Kiera Hogan’s road to TNA wasn’t some clean, corporate tryout story. It started while she was grinding on the independent scene, taking bookings, working through injuries, and even doing extra work for WWE before TNA finally came calling.
During a conversation on Hitting The Turnbuckle, Hogan explained that Sanjay Dutt was the first person from TNA to reach out. At the time, she was actually at a WWE event as an extra when Dutt contacted her and asked whether she had any contractual obligations. Hogan said she told him she was free, and that opened the door for TNA to take a closer look at her.
“So it’s actually a funny story. I was actually at a WWE event. I was an extra and I did get a message from Sanjay Dutt at the time who was working with TNA. He now works at AEW, which is crazy. And he messaged me and asked me if I had any contractual obligations and I told him no. And he said okay, TNA wants to take a look at you.”
That wasn’t the end of it. Hogan said she later worked a Shine Wrestling show in Ybor City, where Jeremy Borash and Gail Kim were in attendance. Hogan ended up hurting her shoulder during the match, but she still planned to keep wrestling because, as she put it, she was young and figured she would be fine. Borash checked on her afterward and made it clear he wanted to get her information to Scott D’Amore.
“I was at a Shine Wrestling show. WWN, World Wrestling Network, was hosting a Shine event in Ybor City like they always do. I was a regular at Shine Wrestling. I wrestled Priscilla Kelly, which was one of my best friends. We came up together. And Jeremy Borash and Gail Kim were at the Shine Wrestling event. I actually got hurt. I hurt my shoulder, my surgically repaired shoulder now. I got hurt and Jeremy Borash actually messaged me and asked me if I was okay.”
Hogan said Borash then told her he wanted to pass her information along to D’Amore, but first made sure she wasn’t tied up with WWE.
“He was like, ‘Well, I want to give your information to Scott D’Amore and hopefully get you signed with TNA.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, sounds good.’ He was like, ‘You’re not going to any WWE trials? You’re not.’ And I was like, ‘Nope, I’m a free agent. I’m just doing the indies. That’s all I’m doing.’”
Then came the phone call that changed everything. Hogan said D’Amore called her while she was out walking her dogs with a friend. She missed the call, but D’Amore left a voicemail telling her to call back immediately before he got on a plane. When she called him back, TNA made the offer.
“Scott D’Amore called my phone. I didn’t answer. I can’t remember why. I think I was with my friend walking my dogs and he left me a voicemail saying to call him back immediately. He was about to get on a plane to go to Windsor. And I called him back and he was like, ‘We want to give you a contract.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And that’s how I got my contract. I signed in 2017 and debuted in 2018.”
That deal ended up becoming a major career chapter for Hogan. She grew in TNA, became part of Fire N Flava with Tasha Steelz, and later captured the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. It also says a lot about how Hogan got there. She wasn’t sitting around waiting for a handout. She was doing the work, getting seen, and staying available until the right people noticed.
What do you think about Kiera Hogan’s TNA signing story? Should TNA bring her back now that she’s preparing for a return? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
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