WCW vs. TNA

Yet another TNA Pay-Per-View passes by and WWE don't even bat an eye lid.  Ten years and counting for TNA and it seems their product has ground to an almighty halt.  That is to say they were even moving in the first place.

A lot of spectators see TNA going the same way that WCW eventually did back in 2001 but to compare the two companies is a big miss match and here's why...

Firstly, to try to compare TNA with WCW, one would have to assume that they were both real competition for WWE, when in fact TNA can only dream of coming close to what WCW achieved in the 90s.  For many years WCW was the equal of the then WWF, and for almost two years were ahead of them in the ratings.  The reason was simple, unlike TNA, WCW was not trying to get away from "Sports Entertainment" or trying to save traditional "wrestling".  They in fact embraced the ideas of Vince McMahon in trying to make the industry into an exciting, entertaining television programme that appealed to mainstream audiences and not just fans of the squared circle.

One thing that WCW had on their side when they first started was heritage.  Unlike TNA, WCW was really just a change of name for the last NWA stronghold, Jim Crockett Promotions (National Wrestling Alliance was the alternative to the New York based World Wrestling Federation).  Therefor when media mogul Ted Turner started WCW he already had a number of well established wrestling stars such as Ric Flair and the Four Horseman, Lex Luger, Sting etc.  Some may argue that TNA has also managed to acquire established names but the difference is that the WCW stars were in their prime and matched WWE's in-ring product if not surpassing it.  TNA started with a number of independent wrestlers, a few WWE rejects and those who didn't manage to survive the acquisition of WCW by Vince McMahon.  So while WCW managed to make a big impact from the start, TNA spent years as a shelter for strays.

TNA also need major investment in their production values.  Everything from the wrestlers' music to the lighting in the Impact Zone needs a complete overhaul.  And speaking of the Impact Zone, TNA need to get that show on the road, literally.  As it stands, the majority of the crowd at Impact tapings are nothing more than a generic studio audience, containing mostly theme park visitors.  In order to reach real wrestling fans, TNA need to tour their product around the country.  Wrestling is a live event show regardless of how much it is promoted through media.  TNA need to make each show  an experience for the fans and that is how they will build brand loyalty.

Ultimately WCW failed but it's legacy lives on.  WCW forced WWE to act and create the Attitude Era in order to combat the growing popularity of the NWO, ultimately changing the wrestling landscape forever.  Many WCW stars such as Booker T, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho went on to have successful WWE careers.  Even now the legacy lives strong as the World Title which can be traced back to WCW is held by the Big Show, a man who made his name in that very company.

It is hard to see TNA leaving any sort of legacy.  WWE could probably buy them over at anytime, just as the did to WCW at the end.  Maybe TNA should be of more concern is that WWE just don't seem to care enough to see them as a threat....

AP

Remebering Macho Man Randy Savage

Last year the wrestling world lost a real legend.  Randy "Macho Man" Savage passed away in May 2011 and the Wrestling Android wants to pay tribute to one of the biggest stars to have stepped inside the squared circle.

When I started watching wrestling in 1994, Randy Savage was mainly a colour commentater for the WWE on Monday Night Raw.  However as a kid in the 90s I already had a good idea who he was.

The first time I saw him in action was in the 1994 Royal Rumble match.  I simply remember this crazy haired, full bearded, wild man in lime green spandex and instantly I was sold.  I got an instant insite into the "Madness" of the Macho Man as he eliminated himself from that very match in order to chase down his foe at the time, Crush.  Even though I had only just started watching WWE I knew straight away how intense this rivalry between these two men was.  And that was Randy's gift; his ability to tell a story and capture the public's imagination.

At Wrestlemania X, that same year, Randy had his last televised match with the WWE.  It was a Falls Count Anywhere match with Crush which ended in a Macho Man victory.  In the late Summer of '94 Randy left for WCW.

So enamoured by my new found love of wrestling, I went back and rented as many WWE videotapes as possible and realised just how good Randy was.  This included his intense fued with Hulk Hogan which lead to their Wrestlemania V match.  As the MegaPowers exploded I found myself wanting Randy to win despite him being the bad guy.  It's now seen as the cool thing to do to cheer the heel but getting a 12 year old kid to cheer for you when you're facing the immortal Hulk Hogan takes some class.   I have also been lucky enough to check out some of his later WCW work on YouTube and found out he was one of the few top guys to still be giving it his all in the ring.

It was only after his death last year though, that I realised just how highly Randy Savage was thought of in the wrestling world.  I viewed the thoughts of Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior and an extremely honest and emotional DDP online. I urge you to check them out.  And current in ring tributes like CM Punk's elbow drop only go to compound his legendary status.  I only hope there will be more like Macho Man in the future.

Check these out:
Diamond Dallas Page's Tribute
Ultimate Warrior: Macho Man Tribute
BRET TALKS ABOUT THE DEATH OF RANDY SAVAGE 

AP

Will WWE's next top guy trump John Cena?

So word on the street is that WWE are set to pick their next big star.  The man that John Cena will pass the torch to.  But this time, can they get it right?

No one can deny the popularity of John Cena amongst kids and families but he has never been that top guy to the wrestling die-hards.  The reasons for that are simple.  It has taken over a decade for the WWE to recover from the hangover of having both The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the company at the same time.  It created an era of unparallelled success.

Looking back it has to be said that Austin was the catalyst that sparked the Attitude Era which produced so many larger than life Superstars.  A few years later The Rock would become another break out star.  The best thing that could have happened would have been that Austin would have retired when he did in 2003 and passed the torch onto The Rock, who would have continued to be the top babyface for the next few years until he passed it.  But as we all know this is not what happened.  The Rock left the company months after Austin and so there was no natural follow up.

The WWE was left without the two main talents who had elevated it to such heights.  The WWE simply had to pick someone and run with it.  Inevitably the guy who was chosen to fill those shoes was always going to fall short.  Enter John Cena.  Because he never faced Austin or Rock when they were still in their prime it is impossible to compare them but people do anyway.  So they take the best of Rock and Austin which Cena will never measure up to.  This has dogged John Cena's entire run.

That is what makes this next stage rather intriguing.  The next star that WWE chooses will have a fresh start.  They will not be dogged by the shadow of the Attitude era.  The question is do they have what it takes to go into that top tier of Superstardom? 

There are already some fantastic main eventers who have emerged in the last few years but probably won't be chosen.  Sheamus is already 35 and in fact the same age as Cena so it won't be him.  CM punk is the company's top heel and has already been tried as a face which came close but just didn't have enough gas in the tank.  In my opinion there are currently two men on the roster that could make it.  If the company babyfaced up Dolph Ziggler and gave him a bit more time on the mic, we could be looking at the next HBK.  The other is Daniel Bryan.  His current success seems to be all of his own making but how long can he maintain it?

Now there are a lot of great wrestlers in the second tier such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Rick Flair, Randy Savage etc. but the top is reserved for the best of the best.  Men who transcend the industry and are known all over the world by fans and people who have never seen a wrestling match in their life.  Currently there are only three in this exclusive club.  Austin, Rock and Hulk Hogan.  Will Vince McMahon be able to pick one more before he finally retires?  I sure hope so.

AP