I entered 2026 hopeful for TNA Wrestling.
I’m willing to admit that I was one of the many skeptics who rolled their eyes whenever an elusive new TV deal was discussed by TNA President Carlos Silva throughout 2025. This deal, something TNA had spent years chasing, I thought was unattainable in the current media market. Then, I was happily proven wrong when they inked an agreement with AMC, securing themselves a two-hour timeslot on Thursday evenings for Impact.
I had the hope that the AMC era would turn the corner for TNA. For the first time in years, a third party was actually paying to put TNA on its U.S. channel. Why wouldn’t that be a jolt in the arm for the brand, both spiritually and financially?
Having an actual TV deal could help them acquire talent again, I thought. Maybe it would mean more live shows, better production, and renewed energy in the brand, which felt like it had been losing momentum ever since Scott D’Amore’s sudden exit a year prior.
I was so wrong.
In 2026, we were looking for something new and improved. Instead, we got more of the same, if not worse.
The improvements we had been hoping for haven’t shown up. Much of the presentation has remained the same. And the roster, which already felt like it needed a boost, has only continued to shrink.
Dani Luna, Jake Doyle, Zachary Wentz, Myron Reed, Dezmond Xavier, Mance Warner, Myla Grace, and now Steve Maclin are all gone after just six months. Some have left for opportunities in AEW, and others have simply left without a clear path forward.
Throughout the past year, many of the great TNA matches have involved either Mike Santana or Leon Slater. While they both remain with the company, reports of WWE being interested in Santana, as well as both WWE and AEW looking at Slater, make it seem like they are on borrowed time in TNA.
I was hoping the AMC era would give TNA the resources to grow its roster. Instead, the signings haven’t been too interesting and haven’t outpaced the steady flow of departures. Notable acquisitions have come in the form of Daria Rae (formerly Sonya Deville) taking up an on-screen role and ex-WWE talent Fabian Aichner (Giovanni Vinci) joining the X-Division.
Any belief of TNA being a show with a better budget due to the deal has gone out the window. Apart from a larger titantron, the show’s presentation elements have all really felt the same.
The ties to NXT, while polarizing for some due to how its booking often gave TNA the short end of the stick, nonetheless gave the brand significant exposure through 2025. What was once a close partnership, with TNA’s top talents showing up to NXT every week, NXT names making the trek to Thursday nights, and the brands even co-promoting a TV special at one point, is nearly all gone in 2026. Barring some small collaborations, like Arianna Grace chasing the Knockouts World title, there has been next to no NXTNA seen in recent months.
The momentum is gone. We can blame certain things on certain people. Maybe WWE should’ve maintained a greater attachment to the brand. Maybe the show’s writing is driving people away. But here’s the truth: Most of TNA’s issues come down to the fact that they are a small fish competing with big dogs. And the cash injection that people wished a new TV deal would provide? It’s yet to be seen.
Why is TNA losing talent? Morale could be an issue, but at the end of the day, they can’t out-bid any of the industry’s top players. And the show having a better look, or going live more often, is a move that can only be made with a higher budget. The creative can be bad at times, sure. I mean, it wouldn’t be TNA without a few poor decisions every once in a while. But when it’s good – and trust me, with guys like Santana and Slater at the top, it can definitely be good – it doesn’t feel like it makes a difference in fan interest. With their roster troubles and same-old production, TNA has hit a ceiling.
Last year, I questioned whether TNA could land a media deal. Fast forward to now, I’ve formed a new type of skepticism: I don’t believe this AMC deal was as good as we were led to believe.
We know for a fact that the AMC deal has given TNA more visibility, as they are now on a network that is actually tracked by Nielsen data. But, apart from some publicity, has this agreement actually done much for them? It’s hard to find the proof.
It might sound hard to believe considering all my gripes, but I’m actually pulling for TNA. Another solid option for both free agents and fans is simply good for the business. For that simple reason, I want to see them succeed.
But, sadly, the AMC deal that I was hoping would give the brand a facelift didn’t change much, except to make the roster smaller and move Impact’s start time to an hour later on Thursday nights.
