Bully Ray is giving props where he thinks they’re due—and he says WWE is giving TNA real value, something AEW never delivered.
On the June 3 episode of Busted Open After Dark, Bully gave a full breakdown of the WWE NXT main event between TNA World Champion Trick Williams and Mike Santana. The match wasn’t just another crossover segment—it had crowd investment, storytelling, and long-term potential. And according to Bully, it proved why WWE’s deal with TNA already beats AEW’s short-lived run.
“This was good for TNA. This was good for TNA tonight. I thoroughly believe—don’t get me wrong, the relationship is a bit one-sided—but TNA is definitely getting their share of the relationship. This is considerably better, in my eyes, perception-wise, than the relationship that TNA had with AEW.”
AEW’s previous “partnership” with TNA mostly benefited AEW. Kenny Omega appeared on Impact Wrestling, took the TNA World Title, and did next to nothing for the brand after that. TNA stars barely got shine on AEW programming, and the buzz faded fast. WWE, on the other hand, has already featured Jordynne Grace in high-profile NXT segments before she joined the company—and now a TNA World Title match has headlined their show.
Bully kicked off the segment by reacting to the crowd response during the match:
“Let’s start with the main event. Did you listen to the people tonight? ‘Cause I sure as hell did. They were into this match. They gave them just enough. I want to see Santana and Trick again. It was exciting.”
He praised the match for being character-driven—not a spot-fest:
“If you were listening to me and LaGreca this morning, you heard me very passionately talking about guys and gals and their characters and how character carries a match and you don’t have to do a million things. And these guys didn’t do that much. They threw in some good stuff down the stretch, good false finishes. But for the most part, it was a good fight, good-spirited wrestling match.”
One of the match’s more emotional moments came from Santana’s promise to his daughter—a promise that ended in heartbreak. Bully didn’t gloss over it:
“Now when you tell me that you promised your little girl—you promised your daughter—that you would win, that’s as close to the word ‘guarantee’ as it gets to me, folks. Promise. And he promised. He did not deliver on that promise.”
He stressed that the follow-up is crucial for this kind of storytelling to work, especially if the loss came via interference.
“It’s always a little sketchy when a babyface makes a promise. So on TNA Television this week, if creative is smart, they need to make sure—or AJ Francis needs to make sure, or Casey Navarro needs to make sure, or Mike Santana needs to make sure—that they remind the world that they are the ones responsible for Mike Santana not keeping his promise.”
“Francis and Navarro—they have to tell the world. They have to remind Santana: ‘We are the reasons why.’ Because then the heat is on them.”
In Bully Ray’s view, this kind of depth, crowd engagement, and follow-through is what makes WWE’s partnership with TNA feel real. Unlike AEW, WWE isn’t just dropping in for a cameo—they’re giving TNA talent moments that matter.
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Do you agree with Bully Ray? Is WWE actually helping TNA thrive while AEW missed the mark? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.