Gabby Forza Joins TNA, Eyes Intergender Matches After 15 Years in Football

Q: Will Gabby Forza's fierce linebacker background and intergender ambition lead her to capture a men's championship in TNA?

It is possible, but far too early to call Gabby Forza a likely future men’s champion in TNA. The case for her is real. TNA is one of the few major promotions that still treats intergender wrestling as part of its identity, and it has already put women in meaningful cross-gender spots. Tessa Blanchard won the Impact World Championship in 2020, and Jordynne Grace also found intergender success, so the company has a precedent that many rivals do not. Forza’s own background fits that lane: she was a seven-time All-American linebacker, a two-time national champion in women’s tackle football, and she says wrestling men has been central to her style since she started. That said, ambition and background alone do not make a title run likely. Forza is just now entering her first full television contract after roughly three-and-a-half years on the independents. She has already appeared in TNA on “Explosion” and in the Knockouts Television Championship tournament, but she is still establishing herself on the roster. TNA has also signed her specifically into the Knockouts Division, where her most immediate opportunities are clearer. If she connects strongly with fans, proves she can deliver on television, and TNA leans into its intergender history, a men’s title chase is believable over time. But the more realistic short-term path is success in the Knockouts division first, with intergender showcase matches serving as the test case for anything bigger.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

Gabby Forza said her new TNA deal fulfills a long-held goal, with the Knockouts Division and the promotion’s willingness to stage intergender matches driving her decision.
15 years in tackle football — including five on boys’ teams — shaped the style she wants to bring to TNA, where she said facing men has been a hallmark of her independent wrestling run.
Forza, a seven-time All-American linebacker and two-time national champion in women’s tackle football, said her powerlifting and football background let her compete against opponents of any size.
TNA has not announced her debut date, but Forza already named Ricky Sosa as a desired opponent as the company heads into Sunday’s Lockdown pay-per-view.