Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
TNA champion Bobby Lashley will become the first professional wrestling champion from a major United States promotion to fight MMA this Friday 9/5 when he competes at the Bellator card in Uncasaville, CT, which will be televised on SpikeTV. I know someone will write me about Dan Severn being the NWA champion in UFC, but the NWA didn't have any TV coverage at that point and UFC officials had no idea what the belt was at the time. Totally different scenario. Our own David Tees will have coverage of Bellator at www.PWInsiderXtra.com this Friday.
There's been talk that there were additional departures from the TNA office last week.
Tickets for the 2014 Bound for Glory PPV officially went on sale over the weekend via a pre-sale at a Wrestle-1 event in Tokyo, Japan. The show will go on sale to the general public on 9/11.
Debuting this Friday on PPV will be TNA One Night Only: World Cup of Wrestling with teams captained by EC3, Eric Young, Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode competing to win the Cup. The PPV, which taped last April at the old Impact Zone, will feature:
*Eddie Edwards vs. James Storm
*The BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E) vs. Mr. Anderson and Sanada
*Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne
*Eric Young vs. Bobby Roode
*Kurt Angle vs. Magnus
*Angelina Love vs. ODB
*Ethan Carter III vs. Davey Richards
*Bully Ray and Gunner vs. Samuel Shaw and Kenny King
*Finals for World Cup.
TNA is airing an Best of Ultimate X "Unfinished Business" this month on PPV. They will air an "Unfinished Business" PPV on Bound for Glory next month.
TNA has a trio of live events this weekend which will be taped for future PPV and TV use.
Friday 9/5, they are running Charlottesville, VA (The home of our old pal DC Bob at Bob Rocks Radio!) taping "One Night Only: Turning Point" which will feature:
*Jeff Hardy vs. MVP
Bobby Roode vs. James Storm
Eric Young vs. Magnus
Bram vs. Abyss
EC3 & Rocktar Spud vs. Gunner & Mr. Anderson
Austin Aries vs. The Great Sanada
Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne Samoa Joe vs. DJ Zema Ion vs. Kenny King
On Saturday 9/6, TNA will be in Roanoke Rapids, NC taping "One Night Only: Rivals" featuring:
*Jeff Hardy vs. Magnus
*Bobby Roode vs. MVP
*Eric Young vs. Abyss
*EC3 vs. Austin Aries
*Mr. Anderson vs. James Storm
Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell
Bram vs. Gunner
Samoa Joe vs. Great Sanada vs. DJ Zema Ion vs. Rockstar Spud
TNA will then run Fayetteville, NC on Sunday 9/7 taping material for Impact Wrestling. Announced for the taping is:
*The Hardys vs. MVP & Kenny King
*Bobby Roode vs. Magnus
*Bram vs. Eric Young
*EC3 vs. Abyss
*Gail Kim vs. Taryn Terrell vs. Madison Rayne
*Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries
*James Storm vs. Gunner
*Mr. Anderson vs. DJ Z
After these tapings, the promotion has four Impact tapings scheduled in Bethlehem, PA next week. After that, the promotion will pretty much be quiet until Bound for Glory and after that, has no events officially announced until the January tour of Great Britain. On the surface, that's pretty scary and it's pretty obvious the company is leaning themselves out as much as possible as they strategize what the future will be going forward.
AIW in Cleveland issued the following today:
CLEVELAND, OH - On the weekend of September 5th through the 7th, Absolute Intense Wrestling was set to be the first wrestling program to bring cult wrestling sensation Grado to the shores of the United States of America with a three day event called "GRADO DOES AMERICA". As seen on Vice and several other documentary features, Grado was a viral phenomena, a wrestler from the United Kingdom who had captured the imaginations of independent professional wrestling fans across the world. With success comes attention, and, unfortunately for Absolute Intense Wrestling, Grado was selected by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling to participate in the upcoming season of TNA British Bootcamp, and, as a result of filming commitments, has been forced to cancel his AIW appearances.
AIW has regrouped, however, and, September 5th, 6th, and 7th, will present WRESTLERAGER 2014, the first three-day professional wrestling party in Cleveland, Ohio. To make good on the loss of Grado, representatives from TNA have contacted AIW management and will be sending ABYSS to wrestle on Sunday, September 7th and have reimbursed AIW for the travel expenses they had spent to fly Grado to the United States. On that show, Abyss will take on Cleveland’s own Rickey Shane Page in a contest that promises to be as wild as any throughout the course of Abyss’ career.
Abyss is a TNA original, having been a regular member of this globally-recognized wrestling brand since 2002. Over the course of those 12 years, Abyss has captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the NWA World Tag Team Championship, the TNA Television Championship, and the TNA X-Division Championship, staking his reputation on a bloody, hardcore style that includes the innovation of the Barbed Wire Massacre and Monster’s Ball Matches. His appearance at WRESTLERAGER 2014 is an incredibly rare opportunity for fans to see Abyss in an independent setting, and there is no telling what he will do in the confines of Cleveland’s legendary Turners Hall.
Tickets for all three nights of WRESTLERAGER 2014 are availible for $20 per night, or as part of a three-night, $50 combo pack from http://shop.aiwrestling.com. Not only will Abyss see action on Sunday, but the weekend boasts the best in professional wrestling, as international superstars like MICHAEL ELGIN, JOHNNY GARGANO, JIMMY JACOBS, BJ WHITMER, COLT CABANA, and TRACY SMOTHERS will be in action. For more information on WRESTLERAGER 2014, please visit aiwrestling.com or facebook.com/aiwrestling.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
