8 Misconceptions About TNA You Probably Believe
1. They Were Always The Number Two Promotion In North America
"Our goal is to become the world's biggest professional wrestling company."
That was the line spewed by Dixie Carter, then-President of TNA Wrestling, upon the unveiling of Hulk Hogan as TNA's latest acquisition - and yet, TNA wasn't even the second biggest professional wrestling company.
By October 2009, the month in which Hogan was revealed to be crossing the line into TNA, Ring of Honor was fast emerging as a credible threat to TNA's throne. Its back-to-basics presentation of the art of pro wrestling was inviting to those turned off by WWE's poncy character-centric sports entertainment approach. This continued well into the 2010s, too, no matter how much TNA threatened to knock ROH. Internationally, Japan and Mexico were offering an entirely nuanced approach to the medium, with various promotions becoming more widely accessible. By 2019, when All Elite Wrestling was formalised, TNA was far removed from the conversation of being the second most-prominent wrestling group.
TNA's acquisition of Hogan - and Eric Bischoff, who helped orchestrate the deal - should have propelled TNA further in the race to tackle WWE, but it was screwed within one night of the Hogan and Bischoff-led stewardship.
Again: Hogan and Bischoff didn't hammer the final nail into TNA's coffin, but they certainly pulled the trigger.