Another Major Backstage Update On TNA’s Pay Issues

UPDATE x 6: A new report suggests that TNA’s wrestlers aren’t the only ones behind on payment. Several freelance workers, some of whom have worked with the company for years, have said that over the past two weeks the company was behind on paying the production staff. They have reportedly been short on several dates now. For example, the production staff is still owed money for the One Night Only PPV tapings on February 13-16 at Universal Studios in Orlando, which was sixty days ago. It’s the standard in TV that freelance workers are paid within 30 days. Bigger companies like ESPN and FOX pay within 14 days.

One member of the team was told by the accounting department that the checks were cut on April 3 but no one has received them. He said: “They are just blatantly lying to us all of the time. They’re probably still on the floor in Dallas at the office of Panda Energy.”

It was previously reported that TNA was weeks behind payment but is catching up. Checks are said to be going out now and being received. It’s believed the payment issues are why Taz left the company after six years earlier this week.

The freelance workers have also received late payment from TNA’s UK tour on January 29-31. Most of them didn’t get the checks until early April, between 65-70 days after he shows ended. All of them, along with two dozen workers, were shorted payment on an average of over $1,000. Several people claim that the accounting department has used many excuses on why pay is late. The most common is that the check is in the mail. However, many have either not received it until weeks later or just never received it. Another excuse is the weather caused a delay. One production team member said this is the third year in a row this has happened. He and others are telling other freelance workers not to work for TNA.

He added: “We are tired of being treated like this. It’s the lack of respect more than anything.”

UPDATE x 5: Here are some additional details on TNA’s recent issues with pay. There is said to be a lot of issues behind-the-scenes, as morale hit a new low due to many wrestlers and employees being behind on payment.

TNA’s top stars have contracts which state that they are paid a salary on the first of every month. The other talent work on per-show deals. Several of the biggest names were behind on pay, which is said to be growing into a major issue. Some of the wrestlers were over 30 days behind while others haven’t been paid for longer.

When Matt Hardy tweeted photos showing that he received five checks from TNA at once (see below), it’s believed that it showed he was one of the performers who were owed quite a bit of money. Even if his intent may have been to show that TNA workers are being paid, it also shows that he was behind on getting his money.

As previously reported, Taz announced that he left TNA and thanked them for his time there. He was reportedly “way behind” on pay and refused to fly to Nashville to do post-production commentary due to his issues with the company.

TNA recently moved the payroll office from Nashville to Panda Energy’s home city of Dallas. Some people have used this as an excuse for the payment situation. However, TNA has actually been sending checks out of Dallas for a while now.

Meanwhile, word is that “the honeymoon is pretty much over” in regards to TNA’s relationship with Destination America. Discovery signed TNA as “an experiment”, hoping to add to DA’s lineup. TNA is easily the highest-rated show for Destination America, but Discovery isn’t happy that TNA can’t generate ad revenue. They were also expecting a larger amount of TNA’s audience from Spike TV to follow it during the move. That obviously didn’t happen. Destination America is available in 61.7% of the homes that Spike TV is in, but the new episodes of iMPACT! are only getting 30.2% of the audience that iMPACT! had last year. Even with the replay, it’s still bringing in less than half the viewers it had on Spike TV at this time last year.

UPDATE x 4: According to sources, Al Snow received a tryout to be a TNA announcer recently.

As previously reported, Snow did practice session voiceovers in studio with Josh Matthews after Taz’s issues with TNA began and he refused to take his scheduled flight to Nashville, TN to do voiceover work for the episode of iMPACT! that airs this Friday night on Destination America.

As you all likely know by now, Taz quit the company earlier today. He issued several tweets thanking the company (see below). Also, TNA’s Head of Talent Relations, John Gaburick, commented on the TNA departure of Taz. Gaburick tweeted the following:

After 5+ years TNA & Taz have mutually decided to part ways. A champ in the ring & on the mic, we wish him nothing but success! @OfficialTAZ

— John Gaburick (@JohnGaburick) April 15, 2015

UPDATE x 3: Taz has quit the company. He tweeted the following moments ago:

Like to thank TNA Wrestling for the opportunity to apply my craft for past several years. Best wishes to them in the future.

— TAZ (@OfficialTAZ) April 15, 2015

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A special thanks to the great TNA roster of wrestlers. And thank u TNA fans worldwide.

— TAZ (@OfficialTAZ) April 15, 2015

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UPDATE x 2: According to sources, Taz and TNA are at odds, reportedly over pay issues. Taz did not come to a planned voiceover session in Nashville, TN this past Thursday. This session was set up so that they could lay down commentary for several weeks of iMPACT! episodes. The pay issues led to Taz effectively refusing to get on his flight from New York. The pay issues for TNA employees was something originally reported back on April 12th. Earlier today it was reported that TNA talents have started to receive checks.

Taz has removed all mentions of TNA from his Twitter, which some say is to send a message to the company. Josh Mathews did commentary for Friday’s episode solo, but that could be changed as they have until Thursday to record new audio and get it to Destination America to air on Friday. The site also adds that TNA recently gave Al Snow a tryout as an announcer.

< b>UPDATE: Here is the latest regarding the story about TNA talent having issues receiving their pay. the issue was resolved over the weekend and TNA talents have now started to receive checks. TNA sends out paychecks on the first of the month and employees usually get them several days later around the fourth. After the eighth day and no checks being received by the talent, people were starting to get concerned.

Also, a source in TNA management stated that talents would be receiving their March checks earlier than scheduled to try and make up for the recent delay.

< b>ORIGINAL: Despite settling in on a new channel with Destination America, TNA’s internal issues are far from over. According to reports, TNA Wrestling is currently dealing with some behind the scenes issues with the talent roster. The trouble is that TNA is allegedly behind on paying its wrestlers. According to the reports, many talents have anonymously reached out to several internet sites and claimed that TNA is behind on their payments.

One wrestler went as far as claiming that TNA is behind two pay periods. Another has claimed that there are wrestlers who are still owed money going as far back as February. Currently, TNA does not have any dates scheduled until the next live episode of iMPACT! Wrestling, which is set for May 8. The pay issue is becoming a growing source of frustration for the roster, who are now working more independent wrestling dates in order to supplement their income.

Also, TNA office sources in Nashville, Tennessee are confirming that the pay issues are legitimate. In addition, even though a source allegedly denied that TNA was behind on two periods, the source did admit that TNA has recently been behind on getting paychecks to roster talents. TNA is said to be in the process of trying to get a handle on the pay issue. TNA’s paychecks are sent via Dallas, Texas and not in Nashville where TNA is headquartered. Dallas is the home of TNA’s billion dollar parent company, Panda Energy. Another issue is the result of Panda Energy moving its offices, which is still currently ongoing. However, the Panda department that issues TNA office and roster paychecks was reportedly “completely closed.” This is what apparently led to there being a backlog of checks for TNA in recent weeks. It’s not that the company is having money issues before those rumors begin.

The recent taping of numerous One Night Only PPV events in Orlando, Florida reportedly caused a lot of payroll expenses as well. The company was not getting revenue from those PPV tapings because they were free, since they were taped at Universal Studios. This was another factor for the backlog of checks that have not been paid out to the roster.

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