Jason Hotch has signed a new TNA contract

[Chris]

JASON HOTCH SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH TNA, OPENS UP ABOUT HIS PATH TO PRO WRESTLING, THE GREAT HANDS, ORDER 4, HIS FUTURE AND MORE | PWInsider.com

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As TNA Wrestling returns to AXS TV tonight and heads into a big weekend of TV tapings in Pittsburgh, the company is securing key talents for its future—and today, PWInsider can confirm that one of its most promising homegrown stars has put pen to paper on a new deal. Jason Hotch, 28, has re-signed with TNA Wrestling.

In an exclusive interview with PWInsider, Hotch broke down the decision to stay with TNA, a place that helped launch him into the national spotlight. One half of The Great Hands (formerly The Good Hands) alongside John Skyler, and now a featured member of Mustafa Ali’s “Order Four” faction, Hotch has quickly become one of the most well-rounded and reliable performers in the company. But his path to re-signing was anything but automatic.

“A lot went into where I was gonna re-sign when my contract came up,” Hotch said. “John Skyler and I, we’ve really formed a solid brotherhood. I can confidently say he’s probably one of my best friends I’ve ever made in the business, let alone outside of it. I talk to him about very personal things—he probably knows me better than anybody in the locker room, as it probably should be with a tag partner.”

That bond, forged through travel, tag team battles, and shared ambition, played a central role in Hotch’s choice to continue with TNA.

“He made the decision to re-sign with TNA practically for me and my family,” Hotch revealed. “We both feel like we still have a lot to offer as a tag team. But I’m also really enjoying where this Order Four thing is going. Being able to sit alongside Mustafa Ali—I really think he’s one of the brightest minds in the business. I just try to be a sponge the whole time. I still have a lot to learn. Every day’s a school day.”

Hotch’s trajectory in TNA has been marked by steady, deliberate growth, both in the ring and in character work. From pre-shows to marquee singles matches, he’s consistently maximized his opportunities, including recent standout performances against Leon Slater and Ali himself.

“It helps you loosen up,” Hotch said of the recent spotlight. “If you’re not comfortable on camera and you’re still trying to hit your stride, it’s easy to go out there and be one-dimensional and think, ‘Okay, if I put on a great wrestling match, the people will like me.’ But you learn—it’s so much more than that. People dive into personalities. They want to relate to you. I feel like I’ve started hitting my stride—whether it’s in personality, matches, or whatever it may be.”

The opportunity to showcase himself beyond just a wrestler is part of what solidified his belief that TNA was the right long-term home.

“TNA is putting me in the best possible position to succeed,” he said. “And anyone who sets you up for success is worth trusting and keeping your future in their hands.”

Hotch also gave us a glimpse into the origin of his partnership with Skyler, one that began without fanfare but quickly evolved into something more substantial.

“When we first met, we heard the week before that we were gonna be thrown together,” he said. “He didn’t know who Jason Hotch was. I wasn’t too familiar with John Skyler, I’d heard the name. We were in North Carolina at WrestleCade and he was like, ‘Hey, I think we’re gonna be a tag team.’ And I was like, ‘Wait—you’re John Skyler?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah—you’re Jason Hotch?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah.’”

“So it was just one of those things,” he laughed. “I think us being paired together wasn’t supposed to be long-term. But the best thing about us is that we’re interchangeable—we could be in any spot on the show. And I think it really started to sink in that we were doing something special as we kept going loop after loop, seeing reactions grow city to city. We still haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can do.”

Hotch draws inspiration from classic tag teams—something that’s increasingly rare in modern wrestling.

“It’s funny you bring up Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, the Midnight Express—all those great tag teams. Those are our favorites to watch. We’ve taken bits and pieces from all of them.”

Before wrestling, Hotch was a serious baseball player and pursued a degree in criminal justice—a path that might seem distant from pro wrestling, but one he says helped him more than you might expect.

“One of my favorite criminal justice courses was a psychology course. We learned how to read people and their body language,” Hotch said. “I guess in a sense, being able to perceive how someone’s taking to you helps—whether you’re a babyface or a heel. But really, I studied criminal justice in college because it was the one thing that really interested me once I realized the major leagues weren’t gonna happen.”

After two years of college ball, Hotch pivoted to wrestling—a dream that initially felt out of reach.

“Pro wrestling was one of those things where you think it’ll stay a dream because how do you even start?” he said. “Then a school opened up in Toledo, and the rest is history. It brought me here—sitting down with you.”

Comparing the pressure of stepping up in baseball versus wrestling, Hotch says it all comes down to spotlight moments.

“In baseball, there’s a pitcher and a batter. In pro wrestling, it’s you and your opponent. All eyes are on you. That’s what I loved about baseball—there’s no clock you can run out. You have to throw the ball. You have to perform.”

“My match with Mustafa Ali was probably the biggest match of my life. If you’re not ready for that spotlight, you’re gonna crack. But being under that microscope is where I thrived in baseball, and it’s where I thrive in wrestling.”

Those recent high-profile matches, including the widely praised bout against Leon Slater, have only further fueled his ambition.

“Gail Kim actually told me she feels like Leon and I are the next kind of cream of the crop, homegrown talents in TNA,” he shared. “To hear that from someone like Gail—one of the greatest Knockouts of all time—it’s doing nothing but building confidence.”

One lesser-known fact about Hotch? He’s related to one of baseball’s most iconic, albeit controversial, figures.

“Pete Rose is one of my favorites. And before my grandma passed away, we did that ancestry.com stuff—and found out Pete Rose is actually my fifth cousin,” he said with a smile. “So since he’s my cousin, I can gladly say he should be a Hall of Famer. Even if he wasn’t—he’s one of the best to ever do it. It’s a shame it had to come to him passing away for that conversation to reopen.”

Looking ahead, all roads lead to Slammiversary at the UBS Arena in New York, and Hotch knows what that moment means.

“The anticipation is high,” he said. “We have some special things planned. If you’re a viewer at home, just enjoy where we’re going. I can’t wait to be in that arena.”

And if time allows? “I might have to make a day trip to Cooperstown,” he added. “Thanks for the tip.”

Hotch left a message for those who’ve followed his rise in TNA:

“Just enjoy the ride. It’s a journey. It’s easy to get frustrated, like anything in life. But I thank everyone for the support. I see almost everything on social media. A lot of people called for me to get a shot. Now that I have, I feel like I’m not letting them down—and I want to give people more.”

And finally—courtesy of a surprise message from John Skyler, who asked us to confirm how much he taught Hotch about tag team psychology:

“John Skyler does not get the love he deserves,” Hotch replied. “He’s incredibly smart, incredibly talented, and just doesn’t get the respect he’s due. John, I love you. Thank you for teaching me everything I know. You’re a hell of a kid.”

With a new contract in hand and momentum firmly on his side, Jason Hotch is no longer just a name to watch. He’s a name that’s carving out its place in the present and future of TNA Wrestling—and beyond.

 

[Sky]

This is a really nice interview