Why Do People Complain About TNA Hiring WWE Guys When WWE Did the Same in the 90s?

[ProWrestlingFan]

Whenever a former WWE wrestler goes to TNA many people start complaining and saying "another WWE reject" etc.

But didn't WWE do the same in the 90s?

Wrestlers who WWE took from NWA/WCW :

"Stunning" Steve Austin
"Mean" Mark Callus (Undertaker)
Jean Paul Levesque (HHH)
Lex Luger
Sid Vicious (Sycho Sid)
Kevin Nash/Oz (Diesel)
Scott Hall/The Diamond Studd - (Razor Ramon)
Chris Jericho, Kane etc

WWF took most of the wrestlers from NWA/WCW except Rock (WWE's only homegrown star)

Wrestlers going back and forth between companies has been going on for decades. It's no different today, where if a wrestler has no work in WWE, or doesn't like working there they go to TNA...they have an option, so they take it.

Discuss.

 

[The Butcher]

I'm pretty sure every wrestling company ever has taken on talent who used to work in rival promotions, so setting your aim at WWE in the 90's is a strange target. Also, I hadn't noticed people complaining about TNA "stealing" WWE talent, so much as taking WWE's table scraps and placing them in prominent roles. I don't think most reasonable people have an issue with TNA acquiring or utilizing former WWE Superstars. The problem many have is how those wrestlers are used, which is often in a way that puts them higher on the card seemingly just by the virtue that they used to work in WWE. A lot of folks just like to give TNA shit, though, and will do so for anything. Whatever the case may be, I don't think it's a big deal. The influx of MMA talent is the new mocking point.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Hello thread from 2008!

Nobody says TNA "steals" wrestlers from WWE. Nobody has ever said that. Maybe people have said that TNA buy WWE "rejects". Which they do, it's true. If WWE don't want somebody and release them then they're WWE rejects. That doesn't mean TNA can't do something with them. Steve Austin = WCW reject. It happens.

However TNA hire WWE nobodies. I'm not on about an Anderson who must've seemed like a good signing at the time. More like Mike Knox, who never did anything in WWE or showed any reason why TNA would hire him and then push him. And others who escape me at this moment.

Anyway, it's 2013 and nobody cares anymore. Everybody excepts TNA is never going to improve so its a non-issue.

 

[Alex]

Well people seem to be complaining about other things TNA do besides the hiring of former WWE talent.

But I'll bite anyway.

Its moreso the WWE fanboys (the ones who follow only WWE and don't appreciate any other form of wrestling) that say this, because they feel released WWE talent signed to another company are sub par (convienently forgetting about people like Steve Austin, Undertaker and Chris Jericho were the exact same in WCW). As IDR says all the time whenever these type of threads come up 'Talent is talent'

However as Jake said TNA do have a bad habit of signing nobodies. I'm not against signing a 'nobody' to build up to become something great (that would be awesome) but TNA has a habit of signing the ex WWE guys who don't have much going for them and don't show any signs of improvement like Knox, Doc/Gallows and others.

Back in the early days of TNA, signing guys like this wouldn't have been to bad, because they could do with anyone with a sembelance of name value (and to the lowest degree guys like Doc and Knox do) but where the company is now they've got guys like Sting, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Mr Anderson and The Dudleys, guys with big name value. Guys from the independents who have a following like Austin Aries, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Chris Sabin. They've got their own developmental place and Gut Check (even though its flawed) for new talent. Signing guys from WWE who's only name value comes from 'That guy who worked for WWE' and who haven't really shown much in terms of potential seems pointless.

If you're going to sign ex WWE guys, sign guys that have potential like John Morrison, Chris Masters or Trent Barretta.

 

[Skiesofryan]

Whenever a former WWE wrestler goes to TNA many people start complaining and saying "another WWE reject" etc.

But didn't WWE do the same in the 90s?

Wrestlers who WWE took from NWA/WCW :

"Stunning" Steve Austin
"Mean" Mark Callus (Undertaker)
Jean Paul Levesque (HHH)
Lex Luger
Sid Vicious (Sycho Sid)
Kevin Nash/Oz (Diesel)
Scott Hall/The Diamond Studd - (Razor Ramon)
Chris Jericho, Kane etc

WWF took most of the wrestlers from NWA/WCW except Rock (WWE's only homegrown star)

Wrestlers going back and forth between companies has been going on for decades. It's no different today, where if a wrestler has no work in WWE, or doesn't like working there they go to TNA...they have an option, so they take it.

Discuss.

The issue is not TNA signing former WWE wrestlers. There are tons of talent on the indys that TNA could turn into TNA stars. Instead they rely on taking WWE's framework and just plug them into their own roster. Very few times has TNA repackaged the wrestler with a new gimmick.

The other issue is TNA is taking a mid-level or floundering former WWE superstar and putting them ahead of TNA's homegrown talent. They've got huge names in Hogan, Sting, Angle...and yet they're still pulling in the same ratings they were a few years ago. No amount of former WWE (or WCW) names will move that needle. They need to abandon picking up WWE's castoffs and start focusing on building a slate of talent that can be their own stars.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

It's a cheap argument, coated in words with negative connotations that has been spewed by people left and right for the last ten years and has been established through tireless repetition. It's something people associate with TNA while every single company has done it.

Whether it's stealing talent or hiring recently released talent, every single wrestling company has done it, does it and will continue to do it. There is nothing wrong with it and if companies weren't doing it then a lot of them would be in a very bad condition.

Wrestlers are employees at the end of the day. If your trade is marketing and you're working or a firm, once you are fired or you quit you go ahead and look for another job in marketing since that's what you're good at. You work for another firm which has a position for you where you can apply your marketing knowledge and skills.

Same with wrestlers. Once a wrestler stops working for WWE he looks for another wrestling company to work for. They negotiate a deal and the talent appears on the other show.

The only people who have a problem with this are common Internet morons who have nothing better to do than take a dump on TNA because it's the cool thing to do. Everyone loves TNA hate. Even when it's mindless and makes no sense.

If people have an issue with the fact that TNA is taking advantage of the popularity a wrestler has gained in another company and they have it all served to them on a silver platter then you've got a motive and you've got something against TNA which makes you unable to process this information correctly.

If TNA takes advantage of such a situation, such as they did with Jeff Hardy, it doesn't make them cheap, or lazy, or bush league. It just means they struck a great deal. They got a popular talent without having to spend years to build him or her up. It's a great deal. Why would that pass that up? So they wouldn't break the IWC moral code? Please. Moves like that should be praised, not made fun of.

TNA is good for wrestling. Wrestlers have somewhere to go once the WWE disappoints them, or they disappoint the WWE. It keeps a lot of guys in the business, it keeps them wrestling. No wrestlers - no wrestling. People shouldn't bitch about it, they should pray people keep circulating between WWE and TNA. It's healthy.

 

[Last Man Standing]

I believe the issue isn't that they hire former WWE stars as much as it is the fact that they cater to former WWE guys over their own home grown talent. Many times a former WWE talent would spring board to the top while stars like AJ, Brown, or Joe would be pushed down. AJ Styles is a perfect example of someone who has suffered greatly from so many former WWE stars flooding TNA. His star has fallen. Same for Joe.

There was a time when someone could turn on TNA and see fresh young wrestlers pull off moves never seen before on American TV. But now we see Hogan & Ray having twenty minute promos. And I think the die hard wrestling fans know that TNA was onto something special years ago but they've now ruined it.

 

[SaveUsCMPunk]

A lot of these people complaining about TNA's hiring practices are people that have been saying "Well this is the year that TNA goes out of business" every year since around the mid 2000's. You know, the same people that laugh at every "mistake" TNA makes and go "LOL TNA!" when TNA gets less than a 1.0 rating. The people that say whenever a WWE wrestler gets fired, he'll automatically go to TNA and be their World Champion within a month or two. (Right....so where is DH Smith, Vladimir Kozlov, Deuce and Domino, Manu, Eric Escobar, MVP, John Morrison, KC James, Armando Estrada and all of the other wrestlers no longer in WWE? I know! They're in TNA where each one of them have been world champion at least once! ) The people that think WWE can do no wrong and hope TNA goes out of business. In other words, complete idiots. You can find a lot of them on the main page under the news articles.

Did people that only watch TNA laugh and call Marcus Cor Von, Braden Walker and others "TNA rejects"?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Whenever a former WWE wrestler goes to TNA many people start complaining and saying "another WWE reject" etc.

But didn't WWE do the same in the 90s?

Wrestlers who WWE took from NWA/WCW :

"Stunning" Steve Austin
"Mean" Mark Callus (Undertaker)
Jean Paul Levesque (HHH)
Lex Luger
Sid Vicious (Sycho Sid)
Kevin Nash/Oz (Diesel)
Scott Hall/The Diamond Studd - (Razor Ramon)
Chris Jericho, Kane etc

WWF took most of the wrestlers from NWA/WCW except Rock (WWE's only homegrown star)

Wrestlers going back and forth between companies has been going on for decades. It's no different today, where if a wrestler has no work in WWE, or doesn't like working there they go to TNA...they have an option, so they take it.

Discuss.

There's a world of difference between what WWE did in the 90's and what TNA does today.

Right now TNA is taking talent who have either been released by the WWE because they need seasoning (Chris Masters, Ken Kennedy), are not ready for what WWE wanted them to do (Matt Morgan, Luke Gallows) or on the odd occasion have blotted their copybook with Vince (Jeff, RVD, Kurt) and he chose to let them go... TNA sees every ex-WWE guy they can get as a boost to their TV ratings, and another step closer to the perception of them being legit competition. Occasionally, when Vince throws a curveball like Kennedy then it can work well - they guy has become more of a "hand" in TNA than he would have been for the WWE. Someone like Hardy and Angle was a "steal" but came loaded with risk, that has not always paid off as both have had major cock ups but definitely raised TNA's profile.

Early 90's - 90-93, Vince was picking up young talents in the main, Callous, Scott Hall and Nash were all big men who had had some seasoning and Vince felt could improve with a WWE run. Hall had the most experience but Nash clearly had the genetic advantage. Vince could pick them up cheap, put them with established stars with new gimmicks and let them evolve... Taker started with Brother Love but only clicked once Bearer was in the mix, Hall was working with Flair and his former tag partner Hennig and Nash was paired with Shawn who gave him the "crash course" in the WWE way of doing things.

What WWE was doing in the mid 90's was cherry picking frustrated talents from WCW. ECW, The Indy scene and Japan... guys like Steve Austin were not high profile captures, it was a no-risk gamble - as Bischoff had already binned him and his alternative was ECW or Japan. They knew Austin had the ring skill and he just started to show charisma when they signed him...

Mick Foley and Ron Simmons were not high profile captures, but solid signings for particular roles WWE wanted filling. Simmons had pedigree, but that he ended up in the gladiator costume proves Vince didn't care he'd had the WCW title... he had wanted a bad ass, african american brawler for many years, going through Butch Reed, Bad News Brown and Tony Atlas... Simmons fit that bill and he was much more successful than any of the others... Foley was a worker who could be "fed to Taker" but not be horrible in the ring or for all Foley's craziness, unsafe with Taker.... he'd just come off that orbital break thanks to Mabel, they realised that they had to protect him and send him in a different direction. Foley played a big part in schooling the Undertaker to work with smaller guys with better ability, and soon he was learning from Bret and Shawn as well....

The only real "glamour signings" that Vince made during those times from WCW were guys like Ric Flair, Sid in 1991, Lex Luger, Paul Wight and to a lesser extent Brian Pillman. Pillman was signed before his crash and I am certain he was the guy planned to feud with Bret and lead Attitude as a concept with Austin more of a secondary feud/partner in crime for him. Disagree, imagine Pillman fully fit at KOTR, does Austin win that title and make that promo? or does Pillman? Once Brian was out of action I have no doubt he clued Austin into what he had going as they were friends and let him run with it rather than waste it... Pillman was a glamour signing though, Bischoff tried to claim he let Pillman go cos he was "crazy" but no, simple he didn't renew his contract in time and Pillman used what time had left there to shop window himself... remember he'd been a Horseman just months prior, so he was very much a big name.

Wight was a definite steal and Vince has more than been vindicated as Show is now 14 years into his WWE career, that he was ever The Giant is a blip. By the time Jericho came in, who was perhaps the last of this type of signing then the game was up, it was known WCW was becoming a cesspool and that anyone not part of the NWO would jump if the chance came... No one was remotely shocked that Benoit and Co. all came over, just at how little resistance WCW actually put up.

Luger wasn't even a steal from WCW as he was brought in as part of the WBF and when that failed (and he'd been in a bike crash so he never even appeared) they had a contract they had to pay... so he wrestled for them instead...

Sid was their one attempt at a new Hogan based on look alone, Sid Justice was actually not a bad idea but Sid Eudy being a sandwich short of a picnic and addicted to softball were not on the script, but while he was an up and comer in WCW, he was not a main eventer yet.

The pattern is that almost all the guys Vince did sign from WCW in the 90's are more strongly identified by that WWE character/stint than their WCW runs, they made more money and had more critical and creative success... Good as Stunning Steve was, Stone Cold will always be remembered. As much as Farooq misfired at the start, Ron Simmons is now remembered more for the APA and Damn than beating Vader, Dustin Rhodes will be Goldust forevermore and Pillman is remembered as the guy who pulled a gun rather than the high flyer of early 90's WCW...Mick Foley, well he managed to have a career no-one ever dreamed of, much less himself off the back of Vince's original plan to feed Manson the Mutilator to Taker... Guys like Luger, Flair all had moments in WCW after their WWF runs, but they are not "good moments", from Sid's leg to Flair dressed as a woman... hell even Luger showing up on Nitro in a frilly shirt was not the best thing he could have done....

Now look at those TNA guys who were once in the WWE and name one who is gonna be remembered more for their TNA run, in a good way? That's why people are down on TNA signing people, it's not an alternate step or a better one, it's a step down every time... I prefer guys like MVP, Harry Smith and Shelton Benjamin who didn't go that route and went to Japan or ROH rather than take the TNA money (cos they'd have gotten it) but they know that one day they'll be back in WWE and TNA is only gonna delay that day or make it not happen for them... they used to call TNA "Where the Big Boys Play" now, with it's current situation, it's more "Where careers go to die".

For someone like Christian, they got out at the right time and are now better for that time, but not because of it... Not seeing Christian in the WWE for a few years made the fans miss him enough that when he came back with that main event experience of carrying a company, the missing piece was filled in and he got his chance... but he could have still succeeded without TNA at all, if Vince had had faith...

I am a strong believer he releases some guys knowing they will go to TNA, hate it but be pushed to the moon and come back at least a little more prepared for the big push... We'll soon see no doubt when Matt Morgan resurfaces...

 

[yeerandee]

they are the same fukin wrestler. they dont do anything that separates them from when the were in wwe. pretty much all the guys you listed are not the same character they were in wcw/nwa.

also, they let the wwe guys get ahead of the tna guys when its not deserved. i really believed that in samoa joe, aj styles, and christopher daniels were the future of tna, but the future of tna are the guys that gets released by wwe and the older wrestlers

 

[Zeven_Zion]

The issue is not TNA signing former WWE wrestlers. There are tons of talent on the indys that TNA could turn into TNA stars. Instead they rely on taking WWE's framework and just plug them into their own roster. Very few times has TNA repackaged the wrestler with a new gimmick.

The other issue is TNA is taking a mid-level or floundering former WWE superstar and putting them ahead of TNA's homegrown talent. They've got huge names in Hogan, Sting, Angle...and yet they're still pulling in the same ratings they were a few years ago. No amount of former WWE (or WCW) names will move that needle. They need to abandon picking up WWE's castoffs and start focusing on building a slate of talent that can be their own stars.

What is people's obsession with "homegrown" talent. You people make it seems like wrestlers who have spent a decade in the company are somehow better than wrestlers who were made somewhere else. You also make it seem like homegrown talent should be treated differently (or better) than everyone else, just because they are homegrown.

How does homegrown equal a great wrestler? Here's how - it doesn't.

The "homegrown talent" argument is another IWC bullshit that some ass came up with, then another ass figured it makes sense and it became a part of the IWC Moral Code I mentioned above.

"Thou shalt not push people over thy homegrown talent"​

Why? Why not? What do homegrown talent have that other talent doesn't? Are they inherently faster in the ring? Do they have better mic skills because they've been built up from the ground up?

They don't. Chris Sabin has been with TNA for ages and yet he can't cut a decent promo to save his Detroit loving nuts. In fact, Sabin's as good now as he's always been. He hasn't really improved. That alone dumps your theory down the drain.

Moreover, do you think Bobby Roode and Austin Aries are good because they were with TNA for so long? I probably shouldn't even mention Aries since he was gone for years but whatever. Roode is not good because of the fact that he was employed by TNA. Roode is good because Roode has talents which were bound to come out no matter where he worked. He's just talented. He's talented because he's got it in him, not because of Dixie Carter.

Like I said before, signing "pre-made" wrestlers is a smart choice, it's a great investment. You cash in on their success and you skip the first seven years of their careers where they need to be built up. And if they're better than your homegrown talent then they're better than your homegrown talent. They get better spots and pushes, better treatment and better pay.

Think of it as the way Hollywood operates. To sell a movie you (among other things) need stars to garner attention. You need people who the audience knows can deliver. Robert Downey Jr. can deliver. That's why you, as a director, would much rather cast him for the role in your movie than a complete nobody who you trained yourself. You can afford it, you can benefit from his talent and image so your movie can also be more successful. Wrestling is the same type of deal. No difference. Except less results it seems.

When it comes to who's on top, TNA's been pretty damn fair so don't sit there and act like all TNA does is bring in a WWE guy and strap the belt on him. Not when the last few Champions were Chris Sabin, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Bully Ray and Austin Aries.

I am including Bully in this list because he's a TNA guy. He's been with TNA for eight years. He was in the WWE for six and with ECW for four. If people consider him a WWE guy that's their problem.

So a guy like Jeff Hardy gets pushed and the world loses its shit. Come to think of it, Hardy and RVD are the only people in recent memory that got shot up to Main Event status pretty damn quick. Mainly because they were pretty damn over and that's what TNA should do with people like that.

If they hire John Cena tomorrow (theoretical situation) don't you think it would be stupid if they don't put him in a VERY prominent position right off the bat?

What would've happened if WCW started jobbing Hogan, Hall, Pac and Nash to Jericho as soon as they walked into the company?

And also, I can see why it would seem bad when TNA pushes a guy who was a mid-carder in the WWE. I get it. But people with that mentality aren't really ready to accept TNA as a product to begin with. Too jaded, too ignorant. It's not a bad move if TNA does that. It just shows that they recognize talent and let's face it, time and time again we get guys from WWE who sucked there jump over to TNA and do some good stuff. In two matches Trent Barreta (Greg Maranchulio or whatever his name is) has had cooler matches than anything he ever did in the WWE.

Then you have people like Bully Ray, Kazarian, Christian Cage and Kurt Angle who did some of their best work in TNA. Talent is talent and it's not like TNA ever put the belt on Festus or something. They put it on people like RVD and Jeff Hardy who have proven their worth as wrestlers on many occasions and were FAR more decorated in WWE than TNA.

It's just a tired old argument that holds no importance and makes no sense. People spit it out on auto-pilot without thinking of whether it's actually a negative.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

they are the same fukin wrestler. they dont do anything that separates them from when the were in wwe. pretty much all the guys you listed are not the same character they were in wcw/nwa.

also, they let the wwe guys get ahead of the tna guys when its not deserved. i really believed that in samoa joe, aj styles, and christopher daniels were the future of tna, but the future of tna are the guys that gets released by wwe and the older wrestlers

Are you really going to mention Samoa Joe in this list? Joe came off of Ring of Honor and buried half the TNA roster, including AJ Styles. He was made in Ring of Honor. At least that's the way it was 2005 when he came in. That's why they booked him the way they did. Dude was World Champion before you knew it.

So then I ask - following your logic, did Samoa Joe deserve beating the piss out of AJ Styles as well as every other wrestler (original and not) for a whole year? He got pushed over ... well, everybody. He didn't do jack in TNA before this, yet he got a memorable rough shot over TNA.

You better not answer "yes", otherwise you'll prove my point. Just a tip. It's a trick question. And yes, ROH counts as a place where people can get made. It matters where his hype originates and that TNA takes advantage of it. That's your gripe.

His hype was purely based on who he was in ROH and the indies. When he debuted people were chanting his name the same way they did at ROH and Tenay wouldn't stop mentioning how great he was in ROH. In fact, his streak storyline is a direct continuation of what he was doing at Ring of Honor.

The floor is yours.

 

[RicSpade]

I think you're missing the big picture here, WWE took stars who could have marketable value but were being waysided for the stars of yesteryear (see Chris Jericho). WWE was taking guys who could be something and turned them into something, Razor was Scotts idea, but Vince saw potential in him, same with Deisil, Triple H was a unique case because he wasn't really anyone. I think the only case where one of these guys was a top star was Lex Luger.

I think the reason why people get upset is now when TNA takes a WWE star, they're not really a star. Last important guys TNA took were RVD, Kurt Angle, and Jeff Hardy. Since then the guys TNA are bringing in are WWE nobodies who either never got TV time or were with notable stars in hopes of getting people to tune in (Doc was with CM Punk back during the SES days for those who can't keep up with wrestling past).

I mean Trent Baretta or Greg however the hell you spell his last name had some awesome looking matches in WWE but was a nobody, and his performance was less than stellar in the Ultimate X match, which imo was the worst ultimate X since the prize fell off the X and they redid the match on free TV.

I mean if they brought in old guys we could care about still who can go or even mid carders who had a good run I don't mind seeing it, but I am tired of not seeing note worthy talent on TNA TV for garbage like Knox, Garrett Bischoff, Robbie E.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think you're missing the big picture here, WWE took stars who could have marketable value but were being waysided for the stars of yesteryear (see Chris Jericho). WWE was taking guys who could be something and turned them into something, Razor was Scotts idea, but Vince saw potential in him, same with Deisil, Triple H was a unique case because he wasn't really anyone. I think the only case where one of these guys was a top star was Lex Luger.

I think the reason why people get upset is now when TNA takes a WWE star, they're not really a star. Last important guys TNA took were RVD, Kurt Angle, and Jeff Hardy. Since then the guys TNA are bringing in are WWE nobodies who either never got TV time or were with notable stars in hopes of getting people to tune in (Doc was with CM Punk back during the SES days for those who can't keep up with wrestling past).

I mean Trent Baretta or Greg however the hell you spell his last name had some awesome looking matches in WWE but was a nobody, and his performance was less than stellar in the Ultimate X match, which imo was the worst ultimate X since the prize fell off the X and they redid the match on free TV.

I mean if they brought in old guys we could care about still who can go or even mid carders who had a good run I don't mind seeing it, but I am tired of not seeing note worthy talent on TNA TV for garbage like Knox, Garrett Bischoff, Robbie E.

Quit dancing around the issue. Don't sit there and act like WWE never did what TNA did.

WWE didn't bring in pre-made stars, because they were the top company. There was no other company as popular as the WWF where people could get as popular as a Shawn Michaels or a Bret Hart. There were no pre-made, already popular stars in the early 90's. All they had to work with were guys with potential. Though Ric Flair was well established prior to coming to the WWF but he's an exception.

However, WWE was more than glad to bring in WCW stars once WCW shut down. Booker T, Scott Steiner, Goldberg, DDP, Rey Mysterio among many others. Hint hint, most of these guys have been WWE Champions and Main Eventers. WWE was also very happy to bring in a lot of ECW guys during ECW's run and after the shut down. Don't tell me the WWE made Rob Van Dam.

And why did they do it? Because there was finally a company where stars could be made and WWE could take advantage of their popularity, just like TNA is doing. Hell, WWE is still trying to get Sting. And they should keep trying. Why?

It's smart fucking business. TNA is doing it. WWE is doing it. WCW succeeded because of it.

Is TNA getting results from it? That's the real question. Looking at guys like Angle, Sting, Hogan and Hardy I'd say they're raking some positives out. Looking at guys like Anderson, Doc and Chavo I'd say that's wasted money and time.

 

[MCMG]

With the examples you gave there seems to be a difference, the WWE took guys who were generally unproven or hadn't been given a chance; whereas, TNA signed some mid-carders that had no potential or real long-term draw power.

Guys like Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle even Matt Morgan were good signings for TNA because they could either draw or had the potential to. The problem was people like D'Lo Brown, Chavo, Val Venus earning lots of money and offering very little. Even people like Scott Steiner who was there too long.

Yes, the younger talent need to be put over but they were wasting wages on these guys and now they are having to lay people off. It was awful management from TNA. I am all for them hiring guys who used to work in the WWE if it helps the company but they were making giving contracts to guys who could not help when they could hire younger guys or use the talent within.

For example, at Slammiversary this year there was a tag-team match featuring, Gunner, James Storm, Chavo, Hernandez, Daniels, Kazarian, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. The main-event was Sting v Bully Ray and we were treated to Devon vs Joseph Parks/Abyss.

In that tag-team match I see a lot of talent, talent that would be successful in the WWE never mind TNA. They are using Bully Ray and Sting in the main event when they clearly have talent within their company that have been with them from the beginning. James Storm, Hernandez, Daniels, Kazarian, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode could all have been higher up the card but there are too many guys on the roster who are WWE rejects filling the spots. In my opinion Bully Ray, Sting, Anderson cannot be the number one guys in the company but they CAN make some stars if they used them correctly. Fucking Luke Gallows was involved in their biggest storyline.

 

[lil bitch Kid]

Obviously the difference is simple: when the guys left WCW to go to the E they did so because the E was a bigger company and they created bigger stars out of them in the majority of cases. With guys leaving the E and going to TNA, they are taking a step down in prestige and company size. They are going from the NFL to the Arena league, if you will. TNA isn't making any of these guys bigger stars. There's why people complain about it.

 

[Xmisto]

You make great points Zeven. I've been tired of hearing people downgrading TNA for the wrestlers and MMA fighters who have been heavily involved in TNA. Another thing a lot of people don't even realize.. These guys make a living doing this. So when people praise others for failing, it just sickens me. These guys bust their asses performing for us and WWE or TNA buffs have the nerve to throw insults at the wrestlers for switching companies. It's a business as you said Zeven, WWE recruits guys from TNA, UFC signs former fighters from Bellator, and whichever way you wanna go. It's been going on like this forever, this is their passion, let them sign where the please. I watch all types of fighting because I have a lot of respect for what they do, but unfortunately not everyone thinks like that. You don't hear people complaining about WWE and TNA "stealing" talent from ROH. I don't see if that way, but we all know people just like to troll online and tick as many people off as possible by enforcing an uneducated opinion, or blindly accusing companies and human beings of doing "awful" things. No, every human being and company is going to do what they can to survive, it's in our nature to survive.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Obviously the difference is simple: when the guys left WCW to go to the E they did so because the E was a bigger company and they created bigger stars out of them in the majority of cases. With guys leaving the E and going to TNA, they are taking a step down in prestige and company size. They are going from the NFL to the Arena league, if you will. TNA isn't making any of these guys bigger stars. There's why people complain about it.

Is this really why people complain about it? The general trend seems to focus more on how sad it is that TNA needs WWE stars and can't make their own. Since when are fans so concerned about a wrestler's livelihood? The way I see it, if a guy leaves the WWE or gets the boot, they should be happy he's even working.

What? When Jeff Hardy went to TNA did people simply snap their fingers and go "Man, now he's not going to be as big of a star"? I don't know, I don't remember anyone saying that. What I do remember were a bunch of slurs, drug addict jokes, TNA jokes and the usual WWE Reject argument which always rings true.

Something's wrong with what you're saying. You're right, that IS a difference, but I really don't think people even think of it this way. I don't think that's the root of the complaints. Maybe it is for you, in which case fair enough it's a true statement, but the majority of the turd soup I've read over the years doesn't match up.

 

[TitusOneil]

Cuz many wrestling fans are looking at things from a biased point of view.

 

[Dyscord]

I think the complaints come from the "ignoring TNA homegrown talent" aspect. Plus, when the WWF took WCW talent, they weren't huge stars. TNA is taking WWE stars purely based on star power, hoping they'd get a boost in ratings.

 

[Ex-Degenerate]

. Come to think of it, Hardy and RVD are the only people in recent memory that got shot up to Main Event status pretty damn quick. Mainly because they were pretty damn over and that's what TNA should do with people like that

I disagree. Christian (Cage) was an example of a WWE guy who shot up to the top within a couple months of going to TNA. he was barely used on WWE at that time, and was in championship matches in TNA in no time.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I disagree. Christian (Cage) was an example of a WWE guy who shot up to the top within a couple months of going to TNA. he was barely used on WWE at that time, and was in championship matches in TNA in no time.

I agree. I'm talking about recent memory here (as you might've read in the thing you quoted), not ancient history. Christian debuted in TNA eight years ago. The company was under completely different management and a different state. The current management changed in 2009 (and even recently) and that's the period I'm talking about. It's more relevant to the issue.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

People want an alternative to the WWE not WWE lite. The problem is not that TNA signs ex-WWE guys it is the guys they sign. Guys like Hardy, Angle and Anderson were no brainers. It's the other guys who really shouldn't be taking TV time away from the TNA guys that are the problem.

Some people talk shit just to talk shit but they represent a very small minority. Fans of both TNA and WWE do it.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

People want an alternative to the WWE not WWE lite. The problem is not that TNA signs ex-WWE guys it is the guys they sign. Guys like Hardy, Angle and Anderson were no brainers. It's the other guys who really shouldn't be taking TV time away from the TNA guys that are the problem.

Some people talk shit just to talk shit but they represent a very small minority. Fans of both TNA and WWE do it.

Taking time away from TNA guys? Once these nice fellows sign a TNA contract, they're TNA guys. If you perceive them as WWE guys then that's your problem. As record shows, time heals all wounds and eventually these men and women are associated more with TNA than the WWE so this issue is only temporary.

However, I'll bite. Who, currently, is taking SO much time away from TNA guys that used to work for the WWE?

The Tag-Team Champions are Gunner and James Storm. Their contenders seem to be Jesse Godderz and Robbie E. None of these men are ex-WWE wrestlers. On top of that, they actually beat an ex-WWE guy and a TNA guy to get the belts.

The X-Division Champion is Manik. He just had a highly prominent match against Chris Sabin. He has never been in the WWE and he also beat a former WWE guy alongside a TNA original.

The Women's Champion is Mickie James and she's been with TNA for three years, I doubt she applies but let's say she does.

The World Champion is Chris Sabin. Never been even close to the WWE. His contender is Bully Ray who's been with TNA for eight years. Not a WWE guy anymore. He beat a WWE guy - Jeff Hardy. Simple Math WWE Guy gets beat by a TNA guy gets beat by a TNA guy. How's that overshadowing?

Magnus is on top of the BFG series. Not overshadowed by a WWE guy. He actually overshadows WWE guys.

AJ Styles is on the rise. Not overshadowed by a WWE guy.

Aside from that, a stable was just formed between Roode, Kaz and Daniels. None of them are WWE guys. Of ALL the major feuds, the only "WWE Guys" to be featured on the show in an important capacity are Anderson and Hardy. Two people and they HARDLY overshadow anyone or take time away from over a dozen TNA guys who are in a better spot than they are on the card.

Two people. Two people who don't take "the spotlight" away from anyone. All the people in the major feuds are TNA guys. All the people holding belts are TNA guys, minus Mickie James who is becoming a TNA gal. All the contenders are TNA guys.

The hell are you goin' on about? Is this the new version of "TNA only pushes old guys"? It makes no sense.

How is the current TNA a WWE Lite when not only is their talent different but their general direction is not even remotely close to what the WWE does. They perform their matches differently, they cut their promos differently, they SHOOT them differently, their PPV schedule is different, their storylines are different, they have divisions that WWE doesn't, they frame their product differently. Are you going to sit there and call TNA a WWE Lite just because they have a couple of WWE guys on there?

Hell, why am I even following your logic. Anderson is close to being in TNA as long as he was in the WWE. Hardy's been in there for close to four years. Can we stop living in 2009, please? I know the WWE "made" them into what they are but like I said a MILLION times before, it's a smart move AND these guys are different than they used to be in the WWE. Especially Anderson. Hardy's still a sideshow and that's only because he wants it that way.

Christ ... use your brain.

 

[Lord_Frish]

I have never used the WWE rejects term. However I don't watch TNA anymore, and the hiring of some former WWE stars was the reason why. My objection was always more about which WWE stars they hired. They hired a lot of stars who were long past their prime. Flair, Hogan and Foley being the most obvious. Sure bring them in once or twice to try and boost ratings, but never centre a show around them and never ever have a younger worker job to someone who is obviously struggling to move in the ring.

I heard they did fairly well with Luke Gallows recently though, until he was let go. Plus I never really had a problem with anyone who could actually work going there. Well I did object to Jeff Hardy, but more because of his potential drug issues at the time.