TNA News: TNA Wrestling Makes Big Money Play For Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio
TNA Wrestling seems to have new life due to their signing with Destination America. Not only does the network consider TNA’s Impact Wrestling their top show, but they are allowing TNA to do another show on Saturdays. This is a big deal for TNA and it’s future to have a network that believes in them. Discovery Communications will also help to promote TNA across their various networks such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and many more. TNA’s signing with them could be a huge deal, despite the money being lower.
TNA feels that they are worthy of having top stars, which is why they have gone after some top names in the industry not under contract. One of the top free agents is currently former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio has been rumored to sign with Bellator MMA, but has also already signed on to perform a bit with Ring of Honor. He is also set to potentially work a bit with Lucha Underground.
TNA, however, feels they could give him a big enough offer to work with them on the wrestling side of things. According to the Wrestling Observer, TNA offered Del Rio a $400,000 a year contract. Due to the ROH move already being advertised, we know Del Rio will work there a bit in 2015. It is all but confirmed that he will be with Lucha as well.
Due to this, TNA will either have to drop the exclusivity part of the deal or vastly up the contract offer. While 400K is a nice contract, especially for TNA, Del Rio is still coming off of a nice WWE deal. He is also being offered good money wherever he goes. Right now, $400K is nice, but not big enough to make Del Rio an exclusive TNA talent.
TNA executive John Gaburick worked closely with Del Rio when they worked in WWE together, so there is a big push to bring in Del Rio by John. Del Rio is a big name, so it is very possible that TNA will get him in. At one point, TNA was rumored to have offered Del Rio the keys to the company in a sense, as they reportedly claimed they’d give him the TNA World Title right away.
While this could all be rumor, the Del Rio signing is not. TNA wants to get him in badly.
Will they? That is up in the air. TNA might be able to bring in Del Rio full time by the spring of 2015. However, they will need to offer a sweet payday to get him under an exclusive deal. TNA is backed by a billion dollar company, so that won’t be an issue.
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