{"id":217854,"date":"2026-06-11T16:06:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T21:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=217854"},"modified":"2026-06-11T16:06:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T21:06:41","slug":"top-five-impressions-from-attending-tna-tapings-including-the-prices-the-hardys-merchandise-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/06\/11\/top-five-impressions-from-attending-tna-tapings-including-the-prices-the-hardys-merchandise-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Five Impressions from Attending TNA Tapings including the Prices, The Hardys, Merchandise, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2880938546\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>I have an expensive passion for live entertainment. Music, theater, comedy, hell, I even enjoy \u201creal\u201d sports live, but there is nothing like a live wrestling event.<\/p>\n<p>At this point, I\u2019ve seen a lot of live professional wrestling. From indy shows in high school gymnasiums to WrestleMania to Sting\u2019s retirement. For large shows, I have to travel. Denver isn\u2019t a regular spot for PLE cards, but we do get regular television tapings from WWE and AEW. As for TNA, all I have been able to catch live was a house show when I lived in Davenport, Iowa. The fact that I bought a cheap seat and was able to sit in an unsold front row seat tells you everything you need to know as to why TNA didn\u2019t travel the country in that time period.<\/p>\n<p>When I heard that TNA was coming this month for not just one, but two nights, I was so in. This is a different TNA than I saw when the card was headlined by Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage. This is Impact on AMC after multiple leadership changes. The Hardys and Nic Nemeth were there,, Being multiple nights shooting what I think was six different episodes of TV including Xplosion tapings. I was very curious what their show would feel like when going.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>PRICES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a smaller brand and they were going to be there for two nights, so they obviously cannot ask for top prices. Acknowledging that, it\u2019s a new venue, my first time attending any event there, and it wasn\u2019t going to be a massive crowd.<\/p>\n<p>The venue has a capacity of 2,200, but with equipment and stage, they had it set up for 1,700. When I saw that tickets were as low as $42 with all of the Ticketmaster fees tacked on, I was in for both nights. Front row seats were only $190! To put into perspective, the lowest priced seat for last year\u2019s SmackDown was $135, and I didn\u2019t even look at floor seats, and no front row seats were available when I went online to look.<\/p>\n<p>The business man part of my brain will always ask how the money is made. With the venue around 60-65 percent full, it was smart of them to run two nights, where they saved the cost of an extra setup and tear down. I still was curious if it was considered profitable enough that the company will return. By then end of the show though, I knew they did just fine. More on that later.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NXT TRAINED VERSUS NOT<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2308282355\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>I don\u2019t like picking on talent, so I\u2019m not naming the performer I\u2019m speaking about, but I will say that this was for an Xplosion episode. In the match, one wrestler\u2019s entire move set was all highspots like it was a created wrestler on a video game. There were other, more famous wrestlers that used these moves as signatures or finishing moves. They were the exact stereotype of what the old timers talk about when saying, \u201cslow down, grab a hold, work a body part, sell and connect with the crowd using your facial expressions instead of all flashy moves, make the big moves count.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Then you see the talent that TNA acquired when released from NXT. Same amount of time in the business, but worlds apart in the fundamentals. Dax Harwood said once in a way that made it click in my head. He said that highspots are what we do between wrestling hold. You have to have the base of what makes this form of entertainment what it is. I\u2019m afraid that when Action is in your company acronym, it can mean Wrestling becomes an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MUSTAFA ALI<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I heard a lot of buzz about him, but never bought what was being sold. Maybe it was his size, the knowing that the back and forth of WWE wasn\u2019t going to work for the audience that would invest into him, or maybe like Mistico as Sin Cara, WWE is just the wrong place for him.<\/p>\n<p>The time of Impact is later than other shows on other days of the week, and my store closes after the first hour, so unless there\u2019s a match I have to see, I rarely finish an episode. When I see Mustafa on TNA, I have really enjoyed what I\u2019ve seen. Seeing his presentation (which included some friends who wrestle locally) as well as him in the ring in person really impressed me. Also, that International Championship he carries is gorgeous.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of &#8220;Wrestling Coast to Coast&#8221; with Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wrestling-coast-to-coast-maitland-mcclelland-review-expect-the-unexpected-dead-set-including-santana-vs-hot-sauce-price-vs-underwood--72337403\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cpwtorch\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wrestling Coast to Coast - Maitland &amp; McClelland review Expect the Unexpected Dead Set including Santana vs. Hot Sauce, Price vs. Underwood\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=72337403&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>THE HARDYS ARE POPULAR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, they are ReBroken! I love this, and Broken Matt is my favorite version of Matt Hardy. He\u2019s put so much into this character and its backstory. His verbiage and presentation gave him a whole new career and made me a much bigger fan as I aged up from the guys who did cool moves in early 2000s Hot Topic swag.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3691425399\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Second, as I mentioned, the venue was between 60-65 percent full, but you wouldn\u2019t have known it if you were only listening in that moment. Both the young and old fan alike were into them, and seeing multiple generations enjoying the same stars is beautiful. You can tell who it was the sold the tickets.<\/p>\n<p>Last, speaking of selling tickets, the meet and greet line for The Hardys was insane, which is where my business owner head goes crazy. The most popular package was an autograph from each with a photo op together which was $200. That\u2019s the package I paid for, and got my photo with Matt, Jeff, and one of my sons while wearing my Fiend cosplay.<\/p>\n<p>There were also packages that cost less, while others wanted multiple items autographed, photos with a group and solo, with just Matt, just Jeff, and one as a tag team. Then there was the \u201cDelete\u201d the Line Pass. For an additional $100, you could skip the line. I did the math in my head, and the line pass people alone, as I was first in the cheapskate line and got to observe the entirety of the fast pass. At least $10,000 was my conservative estimate, but after that, I observed multiple people say no way were they staying in the back half of the longer line adding to that total. Then you had the line I was in that had 200-300 people. They had to have easily made $20,000, and up to $30,000, just on the line, not counting all the merchandise that sold.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MERCH GAME \/ DON WEST&#8217;S LEGACY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is where TNA excels. They didn\u2019t fill a relatively small venue. The matches were good, but not a level above other companies. Their booking is inconsistent and it seems they always have rumors of talent issues and rumors of being sold or going out of business. No one does merch as well as TNA.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve always been a collector. I own a collectibles store (@NerdstalgiaShop &#8211; Located in Colorado Springs). Merch lines at concerts and wrestling shows will always get money from me if I have it to spend. In prior articles I\u2019ve written about poor mech stands at AEW events, and their progress in the last two times I\u2019ve attended. I talked about it when attending WWE and JCW events. JCW had an amazing merch booth, but nothing like what TNA does.<\/p>\n<p>One of my biggest criticisms is always when they select a small number of talent who has merch available. There are shirts made for every talent. Some of us like underdogs and like to support them. I feel like this is a major opportunity to let your audience vote with their wallet. There were shirts available for every wrestler there, and many who weren\u2019t on either night\u2019s card.<\/p>\n<p>We actually had a conversation on the way to the venue with friends who joined me as to whether they\u2019d have Steve Macklin shirts still available after announcing his release in between shows. The answer was yes. They did sell far too many Home Town Man hats with masks, which is why he\u2019s a character. I just feel they are trading quick cash at the detriment of their product with a minor league character, and I warned my buddy John who went with me both nights that he would have to walk home &#8211; what is a one hour drive on the interstate &#8211; if they purchased a HTM mask.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond shirts, they had calendars and hats for the certain talent and branded ones. As much as I liked the design of the TNA hat with the red bill, I can never wear something that says \u201cTNA\u201d as the focal point of the article of clothing I wear.<\/p>\n<p>I was super impressed with the book from ring announcer McKenzie Mitchell, &#8220;Threads of Triumph,&#8221; and it was priced really well. Had to take one of those home. I wish they had brought some of the DVDs they have available in their website, but also understand why they didn\u2019t. The one thing I found lame was having programs from 2025 available. If they aren\u2019t worth making one up to date, then they aren\u2019t selling well enough to take with you any more. Take the unsalable write-off and pitch them.<\/p>\n<p>Then you see the end of the table where all the Hardy stuff was. Matt shirts, Jeff shirts, tag team shirts, and Broken shirts. Multiple hats, posters, and other trinkets. They were the biggest stars on the show and had plenty to satisfy their legions.<\/p>\n<p>The Meet and Greets were absolutely amazing, giving fans an opportunity to meet their favorite stars. This is also my opportunity to talk up some really cool moments. There was a young girl in a wheelchair at the Meet and Greets. I loved seeing Nic Nemeth come out to talk to her when she was in another line. It wasn\u2019t to sell them anything, but to make sure she was having a great time. He wasn\u2019t the only one, and I talked with the father who raced about all of the wrestlers who went out of their way to make sure she had a memorable experience.<\/p>\n<p>The coolest of all moments that I witnessed was when she got to her moment with Indi Hartwell. This child was decked out with a Women\u2019s US Championship replica and her Chelsea Greene hat. Indi asked if she could take her picture and she wanted to send it to Chelsea. That girl\u2019s face lit up, as she exclaimed, \u201cYou have Chelsea Greene\u2019s number?!?\u201d Her dad said that\u2019s all she talked about riding home the first night, so excited that her favorite wrestler was going to see the tribute she was adorned in. Her dad said she was more excited about having her picture sent to Greene than when she met John Cena. Warms my dad heart and my wrestling fan heart all at once.<\/p>\n<p>These moments will last a lifetime with fans, and kudos to them for making this happen. I highly recommend attending a show, as you\u2019re going to get quality entertainment for the price paid for a ticket, unique merchandise opportunities that are plentiful and aren\u2019t overpriced, and a chance to meet many of the stars after the show, with most only costing $40-50 to meet and came with an autograph or photo op.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Griffin is a lifelong fan of wrestling, superheroes, and rebellious music of all forms. He is the owner of Nerdstalgia, and you can shop online, learn about visiting the store in Colorado Springs, or catch him at a comic con in the Rocky Mountain area by going to <a href=\"http:\/\/nerdstalgia.shop\">http:\/\/nerdstalgia.shop<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (6\/10) - AEW Dynamite w\/Keller &amp; Griffin\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UygXWDsxHH4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1611783828\"><div id=\"pwtor-1203996229\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>I have an expensive passion for live entertainment. Music, theater, comedy, hell, I even enjoy \u201creal\u201d sports live, but there is nothing like a live wrestling event. At this point, I\u2019ve seen a lot of <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/06\/11\/top-five-impressions-from-attending-tna-tapings-including-the-prices-the-hardys-merchandise-more\/\" title=\"Top Five Impressions from Attending TNA Tapings including the Prices, The Hardys, Merchandise, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":217855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,27,4488],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-217854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists","category-top-five-lists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-11-at-3.39.23-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217854"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":217857,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217854\/revisions\/217857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}