TNAâs Success: Too Much Too Fast?
By: Chris âThe Authorityâ Schultz
Letâs face it. In this business, you can not please everyone. That is why the Monday Night Wars were so fun to watch. Some wrestler would get upset with his company for any number of reasons. Either they felt they were underutilized or mistreated etc. Then, they would give their notice or just plain quit. Then, just like that, they show up on television in the competitors ring two weeks later. We saw this happen in the WWE and WCW. Bret Hart, Rick Rude, and The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith were some examples of those who headed down South. On the flipside of that, you had the Radicalz (as they were called); Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero seek success in the WWE. (Itâs sad to think that 4 out of the 7 wrestlers I just mentioned are no longer with us.) Now that TNA is on the map, will history repeat itself? I think so, and I will tell you why.
TNA was built around the X-Division. Plain and simple, itâs really what brought them to the dance. This kind of wrestling was innovative and new to the wrestling world. The X-Division stars in TNA started to attract other wrestling personalities to want to come to their company and compete at the highest level. I am referring to such superstars as AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Chris Sabin, Petey Williams and a whole slew of other talented professionals. Like TNA programming stated, the X-Division was the new face of professional wrestling, but then things started to change.
While TNA might still be enjoying tremendous success and increased ratings, itâs just a matter of time before they explode from within. In the last 2 years alone, they have brought in such big names as Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Christian Cage, Sting, Team 3D, and Kurt Angle. Sure, it was great for the company and attracted more viewers, but what happened to those superstars that busted their butt from the very beginning. Tell me, how many times do you see a pure X-Division match on Impact? With the exception of guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and even Eric Young, most of the wrestlers who have been with TNA from the get go are taking a back seat to the new arrivals. Now where do you think these very talented wrestlers are going to go if they want to make a name for themselves? You guessed it! The WWE!
Just ask Chris Jericho. I canât tell you how many times I told my friends that this guy could be a star when he was in the WCW. Nonetheless, WCW focused on the older generation and really could care less about developing Jericho. Enter WWE and Y2J. The rest is history. Now, take a look at some mid card superstars that left for TNA and became either TNA World Heavyweight Champion or at least contenders for the title. I am talking about Christian Cage, Rhino, Raven, and dating further back, Jeff Hardy. Would they have gotten that push in the WWE? We will never know.
If TNA wants to keep the momentum going in their favor and really challenge McMahon and company, they have to be able to utilize the entire roster and keep switching it up. TNA cannot afford to lose an AJ Styles or Chris Sabin. The challenge is to continue building stars. Letâs face it, guys like Angle and Sting wonât be around forever. Donât make the same mistake that WCW did!
What do you feel TNA needs to do to stay competitive? Email the Authority at cjschultz77@yahoo.com
