Said Scott D’Amore, verbatim, on Busted Open Radio ahead of TNA Hard To Kill on Saturday, 13 January (H/T Figure Four Online):

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"We're going to have some surprises for you, some unexpected things including, guys, we are right there at the goal line of finalizing one of, I think, the biggest signings in TNA. I think it's something that's really going to shake things up here on January 13."

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“The biggest signing in TNA” is a hefty tagline that has previously accounted Sting, and Kurt Angle, amongst others. Both achieved mass success in TNA, as they already had done in WCW and WWE, respectively, and brought in swathes of fans for the company; in short, they led the boom period for TNA.

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So who’s next?

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The weighted tagline immediately eliminates certain contenders. Elias, Shelton Benjamin, and other mid-card WWE castoffs from the September round of cuts wouldn’t justify the biggest signing moniker; neither would any of the released AEW talent, such as Joey Janela or Sonny Kiss, who debuted for the then-IMPACT at Bound For Glory. Returning talent, such as Sami Callihan and Deonna Purrazzo, are also out of the question.

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The following names aren’t…

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5. Ronda Rousey

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Ronda Rousey is a peculiar case.

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In WWE, the so-called ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ was something of a mockery of her UFC self. Wrestling clumsily and without charisma, Rousey lost the magnitude that had surrounded her debut, meaning that within even a few months of her epic first match, she was no more special than anyone else on the roster. Her second run, from 2022 to 2023, was somehow worse, ending on a whimper with her MMA Rules match vs. Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam.

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‘Rowdy’ Ronda has wrestled just thrice since exiting the market leader - and all three bouts were exceptional. She wrestled with panache and precision, two key elements that she’d been lacking for years, and was aided by a slew of in-ring goddesses.

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That is the Ronda Rousey needed in TNA.

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It’s key to note that Ronda is a mother first and foremost, and, per Dave Meltzer, she wouldn’t be able to commit to a full-time schedule right now, but that’s the beauty of the TNA calendar. They tape in bulk outside of pay-per-views and monthly specials, allowing her to work every show and still be a full-time mother.

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If it works for Ronda, then she’s a must-have.

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4. Goldberg

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You can look at TNA signing Goldberg from one of two perspectives:-

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- TNA going back to their old ways of signing a WWE/WCW alum and push them over the roster’s youth.

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- TNA changing their old ways by signing a WWE/WCW alum to help elevate the roster’s youth.

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Ideally, it’ll be the latter if TNA nabs Goldberg.

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This wouldn’t be the first time TNA has eyed up signing ‘Da Man’, either, as he almost jumped ship following his 2004 WWE departure. Then-company President Dixie Carter met Goldberg for dinner with the sole purpose of getting him onboard, as co-founder Jeff Jarrett discussed on his My World podcast (H/T Wrestling Inc.):

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"Not at this point. Dixie [Carter] had a lunch with him several years later that I think you could classify on Dixie's part for sure, substantially [as trying to bring him in]. I don't think on Bill's part."

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His reason for not joining? Money.

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Goldberg is money-obsessed. It’s what fuelled his career in both WWE and WCW, reportedly making $2 million PER MATCH when competing for the former in Saudi Arabia. The TNA of old wouldn’t have been able to offer Goldberg this much but under Scott D’Amore? It’s a real possibility.

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Dave Meltzer noted via Wrestling Observer Radio that TNA had specifically put money aside for use on a free agent. Although the amount is yet to be disclosed, it’s known that they offered a seven-figure sum to sign Will Ospreay. TNA has money now and Goldberg needs a job; it isn’t out of the question.

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3. Mercedes Moné

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To keep track of Mercedes Moné’s movements is to prohibit Tony Khan from hoovering up the free agent market; it’s a hopeless endeavour.

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As of publication, Moné isn’t linked to any major promotions. The rumoured plans of her inking a deal with All Elite Wrestling are, according to Fightful Select, “no longer active” as of 18 December, while her future in STARDOM appears to be nonexistent, so outside of a Royal Rumble re-emergence in WWE, her future in pro wrestling isn’t clear…

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…unless she signs with TNA.

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Touting Moné’s arrival in the Anthem-helmed promotion as the company’s biggest signing ever would be acceptable marketing. A foremost needle-mover in the evolution of women’s wrestling, Mercedes is the correct fit for a division oft-heralded as the greatest group of women in wrestling today, particularly now that Deonna Purrazzo, the de-facto division leader, is a free agent.

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Add in the fact that Trinity, Moné’s long-time ally whom she famously departed WWE alongside, is the reigning Knockouts World Champion and has been treated as the superstar she is since signing with the brand, and you have every reason to Bank on her crossing the line into TNA.

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2. Kazuchika Okada

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Kazuchika Okada hates TNA.

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Or, at least, he did; he uttered as much himself during a post-match interview in September (H/T Fightful):

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“IMPACT Wrestling? Give me a break. There’s not a promotion I hate more in this world! But I was a pretty big Motor City [Machine Guns] fan back in the day. A little while back, we faced them in a tag three-way. I know exactly how good they are, but this is a three-on-three NEVER six-man match, and we’re walking in [as] champions. Being the face of NJPW, I can say that I hate...Actually, I don’t give a damn about IMPACT. Who I really hated was TNA.”

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Whether Okada’s comments were fact or fiction is dependent on the eye of the beholder, but he’s moved on from them as he’s due back there on 14 January. This will mark his first appearance in TNA since 2011 and his first since metamorphosising away from the God-awful Green Hornet ripoff Okato gimmick he was assigned by TNA officials to become ‘The Rainmaker’.

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Okada’s impending free agency makes his TNA return particularly intriguing, as TNA cannot be ruled out as a landing point. WWE and AEW have expressed interest in the multi-time New Japan champion, whose contract officially expires at the end of January, but where does he fit in? WWE would push him for a while and then decide against it, putting him in a similar position as ex-CHAOS comrade Shinsuke Nakamura, whereas AEW is overcrowded as it is with even Kenny Omega clawing for a spot at the top.

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Signing with TNA would benefit both him and the promotion.

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1. Drew McIntyre

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Is Drew McIntyre staying in WWE?

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Is he leaving?

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No one knows, really, but neither option would come as a surprise.

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The contractual status of ‘The Scottish Warrior’ has been a hot topic of the 2023 wrestling news cycle to such a point that he’s been presumed done on more than one occasion. The latest is that he’s yet to agree to terms on a new deal, which comes at a time when Bayley, ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio, and others have signed extensions.

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Fightful Select reported at the end of October that McIntyre’s current deal expires in five months, which would rule him out of WrestleMania XL in April. An early exit from his contract would be needed to allow him to return to TNA as early as Hard To Kill - and that may be plausible.

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He’s a trusted entity by WWE, having carried the company through the most tumultuous of times but moreover, this is a new regime where WWE Superstars aren’t confined to catering until their expiration dates. It’s an opportunity, the first of Triple H’s penmanship, to show the locker room that if you’re not happy, you can leave, no questions asked, instead of slyly liking a degrading comment on social media.

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It would go a long way in breaking the gap between this WWE and the WWE of old.

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TNA Hard To Kill airs LIVE on Saturday, 13 January at 8pm EST (1am GMT on Sunday, 14 January) via TNA+ and TrillerTV. A special one-hour Countdown To Hard To Kill airs from 7pm EST (12am GMT). The announced card is as follows:

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TNA World Championship: Alex Shelley (c) vs. Moose

TNA Knockouts World Championship: Trinity (c) vs. Jordynne Grace

TNA X Division Championship: Chris Sabin (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo vs. KUSHIDA

Number One Contender's Ultimate X Match: participants TBD

Dirty Dango vs. PCO

The Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) in action

TNA Digital Media Championship No DQ Match: Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Crazzy Steve

Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin

Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young & Frankie Kazarian