TNA Finalising Working Relationship With OVW

TNA Wrestling are currently in the process of finalising a working relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling that will go beyond a simple developmental territory.

OVW CEO Rob Edwards confirmed to Cultaholic the two sides are currently ironing out the agreement after holding talks with TNA President Carlos Silva over the past few months, with Edwards and Silva meeting in person at an OVW taping in March.

On what the TNA-OVW deal will look like, Edwards said:

“We’re still ironing out the logistics of everything. There’s the developmental aspect of it. We have the opportunity to give talent TV time, regular programming, there’s an opportunity to develop in and outside the ring. Content is hugely valuable right now - we have 1400 episodes of content, so there’s an opportunity for monetisation of content. There’s economies of scale, shared resource, commercial introductions - there’s a lot of potential rather than just OVW being a developmental territory.  What that looks like is something we’re still working through.  We see it as mutually beneficial for both sides. 

“In the last year we’ve come a long way, so the natural progression now is a partnership like this. There’s much more value to a larger company in this space than necessarily working with a private investor or a private equity firm expecting big returns. There’s an opportunity for more than just a financial benefit with OVW.  

“The dynamic of the wrestling scene is changing, so I think it’s an opportunity for both [OVW and TNA] to benefit and work together going forward. There’s still elements that we’re working through, hoping to conclude over the next few weeks and then it will really start to take shape as to what the whole deal looks like. Just on the face of it, it makes complete sense for both sides.”

Word of OVW and TNA potentially working together once again emerged on Thursday after PWInsider reported the two sides were working towards an agreement for OVW to effectively function as a developmental system for TNA.

Following the report, OVW leadership told talent about the negotiations and it received an "extremely positive" response.

Ohio Valley Wrestling are majority owned by Morley Sports Management, the owners of Scottish League One team Hamilton Academical and Cymru Premier side Haverfordwest County AFC. 

MSM acquired a majority stake in OVW as part of a deal completed in May 2025. The previous ownership group headed by Matt Jones also retain a minority stake, while Al Snow remains the promoter of OVW and a minority owner.

OVW is primarily known for serving as a WWE developmental territory from 1999 until 2008. OVW then had a brief partnership with Ring of Honor during Jim Cornette’s stint as the booker of ROH, and has already served as the developmental territory for TNA across two stints, first from 2011 until 2013 and then again in 2019.