Adam 'Pacman' Jones Buys 1,500 Tickets to TNA Wrestling Event for Atlanta Students

Adam 'Pacman' Jones Buys 1,500 Tickets to TNA Wrestling Event for Atlanta Students

NFL star defends his TNA Tag Team Championship for first time on the two-hour debut of 'TNA iMPACT' Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV

ATLANTA, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Before he was a star football player, Adam "Pacman" Jones grew up in the College Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, dreaming of hitting the ropes like one of his favorite wrestling superstars.

Now Jones is giving back to put Atlanta-area school students in the arena with him as he defends his Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Tag Team Championship at the "Bound For Glory" pay-per-view event on October 14 in Atlanta.

"Pacman" has purchased 1,500 tickets to give to students in the Fulton County (Ga.) School District to attend "Bound For Glory" at the Gwinnett Center Arena in Duluth, Ga. Tickets will be distributed at the discretion of school administrators for scholastic achievement, including grades and punctuality, as well as good conduct both in and out of the classroom.

Signing with TNA in July, the Tennessee Titans star cornerback and return specialist has realized another one of his childhood dreams - becoming a pro wrestler - and made national headlines in the process.

"I grew up a huge wrestling fan, and the chance for me to have seen my favorite wrestler Sting when I was a kid would have been a big motivator for me, said Jones. "I know what it's like to need someone to believe in you. Giving a kid a ticket to a wrestling show like this is a small way for these schools and teachers to say, 'Hey, here is a reward for all the things you are doing right, now keep it up.'"

Upon his arrival in TNA, Jones teamed with former TNA World Champion Ron "The Truth" Killings to win the TNA Tag Team Championships from two wrestling legends - "The Icon" Sting and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. Now "Team Pacman" will have to defend their titles for the first time on television this Thursday on "TNA iMPACT" on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/PT before heading to "Bound For Glory" October 14.

Jones grew up in Atlanta's College Park area and attended Westlake High School where he became an athletic overachiever, helping Westlake win two state titles. Jones was named conference player of the year, played in the Georgia-Florida All-Star Game and won Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class 4A All-State honors after totaling 120 tackles, six interceptions and 1,850 rushing yards as a senior. Jones attended the University of West Virginia and was the sixth player selected overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, taken by the Tennessee Titans.

"Adam came to us with the idea because he wanted to give these kids a chance to earn the reward of seeing a wrestling event that they might otherwise never be able to attend," said TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter.

"If even a few of those kids look at Adam on that stage and see someone who came from a disadvantaged background in their home city, someone who has made much of his life but also some mistakes, and they are motivated to achieve greatness in some way in their lives this will have been a true success for Adam," Carter said.

"I think (the wrestling) is an exciting event, and we look forward to supporting him in this venture," said Sandra Ervin, Westlake High School principal. "I think it's a generous and genuine support of his alma mater, Westlake High School."

Jones has been invited to speak at the senior assembly in College Park on Oct. 12.

At "Bound For Glory," Team Pacman will defend its titles against the tag team of Tomko and Gainesville, Georgia native and former TNA Triple Crown Winner A.J. Styles. Jones is hoping to make his return to the NFL with his Tag Team Championship intact.

"I've had a great time here in TNA and in professional wrestling. This has been another dream come true for me. Now I hope to win this match at "Bound For Glory," take the tag team championship belt back to Nashville, and get back on the field," Jones said.

Don't miss the most talked about pro wrestling event of 2007 and the biggest night in TNA history, as "Bound For Glory" will be held live at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Atlanta on October 14, airing exclusively on pay- per-view. Tickets for "Bound For Glory" are on sale now and start as low as $15 at all Ticketmaster locations, the Arena and Gwinnett Center box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com

TNA Wrestling delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, athletic entertainment, featured weekly on "Thursday Night iMPACT!" at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. Spike TV is available in 93.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.

TNA's roster includes such legendary stars as Kurt Angle, Sting and Christian Cage, as well as hot new talent like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe and "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal. TNA features the innovative six-sided ring and the high-flying "X Division," as well as concept matches such as "Ultimate X," "King of the Mountain," and "Six Sides of Steel."

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.

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Source: TNA Wrestling

CONTACT: Steven Godfrey of TNA Wrestling, +1-615-244-5557,
sgodfrey@tnawrestling.com

Web site: http://www.tnawrestling.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment