Kurt Angle signs with TNA
TNA announced the signing of Kurt Angle at the conclusion of the 'No Surrender' pay per view.
A press release has been posted on www.kurtanglewwe.com, the official website of Kurt Angle, putting over both the move of TNA Impact to 9pm on Thursdays on SpikeTV starting in November, and the signing of Kurt Angle. The release also contains the following quote from Angle: "Being with TNA feels like I found my home," Kurt Angle commented. "TNA will be the most watched show on cable TV – it's just a matter of time. Thank you TNA for saving my career, my life and my desire to do what I love."
TNA issued the following press release (it's the same thing) upon the conclusion of their No Surrender PPV:
TNA WRESTLING MAKES TWO MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS Signs Kurt Angle iMPACT! Moves To 9 PM on Spike TV Starting Thursday, November 16
Nashville, TN, September 24, 2006 ? Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling announced today that Olympic gold medalist and pro wrestling megastar Kurt Angle has signed exclusively with the company. It was also announced that TNA iMPACT! will move to 9:00 PM ET/PT Thursdays on Spike TV starting November 16. "This has been a huge week in our company's history," said Dixie Carter, president of TNA Entertainment, LLC. "The signing of Kurt Angle and the move of iMPACT! to 9 PM are both significant benchmarks in the growth of TNA. The history of pro wrestling is marked with events that change the landscape of the industry and I believe that this week will be viewed in that context." Angle, a 2-time NCAA Division I champion and a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American, capped off his illustrious amateur career by winning a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics, competing with two cracked vertebrae, two herniated disks and four pulled muscles. On November 14, 1999, Angle made his on-screen debut with the World Wrestling Federation. Since then, this 5-time WWE World Champion has held every major championship belt in WWF/E. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. "Kurt is considered the greatest wrestler in professional wrestling," added Carter. "His in-ring ability is matched only by his leadership and attitude. We are thrilled Kurt is joining the TNA family and we look forward to a long, successful relationship." "Being with TNA feels like I found my home," Kurt Angle commented. "TNA will be the most watched show on cable TV ? it's just a matter of time. Thank you TNA for saving my career, my life and my desire to do what I love." TNA also announced it will premiere in primetime on Spike TV starting Thursday, November 16, kicking-off with a two-hour extravaganza from 9:00 ? 11:00 PM, ET/PT to celebrate the move. The following Thursday, TNA can be seen in its regularly scheduled timeslot (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), with encores continuing to telecast on Saturdays (11:00 PM ? Midnight, ET/PT). "We've been impressed by TNA's growth and the acquisition of Kurt Angle today continues to show us that wrestling fans, as well as professional wrestlers, know that TNA is the place to be and now primetime on Spike TV is the place for them to be," says Kevin Kay, General Manager of Spike TV. After twenty telecasts in the Thursday 11 PM ET/PT time slot, TNA iMPACT! is averaging a 1.0 HH rating, with a 1.1 in M18-49, a 1.3 in M18-34 and an average audience of 1.1 million viewers. Compared to YAGO in that timeslot, TNA is up +137% in HH, +211% in M18-49, +244% in M18-34 and +157% in average audience. Among ad-supported cable channels in the time period (11:00 PM ? Midnight, ET/PT), Spike ranks #1 in M18-49, #1 in M25-34, and #2 in M18-34. (All ratings reflect Most Current viewing levels) The new wrestling alternative, TNA delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment. TNA's roster includes new, fresh talent like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Monty Brown and recognizable stars such as Sting, Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Team 3D, and others. TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying "X Division," as well as concept matches such as "Ultimate X," "King of the Mountain," and "Six Sides of Steel."