Are WWE & TNA having a secret war ?

[Lucha-Libre is wrestling]

It seems that since late February WWE and TNA have been feuding with similar promos and gimmicks. My list of evidence that we are seeing a start of a 2 promotion war:

1. WWE - 2/21/11 Video. ---- TNA makes a 3/3/11 Video.
2. TNA - has JWOW from Jersey Shore wrestle. ---- WWE has Snooki Wrestle.
3. TNA - Debuts a new World Title. ---- WWE has the Miz act like he is debuting a new Title.
4. WWE gives Jerry Lawler (61) a Title Match. ---- TNA lets Sting (51) win the Title.
5. WWE Y2J is on ABC Dancing with the Stars. ---- TNA Hulk Hogan was on FOX American Idol.

I may be wrong and reading to much into this, but you have to admit it does look like the start of a new wrestling WAR. I would love to hear everyone opinions on this possible new WAR between WWE & TNA, especially the fans that watch both shows religiously.

PS- If you have anymore evidence to add to my list feel free to do so.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

No.

All of those things that TNA instigated are the result of TNA trying to get WWE to recognize it TO start a war. But Jerry Lawler wrestling a title match was a good move in terms of bringing an interesting matchup to a ppv, and the Miz debuting a new belt was just a creative angle. And Snooki is an international star...lots of international stars are involved w/ Mania.

 

[Davi323]

In addition to what Steamboat Ricky said, Lawler has been wrestling periodically every year, and he has been known to be kinda sad about the fact that he never got to wrestle at Wrestlemania for years. The WWE is allowing him to have his one match. What is so shocking about Sting winning the TNA title? He was a fairly active part of TNA wrestling for quite a while. Even at 51, it isn't like he has been gone for years.

I think you are reading too much into it.

 

[shattered dreams]

War might be a little strong but we had a thread about this in the TNA section a little while back. Everyone continues to claim it is all just a coincidence and WWE doesn't even know TNA exists. Anyone that thinks WWE does not know what TNA is doing is an idiot. The Lawler and Sting thing isn't part of a war though. That is just another chapter in the truth that wrestlers no one knows do not draw anything in the short term. Are people buying wrestlemania for the rock or the miz? Anyone crusading against everyone "old" simply doesn't understand the business side enough to take seriously.

The one main incident you forgot was the MEM teaser storyline followed by Booker and Nash at the rumble. Those events and the way WWE has handled Snooki both seem beyond coincidences to me. There is no way both these things were entirely irrelevant to what was going on in TNA.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

War is definitely too strong of a term to use. Of course the WWE is keeping tabs on what TNA is up to, it only makes sense to see what the competition is up to. It's also certainly possible that some of what the other is doing can influence ideas. But is WWE basing it's overall strategy on what TNA is doing? No, absolutely not.

The Jersey Shore thing is a solid example of WWE possibly being influenced by the idea. The difference is that, unlike TNA, the WWE went a step further and actually got someone from the show that could really be considered a "star" of the show. I hate the show, never been able to watch a full episode so I don't know much of anything about any of them. What I know of Snooki I hear about from the mainstream media and that's why WWE went after her. If anyone is a legit "star" from the show, it's her and WWE is trying to get the most out of its investment with her. If TNA could afford her price, they may have gone after her too. I don't believe they'd have used her well at all, however.

When it comes to older wrestlers like Sting & Jerry Lawler, there are far too many differences. In TNA, older veterans, especially Sting, have been the stars of the company for a long time. Sting has won 4 World Championships since he's been in TNA. Jerry Lawler has never been a significant championship threat in the WWE. He's still over with the fans, he's still as viable inside the ring as he ever was, he was used to help build heat on Miz during his title reign and that feud was used as the jumping point for Lawler's feud with Michael Cole. Lawler's title aspirations were simply a means to an end.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Actually when it comes to the Jersey Shore idea, WWE was the first one to use that. Zack Ryder was based on this Jersey Shore crap long before Robbie E & Cookie and the real Jersey Shore cast came in. WWE just didn't do well with making it look like he is.

 

[Rayne]

War is too strong of a word, because in a war, there are two sides fighting.

1) TNA's been poking at the WWE for a few years now. TNA is definitely fighting.
2) "Jersey Shore" is one of the most popular programs on television, and those orange meatsacks are appearing everywhere. If I ran a wrestling organization, I'd be trying to get them on my show too- mainstream publicity is a big positive.
3) Bit of a stretch here.
4) Wrestling companies using people over 50? That NEVER happened before this year, never ever!
5) Cross-genre celebrities appear on television outside of their genre. Chris Jericho also hosted a game show last year while TNA was treating their booking like a game, does that count?

On the topic of the Main Event Mafia- when did anyone ever say that the MEM was coming back to TNA? They aired a vignette alluding to them, made vague references to using a "Plan B" and that's it. Considering how often TNA has tried to swerve their audience over the past year, it should be surprising that so many people seem absolutely convinced that a Main Event Mafia reunion was definitely going to happen, if not for the ebil WWE.

At least, it would be surprising if I didn't know from experience how gullible a lot of people around here can be.

People want there to be a war between the two; that would be great at motivating creative. There are two reasons you go to war; you either go to war in order to defend yourself from a threat, or you go to war because vanquishing your enemy brings you profit beyond the cost of fighting the war. TNA simply isn't a threat to the WWE now in the way that WCW was. The WWE would not profit from TNA's demise either. They can already raid almost any talent they want from TNA (Hi, Braden Walker!) The TNA video library isn't worth all that much so far as these things go; TNA has never gotten big in the way that WCW did. There is no broad nostalgia for old TNA footage as there is for old WCW/WWF footage. (If there was, you'd be seeing a lot more DVD's out of TNA, and they'd be advertised much more, not hidden away in the merchandise section on their website which looks like it was designed by a sophomore CompSci major.)

They are adversaries, no doubt about it. They compete in the same business, for the same fans. But there are more options in handling an adversary then attacking them. The WWE is keeping an eye on TNA, that's for sure, but they have no reason to act on that currently. If the two were in an active war, I don't think we'd need to be taking a poll on it to figure it out.

 

[Murphy]

Hogan was just promoting TNA, I don't think Hogan went to the guys in charge of American Idol and ask to go on their show, because Jericho who currently isn't employed with WWE will be on Dancing With The Stars.

As for TNA mocking WWEs 2.21.11 promo, well TNA mocking WWE isn't anything new, it's been happening for years.

And I could be wrong but I think I remember WWE disscusing the idea of revealing a new WWE Championship a good few months back.

War is definitely too strong of a term to use. Of course the WWE is keeping tabs on what TNA is up to, it only makes sense to see what the competition is up to. It's also certainly possible that some of what the other is doing can influence ideas. But is WWE basing it's overall strategy on what TNA is doing? No, absolutely not.

The Jersey Shore thing is a solid example of WWE possibly being influenced by the idea. The difference is that, unlike TNA, the WWE went a step further and actually got someone from the show that could really be considered a "star" of the show. I hate the show, never been able to watch a full episode so I don't know much of anything about any of them. What I know of Snooki I hear about from the mainstream media and that's why WWE went after her. If anyone is a legit "star" from the show, it's her and WWE is trying to get the most out of its investment with her. If TNA could afford her price, they may have gone after her too. I don't believe they'd have used her well at all, however.

When it comes to older wrestlers like Sting & Jerry Lawler, there are far too many differences. In TNA, older veterans, especially Sting, have been the stars of the company for a long time. Sting has won 4 World Championships since he's been in TNA. Jerry Lawler has never been a significant championship threat in the WWE. He's still over with the fans, he's still as viable inside the ring as he ever was, he was used to help build heat on Miz during his title reign and that feud was used as the jumping point for Lawler's feud with Michael Cole. Lawler's title aspirations were simply a means to an end.

Spot on.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

Umm TNA started the date stuff first with 10.10.10 they actually did a 2.3.11 but they had to push it back to 3.3.11 because of certain stuff.

So WWE copied that with their 2.22.11.

Infact I see WWE copying TNA a lot.. I'll see something TNA wrestlers do in the ring one week.. and then Ill see it on WWE a week later.. like... yeah... they raid TNA for ideas.