Charlie Haas Reportedly Stretchered Out During Impact Wrestling Tapings

Former WWE Superstar Charlie Haas made his Impact Wrestling debut at Sunday night’s tapings in Dallas, TX, where he confronted Josh Alexander.

Later in the tapings, Haas wrestled Alexander and that led to a storyline with several former ROH wrestlers coming out to attack both Haas and Alexander.

It’s unclear what exactly happened but Haas was reportedly hurt during the brawl, and subsequently stretchered out of the building.

According to WrestlingNews.Co, Tommy Dreamer confirmed to the fans in attendance that Haas was legitimately hurt.

Earlier during the tapings, Alexander turned down Haas’ challenge, stating that he was focused on the IMPACT World Championship. This led to Haas attacking Alexander, setting up the match for the main event of the show.

Haas, the current the SWE Heavyweight Champion, has held the WWE Tag Team titles on three separate occasions.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Knockouts Tag Team Champions The IInspiration Was Pulled From Impact Hard To Kill Due To COVID-19

Knockouts Tag Team Champions The IInspiration have been pulled from Saturday’s Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill pay-per-view.

Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee were scheduled to defend their titles against The Influence’s Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood at Saturday’s pay-per-view, but Impact announced today that they are self-isolating after exposure to COVID-19.

The IInspiration informed Impact officials that they were in close contact with an individual who shortly thereafter tested positive for COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution and with the health of others in mind, they have decided to self-isolate over the weekend instead of working Hard To Kill.

Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore noted in a press release, “Impact’s COVID protocols are in place to keep our talent roster, staff and fans safe.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill Results 1/8/2022

PRE-SHOW
Jake Something def. Madman Fulton

PRE-SHOW
Mike Bailey def. Chris Bey, Ace Austin & Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match

KNOCKOUTS ULTIMATE X
Tasha Steelz defeated Chelsea Green, Lady Frost, Rosemary, Alisha Edwards, & Impact Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace
Winner receives a future title shot.

IMPACT X DIVISION TITLE MATCH
Trey Miguel (c) defeated Steve Maclin
Maclin can no longer challenge for the title as long as Miguel is champion.

ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH
Jonathan Gresham (c) defeated Chris Sabin

Josh Alexander defeated Jonah

HARDCORE WAR
Heath, Rhino, Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann and Willie Mack defeated Violence By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, Joe Doering) and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson)

Matt Taven, Vincent, Mike Bennett, & PCO accompanied by Maria Kanellis made their presence known following the hardcore war match between Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering). They first focused their attack on Heath and Rhino but as Willie Mack and Rich Swann attempted to help, they were also beat down.

All five of the ROH stars then posed in the ring in celebration as the commentary team suggested that it was an ROH invasion.

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1480019855155904516

– Backstage, Scott D’Amore says he has just found about what just happened like everyone else. Scott says it’s about time he calls Baltimore to find out.

TRIPLE THREAT FOR THE IMPACT WORLD TITLE
Moose (c) defeated Matt Cardona & W. Morrissey

TEXAS DEATH MATCH FOR THE KNOCKOUTS TITLE
Mickie James (c) defeated Deonna Purrazzo

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night Three Results 1/8/2022

  • Kosei Fujita & Yasutaka Yano wrestle to a time-limit draw
  • TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yuji Nagata def. Akitoshi Saito, King Tany, & Muhammad Yone
  • CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, & YOSHI-HASHI), Master Wato, & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Daiki Inaba, Daisuke Harada, Hajime Ohara, Kinya Okada, & Yoshiki Inamura
  • SHO def. Atsushi Kotoge
  • HAYATA & Seiki Yoshioka def. Bullet Club (Gedo & Taiji Ishimori)
  • Suzuki-gun (DOUKI & El Desperado) def. NOSAWA RONGAI & YO-HEY
  • Kazushi Sakuraba, Takashi Sugiura, & Toru Yano def. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, & TAKA Michinoku)
  • Go Shiozaki & Masa Kitamura def. Bullet Club (Dick Togo & EVIL)
  • Naomichi Marufuji & Yoshinari Ogawa def. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Zack Sabre, Jr.)
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito) def. ALEJA, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, Manabu Soya, & Tadasuke vs.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada def. Keiji Muto & Kiyomiya Kaito

Former WWE Announcer Joins Impact’s Announce Team

Renee Paquette took to Twitter earlier today and revealed that her friend and former WWE announcer, Tom Hannifan (Tom Phillips), will be joining Impact for commentary during tonight’s Hard To Kill event.

Paquette writes, “Huge news!! @TomHannifan joins @IMPACTWRESTLING as their newest play-by-play announcer at Hard To Kill! What a pick-up for them! I have Tom’s first interview this coming Tuesday on The Sessions!! @TheVolumeSports.”

Hannifan was also spotted in Dallas this morning, leading to some speculation prior to the announcement, according to PWInsider. He replaces Matt Striker on the announce team who, as we noted, revealed earlier this week that he is done with Impact Wrestling.

“I am disappointed that my time with #ImpactonAXSTV is done,” Striker wrote on Twitter. “I REALLY enjoyed that locker room. Thanks for allowing me to tell your story. Thanks, everyone. Stay safe.”

D’Lo Brown, however, will remain on the commentary team and will be beside Hannifan to call the play-by-play for Hard To Kill. The duo will be the new team going forward on Impact on AXS TV as of this Thursday’s episode.

Hannifan, age 32, was a part of WWE’s staff from 2012 through May 2021 when he was released by the company along with multiple other employees. At that time, his roles included producing and managing announcers as Senior Manager of On-Air Talent under Michael Cole.

After his departure from WWE, Tom Hannifan transitioned into the world of college football when he became a host for Paydirt: A Penn State Football Podcast.

https://twitter.com/ReneePaquette/status/1479877753382096899

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s Medical Update On Sasha Banks Says She Will Miss The Royal Rumble

WWE provided an update on former Women’s Champion Sasha Banks earlier today, confirming reports that she is dealing with a foot injury. The full announcement can be seen below:

“Sasha Banks injury update

Sasha Banks suffered a foot injury Sunday evening at a WWE Live! event in Fayetteville, NC. After seeking emergency medical attention, it was determined nothing was broken. Sasha underwent an MRI and it was discovered she has a bruised calcaneus bone. She is at home recovering and undergoing physical therapy. She is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks. Stay locked in to WWE Digital for the latest updates.”

With the timeline provided, Banks is expected to miss the upcoming premium live event, WWE Royal Rumble 2022, taking place on Saturday, January 29. Stay tuned for updates on Banks’s status.

Banks wrestled SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at last Sunday’s WWE live event in Fayetteville, NC, and appeared to hurt her leg or knee while taking an over-the-knee backbreaker. She kicked out of a pinfall but stayed on the mat while the referee checked her out, before they went to the finish with Flair getting the win after a Natural Selection. Banks was then helped to the back.

Banks posted an update for fans later that night, writing, “I’m good [fist emoji] Thank you for the love always. [heart emoji]”

It looked as though WWE may have been building towards Banks vs. Flair at Royal Rumble, as the two have been wrestling both on television in tag matches and at live events. However, if WWE’s report holds true, Banks will miss the Rumble and as noted, Flair will be appearing as the SmackDown Women’s Champion in the rumble. If she wins, Charlotte claims she will choose her own challenger for WrestlerMania this year.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Battle Of The Belts Preview 1/8/22 (Updated) – Cody Rhodes Confirms COVID-19 Diagnosis

AEW Battle of The Belts will air this Saturday on TNT at 8pm ET, live from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC. The local start time is 7pm ET, indicating that they may tape other matches before the show.

In a video package, it was revealed that Cody Rhodes will not compete at Battle Of The Belts due to “medical protocol” and that his brother Dustin Rhodes will take his place. Dustin and Sammy Guevara will compete to determine an interim TNT Champion

*  AEW Women’s World Championship: Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. (c) vs. Riho

*  AEW TNT Interim Championship: Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara

* FTW Championship: Ricky Starks (c) vs. Matt Sydal 

Cody Rhodes confirmed that he tested positive for Covid-19.

Cody provided an update for both he and Brandi Rhodes, his wife. In it, he mentions how multiple family members have tested positive and are quarantining with them.

“I appreciate everybody reaching out. Brandi and I are in isolation with family that have unfortunately tested positive for Covid. It’s been a scary time dealing with such a strong virus and the complications that can come with it. We are doing all we can to nurse and protect the family during this time. I will remain in quarantine as long as needed.

“Everyday is more encouraging,” Cody Rhodes continued. “Thank you immensely for your support and respect for our privacy. Thank you to AEW for understanding and allowing me to be where I am needed today, and for still allowing the TNT Title to be represented. I look forward to being back soon. All the love in the world!”

Rhodes also posted a pro-vaccine message to his Instagram Stories on Thursday morning, possibly when he first discovered the positive test results. At the time, he wrote “Please get vaccinated – if not for yourself, for the young kids/babies who can’t defend themselves as easily from Covid.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James Announced For WWE’s Royal Rumble

Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James will compete in the upcoming 2022 WWE women’s Royal Rumble match.

Mickie James is about to walk through the forbidden door … and straight into the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble match.

During this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown Charlotte Flair revealed the names of several women who are set to compete in this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match — including Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James, who was released by WWE in April of last year.

But it gets weirder … on top of announcing that Mickie would be in the Rumble, Impact Wrestling was actually mentioned on air. At one point, SmackDown color commentator Pat McAfee referred to Mickie as “the Impact Knockouts Champion.”

Soon after, both WWE and Impact referenced one another in tweets announcing Mickie’s participation in the Rumble, while Impact’s EVP Scott D’Amore congratulated WWE for finally walking through the forbidden door.

The other participants announced for the women’s Royal Rumble match are as follows:

Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H., Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Shotzi, Natalya, Michelle McCool, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Queen Zelina Vega, Tamina Snuka, Kelly Kelly, Aliyah, Summer Rae, Naomi, Shayna Baszler, and Lita. The match will feature 30 competitors in total meaning there are still 11 more participants to be announced.

As you might recall, Mickie James was released by WWE back in April, allegedly due to budget cuts necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mickie James returned to Impact after a six-year absence during the company’s Slammiversary pay-per-view back in July. Her relationship with the company first began way back in 2002 when it was called TNA. She signed for WWE in 2003 but returned to Impact in 2010. The legend kicked off her fourth reign as Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion with a win over Deonna Purrazzo at Bound For Glory last October.

The 2022 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event will take place on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Source: TheSportster

Matt Striker Reportedly Done With Impact Wrestling

Matt Striker is reportedly done with Impact Wrestling.

In a now-deleted post, Striker tweeted that he was finished with the company and that he was disappointed that his run was over.

“I am disappointed that my time with #ImpactonAXSTV is done,” Striker wrote. “I REALLY enjoyed that locker room. Thanks for allowing me to tell your story. Thanks, everyone. Stay safe.”

PWInsider confirmed with Impact Wrestling sources that Striker is no longer with the company.

Since leaving WWE in 2013, Striker has worked commentary for various promotions, including Lucha Underground. He joined the Impact announce team in January of 2021 along with D’Lo Brown, replacing Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne. PWInsider noted that Brown will remain on the broadcast team.

It appears that Striker’s release from Impact was performance related, according to RingsideNews. Striker has a lot of experience as a wrestling commentator in several companies including WWE, AAA, and Lucha Underground. That experience wasn’t enough to please the folks in charge at Impact.

In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer talked about Matt Striker’s release from Impact Wrestling. The move has been in the work for months. The company will now have to scramble to find a replacement as the Hard to Kill pay-per-view is Saturday.

Source: Wrestling Inc. and RingsideNews

Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill 1/8/2022

DATE: January 8, 2022 8:00 pm
LOCATION: , The Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas

CARD

3-WAY MATCH FOR THE IMPACT WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey

TEXAS DEATHMATCH FOR THE IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo

INAUGURAL KNOCKOUTS ULTIMATE X MATCH (WINNER BECOMES #1 CONTENDER TO THE KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP)
Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz

10-MAN HARDCORE WAR MATCH
Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Cody Deaner, and Joe Doering)

IMPACT KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)

ROH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin

IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin ( If Maclin fails to win, he will no longer be able to challenge for the title as long as Miguel is champion.)

Josh Alexander vs. Jonah

PRE-SHOW (Countdown to Hard To Kill)
Chris Bey vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Ace Austin vs. Laredo Kid