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MVP says ‘gross incompetence’ in TNA management drove major talent away

Posted: Aug 25th 2026 By: Shounak Chakribarti

Once hailed as a direct competition to WWE, TNA slowly lost popularity after several of its major talents left the promotion.

Recently, former TNA wrestler and current AEW talent MVP opened up about it in one of his latest videos and explained what drove talent away from TNA.

“Gross, gross mismanagement. People in positions that should not have been in those positions. Dixie was funneling money into the company, so you had to placate her and give her some sense of importance and allow her to contribute on screen because that’s what she wanted.

“And, you know, everyone else has told the story. Everybody was in Dixie’s ear, how great she is and how awesome she is, and just doing everything to keep the money flowing in and to be on her good side, etc., etc,” he shared on episode 68 of his Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze.

MVP joined TNA in 2014 and stayed there till 2015, before returning for a short stint in 2019. Speaking from his own example, the veteran explained that TNA’s management had a major hand to play in its downfall.

“When I was there, I came in during the time when John Gaburick was in charge, and he had no clue. He lied about his qualifications to get that job. He had never done any of those jobs in WWE, and me and Austin Aries used to joke about wishing we could be a fly on the wall when Dixie and Gaburick were just lying to each other during his interview.

“So for me, my experience, the biggest what-if, I think, would be: what if Spike was actually allowed to buy Impact?” he further added.

MVP shares more on TNA’s management problem

MVP also added that Spike wanted to buy Impact Wrestling without Dixie Carter or without her having an on-screen role. He further continued and claimed that once Spike lost UFC, they were interested in securing TNA, although they did not want Vince Russo writing the show.

“But I know at one point, because Spike lost UFC and that was a big deal for them, and they were, as I understand it, there was interest. Spike, because behind one or two other shows, I think Impact was the highest-rated show on Spike, and it had the Cops lead-in.

“And if you think about the talent that they had, one thing Impact never had a problem with was talent. The talent was Grade A. You had AJ Styles, you had Samoa Joe, you had all of these guys over there, men and women. Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, Taryn Terrell, just phenomenally talented. There was no issue with talent. It was management.”

“But I know I saw gross incompetence in management when I was there, to the point that, again, I was there when Big was drunk and popped off out the mouth to Samoa Joe, and Samoa Joe said, ‘Got you. I’m out.’

“I was there when, again, Big was drunk. It was after the Wembley show. He was drinking wine, bald, looking like Santa Claus with a cherry face and big old belly, popping off slick, and Bobby Roode, one of the coolest, even-keeled guys in the world, ‘Glorious,’ he got hot. I watched some bad business go down, and some really big talents left because of that guy,” he finished.

TNA suffered financial mismanagement and infamous creative issues between 2010 and 2016. However, Carter sold TNA Wrestling to Anthem in 2017. Shortly after, the promotion was rebranded to Impact Wrestling in 2017 before returning to its original name in 2024. Anthem has since then been broadly praised for stabilizing the condition of TNA Wrestling.