As Global Force Wrestling prepares for it’s live edition of Impact Wrestling tonight for it’s Destination-X special – as well as subsequent tapings for the all the episodes leading up to November’s Bound For Glory – a lot has gone down roster wise in the past 24 hours. One veteran roster member is gone, another is holding out on protest, and two new women have signed on to the GFW Knockouts Division. Here’s a look at who did what.
IN: HANIA THE SHE WOLF
Yesterday, Squared Circle Sirens reported that indie veteran Hania The She Wolf had signed with GFW. Since 2012, she’s been a regular performer for Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), the all-female promotion run by CZW’s DJ Hyde, where she feuded with the likes of Ember Moon and Impact’s own Allie (when she was performing as Cherry Bomb). She’s a product of CHIKARA’s training school, where she was taught by Mike Quackenbush and the rest of the trainers, debuting with the company in 2011 under a mask as Saturyne. Another solid addition to the rebuilding Knockouts division that features Sienna, Rosemary, Allie, Laurel Van Ness (aka Chelsea Green), Diamante (aka Angel Rose), MJ Jenkins, Ava Storie (aka Brandi Lauren), plus veterans Gail Kim and ODB. While time will tell, this Knockouts division has the potential to rival the original Knockouts division that helped kickstart the turn in women’s wrestling in the mid 2000s.
HOLDING OUT: TYRUS
Yesterday on Twitter and Instagram, Tyrus (aka Brodus Clay) posted a video where he said enough was enough and due to the fact of how he’s been booked of late, he would not be attending this round of tapings as planned and sitting out because of disagreements in creative direction. While there’s always a chance this may be a work, it’s a long time to sit out – this round of tapings would carry through to Bound For Glory in November. Perhaps being a Funkasaurus was working out better?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3goqOnTzD/?hl=en&taken-by=tyrussmash
IN: KIERA HOGAN
Yet another top female prospect to join the Knockouts, Kiera Hogan has been turning heads lately with her work – many were surprised she wasn’t part of the WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Also reported yesterday by Squared Circle Sirens, this is adds even more allure to the Knockouts division. Hogan has only been wrestling for two years, but she seems far more mature in the ring – she’s already worked for SHINE, SHIMMER, Queens of Combat, WSU, AIW, PWX and more in a short time. She’s also the current reigning WSU Spirit Champion, closing in on 200 days.
OUT: “DA POPE” ELIJAH BURKE
Da Pope has been working as colour commentator on Impact Wrestling since returning to the company in 2015. He’d had a prior stint with the company before (from 2009 to 2013) as D’Angelo Dinero, before returning to the indies for a couple years. He’s still most famous for his stint in ECW during the WWECW days – his New Breed stable’s battles against the ECW Originals is one of the only memorable ECW feuds from the WWE reboot. But today Burke announced that he was leaving the company due because “negotiations stalled because of arithmetics” (possible alluding to contract disputes). So it looks like Burke will not be part of the broadcast team for this next round of tapings and we’re sure that the #WWE hashtag is going to send all kinds of speculation through the internet world of a possible return to the company he was part of from 2004 to 2008.
— Elijah Burke (@DaBlackPope) August 17, 2017
