James Storm Returns To TNA; NXT Offer Was Significantly Less Than TNA Deal

James Storm made his return to TNA last night during Impact Wrestling’s debut episode on Pop TV. Storm reunited with former tag team partner Bobby Roode after saving him from a vicious beat down by Eric Young and Bram. For the first time in 5 years, the two will once again team together as Beer Money at TNA’s One Night Only pay-per-view event this Friday (January 8) at 8:00 pm EST.

Storm’s previous contract with TNA expired in June 2015. Since then he made two appearances with WWE NXT, his last being in November 2015. Storm was reportedly in negotiations with WWE for months until talks eventually fell a part.

According to ProWrestlingSheet.com, TNA offered Storm a deal he couldn’t refuse. The WWE was willing to give Storm under $100K a year, while TNA offered a 2 year contract worth 2.5 more than that amount. In addition, Storm’s TNA deal also allows him to get a portion of merchandise sales. The icing on the cake is that Storm’s new deal is guaranteed money; meaning that even if TNA was to suddenly go out of business, he would still get paid in full.

Storm and the WWE cordially parted ways, with the door apparently being left open for Storm if he ever wants to return.

Mark’s reacton: This must have been a no-brainer for Storm. He’s got a family, so when it comes down to it he’s got to do what’s best for them. I expected TNA to make Storm a big offer as he’s been one of their most valuable assets for over a decade. I would have liked to see Storm with WWE, but the WWE roster is so jam packed with talent right now. I’d like to think he would have been a prominent part of NXT but you never know. With the sheer number of wrestlers currently on the roster (both Raw and NXT), he may have just ended up getting lost in the shuffle. Good on him for accepting a great deal; one that best supports him financially, as well as one that treats him like an A+ player.