In a recent interview on the My Mom’s Basement podcast, new TNA President Carlos Silva was candid about his history with professional wrestling, admitting that he was not a die-hard fan before taking the job late last year. Silva, who has an extensive background in sports and entertainment, described his previous connection to the industry.
“No, I’m really, I’m really not,” Silva said when asked if he was a lifelong fan. “And I think I was more of a casual fan around the different heydays of wrestling… whether it was during the Goldberg times, you know, you sort of, you get sucked in as a fan. But no, I wasn’t really a week to week, day to day, kind of a fan.” He noted that having been in the sports entertainment business, he became a fan of all properties as they grew and changed over the years.
The Brains He Trusts
When asked which “wrestling minds” he leans on for guidance, Silva credited his core creative team. “Probably my creative team, mostly, you know Tommy Dreamer, Hunter [Delirious] and Eric [Tompkins] really,” he stated. He praised Tompkins for his long history with the company, Dreamer for his “inside the ropes kind of view,” and “Hunter” for having “really invigorated our writing.” He also credited longtime PR head Ross Forman for his extensive knowledge of the wrestling business.
Though he is still learning the specifics of the industry, Silva shared the moment he truly understood the passion of the TNA fanbase. “We were in Dallas back in February or March… About an hour and a half before the arena opened, it was about 35 or 40 degrees in Dallas… and there was 4,000 fans outside waiting to come in,” he recalled. “I was just blown away by the level of fandom… it really, it warmed my heart to see it.”
Carlos Silva officially took the role of TNA President at the beginning of 2024. This Saturday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view from the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, will be the biggest event for the promotion under his leadership thus far, and the company’s first time running a major arena in years.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit My Mom’s Basement with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
