10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Maria Kanellis
7. She Worked For TNA
WWE have remained steadfast in their refusal to acknowledge TNA’s existence on-air since the company was formed in 2002. A couple of fleeting references have slipped through the cracks, and Edge & Christian hilariously skirted around the issue when AJ Styles was a guest on their Network series, but as far as the WWE Universe is concerned, Impact doesn’t exist.
This means that vast swathes of Styles', Samoa Joe's, and other current WWE stars’ histories aren’t considered canon on Raw and SmackDown, and the Kanellises are about to meet the same fate. Mike & Maria signed for Impact in January 2016 and left in March 2017, playing a prominent role throughout their short run, with both of them capturing gold along the way. WWE might acknowledge their ROH background, but they’ll expect us, the audience, to believe that they’ve been on vacation for the past year and a half.
Their refusal to acknowledge Impact is frustrating. It’s not as if the company will ever be in a position to legitimately challenge WWE’s market share, and the promotion was hugely important to a number of current WWE wrestlers. Despite this, Vince McMahon’s stance probably won’t sway until Impact finally goes bust.