General Wrestling Discussion

[Leaf Wage Slave Jr]

TNA has apparently inked a multi-year partnership with the WWE.

Spoiler: Article Text

January 16, 2025 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), and TNA Wrestling, one of the world’s top wrestling brands and a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, today announced a multi-year partnership aimed at creating unprecedented crossover opportunities within WWE and TNA programming for NXT Superstars and TNA Wrestling Stars.

The agreement will enable talent to garner additional exposure across key WWE and TNA programming, including weekly flagship shows such as NXT – which airs live on The CW – and TNA iMPACT!, select WWE Premium Live Events and TNA pay-per-views, in turn bolstering their in-ring development with exposure to world-class talent and coaching.

“This historic relationship demonstrates that collaboration and competition do not have to be mutually exclusive,” said Ariel Shnerer, Senior Vice President of Content & Distribution for TNA Wrestling and Anthem Sports & Entertainment. “Our partnership allows the TNA Wrestling brand and its incredible athletes to reach a significantly wider audience, while giving WWE and NXT stars an opportunity to cross the line and gain valuable experience, as they join forces with one of the most talented rosters in professional wrestling today. The response to our collaboration over the past year has been tremendous and both companies have benefited, but the fans have reaped the greatest rewards from this talent crossover and working relationship.”

“We look forward to growing and evolving our partnership with TNA Wrestling and its outstanding group of athletes by creating new opportunities to further the development of our talent and to elevate the viewer experience at home,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.

Former TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry frequently appeared on NXT programming in 2024, highlighted by an NXT Championship match featuring Hendry and Ethan Page at No Mercy,and an NXT Women’s Championship match featuring Grace and Roxanne Perez at Battleground.

Many NXT Superstars also crossed the line into TNA Wrestling, including Wes Lee’s short-lived reunion with The Rascalz, Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Catch Crew, Riley Osbourne, Dante Chen, Gallus, Arianna Grace, Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame, Wendy Choo, Brinley Reece and more.

TNA iMPACT! airs on AXS TV and TNA+ in the U.S., in addition to being distributed internationally on TNA+ and other leading broadcast platforms, including Sportsnet 360 across Canada.

In November 2023, WWE and The CW announced a five-year agreement to bring NXT to broadcast television for the first time in its 13-year history.

About WWE
WWE® is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion households worldwide in more than 20 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, The CW, Sony India and Netflix. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to all premium live events, a variety of original programming and a massive video-on-demand library. Netflix is the exclusive home for WWE programming around the world, other than select international markets. WWE is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO). Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

About TNA Wrestling
A subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. and a division of Anthem Sports Group, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling® is one of the world’s top wrestling brands, producing over 200 hours of original content annually and televised in 200 countries including AXS TV in the United States. Founded in 2002, TNA Wrestling’s deep library of premium content is streamed across the world on key OTT platforms including Pluto TV, Roku, SamsungTV Plus and its own on-demand subscription service TNA+©. TNA Wrestling has a powerful social media presence with over 10 million engaged followers across all major services. Ancillary businesses include live events, merchandise, licensing, and sponsorship.

Wrestling’s DSP will outlive us all, and considering the dumpster fire that is AEW, they might be a solid contender for the #2 American Promotion at this point…

 

[WhimsicalTrolli]

I think wwe will buy tna by the time this partnership ends.

 

[trent]

If WWE markets the partnership with TNA properly then AEW could be in a bit of trouble in the future.

 

[CyrusHowler]

That’s awesome. There’s a lot of cool TNA talent that I really like. Imagine seeing Nic Nemeth enter the rumble with the TNA championship.

I’m still annoyed he didn’t change the name of his finisher from the Zig Zag to the Nic Nac.

 

[Hijo de D. Woodchucks Jr.]

I'm not gonna hold my breath, but TNA showing up in any capacity on the WWE 2k games would be pretty cool.

 

[trent]

Dynamite numbers up a bit this week because of Kenneth but of course they had to end the episode with Mox winning against a homegrown guy they'd built up as a real threat before the inevitable Deathriderzzzzzzzz post-match beatdown that gets broken up by the Copester. They are the House of Torture of AEW.

Just have Omega randomly win the belt off Jon on next weeks show and put this entire NWO-lite angle to bed. Mox still has a place in the company but he just isn't top guy material at the moment. Have him run his faction of hardcore dipshits like a dictator and do an angle where he "tests" potential new members by pitting them against each other/his guys. You don't need a belt to have something that matters on the line in this scenario.

 

[THE STRESS]

We getting Joe Hendry at the Rumble, boys?

 

[CyrusHowler]

but he just isn't top guy material at the moment

Bad gimmicks aside, Mox is one of the most top guyish top guys they’ve ever had.

 

[ShitBomber]

We getting Joe Hendry at the Rumble, boys?

Likely but considering he's booked for the Jericho cruise, it might be safe to say that he's going to have a scheduling conflict. Maybe when the ship reaches the Dominican Republic but who knows?

I'm not gonna hold my breath, but TNA showing up in any capacity on the WWE 2k games would be pretty cool.

Honestly, I'm kinda wishing for a new TNA game. Maybe TNA x NXT: Cross The Line '26 or something.

I think WWE will buy tna by the time this partnership ends.

To be honest, I feel as though this is more of a working relationship than a full merger. Anthem at this point really doesn't seem to have any reason to sell TNA as it's basically cheap content to get on the air as they have their own networks. Attendance has been solid as well so far but what somewhat concerns me is their venue choices for Rebellion and Slammiversary this year. The choices just seem like too much of a risk for a promotion that just took off this year and with how they were for most of its existence, 20 years at a permanent venue along with bad creative and mismanagement can take a toll on a promotion or a brand. Look at NXT for example when they tried to book the same venue Raw was at for St. Louis back in October but failed to get decent ticket sales so they moved it to a smaller venue and have been doing smaller venue on the road weekly shows ever since.

If WWE markets the partnership with TNA properly then AEW could be in a bit of trouble in the future.

Likely but considering TNA's high expectations for Slammiversary and Rebellion, I wouldn't be so sure. Yeah they did well with last year's Slammiversary and Bound for Glory but those were with venues they are well accustomed to. The concern for me is if the hype can maintain itself long term before it fizzles out. Working with WWE could be a big boost to that hype which they are already doing based on past tapings for Impact and live NXT broadcasts along with their respective PPVs. The Royal Rumble which is coming up next month could also lead to representation from other companies that WWE is already in working relationships with like CyberFight's Pro Wrestling NOAH, Marigold, GCW, Reality of Wrestling, and a few others. Though I have a feeling that with the way things are going, we could see a Worlds Collide PPV somewhere down the road.

 

[Anchors-Away]

Bad gimmicks aside, Mox is one of the most top guyish top guys they’ve ever had.

I agree, however the timing of everything couldn't have been any worse. In my mind, the Death Riders gimmick doesn't work, because of the events surrounding and leading into the current dynamic with AEW. Lets rewind 12 months shall we?

- The Elite turn heel and start doing Vince McMahon inspired gimmick in which they control the show how they see fit, holding up title shots and make people grovel to them
- They alter the gimmick slightly due to Vince being ousted as a sexpest, but the premise remains the same with The Elite calling the shots
- AEW show the CM Punk / Jack Perry clip, assuming they'd be in the right. Everyone deems Perry a cuck, CM Punk told no lies. Elite damage control and put Perry in the group
- FTR and other "loyalists" attempt to right the ship and say they don't care, they want the best for AEW

All of this took place during the Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland title reigns might I add, neither of whom interacted much with the Elite bar Christian being awarded a title shot for being a good bootlicker. Khan rushes a Danielson reign, which leads us too...

- BCC turn heel and start doing a Vince McMahon NWO inspired gimmick in which they control the show how they see fit, holding up title shots and make people grovel to them
- They alter the gimmick slightly due to Vince being ousted as a sexpest BCC sounding like a sexual fetish, but the premise remains the same with The Death Riders calling the shots
- AEW show backstage vignettes of Moxley ranting about desire and his status in the company, assuming he'd be in the right. Everyone deems Jon a loser, CM Punk is main eventing WWE programming
- FTR and other "loyalists" attempt to right the ship and say they don't care, they want the best for AEW

Meanwhile "The Elite" have undergone no actual character development or clashed with the Death Riders on the same scale as others. Had they any ounce of self-awareness, they'd have done "The Corporation" type clash with "The Ministry" in which the suits come to terms with the anarchy unfolding? Maybe even put Khan on a crucifix, lol. Okay. Maybe not that far. Instead they had a petty feud with Private Party and appear to be turning on Jack Perry. Had the roster been able to rise up, blame them and make them feel the same level of misery, it create a natural brooding dynamic of what AEW stands for with a borderline civil war.

It's funny to think that the Dark Order had a perfect promo about this (yes, I know right?) in which Uno admits that Moxley might be right, that the group was at it's best when it was hungry. Instead the other Dark Order members berate him and said to think logically about them having stability now.

AEW have had four faction storylines go nowhere. The Pinnacle did nothing of note but educate even the biggest smarks on MJF's ego, Undisputed Kingdom has yet to do a promo in which all the members are medically cleared. Nor can I see the Elite's current arch or the direction of the Death Riders ending any better either. Whoever Mox drops the title too, if it be Omega or Darby, make the man take a break. Give that entire group a hard reset, elevate PAC and Claudio. Yuta can go to ROH for all I care, just get them away from one another once this is all said and done.

 

[Hijo de Cuatro Vaginas]

These MJF segments where he goes face to face with someone are so formulaic, it's like a MCU movie. They say yo momma, personal shit but it never feels natural, it's just references so the 4 marks in the audience scream OHHH.

Seems he learned this from Punk as he also has these weird unnatural promo battles that fit better in theater.

 

[Caddo Cobgang]

AEW have had four faction storylines go nowhere.

exactly the problem, they keep trying to save the company by re-hashing the nWo stuff but they keep shelfing whatever the new heel faction is after a few months and forgetting about it, God I hate Tony so much its unreal

 

[Rick The Stick]

I still just don't get the love for Cody. He's OK. The 3-Star general. And that's fine, but that's all I see. An above average wrestler. I don't get where the popularity comes from or why.

I do enjoy how he carries himself, though. He's self aware enough about how retarded wrestling is without going around constantly winking and nudging people about how it's fake, but he's not trying to treat it like it's a serious and real sport deserving of respect. He's got a nice middle ground approach.
But that's about as far as my appreciation and understanding of the Ender of Racism goes.

 

[trent]

exactly the problem, they keep trying to save the company by re-hashing the nWo stuff but they keep shelfing whatever the new heel faction is after a few months and forgetting about it, God I hate Tony so much its unreal

It is bizarre that TK copies NJPW so much but ignores the fact that they handle factions better than anyone because they keep them around for years and have them as a part of their storylines rather than making them the entire storyline.

It makes a big deal out of people leaving/joining, heel/face turns, the entire thing imploding etc.

 

[Figantic Gaggot]

doesn't dragongate up the stakes with their stables by doing a point system with wins and losses? i could've sworn that's something they did

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

you can always tell when there's a #2 and below in the USA because WWE finds somebody beneath the #2 to work with

 

[Rudolf's Friend]

I still just don't get the love for Cody. He's OK. The 3-Star general. And that's fine, but that's all I see. An above average wrestler. I don't get where the popularity comes from or why.

I do enjoy how he carries himself, though. He's self aware enough about how retarded wrestling is without going around constantly winking and nudging people about how it's fake, but he's not trying to treat it like it's a serious and real sport deserving of respect. He's got a nice middle ground approach.
But that's about as far as my appreciation and understanding of the Ender of Racism goes.

He's another one of those wrestlers where people watch him because of the chase for the championship but once he's champion, the people that wanted him in that position get bored of him and don't care anymore.

 

[Caddo Cobgang]

I think wwe will buy tna by the time this partnership ends.

It’s possible I do wonder if they continue to run tna branded shows if that happened, but I doubt it considering the fact NXT exists

 

[ChunkyKong]

I think wwe will buy tna by the time this partnership ends.

I could see them doing it just to get the Tape Library since most of the legends and current stars have footage there. Just continue to grow the vault.

 

[WhimsicalTrolli]

I could see them doing it just to get the Tape Library since most of the legends and current stars have footage there. Just continue to grow the vault.

They could likely use tna for a showcase for aj styles or Kurt angle if they were to buy the library.