Big news: IMPACT Wrestling is moving to Thursday nights, starting April 8! As old-school TNA Wrestling fans know, Thursdays are the night that, for many years, TNA brought us the hard-hitting action we love. With NXT moving to Tuesdays on April 13 and NWA Powerrr also airing the same night on FITE, it makes perfect sense for IMPACT to switch things up, and moving back to its classic night is a smart move. Below is the full press release with all of the details.
Keith Mitchell is one of the most talented and respected people within the professional wrestling industry. Currently serving as the Executive Producer for AEW, Keith was TNA Wrestling’s Executive Producer for 17 years. Prior to this, he was the Executive Producer for WCW and WCCW. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Keith has never done an interview . . . until now! Over the course of two days, we spoke for five hours about all things TNA. We covered the formation of the company in 2001, TNA going on the road full-time in 2013, Spike TV cancelling TNA, what it was like working under Scott D’Amore’s leadership, and much more. It was an absolute honor to be the first person he fully trusted to do an interview with, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity. Stay tuned for plenty of commentary from Keith Mitchell in both of my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling!
Last night, IMPACT Wrestling dropped its biggest bombshell since collaborating with AEW. This Saturday’s main event, during the IMPACT Plus exclusive special Sacrifice, between IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann and TNA World Champion Moose will unify those titles. IMPACT Wrestling Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore shocked the world even more when he announced that the winner of this title unification bout at Sacrifice will go head-to-head with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a title vs title match on April 24 at the IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion pay-per-view.
Just like the main event at Hard to Kill in January featuring Kenny Omega, this is another groundbreaking first for IMPACT Wrestling; and it’s a historic event in the world of professional wrestling, creating a sense of unpredictability that hasn’t been seen or felt since the height of the Monday Night War in the 1990s between the WWF and WCW. Below is the full press release from IMPACT Wrestling with all of the details. Make sure to tune in to Sacrifice this Saturday, and order Rebellion now because both of these events will forever alter the professional wrestling landscape.
After interviewing more than 100 people for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, the tables have turned. Last night, I took part in my first interview to promote this book project by appearing on The Talking Nonsense About Impact Wrestling podcast. There’s so much to discuss about this project, and I’m constantly gathering new, compelling information every day. It was fun sharing tidbits on this episode of the podcast, and I’m going to return regularly to share even more. You can watch the full episode below.
My latest big-time interview was with Angelina Love, one half of The Beautiful People! We covered her entire time with TNA Wrestling, from 2004 through the end of her final run in 2017. We discussed her thoughts on Velvet Sky, Gail Kim, the influence the Knockouts Division had on modern day women’s wrestling, Dixie Carter, Jeff Jarrett, and much more. The Beautiful People was a group that garnered some of the highest ratings in the history of TNA, providing fans with endless hours of entertainment. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to connect with Angelina and gather her thoughts for my project on the history of TNA/IMPACT wrestling.
Tonight I had a 90+ minute interview with Matt Hardy! Yes, the legendary wrestler’s commentary about TNA and his time in the company is going to be part of my books about the promotion’s history. Having the opportunity to interview both Jeff and Matt Hardy is something I never thought would happen coming into this project, but I’m eternally grateful that it did. Matt and I covered his first run in 2011, coming back in 2014, winning the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Big Money Matt Hardy, Broken Matt Hardy, The Final Deletion, Total Nonstop Deletion, Delete or Decay, his recent return to IMPACT Wrestling, and more. It was an absolute honor and pleasure speaking with Matt Hardy, and I have an even greater respect for the man and his creativity as a result of our conversation.
It’s been a while since my last IMPACT Wrestling Report, but that’s because I’ve been very busy doing interviews for my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. Some of the people I’ve interviewed in recent weeks include Gail Kim, Ken Shamrock, Earl Hebner, and Jeff Hardy, who is the most popular wrestler in IMPACT Wrestling history and, currently, one of the top guys in WWE. Make sure to sign up for email alerts on my site so you don’t miss out on any future book updates because there are many more to come.
This past week was a big one in IMPACT Wrestling. The company announced a new TV show, which premieres tomorrow night, No Surrender aired on Saturday, and a partnership was revealed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Let’s dive in!
I have now interivewed four members of the TNA/IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, with the newest addition being the greatest referee of all time: Earl Hebner. For more than 40 years, Earl has been the gold standard for professional wrestling referees. From officiating matches between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant to Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, he’s the absolute best at what he does. Earl spent 11 years with TNA Wrestling and he told me that it was the happiest time in his career. We talked about what it was like working with Dixie Carter, taking part in entertaining storylines, including ones with the Knockouts, life on the road, working internationally, and the art of being a great referee, among other topics. It was an honor and a pleasure to speak at length with a man I admire, and I know that his commentary will make a great addition to my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
This week, in addition to others, I’ve interviewed Gail Kim, Jeff Hardy, and, now, Ken Shamrock! The first-ever world champion in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, and the only person to be both in both the UFC Hall of Fame and the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ken Shamrock is the real deal and a bonafide legend. While his moniker is “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” he was a pleasure to speak with. Ken and I talked about what it was like to win the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship at the company’s first-ever PPV, his thoughts on what makes TNA/IMPACT Wrestling special, what the locker room culture is like, the Montreal Screwjob, the best advice Bret Hart ever gave him, and a whole lot more. Want to know his thoughts on Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, Moose, and what it’s like wrestling in the era of COVID? I asked Ken about all of this. I also spoke with him about his time in the WWF, including his thoughts on The Rock, Mick Foley, Bret Hart, and officiating the iconic match at WrestleMania 13 where Stone Cold Steve Austin’s star shot into the stratosphere. As someone who grew up watching Ken Shamrock become a combat sports legend, it was an honor to pick his brain and gain a greater understanding of what make him special. I look forward to sharing these thoughts with all of you in my books about the history of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
