TNA is in the final stages of completing a 20,000 square foot TV studio in Nashville, which will handle their in-house DVD production, tape library, merchandise storage and interview sets, as well as office space available for lease. It should be up and running by October for them to record a number of pre-taped interviews during the week. This is indicative of TNA continuing to make a profit, to the extent that they have now started to repay Panda Energy some of the tens of millions of dollars they invested in the company in previous years.
The consensus on Tomko is that he will likely return to WWE. When he left them it was on good terms, saying he wanted to go to Japan and improve his work rather than stay on their undercard and flounder without as much ring-time. He is booked for the 15 August IGF show at Sumo Hall. Money has always been a major issue for Tomko as he likes to live at a high standard.
The booking of the recent Battle Royal on Impact, which led to Kevin Nash walking out on the TV tapings, was handled by Vince Russo. Word had leaked a couple of weeks earlier that Vince McMahon was angry at Michael Cole’s announcing on Raw for not selling the idea that a match might end during a commercial break, even though it never does. Russo heard about this and decided they should do something along those lines, so instead of eliminating one person during the break he booked three eliminations. Even Nash’s usual critics were not disagreeing with his walk-out this time.
Russo has also been trying to convince Sting to go ahead with a heel turn. The announcers and guys like Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles are being booked to believe Sting is turning, to such an extent that the fans will expect him not to turn. Russo wants to swerve the fans again by actually going through with the turn, even though Sting is not keen on the idea. Russo had Sting turn heel during their WCW days but it didn’t work then, with Sting back as a face three weeks later without even turning back.
Team 3-D’s contracts expire next month.
Matt Morgan gave American Gladiators their highest-rated quarter-hours on both the 21 and 28 July episodes.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 11 August 2008 (subscribe here)
