Not long ago, the thought of the “prohibited portal” opening up between WWE and another wrestling company would’ve sounded obscure. WWE had long seen itself as the superior brand, and not only did it feel like there was animosity between it and any other company, mingling with another promotion would’ve been a waste of time. To WWE at least.
Crazy how much things can change.
That “prohibited portal” has not only been opened, but the door was kicked down thanks to a new partnership with WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
“We're open for business,” WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque said after SummerSlam 2024.
Since TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace appeared in the 2024 Royal Rumble, WWE and TNA have spent the past few months exchanging talent, allowing its stars to appear on each other's shows. At first, it was like seeing your elementary school teacher outside of class – strange.
But flash forward to now, fans have gotten accustomed to these crossovers and been elated with every single appearance. They’ve gotten to see plenty of up-and-coming stars ready to be headliners in the next generation of wrestling.
And most of all, everyone has gotten to see the phenomenon that is Joe Hendry.
If he wasn’t already the most viral wrestler this year, his stardom reached new levels when he showed up in NXT on June 18. His short time in WWE has been triumphant, but he’s just one of several stars that’s been included in the partnership, and so far, those involved are loving this new territory.
“This partnership between TNA wrestling and WWE has been the perfect example of business done right,” Hendry told USA TODAY Sports. “Business done right is where every single party wins.”
As fans made it known they believed in Hendry in WWE, the Scottish star didn’t know if that lifelong dream of appearing in the company was going to happen. But he said he could sense something in the air. Knowing it was his time to shine, Hendry said he made it clear to company executives to let him make the jump, and not long after, he was making the WWE Performance Center erupt the moment his illustrious music hit.
Hendry always smiles when he turns to face the camera and makes his walk down the ramp, but it was genuine happiness coming from him.
“It was an extremely validating moment. You can see it in my face when I walk out,” he said. “I do the face, and I'm almost shocked for a moment how big the reaction is.”
Other people to make the jump include Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz. They appeared and joined WWE’s Wes Lee, marking the return of The Rascalz, the group the three stars were in as they climbed up the wrestling ranks and eventually landed in TNA. Lee and Wentz also previously were a tag team in WWE as MSK.
When Miguel and Wentz were told about this idea, they were both giddy and were all on-board about reuniting the group. When they joined Lee on July 9, the crowd also got hyped seeing the trio together once again, and the TNA talent felt the love.
“Just to be able to have that moment again was so fulfilling,” Wentz said.
Storywise, things aren’t looking good for The Rascalz after Lee attacked both Miguel and Wentz on the Aug. 6 episode of NXT. But as shocking as it was, it laid the foundation for the three individuals to have a storyline that can develop not only in WWE, but TNA.
The same could be said for Hendry; after defeating Joe Coffey in his debut singles match, he declared he would be sticking around in NXT. On the following episode of TNA “iMPACT!” he then took on Coffey’s Gallus stablemate in Wolfgang, and now he is chasing the NXT Championship.
As strange as it may seem for WWE to do a partnership, it’s nothing new for TNA. It’s worked with promotions all across the globe. Most recently, TNA worked with All Elite Wrestling from 2020-21.
Even though this is regular business for TNA, something about this deal with WWE feels different, and the talent notice it. Miguel didn’t say which company it was, but a recent partnership didn’t seem to benefit his workplace much.
“The last time we did one of these crossovers or like working with another brand, it was very, very, very one-sided, in my opinion. I don't think TNA saw benefits from it,” he said.
When the rumblings of partnership between WWE and TNA began, Miguel was reluctant to think it would be different. Turns out, it’s been “quite the opposite.”
When Levesque was asked why this crossover started, he said he wanted to find something that would not only be good for WWE, but would also benefit whatever promotion it was working with. The trade-off would be the other company could be on WWE’s elevated platform that is viewed worldwide, while its talent could get reps against other stars and learn different, unique styles of wrestling that’ll improve their game.
So far, things are going according to plan. Miguel added the partnership works because both companies have a solid understanding it’s a give-and-take situation where sometimes one product will look stronger than the other. Even though there will be times one company appears to lose, it’s really a win-win the entire time.
“TNA wins because we're selling out regularly now, our crowds are getting so big. We're gaining so much from the increased exposure,” Hendry said. “WWE, a lot of their NXT talents are getting the opportunity to perform for a different audience. Wrestlers win and the fans win because it's an exciting product.”
Appearing on WWE programming isn’t the only benefit Hendry is reaping; he’s also been able to train at the WWE Performance Center, gaining knowledge and experience from another set of trainers. He said WWE has given him “extremely valuable insight and information” during his training, and he’s grateful for TNA allowing him to do so while managing his priorities with his place of work. It sure has made him a busy man, but it has shown him “the positive intentions of all parties.”
But none of this would be possible, Hendry said, if Grace didn’t excel when she made the surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble. In his view, she didn’t just open the door, she busted right through it, allowing anyone to cross through.
There are limitless possibilities of where each company could take their next steps together. Seeds have been planted for some long-term storytelling that could go to the end of the year, or maybe into 2025.
None of it will matter if one, or both, companies decide to end it, but it doesn’t appear to be headed that way anytime soon.
“I believe that as long as everyone's willing to keep the business that they're doing now and keep building off of that, I can see this sticking around, like having some real longevity,” Miguel said.
It certainly has taken the TNA locker room by notice. Ever since it began, Wentz said the intensity from his fellow stars has been turned up a notch, realizing there is a big opportunity awaiting if they step their game up. Just look at what Hendry has become.
Wentz even suggested this could lead to a premium live event between the two brands, which would elevate the partnership to new heights. There is no word of it happening, but it doesn’t sound farfetched. Whether it happens or not, it’s a good time to be part of this exciting time for both companies.
“It seems like both sides are so happy with everything that's going on, and that's kind of rare to see in wrestling,” Wentz said.
“The vibes now are just immaculate.”