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 and TNA Genesis brought some surprises. 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.
There are some valid concerns on how WWE might treat TNA. How much will WWE take and then give to TNA?
There are similar concerns with WWE’s Independent Development program. It’s important also to note, as Noah Buckingham Reed highlighted, that TNA’s success isn’t a reflection of their partnership with WWE.
However, TNA again faces transitional issues. Wrestlers potentially moving onward.
Plus, existing gaps in several divisions. TNA could utilize this partnership to fill them, while also using this talent-sharing agreement to help the re-evaluation of TNA’s legacy.
1. Re-Affirming the TNA X-Division’s Glory
The X-Division is a constant thread throughout TNA’s identity shifts. The championship’s lineage and history provide a list of wrestlers who in some instances are still shaping the business.
Wrestlers who became world champions, like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe, held the belt with the big red X running across it prior to winning the big one. Yet, the division has passed its zenith.
NXT has some incredible high-flyers and youngsters who could gain more reps and recognition competing in the X-Division. Je’Von Evans is touted as a future star but there are not always enough minutes in the week to showcase his incredible athleticism. Wes Lee and TNA history.
What about giving Malik Blade or Edris Enofe a chance to be more than bodies to be squashed? And that’s without considering the NXT Tag Team Champions.
As a short-term fix, NXT talent could help make one of TNA’s USPs special again.
2. Knockout Renaissance
The TNA Knockouts division, at one stage, was a destination for the best women’s wrestling in North America. Some have said that the torch belongs to NXT now.
Jordynne Grace’s success and NXT appearances somewhat overshadowed her successor, Masha Slamovich, and her ascension as the division’s flagbearer. Despite the talent competing in the division, Slamovich and her roster mates could use some fresh blood.
Allowing some of the Performance Centre women to get time with the TNA Knockouts could be a win-win situation. NXT women get more time, and more opportunities to learn and grow outside the WWE bubble. The Knockouts benefit from a more structured hierarchy in its mid and undercard.
Top contenders from NXT, like Cora Jade, who appeared at Genesis, could be a useful stop-gap opponent or PPV challenger for Slamovich. Seasoned roster members like Rosemary and Tasha Steelz gain opponents to rack up victories against to build momentum. Younger roster members like Dani Luna and Xia Brookside can be elevated without repetitively fighting the same established members of the division.
3. A TNA Wrestler Wins an NXT Championship
Beyond generating buzz, there are some interesting booking reasons why giving an NXT championship to a TNA wrestler could aid both brands. I’ve discussed the reverse scenario for how a WWE NXT wrestler could win a TNA championship here.
Doubtfully, WWE may not allow a TNA wrestler to win their biggest prizes: the NXT or NXT Women’s Championship. Like AEW, they may give another promotion’s star a secondary championship. CMLL’s Atlantis Jr. won the ROH Television Championship.
Even if it was the NXT’s Heritage Cup, it would still make headlines. Either the men’s or women’s North American Championships could turn up on the shoulder of a top or midcard star on Impact. Potentially, even the NXT World Tag Team Championship could be placed on a team, like The Hardy Boyz who have so much history with WWE.
Whether as a transitional champion or as a big bad for the next NXT flagbearer to defeat, both wrestlers could see their stocks rise. TNA has lots of promising upstarts who would gain credibility through such a title reign. They could also be future stars for each company.
Alex Hammerstone, KC Navarro, or Mike Santana all spring to mind. If an NXT championship were defended on one of TNA’s top cards, it could also be an incentive for some fans to buy a TNA PPV.
4. Eyes on PPVs
While WWE moved on to pioneer the PLEs business through streaming, TNA remains in the PPV market. It seems likely that we will see more NXT wrestlers appear on TNA PPVs. If NXT wrestlers competed more frequently on TNA events, we could see longer-term storylines and rivalries making it to PPV for their blow-off matches.
Online, so many fans tout their devotion to NXT and its wrestlers. If there was a big storyline involving an NXT wrestler, like Stephanie Vaquer stepping up to challenge Slamovich for the TNA Knockouts Championship, WWE and TNA could find out if this fanfare translates into drawing power.
For WWE, this could be a good test to check the star power of their top NXT wrestlers. For TNA, the benefit is financial. As for the wrestlers, there’s the learning experience of performing at a high-pressured level that replicates more closely the experiences of the main roster PLE cycle.
5. The Return of An Old Face
While not strictly connected to NXT, a crack in the door is enough to blow it wide open. TNA fans (and lapsed fans like me), want to see the promotion’s greatest homegrown wrestlers come home.
I’m talking about a man who went to WWE and tore down expectations. A man who finds himself in a trusted and vital position in WWE. Cue his iconic music…
The Monster, Abyss! Joke aside, seeing Abyss or Chris Parks (or both) back on TNA is now possible. It would undoubtedly be a great slice of nostalgia. Yet, if AJ Styles returned to the house he helped build, that would take the entire cake.
We can dream that WWE may allow Styles to come to Impact. Prayer for one more match on a TNA PPV like Bound For Glory. At the very least, let’s get a TNA Hall of Fame Induction.
The importance of Styles in TNA Wrestling history cannot be understated. Without TNA, would there be an AJ Styles? Or vice versa?
When Styles left TNA, it felt for many fans, including me, like the promotion’s heart was gone. Symbolically, returning home could be a further boon in rehabilitating TNA’s image.
If Styles recontextualized his love and the importance of TNA for himself, the industry, and the fans, it could create a breeze that may push out some of the remaining stench of lol TNA. Turn the unfair perception of TNA as wrestling’s cockroach, its refusal to die, into a badge of honor.
The company that’s weathered so many near deathblows deserves that respect. Put some prestige back on those initials.
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.
