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

[VinnieSunshine]

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.

This.

That has ALWAYS been my issue with TNA. Before I go into it though, think about this...

When WWE picked up Monty Brown or Chris Harris, they were TNA "rejects" too. But did WWE STEAL them? Did WWE push them above their own stars? WWE builds talent. They don't capitalize on popularity...not always anyway. Had WWE not bought WCW, I doubt that many of the wrestlers would've stayed who they were. Most of them would've probably been repackaged. Someone like Jericho was repackaged to an extent, but Jericho had been around the block and was well known, there was no way WWE could change who he was and give him some generic name.

When WWE acquired Stone Cold, it was at a time when he was still climbing the ladder. Austin was told by Bischoff that he will never make it in this industry. WWE picked him up but didn't throw him right into the main event. They BUILT him.

When TNA got Christian, all Christian had to his name was that he was a multi-time tag team champion with Edge and was a top MIDCARD star. TAN got him and pushed him to the moon above their own talent,. just because he had popularity.

That's all TNA has done with old WWE talent. Guys that were let go because WWE think they had it in them to get over, TNA picked them up and pushed them above their own talent because they came from WWE. They tried to capitalize on their, for lack of a better term, popularity.

Someone like Kurt Angle is different. Angle was let go because he wouldn't go to rehab. TNA didn't care, and look at what it's done.

Companies acquire talent all the time, lots of them headhunt. But when companies push that talent over their own and don't use them to push their own, then there is the issue.

 

[Da Solo]

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

I'll stop you right there. The problem with TNA was that they'd take ANY former WWE superstar and immediately start main eventing them regardless of how much better their homegrowns were or had little momentum there was going into it. Granted, they've calmed down a bit (thank God, otherwise Bound For Glory would be main evented by Chavo vs. Mike Knox vs. DOC) but back in the days it was getting bad. Now the only main eventers they have from WWE are Jeff, Angle, Bully Ray and Devon, which isn't overkill considering they have Sabin, Sting, Magnus, Samoa Joe and others to balance it out.

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

Nope. Different circumstances. In the 90's it was WWE against WCW and NWA in fierce competition, unlike Impact today. Any superstar who left was simply a vantage point to have to keep the other fed on guard. Besides, most of the superstars weren't shit when WWE took them up

"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

Austin, Taker, HHH, Nash, Hall and Jericho weren't shit where they started, so WWE took them and gave them a better shot with a new persona. Luger flopped anyway. Kane underwent numerous character changes anyway, and Sid really shouldn't have to be explained/defended considering it's just Sid. Now contrast that to TNA, who takes any star they can get, does nothing to make them unique in TNA from their WWE days and lets them ME whenever.

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

Kurt Angle was WWF homegrown, as was their entire tag team division at a point. I'm sure I could name more if I went deep into it.

 

[BestntheWorld]

Haha This made me laugh because comparing WWE getting people from WCW to TNA getting people from WWE isnt even close to the same thing and someone would have to be absolutely delusional to think it compares in ANY way. First off TNA isn't even a little bit like WCW. TNA has people too old to still be wrestling, people no other companies wanted and there are a handful of good wrestlers that started out with TNA and theyre just totally devoted to the company. WCW had stars, young up and coming superstars, really talented proven stars, future hall of famers, basically people TNA couldnt afford in todays era of wrestling. WWE saw the talent and wanted it with them so naturally you're going to do everything you can to get them there because they'll bring in fans which equals money. The people that go to TNA are people WWE FIRED AND DIDNT WANT ANYMORE which is why people say things like they're picking up WWE's trash because thats kinda what it's like and pretty much tells you all you need to know to figure out why TNA is losing money and having to fire people and why their "Pay Per Views" are on the same night and channel as their normal show and it's totally free. People don't "hate" on TNA because they're jealous of competition or mad that they're signing wrestlers from the WWE. They dont like TNA and talk crsp sbout it because it's just not very good which is proven by the fact theyre eventually going to have to go bankrupt, sorry