HOUSTON, March 18, 2008 – TRISTAR, the nation’s premier producer of sports collectibles and memorabilia, announced that the company has been selected by Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling as the exclusive licensee for the production and distribution of TNA trading cards and memorabilia.

TNA, the second largest professional wrestling company in the world, currently airs its programming in more than 130 countries worldwide.  After just five years, TNA has established itself as a leader within the sports-entertainment genre, utilizing some of the world’s best known and top up-and-coming wrestlers.  TNA’s talent roster includes Kurt Angle, Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, A.J. Styles, Gail Kim and Christy Hemme, among others.

The inaugural TRISTAR TNA trading card set - “TNA iMPACT!” - will debut in May 2008 and will include cards of TNA wrestlers, TNA Knockouts (the company’s female stars), autographed cards and event-used memorabilia cards.  These will be the finest, licensed TNA trading cards ever produced. 

According to TRISTAR President and CEO Jeff Rosenberg, the company is pleased to have the opportunity to expand its product lines to include TNA trading cards.

“We are very excited to have been selected by TNA as the exclusive company to have the rights to produce its trading cards and memorabilia,” said Rosenberg.  “TNA is gaining a partner in TRISTAR with vast experience in the creation, production and collectibility of trading cards, and we look forward to working with TNA to showcase its stars in a new and collectible way.”

TRISTAR plans to release three TNA trading card products in 2008.  The first release, “TNA iMPACT!,” is named after TNA’s two-hour weekly program on SpikeTV, viewed by an average of 2.3 million viewers weekly.  In the fall, TRISTAR will release its second TNA set, tentatively titled “Cross The Line.”  And just in time for the holidays, “TNA Knockouts” will feature a look at the attractive females on TNA’s roster, aptly referred to as “Knockouts.”

“TNA is ecstatic to partner with TRISTAR for the trading card category,” said TNA Director of Licensing Jason Walker.  “This is a very important, high-profile category for TNA, and we’re thrilled to see the high-tech work TRISTAR will do.  We have been very selective in considering new partners, but TRISTAR’s 20-plus years in the hobby speak for itself.  Many of our fans are card collectors, so we wanted to make sure that our trading card partner delivered the best range and quality of cards available in the marketplace. TRISTAR will give the TNA brand the care and attention it deserves so that our fans and card collectors get only the very best.”