Author: John Bass

Scott D’Amore Named President Of Impact Wrestling

Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc, the parent company of Impact Wrestling, announced changes to its management team today. This includes Scott D’Amore being named the new President of Impact Wrestling.

The following was issued:

RICHARD SCHAEFER NAMED PRESIDENT OF ANTHEM SPORTS GROUP

Scott D’Amore promoted to President of IMPACT Wrestling

Lou D’Angeli joins as Vice President of Marketing

Mike Pine’s Talon Partnerships joins as
Strategic Advisors handling Brand Partnerships

LOS ANGELES, March 13, 2023 – Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc., a global, multi-platform media company, announced today that respected global combat sports executive Richard Schaefer has been named President of its sports properties, which are to be re-organized as a separate operating group under the name Anthem Sports Group Inc. (ASG). These properties include ASG’s iconic IMPACT Wrestling promotion, trailblazing all-female MMA organization Invicta Fighting Championships, and, Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 combat sports channel.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in the combat sports and boxing realm, Schaefer will oversee ASG and play a key role in building strategic partnerships and relationships with leading sponsors, brands, agents and athletes in the industry. The hiring of Schaefer is a testament to Anthem’s commitment to building global prominence of its events and broadcasts. Under Schaefer, ASG will aggressively pursue additional acquisitions in the combat sports and professional wrestling businesses. Schaefer’s wide-ranging background in professional boxing will also be leveraged to establish a boxing promotion platform.

“Richard Schaefer is a major force in the combat sports and boxing arena,” said Leonard Asper, Anthem President and CEO. “As one of the industry’s most respected executives, he leads with integrity and brings an unprecedented wealth of expertise—cultivated from more than two decades working alongside the sport’s biggest brands and most legendary fighters. Anthem is pleased to welcome him to our executive team as the President of Anthem Sports Group, and we look forward to reaching even greater heights as a global sports powerhouse under his guidance.”

Stated Schaefer: “I am beyond thrilled to be joining the Anthem team and ASG. Len Asper, Ed Nordholm, Scott D’Amore and Shannon Knapp have built a fantastic business, and I am honored to be working with them. Together, we will create a global destination which attracts the best talent and delivers the most exciting content across all aspects of combat sports. All of our assets under the ASG umbrella will create new and innovative synergies when dealing with distribution platforms, sponsors, venues and fan interaction.”

Schaefer brings a long track record of success to ASG, having served as the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, where he was integral in developing the platform into a key player in the sport. Over his 20+ years in the combat sports space, he promoted or advised some of the most iconic stars — from Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez, to UFC Superstar Jon Jones. Helming over 527 promoted events, he is one of the leading all-time promoters in boxing and has generated record-breaking gate and pay-per-view revenues.

Anthem has also brought in two senior executives and promoted Scott D’Amore to President of IMPACT Wrestling to highlight its goal of growing the Sports Group. D’Amore and Shannon Knapp, the President of Invicta FC, will report to Schaefer.

“Scott has established himself as the leader of IMPACT Wrestling since joining us in 2018, re-establishing the promotion as one of the finest professional wrestling promotions in the world,” said Ed Nordholm, Chief Corporate Officer of Anthem.

Schaefer will be working with former WWE and Cirque du Soleil executive Lou D’Angeli, who has joined Anthem Sports Group as Vice President of Marketing. In this role, D’Angeli is overseeing all aspects of marketing, advertising, promotion, and public relations for ASG.

D’Angeli has more than 25 years of experience in event marketing and promotion, having served as Vice President of Marketing for Cirque du Soleil where he was responsible for all marketing, advertising, public relations, and digital media strategy for North America. Additionally, he served as Director of Marketing for WWE, developing and implementing all national advertising strategies, social media initiatives, and fan festivals and experiential events.

“In just a few months, Lou has been a leader in increasing awareness and attendance at both IMPACT Wrestling and Invicta FC events,” continued Nordholm. “With his past experience in event promotion and marketing at such iconic brands, we are very lucky to have Lou on the team and his expertise is already providing dividends.”

Anthem also announced that Mike Pine & Talon Partnerships have been retained by ASG as Strategic Advisors, focused on securing sponsorships and new revenue initiatives for IMPACT Wrestling and Invicta FC. While Pine & Talon’s initial emphasis will be placed on the Sports Group properties, Talon’s scope will also include Anthem’s diverse entertainment offerings.

Previously, Pine has held the Head of Global Sales/Chief Revenue Officer positions for four separate billion-dollar companies. Under Pine’s leadership, Talon has grown into a world-class organization with the singular purpose of delivering revenue for its high-profile clientele — ranging from renowned sports and entertainment properties and influencers to NCAA and professional athletes, and more.

“Mike is a true combat sports veteran, having worked with several world leaders in the MMA and professional wrestling industries,” added Nordholm. “In addition to his expansive knowledge, he comes armed with unparalleled insight and ideas that go outside the box—forming strategic partnerships and initiatives that fit the mission of each brand, while exponentially growing awareness and revenue. We are confident that the talented team that we have assembled under Mr. Schaefer’s leadership is well-positioned to expand our offerings in the combat sports arena, utilizing world-class IP directed at combat sports enthusiasts.”

About Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Cleveland. Anthem’s portfolio includes AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution company Gravitas Ventures; Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel with broadcast distribution across 10+ countries and available globally through multiple OTT platforms; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion; Game+, the leader in sports wagering, Esports and gaming content; GameTV, the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; and HDNet Movies, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.anthemse.com.

WWE Provides Update On NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez

This past Tuesday night at “WWE NXT” Roadblock, “NXT” Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez successfully defended her title against the legendary Meiko Satomura. Following the bout, though, and shortly after Satomura handed her the championship, Perez suddenly “collapsed” to the mat. Medical officials, referees, Shawn Michaels, and even Booker T rushed to the ring to check on her. The last thing viewers saw was Perez being taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance backstage. Now, WWE has provided a further positive update on the champion.

“Update: Roxanne Perez has been discharged from the hospital and is now at home resting,” WWE tweeted.

WWE’s first update Tuesday night simply stated that she’d be kept in the hospital overnight for further testing. So while the latest announcement is certainly progress, it’s also worth monitoring whether or not she’ll be competing at the “NXT” Stand and Deliver event on Saturday, April 1. Thus far, only two matches have been announced for the big show. Johnny Gargano will make his in-ring return to “NXT” to take on the man who brutally attacked him before he left WWE in 2021, Grayson Waller. Also, Carmelo Hayes is set to challenge “NXT” Champion Bron Breakker.

Perez has been “NXT” Women’s Champion since December 13, when she dethroned Mandy Rose, ending her 500-plus day reign and becoming the developmental brand’s youngest-ever women’s champion in the process. Perez has successfully defended it five times since, including Tuesday’s contest against Satomura. While the bout itself lasted nearly 14 minutes, vignettes leading up to their showdown showed the champ putting herself through very rigorous workouts.

Roxanne Perez’s injury at NXT Roadblock concerned fans about her well-being. Fortunately, the whole collapsing scenario was a take from an angle with Shawn Michaels on RAW in the mid-90s. Similar to HBK, Perez took several blows to the head, which led to the kayfabe injury.

As fans pointed out, Roxanne Perez’s injury at NXT Roadblock is kayfabe because the referee didn’t show the dreaded X sign. The signal is used whenever a superstar is grievously injured and isn’t a part of the storyline. WWE takes head injuries seriously and if Perez did suffer one, multiple reports would have hit the wrestling capsule already.

The injury angle did put over Roxanne Perez in a major way. She may now sport the neck brace as a reminder of her heroics. Her participation in Stand and Deliver is unknown, although the injury could mean she will be out of the ring for a while.

Nonetheless, The Prodigy does have a challenger in line. Tiffany Stratton staked her claim to the Women’s Championship before Roadblock rolled out. It remains to be seen if the showdown will be booked for April 1 or a later date.

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and sportskeeda

Mark Briscoe Announces Reach For The Sky Ladder Match For ROH Tag Titles At Supercard Of Honor + More ROH News

On Friday night’s episode of Rampage, AEW World Tag Team Champion Mark Briscoe announced that a “Reach for the Sky” Ladder match will be held at ROH Supercard of Honor to determine the new ROH World Tag Team Champions. The Lucha Brothers are the first team to be announced for the match.

In other news, on the latest episode of ROH TV, former champions Dalton Castle and The Boys (Brandon Tate & Brent Tate) challenged The Embassy for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championships at Supercard of Honor. They also defeated Marcus Cross & C4 (Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas) on the show.

Meanwhile, ROH TV also saw The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett) cut a promo backstage, stating that they want to get their revenge on Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) for costing them their return to ROH at Final Battle earlier in December, potentially setting up a rematch at Supercard of Honor.

In another noteworthy segment, Eddie Kingston confronted ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, challenging him for the Ring of Honor World Championship. Claudio refused to accept and disrespected Kingston. Nevertheless, they are expected to collide in a blockbuster title match at the pay-per-view event.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Rey Mysterio Announced As First Inductee Into The 2023 WWE Hall Of Fame

Rey Mysterio was announced as the first inductee into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class. The most famous luchador of all time..

The WWE has announced its first inductee into the 2023 Hall of Fame Class and it’s a somewhat surprising name. Rey Mysterio will go into the Hall and while he’s completely deserving, that WWE has chosen to induct an active competitor who is not announcing his retirement or is close to being finished with his in-ring career, is the surprising part of this announcement.

Rumors circulated that the Great Muta might be the first name announced, so when a video package featuring Rey started showing as WWE announced their first entrant into this year’s class, fans were thrilled, but also a bit stunned. By every stretch of the imagination and by any measuring stick, Rey’s career is Hall of Fame worthy. That said, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar for being inducted this year, simply because he’s not finished as an active competitor. There have been names inducted that have come out of retirement, but it’s rare to see WWE put someone in the Hall of Fame who has plenty of gas left in the tank and hasn’t announced his departure from active competition.

Mysterio made his debut in WWE in 2002 and quickly became one of the most popular wrestlers in the company. He won numerous championships, including the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and United States Championship. He is also a multiple-time Tag Team Champion, having won the belts with partners such as Eddie Guerrero, Batista, and Edge.

Known for his high-flying wrestling style and his signature moves, including the extremely popular 619 finisher, he is perhaps the most famous Luchador of all time and his elaborate masks have become a trademark of his persona. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest high-flyers in the history of professional wrestling and has been a mentor to many high-flyers who followed.

AEW Rampage Preview 3/10/2023

AEW taped this Friday night’s episode of Rampage at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA after Dynamite went off the air.

  • Konosuke Takeshita vs. Preston Vance
  • Sammy Guevara vs. Action Andretti
  • Riho vs. Nyla Rose
  • The Acclaimed in tag team action
  • Jungle Boy to speak

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/10/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX, and emanate from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Fatal Five-Way Intercontinental Championship Qualifying Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. LA Knight vs. Karrion Kross vs. Xavier Woods
  • WWE announced on Thursday that Woods will replace the injured Kofi Kingston in the Fatal-Five Way. The winner will go on to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39.
  • The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet

AEW Is Working On Long-Term Deals For The Elite

Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks will have to decide whether they want to sign new AEW deals or see what they can get on the free agent market soon. 

Omega’s deal had been slated to expire earlier this year, but due to the time, he missed while on hiatus, time had been added to his existing deal. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that AEW is keen to tie down The Elite to new deals.

“AEW is working on signing the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega to new long-term deals well before they become free agents.”

The Elite lost the AEW Trios Championships to the House Of Black at Revolution. Next week’s Dynamite, The Elite vs. Jericho Appreciation Society vs. House of Black, will take place.

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE To Start Announcing Hall Of Fame Inductees Today?

WWE will be holding this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, March 31, after SmackDown that night in Los Angeles.

WWE is just a few weeks away from WrestleMania weekend and has yet to announce any inductees for this year’s class. That will be changing, according to WrestleVotes. 

Per the report, WWE will start announcing the inductees today. 

“The plan as of Monday was to begin announcing this years Hall of Fame induction class today. The annual HOF ceremony is 3 weeks from tonight in Los Angeles following SmackDown.”

WWE is operating with the idea of keeping things shorter than in previous years. 

Earlier this week, Mick Foley revealed that he had been asked to induct someone as a part of this year’s class, although he wouldn’t offer any specifics on who had made the request or if it’d even been greenlit yet. One name that keeps being bandied about is Dave Bautista. He was initially tapped to enter the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020. However, that event was put off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was then going to be inducted the following year, but he was pulled from the slate with the wrestler-turned-actor stating that prior obligations would prevent him from attending. A later date was expected for his eventual participation, so could this be the year?

Sources: WrestleVotes and Wrestling Inc.

Taya Valkyrie Finishes Up With Impact Wrestling

Taya Valkyrie has finished up with Impact Wrestling. Pwinsider.com reports her last date for the promotion was on March 2nd at the TV tapings in Las Vegas.   

It’s worth pointing out that AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill challenged a Canadian star to face her on Dynamite next week, and Valkyrie is Canadian so she could be the mystery person. 

Taya does currently hold the MLW Featherweight Title so if she does go to AEW then she may have to drop the title soon.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Impact Wrestling Preview 3/9/2023

Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders.

  • Knockouts Championship: Mickie James (c) vs. Gisele Shaw 
  • Sami Callihan vs. Rhino
  • Jonathan Gresham vs. Kushida