AEW Criticized for One-Sided Partnership with TNA Wrestling

AEW has worked with several promotions over the past few years and that includes TNA Wrestling. However, it appears AEW has been criticized for their partnership with TNA in the past.

The partnership between TNA Wrestling and AEW, which spanned from 2020 to early 2021, marked a noteworthy period of talent exchange and collaboration between the two promotions. During this time, wrestlers such as Kenny Omega, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Christian Cage, among others, made appearances across both IMPACT and AEW shows.

One of the most significant moments of this partnership was Kenny Omega holding both the IMPACT and AEW World Heavyweight Championships simultaneously, showing the collaboration’s substantial influence on wrestling storylines and championship dynamics.

While speaking during an appearance on the Rewind Relive Recap podcast alongside current TNA head referee Daniel Spencer, former TNA referee Brian Hebner criticized AEW for not being fair with TNA during their partnership.

Hebner mentioned that a partnership with a company like WWE is beneficial for a smaller promotion like TNA. However, Hebner criticized AEW’s handling of their partnership, stating that it was unbalanced and favored AEW’s talent without providing equivalent benefits to TNA.

Hebner expressed his disappointment, noting that the matches during the partnership seemed to prioritize AEW’s talent getting over. He contrasted this with WWE, suggesting that WWE would give TNA’s talent, such as Jordynne Grace, a fair chance to look good while competing for their titles. Hebner gave emphasis to the fact that this level of fairness and respect is all TNA is asking for in a partnership.

“That old partnership you’re talking about, I’ll say it, with AEW was really not that good. It was a give and take. It was all give and we take nothing. That’s what it really did amount to. I don’t know if it was, I don’t know all that aspect. I just know that I was a little bit back in the back scenes because I was traveling and doing all the stuff that we were doing mixed with AEW.

I just felt like matches were, they weren’t fair. It was just all about their talent getting over. Where I feel like WWE is not in it like that. I don’t feel like, Jordynee Grace is going to win their title while she has TNA’s, but I do feel like they’re going to give her a fair shake and make her look really, really good. That’s all I’m sure TNA is asking.”

Even Tony Khan was called out for putting down TNA during AEW’s partnership with the promotion. Nevertheless, TNA Wrestling is currently invested in their partnership with WWE and that’s all that matters to the promotion right now.

Do you feel AEW dropped the ball on their partnership with TNA? Sound off in the comments section below!