TNA Accused Of Exploiting Extras As Free Labor

TNA is catching heat as the company has been accused of exploiting extras and aspiring wrestlers as free labor.

During the Masters of Wrestling podcast on March 8, 2026, former TNA employee Master Emir and ex-WWE star Martin Stone claimed the company has relied on hopeful wrestlers willing to work for little or no pay just for the opportunity to be around the business.

Master Emir said he personally witnessed situations during TNA tapings that raised serious concerns, including extras being asked to perform tasks that should only be handled by licensed personnel.

“I saw the shenanigans that were going on. They had people who didn’t have hazmat licenses mopping up blood in the ring — and not their own blood, but the performers’ blood. These were young hopefuls trying to get a job at TNA. I witnessed all of this, and that was just one of the many things that happened. That’s actually illegal.”

Emir argued that the situation exists because many aspiring wrestlers are so eager to break into the business that they’ll accept almost any opportunity. According to Emir, some promotions no longer need to offer contracts because there are always hopefuls willing to work simply for exposure and exploit them.

“But it goes beyond that. The reason they attract these kinds of situations is because now there’s a generation of wrestlers who are basically super fans or marks who want to get into the business. They’re not business-minded people. A lot of them dream about it so much that they’ll do anything to get there, and companies know they can take advantage of that.

They don’t even need to offer contracts anymore. They know there are people who will work just for the chance to be on TV. They know there are plenty of hopefuls out there willing to do it. So instead of going after established talent, they go after the low-hanging fruit — people who will work for almost nothing. Why pay when you can get people to do it for free?”

He also claimed that some extras are traveling long distances just to appear at tapings without being compensated: “They even have extras flying in from around the country and not getting paid.”

Martin Stone backed up the criticism and said he personally knows several people who have spent years appearing as extras while paying their own way. Stone added that while working as an extra can make sense for someone already living near the venue, regularly traveling at your own expense for minimal opportunity raises serious questions.

“I’m not going to name names, but I do know multiple people who have been extras at TNA for at least two years. Two years wasting their time on that — flying themselves in every time they film. If they’re already in town, fine, I get it. But when you’re paying your own way every month just for the chance to appear and you know you’re not really getting anything out of it, that’s a different story.”

The accusations have quickly led to conversation about how promotions treat aspiring talent and whether unpaid opportunities are still too common in the industry, especially considering TNA is currently in the AMC era.

Do you think these claims about TNA exploiting extras are believable, or is this just part of how the wrestling business has always worked? Let us know your thoughts.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.