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--According to PWInsider.com, TNA has changed the way a huge percentage of their talent contracts work. Prior to the last week or so, many on the roster received a monthly guarantee in addition to the per-appearance rate for each television taping, live event, pay-per-view, etc. Going forward, most of those talents will not be receiving their monthly guarantee.
This isn’t a totally unexpected move from TNA, who is scrambling to cut costs in a world where they only have their domestic and international television deals keeping them going, and even the future of TV in the U.S. is up in the air at this point.
It’s likely a handful of the top drawing talent and important players going forward will retain their contracts with a guaranteed monthly check. This will likely be a “moment of truth” type of situation for many on the roster, who have been dealing with TNA’s exclusivity rules – which keep them off the higher paying competing shows – largely because of that guaranteed money coming in each month.
--As noted, TNA recently informed many talents that their guaranteed deals will soon be dropped, in favor of per-appearance deals.
According to the PWInsider.com report, numerous TNA talents are not pleased with the changes. In fact, it’s possible some talents may turn down the new per-appearance offers and wrap up their run with TNA.
It should be pointed out that while most of the contracts will be changed to the new per-appearance structure, some high-profile talents, such as Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, may remain under guaranteed deals.
--Chris Featherstone of the Pancakes and Powerslams show recently interviewed former TNA star Gunner, and below are some interview highlights:
There were many reports of people having problems with pay. Was that your issue at all?
There were a couple of times where some pay got messed up when it may have come in a couple days late. I was always paid – to the most part – on time, pay was never kept from me, or anything like that. I know I talked to a few guys who hadn’t been paid in 30-45 days, and I said, well if that’s the case, you have to man up and say something, because in our contract it says we have to be paid in a certain amount of time after the shows. For the most part, I was paid on time, and paid right.
Working with Vince Russo:
I always enjoyed working with Vince. I never had any issues. Sometimes his ideas were all over the place, but for the most part, he would ask you for your input. “What do you think about this, bro? What do you think about this?” He gave you a lot of leeway to do your own thing.
On CM Punk saying “Thanking God is a weird thing to do.”:
I don’t think it’s weird. We all have our different views. I’ve got buddies, like Ken Anderson, he’s an atheist, but we’re like best friends. We talk about religion all the time, and he knows that my faith is a huge part of what I do. It keeps me strong, and always has, since I was in the marine corps and when I went through war. I don’t think it’s weird at all. It’s no more weird than anybody else’s beliefs.
Gunner also talks about his hopes for TNA, the Hogan/Bischoff era, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, and more. You can hear the entire interview here.
--Former TNA Heavyweight Champion and GFW star Nick “Magnus” Aldis appeared on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast to talk about the rocky end to his TNA run and his future with GFW. The interview starts at around the 23 minute mark in the video below, and the following are some highlights:
Not having fun toward the end of his TNA run and working with Jeff Jarrett in GFW:
“No, absolutely not (I wasn’t having fun in TNA). Some of that’s to do with them, and some of that’s to do with me,” said Magnus.
“Nobody owes you a good time or anything like that, but due to a number of different things I wasn’t having fun there anymore and I just like to work for Jeff (Jarrett) again.
I think Jeff is a great boss, a great wrestling guy and he’s got a lot of great experience in the business.”
On dropping the TNA Heavyweight Championship:
“I thought it was premature and immature,” said Magnus.
“To me, I don’t think that decision was just based completely on business. What’s done is done, you know, they made their bed,they’re lying in it and when it comes with what they’re left with now, you get what you pay for.”
(NB: Come on... Your reign was awful due to be booked as Bobby Roode's reign, but weaker. Also you held it for 126 days or around that...)
On not liking the Mickie James Train Track angle:
“The only person who did like it was the person who wrote it. He had the final say on it, we all suggested alternatives, we all thought it was not going to work and it was not going to get a reaction, and our disregard for it and that was the result of it. That was one of the reasons where we just kind of said ‘okay, it’s maybe time to wrap this thing up.'”
Magnus also talked about WWE NXT scooping up big names on the independent wrestling scene, TNA turmoil, his fitness book entitled “The Superstar Body,” and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fikSgvx2deQ
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