TNA, which has since become IMAPCT Wrestling has enjoyed something of a rollercoaster existence since being founded by Jeff Jarrett in 2002.
The company has employed some of the great and the good of professional wrestling in the last two decades but never quite emerged as the competition for WWE that they initially hoped. One big-name WWE star who enjoyed a successful spell with the company is Drew McIntyre.
When the Scottish star signed with TNA in 2015 he was in the midst of rebuilding his career after being released by WWE a year earlier. After being positioned as the next WWE megastar, McIntyre’s career had gone off the boil and needed some serious renovation.
Jeff Jarrett Rues Failing To Keep Hold Of Drew McIntyre
During his time in TNA, McIntyre won the World Heavyweight Championship as well as the IMPACT Grand Championship. However, he eventually left the company in part due to their ongoing financial issues. Two months after his departure McIntyre was back in WWE and began his rise to becoming one of the biggest stars in the company.
Interestingly, McIntyre (under the name Drew Galloway) lost the World Heavyweight Title to Bobby Lashley who has also since returned to the upper echelons of the WWE roster.
Speaking on his My World podcast, Jeff Jarrett said that he saw McIntyre becoming a major player in TNA had they been able to keep hold of him.
“I saw him as a guy that could kinda lead the charge,” Jarrett added. “But I also knew we can’t afford him.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSu-9mitB7k
TNA missing out on or losing talent due to their finances was something of a theme during their up-and-down run. Speaking back in December, Kurt Angle revealed that Brock Lesnar asked him to try and secure a deal with the company before he went on to launch an MMA career in UFC. Lesnar said that he would sign for TNA if they agreed to pay him the same as Angle, however, management refused.
H/t to Wrestling Inc