What started as a friendly talent exchange has blossomed into a full-on partnership. WWE and TNA Wrestling announced a multi-year partnership. The arrangement will see TNA talent appear on WWE programming and vice versa.
Both promotions set clear boundaries before this arrangement came together. They avoided the word “partnership” during their talent exchange last summer, which saw TNA star Joe Hendry challenge Ethan Page for the NXT Championship.
TNA has formed partnerships with various promotions over the years, but this is an unprecedented move for WWE. Vince McMahon looked at such moves as a fruitless endeavor. WWE is the industry titan and everyone else is fighting for a second place.
Triple H embraces the industry as a whole and understands the value of compelling crossover content. This partnership comes at an interesting time. Several TNA stars exited the promotion in December. Reports suggest that more stars are likely to follow.
One of those stars is Jordynne Grace. The former multi-time Knockouts Champion signed with WWE after finishing up with TNA at their Genesis pay-per-view. 2024 saw Grace make a memorable appearance in the Women’s Royal Rumble match and NXT.
Grace working for the E is the tip of the iceberg for talent crossovers and relocations.
Several NXT wrestlers appeared at Genesis; however, fans were treated to some of the brand’s more high-profile names this time. Cora Jade confronted Knockouts Champion Masha Slamvoich. Axiom and Nathan Fraizer, the NXT Tag Team Champions, watched the TNA Tag Title match at ringside.
The new partnership has already made history. Axiom & Nathan Fraizer retained the NXT Tag Team Championship against The Rascals on Impact, TNA’s weekly TV show. It was the first time an officially recognized WWE title was defended in another North American promotion on nationwide television.
Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling was the last North American promotion to host a WWE title match. Shawn Micheals successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Buddy Landel on August 4, 1995.
Smoky Mountain’s TV show aired in Tennessee, Kentucky. West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
The new promotional tag team of WWE and TNA could have ramifications across the industry. Mike Santana (TNA) wrestled Ricky Starks (AEW) for House of Glory. Current TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich wrestled AEW’s Megan Bayne for Game Changer Wrestling.
These matches were booked before the partnership was announced. However, one has to wonder if the days of TNA wrestlers working shows with AEW talent are over. WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas will be the true litmus test. Every promotion will piggyback off the biggest show of the year.
There are reports that Tony Khan will not allow AEW talent to work any of the Vegas shows that weekend. Will promotions like Game Changer Wrestling be forced to choose between and using TNA wrestlers and AEW wrestlers?
Rumors suggest this partnership moves WWE closer to acquiring TNA. However, the $20 million antitrust settlement with Major League Wrestling (MLW) raises concerns about potential monopoly accusations if WWE pursues the acquisition.
It is uncertain if WWE can or will buy TNA. The partnership has the potential to yield results similar to an acquisition by a popular sports brand in TKO’s portfolio. In 2006, UFC acquired World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), an MMA hotbed in Southern California. The acquisition served two purposes. UFC gained an extra television rights deal and cultivated several of the sport’s top weight classes.
Now, let’s get to the fun stuff. What do the fans get out of this expanded partnership? TNA’s video library, especially their older stuff. Imagine watching some of AJ Styles’ classic X-Division matches on Netflix and Peacock?
What about Mattel’s line of WWE Elite action figures? Adding a TNA wave to the line would offer several new possibilities for collectors. Imagine an AJ Styles figure with his X-Division likeness. Consider Ken Shamrock as the TNA’s (NWA) inaugural champion. Think of Kurt Angle as the first TNA title holder.
How about TNA DLC in WWE’s main-line console video game WWE 2K25? Historically, wrestlers signing video game deals with WWE can lead to more involvement like merchandise and onscreen appearances. Imagine playing 2K as “The Alpha” Monty Brown. Folks would be delivering “THE POUNCE” to their heart’s content.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry is rumored to be a surprise entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match. What if we eventually see some TNA match types, such as Ultimate X, make their way to the main roster? The match would be a fresh concept in WWE. It would have an opportunity to make a first impression with a larger audience.
From $10 weekly pay-per-views in its infancy to prime-time cable television at its peak, TNA has incurred many changes throughout its twenty-two-and-a-half-year history. Many of those changes brought them to death’s door, only to keep on chugging along like The Little Engine that could.
TNA is now airing on a TV channel even more distant than its fourth-place standing in the wrestling industry. It has made itself a credible promotion at the perfect time as the industry juggernaut is expanding like never before. TNA played the long game and now they, fans, and wrestlers will reap the benefits.
More access. More opportunities. More fun!
RingsideLogic.com 