EXCLUSIVE: Scott D'Amore Reveals Why TNA Wrestling Didn't Return Sooner

The future certainly looks bright for IMPACT Wrestling and the promotion will once again become TNA Wrestling in 2024 beginning with the Hard To Kill pay-per-view on January 13 at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The promotion had been TNA Wrestling from 2002 until Anthem purchased the company and rebranded TNA as IMPACT Wrestling in 2017 following a tumultuous period for TNA that almost led to the promotion going out of business. The sentiments towards TNA have moved away from "LolTNA" in recent years, though, and there has been a wave of nostalgia for the good and the bad that the promotion presented during its 15 years as TNA. 

The upcoming rebrand has certainly had people talking and IMPACT President Scott D'Amore revealed to Cultaholic Wrestling's Tom Campbell that he always hoped to bring back TNA Wrestling but the timing had to be right. 

"In my heart it's always been TNA Wrestling. So we talked about it a bit [in 2018] but it had been through so much. From TNA to IMPACT back to TNA to Global Force back to IMPACT, the last thing this place needed in 2018 was another name change and I definitely don't think it would have been overly well received. It would have just been like, 'Okay, whatever. They'll screw this up,'" D'Amore stated.

"So I think it's always been something there that's on the table. In early 2020, right as COVID was just getting ready to hit, we had planned a one-night event of 'TNA: There's No Place Like Home' which had quite a good buzz going. We did a one-hour special on AXS TV that I just remember the head of broadcasting at Anthem went, 'Hey, did you see this number? Could you do this every week?' And really COVID hit in between when we filmed it and when it aired and I was like, 'No, I'm not even sure how we're going to get our weekly show let alone a second show.' So it's always kind of been there on the back burner. That's why during the COVID era you saw the idea of Moose being the TNA World Champion coming about," D'Amore continued.    

"We just looked at things and the timing never felt right until now and it was early this year. It was February of this year and it was kind of like, 'Okay, this is what we're doing.' We started daily working on how this was going to play out. To me, one of the truly special things is the fact that from February through Bound For Glory the amount of people that were brought under the tent and in the know on what we were doing and the fact that it never got out. In this business where spoilers and leaks are almost the backbone of the business. The fact that months and months of this in preparation and it never got out...we were able to hold off and not have that leak out is truly special and a testament to what an amazing group of individuals we have here."

TNA was brought back for a one-hour special following an episode of IMPACT TV on March 31, 2020 which featured Rhino vs. Madman Fulton, Hernandez vs. Chase Stevens, and Johnny Swinger & Kid Kash vs. Suicide & Manik. Scott Steiner and Raven also appeared on the show.

TNA: There's No Place Like Home was set to take place over WrestleMania 36 weekend but was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Elsewhere during the interview, Scott D'Amore provided an update on Alex Shelley's injury which he sustained during the UK Invasion Tour. D'Amore also revealed that TNA Wrestling will return to the United Kingdom in 2024.