There’s been a shakeup at TNA Wrestling as part of the cutbacks that Anthem Sports Group management has been making starting with Scott D’Amore. PWInsider.com reported that longtime producer David Sahadi (62) was fired. Fightful stated he would be replaced. Sahadi is an American multimedia producer who has worked for TNA Wrestling (2004-2017, 2019-2024), MLW (2019), and WWE (1992-2003). He held the post of Director for TNA Wrestling broadcasts for 18 years during various ownerships and became Creative Director for WWE for 11 years before that.
Lou D’Angeli
In addition to that, Fightful confirmed that Lou D’Angeli (51) was fired. D’Angeli was known as Lou E. Dangerously in ECW. Recently, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Anthem Sports Group with TNA Wrestling. D’Angeli is credited as being a primary reason why CM Punk was around TNA Wrestling so much in recent years.
RD Evans
Another departure was RD Evans who left of his own volition. By most in the wrestling business, Evans was the head of TNA Wrestling Creative and was, also, a producer in the promotion. The word making the rounds is that relations between Evans and Anthem have grown strained in recent weeks. He was “increasingly frustrated” according to one Mike Johnson source with the Anthem Group.
Many that PWInsider.com spoke with say that Evans decided to leave. However, some in TNA Wrestling tried to paint it as a mutual agreement. Mike Johnson believes that RD Evans left of his own accord and that he left before the May 30th firings. It was a separate situation altogether.
In WWE wrestling lore, Evans’ departure is famous. After Vince McMahon screamed at him, Evans said, “I hope you learned something today” to Vince and then walked out. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp was told that an email thanked Evans and mentioned that he had given his notice.
Live Event Departures
PWInsiders.com also confirmed there were multiple departures from TNA Wrestling’s Live Events division. It was described to them as a “restructuring.” Anthem Sports Group is currently working on who will oversee the live events division going forward. As of this morning, a location or venue hasn’t been set for TNA’s Bound for Glory PPV. Fightful confirmed a late August set of TNA Wrestling TV tapings after an earlier report indicated no events had been announced after early August.
There may have been additional departures in other departments as well. Wrestlers were not believed to be released.
