The PWTorch Newsletter reports that the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle is still telling friends that it's only a matter of time before he takes over the TNA creative team. Although Angle has TNA President Dixie Carter's ear, very few people within the company actually believe he will become the new booker.
At this point, the creative team is made up of Vince Russo and Matt Conway, with contributions from Jeremy Borash. So far nobody else has been added to the team, which is currently without it's leader Jeff Jarrett.
TNA officials are considering bringing in former WWE Women's Champion Jazz for a role in the Knockouts division.
Last year, TNA had Jazz pegged for the role of The Beautiful People's bodyguard, but she was pregnant at the time. The role later went to Mickie "Moose" Knuckles before she went down with a freak injury.
On last nights episode of TNA iMPACT!, a brief vignette aired promoting Elijah Burke's new character, "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero. It was noted that he's coming on August 16, which is when the Hard Justice pay-per-view event takes place.
WWE parted ways with The Brian Kendrick last Thursday. It would appear that the decision was actually made two weeks ago because he was pulled from a previously scheduled program with Evan Bourne that week. He was then booked to lose to Jerry "The King" Lawler and Kofi Kingston in humiliating fashion.
To confirm ongoing internet rumors dating back to last fall, Kendrick's push went up in smoke, so to speak, as a result of his disobedience towards the company's policy on marijuana. He had been warned several times by company officials that they weren't going to tolerate his failing drug tests for marijuana (which constitute a $1,000 fine, but not a suspension) after failing numerous tests. He was one of at least two wrestlers whose pushes were stopped because of their disobedience, and it was likely a major contributing factor in his departure from the company.
Kendrick's release from WWE was also said to be taken as a warning to higher profile wrestlers who have been failing tests for marijuana, as company officials have said many times to a slate of wrestlers individually that they are no longer going to tolerate it.
It should be noted that when Kendrick was informed by John Laurinaitis that he was being let go, he was told it was due to the economy. Those who heard it couldn't believe he gave him such an obviously bogus reason. It's also been said that Kendrick would have been released months ago, but Pat Patterson spoke up on his behalf.
The PWTorch Newsletter reports that the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle is still telling friends that it's only a matter of time before he takes over the TNA creative team. Although Angle has TNA President Dixie Carter's ear, very few people within the company actually believe he will become the new booker.
