Tag: Scott D’Amore

Ex-TNA Head Scott D’Amore Says He’s Signed Mauro Rannallo For Maple Leaf Pro

Despite being fired from TNA, Scott D’Amore isn’t letting that keep him from continuing his efforts in the pro wrestling industry. Back in May, D’Amore filed a trademark for “Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling,” a promotion established in the 1930s. Since then, D’Amore has taken more steps to debut the promotion, and in an interview with “INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet,” he revealed one of the names he’s already signed.

During the interview, D’Amore confirmed that former “WWE NXT” and “SmackDown” commentator, Mauro Rannallo, has agreed to be the voice of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. “I mean, he’s the man. And Mauro has got a passion for wrestling,” D’Amore proclaimed. He then recalled the first time he met Rannallo, 25 years ago in Stampede Wrestling. “I was coming in as a heel to feud with Sabu. And he was the 20-21-year-old kid who was doing the play-by-play with Bad News Brown, and we connected then over the years,” D’Amore recalled.

D’Amore also reflected on Ranallo’s presence in the field of combat sports announcing: “He loves wrestling. He’s the best. You turned on Showtime for any big boxing fight, or you turned on to watch a lot of the big MMA fights with Pride and everything, Mauro is that voice.”

D’Amore’s exit from TNA was sudden and shocked many fans and even TNA talent. Not too long ago, he D’Amore recalled finding out about his TNA firing days before their Hard to Kill pay-per-view, which was the first event held under the promotion’s former name since it changed to IMPACT Wrestling back in 2017. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Scott D’Amore Comments On Launching Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling

Former TNA Wrestling executive Scott D’Amore announced the launch of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling earlier this month, with the first shows set to take place on October 19th and 20th. D’Amore spoke with CBC on a number of topics, including growing up watching Maple Leaf Wrestling.

D’Amore said, “It was what came through on Saturdays on CHCH out of Hamilton. Every week they took a match from one of the Maple Leaf Gardens house shows, live events, and they showed it on TV, and the only place you got to see that was on Maple Leaf Wrestling.”

On launching Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling:

“Canadian talent has to work twice as hard, three times as hard as U.S. talent … I think we can give that platform for Canadian talent to go out there and compete with the best in the world and show how good they are.”

Source: PWMania

Report – TNA Talent Meeting Set For Saturday

TNA Wrestling will host a talent meeting on Saturday, February 24 after the roster signed an open letter to Anthem Sports regarding the firing of former TNA President Scott D’Amore.

Pwinsider is reporting that the talent meeting will take place before Saturday’s TV tapings in New Orleans, LA.

The belief is that Anthem CEO Len Asper will be at the meeting.

The letter contained a request that Anthem Sports meet with D’Amore and resolve the issues between them. However, any such resolution seems unlikely at the moment.

Source: eWn

Scott D’Amore’s Attempted To Buy TNA Wrestling

Earlier this month, TNA Wrestling revealed that Scott D’Amore was out as the TNA President. Anthony Cicione has now assumed the position.

Before his departure, D’Amore had a disagreement with the management and attempted to acquire the promotion with the support of a major banking institution. The offer was rejected.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, D’Amore made the purchase offer for TNA prior to Hard To Kill, which happened to be TNA’s most successful pay-per-view event in several years.

Source: eWn

Scott D’Amore Reportedly Pushed For Bigger TNA Budget, Wanted To Sign WWE Star

Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced earlier this week that Scott D’Amore had been fired as TNA President. While the reason for his dismissal has yet to be disclosed, Dave Meltzer wrote in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that a source close to D’Amore revealed the Canadian had been pressing Anthem for a larger budget for several years. D’Amore, who had been working with TNA since 2003 in various leadership roles, reportedly clashed with management several times over the years regarding the promotion’s funds. Furthermore, Meltzer mentioned that “there had been threats to quit,” but Anthem saw D’Amore as a key individual they didn’t want to lose.

One scenario D’Amore reportedly became frustrated with was ahead of Bound for Glory 2021, where an agreement was supposedly in place to bring in former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman. The promotion was set to dub the event “Braun for Glory.” However, Anthem ultimately pulled the plug because of Strowman’s “too high” asking price and their belief that “The Monster Among Men” would not improve TNA’s business. Strowman returned to WWE the following year.

D’Amore has since been replaced by Anthony Cicione, who is also President of Anthem. According to the statement released by TNA on Wednesday, the move to terminate D’Amore’s deal and assign Cicione the role of President was made to “further integrate TNA Wrestling into Anthem’s Entertainment Group.” Cicione, who was involved in bringing WWE to Canadian channel The Score several years ago, will now be managing the day-to-day operations of TNA.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Scott D’Amore Fired As TNA President By Anthem Sports, TNA Stars Pays Tribute & Bid Farewell To D’Amore

Another shake-up has taken place in the world of pro wrestling. TNA Wrestling President Scott D’Amore has been let go, with Anthony Cicione of TNA’s parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc. taking over as the new President. The company’s press release states that the intent is to further integrate TNA into Anthem’s Entertainment Group, which Cicione is already the President of.

According to a report from PWInsider, it is believed that the decision came directly from Anthem’s owner, Len Asper. As echoed by the official statement, Anthem management will be taking on a larger role in the day-to-day operations of TNA, with Cicione leading that charge.

D’Amore’s termination comes less than a month after the company changed its branding from Impact Wrestling back to TNA, its original moniker. With the relaunch, the company has brokered a great deal of goodwill with fans, making D’Amore’s exit all the more surprising. According to an update on the matter from Fightful Select, Anthem management met with TNA talent over Zoom this afternoon. The report also quoted one talent who understood the reasoning behind the change but credited D’Amore with saving the promotion.

In contrast with D’Amore, Cicione has no direct experience working in the professional wrestling industry. The Anthem press release touted his history of “executive-level management experience,” specifically referring to cable and digital channels. It remains to be seen if the company intends to keep Cicione in charge of TNA long-term or if he will be managing the promotion until Anthem finds a suitable replacement.

Similarly unknown is how the company intends to handle the creative process moving forward. In addition to his management duties, D’Amore was previously a key part of the team in charge of booking TNA’s TV shows and pay-per-views.

Some talent such as Brian Myers crediting D’Amore for helping save the company from closing entirely. Since his termination, many members of the TNA roster have spoken out in support of D’Amore.

“The incredibly painstaking, tedious, and difficult work that [Scott D’Amore] has put in to bring [TNA] to this very exciting moment in time, cannot be understated,” said TNA star Frankie Kazarian. “We all, wrestlers and fans alike, owe him a debt of gratitude.”

TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, who recently appeared in the WWE Royal Rumble, posted a picture of herself and D’Amore. Grace also called the former executive the “heart and soul” of the promotion.

Former Impact World Champion Steve Maclin posted a picture of himself with D’Amore presenting him with the title belt after a particularly bloody victory. Meanwhile, TNA star Alex Zayne thanked D’Amore for both the opportunities he gave Zayne personally as well as everything he’s done for wrestling as a whole.

“Not all people in leadership roles are leaders,” said Jody Threat. “[Scott D’Amore] was a leader. [Honored] to have been led by him. Thank you for everything.”

TNA star Jake Something posted a video of himself talking about D’Amore and his impact on Something’s career. The wrestler stated that he was “proud to be a Scott D’Amore guy.” Referee Brandon Tolle also referred to himself in the same manner while thanking D’Amore for the opportunities he provided.

Wrestler-turned-announcer Jade Chung posted a series of pictures of D’Amore, including a shot of D’Amore sitting behind the backstage monitors with a young child, presumably his own. Another former Impact World Champion, Josh Alexander, also posted a picture of himself in the ring with D’Amore. Alexander thanked the company’s former President and referred to him simply as “coach.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

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.

Scott D’Amore And Don Callis Talk AXS TV Acquisition, Possibly Working With NJPW And WOW

This past week, Executive Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Scott D’Amore and Don Callis spoke with Chris Jericho on his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, about their new deal with AXS TV and what they’re goals are going forward in October.

Recently, Impact Wrestling’s parent partner Anthem Sports & Entertainment made the biggest purchase that has ever happened within their business. Anthem Sports & Entertainment officially announced that they acquired a majority interest in AXS TV, meaning that their weekly show will now move from the Pursuit Channel to AXS.

Now that the sky’s the limit for Impact, Callis believes that this new deal will not only increase viewership among fans, but it will also draw in wrestlers who are looking to work for a different promotion that is tied to a big cable network.

“I think that one of the things that’s been to our benefit so far has been that the talent that we talk to will say ‘hey I watch your show. I think it’s way better than what I see from WWE. I love your show. It’s one of my favorites shows on TV. I love how you guys book,'” Callis said. “We’ll also hear things like ‘I heard you guys have a great locker room,’ which we do. We’ll also hear I love the roaster and the talent. The one-piece I think that wasn’t really spoken about was that a lot of people thought yeah, but the platform. Yeah, but the stability situation. This past week, we solved both of those issues. I think now, there’s no holding back.”

Some are quite worried that Impact will steal the thunder of the already existing wrestling shows like WOW- Women of Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling that air during the weekends on AXS TV. D’ Amore assured those listening to the podcast that they will not steal the spotlight from the other promotions instead, they would like to work with these promotions in the future.

“Our philosophy has been very clear for two years now,” D’Amore begins. “We are willing to embrace an open market. We’re willing to partner and do business with a large variety of partners in the wrestling industry. NJPW and WOW are both properties on AXS. New Japan has a great following. WOW just started a new season and new episodes are being filmed next week out in California. I think it’s business as usual from a network’s perspective. But when you look at it from our perspective, certainly, there are some synergies that can be taken advantage of and explored with the other wrestling companies that share the same television platform.”

Jericho followed up the statement from D’Amore and asked Callis if he would still be working with New Japan Pro Wrestling on commentary after Impact moves over to AXS TV. Callis has been a part of the announce team for NJPW since 2017.

“I guess from my perspective, I never really formally stopped,” Callis answered. “I mean, a lot of it frankly in their defense has been based on my schedule, which has been busy. I know that clearly. You (Jericho) had tweeted about it last year that there was a period of time where they thought they could easily replace me on commentary, because I was expensive, and would only come in one day at a time. I know they tried a few guys and there was a tremendous backlash and then they asked me to come back for the Tokyo Dome, which I did partly because you (Jericho) were going to be on the show, and Kenny, and obviously we’re all very close. I’ve been back four times this year.

“I think for me the sweet spot in terms of going overseas is maybe five or six. I’m not really far off from that. With as busy as Scott and I have been, I haven’t given it a thought. So, I’d say, the old Sean Connery line ‘never say never.’ I won’t say that it’ll never happen, but it definitely has to be under the right circumstances, and it has to be the right situation for me announcing wise.”

It’s been rumored that Impact will begin airing their weekly show sometime after their big pay-per-view event Bound For Glory on October 20th. Jericho asked if there is a finalized date that is set in stone for Impact to officially air.

“No,” D’Amore answers. “So far, we’ve announced that this is coming up and that it’s going to premiere this fall. We’re finalizing the details. Obviously, there’s a lot of things to work through. We’re excited to make our debut this fall.”

You can listen to the full interview by clicking here.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling’s Scott D’Amore Discusses Impact’s Recent Meeting With WWE

Image result for Impact Wrestling's Scott D'Amore Discusses Impact's Recent Meeting With WWE

In September Impact Wrestling president Ed Nordholm and EVP Scott D’Amore met with WWE officials at their headquarters in Stamford. The meeting was about Impact’s video library and WWE having use to certain footage for the WWE Network.

D’Amore joined the Wrestling Perspective Podcast where he talked about Impact meeting with WWE and how this is a great step forward for the pro wrestling industry as a whole.

“Since the beginning of the year we have done three content deals with WWE. We did the Hardys documentary deal, to supply footage for the documentary about The Hardys. We did a deal to provide footage for AJ Styles and Kurt Angle for Table for 3, and we provided footage for Bruce Prichard on the WWE Network,” said D’Amore. “We have done a few deals together, which I think that WWE is seeing that this is a different day with Impact Wrestling, and I think in the most minor levels maybe they are seeing that it is a different day and age in pro wrestling.”

This type of meeting between competing promotions would never have happened 20 years ago. But times have changed and both sides can see the benefit of working with one another so there’s a good chance they work together again in the future.

“It is one of those things, it’s like: there was a meeting, we got together, we talked and thought, you know it was nice to see each other face-to-face and say hello and just say that it is 2018,” D’Amore stated. “It is a whole different world and there is no reason that we cannot communicate. There really was no agenda to it and you know, we move on, but it is how the business is now, which I think is tremendous where we can do a deal with WWE where it helps them tell a great story on the WWE Network.

“Whether it is one of their shows, or The Hardy Boyz documentary, it is certainly good for us. Not only to make a little scratch off of the footage, but also the promotion they give us for Global Wrestling Network and having it on their platform where they advertise us and say that if you want more of this then download and watch the GWN Network, which is great for us. This wouldn’t have happened a few years ago. Whether it is WWE, whether it is Ring of Honor, no matter who it is, I think it is in this day and age to stop with the ‘old school wrestling BS’ of if you are with him then you can’t do nothing with us, so to get past that I think that is how business works.”

Sources: The Wrestling Perspective Podcast and WrestlingINC

Scott D’Amore Returning To Behind The Scenes Position At Impact Wrestling

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Scott D’Amore is returning to Impact Wrestling … and we’re told the former head of creative will once again fill many roles behind the scenes.

Sources say D’Amore’s main duties within the company will be international relations and creative, but he’ll still be wearing many hats backstage.

Supposedly Scott recently began his new gig by assisting Jeff Jarrett and Anthem with the Pro Wrestling NOAH partnership that was made official yesterday.

NOAH announced the business alliance during a press conference, but so far the details are unclear.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet