Total Nonstop Action ( TNA ) Wrestling is taking a bold step in the fight against bullying.
Company officials announced TNA's "Eliminate the Hate" campaign, aimed at ending bullying of all kinds.
TNA Wrestling is implementing a massive marketing push for its "Eliminate the Hate" campaign. PSA's will be featured on TNA programming, including their Thursday night line-up on Spike TV ( TNA iMPACT! and ReAction, 8-11 p.m. CT ) . In addition, spots will be placed on all other TNA Wrestling fan outlets, such as the TNA website ( www.tnawrestling.com ) , DVDs and all social-networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter.
TNA is also working closely with the hit SiriusXM primetime show, Derek & Romaine, as well as other SiriusXM programs, and with its broadcast partner Spike, who will air the PSA's across their network. Several TNA stars, including AJ Styles and openly bisexual wrestler Orlando Jordan, taped interviews and PSAs in late-October with the Derek & Romaine show that will be aired on that show and on other SiriusXM shows as well.
There are several TNA Wrestling superstars who know all too well about the childhood trials and tribulations of being bullied because they once were on the receiving end of unwanted, unprovoked, persistent taunts from bullies.
Mr. Anderson, for instance, was bullied as a teen growing up in Two Rivers, Wis. "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero was bullied while growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., but turned the tables in high schooland protected those who were being bullied.
"Sadly, bullying is a national problem, and it crosses into all races, religions and every socioeconomic status," Anderson said. "Growing up, I was bullied until I was a freshman in high school because I didn't conform to [ one ] group, nor play sports. I was open that I liked video gaming and comic books and got picked on for that. I eventually took tae kwon do and eskrima lessons because the bullying was relentless and I thought it would come to a fight. But when the bullies heard I was taking martial arts classes, they backed off."
No major, professional sports team, or entertainment company, has taken such a prominent, public stance against bullying as has Nashville, Tenn.-based TNA Wrestling, the pro wrestling company that features Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam, among others.
"Everyone at TNA stands firmly behind this new anti-bullying campaign. The bullying must stop, and we want to take a stand," said TNA Chief Marketing Officer Al Ovadia, himself a father of two. "There's no place in our schools for bullying, be it based on a student's looks, race, sexual orientation or anything else."
TNA launched its "Eliminate The Hate" campaign in conjunction with Jeff Hardy's late-October appearance on The Talk ( CBS-TV ) when Hardy appeared in support of a bullied teen. Hardy, the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, personally invited Tyler Wilson, 11, to Orlando, Fla., for a taping of "TNA iMPACT!" on Spike TV ( Thursday, 8 p.m. CT ) , including a backstage meet-and-greet with the other wrestlers.
Wilson, a sixth-grader at Glenwood Middle School in Ohio, had his arm broken by bullies because he joined the cheerleading team.
"I'm happy to support Tyler and anyone who has been bullied, and I know I can say that all of the other wrestlers on the TNA roster agree with me on this stance: the bullying needs to stop, now," Hardy said. "I guarantee Tyler will have an amazing time in Orlando and know he will be the envy of his class after his trip."