Nick Piccone
TNA’s future has been in doubt for a long time. But it hasn’t been until recently where the future of the company looked nonexistent with Dixie Carter giving up majority control and Billy Corgan stepping in.
WWE has been rumored to be after the TNA library, and we all know why: the WWE Network. So when news broke today that a WWE/TNA deal for their library was imminent, it got everyone talking. Here’s what Jim Ross said on his podcast that dropped last night regarding a potential deal between the two sides:
“WWE is allegedly very close to buying the TNA library. Not the promotion. The TNA library. Obviously with the WWE Network, the TNA library could be a nice resource, a nice asset. You know, TNA does have some talents I’m sure WWE would like to have somewhere down the road.
But right now, we hear that the WWE and TNA have had talks regarding the WWE buying the library, and that deal is imminent … the people normally are very, very reliable. That’s all I will say.”
Ross reiterates this is just a rumor and nothing has been confirmed. Ross also noted that Bill Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for Survivor Series talks are heating up and a deal with Goldberg could be made official very soon.
According to Justin LaBar, Billy Corgan will take over TNA and rebrand it into an entirely new company.
Analysis: If this deal goes through, it’s the best possible deal for all parties involved. Corgan gets to shed the TNA image and history of the failing promotion and introduce a new, fresh company with a ton of talent on their roster. WWE gets all the prior footage in TNA of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Sting, Kurt Angle, Bobby Roode, the Dudleys, Christian and others they currently employ. They could create more content for the WWE Network and make it nearly impossible to not to subscribe.
TNA is set to run TV tapings to take them through the rest of 2016. We won’t see a “new” company until 2017 in all likelihood. But that gives the company a ton of fortune heading into the future, with a brand new outlook and, hopefully, better ratings.