Major Update on Top IMPACT Name’s Release Request – Dave Meltzer is reporting that Laurel Van Ness had screwed up royally. The Knockout Champion had apparently requested her release from the promotion the night they filmed her winning the championship. The request for her release came AFTER she won the title though. Apparently she acknowledges that she should of said something prior to winning the belt, but she didn’t speak up for whatever reason.
I’ve reached and heard back from a source saying that they’re happy to grant the release for Laurel Van Ness, but they want her to drop the title first. Apparently both sides seem amicable to this, and it’s expected her release will come in January. Some are beyond angry though that she didn’t speak up until after tapings had been set.
qKonnan Out at CRASH – Konnan has left CRASH Wrestling out of Mexico. Konnan was booking for the promotion. The general wording of the release seems to indicate that Konnan and CRASH had some sort of falling out, with Konnan violating some sort of company guidelines. This may have something to do with CRASH having to cancel a show a few weeks back, where officials claim that an independent third party had made off with the money for the show that night. Konnan has always had a tumultuous working relationship with a variety of wrestling promotions from AAA to CMLL to Lucha Underground, WWE and even IMPACT Wrestling. So Konnan getting ousted isn’t that surprising.
Quick Hits – Not that there was any doubt, but Chris Jericho won’t be at WrestleMania due to touring obligations with Fozzy. SmackDown gets the final single brand pay per view before WrestleMania, titled Fastlane, which will be on March 11th, 2018. WWE has let go of Chris Bellitti, despite Bellitti describing his departure as amicable. Austin Aries will appear on Defiant Wrestling in England.