GFW Impact Wrestling Contract Clause Costing The Company Numerous Stars

When Anthem Sports purchased TNA Impact Wrestling, many longtime fans hoped that the problems that plagued the company for years would finally settle down. When Anthem brought back Impact Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett and combined his company to form GFW Impact Wrestling, it was an exciting moment for old school TNA fans.

However, that excitement has died down as the backstage conflicts at GFW Impact Wrestling has started to rise to the surface. When Anthem Sports played hardball with Jeff and Matt Hardy concerning their “Broken Universe” gimmick, it caused a lot of fans to choose sides.

GFW Impact Wrestling demands a percent from all talent’s outside commitments

One bit of interesting information regarding the “Broken Universe” controversy came when Sports Illustrated reported that Jeff and Matt Hardy did not re-sign with Impact Wrestling because Anthem Sports wanted 50 percent of all their outside financial endeavors, including Jeff Hardy’s art and music work.

It turns out that is something that Anthem Sports is adding into all contracts for GFW Impact Wrestling talent, and it reared its head again this past week when Brandi Rhodes, the wife of current Ring of Honor world champion Cody Rhodes, left the company. It turns out that Brandi has a chance for a new TV opportunity in Atlanta and GFW Impact Wrestling wanted a percent of all her pay from that project.

Brandi Rhodes explains her situation with GFW Impact Wrestling

Brandi Rhodes spoke to CBS Local Sports about the situation and said that the GFW Impact Wrestling exit was not quite as dramatic as some media outlets made it out to be. However, she did say there were truths to some of what was said about the exit.

Brandi Rhodes said in the interview that she and Cody Rhodes joined GFW Impact Wrestling before Anthem Sports and GFW took over the company. Brandi said she never signed a deal with Global Force with the percent demands.

However, from her comments, it seems that GFW Impact Wrestling was trying to force her to pay them a percent of whatever she makes from her new venture, which she said she can’t reveal at this time. Because of the demands, Rhodes said she had the contractual rights to leave the company and they couldn’t stop her.

“What I did sign was a tentative contract with Impact Wrestling when they were still Impact. That contract had a clause for me, because I was already working on some stuff in other areas of television. That clause basically said that if something else in television were to happen for me, they can’t be uncooperative. And if they were uncooperative, we would be able to part ways. And that is honestly what happened.”

Who all left GFW Impact Wrestling?

Brandi Rhodes joins her husband Cody Rhodes and both Jeff and Matt Hardy to leave GFW Impact Wrestling since Anthem Sports took over the company. Matt Morgan recently left because he said he was there to help out on weekends but the company wanted him to work during the week, which would have interfered with his day job.

Magnus, who was actually part of Global Force Wrestling before they combined with Impact Wrestling, also left in July. When asked why he left the company, Magnus told the Pancakes & Powerslams podcast that he was offered a contract that no one “with any value, any sense of self-value or self-worth would sign.”

Brandi Rhodes addresses the rumors about her GFW departure, ROH, #WWE, and much more https://t.co/gTY6e4JVh2 pic.twitter.com/Yxse2kKezE

— Pro Wrestling Slam (@PWrestlingSlam) August 10, 2017

Magnus also pointed out the negativity that he saw backstage at GFW Impact Wrestling and said that he was not interested in remaining with the company despite his previous relationship with Jeff Jarrett.

Davey Richards also announced that he was leaving GFW Impact Wrestling. According to Richards, he had no bad issues with the company but just wanted to focus on finishing school and becoming a doctor.

Other stars who left GFW Impact Wrestling since the merger are Mike Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Drew McIntyre, and road agents Al Snow and Shane Helms — the latter two of which Anthem Sports released as cost-cutting measures.

[Featured Image by WWE]