DESTINATION X 2011 REPORT – 13/07/11

TNA Destination X 2011

TNA Destination X
Wednesday 13th July 2011 – 10pm on Challenge

QUICK RESULTS:
Kazarian d. Samoa Joe
Douglas Williams d. Mark Haskins
Eric Young and Shark Boy d. Generation Me
Alex Shelley won The Ultimate X Match
Rob Van Dam d. Jerry Lynn
Austin Aries d. Low Ki, Jack Evans and Zema Ion to earn a contract
X Title: Brian Kendrick d. Abyss to win the title
Main Event: AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels

Welcome to my second blog in two days and welcome to my report on the Destination X PPV. Firstly I have to say what a fantastic PPV it was, I just hope that TNA now don’t drop the ball with this. The show opens with the usual video packages hyping tonight’s X Division title match between champion Abyss and Brian Kendrick. Mike Tenay is in the broadcast booth alongside Jeremy Borash as Taz was unableto make it for duty due to a prior engagement.

TNA Xplosion Report – 01/06/2011

TNA Xplosion: Robbie E vs. Crimson

TNA Xplosion
Wednesday 1st June 2011 – 12am on Challenge

THIS WEEK ON XPLOSION:
Desmond Wolfe interviews Robbie E and announces who he’ll be facing in the Xplosion Championship Challenge.
Crimson d. Robbie E w/Cookie to advance in the Tournament
TNAOnDemand Match of the Week: X-Division King of the Mountain Ladder Match from Slammiversary 2009
TNA Spin Cycle: Featuring an All Knockouts panel with guest appearances from Desmond Wolfe and the Disco Inferno!
IMPACT Wrestling Rewind: Kurt Angle d. Rob Van Dam

Desmond Wolfe opens up this weeks Xplosion with an interview. Robbie E and Cookie. Robbie introduces himself to Desmond with a fist-bump, then explains that tonight, he is about “G.T.G – Gym, Tan and Gold.” Desmond Wolfe isn’t that impressed, and calls Robbie a “Helen Hunt” in cockney rhyming terms.

TNA Xplosion Report – 25/05/2011

TNA Xplosion: Desmond Wolfe returns as commissioner

TNA Xplosion
Wednesday 25th May 2011 – 12am on Challenge

THIS WEEK ON XPLOSION:
Desmond Wolfe returns as Xplosion Commissioner
TNA announces 2012 Maximum Impact Tour Featuring Sting!
“The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero d. Sudicide to advance in the Xplosion Championship Challenge
Devon confronts “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero post-match
TNAOnDemand Match of the Week: Kazarian vs. Kurt Angle (Slammiversary 2010)
TNA Spin Cycle: All Knockouts Edition
TNA Rewind: Mr. Anderson’s “surprise” for Sting on IMPACT Wrestling

A new opening theme for Xplosion is the first order of the day. A lot heavier than the previous, and packed full of TNA A-listers. On the commentary desk Taz and Jeremy Borash tell us that there will be all kinds of goodies in today’s show, including the TNA On-Demand Match of the Week, an all-Knockout’s Spin Cycle and all the latest information on the UK tour in January.

TNA Spin Cycle: All Knockouts Edition featuring “Hot or Not” Contest

Hilarious edition of the Spin Cycle from last nights episode of Xplosion featuring an all Knockouts Panel and a special “Hot or Not” Contest:

TNA UK TV Ratings – Week Ending 15th May 2011

TNA Wrestling on Challenge

The UK TV Ratings are in for the week ending 15th May 2011 and it’s further good news for TNA Wrestling on Challenge!

According to the Broadcasters Audience Research Board – TNA iMPACT! scored a superb 193,000 viewers, for the Tuesday 10th May “The Network is Coming” episode headlined by a Kurt Angle & Velvet Sky vs. Jeff Jarrett, Angelina Love and Winter main Event.

Angle, the Jarretts and Velvet Sky: Held their own in an entertaining main event.

Despite the slight drop in viewership (likely a result of the show focusing very much on the knockouts and featuring few of the main event players) from the last two record breaking weeks, TNA Wrestling on Challenge continues to be the top rated wrestling programming on UK television for the sixth consecutive week and 10th time overall this year.

The show once again ranked 1st overall amongst all programming on Challenge for the week, with the Saturday night repeat ranking 6th.

The saturday night repeat drew an all time high viewership of 124,000 viewers, up 3000 on the previous record. Combined, this means a total of 317,000 viewers catching iMPACT! on Challenge this week, just 4000 shy of the previous high.

TNA Xplosion, featuring an Eric Young vs. Robbie E main event, ranked outside the top 10 highest rated programs on Challenge TV and thus i’m unable to confirm the exact viewing figures for the episode. However the lowest ranked of the top 10, Catchphrase, drew 119,000 viewers and thus Xplosion falls somewhere below that figure.

Here is the Top 10 ranked programs on Challenge for the week:

Challenge
w/e 15 May 2011

1	TNA IMPACT (TUE 2202)	193
2	CRYSTAL MAZE (MON 1800)	141
3	IN IT TO WIN IT (MON 2100)	140
4	CATCHPHRASE (WED 1902)	127
5	BULLSEYE (WED 2302)	126
6	TNA IMPACT (SAT 2100)	124
7	FAMILY FORTUNES (WED 2030)	124
8	CLASSIC WHO WANTS TBA MILLIONARE (WED 2201)	122
9	CATCHPHRASE (WED 1932)	121
10	CATCHPHRASE (FRI 1931)	119

WWE’s RAW, headlined by the Miz vs Alberto Del Rio vs Rey Mysterio Number 1 contenders match posted 153,000 viewers.

WWE’s other flagship show “Smackdown” rebounded from last weeks disastrous 32,000 viewer drop with a show which featured a Randy Orton/Christian Cage vs. Sheamus & Mark Henry main event and drew 132,000 viewers (up 29,000). Interestingly this show (the first after the unpopular title switch to Orton) saw a ratings drop in the states, whereas the opposite trend occurred here in the UK.

Here’s an overview of viewership for all wrestling programming for the week:

Weekly Ratings Summary:

1	TNA IMPACT (Challenge, Tuesday, 2202)	193,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Sky Sports 3, Monday, 2600)	153,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Sky Sports 4, Friday, 2232)	132,000
4	TNA IMPACT Replay (Challenge, Saturday, 2100)	124,000
5	TNA Xplosion (Challenge, Tuesday 2400)	Under 119,000

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
TNA iMPACT! – 10
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

*Based on first showing viewing figures, not inclusive of +1 or replay figures.

TNA Wrestling Sacrifice Report – 18/05/11

TNA Sacrifice 2011

TNA Wrestling Presents – Sacrifice
Wednesday 18th May 2011 – 10pm on Challenge

Quick Results:
Sting d. Rob Van Dam to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Title
 Kurt Angle & Chyna d. Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett
Tommy Dreamer d. AJ Styles in a No DQ Match following interference from Bully Ray
 Beer Money d. Matt Hardy & Chris Harris to retain the TNA World Tag-Team Titles
 Crimson d. Abyss
 Kazarian d. Max Buck to retain the TNA X-Division Title
 Brian Kendrick d. Robbie E w/Cookie
 Mexican America d. Ink Inc.

Welcome to my first PPV review here on TNA UK thanks for joining me. And if I have done this right you should be joining me just as Sacrifice has gone off the air here in the UK on Challenge TV.

The show opens with the usual video package which I believe TNA does really well and we go live to Mike Tenay and Taz.

Aftermath of iMPACT: “THE NETWORK’S REVENGE” – 17/05/2011

IMPACT Wrestling: “THE NETWORK'S REVENGE”

IMPACT Wrestling – “THE NETWORK’S REVENGE”
Tuesday 17th May 2011 – 10pm on Challenge

THIS WEEK ON IMPACT!:
Mr. Anderson wins 25 Man Battle Royal for Number 1 Contendership
Crimson d. Abyss & Samoa Joe
 Chyna returns to Pro Wrestling as Kurt Angle’s hired “Mistress”
Mick Foley is revealed as the Network’s Representative
 Sangriento d. Suicide
 “Wildcat” Chris Harris is revealed as Matt Hardy’s Mystery Tag-Partner
 AJ Styles confronts Tommy Dreamer regarding his actions 
 Ric Flair returns…but he is NOT the Network Rep
 Mickie James & Miss Tessmacher d. Madison Rayne & Tara

The IMPACT Wrestling era began with a bang and one of the best episodes in a long time. Mick Foley’s reveal as the Network Representative was well built and made a ton of sense. Mick has a rocky history (both on and off screen) with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan, is good personal friends with Sting and Kurt Angle and is a great talker. This is the perfect role for Mick.

I enjoyed the interchange between Mick and Hulk and i loved the digs at WWE with “wrestling matters”, but if i’m allowed to nitpick i thought the change to IMPACT Wrestling wasn’t very clear for the casual viewers for whom it would have come across as a random announcement that really didn’t mean anything at the end of the day. TNA will have to do a better job explaining this change to their entire audience in the weeks to come.

**SPOILERS** TNA Monday TV Taping Results (16/05/2011)

IMPACT Wrestling Zone - Orlando, FL.

TNA kicked off this weeks set of IMPACT Wrestling and Xplosion tapings yesterday at the Impact Wrestling Zone, Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. This is for the post-Sacrifice episode and is set to air in the UK next Tuesday on May 24th at 10pm on Challenge TV. WARNING THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS for upcoming episodes of IMPACT Wrestling and Xplosion – DO NOT READ on if you wish to avoid spoilers. Otherwise, click the “read more of this post” option at the end of this paragraph.

TNA Xplosion Report – 11/05/2011

TNA Xplosion: Eric Young vs Robbie E

TNA Xplosion
Wednesday 11th May 2011 – 12am on Challenge

THIS WEEK ON XPLOSION:
TNA REWIND: A look back at this weeks edition of TNA iMPACT!
Sting vs. Rob Van Dam from Slammiversary 2010
Spin Cycle with JB, Bully Ray, Matt Hardy, Rosita and James Storm
Eric Young w/ Orlando Jordan vs. Robbie E w/ Cookie.

Xplosion starts off with Jeremy Borash and Taz announcing tonight’s match between Eric Young and Robbie E in one-on-one action, but first a look at this past weeks huge iMPACT! broadcast.

Match 1: Eric Young w/ Orlando Jordan vs. Robbie E w/ Cookie.

Taz prepares us for this match perfectly describing Eric Young as JB’s “home-boy” and his “other buddy, Orlando”, hinting that JB is very “close” to Orlando.

20 Questions With…Robbie E

Robbie E

Since the Velvet Sky Chat at Lockdown, TNAOnDemand.com has been hosting live chats with TNA Superstars almost weekly. Thursday night saw the turn of fist pumping Jersey Shore superstar Robbie E, and so i decided to tag along and field some questions to Mr. GTW himself. In doing so i thought that it might be a good idea to do this going forward at further chats and so a new section is born here on the site, welcome to “20 Questions With…”!

I should point out that Robbie answered his questions “in character” so i wouldn’t expect and “insider” or “shoot” style comments in these interviews, but as you’ll see they can see some fun and humorous responses! Enjoy.