Tag: AMC

Bully Ray Set for Guest Commentary Role on TNA iMPACT’s AMC Network Debut

TNA Wrestling is adding a familiar and outspoken voice to a major night for the company. TNA has announced that Bully Ray — also known to WWE fans as Bubba Ray Dudley — will appear on this week’s episode of TNA Thursday Night iMPACT! as a guest commentator.

The appearance comes as part of iMPACT’s debut on AMC Network, a significant milestone for the promotion. Bully Ray will be stationed at the commentary desk for the main event, which sees Frankie Kazarian defend the TNA World Championship against former titleholder Mike Santana.

While Bully Ray has largely stepped away from in-ring competition, his presence still carries weight. The 54-year-old is a two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and recently wrestled what is being billed as his final match, teaming with longtime partner D-Von Dudley against The Hardys in a Tables Match at Bound for Glory last year. Since then, Ray has remained active in wrestling through media appearances and on-screen roles rather than matches.

The title clash between Kazarian and Santana is expected to headline a loaded show, and Bully Ray’s blunt, no-nonsense commentary style should add an extra layer of intensity to the bout.

TNA iMPACT! airs Thursday, January 15, at 8:00 pm ET, live from the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas. Below is the updated card for the AMC Network debut:

  • TNA World Championship: Frankie Kazarian (c) vs. Mike Santana
    (Bully Ray as guest commentator)
  • TNA X Division Championship: Leon Slater (c) vs. Myron Reed
  • Six-Man Tag Team Match: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy & Elijah vs. Order 4 (Mustafa Ali, Jason Hotch & John Skyler)
  • WWE’s AJ Styles to appear

With a new network home, a appearance by AJ Styles and a Hall of Famer joining the broadcast, TNA is clearly aiming to make a strong first impression on AMC viewers.

TNA Reportedly Wants AJ Styles To Wrestle On AMC Debut Episode Of “Thursday Night iMPACT”

TNA is gearing up for a massive relaunch in 2026, and the company is apparently shooting big when it comes to star power. With the promotion’s new multi-year media rights deal officially locked in, iMPACT is set to make its AMC debut on January 15, 2026, airing live from the Curtis Caldwell Center in Garland, Texas. And according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, TNA is hoping to bring back one of its most iconic names for the premiere: AJ Styles.

Per Dave Meltzer, a WWE source says TNA has reached out with interest in having Styles actually wrestle on the debut episode. The idea is simple—kick off the AMC era with a major ratings splash by featuring the man many still associate with the company’s glory years. Styles himself recently said he’d love to wrestle in TNA one more time before wrapping up his in-ring career, and January would mark his first match for the promotion since 2013.

WWE did allow “The Phenomenal One” to make a cameo at TNA Slammiversary back in July, appearing in a non-wrestling role. Letting him work an actual match is, of course, a different conversation entirely—but not outside the realm of possibility given WWE’s slightly more flexible approach to cross-promotional moments in recent years.

If the match does happen, Meltzer notes a likely opponent: Frankie Kazarian. The reigning TNA World Champion has a long, shared history with Styles dating back to the 2000s, and the two have locked up many times over the years. A Styles vs. Kazarian showdown on AMC’s debut night would be a fitting callback for longtime fans while spotlighting today’s TNA main event scene.

Along with the network move, TNA is giving its flagship a refreshed identity. The show will officially be known as Thursday Night iMPACT, maintaining its two-hour timeslot from 9–11 p.m. ET and streaming concurrently on AMC+.

Whether AJ Styles steps back into a TNA ring remains to be seen—but if TNA gets its wish, their AMC premiere could instantly become one of 2026’s most talked-about wrestling nights.

AMC Picks Up Option For Billy Corgan’s Wrestling Reality Show

Billy Corgan

 

AMC announced this week that one of the series that they picked up as an option that is being developed is an Untitled Billy Corgan Wrestling Project. The project is a reality show on Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s Resistance Pro Wrestling promotion out of Chicago.

The synopsis for the show in AMC’s press release is – “Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan pulls back the curtains on the pro-wrestling world as he takes over creative direction for the independent wrestling company Resistance Pro.”