Major Backstage Update On Samoa Joe's TNA Suspension

As reported earlier, Samoa Joe was said to be very upset following his match with Jeff Hardy on iMPACT! last Thursday, which ended in a time limit draw. Joe was furious following the bout because he felt the finish was given away by TNA having ring announcer Jeremy Borash say there were 30 seconds remaining when he specifically asked them not to. According to a source, Joe headed backstage and screamed at Vince Russo while Dixie Carter was present. There are reports that Russo instructed Borash to announce that there were 30 seconds remaining in the match which got Joe irate.

Joe hasn't worked for the company since the outburst. He wasn't on hand for last week's iMPACT! television tapings in Orlando. One source claims Joe yelled at production team members David Sahadi and Keith Mitchell, while others say it was Vince Russo ? who reportedly instructed Borash as we noted above.

Meanwhile, another source felt that Joe was right about the finish being given away, but added that he handled the situation poorly. He's had past backstage outbursts which doesn't help matters.

As of this writing, we believe that Joe has been suspended by TNA. We'll keep you posted as we get more.