TNA: Wrestling Alternative Or A Wrestlers Alternative

[mikeRC]

TNA has been around now for seven years. It's still a very young company but if you were to look at its list of world champions only 3 people have no major ties to WWE, WCW or ECW and they are Aj, Abyss and Samoa Joe.

If you look up their current roster page there are 20 people who can be linked to WWE, WCW or ECW out of 55 and this includes managers announcers and referees. With more releases to come these former stars of other promotions will increase their share of the roster.

Their head writer was involved in both WWE and WCW. The top guys that have come from WWE or WCW have creative freedoms because apparently Jeff Jarrett is a pushover.

And didn't they sign the guy who made WWE video packages?

So how can TNA keep saying that they offer something different than what WWE has to offer when all they do is re-use talent (of all forms) that we have already seen in other promotions?

Homegrown TNA talent has found little success and even the talent that has supposedly "made it" are being used terribly. Abyss and Samoa Joe are now trying to recreate what made them popular. Abyss is apparently going back to using weapons and Joe has once again tried to convince people that he is vicious and ruthless again and he won't go back to grabbing the stick to have a good whine. Aj Styles has managed to stay popular and not lose his fans even through creative fuck ups like the entire Karren Angle storyline. The Fallen Angel has been turned back by TNA creative teams in favour of Curry Man and Suicide. Kaz was on fire before being turned back to play Suicide before his injury. The MCMG are currently on top of a dead x-division too.

So TNA homegrown talent has suffered while talents that have made their names elsewhere have gotten their own way and have filled the spotlight.

Talent made famous by other promotions only come to TNA for three reasons: They fell out with WWE eg Angle, Christian, Booker; They can't go back to WWE eg Steiner, Russo, Team 3D; They don't want to work for WWE but want to wrestle eg Nash or Sting.

So is TNA a wrestling alternative to WWE or a Wrestlers alternative to WWE.


(more of an article than a forum question but i'd very much like to hear your opinions)

 

[Louie Lips]

This completely depends on the wrestler. For example, Angle chose to move to TNA, after he was sick of WWE, and didn't want to wrestle on ECW. However, I doubt the WWE would want somebody like Nash or Steiner back, and so that's why they are in TNA.

 

[gateway425]

If I remember correctly WWE was interested in signing Nash last year. Angle left WWE for a lighter work schedule. Sting has vowed to never work for vince. I think its a wrestlers alternative to WWE. They don't want to be jobbers up north so they go down south with crap storylines and the same garbage that led to the downfall of WCW. As a matter of fact TNA should be called WCW v. 2.0

 

[LandonKOH]

We all know, as smart individuals, that TNA stands no chance in the future

look at all the up and coming talent in WWE that will make memories in WWE one day, and look at all the talent in TNA that will one day jump ship back to WWE. It is inevitable.

TNA is just like you said, version 2.0

it will fall, just as WCW fell.

 

[midnightrider09]

I recently watched TNA and I must admit, for the first time in a long time I got that sick feeling in my stomach, that feeling of frustration, Like WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how can the not not get it??? why would they get away from the talent that made everyone want 2 watch TNA??? Dont get me wrong I like Booker and Sting and Angle but in 2009 should there bickering take up 80% of a 2 hour show????? the answer is no. Dont be surprised when Shane O Mac walks out on Impact.

 

[Jordan adams]

I have said it before TNA is WCW with out having all the big names wcw had I love Kurt angle but he is not hogan. The wrestling business is different than it was when wcw started people don't tend to care about the wrestler only they care what company he is in so i think it neither anymore.

 

[quink987]

i think if tna rebuild the x-divivsion then it will be an alternative to wwe at the moment TNA have got them selfs on tv on a weekly bases and think they need to use wrestlers who are passed thair prime but still have a name in the buisness just to stay a float but in 2-3 years hopefully they've sorted out thair x-divivsion to making it as good as it once was and the older wrestlers have moved a side then i think TNA will be the alternative to wwe and not alternative for wwe talent.

but what everyone seems to forget TNA has only been around for 7 years so to go from nufin to weekly shows and PPV's thair on the right track.
i just think as wrestling fans we put so much pressure on TNA to be the new WCW over night which is impossible we as fans want a alternative to WWE but we all need to remember how shit was WWE/F when they first started they did'nt become a over night sucess it took them years to be where they am today same as WCW so for how much TNA have grown in 7 years i just think they need to find them selfs now and bulid the company for the long run and not try and compete with WWE on ratings just let the fans come to you and focuse more on storylines and more wrestling cause TNA does stand for total non-stop action and not 20 mins of wrestling and the rest segments

 

[supergav67]

I gotta admit.When TNA started,I thought it was a brilliant alternative idea.A 6 sided ring feeding off the NWA territorys whose title holders since WCWs demise have included the Dudleys,The Steiners & Jarrett.I remember thinking ,Wow! ! put these regional title matches together,wot a show that,d make.I saw WWE as the heart of TV wrestling & TNA as the guts.But since TNA split from NWA who,ve now got their own camcorder.I see TNA as the appendix,its there,nobody really knows why,& it can be easily removed.
I also agree the EX stars are there playing the big celebs ,cause Vince doesnt like/or doesnt want them & the feeling is mutual,until,,...
But as you say,TNA is young & if the only staff & wrestlers available have WWE expirience ,why ShouldnT they employ them.Id be the first to agree,they havent found their Hogan yet.Neither Foley,Angle or Booker qualify for that role.thats why Vince sets ECW & not Raw on them & hasnt offered Dixie a cheque,, yet.
I dont know who in the TV world would fit that role,he might NoT be Ex WWE at all.Just a rising indy star who makes fans tune in for him alone,& like WCW,make fans thinks, "Who else have they got."
Just struck me,though,the only similar scenario,World champ-mic skills-fans fav-leaves WWE -made bad movies-anyone take me back? ,,that boils down to Rock,or Cena,,,!(surely not)
The ingredients are there for a great show,They just gotta show their EX WWe stars but not to the detriment of their own found talent..I also think there,s too many kayfabe chiefs & not enough roster indians.but thats another thread for another day.

 

[Ovaltine]

At one point it was an alternative, but now it just feels like A wwe- light type of a program. They have some great talent, but they don't have a real direction, and don't know how to use a lot of the great talent that they have.