Podcast Claims TNA Extras Worked Unpaid, Faced Unsafe Tasks

TNA is being accused of exploiting up and coming talent.

On their Masters of Wrestling podcast, Master Emir and Martin Stone discussed how “extras” are being asked to go far beyond what they should be doing in TNA.

“The reason they attract these kinds of situations is because now there’s a generation of wrestlers who are basically super fans or marks who want to get into the business. They’re not business-minded people. A lot of them dream about it so much that they’ll do anything to get there, and companies know they can take advantage of that,” said Emir.

Emir detailed the situations he saw when he was in TNA.

“I saw the shenanigans that were going on. They had people who didn’t have hazmat licenses mopping up blood in the ring and not their own blood but the performers’ blood. These were young hopefuls trying to get a job at TNA. I witnessed all of this and that was just one of the many things that happened. That’s actually illegal,” he said.

Both Emir and Stone discussed some extras not being paid but working for TNA for years hoping against all hope that they will be signed and never are.

“I’m not going to name names but I do know multiple people who have been extras at TNA for at least two years. Two years wasting their time on that flying themselves in every time they film. If they’re already in town, fine, I get it but when you’re paying your own way every month just for the chance to appear and you know you’re not really getting anything out of it, that’s a different story,” said Stone.

Usually, local talent are signed to independent contractor agreements and paid a flat fee to appear for a promotion on camera in various roles. Their priviledges might also include access to catering and travel reimbursements.