TNA Forced To Heavily Edit Upcoming Shows Due to Utilizing a Lucha Underground Talent

[The Dragon Saga]

Per PWInsider:

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/95...hanges-to-impact-wrestling-tv-series.html?p=1

An issue between TNA and Lucha Underground has led to a number of planned TNA TV segments being pulled from upcoming episodes of Impact Wrestling, storylines being dropped and one recent TNA signing being dropped from the company, PWInsider.com has learned

At the center of the controversy with Shawn Hernandez, who recently returned to TNA and became part of the Beat Down Clan after appearing on the first season of Lucha Underground on The El Rey Network.

TNA sources indicate that Hernandez was signed to a deal by the company after informing TNA that contractually, he was free and clear to do so. After Hernandez made a number of appearances at TNA TV tapings, Lucha Underground approached TNA and informed them that contractually, Hernandez was still their talent, signed to their series and that he was not released from his obligations to their promotion, therefore he could not legally appear on TNA broadcasts.

As you might imagine, this put TNA into a legally actionable position where they could be sued. With Impact Wrestling already pre-filmed well in advance as well, it put the company into a terrible situation where their storylines, which are worked out well in advance, would be useless.

I am told that TNA management attempted to work out an agreement with Lucha Underground that would allow the existing footage to be used, including offering to pay Underground for Hernandez' appearances. We are told that Underground turned down all those attempts. Given that the producers of the Lucha series come from a film and TV background, I was not surprised to hear that.

Since TNA cannot use the footage, the decision was made to pull anything involving the BDC. As of today, all of their current storylines are completed and done as it would be impossible to edit around Hernandez.

I am told that starting tonight, TNA will be replacing those matches and vignettes with existing material, including some matches from the TNA Slammiversary PPV from a few weeks ago. TNA also intends to film material at their Orlando TV Tapings later this month that they can drop into the segments that are no longer available to be used.

The matches and segments that were filmed are (for now at least) completely scrapped and TNA will re-edit all of their TV.

Hernandez, obviously, is gone from TNA and until Lucha Underground begins filming additional material, is now in a position where he's losing work as TNA wanted to use him and cannot. Lucha Underground is still working to finance a potential second season, so Hernandez is not stuck off TV.

As far as the rest of the BDC, MVP, Kenny King, etc. are also effectively be off those TV episodes until TNA can get new material with those talents. So, through no fault of their own, a number of TNA talents are now off television suddenly until TNA can work them back in while talents who wrestled them also find their matches yanked.

Obviously, the TNA editing team has their work ahead of them.

A lot can be said about this.

- Why didn't TNA themselves have the brains to contact Lucha Underground, AAA, Konnan, SOMEONE, and verify that his contract had either expired, been terminated or that it allowed him to compete on other televised products? This is pro-wrestling 101 here.

- How much is this going to annoy Destination America? They produce the show so they spent money on the production that went into the segements involving Hernandez which have already been taped so far in advance that they can't be edited. So they've wasted film, time and money on TNA for something they can't use and it will effect their original content programming as the slots will now be filled with already aired content, albeit on PPV which lessens the blow.

- How many talents is this going to annoy? I guarantee MVP will make a tweet in reference to this in the coming weeks. He's outspoken and honestly it seems like he doesn't truly give a shit whether TNA goes down or not because every interview I read from him he always says that if he wanted to he could go back to Japan with the click of his fingers - he could be lying there but that's what he's saying. You now have several talents who are completely off TV unless their matches are aired from the Slammiversary PPV.

- Seemingly TNA aren't on good terms with Lucha Underground either. I say this because Lucha Underground has allowed a number of its contracted talents to take outside bookings, whether it be on the US or European indies, or Alberto Él Patron for ROH while appearing on their show but won't let Hernandez wrestle for TNA. This is more-so a presumption.

This is stupid from TNA. Hernandez either lied or didn't say anything to anybody, which is unprofessional in itself so he deserves to take the fall for this, but TNA are as equally unprofessional and stupid for not making the correct contacts to confirm that he was available to appear on their national cable TV program! As is stated above this had the potential to turn into a lawsuit if it had gone any further, luckily for TNA it didn't.

EDIT: As the content can no longer air, it can't be a spoiler as nobody will see it and it has no effect on the timeline of the TV shows in question, so for reference, Hernandez was in a Tag Title match, a battle royal, a ladder match and a cage match. None of those can now air. That's three gimmick matches, which would most probably have been heavily advertised and a title match. That's money literally thrown down the drain.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Bad business decisions. Again. Across the board, really.

As a fan, I'm glad the BDC thing is finished. They were a really pointless heel group who only served as filler. There was as much reason to care about them as there was the Revolution — in other words, none at all.

It doesn't matter what Hernandez said. This is business 101. You have to get clearance from LU before you trot the guy out onto your show. You just have to.

 

[klunderbunker]

"All companies make mistakes. It's just a misstep."

You hear this a lot, but TNA makes these mistakes way more often than most other companies. It's stuff like this that makes them feel like an inept company that so many people want to see put out its misery. Yeah the wrestling is good at times, but there are so many boneheaded moves like this that they make. And for someone like Hernandez? A power guy who could be played by how many other big bruisers?

I love watching TNA, but my goodness these constant screwups, be them this, not having their wrestlers licensed for a house show or Jeff Hardy being allowed to screw the fans over on pay per view because no one said "HEY! JEFF IS KIND OF BOMBED! MAYBE THIS IS A BAD IDEA!" or anything else they do, makes it impossible to defend them.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

"All companies make mistakes. It's just a misstep."

You hear this a lot, but TNA makes these mistakes way more often than most other companies. It's stuff like this that makes them feel like an inept company that so many people want to see put out its misery. Yeah the wrestling is good at times, but there are so many boneheaded moves like this that they make. And for someone like Hernandez? A power guy who could be played by how many other big bruisers?

I love watching TNA, but my goodness these constant screwups, be them this, not having their wrestlers licensed for a house show or Jeff Hardy being allowed to screw the fans over on pay per view because no one said "HEY! JEFF IS KIND OF BOMBED! MAYBE THIS IS A BAD IDEA!" or anything else they do, makes it impossible to defend them.

You shouldn't be defending their decisions. You should be defending their existence. Hoping for them to make better decisions in the future so as to remain in existence.

Yes, this gets piled onto the tire fire that is "bad decisions TNA have made", but it doesn't matter how many more tires get thrown on top. The answer should never be "I hope they go out of business".

On a thread-related note, the BDC are fucking cursed. How many times do they have to bring guys in to lose them for whatever the reason? First Joe, then Homicide, then Low Ki, now Hernandez.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

As I said too, everything I've heard or read of MVP in the last two months seems to show him distancing himself more-and-more from TNA. I know he was really into it in the beginning but I honestly think this guy is going to say, "enough with this shit, I'm going back to Japan". NJPW would probably sign him and send him to NOAH too so he'd immediately have work and NOAH needs more recognizable names.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

As I said too, everything I've heard or read of MVP in the last two months seems to show him distancing himself more-and-more from TNA. I know he was really into it in the beginning but I honestly think this guy is going to say, "enough with this shit, I'm going back to Japan". NJPW would probably sign him and send him to NOAH too so he'd immediately have work and NOAH needs more recognizable names.

And that's something in and of itself that probably wouldn't matter much. But does in the grand scheme of the roster seemingly defecting all at once, with little regard for who is *truly* going and who is going as part of this "invasion" angle.

 

[ABMorales787]

Apparently, Konnan was unaware Hernandez couldn't so that. There's a bit of a belief that the Lucha Underground guys are also kinda lost waiting on a Season 2 announcement. They're unsure of what they can work besides AAA events and much like the TNA guys aren't getting solid answers.

And no, this is not me defending TNA. One should really not be shocked he got away with this given the front office's terrible comunication skills.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

JR mentioned the same a week ago or so before the second half of his interview with Mike Tenay for his podcast — that from what he's been told from those close to the situation, the Lucha wrestlers are completely in the dark and really confused as to what they can do, where they can work, etc. while Lucha itself has no update on whether or not there will be a season two.

I guess you can't really blame Hernandez in that case, but still, this is awful considering it's happening post-production.

 

[ABMorales787]

JR mentioned the same a week ago or so before the second half of his interview with Mike Tenay for his podcast — that from what he's been told from those close to the situation, the Lucha wrestlers are completely in the dark and really confused as to what they can do, where they can work, etc. while Lucha itself has no update on whether or not there will be a season two.

I guess you can't really blame Hernandez in that case, but still, this is awful considering it's happening post-production.

Not to mention, it went 2 weeks before the LU guys realized they messed up on letting Hernandez do this. I think the blame falls more on them for keeping the talent dark on what they can do than TNA who just simply went on what they were told. Even if they didn't verify. 2 weeks is a little too long to go without noticing. Especially when the talent talks to one of the producers regularly

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They did also turn down being paid for the "mistake", so the more I think about it, the more I want to blame LU entirely.

 

[New Hot Fed]

It's weird to see LU get so precious about their talent appearing on Impact given in the last few weeks I've seen TNA wrestlers wrestle on various places in the indies and on TV on HOH, etc...

 

[ABMorales787]

It's weird to see LU get so precious about their talent appearing on Impact given in the last few weeks I've seen TNA wrestlers wrestle on various places in the indies and on TV on HOH, etc...

Speaking of House Of Hardcore, Johnny Mundo is on the latest card in Toronto. And they have a deal with The Fight Network. So the match will most likely air on TV. Is Mundo allowed to do that? Is he or LU aware of any conflict? Ricochet was allowed to go to Dragon Gate and NJPW. Several AAA guys are going to be in PWG. Are they not in conflict? It seems this was more LU being vindictive to TNA than anything because this was really no big deal. Hernandez is not one of their major players like say Chavo Guerrero (never thought I'd say that) or Pentagon or Johnny Mundo. It's just Hernandez who's been filler at best.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Speaking of House Of Hardcore, Johnny Mundo is on the latest card in Toronto. And they have a deal with The Fight Network. So the match will most likely air on TV. Is Mundo allowed to do that? Is he or LU aware of any conflict? Ricochet was allowed to go to Dragon Gate and NJPW. Several AAA guys are going to be in PWG. Are they not in conflict? It seems this was more LU being vindictive to TNA than anything because this was really no big deal. Hernandez is not one of their major players like say Chavo Guerrero (never thought I'd say that) or Pentagon or Johnny Mundo. It's just Hernandez who's been filler at best.

There are some guys who have loopholes.

Ricochet can wrestle anywhere he wants, Ricochet. LU haven't contracted Ricochet, they have Ricochet signed to play the Prince Puma character. LU own Prince Puma, not Ricochet. I'm certain its the same thing with John Hennigan/Morrison, he can wrestle as that name but not Johnny Mundo, at least not without LU's permission. PWG isn't in conflict because who does PWG hurt? It's straight to DVD promotion that holds events in a community center. Granted, entertaining events, but who are they threatening?

People need to remember who the booker of LU is and who he hates. Konnan is the booker, Konnan hates Dixie Carter, TNA, etc.

 

[Olan]

To me this is a case of 2 minor league companies showing that is what they are. Look I watch both LU and IMPACT so this is not haterade but do you think WWE or even WCW in their dying days would have made this mistake? I don't.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

To me this is a case of 2 minor league companies showing that is what they are. Look I watch both LU and IMPACT so this is not haterade but do you think WWE or even WCW in their dying days would have made this mistake? I don't.

Actually, yes, I do. Because WWE and WCW were always suing one another over talent breaches back in the day. They were just owned by massive corporations who handled it internally, and the internet didn't jump on every instance to remind the world why whichever company they dislike needs to go out of business.

 

[Rayne]

You shouldn't be defending their decisions. You should be defending their existence. Hoping for them to make better decisions in the future so as to remain in existence.

The problem I have is that I can't defend the people who are making these decisions. I wanted to have hope for TNA for the longest time, even in the dark ages of the Garrett Bischoff saga, but at some point so many bush league decisions get made that you conclude it's incompetence and not misfortune.

And that's what this Hernandez thing is; bush league. TNA has held up their own performers on the contratural details; Ric Flair's delayed return to the WWE is the example most people remember, but there was a spell when the WWE stopped going anywhere near TNA employees because of the lawsuit risk. (Which eventually turned into the WWE not going anywhere near TNA employees, just because.)

The management at TNA knows better than to do something like this, and yet did it anyways. It's either a horrible miscommunication- which, you own the show, at the end of the day it's your product that suffers and hence your ultimate responsibility- or it's an intentional decision that they thought they could get away with. Either option reeks of incompetence.

If I were to hear that TNA ownership had decided to divest their interests to another party, I'd be one of the most excited people on these boards. But it's tough to support people with such a long, lousy track record.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I don't disagree at all. I just don't see the conjoining connection that then bridges this to "I hope they go out of business". It's one thing to say "It's a wonder they're still in business". It's quite another to wish for them to collapse.

I've said for a while now, I can't defend, and wouldn't, all the poor decisions made by the company — be it Carter herself or otherwise — but I will defend their right to exist until they don't exist. Even on their worst day, the industry is better off having them around than not. It gives dozens and dozens of people — from wrestlers to ring crew — a check to take home (yes, I know, even if it's late... har har) to feed their families with.

 

[TDFG]

It's a disaster for TNA and is one reason why taping a lot of content weeks in advance can be problematic.

LU can't be excused either, there has been a clear screw up between that company and a talent and I am sure they would have heard about Hernandez attending the TNA tapings before now.

It also brings an end at this stage for a possible LAX return in TNA.

 

[A11oftheLights]

I don't disagree at all. I just don't see the conjoining connection that then bridges this to "I hope they go out of business". It's one thing to say "It's a wonder they're still in business". It's quite another to wish for them to collapse.

I've said for a while now, I can't defend, and wouldn't, all the poor decisions made by the company — be it Carter herself or otherwise — but I will defend their right to exist until they don't exist. Even on their worst day, the industry is better off having them around than not. It gives dozens and dozens of people — from wrestlers to ring crew — a check to take home (yes, I know, even if it's late... har har) to feed their families with.

i dont want TNA to go out of business but i definitely want a fair chunk of high level management out of the company. As everyone has said, shit like this has happened far too many times. This suggests that its not the fault of middle management and thus the blame/responsibility must continue up the organisational structure and chain of command. But for any of that to happen the whole Carter family must go

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I doubt that, considering the reports we've heard for years that Carter herself acknowledges not knowing enough about the industry or the manner in which it operates to run it, hence why she gives so much power to middle-men (Pritchard, Hogan, Bischoff, Jarrett, "Big", etc.) to actually run that part of the business.

If this is true, it's not actually Dixie herself or the Carter family that are to "blame" here, as the actual direct blame falls on those she puts in power. You can blame her for choosing poor middle-managers in the first place, certainly, but it's not actually her fault that a contract lapses in the middle of an angle if she's deferring that kind of power to men she believes are better equipped to manage that aspect of the business.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

It's just a disadvantage that comes with taping a lot of shows in advance and also losing your talent. It's unfortunate for TNA. I can also understand Lucha Underground not wanting their talent to appear with another televised wrestling company.

 

[mral82]

The blame here goes to the Lucha U idiots whom didn't tell their talents what they can or can't do as they left them in the dark. Kinda like the WWE if they wanted to when they know Joe was signed they coulda had TNA pull the Joe vs Aries match but they let it go on. So blame Rodriguez on the Mess up and not The Carters and They wrapped up the !st Season of LU so Shawn probably thought if he had signed a 1 Year aka 1 Season Deal he was allowed to do outside bookings. So Dixie probably thought he was safe but nope LU decided to be Jacknuts and not let TNA have ratings cause they are on the Same Night so they made them Pull footage. Very Underhanded and classless from LU.

 

[rmp0012002]

If I were TNA I would want to see the contract binding Hernandez to LU. Did TNA see the contract or LU just called with a threat because it sounds like a lot of the roster would like to see what their contracts say. Some guys are allowed to work other promotions and others aren't? Always thought Konnan was a POS anyway.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

From the Observer on the story:

Mike Johnson broke the story earlier today on the situation TNA finds themselves in involving Shawn Hernandez. Hernandez returned to the company at the 26/6 tapings in Orlando where he joined the Beatdown Clan and was involved in several high profile matches over the course of the week stemming from the feud between the Beatdown Clan and the Rising and Bobby Lashley. Hernandez would have featured in the main event of the 5/8 episode of Impact against Bobby Lashley in a steel cage but TNA were contacted by Lucha Underground last week and were told that they couldn't feature Hernandez on their show as he is contractually signed to Lucha Underground. The two sides negotiated but Lucha Underground wouldn't budge, I am told this wasn't a discussion between two people with wrestling backgrounds either but more non-wrestling people who have high level positions in each show. TNA were told they wouldn't be allowed to air any of the footage taped featuring Hernandez and are currently in the process of heavily re-editing the upcoming three episodes mostly filling Hernandez's matches with matches that took place at Slamiversary. You can blame either side for the predicament but truthfuly both are at fault. TNA for not checking to see if Hernandez was a free agent, able to appear on their show and Lucha Underground for not communicating better with their contracted talent a topic I've touched on in previous weeks as nobody knows the future of the show and many talents are waiting for news while withholding bookings. Obviously this hurts TNA quite a bit as they've lost a major storyline, three matches and several taped segments featuring Hernandez which can't be edited enough to remain on the shows as he's the general topic. Lucha Underground aren't affected at all bu this except for looking a bit silly and uncoordinated with how they are dealing with their talent. No word on how Destination America feels on the issue but if common sense deters they probably aren't all too happy that such an easy to solve mistake was made costing them money.

 

[roipdh123]

Most of the TNA roster will leave at September and this is just another stepin thre destrcution of TNA.
The Hardy Boyz & Kurt Angle & Bobby Roode & Austin Aries will probably go to the WWE.
Bully Ray will sign a legends contract with WWE (with Devon as well).
The Wolves & Kenny King & Homicide will go to ROH.
MVP will go to NJPW \ NOAH,
Eric Young & Drew Galloway & Mr. Anderson will stay on the independent scene as they all work outisde of TNA now or they will join GFW.
Jeff Jarrett will just stay with his stuipid GFW.
Lashley will go back to MMA or Bellator.
Bram & Abyss will probably go to GFW or just stay in the independent scene.
Gail Kim & Awesome Kong will go to WWE.
Taryn Tarrel & Brooke will go to NXT.

This leaves you with the following roster:
Chris Melendez
Crazzy Steve
DJ Z
Eli Drake
Ethan Carter III
Jessie Godderz
Mahabali Shera
Mandrews
Grado
Manik
Micha
Robbie E
Rockstar Spud
Tigre Uno
Tyrus
Angelina Love
Jade
Madison Rayne
Marti Bell
Rebel
Velvet Sky.

This is just a lame ass roster which is going to get TNA out of business in the next 6 months or so.