Scott D’Amore Had Plans For Tokyo & London TNA Wrestling Events

During his tenure as TNA President, Scott D’Amore had ambitious plans to take the company’s Bound For Glory event to new international heights, with plans to take the company around the world. These plans, however, were left unrealized as D’Amore unexpectedly departed the company.

Recently, the founder of the soon-to-be-relaunched Canadian-based promotion Maple Leaf Pro opened up about his time in TNA and the circumstances surrounding his exit on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast.

Scott D’Amore reflected on the business side of wrestling, acknowledging that emotional investment often clashes with business decisions. However, when it all comes out in the wash, the pro wrestling business is a business.

“At the end of the day, one, business is business. I think a lot of times, people lose sight of that when people are invested emotionally. Look, a business decision was made. Did we have a difference in opinion of how to tackle things? Yeah. Had I stated my thoughts on things and where I saw the brand was going? Yes. Were we aligned on some things? Yes, some things no. I think certainly that was part of it.”

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Scott D’Amore also expressed his vision for 2025 as a pivotal year for TNA, one that would see the company make bold moves. While some of those ideas have been implemented since his departure, D’Amore highlighted a critical misstep the company made soon after he left.

“I really thought 2025 was the year to really take some major shots, and I think they’ve done some of that now. After I left, the first thing they did was put the next major tentpole pay-per-view back at The Palms in Vegas — and that was a terrible decision. Not my call, we actually planned on being at Hammerstein Ballroom, we had it on reserve.”

The seasoned wrestling executive also shed light on other ambitious plans that never came to fruition under his leadership. Those plans would have seen TNA Wrestling produce some huge events.

“Part of our plan was to go to Montreal for Slammiversary. They did that, it was a huge success. Part of our goal was to be in Tokyo or London for Bound For Glory. They’re going to Detroit. I think they’re going to do fine in Detroit, it’s a great wrestling market. I think it will be a success.”

D’Amore’s departure from TNA wasn’t just about creative differences; it was also a shift in the company’s overall vision, particularly regarding leadership.

“Ultimately, I wanted to make some moves and do some things that didn’t quite align for Anthem’s vision for things. That goes on a few different levels, not just the shows, not just the talent, but on everything. Ultimately, the decision was made that they wanted to go in a different direction.”

Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of TNA, opted for a seasoned television operator to helm the business moving forward. That choice was Anthony Cicione, a decision D’Amore was informed of just days before the Hard To Kill event.

“As I was told, they wanted to have a seasoned television operator run the business and their choice was Anthony Cicione. Anthony is a great guy first and foremost, perfect guy to have a bite with or have a drink or coffee with. He’s been in television for years, so if you want a television executive, yeah, Anthony is an amazing television executive and a great person.”

Despite the abrupt nature of his departure, D’Amore remained professional, ensuring the transition went smoothly for the company. There were plans to keep things rolling for the good of TNA Wrestling.

“It’s odd, it’s interesting that I found out two days before Hard To Kill, the first TNA show. That was a little tough, having to go into Vegas and keep my chin up and say, ‘We’re still gonna knock this out of the park.’ My approach of it was, I’m probably done. I told Len Asper, we’ll have an amazing pay-per-view, we’ll get this brand. We’ll go to Vegas next week, I’ll get you four TV episodes so that you have a little runway to figure out what you’re doing next. I’ll handle this professionally and properly.”

D’Amore took pride in his final contributions to TNA, which included high-profile matches and special appearances that left a lasting impact on the brand.

“Went into Vegas, my goal was to knock it out of the park and execute on what we planned. If nothing else, let those two days in Vegas where Will Ospreay was there, had that match with Josh Alexander. Closed the final wound with New Japan by having Okada there. We had 1800 or however many people it was there for the relaunch and it was electric. I was like, okay, mission accomplished.”

While D’Amore has moved on from TNA, there are still mixed feelings about how things ended. After all, he was pushed out of the company, and there was also an alleged letter that went around for talent to sign who wanted to see his return.

“Not happy with how things transpired, but I’ll move on to what is next. That’s what I’m starting to do now with Maple Leaf Pro. TNA, can I say there’s no hard feelings? That’s tough. But there’s no malice, I know Len Asper didn’t wake up one morning and say, ‘I’m going to do this because I’m gonna get Scott.’ He made a business decision, it’s his company. It’s like a coach getting fired or anybody else. Decision was made, cool. Do I like it? No. Do I agree with it? No.”

Despite the differences, D’Amore wishes no ill will toward the brand he helped build and hopes for its continued success. There has been communication between the two sides, so only time will tell if this story will continue.

“Len and I had communicated since then. Len’s not the devil. Move on, they do their thing. I don’t ever want that brand to die and go away.”

Scott D’Amore’s next chapter begins with the relaunch of his Maple Leaf Pro promotion. The company returns with a special two-night Forged In Excellence event on October 19 and October 20 at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. They have announced that Don Callis and Mauro Ranallo will call the action in the ring. This will see Mauro return to pro wrestling and insert an interesting link between AEW and this new Canadian pro wrestling company.

What’s your take on Scott D’Amore’s time in TNA Wrestling? Do you think that he should have stayed in his role with the company? Let us know what you think in the comments section!