Tag: TNA news

TNA signs Candice Michelle for backstage role

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Candice Michelle recently resurfaced in TNA Wrestling — and it’s now been confirmed that she is officially under contract with the promotion.

TNA posted a video today with Carlos Silva and Tommy Dreamer presenting Michelle with her contract. In the clip, Silva — the president of TNA — said Michelle will be part of the TNA team and working behind the scenes.

“Candice, it’s so great that you’re going to be part of the TNA team, be behind the scenes with us as a former champion, bringing all of that experience to all the women here at TNA,” Silva said. “It’s going to be great. We’re just so happy. I’ve got your contract here. I think it’s got everything that we talked about, and we just look forward to building this together.”

Michelle said she didn’t know that professional wrestling would come back into her life like this, but she’s happy to be back home in the industry. Dreamer reached out to her about the opportunity — and she’s looking forward to helping out.

“To give me a platform so that I can help build this with you guys and be a small little piece of that and see where I can fit in there on any angle, it’s just really a dream come true,” she said.

Michelle was a one-time Women’s Champion for WWE during the 2000s. She was shown in attendance at TNA’s AMC premiere this January and has been backstage at other shows since.

TNA pulls Lei Ying Lee from TJPW event, issues apology

Posted on by Joseph Currier

TNA Wrestling has issued an apology for having to pull one of its stars from an upcoming event in Japan.

In December 2025, it was announced that Lei Ying Lee would be heading to Japan this March for Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s Grand Princess 2026. A subsequent announcement was then made last week with it being revealed that Lee was slated to team with Sareee against Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo at the March 29 show. However, Lee’s appearance has now been canceled.

TJPW described the cancellation as “sudden” and said that, while they’ve been discussing the situation with TNA, the decision to pull Lee from the show remains unchanged. TJPW’s announcement includes a statement from TNA, who apologized for having to cancel the appearance and said that neither Lee nor TJPW are at fault.

“TNA sincerely apologizes for Lei Ying Lee’s inability to participate in TJPW’s Ryogoku Sumo Hall show on March 29,” TNA said.

“Neither Lee nor TJPW are at fault for this situation, and we thank TJPW for accommodating this change.
Once again, we apologize to TJPW, TJPW fans, as well as Miyu Yamashita, Arisu Endo, and Sareee who were announced in this match with Lee, for the absence of Lei Ying Lee at the last minute for the Ryogoku Sumo Hall show which we know is very important for TJPW. We wish TJPW continued success and appreciate their partnership.”

TNA has its Sacrifice 2026 special coming up on March 27 and a TV taping set for March 28, which could be the reason for having to remove Lee from the TJPW show. Both of those TNA events are being held at the Alario Center in Louisiana.

Lee formerly wrestled for WWE as Xia Li and is a one-time Knockouts Champion since joining TNA.

Update on AJ Francis’ TNA Wrestling contract

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AJ Francis will be with TNA Wrestling through at least the end of this year.

It was announced today that Francis — previously known as Top Dolla in WWE — has re-signed with TNA. Skubie Mageza of ESPN reports that the deal is for the remainder of 2026. Francis is a former football player who attended the University of Maryland before joining the NFL with the Miami Dolphins in 2013. He spent time with several teams prior to his football career ending in 2018.

“Former Maryland Terrapin, and NFL Defensive Lineman, A.J. Francis has re-signed with TNA for the remainder of 2026,” Mageza tweeted. “He said a major reason behind his decision is the continued exposure and growth of the partnership between TNA & AMC.”

Francis was a member of the faction Hit Row during his two separate stints with WWE. He debuted for TNA in 2024, plays a heel in the promotion, and is a former Digital Media Champion.

TNA announced more contract news this week with it being confirmed that Steve Maclin has re-signed. The promotion’s next major event is Sacrifice 2026 on March 27, where Maclin is slated to challenge Mike Santana for the TNA World Championship.

TNA Impact ratings up for live episode

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Last week’s episode of TNA’s Thursday Night Impact on AMC averaged 249,000 viewers, up 6.9% from the previous week. It’s the second highest audience the show has done since debuting on the network.

Impact averaged a 0.04 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s up 33.3% from the prior week and ties the 4th highest rating the show has done in that category among the 8 episodes that have aired so far.

Impact tied for 61st among prime time cable network programming for that night. It was head to head with an NHL game on ESPN that topped the cable charts with a 0.26 18-49 rating and 808,000 viewers.

Listed below are the overall viewership and 18-49 demo rating for each episode of TNA Impact that has aired thus far on AMC along with the 7 week average in both categories. This episode was up 15.7% in overall viewers and even in 18-49 as compared to the averages prior to last week.

DateImpact 18-49Impact T.V.
1/15/20260.04173,000
1/22/20260.03171,000
1/29/20260.04201,000
2/5/20260.05241,000
2/12/20260.05254,000
2/19/20260.05233,000
2/26/20260.03233,000
3/5/20260.04249,000
*10 wk avg0.04215,143

TNA announces re-signing of Steve Maclin

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After a storyline where he was briefly “fired” from the promotion, TNA Wrestling has confirmed that Steve Maclin has re-signed with the company.

TNA posted an announcement on Monday saying Maclin has re-signed. No further information about the contract was provided, including whether it’s a long-term deal or not. It was first reported in January that Maclin had extended his contract with TNA.

A former TNA World Champion, Maclin is set to challenge Mike Santana for the title at Sacrifice on March 27. The build to the match included an angle where Maclin was fired from TNA after getting the “fired” briefcase in Feast or Fired. Maclin did not go quietly, though, returning to attack Santana and assault commentator Tom Hannifan. Santana then called for Maclin to be reinstated so he could get his hands on him.

Maclin, a veteran of the United States Marines, previously wrestled for WWE as Steve Cutler. He’s been with TNA since 2021.

Outside of the ring, Maclin co-hosts the podcast Boots to Boots with his wife Deonna Purrazzo. The TNA/AEW couple are putting together an indie event Battle for the Brave this June to benefit the non-profit organization Tunnel to Towers.

Sacrifice 2026 is being held at the Alario Center in Louisiana and will stream on TNA+.

Rising indie star Ricky Sosa to make TNA Wrestling debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ricky Sosa, an emerging wrestler on the international indie scene, is set to make his TNA Wrestling debut.

Last week, it was announced that Sosa had been pulled from wXw’s upcoming 16 Carat Gold tournament in Germany due to a “major career opportunity.” That opportunity has now been revealed to be this week’s TNA Wrestling events in Atlanta. He’ll be appearing for TNA both Thursday (March 5) and Friday (March 6).

TNA hyped up Sosa as being “one of wrestling’s hottest rising stars” while announcing him for the events. They include tonight’s live episode of Impact and tomorrow’s TV taping.

“Atlanta plays host to one of wrestling’s hottest rising stars, as Ricky Sosa makes his North American debut at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta, GA,” the promotion wrote. “Catch him at our events tonight and tomorrow.”

Known as “The Young Savage,” Sosa is a Belgian wrestler who has drawn attention for both his ring work and entrance. WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry is among those who have taken notice of him.

“I don’t know if you guys know Ricky Sosa, but he is going to be an unbelievable talent in the future,” Henry tweeted in January. “He’s young athletic and he’s got that extra thing that you need for pro wrestling.”

Sosa is wXw’s current European Champion. Despite having to pull out of the 16 Carat Gold tournament, he’ll be returning to Germany to compete for wXw this Sunday (March 8).

TNA Impact viewership steady, 18-49 demo rating down

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

The Thursday, February 26 episode of TNA Impact averaged 233,000 viewers on AMC, identical to the viewership number the show did the previous week. This ties the lowest audience total for Impact since January 29.

In the 18-49 demo, Impact drew a 0.03 rating. That’s down 40 percent from the prior week and matches the lowest rating the show has done in that category since debuting on AMC.

On a night with no major sports competition but network TV returning with all new programming on the major networks, Impact tied for 96th on the cable charts in the 18-49 demo.

Listed below are the viewership totals and 18-49 rating for each episode of Thursday Night Impact that’s aired so far on AMC, along with the average in each category prior to the current week. Last week’s show was up 9.8 percent in viewers but down 25 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

TNA Impact ratings —

DateImpact 18-49Impact T.V.
1/15/20260.04173,000
1/22/20260.03171,000
1/29/20260.04201,000
2/5/20260.05241,000
2/12/20260.05254,000
2/19/20260.05233,000
2/26/20260.03233,000
*10 wk avg0.04212,167
*not includingcurrent week

TNA World Champion Mike Santana celebrates three years sober

Posted on by Joseph Currier

TNA World Champion Mike Santana reached a big milestone in his sobriety journey this week.

February 16 marked three years since Santana made the decision to check himself into rehab and get sober from drugs and alcohol. Santana was at “rock bottom” at this point in 2023 but has worked to turn his life around, bettering himself for his daughter along with becoming one of the faces of TNA in his wrestling career.

“3 YEARS SOBER. 2/16/23 I took the first step to change my life and everyday since, I’ve been grateful for what this life has given me,” Santana wrote. “Crazy to think that at one point, I thought I’d never be able to maneuver through life without drugs and alcohol. And I’d be lying if I said it was easy but nothing worth it in life is. It’s truly a day at a time and today, the challenges of life motivate me because it’s where strength, knowledge, and character is built.

“LOVE AND RESPECT YOURSELF. ITS THE ONLY WAY. THANK YOU to everyone who’s taken this ride with me the last couple years.”

Santana, once a tag team specialist with his former partner Ortiz, is now a singles star and two-time TNA World Champion. He regained the title from Frankie Kazarian last month on TNA Impact’s AMC premiere.

Mickie James addresses in-ring future following TNA appearance

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mickie James isn’t sure what her future in the ring looks like, but she remains open to wrestling again if the right opportunity comes up.

James, who was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2025, returned to the promotion for a surprise appearance at No Surrender last Friday. She got into it with The Elegance Brand at the show and stood tall alongside Indi Hartwell and Xia Brookside, possibly setting up a future match if James decides to compete again.

On Busted Open Radio today, James followed up on her TNA appearance and addressed her in-ring future. She’ll always be involved in wrestling in some capacity, though she doesn’t know what’s next for her.

“You know, I’ve been doing a lot. I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching too, everything from doing the [WWE] LFG and being kind of that mentor space,” James said. “Wrestling is one of those things, like, it’s in your blood. And I’m so competitive, and you just constantly go like, ‘What if? What if?’

“I think that for me, whatever opportunity that feels right and feels good in the space, I would probably be — I mean, I will always be involved in wrestling in some capacity, because I just love it with my whole heart. I’ve dedicated over half my life to it at this point. I’m very, very passionate about it.

“And so, I don’t really know. And I think that’s kind of a weird place for me, and a scary place for me, but it’s also helped me sit back and kind of be open to anything that feels good and feels right. And if it doesn’t feel good and feels right, that’s okay too, you know?”

No Surrender took place in Nashville close to where James lives. She told Busted Open that everyone backstage was great to her.

“It was cool to be back in the locker room,” James said. “And I was, you know, not worried, but you always wonder, like, ‘Oh, how are people going to feel, even behind the scenes and that stuff?’ And the locker room was awesome. The girls there were awesome. They were so great.

“And, yeah, it was just good to be back in the mix for a second. Honestly, it was nice to just knock some dust off the old high heels, you know? The high-heel working boots.”

Now that TNA is on AMC, James said she’s excited that the promotion will have a bigger audience. She is also happy that the roster will be able to participate in some crossover promotional opportunities with other shows on AMC.

James will be making an indie appearance in West Virginia on February 28 when she serves as the special guest referee for an MCW Pro Wrestling tag match. It will pit Gia Scott & Simone Valentina against Maia Martinez & Notorious Mimi.

TNA Impact scores highest audience to date on AMC

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Last week’s episode of TNA Impact averaged 254,000 viewers on AMC, up 5.4% from the previous week. It’s the largest audience the show has done since starting on the network last month.

Impact averaged a 0.05 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s the same rating the show did the prior week and also ties the largest rating the show has done in that category on AMC. They tied for 51st on the prime time cable ratings for the night.

It’s notable that beginning the week of January 26th, all wrestling ratings shows had a noticable increase in both total viewers and demo rating as Nielsen changed the way it determines those numbers via the the Big Data + Panel system.

Listed below are the overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for each episode of Thursday Night Impact on AMC to date along with the averages in each category prior to last week’s episode. That show was up 22.1% in overall viewers and 25% in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.

DateImpact 18-49Impact T.V.
1/15/20260.04173,000
1/22/20260.03171,000
1/29/20260.04201,000
2/5/20260.05241,000
2/12/20260.05254,000
*10 wk avg0.04208,000
*not includingcurrent week

Leon Slater reacts to Jeff Hardy calling him the ‘future of wrestling’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

They’ve worked together closely in TNA, but it’s still surreal for Leon Slater when he receives praise from Jeff Hardy.

Hardy recently praised the 21-year-old Slater as the “future of pro wrestling” and named him as someone who will lead TNA into the future. While speaking with The Sportster, Slater opened up about what it was like to hear those comments from someone he grew up idolizing.

“There’s almost two sides to it, where l’ve been so spoiled over the past year that I’ve got to work with Matt and Jeff so much in TNA that when I hear or see stuff like that it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s cool that Jeff said something nice about me.’ And then I take a step back and I think about who I looked up to growing up, and who was my favorite wrestler, and who I had the most figures of, and who I had all the merch, and who I painted my face just to be like, you know what I mean? And I go, ‘Jeff Hardy is saying that about me?!’ Which is absolutely insane,” Slater said.

“So whether it’s Jeff, Matt, AJ Styles, any of these veterans that I’ve grown up watching, it really spurs me on. Because it’s a thing now for me of not only proving maybe some people that didn’t think I could make it to where I am and don’t think I can make it past where I am, it’s not only proving them wrong, but it’s proving myself and the people that do believe in me right. So it’s proving a Jeff Hardy right, an AJ Styles right, a Matt Hardy right, a Tommy Dreamer right. You know what I mean? So it’s real good motivation for me. And it’s obviously super cool that Jeff thinks of me that highly.”

One of the best young wrestlers in the world, Slater is the current TNA X-Division Champion and has already crossed over into WWE through the promotion’s partnership with TNA.

Casket match announced for TNA Impact taping

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Elijah and Mustafa Ali are set to continue their rivalry with a stipulation match when TNA comes to Nashville, Tennessee this weekend.

TNA Wrestling has announced that Saturday’s television taping will include a guitar case casket match between Elijah and Ali. The taping is being held at The Pinnacle in Nashville with matches airing on future episodes of TNA Impact on AMC.

Ali is coming off a victory over Elijah at Rebellion, where he used a guitar shot to get the win after interference by his Order 4 faction members Tasha Steelz, Jason Hotch, John Skyler, and Agent 0. A mixed tag team match then aired on Impact last week with Ali & Steelz defeating Elijah & Jada Stone following more involvement by Order 4.

The winner of this upcoming match will be whoever is able to stuff their opponent into a casket that’s shaped like a guitar case.

Both Elijah (then known as Elias) and Ali are former WWE wrestlers. Elijah made his TNA debut in 2025, while Ali first arrived in the promotion in 2024. It was announced last month that Ali has re-signed with TNA as the promotion enters a new era with its TV deal on AMC.

Before Saturday’s TV taping, Nashville will host TNA No Surrender 2026 this Friday night. That show is being broadcast live on TNA+ and includes an eight-man tag match with Order 4 (Ali, Hotch, Skyler & Agent 0) facing Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Vincent & Dutch.

TNA announces signing of Bear Bronson

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One month after debuting for the promotion, Bear Bronson is officially under contract with TNA Wrestling.

TNA announced today that Bronson has signed with the company. Since departing AEW in 2025, Bronson has reinvented himself as a singles competitor after previously being a tag team wrestler. He is now receiving a push in TNA as a new member of the faction The System.

“Truthfully, I’ve always known in my heart where I knew I needed to be, and that’s why it was a no-brainer when I got the opportunity to enter TNA Wrestling,” Bronson said in an interview with PWInsider. “It felt like a new home for me and the second they offered to sign me, I accepted. So today, I am delighted to confirm I am signed with TNA Wrestling.”

Bronson was trained at the Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy in New York. While in AEW, he was known for being part of the team Bear Country with tag partner Bear Boulder. Their duo was dissolved last year when Boulder was fired from AEW following a domestic violence arrest. Bronson issued a statement strongly condemning Boulder following the arrest.

The announcement of Bronson’s signing comes after TNA also confirmed new deals for Elayna Black, Ash By Elegance, and Mr. Elegance (Andreas John Ziegler) this week.

Jeff Hardy gives neck injury update, feeling ‘much better’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jeff Hardy is feeling a lot better as he continues to work through a neck injury.

Earlier this month, Hardy revealed that he’s been dealing with two bulging discs in his neck since The Hardys faced DarkState in a Broken Rules match at NXT Halloween Havoc 2025. The injury did not force Hardy out of action despite slowing him down. He gave an update on how he’s feeling while appearing on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.

“It’s better,” Hardy said. “This past Monday and Tuesday, it felt really good. Then we flew out here and I fell asleep a little funky on the plane. And I remember like jerking my head up one time and it hurt. So it was hurting a little more than it did Monday and Tuesday, but overall, man, it’s feeling good. It’s definitely better. So this has been a little over three months now. I’ve been dealing with two bulging discs on the left side of my neck.

“This happened when we dropped the titles at the NXT Halloween Havoc show. It was one of those things, man. You couldn’t even tell. It looked completely fine. Like I landed flat, but I was on the big guy’s shoulders. The one guy jumped off the ladder, clotheslined me off. And the idea was for me to go through the table, but I kind of overshot the table and he just broke the table and my head just hit the mat. And it was a little whiplash like that. It felt terrible. I mean, it definitely felt like a concussion and I was close to being knocked out. But that’s when it happened, man. Two bulging discs on the left side of my neck, but I’m feeling much better.”

When asked about his current pain level between 1-10, Hardy put it at a five, calling the neck pain “not bad at all.”

The timing for the injury was bad with it happening leading into TNA Impact’s AMC premiere. Hardy was praying that he would be better by the time the debut episode happened. He was not 100 percent but was still able to compete in an eight-man tag match on the show. By the time he faced Mustafa Ali in a singles bout the next week, Hardy’s was already feeling a lot better.

Matt Hardy noted that, while Jeff has been injured, The Hardys having been doing everything they can to protect him in the ring.

“We’ve also just been very cognizant of it,” Matt said. “It’s been protect Jeff at all costs, you know what I mean? So we’ve done what we had to do to try and work smart and not make things worse in his issue — and so far so good.”

The Hardys are the current TNA Tag Team Champions. It was revealed in December that they had re-signed with TNA. Both Hardys told Van Vliet that they are not thinking about retirement and are going to keep going for as long as they can.

TNA announces signing of Elayna Black

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The former Cora Jade is officially under contract with TNA Wrestling.

Following her debut on Impact’s AMC premiere, TNA announced today that Elayna Black has signed with the company. The 25-year-old Black was featured in WWE NXT prior to being released from her contract in May 2025. She briefly returned to the indies after that before taking a mental health break for the remainder of 2025. Upon the start of the new year, she joined the TNA Knockouts division.

Black’s contract with TNA is believed to be a one-year deal.

In their announcement, TNA referred to Black as “one of the most exciting rising stars” in pro wrestling. She competed in one match for the promotion back in 2019 and later crossed over into TNA during her WWE NXT career.

“The signing marks a homecoming for Elayna, who began wrestling in 2018 and made her first TNA appearance in 2019,” the announcement said. “Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Elayna trained under Bryce Benjamin, Isaias Velasquez and TNA’s own Mustafa Ali – dropping out of school at age 15 to pursue her wrestling career full-time.”

Black and Daria Rae (the former Sonya Deville) both debuted for TNA on the AMC premiere. Deville is playing an authority figure, with her character being credited with signing Black to the promotion.

This Thursday’s episode of Impact will feature Black facing off against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.