With TNA’s historic debut on AMC just hours away, discussion across the wrestling world has shifted to what could have elevated the moment even further. Speaking on “Busted Open Radio,” Bully Ray suggested that a missed opportunity on WWE NXT may have cost TNA a massive momentum boost heading into its biggest television night in years. According to Ray, a different outcome in last week’s NXT Championship match between Oba Femi and Leon Slater could have created crossover buzz and strengthened TNA’s presentation going into the AJ Styles return and the Frankie Kazarian vs. Mike Santana world title match.
Ray explained that he wasn’t advocating for a dominant loss or a fluke burial, but rather a carefully timed surprise that would have instantly elevated Slater. “I would not have minded one perfectly timed miscue bump, and Leon Slater getting the 1-2-3,” Ray said, adding that even a brief title change followed by a strong kickout would have created a shocking moment fans would still be talking about. “All Oba had to do was miss one big move… and ‘Holy s**t, Leon Slater is your NXT Champion?’” Ray argued that such a finish would have benefited both brands, especially with Slater already scheduled for a major role on TNA’s AMC debut before last-minute card changes altered his status. As a guest commentator for the Kazarian–Santana match, Ray framed the idea as an example of how strategic collaboration could amplify both companies at pivotal moments.
