TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrett says reports that WWE holds a “first right of refusal” clause over any potential TNA acquisition could signal the end of the promotion’s independence, drawing on WWE’s history with similar arrangements.
Jarrett addressed the situation on a recent episode of his My World podcast.
If that’s true, boy, oh boy. ‘Hey man, let’s give them this talent, let’s give them this talent. Let’s get them on that WWE train and get the audience of TNA and WWE and NXT, and let’s marry them up. Hey, let’s even do a TNA/NXT kind of storyline battle. Okay. Yep. We’re rolling along.’ Oh boy. If that’s really the truth, first right of refusal? If it’s there, then the writing is on the wall, and it’s in super glue.
A first right of refusal clause would give WWE the legal right to match any third-party offer to acquire TNA before another buyer could proceed. Jarrett’s concern is that WWE’s ongoing partnership — which has included talent exchanges and cross-promotional storylines with NXT — may be a deliberate strategy to build toward an eventual acquisition rather than a straightforward business collaboration.
WWE has previously held similar clauses with wXw, OTT, and PROGRESS for the purpose of hosting their content on WWE Network. The most notable precedent is Evolve, which WWE acquired under a similar arrangement and subsequently shut down before later relaunching it as a WWE brand.
The report comes amid a turbulent period at TNA, which has seen Tommy Dreamer, Sami Callihan, Tessa Blanchard, and Steve Maclin all depart the promotion in recent weeks.