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TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James recently took part in a Q&A in London, England to promote the UK launch of her second album "Somebody’s Gonna Pay." When asked about the TNA departures of Madison Rayne and Tara, Mickie said:

"It’s sad to see so many of the girls that I love with so much talent, you know, Madison and Tara [leave TNA]. Of course, everybody knows that Madison’s having a baby, she’s made that publicly clear.

But you know, I feel like both of them are way too talented to not be doing something somewhere. I know that Tara recently tweeted a picture that she was getting ready for something; she’s as hard a worker as anybody else and she’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever had the chance to work with."

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Christopher Daniels will lend his voice to the upcoming Saints Row IV video game as a radio host.

The game is due for release from August 20th in North America, and three days later across the whole of Europe.

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Former WWE Tough Enough contestant and TNA Gut Check participant Ivelisse Velez was recently on Spike TV’s “Tattoo Nightmare.” The episode, titled “Fire Crotch,” features Velez getting her rising phoenix tattoo covered up. A photo of the finished product is below:

@1221Jasmine Thanks for fixing my Tattoo Jasmine! XOXO #TattooNightmares @SpikeTV pic.twitter.com/LrhNo4upLP

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Zema Ion spoke with Matt Welch of Pros Report about his background and career in professional wrestling. Below is an excerpt:

Michael Paris took his childhood dream, love for the sport, and inspiration and compiled it all into one and took off running into wrestling school at the age of 15.

"A big turning point in making that dream into a reality was attending a local wrestling event at the age of 15, where I met a young CM Punk and asked him how I could become a wrestler," he said. "He introduced me to a guy who ran a 'wrestling school' in the Pittsburgh area. I then signed up for that school, started training and I've been doing it ever since."

In the midst of training for his dream job, Michael Paris found time to attend West Virginia University. There, he studied journalism, another passion of his.

"Writing was my strongest skill throughout high school. I had a natural passion for writing articles & news stories, and I even enjoyed proofreading, so being a journalism major was a no-brainer."

Paris said his brother also went there so the chance to meet up with him was one he wanted to take. He also said that journalism was originally a back up plan for his first love, wrestling. Since then, Paris has been discovered by TNA Wrestling.

"Apparently I had been on their radar since 2008, as I had competed against some of their wrestlers on independent shows and those wrestlers had recommended me to TNA officials. I specifically remember running out of a class in Ming Hsieh Hall at WVU to answer a phone call from TNA back in 2008, asking me if I could come to Orlando for a tryout."

Paris said that tryout never happened, but three years later a talent scout with TNA, former WWE star D'Lo Brown, discovered him on YouTube and set everything up for him to get his opportunity. Paris passed his initial two-week contract and is still with TNA today.

Paris' character, Zema Ion, is known as the Filipino supermodel who is OCD about his hair. Paris explained that his character constantly sprays his hair with hairspray and makes sure it's perfect as part of his persona. Zema has always been a persona for Paris, but TNA helped him to perfect the character.

"Opponents naturally try to mess the hair up, which makes Zema pretty angry. I had actually been doing the character since the age of 18 on the independent wrestling level, but TNA really taught me how to make it more over the top."

Paris explained that while TNA owns the name Zema Ion, he has a large amount of control over the character.

"TNA owns my name, but I do have a lot of creative freedom over how the character looks and acts. I also do not have any writers developing my interviews for me, I do those all completely ad-lib and off the top of my head."

Paris will return to TNA action in September and October on Spike TV on Thursday nights. While Paris continues with TNA Wrestling, he's also a DJ and music producer. He's working on his own original tracks as well as some remixes and currently has a mixtape that you can download for free by going to .

Paris is truly one of the lucky ones who was able to take a passion for a childhood dream and turn it into a reality.

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TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James was a guest on the Big Wrestleshark Show during her recent tour of Europe. Below are the highlights:

On her match with Nikki Storm in Scotland:
"I think she's very good, I think she's extremely talented. I actually worked with her last time I came to Ayr, so to come back and see how much she's grown since – she's gone to Japan and she's still working here in the UK – I think she's got a world ahead of her. She could be [a future Knockout]. I think she's got tons of potential and she's just kind of getting her feet wet. She's very different than anyone we have on-screen right now, which I think is great. Like her promo before our match, it was passionate but it wasn't over the top like yelling and screaming. It felt real to me, and that's very important."

On the downsizing of the Knockouts Division:
"Aside from it being awesome because I’m the champion? Yeah it has gone through a little bit, but the company as a whole is going through a change right now. It’s always very sad to see my friends and colleagues go, it’s kind of bittersweet because you know you’re going to run into each other somewhere down the road. Just because they were such a staple of our locker room for so long and to still be so over with so much left to offer, and to see them go.... I just hope, although you always know it means there’s going to be change and some new faces will perhaps start coming in, I just hope those fresh faces can hold a candle to the girls they are replacing. Those are some rather large shoes to fill."

Who she would like to see return to TNA:
"I’m open to whoever wants to come back. It would be cool to have Kharma back in TNA; I think it would be cool to see Gail vs. Kharma round two but with the roles reversed. Also I’ve never had a chance to work with Kharma and I would love to, so I think that would be really cool. There is so much talent out there that deserves to get a shot, that deserves to be seen. Most of the girls that are there, I’ll say most not all, came from humble beginnings and trained and worked their way up the indies to make a name for themselves, a respected name and finally caught an amazing break. There are so many girls out there that are just like that and extremely talented, so hopefully this is an opportunity for them to step up."

What she still wants to accomplish in wrestling:
"I’m constantly raising the bar for myself; I wanna go down in history as one of the best of all time. I know there are tons of women out there who are probably as great, if not better than me. I have been very blessed, very fortunate to be able to do a lot and work with some amazing people. I mean, you don’t want to come off like this.... character wise, performance wise on TV I’m the best in the world, I’m the best of the century. And I can confidently say that I’ve had some incredible storylines and worked with some of the best in the world, to be able to leave the legacy that I could leave today, but there is so much more I want to accomplish. Just because you’re the best doesn’t mean you can’t get better."

Who she would like to work with in the future:
"I always say Serena. She’s one of the girls who reminds me so much of myself. I had kind of taken her under my wing a long time ago and to just see how far she’s grown on her own, I just feel that when she was in the public eye and really getting a mainstream push she never had a chance to show how great she was and better than pretty much everybody in the ring. She’s one of the best I’ve ever stepped in the ring with. She’s technically solid, it’s ridiculous, I’ve seen her outwrestle some of the guys! So to see that level of talent go unnoticed is a sad thing. Hopefully I’d like to see her be able to shine. It’s hard to find someone who has it all.... like myself."

Comparisons between the life of a musician and the life of a wrestler:
"They run very parallel, I think. I’m used to being on the road. It’s very hard work, you go from radio station to radio station trying to get them to play your music. It’s a lot like when I would go from show to show all up and down the East Coast trying to work, hoping to have a match, hoping to get that shot. But we’re starting to get more tour dates under the books, so we’re going to be out performing more. I’m excited, it’s like a new journey. I mean, it’s like I’ve done everything I wanna do in wrestling. Obviously I want to keep raising the bar and there are still some things I want to accomplish, but music is like I’m starting from square one. I’m building it up the same way I built my wrestling career, and hopefully the same kind of magic will happen."

If she would ever step away from wrestling to become a full-time musician:
"I would love to be a full-time musician, I don’t understand why I can’t be a full time both. I think wrestling will always be a special part of my life, I love it too much to just walk away. I mean, I know I can’t physically get in the ring and wrestle for the rest of my life, nor would I want to. I still want to be a part of this business. I guess that’s what will figure itself out along the way."

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- The decision to have Chris Sabin win the World Heavyweight Title was made a while back.

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- The TNA live event in Danville, Illinois on July 19th drew 500 fans. The July 20th show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri drew 250 fans.

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Impact Wrestling tweeted:

Next week on #ImpactLIVE from Wichita Falls, TX @ProjectSabin vs. @ManikImpact #ChampionVsChampion 9/8c on @SpikeTV

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MMA Junkie reports that Rampage Jackson is slated to fight Roy Jones Jr. in a pay-per-view boxing match sometime in late 2013. While the date and weight class for the bout have yet to be finalized, an official announcement is expected to be made next week at Bellator 97 on Spike TV.

A representative for Jackson said: "We've been talking to Roy and his people over a potential Rampage vs. Roy fight for over seven months. If it happens, it would be an incredible fight. Boxing and MMA have both been discussed, and Bjorn (Rebney) has been in these discussions every step of the way. I can't say much more than that. We'll see what happens."

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Former TNA star DOC recently spoke to TotalWrestlingShow.com about a number of topics, including his recent release from the company, working with CM Punk in the Straight Edge Society, whether he'd be open to a WWE return and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

On his recent release from TNA: "My contract expired July 12th and we were in negotiations for a new contract. What happened was strictly a business decision on my behalf and on TNA's behalf I think. I have no hard feelings towards them. I wish them the very best going forward. It was just that at this point in time we could not get together on something that we both thought was fair for both sides so I moved on, they're moving on. It is what it is and we may see each other down the line."

"It all kind of came to play the same week that we were hearing about of these releases so there was a little bit of controversy surrounding that I guess, for that reason. It is what it is."

On the recent releases in TNA: "You know, this is wrestling. Wrestling is a business where people get hired, people get fired, people come and people go and people come back again. That's just kind of the nature of the beast so whatever's going on there; if they're restructuring the company budget wise or whatever it may be. It's always initially a shock but in Wrestling these things happen. That's something I tell young guys all the time, 'when you come in, you're gonna get fired. You just continue on.' In this case I kinda left and it is what it is. It's just the way that the wheels spin sometimes. I wish everybody there all the best. I had a lot of great friends there, the same as I did in WWE. I hope everyone lands on their feet and comes out OK that's not with the company anymore."

On what the transition is like from WWE to TNA: "It wasn't really a transition at all because I had been working overseas independently for almost a year and a half when I took that TNA deal. I had been overseas and working in Japan. Probably 15 different countries on my own working independently. Then I did Ring Ka King in India. That's when the heavy TNA talks came about. I portrayed an Outlaw Biker Character there which is of course my real personality anyway and TNA saw it, knew where they were going with the Aces & Eights thing and figured that I would be a nice fit. I'm glad that I went in there and took that role for the year that I did. It's sad that the fans won't get to see how that was all going to turn out but again that's just how things go."

On working with CM Punk and if the Straight Edge Society ended too soon: "Yeah. Punk's said this publicly too. Everybody thought there were more legs in it but the fact is the group ended at Summerslam 2010 when we wrestled the Big Show because Joey Mercury tore his pec and he was going to be out of action. Serena got, whatever happened there, personal reasons or whatever, gets fired 3 days later. Then it basically fell apart from there for us. They wanted to move Punk to Raw so we ran into a wall at that PPV. I think it's unfortunate."

On whether or not the door is open for him to return to WWE: "I don't think that that door ever really closes as long as you haven't done something heinous. Yeah I would be open for a return in the future. Either place. I'm 29. I feel like I'm really coming into my prime as a Performers and I look forward to what lays ahead. Wherever it's going to be. It's going to be very fun, very exciting. The best is yet to come."

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The following press release was issued today:

"On Friday July 12, 2013 Crimson had an MRI and it comes as no surprise that the results are a complete tear of his Meniscus in the right knee and surgery is needed. He is going into this situation 100% positive and stated that he will use this time to take care of his knee issues and will do what is necessary to be in the best physical and mental shape possible so there are no setbacks moving forward. Date for surgery is TBD, but expected recovery time is quick.

Crimson would like to thank everyone at TNA Wrestling for his time with the organization. Crimson would also like to thank his fans and the Crimson Army for all the support they have given him during his time with TNA and since his departure.

Crimson has many projects coming his way and he will be exploring other options. If you would like to make booking inquiries with Crimson please email Theresa Stach with The M3 Agency at theresa@theM3agency.com. For updates and direct contact with Crimson continue to follow him on Twitter at @Crimson and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OfficialCrimsonArmy”

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- Lisa Marie Varon, the wrestler formerly known as Victoria and Tara, resurfaced at an independent event on Saturday in Merrionette Park, Illinois. Appearing for AAW Wrestling, she spoke on the microphone and attacked a wrestler known as Markus Crane X.

A picture of the former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout at the event:

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Varon was released from her contract with TNA Wrestling on July 16. In a post on the company website, TNA Wrestling stated that, "IMPACT Wrestling has released Tara. We thank Tara for all her contributions and wish her the best of success in the future." She has yet to publicly address the matter.

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Hot New Miss Tessmacher Selfie:

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- TNA Knockouts champion Mickie James recently commented on the possibility of former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler making a return to the ring now that she is no longer dating George Clooney. James told FemaleFirst.co.uk:

"I'm sure she could return to wrestling if she wanted to. I mean, maybe she does now that her and Clooney have called it quits. I don't know. Maybe she'll come back. But she could absolutely come back if she wanted to."

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- Spike TV has released the following video supporting Olympic Wrestling:

Keep wrestling in the Olympics. For more, go to KeepOlympicWrestling.com

In September, the International Olympic Committee votes to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. SPIKE, Bellator & USA Wrestling have joined forces against it.

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

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- TNA Wrestling has canceled two live events scheduled for next month in the Northwest. Shows scheduled for Yakima, Washington, on Friday, August 23 and Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday, August 24 are no longer listed on the company website's touring schedule.

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- TNA Wrestling issued an e-mail to TNAOnDemand.com subscribers on Tuesday stating that the video on demand service will no longer be offered as of Friday, August 2. Refunds will be given to subscribers.

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A Few TNA Knockouts Looking Extremely Hot Together:

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TNA Knockout Velvet Sky is Every Guy’s Kryptonite:

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Former TNA Senior VP of Programming and Talent Relations Bruce Prichard revealed on Twitter that he will be finishing up his book:

"All of this time allows for reflection. Time to finish the book."

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Former TNA Wrestler, Shannon Moore went on Twitter and comments about what direction TNA should take regarding the use of "established" talent. Here is what Shannon had to say:

"People ask me my thoughts on TNA. I don’t know what the game plan is but would hate to see a company come to a cross roads. However I feel it’s time to capitalize on the house hold names that are sitting home right now. Carlito, Morrison, Helms, Masters, etc. These guys are hard workers that have name value that people still want to see. Sometimes the mixture of home grown and household names is a good thing. Just my opinion but so much talent that have a following should be put to use by someone. It’s a waste and this day and age it’s hard to build new talent unless you have the following already paying attention to your product!! That’s my thoughts but its not my answer at the end of the day that will help. Hopefully the game plan will pan out."

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Madison Rayne posted a new blog talking about her departure from TNA, the state of professional wrestling, and her gratitude to Dixie Carter. Below is an excerpt:

"Let me first reiterate, *I was not released from my contract on bad terms, with any ill feelings, or with the slightest bit of regret for giving everything I had to Impact Wrestling for 4 1/2 years!* I’ve had what seems like an endless number of tweets lately telling me that I need to go wrestle elsewhere, and people cannot believe I got fired because I was pregnant. Y’all, as much as I appreciate the support and the fact that people were affected enough by my release to generate some sort of emotion, please don’t stress over it. I’m surely not. As cliche as it may sound, if I am meant to be back in a wrestling ring on television, God will put me back there."

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D'Lo Brown appeared on VOC Nation, where he addressed his recent departure from TNA Wrestling, whether a return is possible, WWE, continuing to wrestle, and more.

On TNA’s financial problems and roster cuts: “Looking at things at 30,000 feet, I think that they’re going through some growing pains right now. They’re restructuring and trying to fortify their product. Taking the show on the road was a big financial burden. I think it’s part of the natural growing process of the company; (the roster cuts) were like pruning a tree.”

On whether TNA went on the road too soon: “Ready or not they had to go. It was time to move on. The crowds were becoming stale; they weren’t adding to the product, they were taking away from it.”

On whether his release was a surprise: “This was completely out of the blue. We just solidified a deal that Friday, and things changed over the weekend. It caught me completely by surprise.”

On a possible comeback to TNA: “The door is always open to return; we parted amicably. I felt like I did a really good job there and I received a lot of praise from the upper echelon. I’m open to a reconciliation.”

On whether he would entertain an offer from the WWE as a trainer: “Jobs don’t grow on trees, and those jobs are based on a need basis. If that opportunity ever arises, I’ll be ready for it, but in the meantime, I’ll do the things that I can do and have control over.”

On whether he will take wrestling bookings on the independent circuit: “Absolutely. I think that the match I had with Kurt Angle and then the next week with Joseph Park got the wrestling juices flowing again in me. I thought I was going to feel like hell and I actually felt good. I’m back in the gym killing it trying to get back into wrestling shape. I’ll be taking wrestling bookings and I’ll be out there having fun."

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- Tonight's episode of Impact Wrestling will feature three Bound For Glory Series matches - Austin Aries vs. AJ Styles, Jay Bradley vs. Joseph Park and Bobby Roode vs. Hernandez. Tonight's show will also feature Chris Sabin vs. Manik and possibly the reveal of who's behind the #August1Warning videos.

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- The TNA live event on July 26th from Columbus, Georgia drew 1,500 fans. The live event on July 27th in Pensacola, Florida drew 1,000 fans.

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- Bully Ray worked as an agent at the weekend TNA live events. This is another cost cutting move as one less person was sent on the road to work. Jeremy Borash handled the business related work the agent usually does while Ray did the wrestling related part of the job.

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TNA president Dixie Carter recently posted a number of noteworthy tweets on her official Twitter account. First, Dixie tweeted a congratulatory message to Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal on his third round TKO victory over Jacob Noe at the Bellator event on Spike TV on Wednesday evening. She tweeted:

"Way to go @KingMoFH. Great job!! Proud!!!"

After hearing Mo reference TNA in his post-fight interview in the cage, Dixie followed up with this tweet moments later:

"Love @KingMoFH in the ring after a big win talking about WRESTLING and how important it is to him. Very classy win."

Later on in the evening, Bellator announced a Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz PPV fight for November 2nd. With Rampage being a part-time TNA employee as well, Dixie tweeted the following:

"Oh yea. Great call. @Rampage4Real vs @titoortiz. Gonna be a great fight. Congrats @BjornRebney and @SpikeTV!!!"

Finally, she commented on TNA's new international TV deal with SONY SIX TV:

"Happy to announce we have signed a new television deal with SONY SIX, India's premier sports entertainment channel!"

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