WWE’s Expanding Universe: Cool Crossovers or MCU-Style Overload?
Woke up feeling like crap today, but last night’s wrestling chaos still has me thinking: WWE is straight-up becoming the Marvel Cinematic Universe of pro wrestling.
Exciting? Absolutely. But also starting to feel like a lot of homework. The WWE-TNA partnership (locked in since early 2025 and now rolling strong through at least 2028) is delivering some killer moments.
Zaria and Sol Ruca (ZaRuca) have been crossing over hard—Zaria challenged for the TNA Knockouts Title at Genesis, and both popped up on TNA iMPACT! watching from backstage.
Then, on the January 20, 2026 NXT episode, they were in a wild triple-threat tag for #1 contendership to the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles: ZaRuca vs. Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) vs. Wren Sinclair & Evolve Women’s Champ Kendal Grey. ZaRuca pulled it off—Sol with a double Sol Snatcher setup, Zaria hitting the F-5 finisher on Henley for the win.
Now they’re lined up for a big TNA tag title shot. That’s fresh, high-energy crossover stuff that gets fans buzzing.
But zoom out, and it’s getting messy.
That whole TNA tag storyline is unfolding largely on NXT TV. If you’re strictly a TNA fan catching iMPACT! on AMC (which premiered big in January 2026), you might miss key buildup or context without flipping to NXT.
TNA titles and talents keep bleeding over—think Oba Femi defending the NXT Title against TNA X-Division Champ Leon Slater at New Year’s Evil 2026, or other cross-brand spots. It’s interconnected, but not always seamless.
Then add WWE Evolve (streaming on Tubi/CW app) to the mix. NXT’s Karmen Petrovic has been putting in work there—on the January 21, 2026 episode, she scored a huge upset win over Kali Armstrong with back-to-back PetroFires (spinning head kicks), then cut a promo saying “I got next!”.
Kendal Grey came out to applaud and set up a title match.
Evolve champs like Kendal are jumping to NXT cards, creating threads that span multiple brands and platforms.
To track a full arc—like a wrestler’s momentum or a title pursuit—you’re potentially watching NXT, Evolve, and TNA iMPACT! weekly.
This screams MCU parallel.
Early Marvel phases built to Avengers-level payoffs with fun crossovers.
But later, to get the full story for a movie, you needed every Disney+ show, special, and Easter egg. Casual fans felt the fatigue—“Do I really have to watch all this?”
WWE’s heading there: Raw/SmackDown for the big picture, but the real depth and payoffs are scattered across NXT (CW), Evolve (Tubi), and TNA (AMC+).
It’s rewarding for die-hards who love the shared universe—callbacks, fresh matchups, talents like Jordynne Grace or Joe Hendry getting elevated—but it risks losing casuals who just want standalone episodes without the extra viewing.
Pros of the Expanding Universe
• Elevates talents with bigger stages and new opponents.
• TNA gets WWE production/exposure; WWE taps TNA’s roster for depth.
• Creates event-feel moments (ZaRuca’s win last night was fire).
• Builds long-term stories with real stakes across brands.
Cons (The Messy Part)
“Homework” vibe—skip a show, miss context.
Potential burnout or confusion for casual viewers.
TNA fans might feel stories get “hijacked” for NXT airtime.
Audience fragmentation instead of one big tent.
WWE’s not mandating you watch everything (yet), but the web keeps growing with weekly crossovers. Is this the smart evolution—bigger, bolder, more connected wrestling—or are we barreling toward MCU-style overload where fans tap out?
I’m leaning toward loving the innovation but needing more standalone bangers to balance it.
