The professional wrestling world was shocked when WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) announced a multi-year partnership that would TNA and NXT Superstars being able to perform in the opposite company.
While TNA had been a longtime rival of WWE, multiple wrestlers have found success in both companies, including Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green, and Mickie James, to name a few.
However, this past year saw multiple wrestlers from both companies perform on the opposing promotion, including Joe Hendry and Wes Lee.
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That being said, one surprising WWE Superstar has been given credit for helping move the partnership along.
When the multi-year partnership was first announced, X (formerly Twitter) user @bigtimeEST felt that Naomi, also known as Trinity Fatu, deserved some credit for the deal.
"Naomi played a MASSIVE part in making this happen btw, especially with all the buzz she managed to cultivate around TNA in the space of 8 months," they said. "Give her the credit she deserves."
This sentiment was echoed by former TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace, who said, "Without [Tiffany Fatu], none of this would have happened."
Under the name Naomi, Fatu began working with WWE in its developmental territories in 2009. Starting in 2012, she worked as a valet for Brodus Clay alongside Cameron. They were named The Funkadactyls.
While she wrestled some matches as a member of The Funkadactyls, Fatu truly began getting noticed in 2014 as a member of Team B.A.D alongside Tamina and Sasha Banks.
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Fatu continued to be a main part of the Divas Revolution in WWE, eventually winning the SmackDown Women's Championship at Elimination Chamber in 2017.
After vacating the title due to injury, Fatu returned and continued to be a fan-favorite in WWE. During Night 2 of WrestleMania 38, she and Banks won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in a four-way tag team match.
However, Fatu and Banks had a disagreement with then-CEO Vince McMahon over a creative dispute, leading to both wrestlers walking out on the company. Banks eventually wrestled in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AEW under the name Mercedes Moné.
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Shortly after officially stating that she had left WWE in March 2023, Fatu made her TNA debut, then known as Impact Wrestling.
Fatu immediately began a feud with Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts Championship, which she would eventually win at Slammiversary on July 15, 2023.
Eventually, Fatu dropped the title to Grace before leaving TNA. Her final match with the company was on January 25, 2024.
Two days later, Fatu would return to WWE in the 2024 Royal Rumble. She is once again the WWE Women's Tag Team Champion alongside Bianca Belair, having taken over for Jade Cargill after she was mysteriously attacked backstage.
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