More Surgery News

Former TNA Tag Team Champion and one half of the greatest tag team ever -- Motor City Machine Guns -- is set to undergo knee surgery, according to his girlfriend's Twitter page.

Sabin apparently suffered the injury at an Impact taping this week, causing his match to be cut short. There is no word on how much in-ring action he will miss, though it will probably be a couple of months.

Let me just say: lame. His partner, Alex Shelley, finally returned after breaking his collarbone. I got all excited about seeing them back together again, as TNA had no idea what to do with a singles Sabin, and now, Sabin, is injured, leaving Alex Shelley by himself.

I wish for a speedy recovery for Sabin as well, and I also hope TNA doesn't create hassle for him over his medical bills. Yeah, I went there.

Chyna Return Covered Mainstream!

Chyna's return to professional wrestling has graced TMZ, and, this morning, it got the Perez Hilton treatment.

However, Perez is claiming that Vince was considering putting her into the Hall of Fame, and is infuriated that she would show up at a rival organization.

This is more than likely speculation and gossip on Perez's part to make people discuss things. I really don't see Vince putting her in the Hall of Fame at the moment, just because WWE doesn't seem to enjoy acknowledging her all that much. With their PG model, her antics on reality shows, stint on Celebrity Rehab and sex tape with X-Pac are definitely clashing factors.

For the record, I would love to see Chyna in the Hall of Fame, as much as WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross disagrees with me. She deserves some kind of recognition for being the first female to hold the Intercontinental Championship.

Music Video Madness!

Billy Corgan -- as in the lead singer of the 90s alternative band the Smashing Pumpkins -- has announced that several professional wrestling personalities will appear in their latest music video.

Shelly Martinez (pictured), formerly known as Ariel in WWE and Salinas in TNA, will be featured in the music video, alongside Melissa Anderson, who is known as Raisha Saeed, Cheerleader Melissa and Alissa Flash. The director of the video announced via Twitter that one of the female talents from GLOW will also be appearing in the video.

This isn't the first time a female wrestler has been featured in a music video in the mainstream. In 2007, rap superstar Timbaland included Brooke Adams (Miss Tessmacher), Layla and Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Torrie Wilson and Ashley Massaro in his video for Throw It On Me, featuring the Hives.

It's no secret that Billy Corgan is an enormous long-time wrestling fan. I am curious as to how the video is going to be.

Good Faith Deal?

TMZ is reporting that former WWE Diva and now current TNA Knockout Chyna -- born Joanie Laurer -- is working for the Orlando-based company without a contract.

It is being reported that Chyna is being kept on a very, very short leash, and they note that this will be Chyna's first time in the ring in 9 years. She also has an offer to wrestle in Japan.

I don't know how I feel about this no contract, good-faith, short-leash deal. It always seems to burn either TNA or the talents involved. I also hope that Chyna's issues don't rear up again.

No Longer TNA?

Hulk Hogan is claiming on his Twitter page that the name TNA has been dropped in favor of Impact Wrestling.

This perplexes me as I was under the impression that they could not get the copyright on the name.

Jason Powell of ProWrestling.Net also informs us that what Hogan is saying goes against what his source had informed him about this, saying it was to be the name of the television show.

Speculation has been running rampant about TNA having a name change for the last little while.

I should also note that a lot of times what Hogan is saying is rife with ... um, "hot air", and might not be anything more than Hogan pandering to the "marks" he and Bischoff despise so much.

Chyna In TNA!

It appears TNA has dropped their idea of using Isis The Amazon as Kurt Angle's "partner" in favor of a much bigger name from WWF's 1990s heyday.

Spoilers are reporting that former WWF Diva Joanie Laurer, who competed under and later changed her name to Chyna, appeared at the show last night as Kurt Angle's partner. It appears she will be getting involved in the feud between Kurt, his ex-wife Karen and her new husband, Jeff Jarrett, who faced Chyna -- and lost the Intercontinental Championship to her -- in his last WWF match.

I'm pretty floored by this development, if for nothing else that I was under the impression that she was done with professional wrestling. I hope she has worked out her demons and gotten herself into a better place. She inspired so many and the path she has been on since she left WWE has been outright heartbreaking.

A Touch Shady, If You Ask Me

Former WCW starlet and independent wrestler April Hunter recently told F4WOnline.com that she turned down a job offer with TNA Wrestling.

"First off, I do like the people there and enjoy the locker room

backstage. It's a fun company. But there were a few issues.

The money wasn't more than I'm offered on the indies.

However, the main issue was they asked me to sign a

waiver clearing them of any future medical issues, and

that I had to be cleared by my own doctor first. I know

two other girls fighting with them to get their medical

bills paid at that point, and I wasn't very comfortable

with the idea after all the injuries I've been through.

I know how easy it is to get hurt and I also know

they like to suggest certain high risk moves at times.

That is what royally screwed up a match I had with

Desire a few years ago. TNA put a match together using

moves that neither of us were comfortable with or familiar with.

So, I said no. I'd never rule them out if they changed

their policies, but right now, it's not for me."

April is obviously referring to former TNA Knockout Daffney, who has filed a worker's compensation claim against them regarding the fact that TNA refused to cover any of her medical bills after she was injured taking nasty spots they suggested for her. I can't tell you who the other Knockout is.

Either way, it's pretty sick. TNA asks their performers to do crazy things at times; I know they don't quite have the WWE budget, but medical should be the least that they can pay for the performers, considering the Knockouts are so underpaid. I feel pretty shifty just reading that they're asking their new recruits to sign medical waivers.

TNA Return?

It appears that Kevin Nash is a touch miffed that the WWE is not going to put him back in the ring as a full-time performer.

The WWE Legend known as "Diesel" was signed to a Legends deal back in January.

Nash has been very vocal against WWE's Youth Movement, where they have been trying to push new stars in the wake of slipping ratings and fan boredom. Kevin Nash claimed when Miz won the WWE Championship, that it "exposed the whole business as a work".

Knowing now that WWE does not plan on abandoning their Youth Movement, Nash took to his twitter to ask his fans whether or not he should go back to TNA.

I wouldn't recommend it just because I think they're starting to have a little death rattle, but what do I know?

Back To ROH!

Ring of Honor's Best In The World online pay-per-view just became a whole lot more awesome.

In a press release, ROH is confirming that former TNA Superstar Jay Lethal, pka "Black Machismo", will be returning to the independent promotion for the first time since 2008. Lethal was released several weeks ago by TNA, who obviously do not contain the standard no-compete clause codicils that appear in every WWE Superstar and Diva contracts.

The upcoming Best In The World pay-per-view is slated for June 26, 2011. I'm sure that Jim Cornette is thrilled to have this great talent working for the organization.

I will also note that as far as I can tell, there has been no interest from WWE to pick up Jay Lethal, but that doesn't mean that there is a chance that they won't in the future. Either way, it's great to see him keep doing what he's good at.

Harassed?

SEScoops is reporting that former WWE Superstar the Honky Tonk Man is making some stunning new claims in his recent blog.

It's been no secret that TNA has come under fire recently for the way they are treating their employees, as well as an announcement leaking to the press that a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against TNA Wrestling. Terry Taylor was named in the lawsuit.

HTM is claiming that the Knockout who filed the sexual harassment claim is none other than Karen Jarrett, formerly Angle, and that she was sexually harassed by Serg Salinas, the husband of the one and only Dixie Carter.

He claims that this is why Dixie has been absent from television and claims that as part of the settlement Karen got her job back with the company.

I don't know whether this is true or not, but if this is the case, it's not cool. Not only that, but what kind of person is Karen Jarrett who would use the lawsuit to get a job back in the company that created this kind of hassle for her? It just makes no sense.

Kharma!

After weeks of speculation, WWE has confirmed that former TNA Knockout Awesome Kong, real name Kia Stevens, will indeed be named Kharma.

Tonight's vignette of her on Raw saw her snap the head off of a blonde Bratz doll, before laughing hysterically. The camera then panned up to her face, before fading out to "Harm". Harm then became Kharma.

I would like to be the first to say great video production and what a great way to bring her in. I'm glad WWE has taken their time with this and not rushed it.

Speculation going around today is that she will at first be involved in a program with WWE Diva Beth Phoenix, which is a prospect I've been salivating over ever since Kong announced she had signed with WWE.

I would also like to congratulate Awesome Kong for breaking the mold of the typical cookie cutter Diva and looking like a real woman. Congratulations on achieving your dream.

This Is Alarming

A few months ago, I was appalled to read an article that depicted TNA's treatment of their Knockouts. For a company who is overseen by a woman, it's pretty bad to hear that some of their women are paid so low that they can't afford to make the house shows, or that they have to find second jobs to support themselves, a la former Knockout Taylor Wilde.

At one point, it was safe to say that TNA's Knockouts Division was way better than the WWE Divas division. They outdrew the men in the ratings department. They weren't the typical cookie cutter Divas that the WWE Universe has steadily been rejecting since their golden era of Divas all left and retired.

Then they all left in droves. Awesome Kong, Alissa Flash, ODB, Tara for a short period, Traci Brooks -- for a while, Roxxi. Now we're left with three former WWE Divas in Winter (Katie Lea), Tara (Victoria), Mickie James, Madison, Rosita and Sarita and The Beautiful People.

Several months ago, Shannon Spruill -- known as Daffney -- revealed on her Twitter account that she was no longer a TNA Knockout, and it may have something to do with the fact that she had filed a worker's compensation claim against them over the multiple, severe injuries she had suffered during her time in TNA, including a crushed sternum from overweight wrestler Rosie Lottalove, who wound up getting fired after everything. You can read her story at this link:

http://www.cagesideseats.com/2011/4/21/2125160/the-sad-story-of-shannon-daffney-spruill

If this is true, as a woman, Dixie Carter should be ashamed of herself. She has not tweeted since her Twitter account was reactivated. She's been laying low, amidst rumors of lawsuits and troubled waters approaching. Ratings have been falling; their core demographic are leaving in droves. And at the core of it all are lawsuits filed by all the employees who have been treated sub-par by the company.

At one point, I wanted these guys to succeed. They have great talent in guys like Abyss, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle. The thing that even sets them apart from WCW is their ability to build their homegrown talent -- all WCW had really was Goldberg.

Unfortunately, since the influx of former WWE guys and Hogan and Bischoff, this company has gotten so horrible that I just don't care at this point. And if they are going to treat their employees like this, then maybe they should just close their doors. This is sub-human treatment. At one point, Daffney was taking these bumps to a point where wrestling reporters were calling it gratuitous and it was.

Several years back, Konnan filed a lawsuit against TNA, claiming that they were racist. Not only that, but he claimed TNA only took care of their top card talent that were more than likely getting their money from Dixie's father's company Panda Energy. He cited them paying for Scott Steiner's surgery at the time, but refusing to pay for Ron Killings' (R-Truth). Some of the people on the roster are barely making enough to survive, according to reports, let alone pay for surgeries that they would need to get healthy again.

I say good on Daffney for filing a complaint. TNA shouldn't be able to pick and choose what employees to take care of. We keep hearing how Dixie isn't a tyrannical billionaire, that she's just a mother of two from Texas. How TNA is a family. Well, then, why isn't she treating her employees like that?

Surgery Needed

Wrestlezone.Com is reporting that Abyss will require dental surgery after losing two of his teeth, thanks to a springboard kick from Rob Van Dam at the Impact tapings.

It's being said that he is receiving high praise in TNA for working through the pain. Let's wish Abyss a speedy recovery.

Can I also note that it seems like everybody is dropping off like flies over there? Matt Hardy claims that his arm is either deeply bruised or fractured, Kurt Angle claims his shoulder is separated and Jeff Jarrett's ribs are broken, and Bully Ray is bruised up pretty nicely. Maybe everybody should, like, not be going so hard?

Having said that, while it was nice that Abyss worked through the pain, my fingers are crossed in that by doing what he did, he didn't hurt the chances of getting things fixed up properly.

Released?

ProWrestling.net is reporting that TNA has released former X Division Champion Jay Lethal.

They are noting that no formal announcement has been made regarding Jay's TNA future, but that his profile has been taken down from the TNA roster page.

It's unfortunate; Jay is a very talented wrestler, who I have no doubt will be an asset to any other company that is not TNA, who seems to be hinting at a 14 year later match between Sting and Hulk Hogan. This company has gotten so ridiculous that it almost seems like a blessing when one of the young guys gets freed to go somewhere where they will be appreciated.

Having said that, it's still a shame to see somebody lose their job. Fingers crossed that WWE or ROH will sign him.

New TNA Knockout?

According to the Twitter account of Mickie James, former WWE Diva Serena Deeb has received a tryout match with TNA.

Serena debuted in WWE for a short period of time, having her head shaved and becoming part of the Straight Edge Society with Luke Gallows and CM Punk. Rumor has it that her release came with her not adhering to the character principles outside of the ring.

This could be a huge coup for TNA, who is apparently getting ready to give itself a massive overhaul. It's Knockouts Division is in dire need of fresh blood.

Leaving?

WrestleZone is reporting that TNA is having great difficulty finding somebody to reveal as the head of the Network, the mysterious entity that has been making the Hogan/Bischoff regime miserable.

Despite reports claiming that TNA President Dixie Carter is set to be the big reveal, many websites are saying that it is just simply not the case.

WrestleZone says that Mick Foley has been suggested, but that these plans are falling through. Mick apparently has not been bluffing about not signing a new contract with TNA, and made them aware of the fact that he is just not into being a part of the network. The rest of the details are only known to those involved.

This is pretty bad for TNA, though. The angle itself isn't even that great, but if they can't find someone that the fans will be happy with, TNA is just going to keep doing the downward spiral its on.

Set To Return

WrestleZone.com is reporting that TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James is set to return to the ring at the next set of Impact tapings in the next two weeks.

Mickie has been out injured since a house show dark match against Madison Rayne in January. It is believed she suffered a separated shoulder.

Mickie competed in a thirty second squash match at Lockdown this past weekend, defeating Madison Rayne to capture the TNA Knockouts championship. This makes her the first woman in pro wrestling to hold every major women's championship.

Storyline wise, TNA covered up the injury by stating that Mickie was attacked by Madison and Tara, who apparently ran Mickie over with her motorcycle, injuring her and leaving her fate for Lockdown unknown.

Sentenced

Kurt Angle has been sentenced, stemming from his March arrest for reckless driving.

Kurt has been sentenced to a chemical dependency evaluation, around five hundred dollars in fines, and a year of unsupervised probation. A ten day jail sentence was suspended.

This is not the first time that Kurt has been in trouble; previously he has been arrested and accused of drunk driving -- he was acquitted, even though he failed a sobriety test at his home.

Kurt was also arrested, accused of harassing his then-girlfriend, former TNA Knockout Rhaka Khan. The charges were later dropped.

Hopefully, this gives Kurt the help that he obviously needs.

PS. Kurt, we love you, but shut up on the whole move debate. You're just driving us nuts.

Retiring?

Matt Hardy's latest video blog is alleging that his brother Jeff Hardy is contemplating retiring from professional wrestling and could possibly be in need of some major back surgery.

Jeff has not been seen in TNA since the Victory Road debacle with Sting, and his status has been unknown since.

Interesting to note, however; Jeff's wife Beth Britt-Hardy posted on her Twitter that Jeff hasn't said anything about retiring; however, she later removed the Tweet.

Rejected?

The Pro Wrestling Torch is reporting that current TNA and ROH Superstar Christopher Daniels was recently rejected by the WWE.

According to the Torch, Daniels reached out to WWE in hopes of securing a contract during his latest hiatus from TNA, before he arrived in Ring of Honor. It is being said that WWE rejected him because of his small stature and his age of 40, an age where a few wrestlers start contemplating retirement.

This could have been a huge grab for WWE, as Christopher Daniels, despite his age, still has a lot to bring to the table. Unfortunately, I do believe that most of Daniels' connections to the WWE are now in TNA, namely in the form of the Hardys, as I understand he is friends with them.

Either way, he is a great asset to any company he works in, and who knows? Maybe a WWE run will be in the works.