TNA and WCW: Forever Linked?

“TNA is nothing but a rehashed version of WCW“. How many times have we heard that one?

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is, for all intents and purposes, the chief rival of World Wrestling Entertainment. Though only in existence since 2002, TNA has definitely made waves in the business with their constant acquisition of new and established talent.

This established talent consists of some familiar faces, many who used to headline the company that once was the WWE’s number one competition, World Championship Wrestling.

WCW did what no other promotion in history has ever been able to do--take the best of what Vince McMahon and the WWE had to offer, and throw it back in their face, knocking them back on their heels in the process.

Unfortunately for WCW, the fight and determination of Vince and company was greatly underestimated.

So, here we are, it’s a new day in the business, a new era of “competition”, and while TNA goes about the business of attracting new fans, some people are drawing comparisons to their wrestling predecessor.

But, is it a fair comparison? Yes, absolutely. And, no, not at all.

An obvious similarity between TNA and WCW is, again, the talent.

Sting, Hogan, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Booker T, Scott Hall, even Mike Tenay, the play by play man, are all currently employed by TNA, or have been on the roster at one time. Many of these wrestlers were headliners in WCW, some of them former WCW World Champions.

Not only does TNA seem to go after former WCW greats, they also seem to be intent on using that company’s old storylines and gimmicks.

The Main Event Mafia versus The TNA Front Line. Anyone who knew anything about WCW could see that this was The Millionaire’s Club versus The New Blood.

Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Syxx Pac, formerly the nWo in WCW, were now called The Band. The logo was in black and white, and the entrance music was the old Wolf Pack music, minus the rap.

Hogan…well, he’s Hogan, and he’s pretty much also doing the same thing he did in WCW. And his entrance music? A remix of the original nWo theme.

Perhaps the biggest reason so many fans keep the comparisons between these two companies going, is the fact that TNA wrestlers seem to love bringing up the past.

WCW has been mentioned more on TNA programming over the years than most people ever cared to hear. No matter what angles TNA are running at the time, there seems to be no end to the constant reminders of these TNA wrestlers’ former glory days in WCW. It is almost as though they cannot move into the present day, and we’re always dragged into a flashback whenever the mood strikes.

And as if there weren’t enough similarities between the two, not only did TNA bring in Hogan, they also brought in Eric Bischoff.

There’s no history lesson needed here. We all know how Bischoff led WCW to the very top of the business, then sat back and watched it burn, clueless to stop it.

Now he sits in the office of TNA, another company that believes it needs him at, or near, the helm, and yet another company who believes that he can bring something to the table.

Just to reiterate: Bischoff sat back and watched WCW burn, clueless to stop it.

And let’s not forget Vince Russo.

On second thought, the less said about him the better.

Yes, the similarities between TNA and WCW exist. And sometimes they are glaring. But, it’s not always a completely fair comparison.

The fact is, fans hold TNA up to the former light of WCW by virtue of the fact that they are the only viable competition for WWE. It’s too easy, and lazy--there’s no effort required to dismiss TNA as a WCW clone, just because there is no one else.

And the ex-WCW stars who now perform in TNA? The truth is, if these guys have a run in the WWE, and move on, where else is there to move on to?

Once you get into the business, it gets into you. Period. Sometimes it’s not all about the money or the notoriety. It’s the love of the game, pure and simple.

There’s the WWE and then there’s everyone else. That’s the reality of the business, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. TNA falls in the “everyone else” category, and that is how it is. Their efforts at succeeding in this business on a national level opens them up for criticism by anyone who’s ever watched the WWE. That is not fair to their organization, and belittles the growth they have enjoyed thus far.

At the end of the day, wrestling fans have their opinions. This is another reality of the business. As long as TNA features former WCW stars and continues to recycle their storylines, they will always face the criticism from fans who have seen it all before.

But these same fans who are so critical of TNA would do well to remember that while that company does not always get it right, there is definite effort being made at growing into a true contender for the throne on which the WWE now rests. Whether or not they will ultimately succeed is yet to be seen.

Perhaps Paul Heyman is the answer. Perhaps not. No matter what direction TNA takes next, as fans we should all be hoping for the best. Competition is healthy, it makes for good TV, and makes the business a lot more interesting.

The alternative, however, will do nothing but draw yet another comparison to WCW--”TNA crashed and burned just like WCW”. Here’s hoping that none of us hear that one.