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TNA wrestling rebrands as Global Force Wrestling, eyes global expansion

Posted: Jul 1st 2017 By: Tennessean.com

In a move designed to distance itself from the financial struggles and legal drama that hung over its brand, Anthem Sports announced last week it has purchased Nashville-based Global Force Wrestling.

The move signals the end of TNA, the professional wrestling league that once served as home to legends Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair and as a launching pad for future stars A. J. Styles and Samoa Joe.

Anthem Sports, the Canadian company that also owns the Fight Network, will rebrand its wrestling league as GFW and Nashville native Jeff Jarrett will helm the creative aspects
of the promotion. Its staple weekly program on Pop TV will continue to be called “Impact.”

The rebranding comes almost 15 years to the day that Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett launched TNA. The wrestling promotion ended up under the control of Dixie Carter, endured a turnstile of cable television partners and garnered negative headlines for unpaid bills, unpaid talent
and state tax liens.

The troubles culminated in a lawsuit last fall when rock- and-roll legend Billy Corgan, who was hired to help lead the creative direction of TNA, sued Carter and the company. When the dust settled, Anthem Sports, which distributed a portion of its content, emerged as the new owner and operator of the wrestling promotion

Momentum for new GFW

The new GFW arrives on the professional wrestling scene with some momentum.

The company has seen a drastic spike in its social media reach in recent months following a tour through India. Ratings for its weekly “Impact!” program are on the uptick.

Broadcast and streaming deals are in the works both in India and the United Kingdom. And the legal battle that played out dramatically in a Nashville courtroom last year has seemingly been put to rest.

Jarrett and Anthem Executive Vice President Ed Nordholm are banking on strengthened international partnerships, a growing digital presence and revamped roster buoying GFW as
an alternative to the unquestioned professional wrestling behemoth, the WWE.

The company’s annual event “Slammiversary” takes place on Sunday, which the new GFW views as a re-launch of its pay per view business.

"We're a global brand," Jarrett said of the rebranding. "We have partnerships in Mexico, Japan, other places. Collectively coming together, we've combined forces and basically the rebrand final touches happen (on Sunday) at 'Slammiversary.'"