"Start with Cena and work your way backwards"

[Rampage Bentley]

Kevin Nash's parting words of advice to Dixie Carter, citing WCW's signing of Hulk Hogan as the catalyst that propelled WCW to it's glory days.

Now I was thinking about it and I realized that back when TNA snagged Jeff Hardy, he was arguably the hottest commodity in wrestling. While Jeff Hardy, whether you like him or not, has had an impact in TNA, the one thing he really hasn't impacted is the ratings. Which brings me to my question....

Would simply signing John Cena be enough to catapult TNA into competition with WWE?

If not, what else would they have to do?

Is there anyone who TNA could sign (without doing anything else) that would bring them to that level?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

No single signing made WCW the eventual mega-monster it became — it was a series of them that actually lead to the tremendous spikes in the ratings, as well as the eventual Monday Night Wars.

It wasn't just Hogan or Savage or Luger, etc. It was Hogan, followed by Savage, followed by Luger, etc.

What made them who they were was that they continued to lure ex-WWE talent into signing with the company and used their past success to catapult their own company into the spotlight, and it worked.

The same effect is impossible in today's pro-wrestling age because the 90-day no-compete clause absolutely eliminates any chance of "surprise" debuts which WCW was infamous for.

So to answer your question, no Cena would not be enough, nor would any single signing. It would take a number of them.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

No single signing made WCW the eventual mega-monster it became — it was a series of them that actually lead to the tremendous spikes in the ratings, as well as the eventual Monday Night Wars.

It wasn't just Hogan or Savage or Luger, etc. It was Hogan, followed by Savage, followed by Luger, etc.

What made them who they were was that they continued to lure ex-WWE talent into signing with the company and used their past success to catapult their own company into the spotlight, and it worked.

The same effect is impossible in today's pro-wrestling age because the 90-day no-compete clause absolutely eliminates any chance of "surprise" debuts which WCW was infamous for.

So to answer your question, no Cena would not be enough, nor would any single signing. It would take a number of them.

This is a good point, we're not living in 1997 anymore, the business has changed quite a bit. And while one signing wouldn't turn a company completely around and the industry on it's head, is there a signing that could make signing with TNA a more lucrative choice?

Say if Cena did decide, would this be enough to get guys like Orton, Punk, Edge etc. to take TNA a little more seriously?

I agree that one guy isn't going to set the world on fire, but is there a guy who can set all of the wheels in motion?

 

[Victor1111]

Theres a few names that come to mind. Although i'm more than 99.9% chance all these are are in my mind a fantasy.

If TNA could pull The Rock ahh that would definately cause a huge shake in ratings.

Although Undertaker is not in his prime if they could give us Taker more than likely a Taker vs Sting match would become a bigger of a chance and if this Main Evented a TNA pay per view ahh that would sell BIG

Other than that no one comes to mind.

 

[Ace Sleeper]

Yeah, I think they would have to bring in a large amount of publicity with the superstars they bring in. I mean, when I say the superstars they bring in, they'd have to be superstars. Bringing in someone like Kofi Kingston or Rey Mysterio would be pretty nice for them, but in no way is it going to change the landscape of TNA forever. No. It would have to be huge.

John Cena, then The Undertaker, then The Rock, then Stone Cold, etc. We all know this would never happen, but that's the only way honestly.

 

[Papa Pillman]

As far as a WWE signing(s) goes...

I think the "never-in-a-million-years dream scenario" for TNA that would give them a chance to possibly compete IMO would be to have Christian return as part of a faction also bringing in Edge and Jericho. They could be smug tweeners, or perhaps follow Jericho's recent lead and portray straight heels, as to not offset the already shaky Heel/Face balance.

The drawing power, mic skills, and wrestling ability of that trio, as well as their history with both kayfabe management(Jericho v. Bischoff) and the roster(ex. Edge/Christian v. Hardys and Dudleys) would make them a group that could get people interested. Not to mention the chance to see possible dream matches like AJ vs. Jericho or Edge/Christian vs. MCMG.

A coup like this happening in wrestling today wouldn't be entirely similar to the "Radicals" WCW-->WWF defection(due to the no-compete aspect that IDR pointed out)- but would be the closest thing that could happen in the current environment.

I think a scenario like this would be more plausible to create significant interest than the single signing of an Orton or a Cena... but would also be more complicated to pull off, and would require TNA to eventually cut some dead weight off of a crowded roster.

End fantasy scenario.

Reality scenario: Nash is wrong. The roster has the talent already, it just needs to be booked correctly.

 

[playisanadjective]

i would have to grant cena the benefit of the doubt here, i do believe his millions of child followers would follow him to tna. i do not like cena, but if there is one thing that NO ONE in the IWC can deny it is that the dude puts up a ridiculous number in merchandise sales. this spike alone might give tna enough leverage to pull some other talents from the "e".

given that mysterio's contract is up soon, i am willing to bet we will end up seeing him in a tna ring because of the light schedule, i do believe that he as well is a big enough name to have the kids follow him. maybe not switch over to tna exclusively, but most likely watch both programs.

remember, the only reason the ratings were a big deal in the 90's is simply due to the question "which company is more popular?".

all TNA needs to do is push their homegrown talent, and build a quality product consistently and let that plant the seeds for future success. if TNA had kept it at it the same way they were going back when they were a part of the NWA, they would be well in the 2.5 ratings at this point. a quality product is something NO ONE can deny, a wrestler pushed to the moon by a corporate money making machine is.

 

[sjdigitall]

Now for a Monday Night Wars scenario to happen again it would require TNA to get Cena , but also to move out of the impact zone and into bigger stadiums. If they get Cena that would be a big signing as it pains me to say it he is the biggest thing in wrestling right now. Getting guys like Edge, Jericho will help as well. They also need to get J.R. Him in the commentary plus being a Talent relations guy would be great for TNA. But we all know that this isnt gona happen, its all just a pipe dream.

 

[brandogg]

Jeff Hardy has not been the "hottest commodity in wrestling" for years...in fact, he never was. Don't get me wrong, he was a very popular guy at one point, or at least he had a strong *vocal* fan base, but I think it was much more about his fans being crazy about him than actually having a lot of fans. He's always been horrible on the mic, misses his moves all the times, and has only cared about himself ever since he left WWE the first time. Not impacting the ratings of TNA = not having an impact, period. The only thing he's done is made himself and TNA look bad. John Cena will *never* work for any promotion besides the WWE, unless he somehow was to get royally screwed over by Vince McMahon or Triple H. If TNA wanted to truly compete, like it or not, they would have to snag some (not just one) of WWE's top guys, such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Edge, Rey Mysterio, etc. Guys like Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Kane - there is 0% chance of them ever going to TNA. The party lines were drawn years ago, booking their own wrestlers differently will just effect the people who already watch TNA. I'm not going to start watching TNA just because they give the belt to Matt Hardy or Shark Boy or something like that, and no one else is either.

 

[cwcanno]

Well, I agree with most of the people in this post. There is no way that TNA would get better ratings by signing just 1 superstar. This aint the time or place to do that. History will not repeat its self with this one.

What happened with WCW was a one time deal. The cards just aligned, the moon was blue, and whatever else phrase you decide to use for this one. WCW was great. So great they didn't know what to do with the success they had. That is why they went out of business.

In my opinion, what TNA needs is some better booking. They already have a sort of fanbase and stars that could make the company work. The only reason that TNA had a ratings spike a couple weeks ago was because of AJ Styles, Beer Money and Fortune.

That should tell you that TNA has built some great originals. They do however, need the older wrestlers to help put over the newer wrestlers. They need the anouncers to put over matches. They need, need , need....

TNA needs so much that I can not possibly mention everything all in 1 post.

In my opinion they need to get rid of Russo. Now I have nothing personally against the man, but he has not helped to captivate my interest.

 

[LegendKiller716]

I have 2 names:

1.) Triple H, he has alot of pull backstage and if he left (maybe a nasty divorce?) I'm sure some would follow.

2.) Shane McMahon, he is currently a "free agent" and if he jumped I'm sure he could get a few guys.

 

[Rip]

Firstly, he never said signing one guy will make turn it around and they'll be able to compete. He's saying sign the biggest draw first, then work your way down. He's saying get more of them, put out the big bucks. Orton, Morrison and the like. And it's true, that's EXACTLY what TNA needs, real stars = drawing power = ratings = money = the ability to "compete".... whatever that means nowadays.
Nash is 1000% right. I really hit me like a ton of bricks when he said that because he made a really good point.
TNA can NOT compete with WWE, with it's movie studio and record label and etc etc etc. The money just isn't there. They would have to have millions of dollars to realistically compete. So... without billionaire Ted (or some equivalent), what do they need to do???

Simple. They'll have to slowly but surely get people watching i.e. get RATINGS.

Well... they're aren't going to do that with nobodies and has-beens. Nash (who, by the way, knows way more about this situation, and the wrestling business, than all of us combined) speaks the truth. Remember, just because we all know who AJ Styles is doesn't mean most people do. Most wrestling fans (the vast majority, in fact) never watch TNA, so you can shine and polish guys like AJ, Wolf, Anderson, Morgan and Pope all you want, but they're not gonna draw anybody to TNA. To the masses, they are nobodies.

They need STAR power. REAL stars. And guess what, YOU CAN NOT MAKE STARS WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING. The ratings prove that nobody is watching. They need Cena, Orton, Undertaker... all the guys that people tune in to see. The guys that DRAW. Not the IWC poster boys like Daniel Bryan or Low-Ki, who are fantastic talents and world-class athletes, but can't draw a dime.

But this will never happen, those guys would never sign. This is why I thnk TNA shouldn't worry about or focus on competing with WWE. Instead, they should just make the best product possible and focus on that. Don't compare ratings, don't compare PPV buyrates, just book smartly and do what you can with guys you have.

I'm a fan of all wrestling, I watch all 3 companies and I like things about all three and a hate things about all three. But I'm being realistic saying what I've said.

 

[orton0384]

I'm surprised no one mentioned this. WCW also had a cash cow and not 1 not 2 but 3 possible channels to air on. Spike TV who advertises UFC as a REAL SPORT FOR REAL MEN ROAOAAAORORR pretty much poops on the Sports Entertainment product as a whole NOT helping TNA at all.

If Dixie and Co. got a cash cow with more exposure and more arenas and better pay for their workers they'd be in heaven. But I digress. Mister Bischoff knows this won't happen so I believe he's just doing this to keep busy.

I would like TNA to succeed and fill the void WCW left. I really don't see that happening. But ONE man contrary to a lot of people's opinions can make a diff. It'd have to be the right one and he'd have to know people who would be on board and willing to go.

 

[doorag]

I Chose Vince McMahon as the only person to change TNA for the better because he would draw more ratings than anyone in the history of wrestling due to being the most sucessful promoter of all time. Bischoff didn't help, Heyman couldn't make a splash that big and the whole wrestling universe would tune into TNA to see what Vince would do to shake it up. Obviously Vince isn't going to leave his WWE but theres nobody out there that could sign with them to raise their bar...

 

[GameOver]

TNA needs a total overhaul. Starpower would help but it's not the answer
i don't agree that Jeff Hardy was ever the Hottest Commodity. WWE were just trying to push someone else into the picture and Hardy did get some props, but he was far from the hittest thing around and as stated, what happened to the rating when he turned up on TNA. (either time) answer? next to nothing beyond maybe a week or two.

Cena would draw kids over but since TNA isn't kid friendly it aint gonna work.

 

[Dzone]

TNA doesn't really need ANOTHER superstar, they have enough to make it work and should be contemplating dropping people like Matt Hardy, RVD etc. They should also get the hell out the iMPACT zone but that's another story.

Even if TNA somehow got Cena or someone of that calibre,after thay person leaves or the fans who tuned in to watch that particular person wrestle but realise how annoying the Russo turns and the booking is. *Austin's voice* nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah,wah-ey-ey goodbye.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

While signing a huge name who is currently wrestling would not just make TNA seem like competition overnight, if TNA happens to sign any one among Cena, Orton, HHH and The Undertaker it will surely be a huge boost for them and the ratings would surely spike up even if it happens only for a few weeks.

But then again a lot depends on the quality of the product. WCW signing Hogan was certainly a huge thing in 1993 but as we all know WCW was not percieved as true competition to the WWF until 1996. Hogan was already stale at that point but WCW kept the "Real American" gimmick on him and it resulted in some of the worst feuds and some of the most bizzare characters that have ever been seen in wrestling. Then as we all know, nWo happened and that was the first time when WCW beat WWF and announced themselves.

So yes while signing a huge superstar would certainly help a bit TNA would end up right where they were unless they are able to come up with a good storyline to complement the signing.

 

[Chrome]

One guy and one guy only could make the difference. Vince McMahon... And we all know he's not going anywhere...

Maybe but getting Shane McMahon would be, having a real life Father vs Son fued for how to run a wrestling company would cause a stir. Having him then bring in guys like Cena, Orton, etc every 90 days would "appear" to folks that he is stealing from his dad. And we all know how Bischoff likes to blurr the line between reality and non-reality.. this would be intriguing if done right. I don't think it would be one wrestler that would change the world.. but a father vs son?

Giving Bischoff some credit here, since he has came on the scene the production value looks better on TV, the ring, the entrance, the crowd, the camera angles, etc all are better now than they were before he got there. BUT...there booking storylines still need work.

Imagine a newspaper article that says "McMahon buys TNA" everyone would read it.. and then you will see it was Shane.. and not Vince.. now thats Publicity!

 

[Davi323]

No single signing made WCW the eventual mega-monster it became — it was a series of them that actually lead to the tremendous spikes in the ratings, as well as the eventual Monday Night Wars.

It wasn't just Hogan or Savage or Luger, etc. It was Hogan, followed by Savage, followed by Luger, etc.

What made them who they were was that they continued to lure ex-WWE talent into signing with the company and used their past success to catapult their own company into the spotlight, and it worked.

The same effect is impossible in today's pro-wrestling age because the 90-day no-compete clause absolutely eliminates any chance of "surprise" debuts which WCW was infamous for.

So to answer your question, no Cena would not be enough, nor would any single signing. It would take a number of them.

Rare that I agree with IDR, but he is right. Not only do you need multiple guys, but I would go one step farther, you also need to have that one compelling angle to tie it all together. Yes, it was Hogan, followed by Savage and Luger, and Nash and Hall, but it was also a brilliant idea in the nWo. Those guys would have had impacts regardless, but when you factor in the nWo as well, WCW struck gold. It isn't just about who you have, its also about what you do with them.

 

[thegreekhero]

In my opinion, I think Cena would impact TNA alot. He is one of, if not THE, biggest name in wrestling today. And to hear than Cena signed with TNA, that's pretty big news. Alot of people would tune in to TNA to see what Cena is doing there, and so on. Maybe it would make other big WWE names to think about it, too.

But obviously, Cena would never leave the WWE, because Cena IS the [pg]WWE, or a major part of it.

 

[SpecialFNK]

if TNA was able to sign Cena, would he really have a significant impact? sure he would bring over some viewers, but would that be similar to WCW getting Hogan back when they did? personally I don't think so. I think just John Cena would be one of many talented wrestlers TNA already has.
IMO TNA already has a Cena, his name is AJ Styles. the difference is how much they are known. Cena is as big as he is because WWE has so many viewers, and all those viewers are not because of John Cena. take Cena out of WWE, do their ratings change? I doubt it.

I also would not want to see Shane McMahon buy TNA. IMO all that would be is one step closer to merging with WWE.

TNA needs multiple things, but I don't think it's anything really significant. better booking, better story lines, better marketing. the talent is there.
I also think what TNA needs, is for WWE fans to stop hating TNA just because it's TNA and not WWE.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

If Cena signs with TNA I'll rip my cock off and eat it with a smile on my face.

But, theoretically speaking, I really, really RHEE-HEEALY don't think that Cena will skyrocket TNA into a huge company. Sure, he's a great talent and the transition will be shocking, but he's not Jesus. WWE's tried to make us believe he is, but he ain't.

TNA has more problems than just what goes on the air. I heard Flair say that they need more staff backstage, there are people who need to do a crap load of work that it's not even in their job description. Things of that nature. Their staff is just bad. The PPV posters are horrendous, I could whip a better graphic than what they have in five minutes, the promo videos are basic, the TNA-made themes are fine but I bet there are 14 years olds out there who could do better. There are thousands of Indy bands out there who are looking for a break and have a good sound. Is it so hard to hire at least two to do some of your themes so they sound like ACTUAL music? There are a bunch of kids on YouTube who make these tribute videos and some of them are AMAZING. There are designers that would make splendid posters and things that catch the eye, and they wouldn't do it for a crap load of money. TNA should use these people.

 

[StylezClash3:16]

It will never happen. John Cena will never, EEEEVVVEERRR, join TNA. However, if it were to happen, TNA's ratings would skyrocket. The question is, if they were to remain TV-14 or not. If they stayed, I doubt the ratings would be high long term because Cena's appeal is to a younger audience and parents would not let them watch TNA. If they went PG, let's just say The Pope would have a lot more money fall down in his entrance.

 

[waylon p]

Jericho, edge, Christian, yes. But you also need a really large dude too.

Jericho, edge, Christian, and big show. It would be like the nwo, except now. Three popular veterans and one really big old guy.

 

[Lionheart]

The key is two factors: who is signed and what is done with said talent when they are signed.

The key to WCW's success began with the nWo. Hogan and Savage were already in WCW, but the ratings hadn't started to change, at least, not in the way WCW had hoped it would. But as soon as they had Hall and Nash appear on WCW broadcasts posing as invaders from the WWE...then there was the monstrous and incredible heel turn by Hogan at Bash at the Beach. It was a masterpiece!

So yes, Get Cena. Get Edge, get Jericho, get Christian again. But do something with them! WCW proved that they could have talent upon talent upon talent, but when misused, they could only go so far. Jericho's talent was undeniable, but they kept him down. As soon as he went to WWE, he had his chance to shine. When Bret was with WWE, he was given the opportunity to develop into a World Champion. When he went to WCW, he just got lost in the shuffle of Hogan`s nWo. It`s all about what you do with the talent you get.