Hardcore Country Knockout Mickie James joined TNA Superstar Magnus for an audio interview with British newspaper The Mirror.

The duo crossed the pond to the Mag Daddy’s home country to promote TNA with fan interaction parties, signings – including the one I attended! – and a bunch of press interviews, such as this one.

TNA Impact Wrestling’s Nick ‘Magnus’ Aldis and Mickie James bring the compelling banter (and the occasional impression of Sir Bruce Forsyth) as they join Rob Leigh for their most exhaustive, comprehensive and straight up daftest interview ever…

Ahead of the latest TNA fan party hosted by JB in Glasgow, King of the Spin Cycle Nick and pre-eminent Knockout Mickie demonstrate how important British wrestling fans are to the promotion as they chat about a wife range of topics, including:

• The significance of changes in the working environment with creative operations headed up by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff

• The frustrations of “waiting in line” as emphasis is placed on established names and other concerns that Nick identifies as the “blessing and hindrance of being viewed as younger”

• Whether Mickie’s full-throttle and committed approach has been an effective riposte to the manner of her storyline departure from WWE, which included digs about her physique

• The pressure on Mickie to constantly innovate and reinvent herself during six years at the top of women’s wrestling – covering the chances of adopting a ’darker side’ approach to… tap dancing and jazz hands

• How Randy Savage, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, the Midnight Express, Ric Flair and the stars of Georgia Championship Wrestling provided Mickie with some memorable bonding moments with her dad

Plus, how else will you get to hear Mickie attempt saying “bloody awful” in her best attempt at an English accent as we as natter about subjects as diverse as a Jesuit priest and martyr, doughnuts, deep fried Mars bars, a defender of Rorke’s Drift, funnel cake and “Old Fish Pie Lady” (as she is known to Mickie) Delia Smith?

To listen to the full podcast, click here.

iMPACT WRESTLING’s Dixie Carter, a Nashville, Tennessee native, recently granted an interview for The Tennessean, a Nashville news outlet. In the Q &A she talks about the changes in TNA, competing with the WWE, misconceptions about the wrestling business, and much more. Here are some of the highlights from the article:

Carter spoke with Tennessean reporter Bobby Allyn recently about the marketing and business of professional wrestling and the TV market to which it appeals.

What has kept professional wrestling relevant through the years?

Wrestling has been around for centuries. It encompasses action-drama, good guy/bad guy, and good and evil. When you combine all of that with some of the best wrestlers in the world, it’s a recipe for success.

And has how TNA changed with the times?

We’re not just a wrestling company anymore. We do our own booking. We do our own promotion and public relations. We’re a licensing company. We have toys, Halloween costumes, trading cards. We make our own music. All of those things are sold and promoted around the world. But we still do more than 500 hours of television a year.

To read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE.

Candice and I have been privileged to have had the chance to interview former TNA Superstar Amazing Red for our fansite – TheAmazingRed.com (Yay, cheap plug!).

We couldn’t resist adding a sneaky question about his cousin, TNA Knockout Rosita. Red’s response is pretty much the same as Candice’s and mine, it would have been awesome if the two were paired up someway or another on Impact.

Would you have liked to do a storyline with your real-life cousin Rosita?
also, f yea… i thought eventually it was gonna happen, would of been awesome

Instead, Rosita’s tuning up her wrestling skills down at House of Glory. You can watch a video posted up of her training by clicking here.

Former WWE Diva and entrepreneur Maryse is certainly the hot topic at the moment. Slam Sports recently got a little bit of gossip from the foxy French Canadian, where she discussed what got her into wrestling and what it would take to get her back.

According to Maryse, once she was released, her manager said it was time to “start working on the serious stuff”, such as her upcoming clothing/accessory line House of Maryse.

“I knew in my heart that I wanted to leave WWE for a long time. I’m a business woman. I need to build and grow and I didn’t have any interest in the WWE anymore. I was like, next!

“My manager was happy when he heard of my release. He said to me, ‘Now we can start working on the serious stuff.’ I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. I have been with the WWE for six fantastic years, but now I want to do more.

“I would go back to WWE, for a million dollars and a main event match at Wrestlemania. But, no TNA.”

Related links:
• House of Maryse launches in Summer 2012
• Maryse to TNA? As if!

Tough Enough trainer Trish Stratus was recently interviewed by Slam Sports about her Stratusphere DVD and other projects. Tough Enough was brought up and Trish would love to be a trainer again, if it were to return.

At this point, there have only been discussions about doing another [season of Tough Enough], but with the new WWE Network debuting next year, she is hopeful that it will return, and she with it.

“Being a coach on Tough Enough was a perfect role for me to come back in. It fit perfectly with my schedule, too — we were out filming in California for about two months. It was perfect and to parlay some of the knowledge and experience that I’d gained over the years and help these young kids who are pursuing their dreams, it was really cool.”

Double TNA Knockout Champion Gail Kim was recently interviewed by SLAM! Sports and had nothing but positive things to say about the company she recently returned to.

Gail Kim discusses being a heel upon her return and what the newer Knockouts division feels like to her, compared to the division she departed from to return to WWE in 2008.

“The decision for me to become a heel I really liked, I felt it was a nice progression to do that again. I love what I’m doing now, I love working with Karen and Madison. They are very talented, I think Karen is on another level in terms of being a heel, with someone that beautiful it’s usually very hard for them to get heat but she does it well.

“There are so many more talented girls in the division now, the division is stronger, plus the fact that there are more women here now makes it a lot better.”

“I’m just so excited to be back in the company, I can’t speak for anybody in particular but the feeling I got when I came back was that there were no hard feelings about my previous decision to leave. Being back here feels like time has never passed.”

“There’s such a great group of women wrestlers now as well, they’ve all got some character development and all have their own roles within the division, which is good to see.

“I remember when I had my first match back with Tara, I was worried about being rusty, I was worried about my timing but it honestly felt so good to be back in that ring actually wrestling and having a competitive match.

“I’m just so happy to be here and to now be a part of a company once again that actually cares about wrestling.”

The full article can be found here.

Impact Wrestling sensation Gail Kim exclusively revealed to UK newspaper The Sun that she will be part of the Maximum iMPACT Tour line-up.

Gail told SunSport: “I’m so excited. I haven’t been to the UK with Impact Wrestling in almost four years.
“I remember it being an incredible experience last time and I’m sure this is going to be just as good.
“In fact, it will be probably be better as Sting will be making his first appearance in the UK in almost a decade.
“That’s going to be a special treat for the wrestlers as much as the fans. We’re all really excited.”

Gail Kim will be at the 26th, 27th and 28th January shows in Nottingham, Manchester and London, respectively.

The full article can be found here.

In the latest Fun Time Radio podcast, former WWE Diva Shelly Martinez discusses closure with former rival Batista. She’s also joined by another former Diva… Serena Deeb!

Shelly met Batista, who was responsible for her departure from WWE following a backstage dispute in 2007, at the film premiere for Immortals and made sure to get a picture taken with him (left) to prove that she has closure. She Tweeted the picture with the following caption:

Omg this is called peace & closure.

Be sure to check out the latest edition of Fun Time Radio with guest Serena Deeb, where the ladies talk about their past in WWE and their thoughts on wrestling now.

• Listen: Fun Time Radio with The Martinez Girlz

Former WWE Diva Serena Deeb spoke to Newsday about her time with WWE and recovering from her serious concussion.

The former Straight Edge Society member said it was a “wrong place, wrong time” situation when it came to being able to wrestle.

“I don’t really know what was going on in their minds, in my bosses’ minds, during my time in WWE. I think that the plans were there to eventually have me break out and be in the ring. But the role that I played on television, that wasn’t part of it… So it was just wrong place, wrong time as far as a wrestling role goes. It was definitely a lesson in patience and I had to know and trust that it was just not the right time, and that it was for a reason. Of course, I was very anxious to wrestle. I always wanted to. And the few opportunities I was given on the road to wrestle, I was ecstatic.”

About her concussion, Serena is most definitely “worried about it right now”:

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about it right now, especially because everything just happened. I’m 25-years-old and what I always imagined was that my career would go for as long as I wanted it to, and that I’d have that in my control. Now I’m suddenly being put in the position where it’s not in my control, and where my body is maybe not going to last as long as I wanted it to and as long as I idealized it lasting. So there’s definitely a large element of worry right now.”

TNA recently hosted a Q&A session with president Dixie Carter where fans could ask questions via Twitter or Facebook.

Dixie had some interesting comments regarding spoilers and taking TNA on the road. She also had something exciting to say about the United Kingdom.

mattmachinsky: @TNADixie do you have plans to have Impact be live every week? I think it would help your ratings and stop the spoilers on wrestling news sites

I would love Impact to be live each week, but it’s a matter of economics. As far as wrestling news sites are concerned, if you want to be surprised then people should not read them. If people choose to, they certainly shouldn’t judge anything based upon one persons opinion, good or bad. The few times I have seen a spoiler, they always tell a limited, one-dimensional side of a story, and usually a very biased one at that.

Benjamin Kinsey: @TNADixie Where in the world would you like to broadcast a TNA Impact Wrestling / PPV from and why?

London or Manchester, England. There are many great places I would love to take an Impact taping, but those two cities have supported TNA in such an amazing way and one of those cities would have to host our first international broadcast. The crowds and their response when we bring the TNA shows there are truly electric.

CRegal23: @TNADixie How soon can we expect Impact to go on the road permanently and/or go live? Is it even being discussed as an option?

It is our top priority to take the show on the road on a permanent basis. Hopefully we will announce more live event Impact taping dates soon.