The Worst Surprise Debut Of All Time: TNA’s #August1Warning
Robert King
Published Mar 28, 2026
In the lead-up to August 1, 2013, a faction war broke out in TNA between the Main Event Mafia and the Aces & Eights. In the middle of this war, mysterious videos started appearing on TNA’s social media channels and websites. These #August1Warning videos showed the silhouette of a bald man, a man who would claim to have never worked for TNA in the past and that he would be making his presence known on, funnily enough, August 1st.
The videos were interesting, the tease that he had never worked for TNA in the past lead TNA fans to rampantly speculate on whom it may be. A bald man who had never worked for TNA. Could it be a former WWE star (this is TNA after all)? This lead to fans speculating on names like Batista and even Stone Cold Steve Austin. Could it be Adam Pearce, the then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion? Or what about former WCW star Goldberg who was considered long since retired at the time?
The videos led TNA fans down rabbit holes trying to figure out who the mystery man would be, especially as this was coming at the time when TNA was downscaling their roster, letting go of big-name contracts and releasing over a dozen wrestlers in the weeks prior, including a still pregnant Madison Rayne and a still recovering from a broken neck, Jesse Sorenson. Classy.
The #August1Warning videos left fans stumped. Who on earth could it be?
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What Was the #August1Warning?
At the end of the August 1, 2013 episode of Impact, a major face-off was happening between the Aces & Eights and the Main Event Mafia. Just before a major brawl was about to break out, the lights cut out, and dramatic music rang out through the arena. As the tension and suspense built up, the crowd wandered who the mystery man would be. Was it Adam Peirce? Was it Batista? Was it Goldberg? Their questions were answered when out from the entrance ramp walked…
Tito Ortiz.
Mike Tenay was the first (and only) person to react, reliably informing us with as much energy and excitement as he could muster that this was, in fact, MMA legend and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Tito Ortiz. Tenay was in absolute disbelief at the emergence of the MMA legend as members of Aces & Eights and The Main Event Mafia looked on in stunned silence. TNA would surely like to believe that fans in attendance were also in stunned silence at the emergence of Tito Ortiz but, in reality, the fans were completely indifferent. The crowd clearly had no idea who Tito Ortiz was, a fact that was not helped by TNA who didn’t bother to put his name up on the big screen.
Undeterred by the lack of reaction, Tito Ortiz stood on the entrance ramp for 3 whole minutes, awkwardly folding his arms across his chest in an attempt to look menacingly at the two factions. The reactions in the ring were just as awkward, Mr. Anderson in particular was trying his best to sell it, pulling all sorts of faces trying to sell his fear at this most menacing of opponents. All the while even Sting, ever the professional, was struggling to hold off the bewilderment.
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The Story Behind #August1Warning
Strangely, this wasn’t a TNA decision, this was a story mandated by Spike TV in order to promote a Bellator matchup between Tito Ortiz and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson which would take place at Bellator’s first-ever PPV. Rampage Jackson had joined the Main Event Mafia a few weeks earlier, while Tito Ortiz would join the Aces & Eights after August 1st. This led to TNA becoming obsessed with hyping up this Bellator MMA match between Ortiz and Rampage on Impact.
Unsurprisingly, TNA went completely overboard with it.
Rampage and Ortiz got fully involved with the pro wrestling silliness, with both men delivering stilted scripted promos, both would take part in huge brawls, and one week Ortiz even attacked Rampage with a hammer during a Cage Match.
It was way too much, TNA went so overboard with it that Bellator quickly pulled both Rampage and Ortiz off of Impact, hoping Bellator itself wouldn’t get associated with this madness and have people think Bellator wasn’t legit.
The match between Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson didn’t even happen in the end, with Ortiz getting injured just a few days before the fight was about to take place. Thus ending the strange story and making the entire #August1Warning… completely pointless.
