Saturday, June 20, 2009

TNA Off-course

Total Non-stop Action Wrestling could be off-course. It actually is longtime in coming and unfortunate. TNA started as an underdog promotion that had the good fortune of striking a national cable deal with Spike. They were building a good company and then they went the WCW route.

Recall WCW? Ted Turner's attempt to buy into Rasslin'. Big checkbook buying big talent and it worked for awhile. Then it began to wane because the creative died. In the meantime WWF was by necessity needing to work its creative to grow its own talent. It did in The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, two icons. Wrestling hadn't seen stars of this stature since Hulk Hogan. You can't buy instant success.

TNA doesn't have Ted Turner money but they have been getting disgruntled WWE superstars. This is doubly worse than WCW. One, you never build any organization with the malcontents of another organization. They were look for greener pastures and after the honeymoon will continue to look for greener pastures. They are quitters who will quit you after a period of time. At least WCW had an understandable motive- money.

Second, creative builds talent. Get talent prepackaged then it has no where to go but down, while ignoring growing the next replacements. If provides a false sense of success. TNA was on track working AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, my favorites Black Machismo and Sharkboy were a new way to revive old themes, and Beer Money had a lot of possibilities. Then TNA tried to shortcut its way to success with recruited talent. Indeed, it did give them a bump but its also choked growing talent and creative. Now, they are floundering, trying to find storylines that will last longer than three weeks.

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