Impact: Raven on Hard To Kill Appearance, Gail Kim on Hoping Impact Inducts Don West & Mike Tenay, Don West

Raven Comments on His Recent Appearance at Impact’s Hard To Kill 2023 Event

A recent episode of The Raven Effect podcast featured Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer and host Raven’s thoughts on his recent appearance for Impact at their Hard To Kill 2023 event this past Friday.

“It was a fucking great show. Notes that he doesn’t watch a lot of wrestling So I’m watching the show. First of all, I was in a segment with Mickie James, putting her over because she started out as Alexis Laree. and I brought her into TNA, which was the forerunner of IMPACT. I did a little thing where I came because she was in a match where if she lost, then she would have to retire, but if she won, she won the title. It was against Jordynne Grace, and it was a hell of a fucking match. There were like four matches I saw that were on the pay-per-view Friday night that I thought were tremendous. I don’t want to put stars to them….The Mickie James and Jordynne Grace [match] was amazing.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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Gail Kim Comments on Hoping Impact to Induct Mike Tenay & Don West Into Their Hall of Fame

A recent episode of the Generation of Wrestling podcast had Gail Kim as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Kim’s thoughts on her being hopeful that Impact Wrestling will induct Mike Tenay and the late Don West for this year’s class for their Hall of Fame.

“I always say this and I’m not even exaggerating, I don’t have one negative — and I worked with him [Don West] for years, okay, and we did all the live events and a full-time schedule and we saw each other every week. I don’t have one negative memory of Don. That voice you heard, that excitement, that positivity you heard when he was commentating, that’s who he truly was backstage. Just positive, excitement for the matches and he’d always be so complimentary. He would say, ‘You and Kong, you make it so easy to call a match because I’m just so really invested in it’ and he just made you feel good all the time and it was just heartbreaking because I did get to talk to him before he passed and he wasn’t in a good place so, I guess I was prepared somewhat mentally and some way, I knew it wasn’t going well but, doesn’t help the sting I guess once the real news gets delivered and because he was so beloved by so many, it was a really hard one to deal with for a lot of people I think. I wanna see him and Mike Tenay in the Hall of Fame this year. I think it’s most fitting and deserved.”

Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com

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Celebration of Don West’s Life Event Scheduled for This May

As noted before, former TNA Wrestling commentator Don West passed away this past December due to brain cancer.

West’s obituary recently listed that a special event celebrating West’s life will be taking place on May 20th at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee, Washington.

Taking weather into consideration, a Celebration of Life gathering is planned for May 20, 2023 at 1:00 pm (PMT). It will take place at:

Town Toyota Center

1300 Walla Walla Avenue

Wenatchee, WA 98801