The forbidden door was kicked wide open late last year with the announcement of the partnership between WWE and TNA. Ever since then, NXT on CW has been must-see-TV week in and week out, and we can’t get enough of the possibilities!
Tuesday nights are now Must-See-TV:
Ever since NXT moved off of the WWE network, which is no longer active, and began broadcasting on cable TV, the brand has had its ups and downs. But ever since last year’s monumental announcement of the multi-year partnership between WWE and TNA, people are continuing to make NXT a hot commodity on television.
The partnership began with the THEN TNA Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace appearing and challenging THEN NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez to a match at NXT Battleground in June 2024. Grace was not only the first star to cross into NXT but had also made an appearance earlier that year in the Royal Rumble. Grace would lose her debut match against Roxanne, but had an amazing showing and further cemented herself as one of the best female wrestlers on the planet. She would go on to finish out her contract with TNA earlier this year and officially sign a contract with WWE and become a full-time NXT superstar. Her earlier appearances were epic to say the least, but quickly overshadowed by another TNA superstar who appeared once you said his name.
Say His Name and He Appears! I Believe In Joe Hendry!:
The man who single-handedly made himself an internet sensation, Scotland native, Joe Hendry was one of the next TNA stars to appear on NXT television. Hendry, along with fellow TNA star Frankie Kazarian, would appear in a Battle Royal on the June 18th episode of NXT to determine the number one contender to NXT Champion Trick Williams at the July 7th PLE, NXT Heatwave. While Hendry was eliminated first, and Kazarian had a great showing in the Battle Royal, it was Hendry’s appearance that set the wrestling world on fire. Hendry would appear once again on the July 9th episode of NXT as the tag team partner of NXT Champion Trick Williams, picking up the win for his team with a chokeslam on Shawn Spears. Hendry would have a few more appearances in NXT which, like Jordynne Grace, would culminate in an appearance at the 2025 Royal Rumble. Needless to say, Grace and Hendry ushered in the partnership between NXT and TNA, which led to some pretty awesome moments as of late.
Moose, Santino, Dango, Hardy Boyz, OH MY!:
The possibilities were endless once the partnership was announced and WWE and TNA fans were treated quickly to the perks of the new agreement between the two companies. We saw the return, even for just an entrance, of fan-favorite Fandango, or JDC, as he’s known now as part of TNA’s The System. We were even treated to an appearance by TNA Director of Authority, and former WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella. Marella hasn’t been a part of WWE since being released from the company in 2016, but his daughter, NXT star Arianna Grace, made many believe that we could see him appear, even if just to have an interaction with her, which, they did.
The biggest names to make appearances for TNA were TNA X Division Champion Moose and the TNA World Tag Team Champions, Matt and Jeff, and The Hardy Boyz. After JDC’s unsuccessful attempt at defeating Lexis King for the NXT Heritage Cup, his stablemate and current TNA X Division Champion, Moose, would step up and accept a challenge from Lexis King for the TNA X Division Championship while having a face-to-face confrontation with NXT Champion Oba Femi. The face-to-face with Femi would eventually lead to a match between the two at the most recent NXT Roadblock event on the CW. But before that, Moose would defend his title successfully in a phenomenal match with Lexis King. Then, the unthinkable, the unimaginable would happen. Myles Bourne and Tavion Heights of the No Quarter Catch Crew would challenge Matt and Jeff Hardy to a match on NXT. The Hardys would take to X later that evening and accept the challenge, marking their first appearance in WWE since 2021. Matt and Jeff had spent time in AEW, before moving over to TNA and quickly capturing the TNA World Tag Team Titles. With the new partnership, the Hardys quickly found themselves intertwined with the NXT Tag Team Champions, Nathan Frazier and Axiom, better known as Fraxiom. Matt and Jeff would defend their tag team titles at NXT Roadblock, and do so successfully, further proving they may just be, the greatest tag team of all time.
Conclusion; The Partnership We Never Thought We’d See:
In just the first few months of the multi-year agreement, WWE and TNA have already given us moments we’ll be talking about for a long time. And if you care to look at the TNA roster, there are tons of names that would be EPIC to see in NXT, or even in WWE, dare I say, again. Names like Nic Nemeth, formerly known as Dolph Ziggler, Eric Young, Tessa Blanchard, Masha Slamovich, and many more. If you happen to catch TNA Impact online, you’ll even see names like Wes Lee and Cora Jade appearing on TNA TV. The excitement and anticipation of many of these possibilities are why I, and many others continue to tune in to NXT on the CW every Tuesday night. It may be time for you to do the same. Because WE ARE NXTNA!!