[WWW] NWA TNA 11.5.03 Bob Ryder column

http://www.nwatna.com/columns/backstage/2003/11/05/backstage.shtml

11.05.03 | Notes From Backstage With Bob Ryder

Tonight is shaping up to be one of the stronger shows we've had in
recent weeks. Sting returns to TNA in the main event to take on Jeff
Jarrett. Shane Douglas squares off against Sandman in a battle of
former ECW champions. Raven will try to get his final revenge on
Father James Mitchell and will be looking to eliminate the New Church
once and for all. Add America's Most Wanted vs Sonny Siaki & Ekmo, and
the X Battle Royal, and this show will be one you won't want to miss!

We've received an incredible response from fans ordering our initial
DVD releases. We're expecting to ship the DVD sets out the first week
of December, so you'll receive them in time for Christmas. For more
details on the new TNA DVD releases click here.

TNA will be making a series of exciting announcements in the very near
future. One of the biggest announcements will be that we will begin
offering special monthly package prices for NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop
Action starting in January. Fans will be able to take advantage of the
special monthly package at a special low price of $34.95. The low
price means fans will have a chance to view 8 hours of TNA
pay-per-view programming for the same price as one 3 hour WWE event.
Fans will save $4.95 during most months, but will save $14.80 during
months with 5 Wednesdays! More details will be available in the next
few days on www.nwatna.com.

Dutch Mantel and I attended a show last Friday that was promoted by
Tennessee legend Tony Falk. It's always fun to attend local shows, and
this one was a good one. There was a good crowd even though it was
Halloween, and everyone on the show worked hard. One of the great
things about the Nashville area is that it's a hotbed of independent
wrestling action. Tony Falk, Bert Prentice, and Mike Porter all run
shows on a regular basis in and around Nashville. If you are in the
area, be sure to check out one of their shows if you get the chance.

If you are a DirecTV customer, and have a history of ordering
wrestling pay-per-view events, you might have received a pre-recorded
phone call last week from Jimmy Hart. Jimmy recorded the message to
promote last week's show, and it went something like this - "This is
the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart and I'm calling to let you know that
I'll be on NWA-TNA: Total Nonstop Action this Wednesday night." One of
the more prominent members of the TNA roster received one of these
calls. The phone rang at about 8am, and this wrestler (who will not be
named to spare him the embarrassment) woke up from a sound sleep to
answer the call. The wrestler's side of the conversation went
something like this - "Hi Jimmy. Yeah, I'll be there too. Wait a
minute....I'm talking to a recording."

Comcast customers who have access to Video On Demand are able to watch
special TNA programming that changes out every month. This month fans
can see the Cage Match between America's Most Wanted and Triple X. In
December fans will be able to view Ultimate X. The best part is that
it's entirely free!

We're continuing to add new features to the website. The most recent
addition is a weekly Spanish update from our Spanish Play by Play
broadcaster Armando Quintero. Armando has an impressive resume and is
the current Spanish voice of the Indianapolis Colts and has handled
Spanish commentary for major sporting events including the Super Bowl.
We're happy to have Armando Quintero on our team and are excited about
expanding our Spanish speaking audience.

Rick Santel is recovering from last week's shoulder surgery and is
anxious to being rehab so he can get back in the ring as soon as
possible. New Church member Slash had an MRI on Tuesday to check on a
knee injury that has been bothering him in recent weeks. Slash expects
results from the MRI today but initial indications are that he does
not have a serious knee injury.

America's Most Wanted will appear on a USA Championship Wrestling
event this Saturday night in Decatur GA taking on the team of Kadillac
Kasey James and Abyss. Visit usachampionshipwrestling.com for more
details.

Several TNA stars will be competing on upcoming Ring of Honor events.
AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Raven, CM Punk, and others will appear
on shows scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend. For more information
about these events, visit rohwrestling.com.

That's it for this week. I'll be back next week with more Notes From
Backstage. Until then....enjoy the show!

Bob Ryder
www.nwatna.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]