TNA issued a statement on Friday claiming that AJ Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson had backed out of signed contracts with them, and now, the plot thickens. Dave Meltzer of WrestlingObserver.com reported this weekend that the three wrestlers “didn’t sign sh*t” with TNA. “In the case of Anderson,” Meltzer continued, “TNA opened itself up to a [contract] tampering lawsuit with New Japan.”
Anderson’s NJPW contract reportedly expires next week, so it would be impossible for Anderson to sign with TNA without contract tampering by TNA.
Related: TNA Issues Statement Claiming AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, & Karl Anderson Backed Out Of A Signed Deal
At least one of the three wrestlers may have merely used TNA to drive up their price for a WWE contract. “One of the three for sure, if not all three, were not looking at TNA for leverage for WWE,” Meltzer reported, “and it was WWE going to them after hearing they may go to TNA and making a better offer.”
There is speculation that TNA’s legal threat may be an attempt to “scare” WWE into not going through with plans for AJ, Gallows, and/or Anderson. Styles is expected to be backstage at the Royal Rumble on Sunday.
