Dixie Carter declined multiple invitations to appear in “Dark Side of the Ring’s” three-part TNA Wrestling documentary, according to PWInsider.
Carter served as TNA President from 2002 to 2017, after Panda Energy, the company run by her family, purchased TNA. She was also an on-screen character for much of her tenure. She made a surprise appearance on the TNA iMPACT! on AMC debut on January 15.
Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo, Jim Cornette, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy have all been confirmed to appear in the documentary.
Season seven of “Dark Side of the Ring” premieres July 7 at 9 PM ET on Vice TV with two back-to-back episodes, both focusing on TNA and Jeff Jarrett. A third TNA-focused episode follows the week after.
The remaining episodes of the season cover Paul Orndorff, Ray “Big Boss Man” Traylor, Missy Hyatt, the Necro Butcher vs. Samoa Joe match, Zach Gowen, and Rick Wilson. Wilson was an exotic dancer who portrayed an Ultimate Warrior knockoff character billed as The Renegade.
Even after all these years, the pigeons are loose! Newly minted TNA Wrestling Hall of Famer Velvet Sky is set to join her Beautiful People sister Angelina Love at Slamdown on November 23. The women’s wrestling convention runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Orlando.
For Sky, the thought of an all-female convention would be unheard of back when she was coming up.
“I think women’s wrestling has evolved even from when I started in wrestling,” she said. “I got my start in 2001. Back then it was women’s wrestling that didn\’t exist. It was more eye candy and valets, which don’t get me wrong, I loved that era. Don’t get me wrong. I was molded through the Attitude Era, the Divas Era, I loved that…To see what it has evolved into all these years later is amazing. It’s just women who have made their mark in the business, cemented their legacy in the business, their spot, and it’s no longer just a man’s world.
“I think a lot of the men love and respect that. I know speaking personally from my own experience with Angelina when we were in TNA and the Beautiful People were getting the highest rated segments on the show week in and week out. We would go to the back and all the guys would high five us and congratulate us. Nobody was in competition with us. None of them thought we were stealing their spotlight or taking their spots. They were just happy and proud that wow, these women are killing it. It’s just a breath of fresh air to see how far women’s wrestling has come.”
Sky and Love are not only signing autographs at the event, but the trailblazing duo are set to do professional photo opps at 1 p.m. The gathering also continues the celebration for the two, who were inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame at Bound For Glory. Sky still finds the honor received surreal.
“You get into the business just hoping to get noticed by a TV wrestling company and get your shot there and wrestle on TV and be known worldwide,” she said. “That was good enough for me. Like wow, I did it. I made it. I set out for this goal. And this career goal in my life with wrestling I retired and am happy. I never expected to have that career highlight….being inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame with Angelina Love. It’s a dream come true.
“You see all these women icons that came way before Angelina and I. I remember as a fan going to wrestling shows, WWE shows, and these icons I want to be like and follow in their footsteps were there. And now to be referred to as icons in the wrestling business. It\’s amazing. It’s gratefully appreciated. It’s humbling to have made history and forever cementing the legacy of TNA Wrestling.”
Even though the former Knockouts champ’s days of wrestling are in the rearview, that doesn’t mean the pigeons will stay in the coop. Sky would love to work in a producer role. Especially, when it comes to lending her experience to elevating a pro wrestler’s presentation including an entrance. That or maybe even as a television personality. The star stays on the pulse of the business as she reminds a fan. Among the things Sky has been excited about is TNA’s collaborative partnership with WWE. Another thing that wouldn’t have been thought of as a possibility during her time.
“I think it’s freakin\’ awesome,” Sky said. “I think doing those crossovers and seeing talent that were mostly TNA talent getting their shot to shine on a WWE platform [is great]. The crossovers from TNA to WWE and WWE to TNA, I think it’s amazing. I think it’s brilliant. I’m excited that in 2025, nearing 2026, that TNA and WWE will have this working relationship.
“I remember even back in when I was in TNA before that, it was hush, hush, you can’t mention another company’s television or you get in trouble. Now it has evolved. The business has evolved so much. I think it’s great TNA and WWE have this cross promotion and working relationship. It introduces TNA talent to a WWE audience and gets them more exposure. Maybe there are diehard WWE fans who have never seen TNA and are just not fans of TNA who are now being introduced to TNA by this cross promotion and vice versa. It’s just great.”
Sky takes pride in the fact TNA is getting a bit more respect than a few years ago. The veteran believes history hasn’t always been kind to the Nashville based company. Not because of the talent, but poor management decisions. Sky makes no bones about her feelings that former TNA President Dixie Carter was to blame for the promotion’s downfall
“I never had any personal run-ins with Dixie, but I’’m not or have never been a fan of her or her choices or her decisions for talent and moves she made in TNA,” Sky said. “I’m not the only one who feels this way. For a while it was really doing well, you had Dixie’s parents at Panda Energy that were funding it and keeping it afloat. She was kind of like the stand-in person, the in-between person to keep it running. It was her poor business decisions that made the ship start to sink.”
A notorious segment from a November episode of Impact in 2009 saw Carter give a speech to talent that did not go over well. It was essentially a real backstage gathering filmed and shown on television. Largely seen as a morale killer, the TNA head gave an ultimatum regarding her direction for the company. It was get on board or find another place to work. When the clip recently popped up on social media, the sentiment remained the same.
“We had no idea that was even taking place,” Sky recalled. “We were in the middle of a production day. A lot of the girls were in the makeup room getting ready, hair and makeup, for pretapes. A lot of people were eating in catering and going over their matches. It was okay, we\’ll stop. We have to go have this talent meeting. Talent meetings were a part of a TNA workday. No big deal. But we had no idea we were going to be recorded like this. They put us on the spot being bullied by this woman that has no idea what she is talking about. The speech was self-explanatory for those who have seen the clip that resurfaced. It was her way or the highway. If we don’t like it, we can leave. It took all of us aback. As you can see from all our faces in the clip, everyone was like what. It was being recorded and had to be aired on Spike TV for her to show the size of her balls and to stroke her ego.”
Sky holds nothing back with her feelings for Carter. At the same time, she remains grateful for the opportunities TNA has provided. The outspoken performer remains thankful for Jeff Jarrett signing her to a contract. She describes an atmosphere where everyone walked on eggshells and feared repercussions speaking out with WWE being the only other viable game in town.
“I rolled with the punches because I’d be damned if I worked my ass off on the independent scene for six and a half years, almost giving it up before I got the call from Terry Taylor. I thought I’m going to keep my mouth shut as much as I don’t like this woman. I’m going to keep my mouth shut. I’m not going to let her ruin my big break and shot in TNA, roll with the punches,” Sky said.
“There is so much positive in TNA. The roster was stacked. Other aspects of management were great. The Knockouts locker room was phenomenal. There were so many positives amidst the negative. My decision to leave in 2016 was not because I had an injury or I didn’t want to be there anymore. I was always grateful for my time at TNA. I will never forget where I came from or the people who have helped me along the way in the company get to the level of success I have achieved. But in 2016 my contact was coming to an end and I decided I didn’t want to re-sign because at that point she made it so unbearable for so many of us. I didn’ t want to be around anymore because I was no longer having fun. It\’s not because I wasn’t grateful I didn\’t want people..she made it unbearable for the majority of us, which is why people were opting out of their contracts and leaving and jumping ship.”
Sky affirms she was healthy in 2016, but the environment wasn’t fun anymore. The popular wrestler opted not to re-sign. Several things she experienced also reinforced her decision.
“[Dixie] never talked down to me or treated me poorly personally. I never got her that close to me to let her try that, but I\’ve seen how she speaks to other people that could do nothing for her. These were wonderful, hardworking people that didn\’t deserve that treatment from her,” she continued.
“When I would witness what I witnessed I would go to the person that was spoken down on, and they were so distraught and I remember. I’m not going to say who it was, but we were backstage. It was either a pay-per-view or live TV taping and [for this person]….it was just demeaning, demeaning, demeaning. I heard what was being said and for the wonderful person she was talking down to, I walked over to this person after [Dixie] got done spewing, and they were in tears because they just couldn’t believe how they were spoken to. I was consoling this person.”
Sky stands by her accounts she has witnessed firsthand. One of the OG knockouts got a chance to experience how things are in the locker room today while attending Bound For Glory. For Sky, it was good to be home and to come full circle.
“Meeting Carlos Silva, being around that locker room, our home environment all over again, it reignited this spark in me that I never lost anyways. I’ll never lose that spark for wrestling. Once you’re in the business, whether you’re in the business or not, you’re always in it,” she said. “Your heart, mind, body, soul, and gut will always be cemented in wrestling. Even though I’m not active in the industry as much as I was before, I will always and strive to be in it in some way, somehow, just because I love it so much. It’s my heart and soul. It’s what I worked my whole youth for. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do, so I will never let it fall by the wayside. Never.”
She also spoke highly of her interactions with Silva at the event. A stark change was felt compared to past regimes.
“[Carlos] is wonderful,” Sky said. “The talent meeting he had before Bound For Glory was very positive, very uplifting, very inspiring. Looking around while he was giving his speech, everyone was so invested and smiling and excited by his encouragement. That is a breath of fresh air and what a proper president in management does. They boost up their talent. They boost morale, especially ahead of a big night for everybody.
“So everybody went into Bound For Glory just that much more inspired by Carlos’ positivity. That was something I took note of right away. I’m a people watcher at times just to see people’s reactions to certain scenarios and what people are saying. I’m listening to what Carlos is saying and looking at all the talent’s faces. Everyone was smiling ear to ear and enthused and clapping when he was done talking. That was the boost of morale that talent needs on a big night…that was only my first taste of that. Nothing but good things to say about him.\”
Velvet Sky spent much of her wrestling career in TNA Wrestling and, as a result worked in proximity with Dixie Carter. Now, the newly-inducted TNA Hall of Famer has recalled her experience with Carter, recalling a \’Vile\’ moment from the former TNA President.
Taking to X, Sky recalled a meeting that Carter hosted in 2009, in which she made reference to drastic changes coming to TNA. Those changes would include Hulk Hogan being brought in and TNA briefly going head-to-head with WWE Monday Night Raw in 2010.
Despite Carter\’s bravado in the meeting, Sky shared that those present weren\’t interested in what she had to say. Instead, many were frustrated by having to take time out of their day to, in Sky\’s view, feed Carter\’s ego.
\”I remember this day. The consensus of the locker room and staff during this “meeting” was not one single person gave a shit what she was saying and we actually had to take time out of production day for this nonsense from her and it had to be filmed so she could have her “my way or the highway” ego stroked even more.\”
Sky didn\’t stop there, adding that Carter was disliked during her time running TNA and claimed that Carter treated others poorly. Sky wrapped up her view on Carter with one word: \”Vile!\”
\”She was not well received by most because of the way she treated people who could do nothing for her and the way she would talk down to people. Vile.\”
I remember this day. The consensus of the locker room and staff during this “meeting” was not one single person gave a shit what she was saying and we actually had to take time out of production day for this nonsense from her and it had to be filmed so she could have her “my way… https://t.co/EgoqsXyCjL
Sky is hardly the only person to criticize Carter and her handling of TNA. In 2020, AJ Styles shared on a Twitch stream that Carter was a \”woman who has no idea how wrestling works.\” Angelina Love, Sky\’s tag-team partner, claimed in 2021 that Carter\’s ineptitude cost TNA their deal with Spike TV and called Dixie a \”disaster.\”
D-Von Dudley spent several years in TNA Wrestling under Dixie Carter’s leadership. While there were some issues between the two sides, they became a thing of the past during the funeral of Hulk Hogan.
Speaking on Duke Loves Rasslin, Dudley said the ceremony was bittersweet. While he was grateful to reconnect with many he\’s worked with, he was sad that it took the death of a wrestling icon to put them in touch. For D-Von, the ceremony was his first face-to-face with Carter since his exit from TNA.
\”We had said little things to each other here and there in texts and comments on posts about the kids and stuff. Other than that, we really hadn’t seen each other in a while.\”
Dudley admitted that any hard feelings he once carried toward TNA had faded away. Instead of letting long-standing issues simmer, D-Von meeting Carter again gave him the closure he needed.
\”The hard feelings that I might have had for the company during that time were all washed away, you know? It was the old regime that I had problems letting go of my feelings with.\”
With a fresh mindset, D-Von can look back on his time working under Carter more favorably. Reuniting with her helped D-Von move on from what he felt was an unceremonious exit from TNA over a decade earlier.
\”I was able to finally let go when I saw Dixie, and we talked, we laughed, we joked, and we said, you know, it shouldn’t take things like this to bring us together.\”
D-Von will soon return to TNA Wrestling as he and Bubba will challenge the Hardys for the TNA World Tag Team Titles. And when D-Von Dudley next steps foot in a TNA ring, he will do so without the bitterness of the past.
On June 19, 2002, pro wrestling would change in a major way as TNA Wrestling, at the time associated with the NWA would hosts its debut event. For 23 years, TNA has continued to \’Cross the line\’ and despite plenty of critics, the company remains a force in wrestling to this day.
On social media, several names associated with TNA paid tribute. You can check out some of the reactions below.
Happy birthday @ThisIsTNA. Congrats and thank you to every single person who made 23 YEARS possible. TNA, I love you very, very much too!! ??
.@ThisIsTNA was born 23 years ago today. I first stepped into a TNA ring in Jan 2021. Some of my favorite memories happened in TNA. TNA and Matt Cardona have a lot in common…especially being counted out many times but always coming back! Watch #TNAiMPACT tonight! pic.twitter.com/BnhaScPvcm
Happy Birthday @ThisIsTNA! I am proud to have played a small part in TNA's success over the years. Made a lot of great friends, had a ton of good times. And RIP @DonWestDealshttps://t.co/QEMay8BXGR
Happy to continue to build TNA together with our great team of staff and wrestlers alongside our amazing fans. See you in Pittsburgh. https://t.co/n2oQ0dmJj0
Through good times and struggles, TNA has soldiered on, providing fans with decades of exciting in-ring action. With their ongoing partnership with WWE, fans remain excited to see what\’s next for TNA Wrestling.
Former TNA President Dixie Carter is now the President of a Hemp and Cannabis company named Panda Biotech. The company operates out of Dallas, Texas. It is focussed on producing industrial hemp that can be used for a variety of purposes.
In an interview this summer, Carter spoke about Texas becoming an epicentre for industrial hemp.
“The truth is, Texas farmers are going to need a couple of years to learn how to best plant it. I think Texas farmers are the best in the world and will learn it quicker than anyone in the world,” Carter said in an interview with Times Record News.
“This is an opportunity for Texas to be kind of the epicenter of industrial hemp on a global basis,” Carter continued.
Carter continues to follow professional wrestling as evidenced by her social media posts. She commented on the recent passing of former TNA talent Jimmy Rave, and also posted in regards to Ring of Honor\’s end of an era Final Battle PPV.
Carter served as the President of TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2017. She stepped down as President of the company when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased it in 2017. Ed Nordholm replaced her in the role.
Christian Cage is the new Impact Wrestling World Champion and Dixie Carter has responded.
Cage challenged Kenny Omega for the gold this past Friday night (Aug. 13). The title match opened up the debut episode of AEW Rampage inside the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cage turned the tables on Omega, who attempted to hit him with One-Winged Angel on a chair. Cage ended up nailing Omega with the Killswitch on a chair for the three-count.
After the match, former TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter took to her Twitter account to praise Christian Cage.
\”This makes me very happy. I will never forget how special it was when Christian first became [a world champion for TNA]. I always hated losing him to WWE. Welcome home Christian & massive props to AEW for allowing these type of matches to happen.\”
Christian Cage never captured the TNA Wrestling Title during his first run with the promotion. He was a two-time NWA World Champion and was the last NWA World titleholder of the NWA-TNA era. He ended up leaving TNA in 2008 to return to WWE.
Cage is set to return to the Impact Zone on Aug. 19. He\’s already got his first title challenger set and time will tell when that match will come to fruition. The number one contender is Brian Myers, who recently won a battle royale match to earn the title opportunity.
Cage is due for another match with Omega on Sept. 5. The match will take place at the All Out PPV and it\’ll be contested for Omega\’s AEW World Championship.
Former WCW President Erich Bischoff reflected on his time in TNA back in 2010 during an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast on AdFreeShows. The episode saw Bischoff and Conrad Thompson looking back on TNA Final Resolution 2010. During their conversation, Bischoff also addressed how Dixie Carter handled Jeff Hardy during that time.
Bischoff confessed he did not enjoy his time in TNA back in 2010. He claimed he wasn\’t in \”TV shape,\” explaining how he was carrying \”15 or 20 extra pounds\” at that time.
\”I didn\’t put forth the effort. My performances were generally decent or pretty good, but my physical appearance, I look back and I\’m embarrassed,\” Bischoff confessed. \”I wished somebody would have pulled me aside and said get a haircut and lose 20 pounds, dress a little better and show up next week.\”
He admitted part of the reason behind his lackluster approach was because he \”really wasn\’t into it.\”
Bischoff added how it wasn\’t his goal to be on TV in TNA. He wasn\’t excited about being involved as, he argued in comparison to WCW and WWE, \”TNA was a notch or four down.\”
Bischoff explained how he\’d \”already been to that mountain.\”
However, \”I didn\’t say that to myself when I got there. I didn\’t say that to myself every time it was time to go out and do a scene, but deep down inside, that\’s how I felt about it.\”
Eric Bischoff acknowledged how TNA\’s usage of him stemmed from wanting to get the \”biggest bang for their dollar.\”
He acknowledged how \”Part of it was me. I\’m not going to put it all on somebody else. That would not be fair or honest. I would allow myself to get sucked in because it made sense on paper, but I wasn\’t passionate about it.\”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzPoilF17JE
Dixie Carter\’s Handling of Jeff Hardy\’s Issues
Eric Bischoff then turned his attention to how Dixie Carter handled Jeff Hardy\’s substance issues whilst maintaining her TNA duties. He stressed how \”Dixie loved Jeff Hardy.\”
He added how Dixie Carter was a \”healer\” and a \”fixer.\” According to Bischoff, she would \”look for broken people and fix them.\” He explained how Dixie almost became like a mother to Jeff during that difficult time.
\”Dixie didn\’t talk a lot about Jeff to me or probably to anybody else. What a mistake, right? But the intention was there. Her intentions were honorable and good,\” Bischoff said. \”I think because of the lack of wrestling experience or lack of experience in general on Dixie\’s part, she knew she was taking a risk but I don\’t think she realized how big a risk she was taking, not only for Jeff, but for the people Jeff was in the ring with.\”
Jeff Hardy defeated Matt Morgan at TNA Final Resolution 2010. They competed in a No Disqualification matchup for the TNA World Championship.
Pro wrestling personality and former TNA backstage employee Jim Cornette recently discussed Dixie Carter and her influence on the TNA product. Cornette was responding to recent comments from WWE Superstar AJ Styles on his Drive Thru podcast.
AJ Styles stated “Do I believe Dixie ruined IMPACT? Well, it was TNA back then, and 100%. IMPACT, there was a time when it was really gaining ground. The problem was, Dixie wanted to be WWE-lite and that’s not what people wanted. They wanted to see something else. All she had to do was let us do what we do, it was really that simple. Had she left it to the writers, I think TNA would still be around and be bigger than what they are, but not knowing what’s best for business? She hurt TNA”
Jim Cornette on Dixie Carter
\”Dixie had talent she liked\” Jim Cornette began on the Drive Thru. \”And I\’m not saying that in an inappropriate way. She thought that Hernandez, and she was correct in this, should be a Latino Mexican superstar at one point. I fully agreed with that.\”
Cornette would then elaborate further on this, blaming Vince Russo for \’destroying\’ the potential they had with LAX member Hernandez. \”Unfortunately for Hernandez? She\’d [Dixie] picked an idiot to write her show [Vince Russo] who didn\’t know how to get that guy over. And when I left? That was the end of that [Hernandez\’s run], because he [Russo] didn\’t understand it.\”
Jim Cornette would then blame Dixie Carter for bringing in Vince Russo to oversee the writing of the product, thus somewhat agreeing with AJ Styles. \”Dixie was responsible for creative in terms of who she hired to be in charge of it. And Jeff Jarrett to his credit, while he was there was able to balance most of the bullsh*t out with actual sh*t that made sense. OR, wouldn\’t harm talent when you presented him with a better way to do it.\”
\”Dixie may have sat in on a few production meetings, not that many\” Jim Cornette would continue. \”Sometimes she wasn\’t there at television and other times she would get there right before taping started. She\’d be flying in from somewhere, she\’d get there just in time to get her makeup done to go out in front of the fans and take post pictures holding the TNA title belt. But if you had a creative question, or if I did? I went to Jeff Jarrett.\”
Do you agree with Cornette\’s assessment? Let us know in the comments
Current WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles has revealed who he believes can be blamed for ruining TNA\’s Impact Wrestling show. As far as he\’s concerned, blame can be fully attributed to Dixie Carter.
Reflecting on his time working for the promotion during a Twitch stream, Styles confessed how he loved Vince Russo as a person. However, when it came to working creatively together, he admitted they often \”butted heads.\”
\”[…] but I realized when we butted heads, it was because he was getting things from Dixie the whole time. It must have been very difficult to work with this woman who has no idea how wrestling works and wanted everything to be done to it and it didn’t make any sense.\”
Style then stressed how \”Do I believe Dixie ruined IMPACT? Well, it was TNA back then, and 100%.\”
He explained how, at the time, Impact was gaining positive momentum. Styles believes the problem stemmed from Dixie Carter\’s need to be \”WWE-lite,\” something Styles claimed people weren\’t interested in.
AJ Styles argued how instead of providing WWE-lite, fans were eager for \”something else.\” He shared how all Dixie Carter had to do was \”let us do what we do.\” He added how—had she left the creative direction to the writers—TNA would still be around and would probably be more popular than they currently are as Impact Wrestling. Styles added how, because Dixie Carter didn\’t know what was best for business, she ultimately ended up hurting TNA.
