TNA Announces Major International Deal

It looks like a pair of second fiddles are trying to make music together. TNA announced today plans to collaborate with a major international promotion.

According to the announcement, Impact Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH “have come to terms on a working relationship.”

The details? We don’t know yet. Impact will be making a formal announcement soon in Tokyo, but in the meantime promised that their stars will compete at NOAH’s March 12th event in Yokohama.

Pro Wrestling NOAH is certainly smaller than current Asian heavyweight New Japan Pro Wrestling, but is still one of the more significant promotions in Japan. A deal with TNA could be beneficial for both companies, deepening both talent pools and exposing the respective products to more international fans than would otherwise be possible.

NJPW entered into a similar deal with Ring of Honor, and the ROH World Championship was defended at the recent Wrestle Kingdom 11 event at the Tokyo Dome. This is in addition to several inter-promotional pay-per-views showcasing both rosters. Would the rise in international notoriety of a star like Kenny Omega have happened without that connection? Tough to say, but the promotion in both East and West certainly helped.

We await further details on the NOAH/Impact deal, but it should help both companies find their footing against monolithic competition. More options for watching wrestling is a good thing for fans and the industry.

https://youtu.be/n8UkCrdxOvM

Speaking of which, did you see the Lucha Underground/Netflix news?

Do you think the new deal will help out Impact? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook!