Is TNA what WCW would have been if it doesn't go out of business?

[It's...Baylariat!]

I don't know if the subject's been broached or not, but this crosses my mind when I watch a random 'sode of Impact Wrestling. Lots of former WCW wrestlers debuted when TNA first started and Sting, a WCW legend, is one of the faces of TNA wrestling. Also, Hogan had creative control in WCW and he has it in TNA right now.

So for the sake of arguing, lets say the original plan comes to fruition and Bischoff and a group of peeps end up purchasing WCW. Sure they keep the name and all, but the drawing power's still not there and there's a matter of those guaranteed contracts with Nash, Goldberg, Hart, etc. I would think Bischoff would try to cut some costs by taking WCW to studio setting like TNA did with Universal Studios. Also, the majority of the talent that was in TNA's infant stages would have come over and been in WCW.

So in hindsight, I see a lot of similarities with WCW in it's final stages and TNA, and my question is do you think that if WCW would have been bought by Bischoff or Jarrett or whomever and were able to stay in business, would it look like TNA does today? If not, what would be different? Any superstars we would see if it were WCW instead of TNA?

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I don't know if 2001 WCW ratings were comparable to TNA's today... But I do truly believe that if WCW was alive in 2013, it would be almost exactly what TNA is right now. Sure, years 2001 to let's say 2007 would have been different. Obviously WWE would have won the ratings war. And eventually, big names like Hogan, Hart, Nash would have all come back to WWF for their brief runs and big pay days the same way they did. And WCW was always a mix of ex-WWF guys and original homegrown talent, the same way TNA is right now. The only thing is maybe DDP and Booker T never leave...

I don't think the pro wrestling talent pool would be big enough to support three "major" companies in 2013. So if WCW were alive today, and obviously without Ted Turner's help... I think they'd be exactly where TNA is. Ex-WWF guys and homegrown talent.

WCW would be a mix of original leaders from the old days:

1. Bischoff
2. Hogan
3. Sting
4. Flair

Established guys who left WWF after having success:

1. Kurt Angle
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Bubba Ray Dudley
4. Rob Van Dam

Less-establishes guys who couldn't really make it in WWF:

1. Mr Kennedy
2. Chavo Guerrero
3. Orlando Jordan
4. Bobby Lashley

Homegrown talent:

1. AJ Styles
2. Samoa Joe
3. Bobby Roode
4. Austin Aries

 

[mlp420]

I think if WCW was still around it would be much bigger than TNA, since WCW had the history and would still be on TNT, where they were still drawing 3.0s even when the company was at rock bottom. But from there it's anybody's guess what would have happened. It's actually fascinating to think about.

 

[Ovaltine]

I hope not. I was watching WCW until it closed and the last few months were pretty good. The promotion was definitely on the right track. TNA... as much as it has gotten better there are still things that are amateurish and there a guys on the roster that just aren't needed. Also, TNA only has three legit huge stars (Sting, Hogan and Angle) and they are guys that are (for the most part) past their prime. WCW had many huge stars and had name recognition. It also had a media giant (Turner) behind it. Had WCW not been bought (under the table) the promotion would have become profitable again. Also, it didn't have a dopey name that actually hurts the marketability of the company. The TNA name is a problem that the bozos should have fixed when the promotion first moved to Spike. Look at past wrestling names AWA, UWF, ECW, WCW,WWF, USWA, WCCW etcetera. Do you see a pattern there? I sure as hell do. TNA has it's own identity and while it does bear some similarity to WCW it is not the same promotion. I honestly belive that if WCW were around today it would be vastly different than TNA is. However, I may just be biased because I am still bitter (damn right I am) about the WWF buying WCW. I have no idea how that was ever allowed to take place. Lots of under the table deals and a lot of illegal maneuvering by someone somewhere.

 

[mlp420]

So if WCW were alive today, and obviously without Ted Turner's help... I think they'd be exactly where TNA is. Ex-WWF guys and homegrown talent.

It's hard for me to say WCW would be a mix of ex WWE guys mixed with homegrown talent. The biggest difference between TNA and WCW, is that WCW had the exposure and brand recognition to create new stars when they wanted to. Goldberg and Sting were as big as anybody in WWE during their peak. And If Bischoff bought WCW they wouldn't have had the ability to lure WWF stars away with Ted Turner's money, so creating new stars would have been a necessity anyway.

I'd imagine in a 2013 WCW, AJ Styles and Bobby Roode would be as big as Randy Orton and Sheamus, assuming WCW chose to push those guys at the top the way TNA has.

 

[MrHashasheen]

Very likely. Some might not realize this, but a lot of current TNA mainstays and guys who were on the roster over the years were just starting out on WCW Saturday Night and Worldwide. AJ Styles had been signed in 2001, James Storm and a few other guys were making appearances as part of R & B Security (Bischoff & Russo's personal thugs) and wrestling on the lesser shows. They'd have become some of the young talent, and in time moved up the ranks when WWE started picking people off/people left.

 

[Headman]

If WCW had survived they would have had to do it without a major television deal. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they would have went to the ppv only format for the short term, but I think WCW's name recognition would have landed them some sort of television contract. In the beginning of TNA the talent pool looked a lot like the "Who's left" and not the "Who's who" of the WCW roster. TNA over it's existence has recycled the same WCW creative teams (Kevin Nash, Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan) so obviously there is a comparison to be drawn.

 

[entertainer101]

I don't know if 2001 WCW ratings were comparable to TNA's today... But I do truly believe that if WCW was alive in 2013, it would be almost exactly what TNA is right now. Sure, years 2001 to let's say 2007 would have been different. Obviously WWE would have won the ratings war. And eventually, big names like Hogan, Hart, Nash would have all come back to WWF for their brief runs and big pay days the same way they did. And WCW was always a mix of ex-WWF guys and original homegrown talent, the same way TNA is right now. The only thing is maybe DDP and Booker T never leave...

I don't think the pro wrestling talent pool would be big enough to support three "major" companies in 2013. So if WCW were alive today, and obviously without Ted Turner's help... I think they'd be exactly where TNA is. Ex-WWF guys and homegrown talent.

WCW would be a mix of original leaders from the old days:

1. Bischoff
2. Hogan
3. Sting
4. Flair

Established guys who left WWF after having success:

1. Kurt Angle
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Bubba Ray Dudley
4. Rob Van Dam

Less-establishes guys who couldn't really make it in WWF:

1. Mr Kennedy
2. Chavo Guerrero
3. Orlando Jordan
4. Bobby Lashley

Homegrown talent:

1. AJ Styles
2. Samoa Joe
3. Bobby Roode
4. Austin Aries

Interesting points, but Lashley and Jordan aren't in TNA anymore. Either is Van Dam, seemingly. Not sure if you were just naming people who had been in TNA at one time or just thought they were currently there.

Also, I think TNA has A LOT more home grown talent than people give them credit for. Names left off your list are Roode, Magnus, Hernandez, Kenny King, Christian York, Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Zema Ion.

These are all guys that you'll see on most impact's and are clearly guys TNA relies on as major players. Would WCW have done the same? I honestly don't think so. I think it was clear based on the fact that Bischoff grossly misused people like Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, etc. that he clearly had no eye for talent. Hell, he even fired Daniels when he first arrived in TNA. Are you kidding me? With that said, I think WCW would've died well before the year 2013 if bischoff would've purchased it.

 

[vampxx24]

I think if WCW was still around it would be much bigger than TNA, since WCW had the history and would still be on TNT, where they were still drawing 3.0s even when the company was at rock bottom. But from there it's anybody's guess what would have happened. It's actually fascinating to think about.

it wouldnt of been on tnt. for anyone else who remembers, before the offical buyout as announced on the last ppv wcw was suppose to take a brief hiatus and come back in the fall. the now final show of wcw nitro was only suppose to be a season finale as labled on the ppv, then 2 weeks later it was announced to be the series finale.

the whole aol/time warner merger is what killed wcw. i dont know why so many people think it was bischoff n ect ect.... aol did not want a wrestling company under the new umbrella so it was axed. this is where eric tried scrambling to get guys together to relaunch wcw on then said to be fox which would of been the fall primier of nitro. this was when it was highly rumored rvd and sabu were going to sign wcw contracts along with a few others. however the bischoff/fox deal fell threw and vince bought out the company.

if wcw were around today, they wouldnt be on tnt as aol didnt want a wrestling company on their channels (tnt and tbs)... as far as is tna what wcw would of been....like most are saying you can def draw the similarities between the 2 companies....

 

[lowandmighty]

I think it probably would've been just like TNA for the first few years because a lot of damage was done to wcw's reputation in those last couple of years. By 2005 it may have been back on its feet, Hogan would have ended up back in wwe probably when he did anyway because he left wcw on pretty bad terms, Russo would have to have gone for Hogan to feel safe again. So he's a non issue, hopefully guys like Goldberg would stay and build it back up. He might have gone to wwe but apparenlty (only from what I've heard) Goldberg and Vince didn't click.

I think Goldberg, Jarrett, sting and Booker T could have built it up again on their own reputations with Jarret the least interesting of the 4. New stars could always be made through those guys.

I don't think the talent pool is all that big so as far as different wrestlers go I don't know if we'd see that many more but there would need to be some.

Although wcw seemed to have a deal going with new japan or something so we might have seen some interesting guys from Japan.

So I think WCW would still be slightly better than TNA if it didn't go down.

 

[mlp420]

it wouldnt of been on tnt. for anyone else who remembers, before the offical buyout as announced on the last ppv wcw was suppose to take a brief hiatus and come back in the fall. the now final show of wcw nitro was only suppose to be a season finale as labled on the ppv, then 2 weeks later it was announced to be the series finale.

the whole aol/time warner merger is what killed wcw. i dont know why so many people think it was bischoff n ect ect.... aol did not want a wrestling company under the new umbrella so it was axed. this is where eric tried scrambling to get guys together to relaunch wcw on then said to be fox which would of been the fall primier of nitro. this was when it was highly rumored rvd and sabu were going to sign wcw contracts along with a few others. however the bischoff/fox deal fell threw and vince bought out the company.

if wcw were around today, they wouldnt be on tnt as aol didnt want a wrestling company on their channels (tnt and tbs)... as far as is tna what wcw would of been....like most are saying you can def draw the similarities between the 2 companies....

Actually, WCW was going to relaunch still on TNT. They were going to shut down for a month and then relaunch in May, taping all the shows from the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas (similar to what TNA ended up doing). There is actually a poster on the internet for a May 6 WCW PPV celebrating their relaunch. Fusient walked away from the deal AFTER AOL/TW pulled Nitro from TNT. That's when Bischoff tried to scramble to get another TV deal but it fell through.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

To answer the question, TNA isn't even close to being what WCW would have been had it stayed in business.

WCW wasn't doing as well in its final years as it had during its glory years, everyone knows that. That being said, it did have something to build on. The talent was solid, they did have the mangement, and they had a fanbase and just as important if not more, it had an extensive video library and other intellectual property. WCW's problem was they horribly mismanaged finances, had a stale onscreen product for far too long and didn't adapt quickly enough to turn the company around.

Even in its last year, without a tv deal, WCW would be far more better off than TNA is right now had it still existed or continued on. It's video library alone would be a great enough foundation to build on. It has established ppv events for its fanbase, performers who are recognizble to a large fanbase. A number of stadiums, arena owners that would be lining around the block to host events/ ppvs etc. Even in its decline, its numbers weren't so bad that the company couldn't have rebounded- in time. TNA wishes it has today, the same position that WCW had in its final years. WCW had the name recognition, the intellectual property (names of ppvs), merchandising (t-shirts, posters etc.) video library, and a roster of loyal performers and behind the scenes guys willing to work for them. I understand why Bischoff and their friends walked away from the deal, but personally, I thought they should have kept on trying for a little bit longer. It wasn't going to be an easy way back, but it could have found itself back to success.

 

[MrPlatano1989]

First off great thread!

Now its kind of funny because TNA exists BECAUSE WCW went out of business. The events that led to WCW's demise created the foundations of TNA. Jeff Jarrett wanted to create a promotion that can avoid all the problems and mistakes that led to WCW's fall. For starters they wanted to avoid any kind of tv deal, so they started with PPV. Also a lot of the talents that made appearances during the first years had some kind of push or run in WCW. Even Buff Bagwell appeared on TNA early on.

Now today TNA has Jarrett, Hogan, Bischoff, Tenay, Storm, AJ, Chavo & Hector, Sting, Daniels and Borash. All people that had some kind of role at one point or another with the biggest 5 being Sting, Tenay, Hogan, Bischoff, and Jarrett. All people that played a huge role in WCW's story. Throughout TNA's history they had more people that played huge WCW roles, such as Flair, Nash, Booker, or Steiner.

I am grateful that WCW didn't work out in the end. We will always have all their history to look back at and now we have TNA to enjoy. Not counting the Jim Crockett era, TNA is close to eclipsing WCW's run, so at the moment they definitely have paced themselves better to last longer into the future. Spending money carefully and expanding at a great pace. Just imagine all the plans they have for the next few years. Not to mention their partnership with OVW and the eventual return of Ring Ka King or similar projects in other territories.

My favorite thing about TNA is their archives. Like WCW, you can find footage of countless wrestlers & legends making some kind of appearance at one point or another. From the greats like Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes, LOD, Ric Flair, Hogan, Cornette, and Sting. To later stars like the Hardys, Dudleys, Angle, Killings, Raven, even Punk had an appearance! Hell if TNA wasn't having conflicts with ROH at the time, Punk could have been in TNA much longer.

When I watch TNA I feel like I'm watching TNA. When I watch WCW, for some reason I now feel like I'm watching the prequel to TNA. Literally almost every WCW show has a few wrestlers who played big roles in TNA at one point. Also WCW took pride in wrestling and even crusierweights. Another thing that was the groundwork for TNA.

Sometimes I wish TNA had the video library and rights of WCW. If they did they could launch a second weekly show titled WCW with Eric as the on screen manager. Push both shows on their own, and eventually build an insane TNA invasion angle to unite the fanbases. Imagine Lethal Lockdown, WCW vs TNA, or an entire BFG card of both brands fighting each other with TNA profiting entirely.