TNA Wrestling just blindsided its own success story.
According to Fightful Select, several sources within TNA say the company has doubled TNA+ subscribers over the last year, thanks in large part to the very marketing team they just fired. You read that rightthe people responsible for growing the brands digital footprint, selling out live events, and landing major sponsors just got kicked to the curb.
This weeks cuts include Romy Glazer, Rob Kligman, Michael Shewchenko, Sebastian Dastranj, and Ariel Shernernames that werent just behind the curtain but driving real change.
Romy Glazer was a force behind TNAs digital expansion, taking over marketing duties after Lou DAngelis departure. One insider shared, Almost all metrics tied to her work there increased. She helped balloon the companys email list to nearly 140,000, coordinated over 13 million sent emails, and lined up brand deals with VitaCoco, BLCKSMTH, and even PCO Burger. She also played a key role in Joe Hendrys crossover with USC Athletics.
Then theres Rob Kligman, who joined as Chief Revenue Officer less than a year ago but made a massive impact in record time. One team source said, Rob was doing a great jobgot close to a million in ad-sales in under 12 months. Guy is the real deal. Topps, VitaCoco, all the movies, were him.
Michael Shewchenko isnt officially out yethell stay with Anthem until April 30but his work speaks volumes. He spearheaded the transformation of Impact Plus into the now-functional TNA+ app in partnership with Endeavor Streaming. Michael was responsible for the shift from Impact Plus to TNA+, which made the app actually usable, one insider said. His contributions helped double the apps business and brought TNA programming to fans without AXS TV access.
Sebastian Dastranj, aka indie wrestler Sebastian Suave, was described as a Swiss army knife who rolled his sleeves up. He revived the merch game, crafted social content, and brought his Smash Wrestling background to the table for backstage production work.
As for Ariel Sherner, his exit was expected after Carlos Silva took over as TNA President. But his fingerprints were all over last years strategic pivots. Still, not everything was smooth sailingsources said talent didnt want him in the NXT locker room, and Shawn Michaels had to correct him during a visit.
And while TNA publicly denied Rafael Morffis involvement for months, insiders now confirm he was indeed working behind the curtain. Morffi reportedly helped spike attendance in Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio, and even landed TNA at UBS Arenathough weak ticket sales there mightve been the final straw.
Lets not forgetthis same team helped sell out 7 TNA+ events last year, grew digital buys, and helped crank out viral moments, including a post tied to VitaCoco that racked up 2.1 million views on Instagram.
With no official statement from Anthem, the silence is deafening. Firing a team that clearly delivered results raises eyebrowsand questions about what the long-term play really is.
Was this about cost-cutting, politics, or something else entirely? Either way, letting go of a team that helped double your streaming subscribers seems like one hell of a gamble.
What do you thinkdid TNA just make a huge mistake firing the very team that helped elevate its brand? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
