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Tonight, Impact Wrestling lands on its new home on AXS TV following the cable network’s acquisition by Anthem Media. Impact’s first broadcast was a replay of the Homecoming PPV from earlier this year, the first of several 2019 PPVs that will serve as an introduction of sorts for the company on AXS TV.
At the center of Anthem taking control of AXS TV is Anthem Wrestling Exhibition LLC President Ed Nordholm, who along with Don Callis and Scott D’Amore, has been overseeing Impact since usurping the company from Dixie Carter in January 2017.
Yesterday, Nordhom sat down to discuss Impact’s move to AXS TV, personnel changes within Impact, the future of New Japan on AXS TV, the latest on their cold war with Kevin “Killer” Kross and more. The following is the complete transcript of the discussion:
MIKE JOHNSON: Thank you for taking a few minutes to sit down and talk to us. It’s, quite frankly, a nutty week for professional wrestling and obviously, a good week for Impact Wrestling as you just debuted officially on AXS TV, but there’s always an undercurrent of chaos in pro wrestling. Impact is no different, so I wanted to start out by asking you about the departure of so many from the production end of the company. PWInsider.com had heard this was something the company was aware could happen and that there was a transition team in place. However, there’s also been reported that the company was caught with their pants down and left high and dry by the exits to AEW. So, first, do you care to comment on all that?
ED NORDHOLM: Well, first, thank you for taking the time to let us complete the record concerning comments that have come out regarding Impact's former employee, Kevin Sullivan. It is interesting that the reports I have seen characterize Kevin as an independent contractor that left because he had not received a contract offer; Kevin was a full-time, senior executive with Anthem with all of the fiduciary responsibilities that come with that.
JOHNSON: OK, so when did you know Sullivan was leaving Impact?
NORDHOLM: When we learned that Kevin had participated in “Double or Nothing”, we addressed with him the inappropriateness of moonlighting for a competitive business while a senior executive with Anthem. He assured us at the time that he would discontinue that work. When we learned that he was still providing these services to AEW we started organizing ourselves to replace him at an appropriate time. Dave Sahadi was brought back a couple of months ago to begin working with us at our television tapings. With his involvement in “All Out” it was apparent that he would leave - either as his own choice or ours- but he did not actually advise us of his decision until Sunday September 22nd.
JOHNSON: AEW TV begins this week, so when does Sullivan finish commitments to Impact?
NORDHOLM: He has finished.
JOHNSON: So, where did this leave Impact? One version of the story is that floating is that only his production company was producing Impact? Is/was that true?
NORDHOLM: Anthem has/had no relationship with his company. Kevin Sullivan was an executive employed by Anthem Wrestling who attempted to recruit his department to join a competitor while a full time employee and executive with Impact Wrestling.
JOHNSON: Are the rumors that he left with 7 days’ notice true?
NORDHOLM: Correct. Although the writing was on the wall and, as I noted, we had been positioning ourselves to release him
JOHNSON: How many Impact employees are actually leaving vs. people who worked for Sullivan’s production company already? Were these third-party contractors who worked on Impact through Sullivan’s company or actual Impact employees? I’ve heard Jim Morris has left as well and he was an employee, but these others who have been mentioned but not named?
NORDHOLM: No employees worked for Kevin. Kevin plus 4 employees left. All were employees of Anthem Wrestling.
NOTE: PWInsider.com reached out to Kevin Sullivan who commented that he didn’t “have anything to say and will follow up” if he decides to comment at a later time.
The interview continues on Page 2.
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