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TNA just ended its press conference in Nashville, TN for the Slammiversary PPV next month. It was announced during the conference that former Tennessee Titans Tightend Frank Wycheck will be wrestling James Storm in a singles bout at the PPV.
The company ran a physical angle, which will likely get press in the Nashville market during the conference. The TNA website reported that Wycheck (with the help of Jeff Jarrett) nailed Storm over the head with a guitar after having beer spit in his face.
Obviously the mainstream sports crossover idea was devised to get TNA some national attention as previous efforts using Major League Baseball stars David Eckstein and AJ Pierzynski (among others) have garnered the company mentions on ESPN and CNN, among other media outlets.
TNA originally had even grander plans for the angle. Earlier today, PWInsider.com reported that the promotion was poised to announce an NFL-themed bout for the PPV. According to sources outside of TNA, the company was in negotiations for Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis to come in and team with Storm against Wycheck and Jerry Lynn. The finalized deal with Lewis wasn't struck and he isn't expected to appear at the Slammiversary. WWE had negotiated with Lewis several years ago about doing a potential PPV bout but that deal was never completed either.
It's possible TNA could use the singles bout to lead to a bigger angle with Lewis or another NFL personality down the line, similar to their 2005 Basebrawl angles leading to additional appearances from other MLB personalities.
Wycheck was among a number of Tennessee Titans who got into a ringside skirmish with Jeff Jarrett during the promotion's 2002 Wednesday night PPV series. His Slammiversary appearance follows a number of NFL stars who have appeared in pro wrestling matches as special attractions in the past including Lawrence Taylor, Kevin Greene, and Reggie White.
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