Cool, WWE Rips Off TNA - again.

[Darkmark64]

did you see Lockdown, in Cincinnati? they filled up that arena pretty damn good.

did WWE do something that TNA recently did? yes.
has TNA copied WWE? yes, but so has WWE copied things done from other companies. almost all of what us done in wrestling is being copied. not much is original anymore. even the wrestling moves, most have all been done before. I think it's BULLSHIT how people are always saying TNA copies WWE. WWE is not the only wrestling company to ever be around. there is so much that has been done by other wrestling companies that nobody even remembers. most people just think WWE does everything first because WWE has been around and on TV for so long. even before WCW there was NWA, but I don't think they were on TV. there was also AWA, which I know was on TV and I have seen classic shows since then.

I totally agree, I always knew that when WWE ran the 2/21/11 clips, and TNA ran the 3/3/11 clip, that they were copying the 6/16/1986 AWA return of Larry Zybysko!

 

[MaxSteel]

No wwe's not ripping off TNA. The bigger issue here is what a bunch of hypocrites the die hard WWE fans are. They ripped the shit out of TNA and Jeff Hardy saying how classless they were for doing something like that, as if it had never happened before, but now that the WWE has done it, it's totally alright and is a awsome way to get R-Truth over as a heel. It just proves that no matter what the WWE does it's cool, but if TNA does it before them it's pure shit.

Exactly what I was about to say.

I sometimes (hell, actually most times) feel the crashing majority of the forum are not smarks but dmarks (d - stands for dumb).

But than again, I remember again that a vast majority of wrestling fans today are simple stupid marks, so the fact that most of the IWC is like that as well doesn't surprise me.

(go ahead, rep this down)

 

[Fisheatppl]

Wow, I don't usually get on here and complain about the thread topics, in fact I can't recall doing it before, but this is out of hand.

Dan Aykroyd smoked in Ghostbusters. Jeff Hardy needs to give it up to Dan Aykroyd, I saw it, he copied him. Jeff Hardy wouldn't be where he is if Dan Aykroyd didn't smoke in Ghostbusters.

Somebody sue The Rock, I saw him do the Bookend.

This is stupid. WWE doesn't need to rip off TNA for jack squat. And even if they did, I'm sure it wouldn't be "Jeff Hardy smoked, and he's a world champion, so R-Truth needs to smoke". Now if Truth starts doing drugs tomorrow and gets arrested, I'll start thinking otherwise.

Also, if WWE wanted to crush TNA, they could in a heart beat. Just because you love TNA and just because it is a possible "enemy" for Vince (and to a previous poster, I'm sure he does look at TNA like an enemy, but I'm sure he also doesn't give a crap. Like how John Cena would look at Crash Holly trying to win the title) That doesn't mean that they are hanging in there in the face of opposition. WWE could destroy them, and I'd bet if Vince REALLY tried, they'd be gone within a year. But i'm sure he also looks as them as a good thing, something to keep in the back of your mind, something to try and keep your own organization fresh, so you don't get TOO lazy.

Just don't worry about it, its dumb. And to the OP, your initial post in your thread painted a very different picture than your rephrasing on page 2. Definitely seemed like you were saying all WWE does is rip off TNA. Different piont than "they both do it, but nobody blames WWE". Which is a valid and understandable point.

 

[EStreet]

Nobody mentioning the Snooki appearence after everyone jumped on TNA for shelling out $$ to get the other two Shore girls. TNA is in no position to waste 15k in my opinion, WWE obviously has the cash to do it so I'll give the nod on strategy to WWE - but is anyone gonna deny that is a page straight out of TNA's recent playbook. Sure, point to how celebrities have been brought in forever, bottom line is its a directy copy of what TNA recently did.

And yes, I have watched recently and R-Trust has been a joke and looks out of place on Raw. Maybe on Smackdown he can put on a half-way decent match, but he is about as useful on Raw or in the ME w/ Miz an Cena as Mae Young. Bottom line is he has been buried bc there is no room for another mega-heel on Raw with Punk, Miz, Swagger, Dolph...watch, he will be sent to the B-show. Or worse, cut and dropped to the "minor leagues".

Btw, I'll even add to my list the fact that Kurt goes public that he is staying w/ TNA and praises Hogan as a guy he trusts and Orton does the Angle-Slam? That's as see through as it gets and I'm not even a TNA mark- I've lost a lot of faith in TNA since Victory Road, but the evidence is pretty clear.

 

[Kenny Powers]

It's a cigarette. It was stupid when Jeff Hardy did it, and even dumber when R Truth did it. At least R Truth got some heat out of it. As a occasional smoker, I don't know why smoking legal tobacco is so evil. It's not good for you, but neither are a lot of things. We are really grasping at straws here when we say WWE copied this or TNA copied that. Its all been done before. Booker T and Kevin Nash worked in WWE before TNA, so is it really hard to believe that they would go back when their contract was up?

It's not like Booker and Nash were wrestling for TNA when their contracts expired. Booker was out for a year, and Nash was out for months. WWE capitalized the most on the Jersey Shore. You would call Robbie E a rip off of Zack Ryder too. These threads are more repetitive then the "bring back the attitude era" or " John Cena knows only 5 moves" threads.

 

[SpecialFNK]

most wrestling fans either watch just WWE or WWE and TNA. the ones that watch WWE and TNA have WWE as their favorite. regardless of what is going on in WWE and TNA, WWE will always do everything right and TNA will do everything wrong. nothing TNA will EVER do will be good enough for WWE fans to give them the credit they deserve.
it's unfortunate that wrestling fans can't just be wrestling fans and that WWE fans can't watch TNA and just forget about whatever is going on in WWE.

 

[EStreet]

@fisheatppl ... Yes, my 2nd post focuses on what responses I got to my first post. I have pointed out several cases where it seems WWE has recently crashed TNAs party or lifted a recent creative decision. but if you follow my posts you will see I have bashed TNA for the same theft, I just decided to post this in light of R-Truth last night.

 

[Brian in Austin]

So first WWE brings in Nash/Booker and squashes the MEM rumored comeback.

Then WWE goes the Jersey Shore route and picks up Snooki for Mania.

Now they completely rip off the Jeff Hardy Cigarette move - which correct me if I'm wrong - got a lot of heat for being classless to get over R-Truth as a heel.

It amazes me for a company that denies it looks at TNA as competition that they so blatantly have used gimmicks used by TNA to get over their stars of build events. It seems to me WWE looks at TNA for cues on how to be creative. Yet everyone bashes Russo/Hogan/Bischoff for lack of creative.

Thoughts on the theft that has taken place in the wrestling world?

Before I offer my thoughts on the issue, I'd first like to make a few observations on the actual product we're seeing from both companies of late.

For TNA I do believe they've improved their product with the Immortal v. Fourtune storyline and I also like the Anderson v. RVD v Sting storyline even though I'm not a huge fan of RVD. I do think they need to get the Angle/Jarrett v. Angle storyline and should just treat it now as a bitter feud between Jarrett and Angle and get rid of Karen. Most of the rest of what they're doing is highly questionable as to its purpose or value to the end product.

In WWE I think they did what they needed to do by bringing in SCSA and The Rock to promote the heck out of WM, but it shows how weak their top talent is to the consumer or at least how weak those at the corporate offices of WWE believe their top talent to be. I still believe that The Miz as the new heel/face of WWE is a mistake UNLESS they turn him face. He's just not believable as a heel character and feel his cause would be better served as (which it's too late to do now) as the 'little engine that could' type of face climbing the mountain to success. On top of that they set their main event for the next WM a year in advance? What? So much for THAT storyline being developed. I get it may be a different way of approaching HOW to tell a story, but I'm just not sure how they are going to make this work when fans know that both Cena and Rock will be off from time to time to work on other projects. All that said, I do believe that WWE has a much deeper bench to draw from than does TNA and that depth gives them a lot more variety in how to write storylines and whom to use in them. They, like a MLB team, have a farm system to draw from and to develop new talent, but TNA seems to be culling from indy stars, or from WWE cast-offs who have had issues either with management or personal characters issues.


Sorry about that length of my observations but felt it was important to draw some distinct differences between the 2 companies in order to comment on the actual subject of the thread, which I'll do now.

I for one have to believe that the WWE is on at least its 3rd or 4th go around on certain storylines or character development over the last decade of decade and a half. For years they've been using Hollywood personalities and/or sports personalities as part of their WM shows. Quite often they've brought in infamous stars who were in the news that year or more recently as part of the build up to WM. Muhammad Ali, Pete Rose, Drew Carey, Liberace, Cyndi Lauper, and on and on are just some of the names I recall. Heck, some of those events happened before most had even heard of TNA. So I think the author is historically inaccurate in that sense.

As to storylines let's remember it is WWE we're talking about here. WWE of the attitude era where nearly anything was game. We had non-wrestling valets appear on network television nearly nude (remember Sable?) and sometimes even well-respected performers like Trish Stratus who were seen more at the time as eye candy than serious wrestlers which helped attention to the WWE product. We had a Pimp character, a former porn star character (who by the way allegedly had his privates hacked off.), an angry beer-swilling redneck who literally gave the world the finger and was seen as a hero for it, a demonic character who literally crucified (mock obviously) his victims/enemies on his version of a cross/crucifix, an over-the-top female fan who had a lesbian crush on Trish Stratus (Mickie James: who by the way turned out to have done some actual risque/nude photos in her real life), and the list goes on and on and on. Point is, most of what we see on tv today, whether in TNA or WWE has probably been done, and probably more than once by WWE over the years just based on their longevity.

In the end, both companies could improve a lot with the right character development and the right storylines. However, I think TNA has a far longer road to improve to the point of being an actual threat to WWE than does WWE to remain ahead of TNA.

 

[Iversen]

So first WWE brings in Nash/Booker and squashes the MEM rumored comeback.

Then WWE goes the Jersey Shore route and picks up Snooki for Mania.

Now they completely rip off the Jeff Hardy Cigarette move - which correct me if I'm wrong - got a lot of heat for being classless to get over R-Truth as a heel.

It amazes me for a company that denies it looks at TNA as competition that they so blatantly have used gimmicks used by TNA to get over their stars of build events. It seems to me WWE looks at TNA for cues on how to be creative. Yet everyone bashes Russo/Hogan/Bischoff for lack of creative.

Thoughts on the theft that has taken place in the wrestling world?

Someones already mentioned it but the Sting promos? The fact they're currently running an NWO angle... with a scary amount of the same cast? Wrestling companies copy each other it ain't a new thing.

Jesus christ but this shit pisses me off. I'm a wrestling fan not a WWE fan or a TNA fan and what yous don't seem to notice is you're as fucking bad as each other. You all sit in opposite corners slagging off WWE marks or TNA marks not realising how stupid it all is. It's buisness people copy each other!! You look at pepsi and coke. They both make the same products just with different names! Just my two cents.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

Companies copy each other ALL the time...its business. When you see something that really works, you use it.

WCW ripped the NWO off of a Japanese wrestling organization, TNA ripped the MEM from WCW **oh wait...they had the same person in charge so it doesn't count I bet** but TNA re-created (or at least tried) ECW. Right now TNA is in a state of Attitude Era. It worked once in the past with older fans so why not try it again.

C'mon man, it was a way for WWE to get R-Truth some cheap heat and people bought into it. Eric Bischoff said it before: CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH.

Just like Hollywood has no original ideas (everything is either prequel, sequel, reboot, or remake) everything has been done before. There are no original ideas in wrestling. 10 years from now WWE (or maybe a different wrestling company) will redo what has been done.

Stop crying about it and move on. If you dont like the product then turn it off!

 

[Karaoke Superstar]

So first WWE brings in Nash/Booker and squashes the MEM rumored comeback.

Then WWE goes the Jersey Shore route and picks up Snooki for Mania.

Now they completely rip off the Jeff Hardy Cigarette move - which correct me if I'm wrong - got a lot of heat for being classless to get over R-Truth as a heel.

It amazes me for a company that denies it looks at TNA as competition that they so blatantly have used gimmicks used by TNA to get over their stars of build events. It seems to me WWE looks at TNA for cues on how to be creative. Yet everyone bashes Russo/Hogan/Bischoff for lack of creative.

Thoughts on the theft that has taken place in the wrestling world?

Please, son, please.

TNA itself is a rip-off of WWE. Abyss, for example, hmm who does he remind you of? As far as Hardy smoking cigarettes, Sandman was smoking cigarettes in the ring before people even knew who Hardy was. And as far as Jersey Shore goes, TNA went out and got Jersey Shore's D-list and nobody gave a shit. WWE got the star of the show and it worked out.. well better.

 

[TheKingHustla]

You know what I think is funny, pro wrestling is a business that has been ran dry. everything that is being done, has been done before somewhere. the difference is, execution. How something is done, not that it is redone. I highly doubt that the WWE gives two wooden nickles taking a shit on top of a plastic frog about TNA. TNA is like the retirement home of wrestling. All the old guys like hogan, sting, and those guys go there to still have something to do because sitting at home is boring. it's like saying the Lakers are copying off of your neighborhood rec team. Who fucking cares? They're irrelevant.

 

[AndarielHalo]

Are you serious? I didn't even remember Jeff Hardy with the cigarette until you brought it up. This sort of claim is beyond ridiculous, like claiming a sitcom is ripping off another sitcom because they both feature an ex-girlfriend character with black hair and blue eyes.


There's a huge difference between the 2/21/11 - 3/3/11 thievery, and an incredibly broad concept that just happens to have been done by everything everywhere.


Why aren't you accusing TNA and WWE from ripping off the X-Files? The big bad guy there was a guy who smoked cigarettes. Same logic.

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

Wow we are really gonna go here huh??? WWE ripping off TNA?? As the Miz would say REALLY?? REALLY???

The signing of Nash and Booker was great. It showed TNA that maybe you shouldnt run and angle before you have all the key players signed.

WWE as the anonymous GM, now TNA has "the network".

WWE runs 2/21/11 clips, TNA runs 3/3/11 clips in the same exact style.

So before you go on a "WWE ripped off TNA" splougefest, look at RECENT history before you cry.

Yeah Really wooo like we all know the Flawless Laycool was around for 2 years before TNA's the BP, or how the Undertaker's wife has been using the Styles Clash since before 2004. I think your right dude i don't think there is one thing that WWE has copied from TNA. Wait what about when Nexus first debut and just torn about everything it kinda reminds of the Riot that broke out in TNA that had everybody fighting and actually had cops break it up, nope 2 completely different things. Cuz we all know Orton has always been using the Angle Slam. Oh wasn't King of the Mountain before Money in the back, or how bout Lockdown and the WWE's Hell in the Cell PPV but wait you know your wrestling history. Really though dude don't pull the history card unless you know for a fact they didn't copy tna.

 

[Tripleb2k1]

did you see Lockdown, in Cincinnati? they filled up that arena pretty damn good.

was reading that they had 6 or 7 thousand in attendance....must have been an arena too small for WWE house shows

to stay on topic, can not consider it copying unless the manner that the idea was used was actually similar to original

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

Smoking cigarettes is not something that TNA magically came up with in some sort of creative epiphany. If it was a conscious decision by the WWE to have R-Truth smoke at ringside (and I'm pretty sure it wasn't, considering the cigarettes came from a fan), it damn sure wasn't "ripped off" of TNA.

The WWE doesn't need creative ideas from a company barely hitting a 1 in the ratings on a weekly basis.

 

[Brian in Austin]

most wrestling fans either watch just WWE or WWE and TNA. the ones that watch WWE and TNA have WWE as their favorite. regardless of what is going on in WWE and TNA, WWE will always do everything right and TNA will do everything wrong. nothing TNA will EVER do will be good enough for WWE fans to give them the credit they deserve.
it's unfortunate that wrestling fans can't just be wrestling fans and that WWE fans can't watch TNA and just forget about whatever is going on in WWE.

I think it's safe to say that TNA being relatively new to a lot of wrestling fans, will be compared to the WWE. Whether right or wrong, I believe that's the reality we live in. Now I've read plenty of commentary on this site from fans whom I consider more learned than myself on the wrestling business, who have been critical of how TNA has been run from top to bottom. My sense of it is to some degree they are right inasmuch as they understand it from a fans perspective and so understand when they are seeing a bad product whether that is based on flawed logic in storylines or execution of a PPV. Suffice it to say they've had their share of issues with guys like Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan, and Jeff Hardy. Hogan has a checkered past with both WWE and WCW as he becomes the focal point of the brand at TNA. Both Kurt and Hardy have personal issues off camera that call into question the rationale used in hiring both. Especially when you consider the checkered pasts of both Angle and Hardy relating to addiction issues.

Is the criticism fair? Probably not in every case, but fair in being at least discussed. Is the WWE perfect? Certainly not. VKM has his issues as well from questions of essentially trafficking steroids to his wrestlers, to a failed business venture with the XFL, to his political involvement last year to the PG era, and lots in between. But one can't deny his/their monumental success. No question that he's figured it out over the years and it works.

Will those running TNA eventually figure it out? I don't know and by all appearances it doesn't appear they are there yet. Hopefully though they are righting the ship and will terminate Jeff Hardy's employment, will give the younger talent a chance to shine and eventually find their way without the use of guys like Hogan, Bischoff, Russo, and yes, even Sting.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Oh cheese and rice, this shit again? You know what, I'm smoking a cigarette right now, am I copying R-Truth?

Wrestling storylines recycle all of the time, but these 2 have exactly nothing to do with each other. Hardy came down to the ring with a cigarette to further his character as being "evil" and anti-establishment, you know, because smoking is the worst thing anyone could ever do. Some 6 months later, Truth lights up a cigarette(and it's clear that he doesn't even smoke since he never actually inhaled) to cement his heel turn and it actually worked.

The funniest thing about all of these childish "STOP COPYING US!!" threads is the fact that when the E does allegedly steal an idea, they execute it far better than TNA does. Then again, Vince acknowledging TNA's existence is probably as far fetched as everything else in this thread.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I'd just like to note that I find it hilarious how WWE does something similiar to what TNA did with Hardy, they're accused of copying TNA (which they did), and the marks immediately do the "You can't come up with original ideas in wrestling anymore" thing, which is once again absolute truth.

The sad part comes that those are the same people who accuse TNA of copying WWE and scorching them for not having original ideas. You know who you are, and to you I say - Fuck you, you hypocritical douchebag. If you can't have common sense on the Internet, I'm afraid to think how big the ass print on your chair is, because that's what you'll be known for, once again, you hypocritical douchebag.

Now, the explanation. Yes, they are copying the Jeff Hardy thing. Saying they're not is like saying 3.3.11 promo was an original idea, totally not a shot.

Anyone who thinks this was not a copy is well - pretty stupid to say the least (yes, I'm name calling, stop being so soft and grow a spine).

They did copy TNA. Does it matter? Absolutely not. Should any of us care? Not really. Did it work? Yes it did work. He got MAJOR heat for it and in my eyes it's a great move. Awesome heel turn. Period. It's the same controversial thing like Hardy smoking or the Double J/Angle storyline. Don't look into it too much, just see if it works and you got your answer if it's good or not.

Like I always say, steal ideas from eachother, copy eachother - I don't give a rat's ass as long as it works. I don't care if TNA copies WWE or WWE copying TNA. I want a good product on my TV every Thursday, and the WWE fans want a good product on Monday. Make it work, whatever it is, even if it's copying, and I see no reason anyone should complain. The people that do are nit-picking assholes. So did it work? Yes. Does it matter if they copied TNA. Nope. End of story.

 

[Yesiamaduck]

The difference here is whilst the WWE used it in a logical sense *the water break in the middle and cigarette at the end where 2 points brought on pre match thus was good story telling* I believe Jeff Hardys was just done for the sake of it... or was just Jeff Hardy being Jeff Hardy

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

They're "stealing" the good ideas and doing them better. TNA gets their ideas from somewhere. Half of TNA looks like an attitude era nostaliga show and the other half is wanna be 2005 ROH.

Yea, the Snooki thing was kind of a rip off, the smoking thing I guess, but I'm not too pissed about it.

 

[ThUnDeRpHoEnIx]

So first WWE brings in Nash/Booker and squashes the MEM rumored comeback.

Then WWE goes the Jersey Shore route and picks up Snooki for Mania.

Now they completely rip off the Jeff Hardy Cigarette move - which correct me if I'm wrong - got a lot of heat for being classless to get over R-Truth as a heel.

It amazes me for a company that denies it looks at TNA as competition that they so blatantly have used gimmicks used by TNA to get over their stars of build events. It seems to me WWE looks at TNA for cues on how to be creative. Yet everyone bashes Russo/Hogan/Bischoff for lack of creative.

Thoughts on the theft that has taken place in the wrestling world?

Wait...I thought TNA copied WWE because Zach Ryder had a Jersey Shore Gimmick.

Didnt read the rest of the thread btw tl;dr.

 

[berlinbrawler]

Yeah, I thought it was odd they did that. Jeff Hardy caused massive heat not only for his character, but for his person and his company when he did that. You'd think the WWE would figure they wouldn't want that kind of publicity.

Personally, I don't think it's all that tragic. "Children will see it." Sigh. Yeah, fine, go ahead and delude yourself into thinking that kids grow up in a bubble unaware of all the bad habits, cuss words, obscene gestures and naked flesh that we want to protect them from. It's about as pointless as all the heightened airport security - the illusion of control. Sure, it may piss a lot of people off, but we're concerned about some precious few who want this illusion of safety or else would cause a big stink.

That being said, that is the world we live in. You pull a stunt like that on TV and you gotta expect your company to get shit on. I find it hard to believe the WWE was unaware of that. Someone must have figured the heel heat for Truth will outweigh all the negatives. And great heat it is. Only thing more despicable than a smoker would be an atheist.

 

[Iversen]

Yeah, I thought it was odd they did that. Jeff Hardy caused massive heat not only for his character, but for his person and his company when he did that. You'd think the WWE would figure they wouldn't want that kind of publicity.

Personally, I don't think it's all that tragic. "Children will see it." Sigh. Yeah, fine, go ahead and delude yourself into thinking that kids grow up in a bubble unaware of all the bad habits, cuss words, obscene gestures and naked flesh that we want to protect them from. It's about as pointless as all the heightened airport security - the illusion of control. Sure, it may piss a lot of people off, but we're concerned about some precious few who want this illusion of safety or else would cause a big stink.

That being said, that is the world we live in. You pull a stunt like that on TV and you gotta expect your company to get shit on. I find it hard to believe the WWE was unaware of that. Someone must have figured the heel heat for Truth will outweigh all the negatives. And great heat it is. Only thing more despicable than a smoker would be an atheist.

I just don't get where people complaining about it come from. Kids see people smoking all the time! And don't pull that R Truth is a role model crap he's just turned heel he's not supposed to be a role model! Would you want your kid copying Ortons actions when he was a heel? Screw that in fact you wouldn't want them acting like a face Orton. The WWE actually played this better than TNA because they had Morrison the cool good guy taking the piss out of Truth for smoking. John's the role model not Truth.

 

[berlinbrawler]

I just don't get where people complaining about it come from. Kids see people smoking all the time! And don't pull that R Truth is a role model crap he's just turned heel he's not supposed to be a role model! Would you want your kid copying Ortons actions when he was a heel? Screw that in fact you wouldn't want them acting like a face Orton. The WWE actually played this better than TNA because they had Morrison the cool good guy taking the piss out of Truth for smoking. John's the role model not Truth.

All true. But those who will publicly tear into the company will care little about that. As far as they are concerned one of their performers smoked in front of kids as if it was cool. That he was portraying a bad guy doing bad things will be conveniently omitted and then the damage is done.