TNA Wrestling will present a new episode of Impact tonight on AXS TV, which is the last stop before tomorrow’s Victory Road PPV.
Josh Alexander was a recent guest on the “WrestleManiac UK” podcast to discuss a variety of topics, including his TNA Wrestling contract being extended for a year in February of this year and whether he may pursue free agency when his current deal expires. He said,
“I can’t say I want to leave TNA. It’s just, I have never hit free agency. I have never been the belle of the ball. I’ve never seen what offers are out there from other companies. I signed my first contract with iMPACT Wrestling nearly six years ago. I re-signed three years ago. Now, that one is coming up. I think I’d be doing myself and my family a disservice by not seeing what’s out there.”
He continued, “If there is something out there that gets me really excited, it’s all about what makes me happy at the end of the day. Everything in my wrestling career for these 19 years have been following my heart. There are many times when I was let down, or I broke my neck, or all this other stuff happened that would deter somebody from following their dream. For me, this makes me happy. I want to do it. I get excited doing it still after 19 years and 1500-plus matches. I’m going to keep following my heart with it and we’ll see where that leads.”
Source: eWn
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev are calling it quits.
On Wednesday, the former Nikki Bella in WWE filed to divorce Chigvintsev just weeks after he was arrested for domestic violence.
The divorce filing comes nearly two weeks after Artem was arrested for felony corporal injury to spouse or cohabitant for allegedly attacking Nikki. He bailed out later that day.
Garcia is using Evan Craig Itzkowitz as her divorce lawyer.
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev share a 4-year-old child named Matteo. Nikki and Matteo are currently staying at the family home in Napa Valley, while Artem has been staying with a friend.
Source: eWn
A new television deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery is considered finalized, although not officially announced.
The discussions between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery have been ongoing for months, as the current deal expires at the end of the year.
The new deal being considered is worth at least double the value of AEW’s current deal, which is approximately $70 million annually.
It’s important to note that the new deal won’t be exclusive. There are rumors that AEW is negotiating with FOX for a potential deal involving a one-hour show called “Shockwave,” a name they have filed a trademark for, which would potentially air on FS1.
On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed AEW’s new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. The plan is to incorporate pay-per-view events on MAX in some capacity.
Meltzer said, “The WBD deal is a done deal, and there are going to be changes. From what I gather, there is going to be a pay-per-view component in this deal. Exactly what it is, I don’t know…I don’t know exactly if it’s going to be how UFC does it. It’s going to be how WWE does it, but you know, there is going to be a deal with MAX with the pay-per-views in some form is what it looks like. But the deal’s done.”
Source: eWn
AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Butcher and the Blade have been members of the AEW roster since the company’s early days, and though they’ve never risen to the top of the card, the duo had found a niche that saw them featured occasionally on TV. That hasn’t been the case in 2024, as the Blade (real name Jesse Guilmette) has been sidelined with an injury. The wrestler took to Instagram recently to reveal that he recently underwent successful back fusion surgery.
In addition to a short video of himself walking down the hospital hallway, Guilmette posted a photo of a hospital meal, complete with various plastic containers and what looks to be extra Jell-O. The comments for the post feature several fellow AEW stars, including the long-absent Miro, wishing Guilmette well.
The last time the Butcher and the Blade performed on AEW TV was in January, teaming up with Kip Sabian on the January 5 episode of “AEW Rampage” in a losing effort against Mark Briscoe and the Hardy brothers. One week later, the Butcher and the Blade lost a match against Top Flight during a Ring of Honor taping.
According to Guilmette on Instagram several weeks ago, the problems with his back began after a nasty fall in 2020. Things got worse over time, forcing Guilmette to step away from the ring and eventually decide to have surgery. The wrestler thanked Tony Khan in his post for the level of care AEW has provided, stating that he was grateful to have been signed there deep into his career.
Meanwhile, the Butcher has stayed active on AEW programming in his partner’s absence. His most recent match took place last month, when he teamed with The Outrunners to face Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Tomohiro Ishii on “Rampage.”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
NXT Anonymous posted a video on Twitter of Tony D’Angelo of The Don of NXT paying off a mystery person with the intent of him taking care of Oba Femi.
On this week’s season premiere of WWE NXT, it was revealed who that was, as the NXT North American champion found himself face-to-face with one of TNA Wrestling’s biggest powerhouses, Hammerstone.
Despite the impressive challenge Hammerstone put up against NXT’s behemoth, Femi was able to keep his win-loss record in tact, winning the match with one of his devastating powerbombs.
Backstage, The D’Angelo Family was shown distraught, with Tony D’Angelo walking off in anger after seeing his hired gun taken out.
Source: eWn
In the opening contest of this week’s “NXT,” Axiom and Nathan Frazer defended their NXT Tag Team Championships against “WWE SmackDown” stars Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, together known as the Street Profits. The Street Profits put forth a valiant effort against Frazer and Axiom and even appeared to be closing in on a victory. Unfortunately for them, Ford’s pinfall attempt on Frazer was interrupted by the surprise arrival of The Bloodline’s Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa, who currently hold the WWE Tag Team Championships via the Freebird rule.
Tama was the first to enter the scene when he pulled Ford out of the ring and sent him crashing into the nearby steel stairs. As Dawkins approached Tama in defense of his partner, Jacob Fatu came charging at him. Joining in on the action, Loa then wiped out Axion with a clothesline in the ring, while Tama laid out Frazer with a suplex. The Bloodline concluded their attack with a Swanton to Dawkins, courtesy of Fatu.
For Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu, tonight marks their first appearance on the “NXT” brand. For Tonga Loa, it marks his return to the “NXT” brand. Under his former ring name of Camacho, Loa wrestled over three-dozen “NXT” matches between 2012 and 2014, with his last taking form in tag team action against The Ascension at a June 2014 “NXT” live event.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
WWE NXT tonight on USA Network.
WWE NXT General Manager Ava took to Twitter today to announce that TNA’s The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) were unable to compete due to “somewhat conspicuous circumstances.”
Instead, The Street Profits will challenge Nathan Frazer & Axiom for the titles. This match will open the show.
As reports continue to emerge that a new media rights deal between AEW and Warner Bros. Discovery is only a matter of time, AEW CEO Tony Khan has continued to play coy, recently confirming that he has yet to put pen to paper. Now, rumors are swirling that the new deal might not be as exclusive as many had assumed. With the promotion recently trademarking the name “AEW Shockwave,” some wonder if AEW could be filling the wrestling slot that WWE once held on Fox networks.
According to Fightful Select, sources say AEW has been in talks with Fox, though Fox refused to comment officially. Andrew Zarian reported that Fox liked the ad revenue that “WWE SmackDown” was bringing in on Friday nights, but the show itself was too expensive, and that a cheaper wrestling property was enticing to the network. That said, there’s no official word on whether there is any kind of deal, or the prospects of a deal, or even if AEW and WBD agreeing to a non-exclusive contract is feasible. When AEW initially brought “Collision” to WBD, exclusivity was a sticking point, and was cited as the reasoning for shuttering the “AEW Dark” and “AEW Dark: Elevation” YouTube shows. The exclusivity runs until the end of 2024.
Fox doesn’t just have its eponymous network to offer, as broadcast outlets like FS1, Tubi, and others are available for programming blocks. The relationship between WBD and AEW is said to be amicable, and WBD is already planning on rebranding part of its TruTV lineup as “TNT Sports,” indicating a plan to stay in the sports market despite losing broadcast rights to the NBA.
UPDATE
Ibou of WrestlePurists stirred the pot a little more this week, saying on a recent podcast that while he wasn’t officially reporting anything, he had heard rumors from talent within the company regarding “AEW Shockwave” and a potential deal with Fox.
“What I’ve heard about the WBD TV deal is that it will continue to include ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Collision,’ and it’s unknown what will happen to ‘Rampage,'” Ibou said. “But the rumor amongst the talent … I have not heard from WBD or AEW in an official capacity, but what talent have been discussing, what has gone on around behind the scenes and has circulated amongst circles in AEW, is that ‘AEW Shockwave’ will be a one hour program on FS1. That is the latest scuttlebutt. That is the latest rumor.”
As of this writing, neither Warner Bros. Discovery, AEW, or Fox have publicly commented on any finalized media rights deals for any of AEW’s current shows. Last Friday’s “SmackDown” was the final episode of the blue brand to air as part of WWE’s now-expired agreement with Fox, leaving the network free of wrestling programming for the time being.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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