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After the past two WWE events, WWE Cyber Sunday and WWE Raw, a thought continuously started running through my mind. Is the WWE purposely giving TNA the ball? Obviously the WWE isn’t purposely giving TNA the proverbial ball to run with, bad with the lack of effort on the past few programs, it really makes you wonder if it isn’t the truth.
Right now, the WWE is offering us feuds like DX vs. Randy Orton/Edge, John Cena vs. Umaga, King Booker vs. Batista and Paul Heyman/Big Show/Test/Hardcore Holly vs. Rob Van Dam. TNA is giving us Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle, AJ Styles vs. Christian Cage, Sting vs. Abyss, LAX vs. AMW and much more.
The hardcore pro wrestling fans are probably drooling over the current potential feuds coming up in TNA, while shaking their heads at the TV when the WWE comes on. TNA currently has the ability to take those little opportunities (or large in some peoples minds) and bring in new fans to their product while turning them away from the WWE.
Predictability is currently destroying the WWE. The November 6th edition of WWE Raw features prime examples of this. First, when Eric Bischoff booked Ric Flair/Roddy Piper defending the WWE World Tag Team Titles against Randy Orton/Edge, everybody within the range of a television with WWE Raw on it knew DX was going to interfere. Later, Umaga was destroying Maria (give all credit to Maria here for taking a brutal beating), we all knew John Cena was going to make the save because he is penciled into a feud with Umaga this Winter. Finally, when Cryme Tyme was doing color commentary with Jim Ross during the
Carlito/Shelton Benjamin match, didn’t we all know they would be costing Shelton Benjamin the match.
There is very little to nothing that is predictable about the current feuds in TNA, took a look at the current TNA Genesis PPV card and accurately predict who will win Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle with 100% confidence.
That is one thing that really separates the WWE from TNA and it is that horrifying little fourteen letter word called P-R-E-D-I-C-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. It helped kill WCW during its final years and it looks like it is quickly starting to erode the foundations of the WWE.
Also, the little differences are starting to become more apparent between the WWE and TNA like the TNA X Division/WWE Cruiserweight Division, TNA Tag Team Division/WWE Tag Team Division, TNA Knockouts/WWE Divas and much more.
The differences between the TNA X Division and WWE Cruiserweight Division are like night and day, just take a look at both champions. Gregory Helms (WWE Cruiserweight Champion) has been a champion since WWE Royal Rumble 2006 and has gone largely unrecognized until he started feuding with Matt Hardy in the Fall. TNA X Division Champion AJ Styles defeated Chris Sabin for the title this past week on TNA Impact! and it was treated like the title change could impact the lives of the wrestlers and those who watched the program.
Lance Cade/Trevor Murdock, The Highlanders, Cryme Tyme, Paul London/Brian Kendrick and KC James/Idol Stevens are the top tag teams in the WWE right now. If I lined these teams up on the street and asked a casual fan to pick which team was which, I would bet my 800+ DVD collection that the fan couldn’t predict more than 50% of the teams correctly.
LAX, America’s Most Wanted, Team 3-D, AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels, The Naturals, The James Gang, The Paparazzi and Matt Bentley/Frankie Kazarian are the top tag teams currently in TNA. If you used the same scenario I used above for the WWE tag teams, I would do the same exact bet with the option being the casual fan that watches TNA would be able to recognize more than 50% of the teams.
The WWE Diva/TNA Knockout situation is rather different than the last two examples I presented because this one is based on how they are portrayed rather than who is/isn’t recognizable. With the WWE Divas, talent does not matter because as long as your breast’s are popping out of your shirt, than you have a good chance at retaining a job. Look at
Mickie James, Lita, Victoria and Torrie Wilson…they are four fine wrestlers who can carry a decent match, but they will be put aside at any moment for a T&A segment with any WWE Diva Search contestant.
With the TNA Knockouts however, you know who each woman is with each role they are used for within the company. Miss Brooks is the manager for Robert Roode….Gail Kim is the manager of AMW….Christy Hemme introduces upcoming segments on TNA Impact! and does interviews with talent during PPV’s….So Cal Val in the ringside attendant…Jackie Gayda was the woman trying to bring down Jeff Jarrett before her real life
pregnancy took her off the program.
Like I said earlier, it is the little differences that are pulling WWE fans away from their product to a fresh TNA product.
You can reach David Tees at thejobbersjournal@yahoo.com. Davis also writes for www.kocosports.com.