I've been thinking abot this for a while and there is a problem with TNA, and it’s about to get worse.
Ever since TNA was conceived it has been struggling to become a realistic competitor in the market of professional wrestling. In the beginning TNA was merely a crew of fresh-faced dreamers and former stars reaching for that brass ring. Almost ten years later, and they’re…well…a group of fresh-faced dreamers and former stars trying to stay in business. It’s easy to see TNA as more of a regional promotion instead of a small company with a national TV deal and massive potential for expansion.
They have the tools to move forward; fresh talent, reliable veterans, and most importantly, financial backing. So what has kept TNA from breaking through the barrier and becoming the powerhouse it hopes to be? Like most things, TNA’s biggest struggle comes from the idea of the quick fix, and the hope that the right person (or persons) will swoop in and save the day.
Take a look back to 2003. The company brought in what was considered to be a huge coup, a world famous professional wrestler who had never graced a WWE ring; the man known as Sting. It’s no secret that WWE has always desired to add Sting to their roster, something Sting has said numerous times he has no interest in doing. TNA now had a mega-star that WWE could never obtain, and they treated him as such. TNA heralded Sting as the man who would take TNA to new heights, and launch them into the stratosphere of promotional domination.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They have done it many times since, bringing in a former star that was a huge draw, and building the company’s promotional machine around them. Christian, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, and most recently Hulk Hogan, at one point or another were all considered to be the “savior” of TNA. Christian and Angle were symbolized as the “turning of the tide” stars jumping from the WWE to the TNA promise land. Foley was a huge draw at the turn of the century, and was even given a huge billboard in downtown Manhattan to announce his arrival. But, that all paled in comparison to the entrance of “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan.
There have been talks in the wrestling rumor websites that TNA is trying to secure former ECW head honcho Paul Heyman into taking over the TNA creative team. These rumors have been reinforced by the current storyline. There are positives and negatives to a Paul Heyman run TNA. Let’s break it down and see if we can determine if Paul Heyman is just another quick fix that will shrivel out in a few months time, or the long anticipated TNA Messiah who will finally bring them from the edges of obscurity:
PRO- He’s a creative genius.
We need to give credit where credit is due; Paul Heyman was the driving force behind the success of ECW. If not for him, the small Philadelphia based promotion never would have adopted the extreme attitude and the wrestling boom in the late nineties might have never happened. Paul was the creative mind behind such fantastic gimmicks as Raven, the Sandman, Sabu, Taz, Rob Van Dam, and the Dudley Boyz. He took a rag-tag group of misfits and created a clever cast of characters that enthralled the audience week after week. If anyone can take the talent that TNA already has at their disposal and make it better, Paul E. can.
CON- He’s not a very good business man.
Lets be honest, Heyman ran ECW into the ground by running when he should have been walking. Paul will say it was because ECW lost their television deal, but his former employees have suggested otherwise. Little Guido (aka former WWE Superstar Nunzio) mentioned that he didn’t know where the money was going, because everywhere they went the house was packed. Most of the time wrestlers were working without a paycheck. Tommy Dreamer went unpaid for more than a month. RVD was owed $150,000 in back pay. This kind of thing might have flown in the old ECW due to the loyalty of the stars involved, but TNA wrestlers, especially big names like Hogan and Angle, will refuse to work if they don’t get paid. If he is given control of TNA, Dixie Carter better keep the check book in her purse and micro manage all expenses or her company will be bankrupt within a year.
THere are more but ifeel i have said enough. I've been thinking about this for a long time now.Since Heyman has yet to sign with TNA this is all conjecture. It’s possible he never joins the promotion and they continue their search elsewhere. But if he does join up, TNA is going to have to put their eggs into an assortment of baskets instead of relying on Heyman to fix everything. TNA needs to save themselves, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.
Ever since TNA was conceived it has been struggling to become a realistic competitor in the market of professional wrestling. In the beginning TNA was merely a crew of fresh-faced dreamers and former stars reaching for that brass ring. Almost ten years later, and they’re…well…a group of fresh-faced dreamers and former stars trying to stay in business. It’s easy to see TNA as more of a regional promotion instead of a small company with a national TV deal and massive potential for expansion.
They have the tools to move forward; fresh talent, reliable veterans, and most importantly, financial backing. So what has kept TNA from breaking through the barrier and becoming the powerhouse it hopes to be? Like most things, TNA’s biggest struggle comes from the idea of the quick fix, and the hope that the right person (or persons) will swoop in and save the day.
Take a look back to 2003. The company brought in what was considered to be a huge coup, a world famous professional wrestler who had never graced a WWE ring; the man known as Sting. It’s no secret that WWE has always desired to add Sting to their roster, something Sting has said numerous times he has no interest in doing. TNA now had a mega-star that WWE could never obtain, and they treated him as such. TNA heralded Sting as the man who would take TNA to new heights, and launch them into the stratosphere of promotional domination.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They have done it many times since, bringing in a former star that was a huge draw, and building the company’s promotional machine around them. Christian, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, and most recently Hulk Hogan, at one point or another were all considered to be the “savior” of TNA. Christian and Angle were symbolized as the “turning of the tide” stars jumping from the WWE to the TNA promise land. Foley was a huge draw at the turn of the century, and was even given a huge billboard in downtown Manhattan to announce his arrival. But, that all paled in comparison to the entrance of “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan.
There have been talks in the wrestling rumor websites that TNA is trying to secure former ECW head honcho Paul Heyman into taking over the TNA creative team. These rumors have been reinforced by the current storyline. There are positives and negatives to a Paul Heyman run TNA. Let’s break it down and see if we can determine if Paul Heyman is just another quick fix that will shrivel out in a few months time, or the long anticipated TNA Messiah who will finally bring them from the edges of obscurity:
PRO- He’s a creative genius.
We need to give credit where credit is due; Paul Heyman was the driving force behind the success of ECW. If not for him, the small Philadelphia based promotion never would have adopted the extreme attitude and the wrestling boom in the late nineties might have never happened. Paul was the creative mind behind such fantastic gimmicks as Raven, the Sandman, Sabu, Taz, Rob Van Dam, and the Dudley Boyz. He took a rag-tag group of misfits and created a clever cast of characters that enthralled the audience week after week. If anyone can take the talent that TNA already has at their disposal and make it better, Paul E. can.
CON- He’s not a very good business man.
Lets be honest, Heyman ran ECW into the ground by running when he should have been walking. Paul will say it was because ECW lost their television deal, but his former employees have suggested otherwise. Little Guido (aka former WWE Superstar Nunzio) mentioned that he didn’t know where the money was going, because everywhere they went the house was packed. Most of the time wrestlers were working without a paycheck. Tommy Dreamer went unpaid for more than a month. RVD was owed $150,000 in back pay. This kind of thing might have flown in the old ECW due to the loyalty of the stars involved, but TNA wrestlers, especially big names like Hogan and Angle, will refuse to work if they don’t get paid. If he is given control of TNA, Dixie Carter better keep the check book in her purse and micro manage all expenses or her company will be bankrupt within a year.
THere are more but ifeel i have said enough. I've been thinking about this for a long time now.Since Heyman has yet to sign with TNA this is all conjecture. It’s possible he never joins the promotion and they continue their search elsewhere. But if he does join up, TNA is going to have to put their eggs into an assortment of baskets instead of relying on Heyman to fix everything. TNA needs to save themselves, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them.
