Santino Marella Claims TNA On Verge Of Becoming Number 2 Wrestling Promotion

Santino Marella has made a bold claim about TNA’s prospects.

In recent months, TNA has made no secret of the fact that it is searching for a new media rights deal. Back in July, the company’s president, Carlos Silva, told The Takedown on SI that he believed a new deal could net $7-10 million per year.

Since then, the promotion has been linked to a move to The CW or A&E, both networks that currently broadcast WWE content. Silva previously indicated his hopes to get a deal done by October, so an announcement could be coming in the near future.

“Once We Get that TV Deal, We’re Number 2” – Santino Marella

During an interview with Lucha Libre Online, TNA’s onscreen Director of Authority, Santino Marella, reflected on TNA’s growth in recent years, saying the roster has capitalized on every opportunity.

“The people from TNA in the past are happy for us. Obviously, the current locker room is ecstatic about the growth. When I came here, it was not like this, I know sometimes we were in Nashville or even Toronto, we had 350 or 500 people. But we believed in ourselves. Now we have the audience size that feels right and we deliver every time.

“Every time we’ve had a sold out crowd, we’ve never not had a good show. We’ve never wasted an opportunity. Bound For Glory is going to be another one, we’re going to capitalize on that audience, we’re going to send the message out to the wrestling world, we’re here. We’re knocking on the door. You better look out because once we get that TV deal, we’re number two man.

Tony Khan’s AEW is currently the second biggest promotion in the world, having signed a big media rights deal of its own with WBD in October 2024. Part of that deal has seen the promotion’s TV shows being broadcast on HBO Max as well as TNT and TBS. It also streamed a pay-per-view on Max for the first time with All Out on September 20th.

Despite that deal and Khan’s own deep pockets, Marella believes that TNA’s new deal will propel it past AEW into the number two spot.

“I know Tony Khan has lots of money, I get it, but the fans speak. The fans dictate who’s number one, number two, number three, not your bank account. Of course WWE is number one, they’re so far ahead that we’ll never catch it in my lifetime. Number two is attainable, number two is something we can really do. If we accomplish that, that’s humongous.”

Do you think TNA can surpass AEW to be the second biggest wrestling promotion? Or is Santino Marella being overoptimistic? Let us know your thoughts below!

H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.