Jason Burgos
A wild new rumor claims former UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta could be getting back into the promotion game, but with a notable competitor to WWE.
Fertitta and his brother Frank purchased the UFC for just $2 million in 2001. And with the help of friend Dana White, they turned the company into a fight game monster that they ended up selling to WME/IMG for a staggering $4 billion 15 years later.
After landing a huge payout in the sale, it seemed like both Fertittas were done with sports promotion. Well, that may no longer be the case. According to Fightful, Lorenzo Fertitta’s name has come up as a potential buyer of the popular wrestling company, Total Nonstop Action (TNA).
TNA Wrestling started in 2002 and has been a notable rival to WWE for two decades. However, over the last year, the two wrestling companies have formed an unexpected alliance. And Fertitta coming in to buy the company could be horrible news for another WWE competitor, AEW.
Why Lorenzo Fertitta by TNA Wrestling is bad news for AEW
The surprising rumor reportedly emerged from recent TV rights deals TNA is currently engaged in. In recent weeks, there have been reports that the working relationship between WWE and the company owned by Anthem Media Group has become so strong that the former wants to use them as a proxy in their battle against AEW.
TNA reportedly could end up getting a deal with a network that already airs WWE content — perhaps CW Network — and this week brought rumors that a deal could include a Wednesday night slot so they could go head-to-head with AEW’s flagship show, Dynamite.
Fertitta coming in would be very notable. Firstly, because he has ties to WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, which also owns UFC. It can’t be a coincidence that his name has come up as a future owner during media rights negotiations meant to develop weekly counter-programming to AEW.
WWE is seemingly forming a new network of allies in TNA Wrestling, All Japan Wrestling, NOAH, and the recently acquired AAA. If Fertitta wanted to get back into sports promotion, working with TKO and some long-time pals makes sense. Especially if he can own a notable brand, on a major hot streak, and that will have help from the top company in that industry.
It’s all bad news for AEW. They are the direct competitor to WWE, and their rival is forming a sizable network of promotions with friends in management roles. One has to wonder if some of AEW’s partners will eventually switch sides.
