If you thought Bret Hart was a huge deal for WWE, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
According to our source, in addition to Scott Hall signing the dotted line in time for TNA’s Monday Night Impact special on January 4, it has been confirmed that there will be at least a few more big names joining him.
There is a 95% that former WWE superstar Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson will make his TNA debut this Monday night. Before you discredit this source, think about it. Anderson has been relatively quiet. He took some Nu-Wrestling Evolution and Hulkamania Tour international bookings, but has not popped up much, if at all stateside in a wrestling capacity. Anderson even said on his Twitter that he wasn’t a free agent. This was in response to a fan mentioning he was “the hottest free agent in wrestling.”
Could he have meant that he was focusing on his acting career?
Yes.
However, last time I checked, Anderson wasn’t getting employed at the rate of a Steve Austin or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Update 1:43AM ET: It has been brought to our attention that in the event Anderson does not appear Monday night, he will in the very near future.
As previously mentioned, Scott Hall is practically a lock to appear, as is the former X-Pac, Sean Waltman. More than likely, Hall and Waltman will reunite with….you guessed it—Kevin Nash, to relive their New World Order (NWO) glory days.
Former WWE/ECW Champion Rob Van Dam has about a 70% chance of showing up. RVD wants to work a light schedule, which TNA can provide and remember, the dude is tight with Hulk Hogan, who will definitely make his Impact debut on Monday.
Here’s the real bombshell. We are told there is a 75% chance, if not better, that former ECW owner, WWE manager/commentator, and creative genius Paul Heyman will debut for TNA on Monday night. In fact, it is believed that he may be the first person you see on your television screen, assuming the now non-WWE contracted Shane McMahon doesn’t decide to take a stroll (now that would freeze hell over) to Orlando, Florida.
On a side note, if Heyman does debut for TNA on Monday night, it further pieces everything together. RVD and Anderson did the Hulkamania Tour. RVD is tight with Hogan. Heyman is loyal to Anderson and RVD. Heyman can provide the creativity and sense that has been lacking in TNA’s booking for quite some time.
And here’s some food for thought. Tommy Dreamer left WWE’s ECW brand. He is actually not contracted by WWE anymore. In fact, he can’t appear on television for a major promotion until a designated 90-day period ends. I ask you readers this.
Who said Dreamer would go to TNA as a wrestler?
If Heyman shocks the world Monday night, expect Dreamer to be backstage and involved in some creative/road agent capacity in the very near future (aka a non-televised/non-active wrestling role).
Lastly, we were told that none of us should be surprised if Booker T returns to Raw this Monday night for WWE, as a way of Vince McMahon letting TNA know “I won’t acknowledge you, but I know you’re there.”
[Editor’s Note: Booker T told me in our interview with him last month that he would be on tour in Puerto Rico early January, so take the above statement for what it’s worth.]
Hulk Hogan seems to be doing what he’s said since joining TNA: I’m shaking things up.
