POLLOCK'S NEWS UPDATE: Sonjay Dutt and Abyss leaving Impact, per report

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Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/23/pollocks-news-update-sonjay-dutt-and-abyss-leaving-impact-per-report/

POST IT NOTES

**Today’s edition of Rewind-A-SmackDown is up on the site with Wai Ting and I reviewing the final episode leading into the Royal Rumble. Plus, we chat the news of the day with the XFL in talks with two networks, the WWE announces the commentary teams for the Royal Rumble, Aiden English added to 205 Live, and an update on Flip Gordon’s injury.

**We also have a new edition of the DOUBLE SHOT out for members of the POST Wrestling Café with several bonus reviews. On this show, Wai and I review an episode of WWF Superstars from June 1992 featuring Papa Shango explaining why he put a curse on the Ultimate Warrior, the incredible promo style of Virgil, the aftermath of the attack by Nailz on the Big Bossman, and Vince McMahon is excited about the first WBF pay-per-view. In addition, we review the latest editions of Impact Wrestling, Total Bellas, and Being the Elite. This is available for all members of the POST Wrestling Café.

**We have a Q&A on the main page with Matthew Ryan, the co-founder of Capitol Wrestling in New Jersey. Ryan discusses the landscape of independent wrestling and the changes, the promotion’s recent deal with the Global Wrestling Network, their digital strategy, running WrestleMania weekend, and more.

**A new British Wrestling Experience will be up later today with Benno and Will Cooling.

**Wai Ting and I will be live Thursday at 3 pm Eastern with the Café Hangout for Double Double, Iced Capp and Espresso members of the POST Wrestling Café. On Thursday’s show, we will be joined by Jimmy Korderas of Aftermath TV on Sportsnet 360 in Canada with a preview of the Royal Rumble.

WRESTLING NEWS

**Sonjay Dutt and Abyss are departing Impact Wrestling with Mike Johnson of PWinsider.com reporting that the two are headed for the WWE. In Johnson’s report, he stated that an email was sent out by Impact announcing their departures and thanking them for years of work with the company. Dutt had been in the role of producer and a member of the creative while Abyss had served as a producer backstage with limited appearances on camera over the past year.

For Abyss, he had been with the company since the beginning in 2002 and had interest from the WWE in 2005 to join, but Abyss quickly returned to TNA and never made the jump. Dutt was said to be a very popular member of the staff among the locker room. He had been working with Impact Wrestling as a producer since 2017 after returning to the company during the Global Force Wrestling storyline as a member of that roster under Jeff Jarrett.

Johnson adds that Tommy Dreamer and Konnan will be assuming Dutt’s duties on the creative staff.

**Chris Sabin provided an update on his knee injury and received the bad news that he suffered a complete tear of his ACL. Sabin injured his knee during a six-way match with Flip Gordon, Shane Taylor, Kenny King, Rhett Titus, and Luchasaurus earlier this month in Atlanta. This would be the third major knee injury of Sabin’s career after back-to-back injuries in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee, returned in 2012 and the two months later tore the ACL in his left knee. Sabin wrote that he is estimated to be out 8-12 months with the injury, and we wish him as speedy a recovery as possible.

**Monday’s episode of Raw averaged 2,462,000 viewers on the USA Network, which was down 9.5% from last week’s average. The show started with 2,840,000 viewers in the first hour, which was their highest opening hour since September 3rd. That also led to a big drop throughout the show to 2,403,000 in the second hour and then to 2,143,000 in the third hour that featured the advertised tag with Ronda Rousey and Natalya vs. Sasha Banks and Bayley.

**In case there was any confusion with NXT TakeOver the same night as Bellator 214, Mauro Ranallo will be in Phoenix to call TakeOver with Nigel McGuinness and Percy Watson. His next Bellator event will be on Saturday, February 16th in Uncasville, Connecticut for the show headlined by Michael “Venom” Page and Paul Daley.

**The WWE has released the commentary teams for this Sunday’s Royal Rumble event. For the men’s Royal Rumble match, the four-man team will feature Michael Cole, Corey Graves, JBL, and Jerry Lawler. The women’s Rumble has Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Renee Young, and Beth Phoenix calling the match. The kickoff at 5 pm Eastern will be hosted by Jonathan Coachman with the panel of Beth Phoenix, Jerry Lawler, and Booker T. in the first hour, then Shawn Michaels and David Otunga sub in for Lawler and Booker in the second hour.

**Shane Thorne is replacing Otis Dozovic in the WWE’s Worlds Collide tournament this weekend at the Royal Rumble Axxess sessions.

**WrestleCon has announced that Pac will be part of their events over WrestleMania Weekend listing “multiple shows and signing at the convention”.

**Sunday’s episode of Total Bellas averaged 460,000 viewers for the second episode of the new season. This was a drop from 505,000 for the season premiere. This Sunday’s episode goes against the Royal Rumble.

**MLW has added a match between Kotto Brazil and Ricky Martinez for their Superfight card on Saturday, February 2nd in Philadelphia.

**Matt Jackson of All Elite Wrestling speaks to the Nuclear Convoy website about AWE’s working agreement with OWE out of China.

**The WWE stock closed at $81.13 on Wednesday.

MMA NEWS

**A drug test administered by VADA (the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) to Jon Jones has come back with trace amounts of the M3 metabolite that has been detected in his system at various points since August 2018. Jones, who was subjected to additional testing through VADA as a condition of being licensed to fight in California for UFC 232, was found to have 33 picograms of the M3 metabolite in his system following a test that was taken on December 28th on the day before UFC 232. The California State Athletic Commission and USADA are not going to sanction Jones over this test believing it is from the same ingestion that led to his drug test failure in July 2017 and a 15-month suspension that followed. Jones will be appearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission next Tuesday to address the UFC 232 situation where Nevada was unable to license him and forced the UFC to move their pay-per-view from Nevada to California on several days notice.

**The UFC’s preliminary card on ESPN from this past Saturday averaged 1,956,000 viewers featuring Donald Cerrone and Alexander Hernandez in the featured spot. The prelims started late on ESPN as they received a big lead in from the college basketball game between Duke and Virginia on the network that did 3,764,000 and led to ESPN’s coverage of the UFC card delayed until 8:13 pm Eastern.

*****
DOUBLE SHOT 1/23: WWF Superstars from 1992, Being the Elite, Total Bellas, Impact Wrestling
John Pollock and Wai Ting review an episode of WWF Superstars from June 1992, and the latest episodes of Impact, Being the Elite & Total Divas.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/23/double-shot-1-23-wwf-superstars-from-1992-bte-total-bellas-impact-wrestling/
*****
RASD 1/22/19: Rey vs. Andrade, Bryan-Styles faceoff, XFL TV talks
On the final show before the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio took on Andrade in a 2-of-3 falls match, Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles had a face-to-face, Shane McMahon and The Miz are attacked before Sunday’s tag title match, and more.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/23/rasd-1-22-19-rey-vs-andrade-bryan-styles-faceoff-xfl-tv-talks/
*****
RAR 1/21/19: David vs. Goliath, John Cena Update, Rumble Go-Home
It’s the final Raw before the Royal Rumble with an update on the status of John Cena, Ronda Rousey teams with Natalya against Sasha Banks and Bayley, Brock Lesnar appears with Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon in the opening segment, Braun Strowman has his first match back against Finn Balor and more.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/22/rar-1-21-19-david-vs-goliath-john-cena-update-rumble-go-home/
*****
UFC ON ESPN+ POST Show with John Pollock & Phil Chertok
John Pollock is joined by Phil Chertok to review the UFC’s debut card on ESPN+ featuring Henry Cejudo defending the UFC flyweight title against T.J. Dillashaw, the debut of Greg Hardy, and the 30th UFC fight for Donald Cerrone.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/20/ufc-on-espn-post-show-henry-cejudo-vs-t-j-dillashaw/
*****
Café Hangout LIVE 1/17: WWE talent requesting releases, Jericho Talks AEW Deal
John Pollock and Wai Ting discuss recent reports of The Revival and Mike & Maria Kanellis requesting their releases from the WWE. Plus, Chris Jericho dishes details about his AEW deal on his latest podcast.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/18/wwe-stars-request-releases-jericho-talks-aew-deal-cafe-hangout-live-1-17-19/
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TRMPS #1: The Scorpion King (2002) w/ Brian Mann
Welcome to the debut edition of The Rocky Maivia Picture Show! Nate Milton realizes that he can’t “Stand Alone” on his first episode, so he invites Brian Mann (Complex, “Keep It 2000”) into the theater to review Dwayne Johnson’s first major foray into the movie business, 2002’s The Scorpion King.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/18/trmps-1-the-scorpion-king-2002-w-brian-mann/
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REWIND-A-WAI #28: NXT TakeOver Dallas (2016)
John Pollock and Wai Ting review NXT TakeOver: Dallas featuring the WWE debut of Shinsuke Nakamura against Sami Zayn. We also discuss a blood-filled main event featuring Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe that consisted of a number of medical interruptions.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2019/01/18/rewind-a-wai-28-nxt-takeover-dallas-2016/
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upNXT 1/17/19: JC & Chris Lightning, Kassius Ohno vs. Keith Lee
Braden Herrington & Davie Portman chat this week’s episode of NXT featuring Keith Lee vs Kassius Ohno, Johnny Gargano vs Humberto Carrillo, and the MUCH anticipated return of… JC & Chris!
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*****

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Lol. It’s almost funny at this point. I guess he can just keep doing this stuff because whenever he tests positive for it they’ll just say it was from that first failed test (which should of been a mandatory 4 years anyways). Why was having that amount in his system a suspendable offence in 2017 but not 2018? Such a bad look for everyone involved.

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I’m curious to see where Sonjay Dutt is going to go. Does he want to be more of a producer or a wrestler.

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Why do WWE want Abyss and Sonjay so bad? They had nice jobs in the industry and could of gotten so many people who don’t have jobs in the business. Are they just messing with Impact at this point.

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Abyss is a really strange one if he does go WWE. His style isn’t for WWE at all. There only thing I’m thinking is that they’re getting him for a backstage role of some sort but I don’t know what it’d be. I do think it’s telling that he’s going though as he seemed like a TNA lifer at this point.

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They are definitely just working backstage but why specifically would WWE want them when they are already with Impact. Why are they so special and what can they do for WWE than no one else can.

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Abyss been an asset creatively and as an agent for Impact for a long time. So is Sonjay Dutt.

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Also keep in mind that Sonjay can be a great asset for WWE trying to expand in India. Sonjay knows that market better than anyone else in WWE. And I’m pretty sure Jeremy Borash had a lot to do with both Sonjay & Abyss jumping ship to WWE.

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That is a great point. It still seems kind of shitty for WWE to do that though. To offer the backbone of Impact a lot of money when it is badly struggling. I bet the jobs they do in WWE could be done by lots of people and they won’t be that vital to the company.

Has any entertainment endeavor from the West really profited that much by trying to go into India? I know lots of things have tried breaking into there but haven’t really been that successful at it. Plus I have heard horror stories from the wrestlers when they went there and many have flat out refused to go.

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Or it could be paying a hard working asset the wage he deserves. And just because previous attempts to push into India haven’t led to a massive following doesn’t mean they can just stop. India and China are massive markets they just can’t ignore.

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They have been trying now for 25 years. They went last year with a Indian champion and it still didn’t draw very well. I know it is a massive market but it is also extremely impoverished. I just wonder how much actual potential there is in the market. Outside of South Africa the WWE and all entertainment endeavors have never tried to break the African market because despite being massive there is nothing financially to be gained. I’m just thinking India could be the same.

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That’s because you have very little understanding of India’s marketplace. Entertainment is a big part of India’s culture with their own Bollywood churning out movies and TV shows that are consumed in massive amounts. The infrastructure of TV networks, internet, movie theaters and sports venues is there in India and China unlike parts of South Africa along with a rising middle class. 20 years ago it was a different place. Even 5 years ago.

But the untapped potential is huge that it’s worth making the minimal investment of hiring a guy who understands the culture or trying out an Indian character as champion for a few months.

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How dare WWE offer more money because another company can’t match it…that’s some evil shit right there lol

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I maybe understand wanting Sonjay for India reasons but why Abyss? What can he do behind the scenes that is so important that they had to steal him. He must be working with Borash or something. I bet Borash put out a good word on him and said they work great together.