It’s the crossover nobody saw coming—WWE and TNA, working together like an unlikely buddy cop duo. And now, we’ve got confirmation that wrestlers appearing on the other brand are getting a little extra cash in their pockets for their trouble. But before you start celebrating the resurgence of fair pay in pro wrestling, let’s take a closer look at why this is happening.
According to Fightful Select, wrestlers who jump between NXT and TNA aren’t just working for exposure—they’re receiving bonuses or additional pay. The exact figures remain a mystery, but one thing’s clear: this isn’t just a goodwill gesture. Nope, this is WWE and TNA playing 4D legal chess to make sure nobody can accuse them of treating wrestlers like actual employees.
See, if an NXT wrestler appears on TNA, and that counts as a contracted work date, then suddenly WWE’s entire argument that their talent are “independent contractors” starts looking very shaky. And if there’s one thing WWE doesn’t want, it’s a lawsuit like the one UFC just went through over fighter pay and classification. So, instead of risking that mess, they just throw some extra cash at the talent and keep the illusion alive.
So, wrestlers win because they get more money, fans win because we get dream matches, and WWE & TNA win because they get to keep playing pretend with their contract structure. Everybody wins… for now.
Stay tuned—because if this partnership keeps growing, we might just see AJ Styles vs. Josh Alexander in 2025. Maybe.