Former TNA Wrestling executive Scott D’Amore has confirmed a long-rumored story, recently brought to light by Kurt Angle, that “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar was interested in signing with the promotion back in 2007.
The story first emerged on Kurt Angle’s podcast, where he revealed that Lesnar, then a free agent, had called him and offered to sign with TNA if they could match Angle’s own lucrative contract. Angle said he pitched the idea to TNA management but was turned down, likely due to budget constraints at the time.
In his weekly column for Uncrowned, Scott D’Amore, who was a key figure backstage in TNA at the time, verified Angle’s account of the events. “Kurt was very excited about this and, obviously, it would have been a huge, maybe trajectory-altering signing for TNA. I passed it on to Dixie Carter, who owned TNA at the time. But, as you already know, it didn’t happen.”
D’Amore also reflected on the massive historical implications of TNA’s decision to pass on signing the future UFC Heavyweight Champion. “It’s a huge what-if, not just for TNA, but for Lesnar. If he came to TNA on a big contract in 2007, would he have still debuted in MMA that year? Would he have felt the need to go fight in the UFC in 2008 and help usher in a legion of new fans for the UFC? I suppose we’ll never know.”
After leaving WWE in 2004, Lesnar had a run in NJPW before transitioning to MMA. He ultimately became one of the biggest box office draws in UFC history before making his return to WWE in 2012. He is scheduled to face John Cena this Saturday at the WWE WrestlePalooza Premium Live Event.
