10 Things That Made Us Embarrassed To Be Wrestling Fans In 2016

TNA’s product improved greatly throughout 2016. The Deletion saga obviously generated a lot of buzz throughout the year, but in general, Impact Wrestling was a solid weekly show with strong in-ring action and logical storylines. Behind the scenes, however, TNA has rarely been such a mess, and 2016 was rife with horrendous PR.

The year saw them directly lash-out at critical fans on Twitter, introduce the hideously contrived Grand Championship, and publically moan about their failure to land AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson in the free agent market. In March, they presented one of the worst pro-wrestling matches of all time in Rebel vs. Shelly Martinez at the Knockouts Knockdown PPV, and June saw them forced to delay an Impact show by two hours thanks to stormy weather in Atlanta.

Nothing topped the power struggle, however. TNA have been limping through financial insecurity for years, and generally rely on last minute cash injections to make it through their tapings. 2016 saw Billy Corgan step-up and provide said cash with a promise that he’d be given the opportunity to take the company over, and assume Dixie Carter’s role as company president.

Billy, like so many before him, was royally shafted. Carter claimed that such an agreement was never in place, and while Corgan was technically appointed “President” in August, he had next to no power. The company went back on their deal, failed to repay the money he’d lent them, and he departed in November.

TNA won the ensuing court battle and eventually repaid Corgan, but their name was dragged through the mud in October and November. Now entering 2017 with new owners in Anthem Sports & Entertainment, TNA should be thankful that they made it through 2016, as they wouldn’t have survived without Corgan’s cash injections.