Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
An American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2002 and currently operating under the TNA Wrestling brand.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, commonly known as TNA Wrestling, is an American professional wrestling promotion established in 2002 by Jerry Jarrett and Jeff Jarrett. The company initially operated as NWA: Total Nonstop Action and presented weekly pay-per-view events from the Nashville, Tennessee area. Its early programming was built around an alternative to the dominant WWE model, combining established wrestling names with younger performers and emphasizing faster, more athletic matches. TNA became particularly associated with the X Division, a weight-class-free style built around aerial maneuvers, technical wrestling and innovative match formats. The division helped introduce or elevate performers such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and Chris Sabin, and became one of the promotion's most recognizable creative concepts. TNA also developed a six-sided ring, a distinctive presentation feature used for much of the company's history, and promoted a range of singles, tag-team and specialty match formats. The promotion expanded from internet and pay-per-view distribution into television during the 2000s. Its weekly program, initially known as TNA Impact!, moved through several broadcasters, including Fox Sports Net and Spike TV. The company recruited prominent former WWE and international wrestling performers while also cultivating original talent. Notable additions over the years included Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, although the company's use of high-profile veterans was periodically balanced against concerns about creative direction, spending and backstage management. In 2011, the promotion adopted the simplified name Impact Wrestling in connection with the growing importance of its television program. The brand continued to use TNA-related corporate and championship terminology for part of this period, but the Impact identity became increasingly central. In 2017, Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquired the operating assets of the promotion and its video library from the company's then-owner, resulting in a more formal transition to the Impact Wrestling name. Anthem's ownership supported continued television, touring, streaming and international distribution, although the promotion operated on a smaller scale than the largest American wrestling company. Impact Wrestling entered into talent-sharing and business relationships with other promotions, including Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Pro Wrestling NOAH and All Elite Wrestling. The company also maintained a relationship with the United Kingdom's Fight Network and other Anthem-affiliated media properties. Through these arrangements, performers and championship storylines crossed promotional boundaries, while Impact continued to stage its own television tapings and pay-per-view events. The TNA name returned as the principal brand in January 2024. The relaunch restored TNA branding while retaining continuity with the Impact Wrestling era, including much of the existing roster, championship lineage and production operation. Current programming includes the weekly television show TNA Impact!, the flagship yearly event Bound for Glory, and major pay-per-view or streaming events such as Slammiversary and Hard To Kill. The promotion's business remains centered on live wrestling events, television rights, digital distribution, merchandise and licensing rather than the sale of physical consumer products. TNA's historical importance lies in its role as the longest-running major American competitor to WWE during the 2000s and 2010s, its development of the X Division, and its record of giving national exposure to wrestlers who later became prominent elsewhere. It is also notable for surviving several ownership and branding changes while maintaining a continuous championship and event lineage. The company remains active under Anthem Sports & Entertainment and continues to position itself as a nationally and i…
History
TNA was founded in 2002 in Nashville, Tennessee, by Jerry Jarrett and Jeff Jarrett. The venture began as NWA: Total Nonstop Action, using a weekly pay-per-view model rather than immediately adopting a conventional touring television structure. The early company operated in association with the National Wrestling Alliance, although that relationship later ended. Its initial presentation sought to distinguish the promotion from WWE through a more compact event format, a six-sided ring and a strong emphasis on athletic wrestling. The X Division became the promotion's defining innovation. Although it was not strictly a conventional weight division, it focused on wrestlers capable of fast-paced, aerial and technically complex performances. AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Low Ki, Samoa Joe, Chris Sabin and others helped establish the division's reputation. TNA also promoted a women's division, tag-team wrestling and a variety of specialty matches, including the King of the Mountain match and the Ultimate X match. TNA's profile grew after it moved to Fox Sports Net in 2004 and later obtained a television agreement with Spike TV. The weekly program, TNA Impact!, gave the company a regular national platform. During the mid-to-late 2000s, TNA added established performers including Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Booker T and Kevin Nash while continuing to develop younger wrestlers. The company expanded its pay-per-view calendar and pursued wider distribution, but its growth was accompanied by disputes over creative control, management priorities and the balance between veteran stars and homegrown talent. In 2010, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff joined the promotion in prominent creative and executive roles. The period included an expansion to a four-sided ring and an effort to present TNA as a more direct national competitor to WWE. The company subsequently returned to a six-sided ring and underwent further management changes. In 2011, it increasingly promoted the Impact Wrestling name, reflecting the importance of its television property. The company nevertheless continued to use TNA in corporate, championship and historical contexts for several years. The promotion changed ownership and operating structure several times. Panda Energy and Dixie Carter had been central to its ownership during much of the 2000s and early 2010s. In 2017, Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquired the operating assets and video library. The promotion then operated primarily as Impact Wrestling. Under Anthem, it continued producing weekly television, touring events, pay-per-views and digital programming, while also using Anthem's media infrastructure and international relationships. The Impact era included partnerships with other wrestling organizations. Talent exchanges and storyline cooperation involved promotions such as AAA, Pro Wrestling NOAH and All Elite Wrestling. These relationships helped the company maintain visibility and broaden its talent pool, even as it operated with a smaller budget and audience than WWE. The promotion also became known for giving established independent wrestlers national exposure and for maintaining a relatively open relationship with the wider wrestling ecosystem. Scott D'Amore served in senior leadership during the later Impact period and was associated with the company's creative and operational direction. After his departure in 2024, Anthem appointed Anthony Cicione as president. The company announced in 2023 that it would restore the Total Nonstop Action name, and the TNA Wrestling brand formally returned in January 2024. The relaunch was presented as a continuation rather than a complete replacement: Impact-era championships, talent histories and much of the production infrastructure remained part of the promotion's identity. Today, TNA's principal activities are the production of weekly television, live events, pay-per-view and streaming specials, digital media, merchandise and licensing. Its major properties include TNA Impact!, Bound for Glory, Slammiversary and Hard To Kill. The promotion remains historically significant as a durable American alternative to WWE, a developer of internationally recognized wrestlers and the originator of the X Division concept. Its current strategy combines the restored TNA name with the continuity and library developed during the Impact Wrestling years.
- 2024
TNA Wrestling relaunches
[3]The promotion begins operating under the restored TNA Wrestling brand.
- 2023
TNA name announced for return
[3]Impact Wrestling announces that the TNA Wrestling name will return for its 2024 programming.
- 2017
Anthem acquires operating assets
[2]Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquires the promotion's operating assets and video library, consolidating the Impact Wrestling era.
- 2011
Impact Wrestling identity becomes prominent
[2]The promotion increasingly uses Impact Wrestling as its public-facing brand.
- 2010
Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff join
[2]Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff take prominent creative and executive roles during an attempted expansion of TNA's national profile.
- 2007
Move to Spike TV
[2]TNA's weekly television program moves to Spike TV, giving the company a more prominent American cable platform.
- 2005
TNA Impact! launches
[2]The promotion launches its weekly television program, later known simply as Impact.
- 2004
First regular television expansion
[2]TNA begins distributing programming through Fox Sports Net, moving beyond its original weekly pay-per-view model.
- 2002
Promotion founded
[1]Jerry Jarrett and Jeff Jarrett establish NWA: Total Nonstop Action, initially presenting weekly pay-per-view events.
Products and positioning
A nationally and internationally distributed alternative professional wrestling promotion known for the X Division, talent development, crossover partnerships and a blend of established stars with emerging performers.
Weekly television program · 2005
TNA Impact!
The promotion's flagship weekly professional wrestling program. It presents ongoing singles, tag-team and women's division storylines, championship matches, interviews and talent segments, and has been broadcast under related Impact and TNA titles during different periods.
Annual wrestling event · 2005
Bound for Glory
TNA's principal annual event and one of its most important championship and storyline showcases. Bound for Glory traditionally features major title matches and prominent roster programs and serves as a seasonal landmark for the promotion.
Pay-per-view and streaming event · 2005
Slammiversary
A long-running major event associated with the promotion's anniversary period. Its cards generally combine championship matches, featured rivalries and appearances by established and returning talent.
Pay-per-view and streaming event · 2020
Hard To Kill
A major event held near the start of the annual schedule. It is used to establish new storylines and title programs and has remained part of the promotion's principal event calendar through the TNA rebrand.
Wrestling championship division · 2002
X Division
TNA's signature athletic division, centered on fast, aerial and technically inventive wrestling rather than a rigid traditional weight limit. The division and its championship helped define the promotion's early identity and became a pathway for numerous internationally known wrestlers.
Controversies
2017
Ownership and management turmoil during the transition to Impact Wrestling
The promotion experienced significant ownership, financial and management uncertainty before Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquired its operating assets and video library. The period also involved substantial changes to the company's public identity and senior leadership.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023TNA Wrestling brand restoration
United States · Canada · International
The promotion publicly announced the return of the TNA name, using its historical brand equity while preserving continuity with the Impact Wrestling period.
Outcome. The TNA identity returned to weekly television and major-event promotion in January 2024.
Brand decisions
2023
Restore the TNA brandStrategyBackground
Anthem and the promotion sought to reconnect the active product with the historical TNA identity while retaining the continuity built during the Impact years.
Action taken
The company announced a return to the TNA Wrestling name for 2024.
Aftermath
TNA Wrestling returned as the principal brand in January 2024, with existing championships and much of the prior operation continuing.
2017
Anthem acquires the promotion's operating assetsM&ABackground
TNA faced ownership and management instability after years of financial and leadership changes.
Action taken
Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquired the operating assets and video library and continued the business primarily under the Impact Wrestling name.
Aftermath
The acquisition provided a new corporate owner and preserved the promotion's television, event and library operations.
2011
Adopt the Impact Wrestling identityStrategyBackground
The weekly television program had become the most visible part of the business, while the TNA name remained associated with the broader promotion and its championships.
Action taken
The company increasingly presented its television and public-facing operation as Impact Wrestling.
Aftermath
The Impact identity remained dominant until the formal TNA restoration announced in 2023 and implemented in 2024.
2010
Recruit high-profile former WWE executives and wrestlersStrategyBackground
TNA sought to increase its national visibility and compete more directly with WWE.
Action taken
The company brought in Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and featured additional established wrestling names.
Aftermath
The period increased mainstream wrestling attention around TNA but also generated debate about creative direction, roster balance and the use of veteran talent.
2004
Expand from weekly pay-per-view into televisionStrategyBackground
The original weekly pay-per-view structure limited reach and required the promotion to develop a more conventional recurring television presence.
Action taken
TNA pursued television distribution, beginning with Fox Sports Net and later obtaining a larger cable platform.
Aftermath
Television became the central distribution channel for the promotion and supported a larger national roster and event schedule.
Recent events
IMPACT Wrestling partners with Serious Pizza in Dallas[4]
Reported:
IMPACT Wrestling announced a partnership with Serious Pizza in Dallas for its upcoming Hard to Kill and IMPACT TV tapings; Serious Pizza boxes carry flyers with discount ticket information for the Dallas shows.
IMPACT Wrestling launches YouTube membership[5]
Reported:
IMPACT Wrestling launched IMPACT Insiders, a YouTube fan membership offering tiered access to premium content and perks.
IMPACT Wrestling agrees to bring programming to StarTimes[6]
Reported:
IMPACT Wrestling announced an agreement with StarTimes to bring more than 250 hours of IMPACT Wrestling content to StarTimes’ platform in 2021, reaching viewers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
IMPACT Wrestling announces multilingual Bound For Glory commentary[7]
Reported:
IMPACT Wrestling announced that the live broadcast of Bound For Glory would include French, German and Spanish commentary feeds in addition to English. The event was scheduled to stream on FITE on October 24, 2020.
IMPACT Wrestling renews broadcast partnership with MVStv[8]
Reported:
IMPACT Wrestling announced that it renewed its broadcast deal with Mexico City-based MVS Comunicaciones MVStv. The partnership provides 300 broadcast hours of wrestling content.
Sources10 sources
- 1Total Nonstop Action Wrestlingen.wikipedia.org
- 2Impact Wrestlingen.wikipedia.org
- 3TNA Wrestling official websitetnawrestling.com
- 4IMPACT Wrestling 与 Serious Pizza 在达拉斯建立合作wrestlingnewssource.com
- 5IMPACT Wrestling 推出 YouTube 会员服务f4wonline.com
- 6IMPACT Wrestling与StarTimes达成节目发行协议prweb.com
- 7IMPACT Wrestling 宣布 Bound For Glory 将提供多语言解说411mania.com
- 8IMPACT Wrestling续签与MVStv的播出合作prweb.com
- 9Impact Wrestling Content Acquired By Africa’s StarTimes Networkewrestlingnews.com
- 10IMPACT Wrestling Launches "IMPACT Insiders" YouTube Membershipwrestlingnewssource.com
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