TNA has officially removed Masha Slamovich from tonight’s Victory Road special in Edmonton, Alberta, following domestic abuse allegations made earlier this week. Her scheduled TNA Knockouts World Championship match against reigning champion Ash By Elegance has been canceled and replaced with an in-ring announcement.
The company confirmed it is conducting an internal investigation into the matter. Even before today’s change, TNA had halted all promotion for the title bout, which had been advertised as a “Match by Elegance.” Slamovich’s absence from the go-home episode of Impact Wrestling yesterday strongly indicated the match was in jeopardy.
The allegations have also sparked speculation regarding Slamovich’s role in the ongoing WWE NXT invasion storyline. Reports suggest she has been pulled from the angle entirely and will not appear at this weekend’s Impact tapings following the pay-per-view.
With Slamovich sidelined, Ash By Elegance—formerly known as Dana Brooke in WWE—will now appear in an announcement segment during Victory Road.
Indi Hartwell, originally announced as the special guest referee for the canceled match, remains in line for a guaranteed Knockouts Championship opportunity at next month’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view.