TNA Stars Looking For Work?
In a follow-up to our recent story about TNA cancelling the upcoming tour of China, and many workers backstage being upset about the late notice, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that there are talents “putting out feelers” throughout the industry.
The big problem rght now is that outside of WWE, there really isn’t a major promotion in the U.S. to work for. Many of the big names who can wrestle great matches or that bring significant star power to shows could get dates with Ring of Honor, but those are the guys that are – in general – still being taken care of by TNA.
To make any sort of money in wrestling, either you have to work full-time on the indies, get a significant deal in Japan, or you need a consistent gig with a TV show. Lucha Underground is off for the next couple months (with no confirmation yet on a second season). The hope is that Jeff Jarrett’s GFW takes off, but there are so many unknowns surrounding the promotion, that even with TV tapings announced nobody has a clue what’s going on.
TNA Wants the Young Bucks
In the same report, Dave Meltzer noted that TNA is preparing to make a play for the Young Bucks, and they aren’t the only ones.
The Bucks wrestle for ROH several times throughout the year, but the company would love to lock them into more exclusive contracts. Lucha Underground will likely make another play for them when a second season is confirmed and they figure out how much money they have to work with. WWE did low ball them on an offer last year, which was the source of some internet buzz, and it’s been reported numerous times that WWE officials were not happy with an indie team turning them down.
But there’s the problem, and it’s one that somebody needs to pick up on if they want to actually secure these guys to a contract – the Young Bucks are one of the very few acts on the independent scene that have marketed themselves well. Extraordinarily well, in fact. Between working every major New Japan show, dates with ROH, touring the indies and their huge supply of merchandise, Matt and Nick Jackson are making more money on a full-time touring schedule than a lot of the minor acts in WWE, and probably anyone working in NXT right now. And looking at the way WWE has handled tag teams for the better part of a decade now, there is absolutely no proof they would be anything more than a minor act.
It’s very likely that no one company, whether it be TNA or Lucha Underground or ROH, is going to be able to make them a significant enough offer to lock them into playing for one team. Nor should they. It’s even less likely that any one company could utilize one team to the point where it would be worth giving them that paycheck. What is TNA going to do with the Young Bucks that would make it worth either side coming to terms?
The only obvious solution, if TNA really does want to get them on television, is they open up their borders and agree to them working the bi-monthly taping dates as a part of their already existing schedules. That means no limits on Ring of Honor (which also requires cooperation from ROH), the New Japan PPV and IPPV, and all their other indie dates.
