Preview For Thursday's Impact Wrestling - Four Matches Announced

ImpactWrestling.com has released the official preview for Thursday's episode of Impact Wrestling.

IMPACT Preview: Flair Demands Hogan, Roode & RVD, Knockouts & More

Preview Thursday's IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c. If you can't watch it Thursday, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don't miss any of the action.

- After what happened this past week during the Eric Bischofff Appreciation ceremony, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair has promised to call out General Manager Hulk Hogan to address what happened

- Before their World Heavyweight Championship bout at Sacrifice, Bobby Roode and Rob Van Dam will pick each other's opponents on the huge broadcast

- As a preview to matches that will take place at Sacrifice, AJ Styles teams with World Tag Team Champions Samoa Joe and Magnus to face Kurt Angle, Daniels and Kazarian

- In Knockouts Tag Team action, Knockouts Champion Gail Kim and Madison Rayne face Velvet Sky and Brooke Tessmacher

All this and much more on Thursday's IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast at 9/8c on SpikeTV, plus news on the upcoming "Sacrifice" Pay-Per-View event on Sunday, May 13

Update on WWE and TNA's Deal for Flair's HOF Appearance, Dixie on TNA PPV Buys

 It was reported around WrestleMania 28 that WWE had agreed to send one of their talents to TNA, most likely for a DVD appearance, in exchange for TNA allowing Ric Flair to appear at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Word came out later that the talent WWE would be sending likely had a history with Ric Flair, Sting and Hulk Hogan.

We don't have a full report from her appearance yet but TNA President Dixie Carter appeared on Busted Open Radio earlier this week and talked about how it was an easy decision to allow Flair's Hall of Fame appearance.

Dixie added that in the next few months, we would see something come out of her allowing Flair to go. She then said that is all she will say and probably said too much already.

Dixie was also asked why TNA pay-per-view buys were in the 10,000's when they get around 1 million people watching Impact per week. She said that is not true.

Backstage News on Rey Mysterio's WWE Suspension, Failure Happened In February

- As noted before, Rey Mysterio was suspended for 60 days last week for violating the WWE Wellness Policy for a second time. Rey reportedly failed the drug test back on February 13th but wasn't suspended until this month.

Rey reportedly tested positive for amphetamines.

Rey showed up to the RAW Supershow on February 13th in San Diego but before he could settled in and say hello to everyone, he was informed that he had to go right in for drug testing. A week later, Vince McMahon was upset with Rey but at the time, nobody knew why.

Rey couldn't believe that he tested positive for amphetamines and says he has been living his life clean. WWE officials asked Mysterio about which medications he was taking and he was upfront about everything. A few days ago, officials called him and asked when he would be ready to return. Rey informed WWE that he could come back in June but was then told that he would have to wait another month because he was being suspended for 60 days.

Rey believes he failed the test because of something he took that caused the positive for amphetamines. WWE obviously did not buy his story as they went public with the failure last week.

Rey was scheduled to go to Japan in a few weeks to do promotional work for WWE but has been replaced by Alberto Del Rio.

Major WWE Release Revealed, Vince's Current Turmoil with Top Star + TNA Stars Coming to WWE and More...

Edge Reportedly Parting Ways with WWE, WWE Declares Quarterly Dividend

- WWE announced the following today:

STAMFORD, Conn.–WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced that its Board of Directors today declared the Company’s regular quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share for all Class A and B shares of common stock. The record date for the dividend will be June 15, 2012, and the payment date will be June 25, 2012.

- It appears that Edge is going to let his contract with WWE expire on Monday. The 2012 WWE Hall of Famer was reportedly offered a new deal to remain exclusive to the company and didn't sign it. As noted earlier, he will be appearing at the Resistance Pro Wrestling show on May 11th in Chicago.

TNA Impact Ratings, Possible Departure from TNA, Linda Admits She Lied, Angle

- Linda Hogan appeared on the Wendy Williams Show on Friday and admitted that she lied about her ex-husband Hulk Hogan having a homosexual relationship with Brutus Beefcake.

- TNA officials gave Kurt Angle the weekend off so he won't be appearing at the Northwestern live events.

- The April 26th episode of TNA's Impact Wrestling scored a 0.99 cable rating with 1,453,000 viewers. The replay from the previous week that aired at 7pm EST scored a 0.39 rating with 509,000 viewers.

- TNA has removed Eric Bischoff and Anarquia from their roster page. Bischoff's removal is part of the storylines but it appears Anarquia may have been released.

Daniel Bryan Discusses WWE Extreme Rules, Brock Lesnar's Return and More

- Daniel Bryan recently spoke with The Baltimore Sun to promote Sunday's WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Here are a few highlights:

His 18 second loss at WrestleMania 28:
"I actually thought the people might enjoy [the quick match]. It was something really different, [to start WrestleMania like that]. The whole situation is very unusual. I'm just happy that the people have gotten behind me. It's really incredible."

Sunday's match against Sheamus:
"Hopefully this [match] doesn't end in 36 seconds. I'm hoping that we can go out there and really steal the show. That's what I was aiming for at Wrestlemania, but it didn't actually happen, so hopefully it turns out this Sunday. Me and Sheamus are two of the hardest-hitting guys in WWE. And I don't think there's anybody that can put on a match like Sheamus and I can. So we're gonna go out there and beat each other up, and I think people are really gonna enjoy it. The crowd in Chicago should be rabid as well, so it should be a really fun show."

Brock Lesnar's return:
"It will be interesting to see how Extreme Rules [performs] as far as pay-per-view buys to see if that part of it is really connected with the audience. I know the reactions in the live crowd when Brock Lesnar has been there, it's been incredible. From a performer's standpoint, I'm very, very interested to see where it goes. It's peaked my interest."

Heath Slater Chats with Santino, Beth Phoenix Update, Ryder vs. Eve Continues

- In the latest episode of Santino Marella's Foreign Exchange, Heath Slater sits down and speaks about his feud with Flo Rida:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lI3tnDolBPk

- WWE Diva Beth Phoenix posted a photo of her at a doctor's office for an MRI this weekend. Sources still insist that the injury is all part of the storylines. She wrote the following about her Extreme Rules match:

"I have been given my rematch this Sunday. Even if I have to wrestle on one leg, I can STILL beat @thebellatwins and win my title back."

- We noted before that Zack Ryder complaining on Twitter about WWE editing his YouTube videos was likely part of a new storyline. After Ryder complained again this week about his show being edited, Eve Torres replied and said she was the one who suggested Ryder's video get censored.

Zack Ryder's Latest Video, Chyna's Next Adult Movie Role, Developmental Signing

- WWE has reportedly signed referee D Edwards of the Urban Wrestling Federation to a developmental deal.

- Chyna's next adult movie role will be "She-Hulk" in a porno parody of "The Avengers."

- Zack Ryder has posted his latest Z! True Long Island Story video:

Impact Wrestling Moving To A New Time Starting May 31st

TNA and Spike TV issued a press release today announcing that Impact Wrestling will begin airing 1 hour earlier each week, starting May 31st. They cited "more available viewers" and "less sports competition" in the earlier timeslot.

SPIKE TV’S “IMPACT WRESTLING” MOVING TO 8:00PM ET/PT ON THURSDAYS BEGINNING MAY 31

Spike TV’s highly-rated two-hour weekly series, TNA’s “IMPACT Wrestling” is moving to a new timeslot. On Thursday, May 31 “IMPACT Wrestling will air at 8:00pm ET/PT, moving from its previous timeslot of 9:00pm ET/PT.

The shift to 8:00pm is predicated on the fact that there are more available viewers in the 8:00-10:00pm timeslot with less sports competition in the 8pm hour.

TNA’s flagship series, “IMPACT Wrestling,” airs weekly on Spike TV and is one of the network’s top-rated series. The show is must-see-tv with young men and currently ranks among the top series on cable on Thursdays with Men 18-34.

The TNA roster features many of the top names in wrestling including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode, Sting, James Storm, Rob Van Dam, and the lovely and lethal Knockouts.

WWE Divas Title Match Added to Sunday's Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View

- WWE has announced a Divas Title match fr the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on Sunday. Here's the updated card:

Extreme Rules Match
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar

2 of 3 Falls Match for the World Heavyweight Title
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus

Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Title
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk

Intercontinental Title Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show
Stipulation TBA

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Randy Orton vs. Kane

WWE Divas Title Match
Beth Phoenix vs. Nikki Bella

WWE United States Title Pre-Show Match
The Miz vs. Santino Marella

WWE Suspends Rey Mysterio for 60 Days

- WWE announced the following today:

"STAMFORD, Conn. – In accordance with its Talent Wellness Program, WWE has suspended Oscar Gutierrez (Rey Mysterio) for 60 days effective Thursday, April 26 for his second violation of the company's policy."

Hulk Hogan Threatening Lawsuit Over Sex Tape Photos

- TMZ reports that Hulk Hogan is freaking out over the screenshots of his alleged sex tape that have leaked onto the internet. Hogan is demanding to the editor of TheDirty.com for photos from his alleged sex tape to be removed from the site, or face a lawsuit.

Hogan's lawyer said, "As you know, should a sex tape or photographs of Mr. Bollea exist, they were taken without his consent and therefore the same would constitute a felony in the State of Florida."

According to the report, the website and editor has no intentions of removing the photos.

Velvet Sky On Transition To Singles Wrestler, Knockouts Division, Dream Opponent

Promoting TNA Wrestling's live event at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Velvet Sky addressed a number of topics in an lengthy interview with The Miami Herald including her transition to a singles competitor, the state of the Knockouts division, becoming the Women's Knockout Champion last year, her dream opponent and more. Highlights are as follows:

Branching out as a singles wrestler after being attached to Angelina Love: “For a while it was me and Angelina [Love in The Beautiful People]. I was never able to shine really and do anything on my own because she was always in the spotlight.

“Since then, they’ve broken up the Beautiful People, which I’m sad about because I wish they were still going forward with that. We had a lot of fun, her and I together, but I just feel like they broke us up, and I was able to be on my own as a singles competitor.

“I just feel I have grown in the sense of you don’t have someone to have your back all the time. You don’t have the option to tag out and recuperate. I feel, more or less, being a singles competitor instead of in a tag team has helped me branch out and come into my own as a performer.”

TNA providing the Knockouts the time to tell stories each week and the freedom to progress: “It’s awesome here because TNA lets us explore character development. We are not just coming out there as girls wrestling and then you don’t see us for a couple of weeks. We get to do backstage vignettes and promos. They let us speak on the microphone, and we do a lot of it in the ring. You don’t see that elsewhere.

“There are matches [elsewhere] where the girls will wrestle for three minutes or so and go to the back. They don’t say a word, and you really don’t know who is who. Here [TNA] we are so grateful we get the chance to be able to come into our own, have time to talk and have our characters develop. I just feel like that has us connected with the fans more.”

Her dream opponent: “I would absolutely love to work with Amy Dumas one day, the wrestler formally known as Lita.

“She is the whole reason I wanted to get into this business. I have always been a fan of wrestling here and there, but when I saw her for the first time, I was just so blown away by her look and athletic ability and how she connected to the crowd, whether it was male or female.

“I try to pattern myself after her. I don’t do the high-flying maneuvers, staying on the ground, but she is the whole reason I wanted to get into this business and got into wrestling. If she were to come here, I think that would be awesome. I would love to work with her one day.”

Read more here.

WWE RAW Supershow Ratings for Last Night's Three-Hour Show

- Last night's three-hour episode of WWE's RAW Supershow from Detroit, Michigan scored a 3.0 cable rating with 4,388,000 viewers over the full three hours. This week's show did hours of 2.48, 3.22 and 3.41.

During the normal two hours, RAW did a 3.3 cable rating with 4,752,000 viewers. This is up from the previous week and can be seen as a good sign for the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar feud.

WWE Releases Tough Enough Winner Andy Leavine

Andy Leavine, winner of the most recent season of Tough Enough, has been released by WWE.

Leavine had actually been signed to a WWE developmental contract before the 2010 season of Tough Enough. After winning the reality competition, he was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled as Kevin Hackman.

He was suspended for 30 days last August for violating WWE’s Talent Wellness Program.

Lawler Working on Foley's Next Book, Reks & Hawkins Update, John Cena's Birthday

- WWE has removed the profiles of Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks following their firing by William Regal on NXT last Wednesday. The two have went on Twitter and are asking fans to help them get re-hired by John Laurinaitis:

"Well, our profiles have been removed from dot com. I know @WWERAWGM is all about people power, so tweet during RAW! #SaveReksAndHawkins"

- John Cena turns 35 years old today.

- Mick Foley revealed on Twitter that Jerry Lawler will be doing the artwork for his children's book that comes out for Christmas. Foley also said WWE will be promoting the book for him.

Which Women Wrestlers Has CM Punk Dated?, The Rock Explains 'Jabroni', More

-- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has addressed the meaning behind one of his most famous catchphrases, "Jabroni."

When asked of the meaning of the word Tuesday on Twitter by NFL player Chad Ochocinco, he wrote, "Jabroni was a term I started using to describe a phony, goof, punk or a ham & egger. #NoCandyAssJabronis."

-- WWE has updated the logo for their Over the Limit pay-per-view—see here. This year's show takes place on May 20 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.

-- The latest issue of The Wrestler has a feature on CM Punk revealing elements of his past including the origin of his ring name, why he left TNA Wrestling, the meaning of some of his tattoos and even which women wrestlers he has dated. Regarding the women's wrestlers Punk has been romantically linked to, the magazine writes:

"We all know women love the bad boys. Though Punk isn't really a bad boy in the traditional sense given the way he lives his life, he looks the part. Whatever the reason, he has been romantically linked to several Divas and Knockouts, including Daffney, Traci Brooks, Maria Kanellis, Amy "Lita" Dumas, and most recently, Beth Phoenix. What is Punk's type?"

Dwayne Johnson Appearing In New Reality Show, The 10 Best Rookie Years, More

-- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is set to appear in The Hero, a new competitive reality series looking to find the "next great hero," reports Variety. Johnson is an executive producer for the show, and will be appearing in "various incarnations" to encourage contestants.

-- Former WWE talent Shane "Hurricane" Helms is not a fan of WWE's "CM Drunk" storyline. He wrote during Monday's Raw SuperShow where Chris Jericho claimed CM Punk was spotted drinking alcohol before defending his title against Mark Henry: "I like both Punk and Jericho but I could care less about this "straight edge vs alcoholic" angle. Just wrestle."

Helms also critiqued a WWE star's bumping ability: "Otunga ... geez. You're on TV with the biggest wrestling company in the world. Please learn how to bump bro."

-- WWE.com takes a look back at the 10 best rookie years in WWE and WCW history. Brock Lesnar is ranked number one on this list, beating out Goldberg, Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, among others. (The 10 best rookie years).

TNA Lockdown Attendance, Flair & Hogan's PPV Segment, Bischoff Update and More

- TNA will tape Impact Wrestling tonight from Orlando. We will have full spoilers later this evening.

- F4Wonline.com reports that TNA had around 2,000 fans in a 9,000 seat arena in Nashville on Sunday night for the Lockdown pay-per-view.

- While Eric Bischoff was written off TNA TV at the Lockdown pay-per-view, he will still be working backstage as a top executive for the company.

- Matches for this weekend's live events in Florida include James Storm vs. Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe & Magnus vs. Daniels & Kazarian, Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion, Velvet Sky vs. Gail Kim, Jeff Hardy vs. Gunner, Matt Morgan vs. Crimson and Devon vs. Bully Ray.

- The segment between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair at Lockdown went longer than planned and caused the remaining matches on the card to get less time. Hogan reportedly went longer than he was supposed to on his part of the segment.

Knockout Confirms Her Departure From TNA Wrestling, Update On Bruce Prichard

-- Traci Brooks has confirmed her departure from TNA Wrestling after her profile was removed from the company's official website over weekend.

"Yes it's true my time with TNA has come to an end, what a great time I had," she wrote on Twitter. "I love the TNA family and will miss everyone but will be watching every Thursday!

Following a one and a half year hiatus, Brooks returned to the organization last summer to help Velvet Sky combat ODB and Jacqueline. She was then made Karen Jarrett's executive assistant, a title she held until Jarrett's on-screen firing in December. Brooks began competing following Thanksgiving but became inactive again a few weeks later and wasn't used again.

-- Bruce Prichard, TNA Wrestling's Senior Vice President of Programming and Talent Relations, returned to work at Sunday's Lockdown pay-per-view. It was his first appearance at an event since suffering a pair of recent heart attacks.

Preview For Thursday's Impact - Two Matches Announced, Steel Cage Wedding

ImpactWrestling.com has released the official preview for Thursday's episode of Impact Wrestling.

Preview IMPACT On Thursday: The Final Countdown To Lockdown

Preview Thursday's IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c. If you can't watch it Thursday, make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don't miss any of the action.

- The broadcast will feature the final countdown to the Lockdown Pay-Per-View event

- World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode and challenger "Cowboy" James Storm will have one last face-to-face before their main event match at Lockdown

- Eric Young and ODB get married on Thursday's broadcast in the first-ever Steel Cage Wedding

- Who will Eric Bischoff and Garett Bischoff pick for their Lethal Lockdown teams? Find out Thursday night! We also understand that members from Eric and Garett's team will battle in a Best of 3 Series with the winning team getting the man advantage going into Lethal Lockdown.

- We'll hear from the Motorcity Machine Guns, who challenge for the World Tag team Championship at Lockdown

- In Knockouts Tag Team action, champion Gail Kim and Madison Rayne battle Velvet Sky and Mickie James

All this and much more on Thursday's IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV

WWE Creative Team Upset Over 'Mania Party Snub, Brock Lesnar T-Shirt Released

-- WWEShop.com has released the T-Shirt Brock Lesnar wore in his Raw return.

-- FitPerez.com has posted photos of the WWE Divas during WrestleMania weekend.

-- Jim Ross praised Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole's broadcasting efforts at WrestleMania XXVIII. He wrote on Twitter, "I thought King and Cole did a heck of a job at WM28....4 hour, live show w/ immense pressure to do one's best."

-- The Wrestling Observer reported this week that morale is low among members of WWE's creative team after many of the were not invited to the annual post-WrestleMania party Sunday night in Miami, Florida. Former creative writer Christopher DeJoseph (a/k/a Big Dick Johnson) appeared on the Pro Wrestling Torch Livecast on Thursday (audio available here) and said he has heard from current staff members upset with the snub. He said they felt disrespected since they were a big part of putting WrestleMania XXVIII together.

Expected Location For WWE's Survivor Series, Foley Appearing On SmackDown

-- Live Audio Wrestling says Survivor Series is expected to take place on Sunday, November 18 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

-- Mick Foley has been announced to appear on WWE's "Old School" themed live SmackDown episode on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. on Syfy. Other legends appearing include Dusty Rhodes, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Howard Finkel, Jimmy Hart, Mean Gene Okerlund, Pat Patterson, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter and Tony Atlas.

Foley said of the appearance Friday on Twitter, "I WILL be on Super Smackdown, where Hacksaw Jim Duggan and I will prove, once and for all, that we are not the same person."

Piper added, "I'm also going to do Smackdown on Tuesday!! I think it's time to step up to the plate!"

-- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's WWE.com profile is now listed among both Raw Superstars and WWE Alumni.

Three-Hour Raw Scheduled For June, HBK & Nash Autograph Signing, DDP Yoga

-- WWE has a three-hour Raw SuperShow scheduled for June 11 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the final show before No Way Out on June 17 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A three-hour Raw is also scheduled for April 23. (thanks to Devin Cutting)

-- Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash will participate in an autograph together on May 19 at the Frank & Son Collectible Show in 19649 San Jose, City of Industry, California. Additional details will be released soon.

-- Zack Ryder is the latest WWE Superstar to try out Diamond Dallas Page's yoga program DDP Yoga (available at www.ddpyoga.com). Other WWE talent utilizing the fitness workout include Chris Jericho, Curt Hawkins, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Mick Foley, Santino Marella, The Miz, Titus O'Neil and William Regal.

-- Jerry Lawler appears for USA Championship Wrestling on April 7 at the Old Burns Gym in Burns, Tennessee. The event begins at 8:00 p.m.

WWE Releases Expected Soon, WrestleMania XXVIII Tickets, Del Rio At FCW

-- Tickets for WrestleMania XXIX are expected to be released in November. The event takes place April 7, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in, East Rutherford New Jersey.

-- Alberto Del Rio appears for Florida Championship Wrestling tonight in Punta Gorda, Florida as he will be signing autographs prior to the show. Details are available here.

-- WWE has no live events scheduled for this weekend.

-- With WrestleMania XXVIII in the books and new talent being promoted to the main roster, there's a lot of talk that WWE's annual talent purge will occur "sooner than later." This week alone saw the debut of six new talents, and according to Jim Ross, many more wrestlers from Florida Championship Wrestling will likely be introduced in the coming weeks.

WWE Diva Looking Forward To Upcoming Roster Changes, Booker T Heading To Brazil

-- With WrestleMania XXVIII in the books, numerous roster changes are expected to commence in the ensuing months. Jim Ross says this is the case as "several" WWE developmental wrestlers will surface on the main roster in the near future. He wrote Thursday on his official website, "Several FCW talents are either being introduced or on the cusp of such on a WWE roster. Expect to see several new personas in the coming weeks on Raw & Smackdown. Congrats to all who've earned an opportunity,"

NXT star Maxine is looking forward to the company's annual post-WrestleMania roster shuffle, which will likely result in numerous longtime wrestlers being let go to make room for the incoming faces. She wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, "Wrestlemania is now over...time for a change out with the old in with the new...hmmm Im sure I should be on that list.."

-- WWE.com is advertising Booker T for the Raw brand's tour of Brazil next month.

-- WWE.com is advertising Alberto Del Rio for all SmackDown events in May with the exception of the Mexican tour.

-- The advertised main event for the June 16 WWE SuperShow at the Tsongas Center Lowell, Massachusetts is CM Punk, John Cena and Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan, Kane and Mark Henry.

Hogan Responds To Steiner's Twitter Outburst, Bischoff Surprised By Lesnar, More

-- Hulk Hogan responded to Scott Steiner's outburst toward him this week on Twitter, writing Friday: "Wow do I feel like a fool! I knew Steiner came to TNA the last tapings then was asked to leave, I heard the news and I was lobbying hard to bring him back the right way because I see money and talent in him, I had no idea he felt that way about me because he is always really nice to me and my family, guess I was really wrong, at least I know who he really is now."

Though Steiner was asked by TNA staff to leave a recent Impact Wrestling, it did not occur this week.

-- WrestlingFigs.com says James Storm, Crimson and So Cal Val will appear at the Direct Auto Insurance Tailgate Party 1281 Murfreesboro Rd. Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Call 615-361-4507 for more information.

-- Eric Bischoff weighed on Brock Lesnar's decision to return to WWE, writing on Twitter: "Somewhat surprised by Brocks decision to come back to WWE. Some guys do it for $, some for the love of performing. Either way, good for biz!"