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DARBY'S AEW TITLE RUN, TNA'S LATEST DEPARTURES, TESSA BLANCHARD, SAMI CALLIHAN, MVP-HHH AND MORE

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO MIKE FOR THE PWINSIDER Q&A BY CLICKING HERE.

What is going on with TNA?  They signed a deal with AMC and it seems more tumultous than ever with talents exiting and creative decisions?

At the end of the day, it comes down to several factors, including the person in charge putting his stamp on what he wants.  If you want to praise Carlos Silva for getting the company on AMC, then he deserves the praise.  If he's made moves you don't like, he has to take the blame.  I really wonder if the changes are all being done to save money financially more than they are an indication of anyone not doing their job.  Apparently, there were a number of people in the production circles cut as well, so it wasn't just about Tommy Dreamer or Sami Callihan.

Why would they take a big chance on Tessa Blanchard to rehab her and then let her go?

They didn't let her go.  They asked her to decide between TNA and CMLL, since TNA is working with WWE and WWE's AAA is always going to be in a promotional war with CMLL.  Tessa, who has lived and spent a lot of time in Mexico, decided CMLL was her priority and asked for a release.  TNA granted it.   As far as why they took a chance on her, if I recall, that was when Ariel Shnerer was overseeing the company, so it's apples and oranges.  I don't think it's fair to judge today's TNA management for decisions made by past regimes, although I totally get why someone might want to throw their hands up and wonder what the hell is happening "this time."

Why didn't TNA acknowledge Sami Callihan's departure?

I don't know but I do feel like it comes across bad when you release a statement and refer to some who are departing by name and then some who worked for your company as "others" especially when one of them was a former TNA Champion who worked hard to keep the company going (as did many others) when it was in a horrible position financially,  It wouldn't have hurt TNA to have added a sentence about Callihan and comes across, at best, short-sighted to me.  He spent a long time there, in the ring and behind the scenes.  It costs nothing to acknowledge that.

Who's in charge of TNA Talent Relations now?

I haven't heard that anyone specific has been named yet.  There may have been, but I haven't heard as I write this.

Should I be worried this is a sign they are leaving AMC?

No, I haven't heard any indication of that and they announced a multi-year deal.    It could all be an indication that they want to change things up to try and improve their numbers though.

What was your take on Darby Allin's world title run?

I actually think that run was fun because it felt completely different from the traditional champion formula. Rather than relying on size, power, or long in-ring monologues, Darby carried the title with his reckless, underdog energy, making every defense feel like he was one bad landing away from losing the belt. His matches were fast-paced, dramatic, and packed with the kind of risk-taking that made fans genuinely believe he could be beaten at any moment.  The combination of unpredictability, emotional investment, and Darby’s unique connection with the audience made the reign far more entertaining than many expected, turning what could have been a risky experiment into a memorable title run.  I know there are people who want to dismiss Darby for the insane bumps, and I totally get why, but I saw him have a series of really good matches against everyone he would have pretty much worked in the Continental Classic he missed due to injury and each of those matches made the live audiences happy.  That's a win in my mind.  I know some knock AEW for not being WWE, but that's sort of the point of having a different company, right?  Not to be a Xerox of the industry standard - and those matches certainly were unique and different.

I saw Dark Side of the Ring is doing multiple episodes on TNA.  Did they interview you about the Vince Russo emails?

No, they did not.  They didn't ask.  To be fair, the episodes are about Jeff Jarrett and should focus on him.   I don't think that situation is anywhere near as important as Jarrett's journey.

Is it true that Bret Hart thinks that MVP whines and complains too much about HHH?

I don't think MVP whines at all.  I think he's talking about his personal experiences with Paul Levesque and he has every right to do so.

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