IMPACT Will Rebrand As TNA Wrestling In Jan 2024

TORONTO | CHICAGO – October 21, 2023 – Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a global, multi-platform media company, announced today that its professional wrestling company, IMPACT Wrestling, is returning to its iconic Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling name, at “Hard To Kill,” its first pay-per-view event of 2024, which will originate for the first time ever from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TNA will launch 2024 with Hard To Kill on Saturday, January 13, with a second night of action-packed professional wrestling – the “Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show” – at The Palms on Sunday, January 14. The Snake Eyes Extravaganza Show will be taped to air on the company’s flagship weekly TV show, Impact!, airing every Thursday night on AXS TV (8 p.m. EST).

“We still hear the ‘TNA’ chants wherever we go,” said IMPACT Wrestling President Scott D’Amore. “Fans have longed for TNA Wrestling, so that’s what we’re bringing back in 2024: TNA Wrestling, we’re back!”

IMPACT Wrestling's 1,000th Episode Celebration to Feature Return of Beautiful People and Awesome Kong

Next month, Impact is gearing up to record its 1,000th episode, and excitingly, the lineup for the special event includes the appearances of Beautiful People and Awesome Kong.

In an announcement made on social mieda, the promotion revealed that these former Knockouts will be making their return during the taping, scheduled for September 9th in White Plains, New York. Comprising Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, The Beautiful People boast an impressive history as former Knockouts Champions and Knockouts Tag Team Champions. Adding to the anticipation, Awesome Kong, who holds the title of former Knockout Champion and was also honored with an induction into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2021, will be part of this momentous occasion.

Impact Wrestling Moving From POP TV In January

Impact Wrestling announced today that its flagship weekly two-hour program, IMPACT!, will move to Friday nights on the Pursuit Channel in January. As noted, SmackDown Live will also begin airing on Friday nights when it moves to FOX this October, while MLW FUSION also currently airs on Friday nights on beIN Sports.

Beginning on Friday, January 11, featuring the aftermath of the Homecoming pay-per-view, IMPACT! will air weekly on Pursuit Channel on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET.

"Pursuit Channel is a natural fit for IMPACT!" said Impact Wrestling President Ed Nordholm. "It has a passionate viewership base that correlates strongly with our core audience, and is one of the few broadcast destinations that is expanding its footprint, enjoying a 15% increase in broadcast distribution this year alone. With IMPACT Wrestling coming off a tremendous year of audience growth globally and positive fan engagement, we look forward to leveraging our respective resources to bring fans more of the wrestling content they want to see: tougher, edgier action."

EVOLVE Reveals What Happened With Impact Pulling LAX From Matches With WWE NXT Team, Future Bookings

The LAX were set to work two EVOLVE events against WWE NXT Superstars Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, The Street Profits, who also are the current EVOLVE Tag Team Champions.

LAX vs. AR Fox & Leon Ruff vs. The Street Profits in a Triple Threat for the titles was scheduled for the EVOLVE event on December 15 in Queens. LAX & Austin Theory vs. Ford, Dawkins and Darby Allin in a six-man match was scheduled for the next night in Long Island. Shortly after the match was announced a few days ago, EVOLVE's Gabe Sapolsky announced that Impact officials had pulled The LAX from both events.

EVOLVE announced today that they will no longer book Impact contracted talents because of this. They also stated that the two matches were booked "in order to avoid any political issues" and to give fans of both teams what they wanted, "while protecting all parties politically."

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Rumor Mill - More Details From The WWE And Impact Wrestling Meeting Last Week

Last week it was revealed that WWE and Impact Wrestling had a meeting at WWE headquarters in Connecticut. While details on what was discussed were practically non-existant last week (except that it wasn’t regarding a possible sale), we now have a few additional details thanks to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required). First off, while several notable names weren’t present (such as Don Callis and WWE President Vince McMahon), it’s been confirmed that Paul Levesque met with Impact’s Ed Nordholm and Scott D’Amore.

It turns out that WWE reached out and requested the meeting, rather than vice-versa, which is what some outlets originally reported. What exactly went on during the meeting remains a mystery, but people from both sides have said that the two companies are no longer enemies as they were in the past. That leaves the door open for future collaborations, be them in-ring or licensing opportunities.

Abyss Enters the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame

Abyss will take his rightful place in the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame. Abyss has had a storied career as a former World Champion, X-Division Champion and World Tag Team Champion. Not to mention that Abyss has been a staple of IMPACT Wrestling since Day 1. Abyss has long been the Monster, the man who terrorized opponents and thrilled fans.

There is no one more suited to join the Hall of Fame than Abyss. Fans who purchased VIP Tickets for Bound For Glory will be invited to attend the Induction Ceremony the night before Bound For Glory. Also, tickets are available as well, it will be a limited engagement and a once in a lifetime chance to watch as the man behind the Monster’s Ball Match takes his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.

Rumor Mill - WWE Officials Meet With Impact Officials At WWE HQ

Several high-ranking WWE officials met with Impact Wrestling officials at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT last week, according to PWInsider.

Impact was represented by Scott D'Amore and Ed Nordholm. Vince McMahon was not at the meeting but members of Triple H's team were there. The meeting took place during the middle of last week as Impact officials were returning from UK, headed to Mexico City for TV tapings.

A WWE source described the meeting to PWInsider as a general discussion about the two companies and a chance to get everyone in the same room, not a specific negotiation of any kind. It's no secret that WWE has worked with Impact since Anthem purchased them, paying to license footage on WWE Champion AJ Styles and The Hardys' Broken Universe storyline. An Impact source stressed that the meeting had nothing to do with the sale of Impact as a company or its video library as neither are for sale.

Dave Lagana Praises Vince Mcmahon; Talks Time In TNA Being "Water Torture"

Dave Lagana recently appeared on The Taz Show and spoke on his experiences working with Vince McMahon in WWE and his time in Impact Wrestling. Below are interview highlights 

Transcript courtesy of Michael McClead and Wrestlezone.com

Working Under Vince McMahon:

“I have nothing bad to say about him [Vince McMahon]. He took the company from three billion to nine billion dollars in one year. He’s pretty good, so for everyone that hates him for the Roman Reigns booking, show me what you’ve tripled in one year with your business. I learned more from him than anybody.”

Education Received From Vince McMahon:

“It was like a master class…I would have paid to have worked there at that time. I paid $100,000 to go to college and I didn’t get 1/100th of the education I got working for him. I read a lot of people say a lot of negative stuff about him, like he’s out of touch. Ok, show me your business. Show me what you’ve built. He’s insane; but, everybody’s insane…He’s been fighting a world that has told him he couldn’t do it and I think the end of this story – by the way I have no insider information – is him selling the company to a giant media conglomerate for $10 billion. I think that’s the end of the story.”

Impact Wrestling:

“It was bad there. It was real bad. Every year you think it couldn’t get any worse. Oh, we lost Spike. Oh, we lost DA [Destination America]. Samoa Joe just showed up at NXT. They found new ways to water torture us working there.”

Jeff Jarrett And Global Force Entertainment LLC Sue Impact Wrestling’s Owner Anthem

As reported by PWInsider, Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment LLC have filed a lawsuit against Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the owners of Impact Wrestling. Below are a handful of the allegations noted throughout the course of the 26-page lawsuit.

*Violated state and federal trademark infringements in relation to GFE.

*Violated Jeff Jarrett’s exclusive property rights to his own name, photograph, and other likeness.

*That Anthem has used “a reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of the GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING and GFW trademarks” in commerce, therefore they are in violation of the Lanham Act, which prohibits trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.

*The lawsuit also claims violation of the Lanham Act through alleged “acts of unfair competition” that were done “with the intent to deceive the public into believing that goods and services offered or sold by Defendants are made by, approved by, sponsored by, or affiliated with GFE.”

*That Anthem has “caused products and/or services to enter interstate commerce designated with variations” of the Global Force Wrestling and GFW trademarks. The filing claimed, “Defendants’ use of said designation and other representations constitute a false designation of origin which is likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, and to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of Defendants with GFE and as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of such goods and services by GFE.” This allegation would be an alleged violation of the Lanham Act.

*That Anthem was involved in “Unfair Competition in Violation of Tennessee Common Law”, alleging, “GFE and Defendants compete for a common pool of customers. As alleged herein, Defendants have engaged in unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent conduct, which is likely to cause, if it has not already, customer confusion in violation of Tennessee common law.”

Impact Wrestling Terminates Their Business Relationship With Jeff Jarrett And GFW

Impact Wrestling has announced via a statement on their official website that they have terminated their business relationship with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling:

"IMPACT Wrestling announced today that it has terminated its business relationship with Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment Inc., effective immediately."

In September, Impact Wrestling, then known as GFW announced that Jeff Jarrett took an indefinite leave of absence from the company to focus on personal matters. Shortly after GFW branding was dropped from marketing.

GFW Announces Global Wrestling Network, Extension of Pop TV/Impact Deal

GFW has announced several new global and digital expansions, including an extension of their deal with Pop TV and the Global Wrestling Network. The company made the announcement today that they will be extending their deal with Pop to air Impact in the United States in the Thursday night 8 PM ET timeslot, along with plans to launch their multi-platform digital service.

The announcement listed the new initiatives as follows:

* Plans to launch the Global Wrestling Network, a multi-platform digital service designed to give fans around the world instant 24-hour access to the extensive GFW and IMPACT libraries.

* Plans to launch the IMPACT Wrestling Channel on Pluto TV, a 24-hour live feed of content on the leading free over-the-top (OTT) television service in the U.S.

* Extension with Pop TV in the U.S. to continue airing its flagship weekly show IMPACT on Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET.

* Distribution deal with 7Sports, the sport business unit of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, to bring IMPACT back to screens in Germany, Austria and Switzerland via ran FIGHTING.

“These digital initiatives and broadcast agreements are a significant step forward for the Global Force Wrestling organization as we continue to expand the brand globally, making it available on more platforms and in more countries,” said GFW president Ed Nordholm. “Anthem is committed to broadening Global Force Wrestling’s footprint, as we work alongside international broadcast partners, digital platforms and professional wrestling promotions to bring our passionate fans a high-quality product that not only stands out in today’s media landscape, but continues to thrive into the future.”

GFW Announces That Jeff Jarrett Is Taking An Indefinite Leave Of Absence From His CCO Position

GFW announced the following on their website this afternoon:

GFW Update

Effective immediately, Jeff Jarrett is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his position as Chief Creative Officer to focus on personal matters. Jeff will be available on a consultative basis as needed.

Impact Wrestling Set To Re-Brand As GFW

We noted earlier in the week that Impact Wrestling has officially acquired Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling promotion. The Tennessean reported today that Impact is re-branding as GFW.

The Tennessean reports that the acquisition is designed to distance the company from the financial struggles and legal drama that has followed the brand. The story is that Impact parent company Anthem Sports will re-brand as GFW and Jarrett will take over the creative aspects of the promotion. The Thursday night show on POP TV will continue to be called Impact.

Sunday's Slammiversary event is being seen as the re-launch of the company's pay-per-view business. GFW will be headquartered at Skyway Studios in Nashville, where they currently do pre and post-production work.

"We're a global brand," Jarrett said of the re-branding. "We have partnerships in Mexico, Japan, other places. Collectively coming together, we've combined forces and basically the rebrand final touches happen (on Sunday) at 'Slammiversary.'"

Anthem's Ed Nordholm told The Tennessean that the company is developing an on-demand streaming service to tap into the valuable tape library they have. Nordholm also said the re-branding was done for two reasons - the double meaning of "TNA" was a turnoff for some potential marketing partners and the name was tainted because of negative media coverage.

"When Anthem got involved we saw a rare opportunity to get involved with an asset that already had global distribution," Nordholm said. "It's a 3,500-hour library, broadcast in 120 countries, existing distribution contracts in India, Africa and now the United Kingdom. The timeline to take a ground zero promotion to that kind of penetration was 15 years. The work now is to fix some things."

Impact Wrestling Acquires Global Force Wrestling

IMPACT Wrestling Acquires Global Force Wrestling

NASHVILLE | TORONTO – Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions LLC, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. and parent company of IMPACT Wrestling, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Global Force Entertainment, LLC d/b/a Global Force Wrestling.

Jeff Jarrett, the founder of both IMPACT Wrestling and Global Force Entertainment, will join Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions as a member of its board of managers, equity owner and Chief Creative Officer.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Anthem as a partner to build the business,” said Karen Jarrett. “This partnership will be complementary of our strengths and bolster our capabilities to grow the IMPACT Wrestling brand. Ed Nordholm as President and Jeff Jarrett as Chief Creative Officer make a great tag team”

“We are excited by the progress we have made with IMPACT Wrestling since acquiring the business in January,” said Ed Nordholm, president of Anthem Wrestling Exhibitions. “Jeff and his team have been instrumental in this success and we are pleased that we have reached an agreement on the basis of which we can combine our businesses to continue to grow. Slammiversary XV will be a fitting occasion to bring the promotions together and merge the titles under the new IMPACT combined belts. By combining our resources and talent, we can produce the best product for our global audience.”

Former Steeler DeAngelo Williams to try his hand at pro wrestling

I guess while former Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams waits for his next NFL opportunity, he’s going to keep himself busy. According to Brian Campbell of CBS Sports, Williams is going to make his professional wrestling debut on something called Impact Wrestling on July 2.

Williams is expected to enter the ring at Impact’s Slammiversary XV pay-per-view on July 2 in Orlando, Florida. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Williams will compete alongside Moose in a tag team match against Chris Adonis and Eli Drake

Williams is an 11-year NFL veteran who spent the last three seasons with the Steelers. He has been an integral part of the offense in place of Le’Veon Bell, but Pittsburgh seems to have moved forward at the running back position. They signed Knile Davis in the offseason and drafted James Conner.

The Reason Why Impact Wrestling Owners Anthem Threatened Hardys With Legal Action

Further details have emerged as to why Impact Wrestling owners Anthem sent cease and desist orders to the Hardys, Ring of Honor and PPV distributors over Matt and Jeff appearing as their “broken” characters.

As reported by PWInsider, a source claims that Hardy filing the trademark for the "Broken Matt Hardy" name was the trigger as they believe Hardy wasn't the only person to create the character with names such as Dave Lagana, Matt Conway and Billy Corgan all being mentioned as key figures in having come up with the concept, therefore Anthem believe others deserve revenue from the character.

They want to pressure Hardy into signing a deal that gives Anthem a percentage of profits made from the gimmick.

ROH was forced to pull their recent PPV from DISH Network and the Hardys toned down their act for the PPV itself. According to Reby Hardy, The Hardys have full ownership of the gimmick.

Powell’s Blog: “F— TNA”

Impact Wrestling Threatening To Sue Cable Providers Who Air The Hardy's

Reby Sky has claimed on her personal Twitter that Impact Wrestling are issuing letters to cable providers threating to sue them if they show the Hardy's in ROH.

UPDATE: TNA sending "spooky" letters to cable providers threatening to sue if they air Hardys. Trying to screw ROH & ruin wrestling for fans

— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) March 11, 2017

Anthem Sports CEO On Why They Bought Impact Wrestling, If They Would Work With Billy Corgan

The Financial Post has a story on Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. CEO Leonard Asper, who discussed the company purchasing Impact Wrestling. During the interview, Asper noted that he was a wrestling fan when he was younger and would mimic AWA matches with his brother, David. Below are a couple of highlights:

Why they bought TNA:

"I like sports. But I'm not doing this because I'm a wrestling fanatic. It's a business decision. We want to own content as a company."

Possibly working with Billy Corgan:

"He was going to do some other things in the wrestling world. We said when we get all of this blocking and tackling done, we'll reconvene and see what we'll do together."

You can read the full article by clicking here.

The Hardys Not Re-Signing with TNA, Backstage Details on Matt & Jeff Feeling “Disrespected” By TNA Officials, Their TV Future

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Matt and Jeff Hardy will NOT be signing new deals with Impact Wrestling, and it’s reportedly because the brothers felt disrespected during contract talks.

Sources are reporting The Hardys agreed to terms on a new TNA deal back in December, but requested a few minor changes, and were simply waiting for the finalized offer.

The deal was supposed to be for 1-year, but weeks and weeks passed, with Matt constantly checking in, but they were consistently given the run around.

Eventually Matt and Jeff’s lawyer informed Impact Wrestling officials that they wanted a creative control clause written into their new deals, but that was shot down immediately. One source claims the Hardy’s lawyer told Ed Nordholm of Anthem Sports & Entertainment there was interest from other companies and he responded by saying, “Well, tell them to go to WWE then.”

This set Jeff Hardy off, who at that point said he was no longer interested in re-signing. Matt continued talks, but when they sent a new contract last week it was now a 2-year deal and terms had been snuck in which stated they’d receive 10% of all his profits outside of Impact.

Matt’s lawyer said he’d be a fool to sign, so he informed the company he wasn’t interested in doing so, but would still come to the tapings to write off his characters. However, he was told he was crazy to think they’d want him on TV without a contact.

Impact Wrestling officials are reportedly trying to get their tag titles back.