With WWE and TNA Wrestling’s partnership formalized, there’s so much fertile ground for all kinds of inter-promotional possibilities. The grounds are already broken and ready for more seeds to be planted. The Royal Rumble approaches again.
Both brands have a range of PLEs and PPVs set for this year. There are a lot of first-time moments for both brands. So many interesting possibilities.
But, realistically, politics, priorities, and compromise will impact proceedings. Both companies will want to keep their side looking strong. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of exciting opportunities on the table for both sides.
Even for NXT, which enjoys immense support, it’s still a developmental brand with a constantly changing and evolving cast of stars. Through this partnership, WWE has the chance to make history, connect current threads to WWE and NXT’s past, and build its future headliners.
1. Various Learning Trees
NXT wrestlers are increasingly coming in with no prior in-ring experience. While a world-class training facility, the WWE Performance Centre is still a sheltered environment. Talent can be blinkered into the WWE style, inadvertently limiting their creativity.
While NXT might travel on the road, there’s still the safety net aspect of the production. Yes, NXT has a diverse range of wrestlers with different styles and skills, but familiarity can breed conformity.
Working with veterans who have strengths they lack or knowledge they won’t attain at the PC is only going to help. TNA’s roster is filled with wrestlers who run training schools or have taught other wrestlers the craft.
No Quarter Catch Crew might have technical prowess. Still, get them in the ring with Jonathan Gresham, and let’s see if that helps Charlie Dempsey take it up a notch. Pitting the group against The System’s Brian Myers could help Myles Bourne and Tavion Heights learn more about working the space between moves.
What’s helped Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens stand out from the pack in WWE is that indy experience. Giving NXT wrestlers a chance to take something from beyond the bubble and stand out can’t be bad.
2. A WWE NXT Wrestler Wins a TNA Championship
WWE recently crossed a historic threshold with one of their stars winning another promotion’s title. Omos won Pro Wrestling NOAH’s GHC Tag Team Championship. At some point, it seems likely an NXT wrestler could wear a piece of TNA gold.
It could be a singles title like the X-Division or TNA Digital Media Championship. Possibly even the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship, given the various female teams in NXT. A group like The Fatal Influence taking the titles for a short reign, or to be built up as a big bad for eventual homegrown stars to overthrow them, would generate buzz.
Between now and WWE’s next batch of call-ups to the main roster, it could give someone like Ethan Page (a former TNA guy) or Trick Williams a storyline to generate maximum buzz while keeping their characters in the spotlight while they are out of the title picture. Or it could likewise give a rising star like Eddy Thorpe a prominent spot with a championship without disrupting the current NXT title picture.
It’s guaranteed to be a talking point because there are so few first-time moments left in wrestling. In the process, it puts eyes on both brands. For NXT, that wrestler gains a historic milestone. For the TNA wrestler who beats them, it allows them to make fans pay attention.
3. One Final Run
In my article on how TNA could benefit from the partnership, I point out that a TNA wrestler could win an NXT title. Of all the possibilities, one stands out and makes the most sense from a fan interest/business/nostalgia perspective. If The Hardy Boyz got one final WWE tag team championship run, it could serve multiple purposes.
First, even briefly holding the WWE NXT Tag Team Championship would cement their legacy as one of the best tag teams of all time. Second, as a feel-good moment near the end of both men’s careers, it would be a nice bow on their time with WWE.
Jeff and Matt Hardy’s last runs with the company lacked significance. Jeff Hardy’s release left questions about whether his demons had got the best of him again. Matt Hardy left during the Pandemic, citing feeling creatively restricted and many fans agreed he was underused.
It might be a token gesture but one that, for a rating, buzz, and nostalgia, would be a nice moment. It could be something wholesome for the brothers and fans. Plus, there’s potential heat for whoever takes the championships from the legends.
4. NXT Alumni Return
It’s no secret TNA has a lot of former WWE and NXT alumni on its roster. It’s not hidden away, but it could be used in storylines. WWE could find some creative ways of utilizing this reality to bridge the gap between past and present NXT.
Wrestling has had its fair share of invasion angles over the years. TNA doesn’t need to invade WWE although some of its wrestlers with a grudge could. They could stand as obstacles for NXT’s next crop of brand-leading babyfaces to knock down.
Let’s say a hacker started interfering with programming. It’s not Mustafa Ali. It’s Sami Callihan returning to address NXT’s biggest crime: never giving him the chance he deserved.
Besides the opportunities for young wrestlers to learn, there’s a chance to showcase NXT’s legacy and history. Use the previous generation to elevate the next generation. Showcase how NXT has changed, and give some of those alumni a chance to show fans what they missed the first time.
5. Monster’s Ball: Oba Femi
The NXT Champion, Oba Femi, is lightning in a bottle. There’s a plethora of future big-man dream matches on the main roster. Femi vs. Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, Gunther, etc.
However, in NXT, there’s going to be an issue of possible contenders who can push The Ruler to new levels. It takes time to build contenders.
Like with Breakker’s NXT Championship reigns, there’s a risk of stagnation or hiccups if a long-term plan isn’t clear. Femi needs monsters.
TNA contains a monster’s ball of potential challengers. There are potential stop-gap opponents or long-term feuds leading to themed episodes of NXT shows or PLEs.
Some of these monsters, with the right booking, would not lose credibility in taking an L against The Destroyer. For example, PCO could make Femi look like a killer.
A rematch series with Alex Hammerstone, like Hammerstone’s series with Jacob Fatu in MLW, could foreshadow both men’s bright futures. A clash against Moose could be phenomenal.
While not monsters, others could help Femi show off his dimensions. AJ Francis could be an entertaining squash-like match opponent. Veterans like Sami Callihan or Eric Young could sharpen Femi’s edges.
In many cases, these contests could be iron sharping iron. Helping Femi prepare for the main roster and showcasing TNA’s diverse roster.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header image credit – TNA Wrestling. Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Catch the TNA Wrestling Genesis 2025 replay on TNA Plus.
