Add NoDQ on: Facebook | YouTube | MySpace | Twitter
 
 
 


  NoDQ.com > Columns > The Shooting Range: TNA vs. WWE
Posted by Michael Clancy on 06/25/2009 at 11:50 PM

The Shooting Range
WWE vs. TNA



As ‘The Shooting Range’ moves into its sixth month it has become apparent to me that I have yet to write a column about Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling. This has come somewhat as a surprise to me; if you were to ask me which of the two big companies I prefer to watch my answer would undoubtedly be TNA. So why have all my columns to date focused on WWE, a company that, in my opinion, showcases inferior wrestling? As a wrestling purist I’m drawn in by the amount of time actual wrestling matches are given and the talent that is on display, everything else comes second. It may have something to with the fact that I have watched WWE programming for a lot longer than TNA, indeed I only turned to TNA a couple of years back when I was thoroughly fed up with WWE’s bland output. I think the main reason my columns focus on Vince’s company rather than Jeff’s is that there just seems to be so much more to talk about in the WWE Universe than in the Impact Zone. With about 6 hours of WWE programming a week and a massive roster of Superstars there is just so much more to say about WWE, especially right now with Vince McMahon apparently losing his marbles and going on a mass firing spree. So you can consider this my first of hopefully many columns that focus on the events in TNA, and yet I can’t even get through the debut TNA column without dragging WWE into the discussion as this article is really going to examine and compare each company with regard to what I feel are the most crucial attributes for putting on an enjoyable wrestling program.

Main Eventers


A wrestling company is only as good as the people who are headlining night after night. Main eventers are the big money-makers for wrestling companies, the guys who put arses on seats. Both WWE and TNA boast the biggest names to set foot inside the squared circle, albeit superstars who at different stages in their career. TNA has undeniable star power in their main event scene with the likes of Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Sting and Jeff Jarrett, but with the exception of Angle all these guys best days are behind them and are drawing in viewers based on their reputation rather than their in ring abilities. There is nothing particularly wrong with this; particularly when some of the newer blood, like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe are thrown into the mix but there is going to come a point in the not-too-distant future when people like Sting and Kevin Nash can’t compete anymore and the young guns of TNA are going to have to stand alone and carry the company.
The main event picture in WWE is looking as strong as it has since the Attitude Era. The company struggled for a few years to fill the massive void left by the departures of The Rock and Stone Cold but has finally reached a point where their new breed of youngsters can headline the big events. Whilst there have been overnight success stories in the form of John Cena and to a lesser extent Batista, it is the slower burners like Edge, Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy who have shone in recent months and years and proved themselves worthy of being major players in WWE. Add this younger generation to the established main events such as Undertaker, HHH, Shawn Michaels and Big Show and the main event picture throughout WWE contains a vast and varied roster of big names. With this in mind it seems that WWE has the edge over its rival in regards to the main event picture, for now at least.

Who’s Better?: WWE



Mid Card Roster


In a less obvious way, the mid card roster is just as important as the main eventers. These are the ones with everything to prove, the ones that have to show the potential to step up a compete with the big names, the stars of tomorrow. With this in mind the future is very bright for TNA. Whilst the X-Division may not be quite what it use to be it does have a whole array of bright young talent who can always be relied upon to thrill the audience. The Motor City Machine Guns are a joy to behold, whilst Jay Lethal, Daniels and Suicide (or Kaz) are equally enjoyable to watch. There is talent outside the X-Division as well. Matt Morgan is one of the most impressive big men going at the moment and his upcoming match at Slammiversary with Sting could be his first big step to great things. With monsters like Abyss and Rhyno backing up the mid card TNA can always be counted on to showcase numerous interesting contests during a +3 hour PPV.
WWE has a similarly impressive mid card roster but seems to have very little idea of what to do with it. With 3 shows comes the potential for 3 main event title matches at each PPV which leaves precious little time for the middle rung guys to showcase their skill. A rival between middle carders will often be relegated to one of the weekly shows to reach a conclusion, making the whole process seem a little redundant. The potential is definitely there though; Christian, John Morrison and Shelton Benjamin are testament to that, but the creative staff in Connecticut need to start giving these guys something better to do or when the times comes for these guys to step up to the main event scene the fans aren’t going to give a damn about them. Overall the mid-card picture has potential but needs improvement.

Who’s Better?: TNA



Tag Team Division


The ideal tag team in my mind is two superstars with a similar wrestling style and look, who come down to the ring together and have a collection of double team moves, a double team finishing move is especially important, and if at all possible have a team name. Unfortunately this kind of tag team seems to be a dying breed in the wrestling industry; nowadays teams are all too often made when creative staff throw together two mid-carder’s when they have nothing better to do with them. These teams usually lack any chemistry and the audience rarely get behind them because of this. TNA deserve all the credit in the world then for trying to keep some importance to their tag team division. The TNA Tag Team Titles are defended pretty much every month at their PPV’s and most of their teams are well established teams with good chemistry. They deserve special credit for sticking two mid-carders together and making a great success out of it. I’m sure not many TNA fans were particularly excited at the prospect of seeing Robert Roode and James Storm team together; but the creative team stuck with it and now Beer Money Inc. are not only a very enjoyable tag team to watch, their one of the best things in TNA at the moment.
WWE on the other hand have fallen into the trap of badly put together teams for some years now. Uninspiring teams like Booker T & Goldust or RVD & Kane turned the WWE Tag Title scene into a total joke. There have been signs of a resurrection in recent years; Kendrick and London’s extended title run on Smackdown a few years ago was a commendable attempt to bring some prestige back but the run was undermined by a lack of respectable opposition. The Miz and Morrison began making people start to care about the division again and I can’t help feel the draft split those two up a few months too soon. Right now there are further signs of development, unified titles is definitely a step in the right direction as is the use of actual tag teams in the form of The Colons, Legacy and the Hart Dynasty. If the WWE can keep these teams together and add a few more into the mix then there may still be hope for the tag division but there is still a long road ahead, for now TNA rules the tag team world.

Who’s Better?: TNA



Innovative Matches


Gimmick matches are critical to the world of wrestling. Get it right and your company has a match that can be associated with high action entertainment, get it wrong and you can have a stink-fest that ruins the whole show. TNA deserve credit for trying to come up with its own innovative matches instead of purely ripping off WWE’s ideas (although it does do that too) and in some cases they have created some highly enjoyable and interesting concepts such as Ultimate X and King of the Mountain matches. The problem is that they seem to almost come up with a new gimmick match every month and for every good match they come up with there are about a dozen absolute stinkers. There are literally too many terrible TNA gimmick matches from the last couple of years alone to list hear but (dis)honourable mentions go to the Cuffed to the Cage match from Lockdown 2008 and the Prison Yard match between Abyss and Sting was a shocker too, but as I say there have been way to many to count.
WWE are not completely innocent when it comes to terrible gimmick matches, you only need to remember the Hell in a Kennel match between Al Snow and Big Boss Man (R.I.P.) or the baffling Punjabi Prison Match to know that. Their success rate has proved far better than TNA’s however, their uses of Cages, Ladders and Tables have totally revolutionised the wrestling business. The last few years have also seen them coming up with cleaver concepts to involve multiple competitors without the use of weapons. The ‘Beat the Clock Sprint’ and Scramble matches are both innovative and highly enjoyable to watch and for that WWE should be very proud of themselves. Whether it be setting the benchmark for barbarity or creating new concepts in multiple wrestler competition, there is no doubt that WWE is leading the way with regards to innovative matches.

Who's Better?: WWE



The Men in Charge


Arguably the most important aspect of any wrestling company, because a ship is no use if the captain is drunk behind the wheel. The big names behind WWE and TNA are both very outspoken and often criticised by the internet community but are their decisions really so bad for business? Whilst both Jarrett and McMahon have been guilty of some pretty questionable managerial decisions they clearly know the business better than pretty much anyone else out there. Jarrett is perhaps guilty of snapping up too many aging former WWE and WCW wrestlers and trying to recreate old WCW storylines (e.g. Main Event Mafia/Millionaires Club) but the old timers do bring a fine balance to the youngsters they compete against every week. Vince McMahon similarly has come up with some of the worst angles in wrestling history but you can never fault the man for coming up short of ideas and credit where credit’s due if something isn’t working it is usually dropped pretty quickly. In terms of choosing between them the nudge would probably have to go to Jarrett who has grasped the fact that for TNA to thrive he needs to step out of the spotlight a little whilst Vince will forever make WWE about Vince, switching between being a face and a heel almost on a weekly basis and in general take up way too much television time.

Who’s Better?: TNA



A so concludes The Shooting Ranges analysis of TNA and WWE. Both companies have noticeable strengths and obvious weaknesses and if you can get past the unrealistic premises of TNA’s storylines and WWE’s excruciating attempts to reach a mainstream audience with cheap publicity stunts (Donald Trump? Really?) there is definitely good things to take from either show. I wrote this column not as an attempt to choose between the two companies, I’ll continue to watch both when time allows, but in order to clearly define the elements that make each company special.

As usual I invite you to agree, disagree and generally voice opinions at

shootingrange69@aol.com



Bookmark and Share

NoDQ.com will be having live coverage of TNA Turning Point on November 15th starting at 8PM EST. Please spread the word (using the Share button above) about NoDQ.com on MySpace, Facebook, and as many other websites as possible. Thank you and we greatly appreciate your continued support!



NoDQ.com Comment Board
(Click on Profile at the bottom to register your name!)



Michael Clancy's Plug
  • NoDQ.com - Online Entertainment

    Latest News
  • Click here to discuss this post
  • To The Limit - Bobby Heenan in Today's WWE
  • Bad Booking Beatdown - Indy Talent Divide
  • Blood On The Canvas: Selling Yourself
  • Blowin' Smoke - Raw 11/02 Afterthoughts
  • Blowin' Smoke - Smackdown 10/30 Afterthoughts
  • The Shooting Range: WWE Stars of Tomorrow #2
  • The Two Sheds Review: ROH A Cut Above
  • Third Degree Byrnes - The Byrnes Victims
  • To The Limit - A Fan's Choice Hall of Fame
  • The Rant Of The Week: Hogan Does It Again

    Send Feedback
    Your Full Name:
    E-mail Address:
    Your Comments:

    		•  


    		 
     
    Your Ad Here

    You'll find information on this fan-created website about the following: WWE News, WWE Rumors, WWE Spoilers, WWE Results, TNA News, TNA Rumors, TNA Spoilers, TNA Results, UFC News, UFC Rumors, UFC Spoilers, UFC Results, John Cena, Vince McMahon, Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Batista, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Mick Foley, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, The Undertaker, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Chuck Liddell, RAW vs. Smackdown, Wrestling Video Games, WWE Divas, TNA Knockouts, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, PPV Results, and much more!

    Original content Copyright 2009 NoDQ.com Web Publishing. [ Legal Notice | Privacy Policy ]