TNA Issues Statement Confirming "Workforce Reductions" (TNA News)

TNA announces "workforce reduction" as part of streamlining process.

TNA President Carlos Silva NXT
WWE

With Tommy Dreamer, Sami Callihan, and Tessa Blanchard all having departed TNA this week, the Anthem promotion has put out a press release to wish those talents well, citing a "workforce reduction" and a streamlining of operations.

The full press release can be found below:

TNA Wrestling today announced a workforce reduction, designed to streamline operations and sharpen strategic focus and profitability.

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TNA’s creative leadership team will see an immediate shift. Tommy Dreamer, who has worked in TNA’s Creative and Talent Relations Departments, is leaving the company as TNA and Dreamer mutually agreed to part ways.

TNA Wrestling also has come to terms on the release of Tessa Blanchard. We wish Tessa, Tommy and others the best in their future endeavors.

In the case of Tommy Dreamer, the Innovator of Violence revealed on Busted Open Radio that he had a meeting with TNA President Carlos Silva where it was mutually decided for the parties to go their separate ways. As well as an on-screen presence, Dreamer had been serving as the Anthem outfit's Head of Creative and Talent Relations. Per Fightful Select, Brian 'Road Dogg' James is rumoured to be Tommy's replacement.

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For Sami Callihan, he'd been working for TNA in a backstage capacity in recent years, and he took to X to explain that he was expecting a call from TNA to offer him a position on the creative team, only to instead discover the company was letting him go.

A former TNA World Champion like Callihan - who she actually beat for that title back in 2020 - Tessa Blanchard requested and was granted her TNA release earlier this week. Since that news broke, Tessa has revealed that she was asked by TNA to choose between TNA and her ongoing work with CMLL, and she opted to focus on CMLL.

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These latest developments follow Myla Grace and Steve Maclin - another former TNA World Champion - being granted their releases earlier this month, with Maclin said to have been unhappy with TNA's creative direction and pay structure. Similarly, the incredibly talented Dani Luna was another who was granted their TNA release back in April.

On top of all of this, there has been major speculation recently that current TNA World Champion Mike Santana and former X Division Champion Leon Slater could both be leaving TNA when their existing deals are up this summer, with WWE interest in Santana, and WWE and AEW interest in Leon.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.