Johnny Impact & Taya Valkyrie Philadelphia Media Availability in Advance of IMPACT Wrestling Events at 2300 Arena
TORONTO | PHILADELPHIA – IMPACT Wrestling superstars and real-life husband and wife, Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie, will be in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday, May 1-2, in advance of back-to-back nights of IMPACT Wrestling events on May 3-4 at the 2300 Arena.
Johnny and Taya will be available for in-person media interviews on May 1-2, and will have limited time those days for phone interviews with media that is not in Philadelphia.
Johnny Impact is the reigning IMPACT World Champion, as he puts the title on the line April 28 in the main event of the Rebellion pay-per-view in Toronto against “The Machine” Brian Cage. Impact has held the title since defeating Austin Aries last October in New York City.
Born and raised in Southern California, Johnny Impact still calls Los Angeles home. He has been wrestling professionally since 2002 and has been a shining star in the U.S. and in Mexico, where he also has been competing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is a crossover star too, appearing on various television shows, including Survivorin 2018. Plus, he has numerous film credits, including Boone: The Bounty Hunter, which he created, co-wrote and executive produced.
“Lucha Royalty” Taya Valkyrie is the reigning IMPACT Knockouts Champion, a title she has held since early-January after defeating Tessa Blanchard. She is set to defend the Knockouts Championship at the Rebellion pay-per-view against Jordynne Grace.
Taya Valkyrie, who has been wrestling since 2010 and was trained by legendary Canadian wrestler Lance Storm, has had an illustrious career in Mexico. Competing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, she is a former two-time and the longest-reigning Reina de Reinas Champion in history.
Johnny Impact and Taya Valkyrie were married in June 2018.
IMPACT Wrestling Presents Rebellion from Toronto Live this Sunday, April 28 on Pay-Per-View, Streams Live Globally on FITE.tv
TORONTO – IMPACT Wrestling returns to pay-per-view this Sunday, April 28 for Rebellion live from the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Canada. The three-hour extravaganza kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app, which is now available on Sony PlayStation systems.Tickets are still available at IMPACTWrestling.com for Rebellion on April 28, as well as television tapings for the flagship weekly show IMPACT! on April 29. Both shows emanate from Toronto’s Rebel Entertainment Complex.In the main event of Rebellion, Brian Cage continues his quest to claim the top prize in IMPACT Wrestling, as he challenges IMPACT World Champion Johnny Impact in a rematch from Homecoming. This time, however, Canadian wrestling legend Lance Storm will serve as the special guest referee, who will keep a close eye on Impact’s underhanded shenanigans.In a dream match that fans have been anticipating for months, IMPACT Hall of Famer and Toronto native Gail Kim comes out of retirement to battle third-generation superstar Tessa Blanchard.The IMPACT World Tag Team Titles are on the line, as Champions the Lucha Brothers, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix, defend against former titleholders LAX, Santana and Ortiz, in a Full Metal Mayhem match, in what will be the final chapter of their heated rivalry.IMPACT Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie will defend her gold against fast-rising powerhouse Jordynne Grace, who might be the one Knockout on the roster who can match power with the queen of the division.The IMPACT X-Division Championship will also be on the line, as Rich Swann defends against oVe leader Sami Callihan. Their history runs deep and emotions will be at a peak when these two clash, as they were once as close as brothers.For more information on how to order Rebellion, visit www.impactwrestling.com/impact-rebellion.For more information about Rebellion on FITE.tv, including pricing details, visit www.FITE.tv. FITE.tv is a premium digital live streaming network that has presented over 1,000 live professional wrestling, mixed martial arts, boxing and other combat sports events since its launch in 2016. It is available online at FITE.tv, as an app on all iOS and Android devices, as well as Roku, Apple TV and Android TV boxes, and Sony Playstation systems.
IMPACT Wrestling Partners with Reality of Wrestling for Deep Impact on July 6 in Houston
TORONTO | HOUSTON – IMPACT Wrestling teams up with Reality of Wrestling to present Deep Impact on Saturday, July 6, at the Booker T World Gym Arena near Houston, both promotions jointly announced.Deep Impact will feature cross-promotional dream matches with the stars of IMPACT Wrestling battling the stars from Reality of Wrestling in the first-ever intra-promotional show.Deep Impact will air live on IMPACT Wrestling’s Twitch channel.Booker T is the owner of Reality of Wrestling, which has been training and developing top wrestlers from around the world since 2005. He had a legendary in-ring career himself, shining in WCW, WWE and IMPACT Wrestling – and he is a two-time member of the WWE Hall of Fame, including his 2019 induction with his brother Stevie Ray, as the WWE honored the 10-time tag team champions, Harlem Heat. He was the inaugural Legends Champion and a World Tag Team Champion (with Scott Steiner) during his run with IMPACT Wrestling.“IMPACT Wrestling is always looking to expand the wrestling landscape and give fans more and more dream matches, and Deep Impact will do just that,” said IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore. “Joining forces with Booker T is an honor as he is one of the most respected wrestlers of all time.”“Reality of Wrestling has always been about spotlighting young and fresh talent, so to be able to put our talented men and women on the same stage as those from IMPACT Wrestling, it’s going to be a night to remember,” Booker T said.IMPACT Wrestling’s diverse talent roster features reigning World Champion Johnny Impact, plus Rob Van Dam, Brian Cage, Killer Kross, Eddie Edwards and Moose, among others. The IMPACT Knockouts division includes reigning Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie, third-generation star Tessa Blanchard, Madison Rayne, Rosemary, Su Yung and others.Reality of Wrestling is the flagship of professional wrestling in the State of Texas, led by multi-time former ROW Champion Gino and featuring Mysterious Q, “Ruthless” Ryan Davidson, Terrale Tempo and the high-energy team of Zack Mason & Warren Johnson, among others. Reality of Wrestling airs on FITE TV every Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CST, on Reality of Wrestling’s official YouTube channel, and at realityofwrestling.com.Matches for Deep Impact will be announced in May.Tickets to Deep Impact are now available at: www.realityofwrestling.com/row-events/deep-impact-july-6th.For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com.
Gail Kim Toronto Media Tour Set for Friday, April 26 Before IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion Pay-Per-View
TORONTO – One of the most decorated female wrestlers of all time, Gail Kim returns to her native Toronto to compete at the IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion pay-per-view on Sunday, April 28, at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto.Kim faces third-generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard in one of the most anticipated matches at Rebellion. Kim also will be at the IMPACT Wrestling show on Monday, April 29 in Toronto, as the same venue plays host to television tapings for the company’s flagship weekly TV show, IMPACT!Kim is available for in-person interviews on Friday, April 26, in Toronto.In 2007, Kim became the first-ever IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion, and her seven title reigns is the most ever. Her combined 711 days as Knockouts Champion also is a record.Kim was inducted into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016, and she remains the only female honoree.Born and raised in Toronto, Kim was a multi-sport standout at York Memorial Collegiate Institute, where she played basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer and competed in track & field. She was named the school’s Athlete of the Year.Kim then went on to the University of Toronto, where she studied physical and health education. She also attended Ryerson University to study nutrition.Kim trained to be a professional wrestler in Toronto and is a lifelong Blue Jays fans – Pat Borders was her favorite player.Kim is married to celebrity chef and talk show host Robert Irvine. The two, married in 2012, met on the set of Dinner: Impossible.The Rebellion pay-per-view emanates from Toronto, featuring reigning World Champion Johnny Impact defending the title against Brian Cage. Other matches confirmed for Rebellion include Rich Swann defending the X-Division Championship against Sami Callihan and The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. and Fenix) defending the World Tag Team Championship against former champions LAX (Santana and Ortiz).For more about Rebellion, visit www.impactwrestling.com.
IMPACT Wrestling Announces New UK TV Deal with 5STAR
TORONTO | LONDON – IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., announced today a new broadcast deal with Viacom-owned Channel 5 to broadcast its flagship weekly show IMPACT! on 5STAR across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland starting on April 26, 2019.
This is a renewal of the partnership of IMPACT Wrestling’s deal with Channel 5, which launched IMPACT! on 5Spike in spring 2017. 5STAR, which is also part of the Channel 5 stable, is available on Sky TV (128), Freeview (30), Freesat (131), Virgin Media (151) and other DTT platforms.
New episodes of IMPACT! will premiere on 5STAR from 26th April at 11pm with weekly episodes airing in the same timeslot on Friday nights.
“Since IMPACT Wrestling’s inception in 2002, the UK has always been one of our most passionate markets,” said Ed Nordholm, president of IMPACT Wrestling. “We are excited to extend our broadcast partnership with Channel 5 and launch our weekly programming on 5Star, whose younger audience more effectively aligns with our core fan base.”
Cherry Yeandle, Senior Manager, Acquisitions and Co-Productions said: “We are thrilled to be continuing our relationship with IMPACT Wrestling and are looking forward to bringing all of the high-octane action to 5STAR. As well as quenching the appetite of the UK fans with this flagship weekly show, we are excited to introduce a new audience to all the wrestling drama – with its young audience demographic, we see 5STAR as a perfect fit.”
In 2018, IMPACT Wrestling enjoyed strong weekly audiences on 5Spike and a social media reach of over 48 million in the UK.
IMPACT Wrestling showcases top professional wrestling stars such as IMPACT World Champion Johnny Impact, Rob Van Dam, Brian Cage, Moose, Killer Kross, Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan, Mexican superstars such as Pentagon Jr. and Fenix, the high-flying X-Division and the Knockouts, including Champion Taya Valkyrie, third-generation star Tessa Blanchard and Rosemary.
For more information, visit www.impactwrestling.com and www.channel5.com/5star.
