Is TNA Doomed?
Despite my currently reservations towards the company I will always have a soft spot for TNA. In England I've been there with them since they were on Bravo long since that channel has stopped coming up on the TV guide. The first match I saw was the Electrified Cage match scrolling through the channels back in 2007 and to be honest probably would've been it if not for Kurt Angle and Christian Cage in the Lethal Lockdown probably would've been it. But man, that match left an impression on me with an immediate love for AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
I bring that up as it's 20 years next year that I found out about wrestling beyond WWE, sure WCW was alive in my time but I was pretty young I remember the toys being on sale more than Nitro and the first I can really remember of WCW was the 2001 Invasion PPV (and the Jeff Hardy vs. RVD match on that a fan of both right away). From watching that show I ended up going to the Brentwood show of their first UK tour and then onto Wembley arena in later years. This was that gateway to ROH, to New Japan and eventually to AEW and to going to RevPro shows. I owe a lot to TNA, to its history. But to it's 2026? Man you would think this is a promotion on its last legs. TNA always had that feel of being around forever. It somehow survived ever crisis, every bounced check, every time there was a lack of money to the point that this year they got a big break being on AMC in America.
Now this new TV is reflective of where they are found on the current wrestling landscape. TNA is in a fight to be number three way behind AEW and even further behind WWE so what they did was partner up with the biggest company in WWE to allow talents from NXT to show up on Impact. this wasn't a gesture of good will, a unity through Pro Wrestling approach no WWE had another weapon to saturate the market and force AEW out. It's not worked but to backtrack slightly the AMC deal is because they are a weapon for WWE. So with this back and a 'reported' good deal with some funds you'd expect a boost in production or talent but no almost the opposite. A bulk of talent have left and the creative seems non-existent.
Following on from the releases of Steve Maclin and Myla Grace TNA is bleeding talents. AEW has taking a large bulk of their solid in ring hands in Josh Alexander, Mike Bailey, Ace Austin, Jake Something (now Doyle) and 75% of The Rascalz. WWE has taken the biggest star in Joe Hendry and top women's wrestler in Jordynne Grace. This is on top of the impeding exits of Leon Slater and current World Champion Mike Santana with both seeming like they'll also end up in WWE. But more concerning it feels like none of these people were used to elevate the next up people to fill the void. TNA does not have an X Division at the moment and anyone they bring in is on at max a 6 month deal. It doesn't feel like a company that is looking week to week as opposed to locking talent up for the future. In America at least WWE and AEW have talents locked up in deals until 2030 as it stands but TNA doesn't have the majority of it's show locked in for 2027? If creative was there what can they do if talents there one moment are gone the next. Look they aren't exactly giving the talents anything to be excited for the last story TNA got praise over was the feud between Santana and Ali last year.
So does this all mean TNA is doomed. I mean it feels like it. WWE don't do partnerships they do takeovers. If TNA did take out a portion of AEW's viewership or piece of the wrestling landscape it'd have worth to WWE but the TV viewership has gone up. It does feel like the day that a TNA vault YouTube channel is of more use to WWE than an active company we will see that buyout option triggered. I mean if this was a fair partnership would that be an option? Now is that day close? I think it's a lot closer than ever, if you look at the lack of talent being sent over it is now just the daughter of Santino Marella and her boyfriend everyone else is gone. The belts aren't on WWE TV so not getting that promotion. I think depending on how Slammiversary does against Forbidden Door ticket wise and buy rate will be a real interesting moment for this all.
I've rambled enough I want to end this with a link below to a video and part of that from MarkyD who is one of the more prominent people on Youtube covering TNA (and NWA for that matter). It covers the talents leaving TNA and the job history of Carlos Silva. It's not a positive listen with Carlos Silva apparently a man who helps companies prepare for bankruptcy. Link below but man really does feel like that company that was a gateway to the full world of professional wrestling to me and many others may be on its last legs.
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