Total Non-Stop Action (TNA) Wrestling announced today that, in an effort to appeal to broader audiences, it is rebranding itself as an “Entertainment-y Sports” company.
Professional wrestling has long been stigmatized as a low-class pseudo-sport — a stereotype the company hopes to eschew by presenting itself as “the recognized symbol of excellence in entertainment-y sports.”
TNA performers will no longer be referred to as “wrestlers,” but rather as “entertainment sportspeople,” or simply “TNA Superb-Stars.”
The company intends to branch into the music and film industries, starting with the upcoming release of Kurt Angle’s debut hip-hop album and a remake of Jaws starring TNA alumnus Shark Boy.
Some wrestling journalists have accused TNA of copying World Wrestling Entertainment, which long ago rebranded itself as a “sports entertainment” company.
But TNA President Dixie Carter dismisses such suggestions, insisting she has “never heard of WWE.”
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