TNA Ownership Drama Getting More Attention Than In-Ring Product

Unfortunately for TNA Wrestling, the more intriguing stories are playing outside of the ring.

This week, Billy Corgan, a minority owner and TNA's president, filed a lawsuit in a Nashville court against Dixie Carter, her husband, Serge Salinas, as well as TNA, Impact Ventures and TNA's CFO.

Corgan asked the court documents be kept under seal, meaning we don't know exactly why he filed the lawsuit, but he is asking for a restraining order, which has temporarily been granted.

According to multiple reports, the relationship betewen Corgan and Carter has grown especially contentious. Corgan helped keep Carter's company alive earlier this year with multiple investments, and now he wants to buy the remaining shares of TNA and run the company with his vision. Carter, who seems to find lifeline after lifeline, has been looking for cash infusions that would allow her to retain control of TNA.

The restraining order Corgan has asked for likely has nothing to do with contact, which is what we typically see restraining orders asked for in courts. This likely has to do with Corgan trying to prevent Carter from making a business deal. 

What's interesting here is that last week, it was reported that TNA was close to selling its video library to WWE, and the shares of the company to Corgan. That never took place, and other reports say that the leak could be misleading with some of its facts. 

There have been multiple planted stories during this ordeal, as parties try to position themselves for a sale. For example, the New York Post was leaked information a few weeks ago that TNA was worth around $40 million, a laughable figure.

It was said that the tensions were so great between Corgan and Carter during the last set of television tapings that they couldn't be used in the same segment on camera, and that Corgan skipped Dixie's talent meeting, where she basically told the roster nothing was wrong or happening.

Dixie's reign as head of TNA, whenever it ends, will be remembered as a giant mess. The company has lost an incredible amount of money, its television ratings and viewership have declined by nearly two thirds and the company stopping running live events. What is best for TNA, its employees and its roster, is a clean break from Carter and new management, whether that's Corgan or someone else. It now seems like just a matter of time before that happens.

Or, if Carter really is hell-bent on Corgan not buying the company, she could sell the tape library and cease operations. That's not good for anyone, but there seems to be some giant egos at play here.

1. Aron Rex (c) beat Jessie Godderz to retain the Impact Grand Championship

Is Rex a babyface or a heel? I can’t tell, and neither could the live crowd. They think he’s a heel, because after knocking out Godderz, they were clearly booing. If TNA isn’t turning Aron Rex heel, I genuinely have no idea what they’re doing with him. 

After Godderz dominated the first two rounds, the match ended when Rex holds the ropes for Godderz, inviting him back in the ring with 1:30 left. As Godderz came back in the ring, Rex hit a Revelator and scored the pin as the crowd booed.

2. Cody beat Mike Bennett 

Good match, especially for regular television in 2016. It does feel like TNA is wasting Rhodes, who clearly has more support than Aron Rex and is clearly the bigger star of the two right now. I’m just not sure where you go from here with Bennett and Rhodes. You had the match and Rhodes won clean. We know that Rhodes gets an automatic title shot, which is TNA defining itself down, but that’s probably the next chapter in this story. My guess is that Bennett costs Rhodes the title in that match, setting up another grudge match before the end of the taping cycle. … That said, it’s hard not to laugh at Cody kicking out of a pedigree from Bennett. Take that, Triple H, I guess.

3. D.J. Z (c) beat Marshe Rockett to retain the X Division Title

The sound editing on this show has been insanely terrible, or, if you believe reports, TNA is in a fight for rights to some of the wrestlers' music. What a mess ... As soon as D.J. Z won the match, the crowd apparently went into an unrealistically long ovation for him. There used to be bad sound editing on canned episodes of SmackDown before as well, but this post-production is very, very noticeable, and quite honestly, it’s distracting. As for the match, it was OK. D.J. Z is good and has rising stock, but TNA literally gave a title shot to someone that they admitted we had no idea who he was. So, they aired a video so some of the audience would have a small idea of who Marshe Rockett was. This show has been all over the place …

4. Gail Kim (c) beat Maria to retain the Knockouts Title in a No DQ match

The way Bennett and Maria and been booked, you almost wonder if they were on their way out of the company. This felt like a blow-off for Maria and Gail, although people seemed indifferent to it in the crowd. Maria’s not done yet, though. She probably still has a feud with  Allie upcoming soon.

5. Moose beat ECIII and will face Lashley next week to determine the No. 1 contender for the TNA World Title

Has TNA lost faith in ECIII? Probably not, but there are some obvious hints here that they are in the middle of some reprogramming with him. ECIII lost clean to Lashley at Bound for Glory, and then tonight loses clean to Moose. The Lashley loss was just a means to an end, in order for them to eventually put the title on Eddie Edwards. The Moose loss definitely helps raise Moose's credibility and if Moose can beat Lashley, it will rightfully elevate him into a true main event spot. The problem is that Moose can't lose to Edwards and retain that credibility. Not right now. He's not built up enough or legitmized as a main event just yet.