1. TNA hasn't offered Joe a huge raise.
2. Joe is threatening to leave for less money instead of re-signing.
In wrestling, this is "news". On message boards, this is the "death of TNA".
However, in the real world, both sides' tactics are consistent with something called
"negotiation". And in negotiation, a very popular tactic used in sports and Hollywood is to say that you're gonna sit out or work for a competitor, and your bosses go "Man, that sure would suck if that happened. Here's more money."
When push comes to shove, TNA's stupid, but they aren't stupid enough to let their biggest young star (especially someone who they've put in many marquee main events as recently as their last PPV) walk into the welcoming arms of their competition for peanuts. This is different than the Monty Brown situation, because Monty's alot older and doesn't have as much of an upside as Joe.
Joe has worked 9 of the past 12 Main Events on TNA PPVs. If he doesn't feel like he's being pushed enough, then he's a mark for belts (and himself), and I'd love to see if he main evented 75% of WWE's PPVs in any year he's there (ever).
Fact is, it probably isn't about the push. Joe probably just wants paid what he's worth. That makes him no different than any of us. TNA should give him a raise, consistent with being the main event player that he is for their company. And by the time his contract expires, they'll probably give him that raise.
I don't know if Joe has a Hollywood agent, but he should get one to negotiate with TNA for him, especially if he wants Sting money. He'd get his money, and the agent will be helpful deflect TEH BCKSTAAGE HEATZ!!!1! At least that's how it works in sports and real entertainment, I don't know about some backwoods southern rasslin' company...
