What if TNA Wrestling Was Never Created?

[Disturbed]

I been wanting to make this thread for a long time but didn't know when the time was right. I asked in the ask a staff member thread, which section to post this thread in because it won't just be about TNA as it deals with Old school since it was founded in 2002, and the WWE. I was told to post it in here though because it evolves around TNA. Bob Ryder, Jeff Jarrett, and his father Jerry, went on a fishing trip and talked about there future in the business. They created TNA Wrestling, however Jeff Jarrett was the only out of the two who took this conversation seriously. Jeff and Jerry seeked out for help and founded TNA wrestling. It has had it's ups and downs but it's the second biggest company in pro wrestling around the world in recent years. So my questions are,

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002?

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002?

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

Either ROH or some other indy develops more since ROH was founded in 02 with a lot of the same guys first used by TNA, or Jerry Jarrett makes a different company eventually.

And TNA isn't the 2nd biggest in the world. They are the 2nd biggest in North America.

 

[Tech N9ne]

Where I think this conversation ends is, TNA is not competition for WWE. So, anything else said is kind of irrelevant.

But, I will say this, I don't think TNA stopped anyone else from starting a Wrestling Company. So, if TNA never existed, things would be the exact same, just without TNA. ROH might have a bit larger following, but not much.

I think a lot of guys would be doing more independent bookings though. Probably guys like Sting, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and many more.

When a guy would leave WWE, I think he would just end up in an International Company or would just be doing "Old School" shows and things like that, until they made themselves to be of some kind of use for WWE.

 

[goldbergiswrestling]

I been wanting to make this thread for a long time but didn't know when the time was right. I asked in the ask a staff member thread, which section to post this thread in because it won't just be about TNA as it deals with Old school since it was founded in 2002, and the WWE. I was told to post it in here though because it evolves around TNA. Bob Ryder, Jeff Jarrett, and his father Jerry, went on a fishing trip and talked about there future in the business. They created TNA Wrestling, however Jeff Jarrett was the only out of the two who took this conversation seriously. Jeff and Jerry seeked out for help and founded TNA wrestling. It has had it's ups and downs but it's the second biggest company in pro wrestling around the world in recent years.

good post

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002? Ring of Honor would have rose to be in TNAs position, they too would have ups and downs in their run but would have of coarse been different, how so? nobody can say.

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE? not another one necessarily but a different one would have rose, Ring of Honor most likely would become the number 2 promotion with a national television deal.

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created? many probably would, Angle, foley, and the hardys, Jarrett wouldnt because he never seems to grasp that he is not a main eventer.

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002? honestly I dont know, Its interesting to ponder but as wrestling fans we know, anything could happen

 

[It's Damn Real!]

If TNA hadn't existed, I'd imagine that quite a number of the WWE defection talents would likely have sought solace in Japan, to be honest. Few would have seen the benefit of falling so far from something as large as the WWE is to something as small as ROH is, and the indies would have been a stones throw away from just retiring, because honestly, if you work your way to President of a Fortune 500 company after starting out as the janitor and you're demoted back to janitor, who wouldn't seek opportunities elsewhere? Not a soul would be content with that kind of devaluing.

I can't say one way or another whether another North American promotion would have surfaced or not — not sure anyone can with any level of certainly to be honest.

 

[GameOver]

Second biggest only cause noone else has the financial backing to put on a global show like Vince McMahon can i'd say, but as is evident shoveling money into something doesn't make it successfull. You need big returns on that investment to keep going and getting bigger.

Hell if ECW had a billion dollar financier like Ted Turner was for WCW, they could well have survived more or less on there own alot longer as the second biggest promotion and possibly a threat to WWE in some areas.

and what about All Japan Promotions? they are in the Asia's atleast bigger then WWE is to America IMO. There only downside is most of there talent only speak asian so can't get a huge following globaly, but if they toured and had transtlator commentators they coulda been huge b4 the WWE vs WCW wars ever began

* The Hardy's woulda been fired, never have left WWE on there own terms i would say. They'd have nowhere else to go that would rake them a big paycheck, that is til they could get there own promotion in Carolina off the ground and could ride off into the upper midcard sunset

* Jarrett, well he never woulda returned to WWE don't think, one major reason Stone Cold despised him and Vince thought him a joke. He likely woulda still tried to have his own promotion or been involved in ROH

Sting, well he didn't need TNA, he didn't immediately go there and likely only did for an easy paycheck and to join his friends who had since joined for there own monetry reasons, and didn't like what WWE was putting out

He's one that coulda wrestled in Japan or done circuits with special appearances. and as he stated if it's true that is, he had no intention of joining WWF/E while it was adult orientated, which is kinda a hypocritical thing to say since WCW was just as over the top and he stayed there til the end.

Foley, don't think anything woulda changed, he still woulda gone off and done his own thing and done indy stuff and special appearances to get a pay check every now and then.

* Hogan woulda still tried to get something going that would keep his lifestyle going and kept him in the spotlight.
* Flair would likely still be under WWE legends contract and maybe done some wrestling in Japan

overall i think there woulda been something else or several other things that came and went, which there was. the Legends tour and ex WCW/WWF wrestler promotions had several incarnations following the end of WCW and toured the major areas of the world. None of them made an impact though

Here's a few i can recall, both of which toured Australia. Only reason i know of them at all
AWA - American Wrestling Allstars (Had Hogan, Bret Hart, alot of WCW/WWF 80's guys)
WWA - World Wrestling Allstars (pretty much same thing)

and who knows, maybe ROH coulda got some more exposure and some people go there to actually better the product.

or NWA coulda always been reformed. which is effectively what TNA started out as. NWA/WCW reformed under a new name. Least thats how i saw it.

 

[jpickens]

Either ROH would've gotten more exposure and financial backing or another promotion would've emerged either way the wrestlers that aren't exbig name WWE guys would be working and probably be main eventers by now.

 

[MarkoMan]

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002?
Everyone's saying that ROH would step up. If ROH were to step up, then I could say that I'd probably end up watching that because I'm sure that WWE would have continued down its path.

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?
TNA doesn't really go against WWE so much as it provides a semi-viable alternative that needs better marketing and better booking. ROH might step up and have to deal with similar issues.

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?
Kurt Angle: not sure where he'd be without TNA right now... I think he had some choice issues with WWE upon leaving them, but I'm not too sure.
Mick Foley: he'd probably stick with WWE and become... well, something.
Jeff and Matt Hardy: I know that Jeff once left for TNA at one point, but without TNA, I'm not sure how Jeff's career plays out. Matt was a bit more stable in terms of a WWE career until Jeff left the 2nd time, so... yeah.
Sting: would probably go to ROH, and that would be one of the big acquisitions that would help ROH get on the map.

As a matter of fact, a number of these wrestlers could end up at ROH if TNA didn't exist, and allow ROH to make a big step up.

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002?
Depends on what ROH does. If WWE maintains its monopoly with absolutely no alternatives, I think one of two things happen: 1) Wrestling becomes a bit more passionate because there are no real alternatives, or 2) Wrestling becomes even staler than it is right now, and well... you can do the math.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I'm going to say that RoH would be in exactly the same place, who would have financed it any different?

I think that we would have had a viable alternative to WWe. I actually think TNA has put other networks/ business people off forming a new federation because they are regarded as the very distant second to the Entertainers. Had there not been a TNA, some smart businessman (or possibly a Heyman/ Hogan/ Bischoff type) would have spotted the hole in the market, and realised the potential from viewing figures at the heights of the MNW for a competitor to the Entertainers. Depending on the timing of this, the amount financed, who was in charge of creative and success would be the biggest drivers on where certain 'draws' would now be. These factors would also, almost certainly, drive the success of the venture. I would have imagined that the National Wrestling Alliance would have been approached (as the Jarretts did) to provide authenticity to this new organisation - after all the NWA precedes WWWF by half a century.

 

[My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't]

If TNA was never created, I could see a promotion like ROH being the viable alternative to WWE. I also think ROH would pull higher ratings with a wweekly TV show than TNA currently does. Yes, TNA and ROH have great talent and the ability to puton fantastic matches but TNA has really bad storylines and no direction, whereas ROH has more pure wrestling.

As for the idea of where certain wrestlers would be:

Matt Hardy - Probably would be out of the WWE and running the indies
Jeff Hardy - Would have been fired from the WWE after he was arrested for the whole drug ordeal
Kurt Angle - I could see him having stayed with the WWE and retire, only to sign a "legends" deal to cut down his schedule
Sting - I honstly think he will never sign with WWE, so he would either be retired or making appearances at indy shows, wrestling in Japan etc...
Jeff Jarrett - He is a joke. Running indies probably.

The only other thing I can see happening if TNA was never created is that there would be hundreds less of posters in the forums because we wouldnt have the "TNA Marks" to bash the WWE fans every time we said an inkling of something bad about TNA.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The only other thing I can see happening if TNA was never created is that there would be hundreds less of posters in the forums because we wouldnt have the "TNA Marks" to bash the WWE fans every time we said an inkling of something bad about TNA.

I'm heading to bed so I'm only going to speak on this point. So if there was no TNA, people who like RoH or whatever alternative was created wouldn't come on and bite back at their federation having 'the inkling of something bad' said about them then? I really do not see the point in this WWe is better TNA is better bile. Be a wrestling fan, if you can't find things you like and dislike about both . This thread is about a hypothetical situation, it isn't about TNA or indeed WWe marks - so what was the point in having a pop?

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

I don't think anything would have changed for WWE except maybe and influx of talent from ROH, maybe seeing AJ Styles and Samoa Joe in the WWE instead of TNA. I think Kurt Angle and Mick Foley would have never left WWE the way the did and would still be working there in some capacity. Christian, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy would have been fired released years ago. ROH would be right where it is if in not worse shape because a lot the guys that they and TNA shared could have possibly been recruited to WWE. I don't think any other wrestling promotions would have gained any ground because no one else has stepped up with the money to back them like Vince has in WWE. Sting would have probably signed a legends contract a few years ago and would be permanently retired by now.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

You ask quite a good question when coming to some of the bigger names, I mean would Kurt have just gone the distance in WWE if there was no TNA? Would we still think the same about the iconic legend of Sting? Would anyone spare a thought for Jeff Jarrett ever? I honestly don't know the answer to any of these. The landscape of WWE would certainly have been a little different.

If Angle never would have left he'd have a stayed a main eventer his whole career having various feuds with other big legends, similarly Christian Cage would have been more successful in WWE than he has been as he was already getting a main event push before he left and it would have led somewhere more meaningful than his current run with an ECW title to his name. Jeff Hardy may have actually been less successful had he not left, when he returned it kick-started an explosion of momentum that earned him the world title, had he just stayed he would have had to carry on climbing the ladder like everyone else, that's ones still up for debate.

WWE would probably be marginally less well off business wise, although TNA have never threatened WWE as a business, they have exchanged some real big time players and WWE has benefited somewhat by even weak competition.

Would another opposing wrestling company have been created? Probably but not as big as TNA, for whatever reason TNA has had some huge stars walk through their doors and that's why everyone has been watching them as the second company. Either way the landscape of north american pro wrestling would be altered significantly, and I think for the worse.

 

[MrHashasheen]

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002?

Well, Jeff Jarrett wouldn't have had all those title runs, so I'd be grateful for that. But he'd either have gone to Japan or toured the independent circuit and NWA territories. Maybe Dusty's Georgia fed might have lived longer, had he gotten that television deal.

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?

Probably not. Most of the indie feds that are well known became that way without TNA. TNA only got so big because it got every nostalgia act and ex-WWE/WCW name it could. The WWE would probably stay on top, with a number of smaller feds like today. Most of the TNA names would either be huge across the indies or in Japan and Mexico, or be in WWE development.

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?

Kurt Angle would have gone back eventually. He'd probably have spent more time in Japan, but would have gone back on a contract similar to Booker T's or Undertaker's. Foley would have either stuck it out or done the same as Angle. Jeff would have gone and come like he did before, while Matt would be stuck in the indies. Jarrett would share Matt's fate, while Sting would have had a Legend's contract with the WWE and maybe a short run before he retired for good.

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002?

The WWE would have dominated. Hugely. They would have had their pick of the cream of the crop, but at the same time, would have gotten much staler over time as they had little to no competition. Places like ROH, PWG, IWA-MS and others like them would have probably taken till mid-2015 to become anywhere near where TNA is right now or where ECW was. By then, one of them might have gotten big enough to challenge the WWE or the WWE might have declined enough to make them seem credible.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I been wanting to make this thread for a long time but didn't know when the time was right. I asked in the ask a staff member thread, which section to post this thread in because it won't just be about TNA as it deals with Old school since it was founded in 2002, and the WWE. I was told to post it in here though because it evolves around TNA. Bob Ryder, Jeff Jarrett, and his father Jerry, went on a fishing trip and talked about there future in the business. They created TNA Wrestling, however Jeff Jarrett was the only out of the two who took this conversation seriously. Jeff and Jerry seeked out for help and founded TNA wrestling. It has had it's ups and downs but it's the second biggest company in pro wrestling around the world in recent years. So my questions are,

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002?

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002?

What if TNA wrestling was never founded in 2002?
I think the only person to be really effected by this would be Jeff Jarrett.

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?
ROH, maybe, but can you imagine Dixie Carter taking her money to ROH??

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?
Of course. I think all of them would at one point in time or another, even Sting and even Jeff Jarrett.

What would have happened in general to the world of wrestling if TNA was never founded in 2002?
We probably would be watching ROH on Spike. UFC and ROH sounds a little better together than UFC and TNA.

 

[My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't]

Posted by mccoy101: The only other thing I can see happening if TNA was never created is that there would be hundreds less of posters in the forums because we wouldnt have the "TNA Marks" to bash the WWE fans every time we said an inkling of something bad about TNA.

I'm heading to bed so I'm only going to speak on this point. So if there was no TNA, people who like RoH or whatever alternative was created wouldn't come on and bite back at their federation having 'the inkling of something bad' said about them then? I really do not see the point in this WWe is better TNA is better bile. Be a wrestling fan, if you can't find things you like and dislike about both . This thread is about a hypothetical situation, it isn't about TNA or indeed WWe marks - so what was the point in having a pop?

This wasn't meant as a knock on TNA fans. I am pretty sure that had ROH become the #2 promotion, the ROH fans would do the same thing that TNA fans currently do. The fact that you took the time to comment on this part, and only this part is sad. It wasn't even the serious part of my reply.

 

[DangerousDave]

If TNA was never created I would not be watching wrestling now. I stopped watching for about 10 years because I just got fed up with WWE and there wasn't an alternative available on my cable system that I knew of. For you WWE fanboys, if you enjoy it, great, I don't so I don't watch. The unfortunate thing is I didn't even realize TNA existed until Hogan began to hype it leading up to his first appearance on Impact. The first show I watched I was hooked and haven't missed a show since. I'm sure there a bunch of guys out there who miss wrestling and have never heard of TNA either, which is a big part of TNA's problem. If they advertised on networks other than Spike they could pull in a lot of viewers that aren't aware of the company's existence.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The only other thing I can see happening if TNA was never created is that there would be hundreds less of posters in the forums because we wouldnt have the "TNA Marks" to bash the WWE fans every time we said an inkling of something bad about TNA.

I'm heading to bed so I'm only going to speak on this point. So if there was no TNA, people who like RoH or whatever alternative was created wouldn't come on and bite back at their federation having 'the inkling of something bad' said about them then? I really do not see the point in this WWe is better TNA is better bile. Be a wrestling fan, if you can't find things you like and dislike about both . This thread is about a hypothetical situation, it isn't about TNA or indeed WWe marks - so what was the point in having a pop?

This wasn't meant as a knock on TNA fans. I am pretty sure that had ROH become the #2 promotion, the ROH fans would do the same thing that TNA fans currently do. The fact that you took the time to comment on this part, and only this part is sad. It wasn't even the serious part of my reply.

Sorry amigo, it was 1am and I was up at 3:25 for work. It is a pet peeve though, as wrestling fans we really should support everything we can. Nothing in life is perfect. Vive la différence!

If TNA was never created, I could see a promotion like ROH being the viable alternative to WWE. I also think ROH would pull higher ratings with a wweekly TV show than TNA currently does. Yes, TNA and ROH have great talent and the ability to puton fantastic matches but TNA has really bad storylines and no direction, whereas ROH has more pure wrestling.

I don't think it would have been RoH - yes it is different to WWe but the one area TNA has always been right about is including a WWe/ WCW element to it's programming (where it has fell down, is trying to go too close). As I stated in my answer I think someone like Heyman or Easy E & Hogan would have come along and tried to exploit the void left by WCW, don't forget that the Monday night wars created spectacular viewer ratings - someone would have wanted to exploit this.

As for the idea of where certain wrestlers would be: I'm assuming you're going with the no replacement of TNA theory

Matt Hardy - Probably would be out of the WWE and running the indies I think he'd be kissing SERIOUS VKM butt, he only jumped to TNA because it was viable.
Jeff Hardy - Would have been fired from the WWE after he was arrested for the whole drug ordeal Quite possibly dead, his on/ off tenure with TNA on his prior sabbatical probably kept him from full immersion
Kurt Angle - I could see him having stayed with the WWE and retire, only to sign a "legends" deal to cut down his schedule He'd be in the orient.
Sting - I honstly think he will never sign with WWE, so he would either be retired or making appearances at indy shows, wrestling in Japan etc... Retired, he'd have made a short run in WWe about 5 years ago for his HoF induction.
Jeff Jarrett - He is a joke. Running indies probably. Let's not joke ourselves, JJ would be in the WWe mid card - remember Vince did hire every former WCW champ who came down the pipe.

 

[Mustang Sally]

If TNA was never created I would not be watching wrestling now. I stopped watching for about 10 years because I just got fed up with WWE and there wasn't an alternative available on my cable system that I knew of. For you WWE fanboys, if you enjoy it, great, I don't so I don't watch.

Fair enough. There are probably many fans who have turned to TNA because they can't stand WWE....and that's fine. Many wrestlers most likely feel the same way; they might not want to go to Japan or work in high school gyms in West Virginia but still would love some television exposure, making it a good thing that TNA exists.

This thread reminds me of something: A few years ago, we were in Nashua, New Hampshire to see a minor league baseball game. Before it started, we noticed the crew setting up the smallest wrestling ring we ever saw in our lives. We figured that some local high school guys were probably going to do a pre-game exhibition. Instead, a few minutes later, we found ourselves watching Tony Atlas wrestle Greg Valentine, for heaven's sake. Malia Hosaka and Luna Vachon then competed in a women's match.

That's the life of a big-time wrestler who isn't in WWE. Pro wrestling isn't as big as it used to be, but TNA at least gives these folks an alternative, a place to go without crawling to Vince McMahon.



Oh, by the way: If there was no TNA, Jeff Jarrett would probably be the Milli Vanilli of country music, lip-synching his way to fame and fortune.

 

[shattered dreams]

Would another wrestling company been created to go against the WWE?

Many wrestling companies would have been created and I doubt any of them would have been any more successful than TNA. Actually I doubt any of them would have been any more successful than ROH. Finding an investor to get over that initial hump is the hardest part and I doubt anyone else could have done it.

Would guys like Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, and even Sting be in the WWE right now if TNA was never created?

Kurt Angle - I'll go with UFC. Assuming he was able to conquer his demons I think he would have been sucked in with Brock.
Mick Foley - Probably just would have retired.
Matt Hardy- Still working in WWE at this point, anyone that says otherwise is a moron
Jeff Hardy-Not sure how they would have handled the trial situation but I think he would be under some form of contract with WWE as they did offer him a hefty deal reportedly before he went to TNA
Jeff Jarrett-Probably involved in some of these other hypothetical companies
Sting- Mostly just retired but he probably would have done a few matches for WWE at some point