Former WWE star Trinity ‘Naomi’ Fatu to debut for Impact Wrestling

This will be the first time Fatu will be working somewhere other than WWE for an extended period of time since 2009.

For pro wrestling fans wondering where Trinity “Naomi” Fatu would land after her WWE walkout, the answer may be here.

According to PWInsider Elite, Fatu will debut as a “major surprise” at Friday’s Impact Wrestling taping in Chicago, with her arrival as the start of a longer run with the company — not just a one-off appearance, though there are no exact details on the length of her Impact contract. Episodes from the event will begin to air on Thursday, May 4.

This will mark Fatu’s first wrestling appearance in nearly a year, since her departure from WWE in May 2022 while holding the women’s tag team championship with Mercedes Moné, formerly Sasha Banks, who simultaneously left the company. They walked out in protest of WWE’s booking of their team in particular and the women’s division in general.

Since walking out from WWE in May 2022, Moné has dazzled in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom, including a run with the IWGP Women’s Championship. Fatu’s status had been more under the radar since also departing WWE, however — only filing to trademark the name “Trinity Starr” and abandoning it weeks later. She also appeared backstage at Ring of Honor and NJPW events over the last few months.

Fatu reuniting with WWE once seemed likely, especially with her husband Jimmy Uso still with the company in a prominent role. Fightful even reported that a WWE source was “confident” in her return. Obviously, that won’t come to fruition in the near future barring something unforeseen.

Now, Fatu has the chance to make an impact outside of WWE, on her own in a fresh environment. It’s her first experience away from the company since signing a developmental contract in 2009, so fans will see how she succeeds in a different women’s division with a chance to enhance her own star power. If it’s similar to Moné, the future is bright.

Bullet Club: Who’s in, who’s out?

With David Finlay as self-appointed leader and Bullet Club Gold springing up in AEW, things are changing quickly.

As hard is may seem to believe, we’re coming up rapidly on the 10-year anniversary of Bullet Club. Arguably the most influential stable in all of pro wrestling during that time, the group came together for the first time on May 3, 2013, when Prince Devitt (you may know him better now as Finn Balor) turned on Ryusuke Taguchi and formed a pact with Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga.

The Bullet Club roster grew and morphed numerous times, and it expanded its influence far beyond NJPW. Some of the top talent in WWE, AEW and promotions all around the world have thrown up the “Too Sweet” sign at one time or another.

But while the leadership of Bullet Club has changed hands several times — occasionally against the leader’s will — and subgroups have formed that don’t always align perfectly with the direction of the main group, the recent ouster of Jay White (necessary because his NJPW contract was coming to an end) set an especially turbulent time in Bullet Club lore in motion.

So who’s in Bullet Club and who’s out? Let’s take a look at the rundown by promotion.

NJPW

In: David Finlay, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Dick Togo, Evil, Gedo, Kenta, Sho, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi

Out: El Phantasmo

With White gone, it left a leadership void that Finlay was only too happy to fill. Whether he has the support of the entire main Bullet Club group remains to be seen, but if it sticks, this will be his highest profile run in his New Japan career.

Phantasmo was a White loyalist and he paid for it last week, getting violently ejected from the stable at Sakura Genesis.

Impact Wrestling

In: Ace Austin, Chris Bey

Bey was recruited to Bullet Club by White, but there’s no reason to think he isn’t still in good standing. The same goes with Austin, who officially joined the group about a month before his tag team partner.

Most importantly, both men still have Bullet Club in their Twitter bios, and we all know those are unassailable.

AEW

In (according to them): Jay White, Juice Robinson

Unaffected by any drama in Japan, Robinson has been up front about his Bullet Club loyalties since he signed with AEW in December. The real intrigue began when White, who had been rumored to be talking with WWE, became All Elite a few weeks.

On the April 12 episode of Dynamite, White and Robinson declared themselves “Bullet Club Gold,” and fans have taken them to literally mean they were creating their own offshoot. Numerous viewers also noticed they did the guns up taunt but not the “Too Sweet” gesture.

Might that mean something? Finlay seemed to fire a shot across the bow of White and Robinson on Twitter, though this was before this week’s Dynamite.

Reading through the replies to that tweet, one quickly gets the impression that fans aren’t sold yet on Finlay as Bullet Club leader and may back White if there turns out to be a full fledged BC civil war. With Forbidden Door 2023 only a few months away, everything seems to be in place for the rockiest era in the group’s storied history to potentially break out into open combat in the ring.

Stay tuned.

WrestleMania events 2023: Full list of all the wrestling in L.A. during WrestleMania week

Get the when, where and how much for all the WrestleMania week wrestling shows in Los Angeles.

Prior to the pandemic, WrestleMania week had a history of becoming the epicenter of the entire pro wrestling universe. Promotions from all over the country, and indeed, the world, would converge on the host city, offering fans a smorgasbord of options leading up to WWE’s biggest show.

Things have been trending back in that direction, and it’s safe to say that for WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, that same feel has fully returned. Starting several days before the Showcase of the Immortals, there is pro wrestling of all kinds running straight through the weekend — and even into Monday night, counting the always intriguing Raw After WrestleMania.

If you’re heading to L.A. or just want to keep tabs on everything going down during WrestleMania week, we’re here to help. We’ve gathered up all the wrestling shows by day, along with links to tickets where there’s still some left.

Scroll on down and find the stuff that interests you most, and we hope to run into you sometime during WrestleMania week.

(All times PT)

Jerry Jarrett, famed wrestling promoter and father of Jeff, passes away at 80

A revered name in Memphis, Jerry Jarrett was known as one of the most creative bookers in pro wrestling history.

Pro wrestling lost one of its most respected creative minds Tuesday as Jerry Jarrett died at age 80.

WWE confirmed Jerry Jarrett’s passing, as did Impact Wrestling, of which he was a co-founder.

The father of current AEW wrestler and Director of Business Development, Jerry Jarrett first got into the wrestling business as a referee in the early 1960s before making the leap to wrestling himself in 1965. His in-ring career was known mostly for his time in NWA Mid-America, where he found some success in the tag team division.

But Jerry Jarrett’s real talent was in promoting, something he first tried his hand at by founding the Continental Wrestling Association in 1977, which became a household name in Memphis. That company later merged with World Class Championship Wrestling to become the United States Wrestling Association, which also found success until he sold his part of the company in 1995.

In 2002, Jerry and Jeff Jarrett attempted to create a promotion to fill the void left in the US scene by the collapse of WCW, starting NWA: Total Nonstop Action — known later simply as TNA, and today as Impact Wrestling. Jerry Jarrett left that company as well in 2005, but his contributions are very much felt to this day.

That could be said of his influence on pro wrestling writ large. Jerry Jarrett will be remembered as one of the sharpest minds in the business over the last 50 years, and it’s no surprise that social media lit up with remembrances to him once word spread of his passing.

Wrestling Junkie joins with the rest of the pro wrestling community to extend its condolences to the family and friends of Jerry Jarrett.