TNA News Bytes

TNA News Bytes

September 10, 2007

by Sassy

TNA NEWS

TNA Goes to Two Hour Time Slot

It appears Spike TV and TNA are still together and TNA may get its two-hour time slot as early as October 5.  The show is still scheduled to be on Thursday evenings and it is said Spike TV does not expect an increase in the ratings when the two-hour show begins. Source Ryan Clark, www.ProWrestlingFans.com.

TNA Drug Testing to Begin

TNA will begin random drug testing of its employees within a few weeks. Source www.TNAWrestlingNews.com. The urgency appears to be so that TNA will be able report to Congress it does drug testing and actually has a drug prevention plan in place.  I would think that TNA could have moved a little quicker than they have.  Congress is getting started with drugs in the wrestling entertainment industry before the end of this month.

They Should Have Been Ahead of the Game

Reports indicate that members of the congressional committee held a conference call on August 28 with Konnan, formerly of TNA. He was asked about TNA and WWE, about pay and independent contractor status of wrestlers, and about drug usage. Source www.gerweck.net. It makes us think that the “independent contractor” clause may be another hit to professional wrestling.

Black Machismo Is Feeling the Pain

Jay Lethal chatted with The Pain Clinic about his match at No Surrender and the wellness policy TNA has in place. Check it out: www.feelthepain.net.

TNA Seeking New Roster Members

It is being reported that TNA has sent out feelers to Scott Hall now that he is back in shape.  Hall last appeared on TNA in 2005.  Source http://www.pwpix.net. Rumors of other wrestlers in sight are Bill Goldberg, Sabu, and even Chris Jericho.  As much as we think Jericho would be a great acquisition, I doubt TNA will be able to pull him away from WWE.

Last Week’s iMPACT Tapings

The following non-TNA personnel were backstage during last weeks tapings:  Sabu, Billy Kidman, Sean Waltman, Matt Bentley, and David Young.  No word on whether or not TNA management has any of them on the list of new hires when iMPACT expands to two hours.  Source: http://ringsidenews.com. I am not familiar with David Young but I like the other four that were there.

Mrs. Angle and TNA Opinions

www.wrestlezone.com reports that most TNA personnel are giving Karen Angle rave reviews regarding her performances on TNA since she has no previous experience.  No kidding, she has no previous experience?  Like the fans didn’t notice. There are rumors that she wasn’t all that easy to get along with in other organizations.

TNA Pacman Jones Opinions

www.prowrestlingfans.com reports that everyone backstage thinks Jones is wonderful, that he uses the locker room just like the rest of the guys and doesn’t travel with an entourage.  Gee, I wonder when that changed?

Pacman Again

Jeff Jarrett has been negotiating with the Tennessee Titans regarding getting Jones in the ring and working. We will know if he showed up in the ring at No Surrender.  Source: Ashish, www.411mania.com.

Executive Leaves          

As reported at www.411mania.com, Will Barton who was in charge of TNA online merchandise is no longer with the company. No reasons were given but it doesn’t appear that he was fired.

Kevin, Leticia and Joe 

Kevin Nash’s contract is expiring at TNA.  Everyone believes he will be offered a contract extension.  We are in hopes that the writers find a better story line for Nash, the doctor routine isn’t all that great. Leticia Cline is on a leave of absence  from TNA so that she can work on the X-Games, Maxim and other projects.  We are glad someone said something about Leticia’s TNA status, we were starting to worry about her. Samoa Joe was offered a restructured and extended contact but he has two years left on his present contract and opted not to take the extension. Source, Luiz Perez, www.lordsofpain.com.

TNA Goes International

TNA will take the show on the road, across the ocean, and be in Tel Aviv, Israel the weekend of November 11, 2007 through November 17, 2007.  Source www.411mania.com. It has been reported by www.wrestleview.com that the dates are not “cast in stone” but there are plans to have TNA in Tel Aviv in the near future.

TNA Text Message Busy Before No Surrender

TNA text message has been sending teasers to its subscribers regarding a big announcement to be made during the No Surrender pay per view.  Most sources believe TNA will announce the impending two-hour time slot and/or the acquisition of a new talent.  Stay tuned!

TNA Current Events

TNA house show at Zamora Shrine Temple, Birmingham/Rondale, AL, October 11.  Tickets go on sale September 10.

Information on Bound For Glory Fanfest starting October 13 can be located here:

www.slamline.com/news/190513149.shtml or www.tnawrestling.com.

Bound For Glory, Atlanta, GA, October 14.

Instant Classic:  The Best of Christian Cage DVD available October 16.  www.tnawrestling.com.

Genesis is November 11.

TNA:  Year 1 DVD to be released November 20.  www.tnawrestling.com.

TNA iMPACT tapings are held at Universal Studios, Orlando, FL.

For information on pay per views, TNA house shows, TNA merchandise and ticket information, go to www.tnawrestling.com.

Current TNA Talent Events

Auction for Autism information:

http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/news/?p=891

Additional information: www.uwfusa.com

Fans will be bidding to manage their favorite wrestlers.  There are many talents up for bid.  The TNA talent list:  Scott & Rick Steiner, Dustin Rhodes, Elix Skipper, Hernandez, Homicide, AJ Styles, Abyss, Senshi, Gail Kim, and  Earl Hebner. You can also Bid to Guest Ring Announce a Match!

Is there a current TNA Event or TNA Talent Event that we have missed?  Please send information to the Webmaster.

Not Necessarily TNA News

Private Funeral Held For Brian “Crush” Adams

A private funeral for Brian Adams was held in Tampa, FL on August 22, 2007.  The funeral home released no information on the arrangements at the family’s request. Friends and co-workers of Adams in attendance were:  Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Brett Hart, Jeff Jarrett and the Nasty Boys.  Brian “Crush” Adams was 44 years old at the time of his death.  Source Steve Gerweck, www.gerweck.net.

RVD Talks to The Joe McConnell Experience

www.wrestlingtruth.com posted an article, Source PWInsider, regarding a telephone call from Rob Van Dam.  Quite a bit of the conversation covered the Benoit head injury findings announced that same day and wellness programs at WWE. RVD will make his future plans known soon.

Konnan Health Report

Konnan had a bad side effect to the anti rejection drug he was taking.  It appears to be under control at this time, however, he is still unable to travel.  Source:  www.gerweck.net.

If You Like Wrestling News

Dexter Holley reports Pro Wrestling Weekly will be a new – and the only – wrestling news show on network television.  You can find out more about when, where, and if you will be able to catch the show in your area here: www.prowrestlingweekly.net.  It isn’t available across the country at this time, but you can email the site and request they make it to a network available to you.

Thursday Bytes Follow Up

It Isn’t Just About Wrestlers

Sports Legacy Institute Press Release:

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute today appeared with Michael Benoit, father of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, to release the results of neuropathological tests that demonstrate his son suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain.

The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son's death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler's brain.

SLI's research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE's most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism, and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy. While CTE has long been found in boxers, and more recently in NFL football players, the findings of CTE in Benoit suggest that athletes involved in other contact sports may also be at a heightened risk for this type of brain injury.

"When Chris Nowinski contacted me about conducting tests on Chris's brain, I was extremely hesitant given the circumstances surrounding my son's death," said Michael Benoit. "I agreed to the testing after he explained their desire to expand knowledge about the potential brain damage that athletes can suffer from repetitive head injuries in contact sports. When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone's knowledge. I hope the examination of Chris's brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages."

Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit's brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players - Long, and Waters - committed suicide.

Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia and depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football. When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from "the evil ones" and then led police on a 40 mile high-speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death

"When the SLI approached Michael Benoit about testing Chris's brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project, our goal was to determine if there was evidence of CTE caused by repeated trauma to the head sustained during Chris Benoit's career. We have now confirmed multiple concussions are part of his medical history, along with clinical symptoms associated with CTE," said Julian Bailes, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an SLI founding member. "Because my SLI colleagues and I have found evidence of CTE in the brains of four former professional football players, we felt an examination of Chris Benoit's brain may bring awareness to CTE's existence outside of boxers and football players. The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit suggest that there may be a common syndrome among athletes who suffer multiple head injuries in contact sports."

The neuropathological findings were confirmed by other neuropathologists, and correlate with recent findings of an increased risk of depression and cognitive impairment in professional football players who have suffered multiple concussions, according to research conducted by Dr. Bailes and another SLI founding member, Robert Cantu, Md., Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass,, and Co-Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain damage that is best documented in boxers, but can also occur in athletes who played football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, or any sport associated with impacts to the head. It can only be confirmed by a post-mortem neuropathological immunohistochemical study. While studies show that as many as 20 percent of professional boxers show evidence of CTE, there has been little study of CTE in athletes involved in other contact sports.

According to the examinations, Mr. Benoit's brain exhibited large amounts of abnormal Tau protein, manifested as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) and Neuropil Threads [NTs]. These represent aggregates of abnormal Tau protein, which are remnants of the cytoskeleton of the brain cells and their connections. Frequent NFTs and NTs were distributed in all regions of the brain including the neocortex, the limbic cortex, subcortical ganglia, and brainstem ganglia accompanied by loss of brain cells. Accumulation of abnormal Tau protein in the form of NFTs and NTs in the brain has been confirmed to cause neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, and dementia. There was no other neuropathological evidence for any chronic or acute disorder to explain his clinical symptoms.

"The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit's brain, which are consistent with the previous examinations of athletes who suffered from repeated head traumas, confirm the need for a large-scale study of CTE in athletes who participate in contact sports," said Chris Nowinski, who retired from professional sports after multiple concussions and conceived SLI, a collaboration of doctors and advocates that includes renowned attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who played an integral role. "The link between CTE and contact sports is clear. We need to conduct more research to understand the full spectrum of the disease and raise awareness so parents, coaches, medical staff, and athletic officials know how to respond when athletes, including children, sustain head injuries. If we apply this knowledge we believe we can successfully prevent future cases."

The Sports Legacy Institute is dedicated to studying the effects of concussions and other sports related brain injuries. Through its efforts, SLI aims to maximize the safety and vitality of all athletes who participate in contact and collision sports around the globe. The designation of the Sports Legacy Institute as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation is in the process of being submitted. The Sports Legacy Institute relies on donations from concerned parties to fund its work.

Source:  Luiz Perez, www.lordsofpain.com.

WWE’s Statement in Response to Benoit Brain Damage Findings

WWE released a statement to the FOX News Network regarding to Michael Benoit regarding last week’s findings:

"Today's attempt to explain that Chris Benoit's murder of his family was possibly caused by some form of dementia as a result of alleged concussions is speculative.  WWE can certainly understand the anguish of a father having to deal with the fact that his son allegedly murdered his wife and young son, as Chris Benoit is alleged to have done. We respect the desire of that father to do whatever he can to find some explanation as to why his son might commit such horrible acts."

Source Fox News Network, http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=4270512&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1.

Of course we know it’s speculative.  There have been no definitive studies done concerning the affects of head trauma in wrestling.  Now would be a good time for the medical community to consider doing a comprehensive study. If this was Vince McMahon’s son, I’m sure Vince would have wanted answers as well. But Shane spends his time in an office, not in the ring – why would Vince worry about head trauma? Because now the world is watching, Vince.  If you don’t worry about dead bodies left in the wake, you should worry about the fans.   You know, those people who make you the big bucks every week.

Chris Kanyon Doesn’t Care for WWE’s Response Either

Posted by www.gerweck.net, read the complete Kanyon response to WWE here:

Benoit's brain: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=21600346&blogID=307396829

I suggest you read the entire article.  Chris makes several pertinent points.

Larry King Live

Michael Benoit was interviewed by Larry King after the release of information regarding the extent of damage to Chris Benoit’s brain.  You can read the transcript of that interview here: www.gerweck.net.

Nick Hogan and the Phantom Dodge Viper

www.TMZ.com reports that the driver of the Dodge Viper spotted near the accident site was driven by the best friend of John Graziano, Danny Jacobs.   The initial reaction from everyone was that Hulk Hogan, who also owns a Viper the same color, was the other driver and vehicle.   Wester Donovan posts on www.rajah.com Florida State Troopers have ticked Nick Hogan for going over 100 mph in a 70 mph zone.  Once Nick was given a warning claiming he had an emergency but the trooper notified a trooper farther down the road to watch for the black Mercedes Nick was driving.  The second trooper gave him a ticket for traveling 115 mph in a 70 mph zone.  Authorities have stated that speed contributed to the accident that put Graziano in the hospital.  At this time, reports are that Graziano is still in critical condition while Nick was released from the hospital shortly after the accident.

According to www.2xzone.com, Graziano is still in a coma and may have suffered brain damage.  Since the families are so close, it appears Graziano’s family may not sue for damaged, but that may changed should the condition worsen or become permanent.

More Drugs, Same Scandal

Ringside news reports that in 2003 a John Todd Miller was arrested in Tampa for posing as a doctor, running a medical clinic, and prescribing drugs to wrestlers.  You can read the entire post here:

http://ringsidenews.com/news/ric-flair-big-show-linked-to-drug-scandal-details.html

Among the wrestlers involved are top stars the Big Show and Ric Flair. 

Women in Wrestling and Drugs?          

There are rumors floating around the wrestling world about how none of the female personnel have been named in the drug scandal.  Most sources say that the women do take illegal drugs not to build muscle but to keep their weight down.

Victoria of WWE fame posted a scathing response to the remarks that accuse women in the WWE of taking any type of drug.  www.wrestlingtruth.com responded to Victoria’s rant by asking her if Michelle McCool hadn’t recently overdosed on diet pills.  The rumors did not name names or give any other information, but as we have already posted – there is more than one pharmacy out there that could be involved.  We don’t know how many other wrestlers will be caught in the dragnet.

I understand where Victoria is coming from but I think she went about her denial in all the wrong ways.  She attacked everyone who may have written anything much like some of the soon to be found out wrestlers have done.  It isn't about who is and who isn't popping drugs as much as it is about saving lives.  If she isn't concerned about her fellow wrestlers she should be.  Maybe she should check out that list of deceased wrestlers with the age of death.

Another One Gone

Dave Meltzer reports King Booker, Booker T, real name Robert Huffman has quit WWE.  He was facing a 60-day suspension after being named on the Signature Pharmacy list and it is believed he failed a drug test, which would result in a 60 versus a 30-day suspension.  WWE is trying to work things out with Booker, but no word yet on whether or not he will return to the WWE ring.  Source: Wrestling Observer.

William Regal Admits Drug Use    

But claims he has been clean since Chris Benoit and others helped him through his drug problem in the 1990’s. Source Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Sylvan Grenier on WWE Release

Grenier phoned in to talk on The Whole Effin Show.  Genier admitted he was a customer of Signature Pharmacy and said he did nothing wrong. He said that he and WWE came to terms on his release and none of the rumors about him were true. Source: www.kocosports.com.

More on Bruiser Brody

We mentioned the new book out on Bruiser Brody in a previous Bytes.  We now hear that Bruiser will be inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame on Friday, September 14, at 7 PM.  Bruiser’s wife, Barbara Goodish, will accept the award on Bruiser’s behalf.  Source Mitch Hartsey, www.pwbts.com.

TNA NEWS BYTES / SEPTEMBER 6
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