On the latest episode of his “Hall of Fame” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T addressed the recent rumor that WWE may have the first right of refusal to purchase TNA Wrestling if the company is ever sold. Booker T stated that he finds the rumor credible due to the ongoing partnership between the two promotions, but he also expressed his belief that TNA is currently in a strong position on its own.
The rumor suggests that WWE has a contractual clause that would give them the first opportunity to buy TNA from its parent company, Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Booker T said he could see this being a realistic possibility. “I could see something like that being, you know, available for WWE, just because all the work that they’re doing together right now,” he said.
However, Booker T does not believe a sale is imminent, praising the current state of TNA’s business and its recent creative direction, which has included a talent-sharing agreement with WWE’s NXT brand. “I don’t see TNA being sold anytime soon, because I think they got a really, really good thing going,” he stated. “You know, I think it only can get better for TNA right now. It’s a huge upside for TNA to still be in business.”
He acknowledged, however, that the financial power of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, could change the situation at any moment if they decided to make an offer. “Can [WWE/TKO] write a huge check for somebody to just say, ‘Hey, man, let us run this thing.’ And, you know, hey, take this with you and somebody look at that check, and they go, ‘oh, man, I appreciate it.’… because they got deep pockets. Man, they got deep pockets, you know, and money talks, bull crap walks.”
If a sale were to happen, Booker T believes WWE would handle it differently than their acquisition of WCW in 2001. He thinks the current collaborative environment would lead to TNA continuing as its own brand under the WWE umbrella. “I would imagine, if they wish to buy TNA, they would keep it in existence,” he said.
He contrasted this with the WCW purchase, lamenting that his former promotion was not kept alive in a similar fashion. “I just wish they would have had that same thing around the early 2000s – that same mindset around the early 2000s when WCW came along,” Booker T added.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
