10 Huge Stories That Changed Wrestling In 2016

2. TNA Cheats Death... Again

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ImpactWrestling

2016: the year Impact Wrestling almost died… again.

Dixie Carter’s TNA have been living on a razor’s edge for years. The company go from taping to taping seemingly on life support, but somebody always comes up with the money, and they never slip off the cliff’s edge. It was Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s turn to throw money at the doomed promotion this year, and it looked like TNA were finally done for in October.

Corgan sued the company for failing to repay the money he’d lent them to fund their TV tapings, and a messy lawsuit followed. Corgan claimed that TNA were insolvent, and with the state of Tennessee suing the company for unpaid taxes at the same time, they looked to be in deep, deep trouble. News of TNA’s demise felt inevitable throughout the month, but someway, somehow, the company pulled through again.

TNA eventually repaid Corgan, and Billy left the company. Anthem Sports & Entertainment eventually bought a controlling stake in Impact Wrestling, and for all intents and purposes, TNA will limp into another year of uncertainty. The company have been on life support for a long, long time, and while the Anthem takeover offers a faint glimmer of hope for the future, it’s hard to feel optimistic for a promotion that’s been haemorrhaging money for as long as TNA.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.