With a “workforce reduction” recently underway in TNA Wrestling, reports that the owners are potentially putting the company up for sale have been challenged.
It was recently reported that former WWE SmackDown co-head writer ‘Road Dogg’ Brian James was set to sign with TNA Wrestling following the recent departure of Tommy Dreamer.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Dreamer revealed that he had parted ways with TNA Wrestling, with it being described as a “mutual” decision.
On June 17, Anthem Sports, the parent company of TNA Wrestling, would release a statement announcing a “workforce reduction” strategy. The initiative was “designed to streamline operations and sharpen strategic focus and profitability.”
With Tony Khan recently asked, during the AEW Forbidden Door media call, whether he would interested in purchasing TNA Wrestling for a hypothetical $40m, details on the status of the company have emerged courtesy of PWInsider.
According to Mike Johnson’s report, the suggestion that TNA Wrestling was up for sale started on social media with it being noted that they were “looking for a $30-$50 million price tag.”
Johnson would go on to note that sources in TNA and Anthem Media told PWInsider that the company is “not up for sale” and that the parent company have “not been seeking a sale”.
WWE and TNA Wrestling are currently in a multi-year partnership, but sources also denied reports that the TKO Group-owned company would ” currently have the right of first refusal to match any offers.”
TNA Slammiversary takes place on June 28, with the report going on to note a source who claims ” the timing of the stories appeared to be aimed at ‘hurting the company’.”
The Rumor Mill Gets Churning
The PWInsider report into the sale rumor includes a comment from a source stating,”a social media account with no track record or real following threw out grandiose statements and everyone parroted it for no reason other than to grab attention for themselves.”
This isn’t the first time this has happened, although it does appear to be one of the occasions that has become widespread.
In early 2023, widespread reports emerged that WWE had been sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), with it being rapidly debunked. September 2023 would see the establishment of TKO Group Holdings, merging Zuffa, the parent company of UFC, and WWE into a single entity under the WME Group umbrella.
Social media has seen unfounded rumors gain traction across a number of fields, not just in the case of professional wrestling, with the initial post amplified by other users and news sites, leading to a concerted effort to correct the record after the fact. Unfortunately, in a number of cases, by the time the correct comes, the original rumor has reached such a level that the truth has less impact than fiction.
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