Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA
), is a privately-controlled integrated-media (focusing on television, internet, and live events) and sports entertainment company, dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from product licensing, and direct product sales. Dixie Carter Salinas is the president and chairwoman of the company and co-founder Jeff Jarrett is the vice president. s of }} 2005 [] Panda Energy International owns the majority of its shares. [1] since July 2009}}" style="white-space: nowrap;">[dead link]
The company has its headquarters in Orlando, Florida; its trading company TNA Entertainment, LLC operates out of Nashville, Tennessee. The company previously bore the name "NWA Total Nonstop Action" — at the time of its formation it belonged to the National Wrestling Alliance. TNA was granted exclusive rights to both the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Tag Team Championship. TNA withdrew from the NWA in 2004, but was permitted to continue to use the championships until the NWA abrogated the agreement in May 2007. [2]
TNA became the first American promotion to make exclusive use of a hexagonal wrestling ring (as opposed to the more conventional four-sided ring). The organization also employed the unconventional rule that a championship can change hands as the result of a disqualification or countout, but has slowly phased out this rule. TNA's business focus is on professional wrestling, a simulated sport that consists of wrestling combined with acting and theatre. It is currently the second largest professional wrestling promotion in the world, behind World Wrestling Entertainment.
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TNA WRESTLING TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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TNA Wrestling Tickets 1/19 | Jan 19, 2025 Sun, 7:00 PM | | TNA Wrestling Tickets 1/23 | Jan 23, 2025 Thu, 6:00 PM | | TNA Wrestling Tickets 1/24 | Jan 24, 2025 Fri, 7:00 PM | | TNA Wrestling Tickets 3/14 | Mar 14, 2025 Fri, 5:00 PM | | TNA Wrestling Tickets 3/15 | Mar 15, 2025 Sat, 7:00 PM | |
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History
Formation
The concept of TNA Wrestling originated shortly after the end of WCW (2001). Bob Ryder,
Jeff Jarrett, and
Jerry Jarrett went on a fishing trip and contemplated their futures in the
business of wrestling.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) remained the only wrestling product on U.S. national
television (following WWE's March 2001 purchase of
World Championship Wrestling and
Extreme Championship Wrestling filing for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy that same year). Ryder felt that this situation led many television stations to regard wrestling as bad for
business, and suggested a company that does not need television, but rather just goes straight to
pay-per-view. Of the three, only Jeff Jarrett took the discussion seriously (the other two thought of it as "just fishing talk"). Eventually, Jarrett found help believing in himself.
The Jarretts found the help they needed,`and the company had its first show on June 19, 2002. This night, however, they needed help in a different manner, because in a
dark match just before they went on the air, a 450
lb wrestler named Cheex hit the ropes with so much force that one of them broke. The estimated repair time was 30–60
minutes, which they did not have because the schedule called for them to go live in a few minutes, whether the ring was ready or not. Backstage, the producers shuffled the schedule so that some non-wrestling segments went first to give the ring crew some more time, but they did not have many of them. Fortunately, the ring crew came up with a creative way to fix the rope with the help of Ron and Don Harris, and everyone went live hoping for the best.
[3]
TNA Xplosion
and Weekly PPVs
The original TNA business model differed from that employed by WWE in several key ways. By not touring like other major federations had done, TNA could keep costs down. Until the introduction of the syndicated show,
TNA Xplosion
, in late 2002, TNA's weekly show was provided over
pay-per-view to act as their main source of revenue, in place of monthly pay-per-view events used by other promotions.
[4] These shows started on June 19, 2002 and were held mostly at the
Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville to lower production costs.
[5] After 27 months, TNA felt that they had a fanbase that would support three-hour pay-per-views and ceased their weekly shows on September 8, 2004.
[6] TNA held its first three-hour monthly pay-per-view,
Victory Road, on November 7, 2004.
TNA Impact!
TNA began airing
TNA Impact!
(officially typeset "TNA iMPACT!") on June 4, 2004 on
Fox Sports Net, and it soon replaced the weekly pay-per-views as TNA's primary broadcast while the monthly events became the main source of revenue.
[7] The contract was not renewed one year later with the show getting consistent low ratings. As a result, TNA was left with no television deal other than the monthly pay-per-views, so on July 1, 2005, TNA turned to broadcasting
Impact!
from their official website, while seeking a new television outlet.
[8] [9] TNA later secured a deal with
Spike TV and aired its first episode on October 1, 2005.
[10] Since the move,
Impact!
achieved considerably higher ratings and was moved twice, now having a primetime slot on Thursdays.
Impact!
expanded to a two-hour format on October 4, 2007.
[11]
Expansion
Apart from their weekly shows, TNA started running
house shows on March 17, 2006.
[12]
In October 2006, TNA started holding some of their monthly pay-per-views outside of their central filming location. TNA has also expanded into other areas with the development of a
video game with
Midway Games, titled
TNA Impact!
, released in 2008.
[13] In April 2006, TNA announced a partnership with
YouTube where TNA supplied YouTube with exclusive video content in exchange for
hosting, leading to the production of internet shows. In January 2007, TNA's mobile content deal with New Motion, Inc. led to the introduction of TNA Mobile and mobile fan voting.
[14] TNA has also launched the TNA U program to help promote the brand and has started airing
podcasts through YouTube which they call TNA U TV.
[15]
In August 2007, live events coordinator Craig Jenkins stated that TNA intended to stage eight pay-per-views and 96 house shows outside Orlando, Florida in 2008.
[16] In 2008 TNA conducted its first tour of the UK, with most shows selling out.
TNA footage is to be seen in the wrestling documentary,
Bloodstained Memoirs
.
[17] On June 21, TNA launched an online video vault subscription service, where subscribers could watch past Pay-per-views by choosing either one of three payment options.
[18]
Celebrity involvement
Since its inception, several
celebrities have appeared with TNA in a variety of roles.
Celebrity
| Date
| Event
| Role
| Refs
|
Bonaduce, Danny Danny Bonaduce
| 2009 04 April 2009
| Lockdown (2009)
| Competed in a Six Sides of Steel match.
|
|
Diamond, Dustin Dustin Diamond
| 2002 09 September 2002
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Competed in a boxing match.
|
|
Eckstein, David David Eckstein
| 2007 01 January 2007
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Briefly "feuded" with A.J. Pierzynski.
|
|
FILTHEE F.I.L.T.H.E.E.
| 2008 08 August 2008
| Hard Justice (2008)
| Started off the Hard Justice pay-per-view rapping about TNA with Grandmaster Caz.
|
|
Grandmaster Caz Grandmaster Caz
| 2008 08 August 2008
| Hard Justice (2008)
| Started off the Hard Justice pay-per-view rapping about TNA with F.I.L.T.H.E.E.
|
|
Hammond, Jeff Jeff Hammond
| 2004 07 July 2004
| TNA Impact!
| Became a color commentator and wrestled two matches before departing in 2005.
|
|
Jones, Adam Adam Jones (American football)
| 2007 07 July 2007
| Victory Road (2007)
| Signed a contract with the promotion. In response, the Titans organization sought a restraining order banning him from working with the company. The Titans and TNA had since came to an agreement on Jones participating with TNA, and Jones, with Ron Killings as "Team Pacman", even won the TNA World Tag Team Championship from the team of Kurt Angle and Sting during his brief tenure with the company.
| [19] [20] [21]> [22]
|
Keith, Toby Toby Keith
| 2002
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Performed "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" to open the show. Keith then entered the Gauntlet for the Gold main event match to determine NWA World Heavyweight Champion, he proceeded to suplex and eliminate Jeff Jarrett from the match.
|
|
Marlin, Sterling Sterling Marlin
| 2002
| TNA Weekly PPV
|
|
|
Morasca, Jenna Jenna Morasca
| 2009 03 March 2009
| TNA Impact!
| Debuted for the company, claiming that she had been a wrestling fan.
| [23]
|
Ortiz, Tito Tito Ortiz
| 2005 05 May 2005
| Hard Justice (2005)
| Referee
| [24]
|
Ortiz, Tito Tito Ortiz
| 2005 10 October 2005
| Bound for Glory (2005)
| Referee
| [25]
|
Pierzynski, AJ A. J. Pierzynski
| 2005 12 December 2005
| Turning Point (2005)
| Served as a manager and interfered in a match.
| [26] [27] [28]
|
Pierzynski, A.J. A.J. Pierzynski
| 2007 01 January 2007
| TNA Impact!
| Briefly "feuded" with David Eckstein.
|
|
Rison, Andre Andre Rison
| 2007 02 February 2007
|
| Promoted Pros vs. Joes
in an in-ring interview before Abyss "attacked" (kayfabe) him.
|
|
Rock, Chris Chris Rock
| 2002 10 October 2002
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Interviewed while filming a scene for the film Head of State
.
|
|
Rodman, Dennis Dennis Rodman
| 2004 07 July 2004
| TNA Impact!
| Accompanied 3Live Kru to ringside for a match against Team Canada.
|
|
Sadler, Hermie Hermie Sadler
| 2002
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Wrestled in several matches
| [29]
|
Schirripa, Steve Steve Schirripa
| 2007 02 February 2007
|
| Appeared as a relative (kayfabe) of Team 3D.
| [30]
|
Sorenson, Reed Reed Sorenson
| 2008 02 February 2008
| TNA Impact!
| Escorted Chris Sabin of The Motor City Machineguns (along with Alex Shelley) in a triple-threat match with LAX Homicide (with Salinas, Hernandez and Juan Pablo Montoya) and Jimmy Rave of The Rock 'n Rave Infection (with Lance Hoyt and Christy Hemme).
|
|
Spencer, Jimmy Jimmy Spencer
| 2008 02 February 2008
| TNA Impact!
| Joined Don West and Mike Tenay to call a match.
|
|
Urlacher, Brain Brian Urlacher
| 2004 01 January 2004
| TNA Weekly PPV
| Interfered in a match.
| [31]
|
Vanden Bosch, Kyle Kyle Vanden Bosch
| 2007 06 June 2007
| Slammiversary (2007)
| Accompanied Frank Wycheck and Jerry Lynn in their tag match against James Storm and Ron Killings.
|
|
Wycheck, Frank Frank Wycheck
| 2007 06 June 2007
| Slammiversary (2007)
| Tagged with Jerry Lynn against James Storm and Ron Killings.
|
|
Young, Ace Ace Young
| 2008 05 May 2008
| Slammiversary (2008)
| Took part in the wedding (kayfabe) of Jay Lethal and SoCal Val.
|
|
GRITS
| 2009 28 May 2009
| TNA Impact!
| Performed A.J. Styles' theme song.
| [32] [33]
|
Different features
Ring shape and locations
Distinctively in the United States
professional wrestling promotion scene, TNA utilizes a hexagonal ring as opposed to the traditional square ring. Steel-cage matches, referred to as
Six Sides of Steel
matches, also take place in the ring; in addition, the promotion holds a now
[] annual pay-per-view called
Lockdown
which features every match on the card inside the cage. Also, although TNA runs some house shows and a few PPV events in arenas, TNA holds most of its events at a set location, referred to as the
TNA Impact! Zone, in
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida as opposed to an arena, presenting more of a regional promotion atmosphere.
X Division
The high-flying, high risk style of wrestling had become one of the features of
World Championship Wrestling and
Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late '90s. Rather than emphasizing the fact that most wrestlers who perform this style are under 220 lb (100 kg) by calling it a
cruiserweight division, TNA decided to emphasize the high-risk nature of the moves that these wrestlers perform. There is no upper weight limit on the X Division or its title, though in practice, most of the wrestlers in this division have been cruiserweights, with
Sonny Siaki,
Samoa Joe, and
Kurt Angle, being notable exceptions. To further emphasize this point, the slogan
"It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits"
is used to describe the division. Although it was de-emphasized throughout 2007 and throughout 2009, the X Division is generally regarded as one of the key attractions of TNA and was replicated in several
independent promotions.
Championships
TNA originally recognized the
National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)
World Heavyweight and
World Tag Team Championships, in addition to the
X Division Championship, the only championship controlled and owned exclusively by TNA. Traditionally, NWA World Champions regularly defended their titles against local contenders in the various NWA territories. This did not often happen when TNA used the titles, with TNA leasing the titles from the NWA in order to free the champion from these obligations. Wrestlers who win all three titles are said to have won the
TNA Triple Crown.
On May 13, 2007, the NWA withdrew recognition of TNA's champions, leaving the two NWA titles vacant.
TNA invented new titles, the
TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the
TNA World Tag Team Championship, and unveiled them later in that week. TNA credits wrestlers who held the NWA World Heavyweight and World Tag Team championships as former TNA champions; for example,
Ron Killings is billed as a two-time TNA World Champion, yet his two reigns were of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Along with this, TNA redesigned the X Division title belt.
The
TNA Women's World Championship commenced on October 14, 2007 at
Bound for Glory.
Gail Kim won a 10-woman gauntlet match to become the first Women's Champion in TNA. She is also the first to hold both the TNA Women's World Championship and the
WWE Women's Championship. On October 23, 2008 on a live edition of
Impact!
from Las Vegas,
Booker T opened a briefcase and revealed the
TNA Legends Championship and declared himself the first champion. Following the victory of this title by
A.J. Styles on March 15, 2009, it established him as the first
TNA Grand Slam winner, as he already achieved the Triple Crown. TNA also recognizes when their wrestlers hold a championship sanctioned by
New Japan Pro Wrestling. On the August 20 episode of
Impact!
, TNA announced plans to create Knockout Tag Team Championship.
Champions
Championship
| Champion
| Date won
| Date aired
| Event
| Previous holder
|
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
| Kurt Angle
| June 21, 2009
| June 21, 2009
| Slammiversary (2009)
| Mick Foley
|
TNA X Division Championship
| Samoa Joe
| August 16, 2009
| August 16, 2009
| Hard Justice (2009)
| Homicide
|
TNA Legends Championship
| Kevin Nash
| August 16, 2009
| August 16, 2009
| Hard Justice (2009)
| Mick Foley
|
TNA World Tag Team Championship
| The Main Event Mafia (Booker T and Scott Steiner)
| July 19, 2009
| July 19, 2009
| Victory Road (2009)
| Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm)
|
TNA Women's Knockout Championship
| ODB
| August 16, 2009
| August 16, 2009
| Hard Justice (2009)
| Angelina Love
|
Other accomplishments
Accomplishments
| Latest Winner
| Date won
| Event
|
King of the Mountain
| Kurt Angle
| June 21, 2009
| Slammiversary (2009)
|
Creative team
Jeff and Jerry Jarrett were initially responsible for booking, followed by
Dusty Rhodes, while
Vince Russo focused more on writing. At times, the position of booker has been coterminous with the on-screen position of Director of Authority.
Authority figures
When TNA first launched, it billed the on-air authority figure as a representative appointed by the National Wrestling Alliance. It did this for storyline purposes only, however, and the actual "representatives" already worked in some capacity for TNA. From February 19, 2003, TNA had no active authority figure until July 23, 2003 when
Erik Watts made his return to TNA as the Director of Authority.
[34] Watts started feuding with
Don Callis (billed as TNA Management Consultant), ending with Watts forced to quit. On February 18, 2004, TNA named Vince Russo the new Director of Authority, a position he held until November 7, 2004 when
Dusty Rhodes defeated and replaced him.
The NWA Championship Committee, established in 2004, comprised a group of wrestling veterans who acted as arbitrators, determining a winner in the event of a time-limit draw. The committee consisted of
Harley Race,
Larry Zbyszko and
Terry Funk, with Funk later replaced by
Roddy Piper without ever having appeared on TNA television. After Race and Piper left TNA, the Committee essentially ceased to exist as a physical on-screen body, although Zbyszko continued to be referred to as a member of the committee while simultaneously acting as on-screen authority figure, booking matches and giving
title shots.
In October 2005,
Larry Zbyszko began to repeatedly reference an ambiguous authority within TNA known only as "TNA Management". "TNA Management" has, in the past, appeared in the form of "special referee"
Earl Hebner, "consultant"
Dave Hebner and "messenger"
Christy Hemme. The current face of "TNA Management" emerged at
Slammiversary 2006 in the form of
Jim Cornette, who has been called the "Management Director" in press releases following that pay-per-view. On October 23, on the first
high-definition episode of
Impact!
, TNA announced that
Mick Foley had become TNA's (
kayfabe) Executive Shareholder.
See also
| Professional wrestling}}portal
|
- List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling employees
- List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alumni
References
- TNA News: New group makes offer to buy controlling interest in TNA from Panda Energy
- NWA/Trobich strips TNA/Cage/Team 3-D of NWA branded Championships
- The History of TNA: Year 1
- Press Release: Jarretts and NWA announce weekly PPVs
- Austin removed from video game cover, NWA/TNA moving to a new arena, more
- Interview with Jerry Jarrett
- NWA: TNA’s TV deal officially signed, Latest on Hirohito angle, WWE trademarks
- TNA Officially via Bit Torrent
- TNA Reaches Deal With Real Broadcast Network To Stream "iMPACT!" News
- Breaking News: Spike TV confirms deal with TNA in press release
- TNA Wrestling Goes Two Hours On SpikeTV Starting October 4
- TNA Announces First Ever House Show
- Midway Acquires Exclusive Worldwide Videogame Rights to TNA Wrestling
- TNA Wrestling Announces Mobile Content Deal - Details
- Info on TNA U
- Benoit case could slam promoter growth plans
- In mainstream media
- TNA Jumps Into the Broadband Ring
- Pacman Jones, TNA apparently close to deal
- Titans intend to block Pacman's wrestling appearance
- Titans, Jones agree to modified wrestling restrictions
- Pacman Catching up on NWA-TNA
- http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/156/84/
- Countdown to TNA Hard Justice
- Countdown to TNA Bound for Glory
- Impact: Baseball becomes basebrawl
- Orton used to running with big dogs
- Christian retains belt Against All Odds
- Impact looks to hook racing fans
- Impact: Ladders and a Belting Pot
- NWA TNA Preview
- http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/1512/84/
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBxkrYWsO4c
- Full NWA TNA PPV Results - 7/23/03