WWE and TNA may be closer than they’ve ever been, but a new report suggests there could be a major roadblock standing in the way of the wrestling giant ever pulling the trigger on a full-blown acquisition.
TNA has been surrounded by sale talk for months, especially after reports that Anthem could be open to offers and Dave Meltzer claimed WWE’s deal with TNA includes a set-price option to buy the company. But now, there’s a possible reason WWE may not want the headache. According to sports journalist Blake Avignon, WWE sources pointed to Anthem’s debt as the big issue.
“Multiple @WWE sources indicate the toxic debt on Anthem’s books is the primary reason WWE isn’t viewed as a buyer for TNA. WWE already has the TV reach, audience, and talent pipeline TNA would offer. Taking on that debt, plus a TV deal with AMC that WWE wouldn’t fully control, makes an acquisition far less attractive than simply poaching talent or licensing the library outright.”
Translation: WWE may like working with TNA, but that does not mean it wants to inherit all of its problems. To add to that, the rumors really took off after Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE has a purchase option in its TNA agreement.
“I mean, as far as, like, what’s going to happen, you know, I mean, there’s a, There’s a deal in there when they made the working agreement, you know, part of the working agreement is if WWE wants to buy them, they can buy them. There’s a set price and everything of what they’ll. What they’ll pay.”
That sounds huge on paper, but Meltzer also made it clear that an option does not mean a deal is actually happening. WWE has had similar rights in past deals and never used them. Matt Hardy also shut down the idea that TNA is about to be sold to WWE. On The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, he said the company is not in crisis mode.
“So financially, TNA is okay. We’re not about to be bought by WWE right now. I know that’s the rumor. I think down the road in a few years that [could] happen, whatever. But right now that is not happening. We’re actually going in the opposite direction. They’re actually saving money.”
So, where does that leave things? WWE and TNA can keep doing crossovers, WWE can keep getting access to talent, and TNA can keep getting extra attention without WWE actually buying the whole company.
At the end of the day, the purchase option may be real, but right now the situation looks a lot less like a takeover and a lot more like WWE keeping its options open without taking on Anthem’s baggage.
What do you think? Should WWE ever buy TNA, or is the partnership better without a full takeover? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
