A number of rumors have started flying around about TNA Wrestling lately, but the biggest has to do with the payment of its talent and production staff, or rumored lack thereof. Reports have been stating that TNA has been very late in paying their talent and sometimes stiff them money owed, but now some current (Matt Hardy and Havok) and former talent (Taz) is speaking out against these allegations.
For months, reports have come about that TNA wrestling talent hasn’t been paid. Now, Sporting News has stated that both freelance workers and production staff are awaiting payment owed to them.
Apparently, those workers have not been paid money owed from the One Night Only tapings which took place in mid-February. One anonymous staff member even said that checks were cut on April 3, but they have not seen them yet from Panda Energy, the parent company of TNA.
“They are just blatantly lying to us all of the time,” he said. “They’re probably still on the floor in Dallas at the office of Panda Energy.”
It’s even been said that Taz’s recent departure from TNA had to do fully with him not receiving payment from the company. He said that he was happy with the money, but the story of him not showing up in Nashville for a voiceover taping was alerted to them, and they were aware.
“My check was late, and I had to do what I had to do. The company was understanding in that. They understood my position. They were very professional, very kind, very understanding – business is business. This is how I pay my bills and I feed my family, for over 20 years.
“It’s well documentary – and it seems like they’re fixing that now – that my funds were not arriving to the house, and were very late. I did a service, I wasn’t paid for that service. I gave them a notice – they knew ahead of time that I wasn’t going to come, and they were awesome about it. They were apologetic about it.”
Per WrestleZone , Taz did say he has since been paid by TNA Wrestling.
While the rumors go around that talent and production staff not being paid, one obviously is getting his money. Matt Hardy just recently posted a tweet that showed he had been compensated by TNA, and in a big way.
TNA pays me so well & often that I almost feel bad.. Almost. I got 5 checks today alone! BIG $ MATT is jubilant! pic.twitter.com/TFWGJRt4Rx
— Matt Hardy (@MATTHARDYBRAND) April 14, 2015
Hardy later explained that he had simply gotten a lot of checks all at once including a “monthly fee, a per-match fee, a royalty fee, and then I have other things in my contract.” Hardy did say that they just all came at one time , and it “wasn’t back pay,” per Wrestling Inc .
Now, another TNA talent has stepped up to speak in support of TNA and it’s the knockout known as Havok. She wrote a very long blog post that specifically addressed the “dirt sheets” and wrestling websites.
“‘Sources’ have even told ‘dirt sheets’ that TNA fired me when they brought Kong in etc etc.
“So last night, i tweeted that I never left TNA, and i’ve always gotten paid, so either support the company or shut up. Some of you guys didn’t like that, i admit i could have worded it differently. One says ‘Ok, so you are saying follow blindly or not at all? DERP DERP’ and other thought ‘Well TNA does care what we think or a bog deal wouldn’t be made’ BLAH BLAH!!!!”
Is TNA paying their talent and production staff?
Some are coming to the defense of the company, and they’ve put their names out there. Others, who have remained anonymous, are saying that TNA is late in cutting their checks. The rumors are flying and it is causing some tension and morale issues, but the full truth will eventually come out.
[Image via TNA]