TNA NEWS FAN EJECTED FROM TNA TAPING FOR BEING A FAN
Richard Trionfo noted in his live report of the TNA Impact! taping that a fan who regularly attended the tapings, Casey, had been ejected for the show. Trionfo placed the blame on TNA ring announcer Jeremy Borash. Since that report, PWInsider.com has heard from regular Florida correspondent Mark in Florida (who witnessed the incident) as well as the fan who was removed from the show. There are some comments made about Jeremy Borash below. It should be noted that numerous people who work for TNA feel that Borash does a tremendous job and if anything, is overworked. That said, no fan should be tossed for being a fan and enjoying himself.
Mark in Florida sent the following....I was at the IMPACT/XPLOSION tapings last night and am not surprised that "Casey" was thrown out, after all doesn't he realize that Jeremy Borash is the star of the show and cannot be criticized. It is OK for Jeremy to make off-color remarks about Nashville fans when they can't hear him, but his fragile ego -- obviously more fragile than ever since Tim Welch now shares the announcing duties and Sahadi took over promos -- can't take it. It's a shame that Jeremy doesn't realize that this is wrestling and that this is what fans do -- we chant, we pick on wrestlers, referees and even the guys that sweep the ring. We are the HEEL section. It wouldn't be much of a show if Jeff Jarrett just decided half way through his promo that he was going home because someone said he looked like a penguin, or if Tracey wouldn't come out because someone said her a** looked big that dress, or for that matter "The Fat Guy" Scott D'Amore would check himself into a Jenny Craig retreat with what we say ABOOT him. TNA, Jimmy Hart and Colin Bowman from Notable & Notorious have done a great job getting awareness of TNA out to Orlando's wrestling fans. They all work their butts off during the week to make sure that TNA gets an audience and they come to us and address any concerns that production staff may have with regards to offensive signs or signals. The earlier poster said that "We are not wrestling sheep." That's true, but if TNA wants that from us, then perhaps the bleachers may be getting emptier, even without them tossing out true fans that care. It's a good job that Jeremy wasn't brought in as the ring announcer for Saturday's Miss Monster show. If he gets offended by one fan in a crowd of 600, imagine what he would've been like in front of 10,000 fans who were much the worse for wear (only 1 ejection there from all accounts). If TNA are going to make a move to a bigger stage, Jeremy should perhaps attend a wrestling boot camp in the hopes he can become more of a man and lot less of whiny prima donna. This is wrestling, not Swan Lake!
Casey, the fan who was removed from the taping, sent the following....It seems that over the month or so. I'm down there in the Pit, just heckling everybody - I mean refs (telling them they suck, etc..), Jeremy Borash a lot, almost every wrestler that walks down(Jeff Hardy, mostly). It's all to get under their skin, which is funny to see how they react. It's great because Borash gets P****d because I always call him Ryan Seacrest or Carson Daly, which is great or the "We Want Tim chant." I think that's what sent him over the edge, but it's not obscene. It seems that Borash or somebody in the back finally had it up with me chanting stuff, so they decided to toss me out of the show. That was crazy in itself because they wouldn't tell me the reason why they tossed me out. They took me and were like, "Get out of our building." Borash said that I had 30 complaints that have been filed against me for who knows what. It seems that TNA can't handle one person yelling at everybody, which is sad. That doesn't make it a real wrestling show then.
In regard to the "Casey being ejected" story, one TNA source noted that Casey is among the fans who receive a VIP front row seat every week and other VIP fans (they all handle street team responsibilities for the company in order to receive front row) had complained about his conduct. The source claimed that Casey was asked to watch it with his language during the taping and when he didn't, he was then escorted out of the building. The same source said that while the tapings are free, Universal advertises them as a family-friendly event, thus TNA has to be aware of anything that might cause problems with the management at Universal Studios and/or Fox Sports. That said, I can see bumping the guy out of ringside if he was doing or saying something they didn't want to have to edit out later, but throwing him out of the show was, in my opinion, a really poor decision.
GUT CHECK CHALLENGE
The winner was a female worker who uses the name Jamie D. She won $4000 and training at TNA's Asylum school in Orlando, Florida. D is a Canadian worker trained by Petey Williams, Joe E. Legend, and Scott D'Amore. You can check out her website at www.jaimed.com/. The second place winner was another Canadian worker, Brad Martin, who won a smaller cash prize. Martin has also worked for Border City Wrestling in the past. Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles, Trinity, Primetime, Scott D'amore, Glen Gilberti (Hey is TNA ever going to explain how he isn't he fired?), David Young, Johnny Swinger and Don Harris were in attendance at the Gut Check Challenge. Hawk of Tough Enough 2 fame was among those who tried out for TNA's Gut Check Challenge over the weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.
FUNK OUT, OUTSIDERS IN
Terry Funk is not expected to work TNA's Victory Road PPV on 11/7 now. Funk has opted out on working the show due to TNA's possible use of Kevin Nash at the PPV. According to one source, Funk's whole attitude about working the show changed the second he learned Nash might be involved. There has been some underlying heat there since 2000 when Nash very selfishly destroyed (and some might look at it as taking advantage of) Funk during a match at WCW's Souled Out 2000 PPV. Funk would have been used against Dusty Rhodes, a match that the company had been building for over a month.
During the TNA Impact! taping in Orlando, Florida, TNA officially announced that Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would be appearing at TNA's 11/7 Victory Road PPV. Both Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo had made references to "Outsiders" in recent weeks on Impact! Jarrett said at the taping that Hall was on his side, while they left the idea open that Nash hadn't (yet) aligned with Jarrett.
The Victory Road PPV weekend packages went on sale at TNAWrestling.com over the weekend. The package includes VIP seating to the PPV, admission to two Q & A Sessions, a PPV poster, and two autographs of each TNA performer signing during TNA's "Fan InterAction" events. Priced at $49 per package, I'd say you are getting your money's worth with what TNA is offering. Bob Ryder of TNA and 1Wrestling is setting up travel packages for the PPV weekend as well for those interested. I'd suggest getting the package as it appears that TNA's plan is to let VIPs in first with everyone else being allowed in for free until they fill Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios.
TNA Impact! has cleared Canada's TSN and will begin airing on 11/1. I'd expect that the promotion will announce that officially sometime this week. That's a great clearance for them. TNA has only signed for a six week trial period with TSN, although TSN has an option to extend the series if Impact!’s ratings warrant. NWA champion Jeff Jarrett is slated to appear on TSN’s "Off the Record" sports talk show with Michael Landsberg to promote the company and the show's Canadian clearance.
NWA-TNA X-Division champion Petey Williams will defend against Kenny Omega during the NWA 56th Anniversary event in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on 10/15. It looks really lame that the NWA champion and NWA Tag Team champions won't be appearing on the show. I know Jeff Jarrett is dealing with family issues right now, so that's completely excusable but for the Tag champs not to be brought makes the NWA look completely silly. Jerelle Clark is also working the show.
There are plans for TNA to have a crossover promotion with Fox Sports Network's "Best Damned Sports Show" in November. "Best Damned" will be coming to Universal Studios to film several shows, with TNA "taking over" at least two episodes. According to one source, the plan for the shows is to help promote TNA's second PPV, which is scheduled for early December.
Here is how the card is shaping up (for now):
- NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match with Scott Hall in Jarrett's corner and Kevin Nash in Hardy's corner.
- X Division Champion Petey Williams vs. AJ Styles.
- NWA World Tag Team Champions Team Canada vs. 3 Live Kru.
- America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X in a steel cage match.
- Abyss vs. Monty Brown vs. Raven.
- A 20-man X Division Gauntlet match.
- Mascarita Sagrada vs. Piratita Morgan.
