TNA Reveals Full Roster For UK Tour – As Wrestling Legend Kurt Angle Says Farewell

9d7988f4-f705-4440-907c-6037c4f9db0aThe stars of TNA IMPACT WRESTLING will invade the UK next week, for some of the biggest wrestling events in the company’s history.

The MAXIMUM IMPACT 8 Tour will see TNA TV tapings take place in Manchester (Friday January 29), London (Saturday January 30) and Birmingham (Sunday January 31). Tickets can be purchased from www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The shows – which will be broadcast on Challenge in the UK next month, will be the last for wrestling legend Kurt Angle. TNA President Dixie Carter this week announced the opponents for Kurt’s ‘Farewell Tour’ bouts.

In Manchester, the Olympic Gold Medallist will face Britain’s Drew Galloway, while at London’s SSE Arena Wembley he will relive one of his greatest career rivalries – by taking on Bobby Roode for one final time. On the last night of the Tour, in Birmingham, Kurt will battle Lashley in a rematch of the one of the best bouts to ever take place on UK soil.

Dixie Carter also announced that three top independent talents from the British and Irish wrestling scene will join the Tour following a social vote – underground hardcore icon Jimmy Havoc, high-flying sensation Will Ospreay and Irish heavyweight Big Damo.

Dixie said: “We wanted to know who the fans in the UK would most like to see on the Tour, so I put it out there on social media and the feedback was fantastic. We narrowed it down to the three names who got the most response and asked the fans to vote for their favourite.

“In the end the winner was… IMPACT WRESTLING. We won because the response was so incredible, and the vote so close, that we are bringing all three on Tour with us.”

TNA are also bringing their most famous matches to the UK for the first time. Manchester will host Monster’s Ball, while King of the Mountain will take place in Birmingham. Fans in London will witness TNA’s most dangerous night of the year – Lockdown!

Plus, in another first, the hugely popular Beer Money tag team of James Storm and Bobby Roode return to the UK for the first time in five years.

The full and final line-up for the MAXIMUM IMPACT 8 events is Beer Money (Bobby Roode & James Storm), Big Damo, Bram, Dollhouse (Awesome Kong, Jade, Marti & Rebel), Drew Galloway, EC3, Eli Drake, Eric Young, Gail Kim, Grado, Jessie Godderz, Jimmy Havoc, Kurt Angle, Lashley, Mahabali Shera, Mark Andrews, Matt and Reby Hardy, Rockstar Spud, Shane Helms, The Beautiful People (Madison Rayne & Velvet Sky), The Decay (Abyss, Crazzy Steve & Rosemary), The Miracle Mike Bennett and Maria, The Wolves (Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards), Tigre Uno, Trevor Lee, Tyrus and Will Ospreay. Smashing Pumpkins frontman, and TNA Wrestling’s Senior Producer, Creative and Talent Development, Billy Corgan will also be appearing. *

MAXIMUM IMPACT 8 Tour tickets are still available via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk or direct from the tour venues. Full details of the UK events are:

Friday 29 January 2016 Manchester Arena

Saturday 30 January 2016 London The SSE Arena Wembley

Sunday 31 January 2016 Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

TNA’s flagship show IMPACT WRESTLING is broadcast every Sunday night at 9pm on Challenge TV in the UK and Ireland. Catch-up show TNA Xplosion, which is suitable for all ages, airs on Saturday mornings at 9am, also on Challenge.

The UK Tour events will run over six episodes on Challenge, starting in mid-February.

* Card subject to change