A major, though unconfirmed, rumor has surfaced regarding the future of TNA Wrestling, suggesting that former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta could be involved in a potential sale of the company.
The speculation was first mentioned by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, who tweeted, “There are a ton of unconfirmed rumors in the wrestling industry that Lorenzo Fertitta could be buying TNA.”
In a follow-up on Fightful Select, Sapp said Fertitta’s name “emerged from meetings this week.” He also referenced a tweet from Conrad Thompson that simply read “Lorenzo!” — reportedly in response to the circulating rumors.
Fertitta, who previously owned the UFC before selling it to the company that would later become TKO Group Holdings (which also owns WWE), has not publicly commented on the speculation.
This rumor comes just after a Sports Illustrated report that TNA is exploring a move to Wednesday nights as part of ongoing U.S. media rights talks, potentially putting the promotion head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.
According to Fightful, TNA President Carlos Silva did not deny the sale rumors when contacted. The outlet added that Anthem Sports & Entertainment, TNA’s current owner, has in the past explored potential sales, including receiving offers from interested parties.
Former TNA President Scott D’Amore has stated publicly that he attempted to buy the company, while Billy Corgan’s 2016 purchase attempt famously fell through before Anthem ultimately took over.
AEW President Tony Khan has also revealed that he was approached about purchasing TNA both before and after AEW launched, but turned down the opportunity, reportedly believing there was “not a lot of value” for AEW in the acquisition.
Sapp stressed the speculative nature of the Fertitta report, noting, “We haven’t confirmed any of this regarding a TNA sale to be true, but it was going to emerge soon anyway, and we figured we’d provide as much context as possible.”
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has also hinted that significant news could be on the horizon for TNA.
