What’s being affectionately called NXTNA is fast becoming one of the most exciting things in wrestling, here’s why TNA and NXT are a match made in wrestling heaven.
WWE has a history of not working well with others, and why shouldn’t they? After all, they were the biggest game in town at one stage, they didn’t need anybody else. Since the fall and absorption of WCW – WWE, arguably became the combined Voltron form of WWF, WCW and ECW, growing to eventually become the Disney of wrestling we know today.
Significant Mexican and Japanese promotions existed within their own bubble, ruling their own separate fiefdoms, but none ever encroached on The Empire’s borders. Periods of collaboration also often ended without anything really changing, so we all just got used to WWE simply looking out for WWE. Anything that wasn’t WWE was labelled as “independent” – no matter how many million dollar TV deals they had.
Joe Hendry has been a driving force of NXTNA.
However, under the guidance of the Empire’s magnanimous new ruler; Triple H, WWE is finally starting to form relationships with not just international wrestling organisations, but those it’s viewed as competitors in the United States. WWE may argue that it’s never truly viewed any promotion as a true rival, at least since WCW, but we know that TNA, ROH and AEW have all caused the company’s former chairman sleepless nights in the past.
Yet the winds of change have blown WWE and TNA into what’s – so far – been an amicable and productive working relationship. First, we got Mickie James in the 2022 Royal Rumble while she was an active member of the TNA (then called IMPACT Wrestling) roster. This was a big deal, but what made it mind-blowing was that James proudly displayed her IMPACT Knockouts Championship on WWE programming. Something that had previously been completely unheard of. For those still in doubt, this was a planned move, and a tentative experiment on the part of both organisations.
Things took another positive step when Jordynne Grace did the same thing in the 2024 Rumble, this time hot on the heels of the TNA rebrand, and soon after the – now undisputed – King of Kings took his throne. Since then, TNA wrestlers have continued to show up in NXT and vice-versa with increasing frequency, and has been must-see TV for both promotions.
Two former rivals that have essentially created a symbiotic relationship between their brands. It now feels like you need to watch both TNA and NXT to keep track of the storytelling, and not only is this fantastic for the industry, it’s a masterstroke that benefits both companies in clever and unique ways.
For TNA the exposure is a tremendous boon, but it goes deeper than this. Its WWE acknowledging them as their “official rival”, in terms of the business and storytelling, that’s the real benefit. This not only positions them as a legitimate “threat”, but it’ll also appeal to the more rebellious and contrarian fans – those who want to stick it to the Evil Empire.
Jordynne Grace has been one of NXTNA’s biggest trailblazers.
It essentially makes TNA look like a plucky underdog going into a battle as David in a David vs Goliath situation – a position that both companies are happy for them to fill. While TNA can play into this role on either TV show, in reality, both companies are in cahoots, but TNA get to feel the benefit anyway. It strengthens their own fan base and likely wins over some WWE fans too. It’s an endearing position to be in, even if it is artificial.
For WWE, they get the pat on the back for finally playing nicely with others, positive publicity for being magnanimous, endless creative opportunities and access to talent they could sign in the future, or just borrow on a temporary basis. Some of their greener stars in NXT, many of which that don’t come from a wrestling background, will also get some priceless learning experiences from industry veterans signed to TNA.
Acknowledging TNA as thier “official rival” also undermines AEW in a number of ways. Not only does it allow WWE to casually, but quite deliberately, pretend AEW isn’t much of a threat, it positions TNA above them in the wrestling hierarchy, trivialising AEW in the eyes of WWE. Of course, this also benefits TNA, who’ll be more than happy to accept the number two spot, especially after their own relations with AEW ended on a sour note – allegedly. Once again, this is artificial, but it will subtly tweak the perception of some fans.
With their roles defined, WWE and TNA can essentially make a show of going to war on-screen, while working together constructively behind the scenes. They can also calm some of the ridiculous tribalism that exists or change the narrative enough to make a lot of it performative and friendly, at least between WWE and TNA. In time, they could also launch an invasion angle, pitting both brands against each other in a do-over of the failed and best forgotten WCW invasion of WWE during the Attitude Era.
WWE ultimately win this war – at least the first one, but they “develop a deep respect” for TNA as a company and for the warriors that carried its banner – something that changes the industry forever, if you think about it. This allows TNA to play it’s underdog role to maximum impact (pun intended), and allows WWE to appear gracious in victory.
The question is how it ultimately ends. Our money is them doing a Godzilla vs. Kong, having the two warring factions join forces to take down a greater threat. For example, both company’s respective top heel stables form a “Legion of Doom” that needs to either be taken down by the joint WWE/TNA Justice League. Or they use this idea in the next wave of crossovers.
Provided that both companies can remain respectful and committed to a shared vision of cooperation and creativity, both WWE and TNA will prosper from these crossovers. However, the fans of both are the real winners, not just from an entertainment standpoint, but in a more meaningful way, as some fans finally learn that it’s okay to watch more than one promotion.
