TNA Lockdown Returns In 2026, First All-Cage PPV Since 2016
TNA Wrestling has a name for its August 23 Chicago pay-per-view, and it comes with history. The company announced on Thursday that Lockdown, the all-steel-cage event it ran annually from 2005 through 2016, is returning at Credit Union 1 Arena.
The reveal fills in one of the two unnamed dates on TNA's 2026 live events schedule released earlier this month. A second still-unnamed PPV remains scheduled for Edmonton on November 15.
Lockdown's defining gimmick is simple: every match on the card takes place inside a steel cage. TNA debuted the concept in 2005 with A.J. Styles vs. Abyss, and it also introduced Lethal Lockdown, the company's WarGames-style main event where two teams enter a weapon-filled cage in alternating fashion.
The last Lockdown ran in 2016 at Wembley Arena in London, where Matt Hardy beat EC3 for the TNA World Championship. An Impact Lockdown event was briefly announced for March 2020, but that show was cancelled when the venue shut down all events due to the pandemic.
TNA has confirmed a wide slate of talent for the card without yet announcing specific matches. The names include Jeff and Matt Hardy, Nic Nemeth, Mustafa Ali, Moose, AJ Francis, Mike Santana, Steve Maclin, Brian Myers, Eric Young, and Leon Slater.
The Knockouts Division will also feature prominently, with Ash By Elegance, Tessa Blanchard, Elayna Black, and Indi Hartwell scheduled to compete inside the cage. Full match card details will be announced this summer.
Credit Union 1 Arena, formerly known as the UIC Pavilion, is a first-time venue for TNA but not for major wrestling. WCW ran Chi-Town Rumble at the building in 1989, a card headlined by Ricky Steamboat beating Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship.
Lockdown pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. ET. The general on-sale opens Friday, April 24 at 10 a.m. ET. Ticket information is available at TNAWrestling.com.
