LionDen
08-18-2014, 12:40 AM
We've heard from multiple TNA talents that Bully Ray held a meeting with the roster working tonight's live event in Hagerstown, MD and informed them he wanted to personally tell them goodbye as he didn't expect to be back for the company.
In asking around, Ray's contract is expiring and tonight's live event is the last show he is contracted to appear on. Based on what Ray told the locker room, obviously the two sides have not come to terms on a new deal.
What is amazing about this is that Ray (along with his partner Devon) is scheduled to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame at Bound for Glory this October. TNA also has one match left in a series of bouts Ray was heavily involved in at the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings, which means that if he departs, they will be left scrambling to end that series without him.
Ray had been the central point of the company over the last several years, first with a heel run as the central figure behind Aces & Eights, which brought him his first TNA championship. After losing the title, Ray was transformed into a babyface pursuing Dixie Carter in order to put her through a table, which became the biggest moment of TNA's entire summer. That angle was something that Ray brought to and pitched to TNA management.
Ray has been with TNA since 2005 following runs in the original ECW and WWE. During the TNA run he morphed from one half of Team 3D to a legitimate top singles star. Beyond wrestling, he was also working as an agent backstage.
*UPDATED*
As we noted yesterday, Bully Ray held a locker room meeting at last night's TNA house show in Hagerstown, MD and informed them it was his last night with the company and that he didn't believe he would be back. It was the last night of Ray's contract (TNA has no shows scheduled before his deal officially expires). They have been negotiating but the two sides have yet to come to terms on a new deal. We are told the two sides are still talking but contractually, Ray is free to do whatever he wants within a few days. There were a lot of people shocked when they heard the news as Ray was as high up there politically as anyone not named Gaburick or Carter.
Devon is still under contract through some point this fall.
In asking around, Ray's contract is expiring and tonight's live event is the last show he is contracted to appear on. Based on what Ray told the locker room, obviously the two sides have not come to terms on a new deal.
What is amazing about this is that Ray (along with his partner Devon) is scheduled to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame at Bound for Glory this October. TNA also has one match left in a series of bouts Ray was heavily involved in at the last set of Impact Wrestling tapings, which means that if he departs, they will be left scrambling to end that series without him.
Ray had been the central point of the company over the last several years, first with a heel run as the central figure behind Aces & Eights, which brought him his first TNA championship. After losing the title, Ray was transformed into a babyface pursuing Dixie Carter in order to put her through a table, which became the biggest moment of TNA's entire summer. That angle was something that Ray brought to and pitched to TNA management.
Ray has been with TNA since 2005 following runs in the original ECW and WWE. During the TNA run he morphed from one half of Team 3D to a legitimate top singles star. Beyond wrestling, he was also working as an agent backstage.
*UPDATED*
As we noted yesterday, Bully Ray held a locker room meeting at last night's TNA house show in Hagerstown, MD and informed them it was his last night with the company and that he didn't believe he would be back. It was the last night of Ray's contract (TNA has no shows scheduled before his deal officially expires). They have been negotiating but the two sides have yet to come to terms on a new deal. We are told the two sides are still talking but contractually, Ray is free to do whatever he wants within a few days. There were a lot of people shocked when they heard the news as Ray was as high up there politically as anyone not named Gaburick or Carter.
Devon is still under contract through some point this fall.