Rumor: Is WWE Interested in Buying TNA?

TNA’s financial troubles have been no secret, and the eventual owner of the promotion has long been in question. Billy Corgan, frontman of the alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins and current president of TNA, has shown interest in purchasing the company, and now it seems that even Vince McMahon might be in on the negotiations.

On today’s episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that WWE is “back in the picture” in talks to buy the struggling company. It’s reported that TNA doesn’t have the funding to run this week’s television and PPV events, and the proposed deal with Corgan would likely take longer than that to put together.

Even with recent interest thanks to the absurd antics of “Broken” Matt Hardy, TNA will have a rough time escaping their poor reputation with fans and talent. If either of these deals goes through, the company is unlikely to continue to exist in its current form.

In an interview with ESPN, Corgan commented that his first move as TNA’s owner would be to change the promotion’s now-tainted name to help build a new identity for them. If WWE were to pick up the company, it would be far more likely for TNA to be shut down altogether, as the pro wrestling giant is primarily interested in the promotion for their tape library.

The larger issue for any potential buyer is the company’s debt, which Meltzer suggests would be more substantial than the price of the company itself. Whoever buys TNA will have to be willing to pick up millions in debt.