Hey, wresting fans! The newest addition to Destination America’s lineup is TNA IMPACT WRESTLING, which premieres tonight in its permanent time slot: Friday nights from 9-11pm ET. Even with a new look, logo and ring, fans can still expect the same great intense competition between some of the biggest names in wrestling, including former Olympic star Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Mr. Anderson and Gail Kim. Plus, recently signed wounded-warrior-turned-wrestler Chris “Sarge” Melendez, who made his debut just five months ago, continues his title pursuit.

Last week at the Television Critics Association 2015 Winter Press Tour, TNA president Dixie Carter, who views the move from Spike TV to Destination America as an opportunity for TNA to reinvent itself, told reporters, “We've stepped back to take a fresh look at our own show, not just how we can distinguish ourselves from our competitor more, but how we can take our show to another level. We are going to be trying some new things and some new technologies: cameras, production elements -- things that have never happened in wrestling. We are going to have cameras in places that we've never had before.” TNA unveiled a few of these elements in its sneak-peek telecast last Wednesday, January 7, with 359,000 viewers watching the promotion's on its new TV destination for a two-hour show that featured Bobby Lashley defeating Bobby Roode to become TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Bobby Roode vs Bobby Lashley

When asked about the appeal of wrestling, Carter responded, "It’s cross generational. You'll see anybody from children to their parents and grandparents. You can see three, sometimes four, generations out in the crowd. And, you know, it represents, really, what this country's fabric is all about. It's good versus evil." Wrestler Ken Anderson added, "I think there's such a high level of crowd participation that goes into our performances, that it's just fun."

Ken Anderson, Chris Melendez and Dixie Carter at the

Television Critics Association 2015 Winter Press Tour on Jan. 9, 2015.

But is it real? For decades now, wresting was known more for show than sport, but Carter warned, "The physicality is very real. The steel chairs are real. The tables are real. The blood is real." Anderson was more candid, adding, “We are sports entertainment. We are athletic entertainment. The outcomes of our matches are predetermined. We are telling stories of, as Dixie said, good versus evil, but it is real in the sense that I've had probably a hundred stitches and staples in my face." Melendez tagged in saying, "I think most people would be surprised to find out that wrestling is not as choreographed as you would think." And he would know. After losing his left leg in 2006 in an IED attack while serving in Iraq, Melendez says he now has "to learn to deal with my situation and kind of compensate for it, as well as working with the other person in the ring."

Sarge vs. Kenny King.

With blood and stitches so commonplace, some have wondered about the health and care of wrestlers in any of the promotions, but Carter was adamant that in TNA their wrestlers' health "is the most important thing; that's our company's philosophy. We have a pretty strict policy as it relates to all injuries and how they have to be cleared."

 
So get your chairs ready to throw and watch tonight, Friday, January 16 at 9pm ET to witness the fall-out from last week's TNA World Title Match, featuring the epic trilogy between Bobby Roode vs. Bobby Lashley III. Plus, the determined Hardy brothers, Jeff and Matt Hardy, battle The Wolves in a tag team showdown.  And you can’t go wrong with a match called "The Beautiful People vs. Brooke & Taryan!"

The Beautiful People

Miss a matchup or just can't get enough? Destination America has you covered. You can watch an encore on Friday nights from 11pm-1am ET, or you can check out IMPACT WRESTLING: UNLOCKED on Saturdays from 10am-Noon ET, beginning January 17 for a reloaded edition of the previous week's IMPACT WRESTLING with a whole new viewing experience that features extra content and never-before-seen footage. According to Carter, "IMPACT WRESTLING will be the most compelling two hours of wrestling on television."