5 Reasons Why TNA Staying in Business Is Good for WWE

Rumors have been floating around for years about the possibility of TNA shutting down, and 2016 saw the company come closer to those rumors becoming a reality than ever before.

There was once a time when TNA was on the rise and seen as a possible threat to WWE. The company even tried to start a new Monday Night War before realizing it bit off more than it could chew.

At first, TNA offered a fresh alternative for wrestling fans to see their favorite former WWE Superstars and dozens of rising stars compete in one place.

As time went on, changes in management and new hires by Dixie Carter made TNA look more like the resurrection of WCW than something totally new.

A fluctuating roster, financial problems and changing networks have caused TNA's audience to dwindle, but somehow, the company keeps going.

You would think WWE would be hoping for TNA's demise, but in reality, Vince McMahon has more reasons to hope it sticks around.

1. It Provides a Level of Competition

During the Monday Night Wars, WWE was in direct competition with WCW and, to a much lesser extent, ECW. When WWE became a more profitable company, McMahon was able to purchase his competition and handpick the talents he wanted to keep.

Within a few years, the product began to suffer due to a lack of significant competition. Being the only dog in the fight led to complacency and a long period of zero progress.

When TNA started to gain momentum, WWE had a reason to think its audience might leave for greener pastures, so it started working a little harder to keep its fans.

Even with TNA being little more than a glorified indy promotion these days, it still offers a different product for wrestling fans, and that will always be something WWE has to keep an eye on.

Ring of Honor, Lucha Underground and every other promotion with a TV deal present a challenge for WWE to overcome, and as a result, the company has more reason to stay on its toes instead of becoming lazy again.

2. It Offers National Exposure for Non-WWE Wrestlers

Anyone who is not a member of the WWE or NXT rosters has to scratch and claw for every opportunity for exposure. Some hardcore fans will seek them out, but the majority of casual wrestling fans need something put in front of their faces to notice it.

TNA, while not available to as many people as WWE, still offers a national stage for wrestlers to showcase their skills for the world to see.

Without TNA, guys like Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Eric Young and Austin Aries might not have caught WWE's eye and earned the spots they currently have on the WWE roster.

Even TNA's harshest critics will admit the roster is packed full of talented wrestlers who deserve better than the hands they have been dealt during all of the company's internal issues.

WWE has NXT as a training ground for future stars, but TNA almost acts like an unofficial developmental territory for WWE, especially considering how many of its stars have found success in WWE recently.

3. It's Somewhere for Former WWE Superstars to Work

Being fired from WWE didn't used to be a huge deal because WCW would almost always be willing to hire anyone with name recognition, but those days ended in 2001.

A few years passed where WWE Superstars had almost no options other than wrestling for peanuts in a high school gymnasium, but TNA changed all that.

Guys like Kurt Angle, Christian, The Hardy Boyz, Booker T, Rob Van Dam and Mickie James all ended up in TNA after their WWE careers came to an end, and it allowed them to earn good livings while giving them a national audience to perform for.

Some of these people did so well in TNA that WWE chose to rehire them, and a few of them did even better during their second runs than they did in their first.

The past few years have seen more promotions secure TV deals, meaning there are even more options for wrestlers once their careers in WWE come to an end, but for a long time, TNA was the only viable option to make good money.

4. It Gives Fans an Alternative Product

Wrestling fans are a lot more fickle than the average sports fan for many reasons. We aren't simply hoping for one team to win. We are following the careers of many individual talents while also following an entire company.

Because wrestling is scripted, fans might become bored with the product, even if their favorite Superstars are in prominent positions.

When WWE was the only game in town, it was harder to keep wrestling fans interested when the company didn't satisfy their needs.

Nowadays, if someone starts disliking what WWE is doing, they can choose to watch TNA, Lucha Underground or any number of the promotions that put their content on YouTube.

By having alternatives to keep someone interested in pro wrestling, that person is far more likely to check out WWE again in the future than someone who has stopped watching wrestling altogether.

We all have that friend who stopped watching wrestling while we kept tuning in. Maybe they would still be fans if they had more options when they stopped watching in the first place.

5. It Helps the Entire Wrestling Industry

Competition is good for business, but there are some situations where two companies trying to do the same thing aren't competing directly with each other for each individual customer.

Take the fast food industry, for example. You likely prefer either McDonald's or Burger King, so they spend millions of dollars every year in an attempt to convert loyal customers from their competition into one of their own regulars.

Wrestling is a different kind of business because fans don't have to choose one or the other. You can only eat so many Big Macs or Quarter Pounders, but we can consume as much wrestling as we want from as many companies as we like.

The more promotions running at once, the better it is for the entire wrestling industry. Sure, some fans might leave one company for another like stated in the first slide, but it doesn't have to be one or the other if you like what both companies are doing.

Variety is especially important in an industry where it feels like everything has been done before. Each promotion provides its own atmosphere, so there is something for every kind of fan.

WWE might not suffer if TNA goes out of business, but it won't benefit in any way, either. What do you think? Is it in WWE's best interests for TNA to stay in business?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.