TNA finally got people talking again, but Stevie Richards says that is not the win the company probably thinks it is.
The problem? According to Richards, fans are not talking about some killer storyline, a red-hot champion, or a reason to tune in every week. They are talking about people leaving, backstage chaos, bad TV, and another stretch where TNA looks like it is tripping over its own feet.
During a Stevie Richards Show exclusive clip, Richards and James broke down the current state of TNA after a rough run of headlines. Tommy Dreamer is out. Steve Maclin asked for his release. Sammy Callahan parted ways with the company. Tessa Blanchard picked CMLL after TNA gave her an ultimatum. Mike Santana’s future is also a giant question mark while he is still carrying the TNA World Championship.
James said TNA had a real chance to build something after bringing back the TNA name and landing its AMC deal. Instead, he said the company’s debut on AMC was one of the worst debut shows he had ever seen from a wrestling company, and the promotion faded back into negative headlines almost immediately. That is when Richards jumped in and said the attention around TNA is not doing much to make fans actually want to watch.
“It sure feels that way. It sure feels that way. And everything you said that’s the only the only story I remember about TNA are two or two stories is that debut show that we watched and then the MJF thing Carl that nothing that makes you want to watch TNA. Nothing that makes you curious about anything that’s going on outside of Moose, who’s even maybe Nick Nemeth, but people don’t consider him be the face of a company.”
That was a rough shot, but Richards was not just throwing punches for fun. His whole point was that TNA keeps getting attention for the wrong stuff. The company has names, has history, and now has a bigger TV platform, but the conversation around the product keeps circling back to exits, confusion, and missed chances.
Richards also said Tommy Dreamer leaving should make people pay attention. Dreamer has been around wrestling forever and is known as someone who lives for the business. Richards said Dreamer’s emotional exit did not look very mutual to him, even if that is how it was presented.
The former WWE and ECW star also ripped into what he sees as the same old TNA pattern. Talent comes in, works hard, gets over, proves they can help the show, and then something goes sideways. Either they cool off, disappear from TV, get ghosted, or eventually leave.
Mike Santana’s situation makes that problem even louder. Santana is TNA World Champion, but his contract status has been a major talking point, and WWE interest has already been attached to his name. Richards questioned why fans should invest in someone’s rise if TNA cannot even guarantee they will get the full story.
That is where TNA finds itself right now. The company has wrestlers fans know. It has a familiar brand name. It has a TV deal. It even has people who can still go in the ring. But Richards’ point was simple: none of that matters if the biggest stories around the company make fans shrug instead of tune in.
TNA has survived plenty of storms before, but Stevie Richards made it clear that survival is not the same thing as momentum. If the company wants fans locked in, it needs more than drama around the exits. It needs something on-screen that makes people feel like missing the show is not an option.
Do you agree with Stevie Richards that TNA is not giving fans enough reasons to watch right now, or is he being too hard on the company? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know.
