For the past several weeks, the biggest news story in pro wrestling has been the rumored sale of TNA, also known as Impact Wrestling. Reports indicated the company needed to be sold immediately or risk complete dissolution, but a sudden influx of cash allowed them to present their Bound for Glory pay-per-view and their current round of TV tapings, which should take their weekly television show through the end of 2016.
One of the most persistent and eyebrow-raising rumors was that WWE put in a bid to buy TNA outright, with the idea that they were almost exclusively interested in the company’s vast tape library and had no interest in continuing running the company as its own promotion. The other main party trying hard to buy the company is TNA president Billy Corgan, who would do a complete rebranding of the company if he is able to buy out current majority owner Dixie Carter. The latest news is that WWE is indeed interested in buying the tape library, leaving Dixie free to get two paydays: one for the library and one for the company and its assets. That sure seems like the best-case scenario for all parties, and for all pro wrestling fans.
On episode 13 of The Ric Flair Show, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair put forward his own theory about all these rumors: that Dixie leaked the WWE news herself in order to inflate the asking price for TNA. The man who has serious regrets about his own time spent in TNA also pooh-poohed the idea that Impact Wrestling is worth much at all at the moment.
“I think that that’s a rumor that Dixie Carter put out to try and raise the ante. Yep. I don’t see them doing that and I’m sure they’d like to have the library, but, I mean, there isn’t a lot to buy. And I’m not saying there’s not talent there. NXT, they’ve got a ton of kids in NXT right now that are all chomping at the bit to come up, so anybody that they acquire from TNA would probably just go over to NXT for a while and it’s just a lot of people. If anything, they probably need more trainers down in Orlando [Florida] with NXT because the school is growing and more people are trying to get into this company. I mean, athletes from other countries are coming over, so I’m sure they’re looking all the time for someone to help work in those schools.”
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time this sort of thing has happened, especially in the world of pro wrestling. That being said, all the rumors have done is whip fans up into a frenzy about the idea of being able to watch TNA’s back catalogue on the WWE Network. If it doesn’t come to pass, there will be a lot of bummed fans. To say nothing about the bummed wrestlers if the company has to close down due to lack of a sale.
(h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript)
