Professional Wrestling: Why WWE and TNA Do Not Need Another Flair and Hogan

The signing of Brooke Hogan by TNA and Ashley Flair with WWE this month can only mean one thing—both promotions are an attempt to gain ratings by promoting the second generation of wrestling’s two biggest stars of all time.

As for now, Flair is the only one of the two females who will be competing in the ring, while Hogan will will be helping to develop female talent.

I wonder how long that will last? As far as I’m concerned, this may be a mushroom cloud waiting to happen.

We see nepotism and the success of second and third generation wrestlers all the time, but the current crop of mat performers that come from wrestling stock have not fared as well of late (Joe Henig, Husky Harris, Tamina and Natalya). Meanwhile, those who have fared well (The Rock, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes) have already done so much in the business already or have been waiting to finally get their hands on the top prize.

In other words, the slope these wrestlers are surfing on is slippery at best, and bringing in two neophytes like Hogan and Flair could end in the same result.

Both Ashley and Brooke have huge shoes to fill. For Flair, it is a chance to prove she is the best of the three siblings who have taken to the ring in daddy’s footsteps. Both David and Reid have had lackluster careers.

Hogan has been around wrestling in both TNA and the WWE, using the brands to help with her celebrity.

The Hulkster and The Nature Boy both carved a path in the business that basically busted it wide open and led to the mainstream notoriety it had at the height of the business in the 1980s and 1990s. That can never be duplicated again. Asking two females (this is not to show sexism) to come into a promotion and use their name to possibly be good is one thing, but using their name to be great may be asking too much.

Like I said, The Rock, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are the prime examples of how it works correctly these days.

Joe Hennig, who has all the talent in the world, and Ted DiBiase, Jr. are cases of it going wrong.

Yes, talent and desire carry a wrestler a long way, but proper training, script writing and promotion also have a hand in it. TNA is trying to do the same thing with Garret Bischoff. While he looks like he could be “average” right now, there is no belief he will ever become a world champion (let’s hope not).

While both females will train and prepare for the chance at television and the big time, it can also be inferred that these two may be pushed through the system and thrown to the wolves so their name can attract fans, not to mention their beauty.

If they are both rushed, then it is another black mark on the reality that the name recognition and the profit of using that name is more important than making sure the talent is truly there.

And again, we would be seeing nepotism used to someone’s disadvantage.