Robert Stone Says a WWE NXT & TNA Partnership Would’ve Been ‘Laughable’ in 2004

During a recent interview on The Velvet Ropes with SoCal Val, Robert Stone of WWE NXT and WWE Evolve discussed his history in TNA Wrestling, what he thinks about the partnership between WWE NXT and TNA, and more. Below are some highlights that were provided to us by WrestlingNews.co:

Robert Stone on when SoCal Val took a Black hole Slam from Abyss:

“I saw a video today on X of something I never knew about you. Of you taking a black hole slam from Abyss, and just looking at it, even though it was 17, 18 years ago, my heart dropped seeing it. You’re not a wrestler, Val… I did not feel comfortable seeing that.”

His thoughts on the WWE Evolve talents fans should be watching:

“There’s a group called The Vanity Project with these guys, their tag team called Swipe Right. And then also the leader is the Evolve champion, Jackson Drake. Those three guys are just awesome. They’re in great shape. They could speak well. They could wrestle. We talked about checking boxes… they could check every box. They could do it all.”

Stone on his “cringe” debut in TNA Wrestling as Robbie E

“I watched Robbie E and Cookie deliver this in-ring interview for five minutes, and every word that came out of my mouth was so cringe. Hamster and grenades, believe me, it was hilarious to watch… If I showed my kids that they would be mortified.”

Robert Stone on the TNA and WWE NXT partnership

“If someone in 2004 said to you, ‘One day, NXT, some form of the WWE is going to be working with TNA,’ it would have been laughable. There’s no way… There was always that feeling, or those rumors of, ‘WWE doesn’t want any TNA guys.’ And it’s just 15 years later, just the landscape has changed.”

His thoughts on working with legendary coach Terry Taylor

“He’s seen it all. He’s done it all. So to pass that knowledge on to some of these newbies to the industry, it’s priceless… he always drops a joke, or he opens a refrigerator and tries to slam it into my head, or reminds me of how he tried to get me a better paying contract when I was on The Amazing Race.”

On once publicly apologizing for a Dine and Dash prank in TNA

“The younger version of myself… that was a different guy. I would never do anything like that now… I’m going to call them, and I’m going to mail them five bucks, six bucks, whatever it is for that soup. And I apologize. I’m making a public apology. That was wrong of me to do.”

WWE NXT and TNA escalated their inter-promotional relationship with an on-air invasion of TNA of the WWE NXT brand, and there was a co-promoted NXT vs. TNA Showdown special last week on The CW. Also, at last Sunday’s TNA Bound for Glory 2025 event, Mike Santana beat NXT Superstar Trick Williams in the main event to win the TNA World Title, bringing the belt back to the TNA brand.