TNA News: TNA’s Impact Wrestling Likely Switching Networks In January Of 2015

TNA Wrestling has been in a free-fall position for the last year. It seems obvious that the company is struggling, as evidenced by the fact that they are continuing to lose some major stars, and not just originals. Other major stars such as Bully Ray and Sting have also left the company in the last year. Was this something people did due to TNA going downhill? Not as much. Rather, most have left due to insulting contracts offered by the company.

AJ Styles alone has claimed dating back month ago that he already made what TNA offered him in his last deal, meaning he is set to make double what TNA’s offer was on the Independent scene. Understand that the Independent scene is better paying for stars like Styles than a televised company. That is saying a lot about the financial situation TNA has found themselves in. Yet they seem to be willing and able to contact a guy like Alberto Del Rio hours after his WWE release and offer him the world from the very beginning just to bring him in… and he isn’t even a ratings boosting star.

Financially, they are terrible. TNA has not been profitable for some time, which is why Panda Energy stepped in to kill off some random expenses TNA was building up on, such as random contracts that weren’t of use. However, TNA still was willing to offer random money out to anyone departing WWE. So it seems like TNA was in a weird position financially and could offer whatever they wanted with Panda Energy’s money, yet they would still lose money in the end doing so. Really, this has been the TNA formula for some time; TNA is not offering good contracts, which is why the talent wants to leave.

Bully Ray was said to have been insulted by the low-ball offer TNA offered him, which is why he left this past week. TNA also had no idea what they would have regarding a TV deal for their Impact Wrestling show.

TNA came to terms with Spike TV regarding a TV contract extension through December, but afterward, TNA had nothing of note to really go to. Today it is said that TNA does have a network to go to once the Spike TV deal expires. TNA is not letting anyone know who it is, but it is confirmed to be a smaller network. So many Americans may not have TNA starting in January of 2015, which will only hurt TNA financially.

FOX Sports once had TNA programming, as they were the first network Jeff Jarrett was able to seal up to show TNA per week. Eventually, once Sting and others arrived, Jarrett was able to make a deal with Spike TV to bring in TNA. Spike TV once had WWE RAW and felt like having wrestling again could be big for them like it was with RAW, of which they claimed to have passed over contract wise. In reality, it was the network’s top show and still has the highest ratings of any Spike TV program. Of course, this was Spike’s error, and that is why TNA was given such a nice offer.

They were able to negotiate something that worked for both and over the years, and both sides were happy. The last year or so, however, Spike has not be thrilled with TNA’s performance. In fact, word is that due to TNA’s lowest rating in years for their poorly promoted move to Wednesday Night show, Spike is not happy at all. So negotiations about a return to Spike seem highly doubtful, especially when Wednesday night might bring in very low ratings for Impact Wrestling more so than Thursday did.

FOX Sports was the first network TNA was on, and a network similar to where it was at the time could be where TNA lands. While it is unknown what network it is at the moment, speculation will build. TNA could also be playing people and saying there is a network when there is not. We will have to see. However, Spike TV is most likely not going to be the home of Impact Wrestling at the start of 2015. It is said that the only reason TNA was extended to the end of the year was because Spike TV was “being nice” to TNA after years of having them on the network.

Many believe if Spike TV and TNA do not come to terms, TNA may lose their biggest names such as Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle when their deals come up. Both men have expressed a desire to return to WWE, so that could very well happen in 2015. We will have to wait and see what happens with TNA, but for now there is word of a new network and Spike is not in the running to keep them most likely despite rumors of negotiations.

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