Spoilers - End of the line for Hulk Hogan in TNA?

Photo Courtesy IMPACTWrestling.com / Lee South Photography

Just wanted to comment on a news/rumour piece that is currently being reported on the various new sites and add my two cents:

In an update on Hulk Hogan’s announcement at the final set of iMPACT! Wrestling tapings this week (the show will air on 9/29 in the USA), it was being portrayed as the end of the road for Hulk Hogan in TNA. This would obviously change all plans involving a Sting vs. Hogan match at Bound for Glory that they have spent months building up. Hogan being able to physically do a match has been questionable for some time following his recent set of back surgeries. Hogan was told he “absolutely can’t take any falls.” This comes the same week of news that Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s deals with TNA will be expiring in a few weeks in October.

From what I've heard though, Knoxville will NOT in fact be Hogan's last appearance. The latest is that in order to lighten the load on Hogan, his bout with Sting will be changed to a Tag-Team match, the other participants have yet to be confirmed but Jeff Hardy is one of the names that's been thrown out there. I've also been told that Hogan's TNA contract does expire in the fall but rather next July, so I don't see any of these changes affecting the Bound For Glory match - IT'S A WORK FOLKS!! Personally I see Hogan bowing out at Bound For Glory and sitting out his contract until July but in saying that, Hogan is being advertised for the post-Bound For Glory TV Taping in Macon, Ga:

Claudio Castagnoli Signs with WWE

WWE has signed former ROH star Claudio Castagnoli.

Castagnoli, one half of the ROH tag team “The Kings of Wrestling” (along with Chris Hero), has reported to WWE developmental and will be known as “Antonio Cesaro.”

Cesaro has already changed his Twitter account to reflect his new name (@AntonioCesaro) and his Twitter account description reads:

“The official twitter of Very European Antonio Cesaro. Swiss world traveler, FCW Superstar and coffee connoisseur. Universal European Uppercut Master”

At this time, there’s no word on the WWE status of Chris Hero. Both men impressed WWE officials during their tryouts and the most recent talk was that they’d be brought in together as a tag team.

Back in July, Cesaro was interviewed by Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas for the Right After Wrestling radio show and had this to say about going to WWE without his ROH tag team partner Chris Hero:

“I think I would prefer to go as a package with Chris Hero. But I would be comfortable working there on my own. We have a the unique ability to perform in a singles environment and in a tag environment. I think we definitely have very good chemistry and we have greater potential as a team.”

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending September 4th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending September 4th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2102)	180,000
2	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	153,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 4, 2200)	72,000
4	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 119,000
5	WWE LATE NIGHT SUPERSTARS (Sat, Sky Sports 4, 2301)	38,000
6	WWE LATE NIGHT BOTTOM LINE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2202)	35,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland. The show garnered 180,000 viewers (down 14,000 viewers from last week) for the Sunday September 4th episode (Originally aired Thursday Sep 1st on Spike in the USA) which saw IMPACT Wrestling on the road in Huntsville, AL and a show headlined by a huge Sting vs. Kurt Angle World Heavyweight Title match.

WWE RAW rebounded from last weeks big viewership drop, drawing 153,000 viewers (up 52,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 29th "RAW Supershow" episode which featured John Cena & Sheamus vs. Christian and Mark Henry as well as the revelation that Triple H would face CM Punk at the Night of Champions PPV.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 72,000 viewers (down 25,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday September 2nd edition which was headlined by a Randy Orton vs. Christian Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Title.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 26
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

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

Breaking News: Jeff Hardy Headed to Jail

Photo Courtesy TNA Wrestling / Lee South Photography

After numerous continuances, Jeff Hardy was in court today and pled guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver a controlled substance and a single count of conspiracy to traffic in a substance containing opium, all felonies, pending from his September 11, 2009 arrest.

Hardy was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 30 months of probation and a $100,000 fine as a part of a plea deal that was reached. All other counts that were against Hardy were dropped, again due to the plea agreement reached.

Hardy’s lawyer requested that Jeff be allowed to travel outside of North Carolina to work for TNA, and the request was granted.

To recap:

• Hardy will serve 10 days in jail and will pay a $100,000 fine.
• Hardy will then serve 30 months of probation. If Hardy violates probation, he’ll likely be sent to jail.
• No details yet as to when he’ll start his 10 day sentence.
• Hardy has agreed to remain in a drug abuse treatment program.
• Jeff requested that he be allowed to travel outside North Carolina so he can continue working for TNA. That request was granted.
• Jeff Hardy returns to TNA IMPACT Wrestling tonight on Spike TV in the United States. This episode will be broadcast in the UK & Ireland this Sunday at 9pm on Challenge.

TNA Xplosion - September 7th 2011: Mark Haskins vs. Brian Kendrick

Ray's UK Rating's Report: Week Ending August 28th 2011

Courtesy of the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board (BARB) here are the UK TV ratings for wrestling programming that ranked in the top 10's for their respective channels on the week ending August 28th 2011:

1	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Tue, Challenge , 2200)	209,000
2	TNA PRESENTS IMPACT WRESTLING (Sun, Challenge , 2100)	194,000
3	WWE LATE NIGHT RAW – LIVE (Mon, Sky Sports 3, 2600)	101,000
4	WWE LATE NIGHT SMACKDOWN (Fri, Sky Sports 2, 2100)	97,000
5	TNA XPLOSION (Wed, Challenge, 2200)	Under 160,000
6	WWE AFTERBURN (Wed, Sky Sports 4, 1800)	19,000

Despite a drop from last week, it's another impressive showing from IMPACT Wrestling on Challenge as it not only remains the most watched wrestling show in the UK and Ireland but garners more viewers this week than WWE RAW and Smackdown combined! The show garnered 209,000 viewers (down 9,000 viewers from last week) for the Tuesday August 23rd episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 18th on Spike in the USA) headlined by Mexican America's World Tag-Team title victory over Beer Money.

IMPACT Wrestling also debuted in it's new Sunday night at 9pm slot with the Sunday August 28th episode (Originally aired Thursday Aug 25th on Spike in the USA) headlined by a hotly anticipated Crimson vs. Kurt Angle main event. The show garnered 197,000 viewers on the night, which despite being down is a very impressive showing given the move to a new timeslot which naturally usually sees a slight drop in viewership initially.

WWE RAW drew 101,000 viewers (down a whopping 35,000 viewers from last week) for it's Monday August 22nd episode which featured John Cena defeating CM Punk to become Number 1 contender in the main event.

WWE's other flagship show, Smackdown, garnered 97,000 viewers (down 23,000 viewers from last week) for the Friday August 26th edition which saw Bret Hart as GM for the night and Sheamus defeat Mark Henry in the main event.

Here's how the total's look for the year to date since IMPACT's return to UK Television on Challenge:

Weekly Ratings Wins so far (2011)*:
IMPACT Wrestling – 25
WWE RAW – 2
WWE Smackdown – 2

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

Ray's 'Rasslin' Rankings: As of September 6th 2011

This article was originally published at 1Wrestling.com, you can view the original piece by clicking here.

Each week 1Wrestling.com’s resident rankings expert, Ray Mullan, will be scouting the major North American wrestling promotions in order to bring you an in-depth rankings report for the top championships in Pro Wrestling. Following a Super edition of Smackdown, a thrilling IMPACT Wrestling on the Road and a very exciting RAW, find out where all your favourite wrestlers rank this week...