Post by "IcePic" Rick Cobos on Jan 11, 2007 23:49:13 GMT -5
I just saw that the original thread was closed, which doesn't surprise me much. I'm doing this to better explain my opinions without making myself seem like such an ass, and I'd hope that it wouldn't get deleted for "undermining."
Those of you with common sense know this already, but for those of you who don't:
Total Nonstop Action is not a true alternative to World Wrestling Entertainment. It's just a watered-down, poor man's WWE: great talent, too much politics, bad booking, with something positive happening from time-to-time.
You want an alternative product? I'll give you all sorts of examples, and no, I don't watch all of them, but I DO know that they are very, very different from the WWE product.
UFC
NOAH
CZW
JAPW
Dragon Gate
ROH
Pride
You want to send a message? Chant for those companies when you're being subjected to Vince's masturbatory segments.
Alright folks, I'm going to try to make myself not come across as your usual ROH Message Board member, okay? I'll my original post (as above) the way it is, because I'm not to try re-writing something just to make seem less jerkish, but again, this is my attempt to not be so in your face.
Recently, during some WWE events, fans live at those events have been unhappy with the product that WWE has subjected them to. Personally speaking, this is understandable.
However, these fans' responses, in my mind, confuse me; they chant "TNA." For me, I just don't see how fans who are unhappy with World Wrestling Entertainment would be satisfied with Total Nonstop Action. I see both companies as being very similar in terms of the products that they present.
- rosters
Both companies have excellent rosters, no question about it. On WWE, there's guys like Cena, Undertaker, HBK, Finlay, Punk, Kane, Benoit, London, among others that can really bring something special to the business. For TNA, there is Joe, Angle, Christian, AJ, Daniels, Homicide, Konnan, Abyss, Rhino, Shelley, among others who also can really bring something special to the business.
But this leads to my next comparison.
- booking
While both companies have tremendous rosters, the folks in charge of coming up with the storylines for these wrestlers don't quite accomplish the job as great as they truly could. Many wrestlers who gain momentum get jobbed out for no logical reason, young mid-carders tend to just go in circles without any upward movement along the card, and many of the main-eventers take up way too much time in the spotlight, and thus, they overexpose themselves to where eventually some noticeable portions of the fanbase get burned out on them.
- the myth that TNA is more about "wrestling" than "sports-entertainment"
Yes, TNA deserves a huge thank you for trying to usually make its PPVs last for three hours. Also, I want to note that I do not hate sports-entertainment whatsoever; I hate sports-entertainment that lacks a purpose and that will not lead to anything substantial.
With that said, TNA and much of its fanbase has deemed itself as an alternative product to WWE. My eyes see differently. I see TNA's focus not having much direction, with its wrestling (which should be the focus of any legitimate alternative product) being put on the back-burner for sports-entertainment segments. Some of these have been received well, while others have not. For a product that has deemed itself the alternative to WWE, anybody who tunes in for the first time cannot possibly think that blowup dolls, feuds between referees, and two lifelong mid-carders imitating the WWE's sports-entertainment segments is the criteria of an alternative product to WWE.
So what would my idea be? I am hoping, and I am asking, that fans who have been convinced that TNA is an alternative product to WWE would also look elsewhere within wrestling for an alternative; I'm not saying to quit watching TNA, nor am I saying to quit watching WWE. I'm simply asking that if you want to support something drastically different within the same field, there are other promotions out there. You can't just depend on what gets placed on television if you want something unique.
If you are unhappy with the direction that mainstream professional wrestling in the United States has taken, then please at least send a message by supporting indies; I would also recommend puroresu not because I'm a fan of it, but because it is very different from WWE. Get some clothing from these promotions and wear them to WWE events, display them on signs you take to arenas, tell WWE fans about these promotions, let them know that if they are satisfied with WWE and/or TNA, that there are other choices out there and it's worth a shot of checking them out.
TNA, as long as it continues to copy and imitate WWE, will not become a legitimate threat to WWE. Fans are not going to want to see companies that are basic mirror images of one another, and when given the choice between the two, are most likely going to choose the one which is more familiar and has far greater star power.
If American fans were to support the independents and puroresu, I believe that these federations could rise up in popularity and have a much greater effect on the evolution of the business. And THAT would cause WWE to have to change, or else it would continue to witness its alienated fan base leave for the "newer, fresher, cooler, better" products.
supersonic said:
Seriously, to any members/viewers of this board who chant for TNA at WWE events, stop the hypocrisy.Those of you with common sense know this already, but for those of you who don't:
Total Nonstop Action is not a true alternative to World Wrestling Entertainment. It's just a watered-down, poor man's WWE: great talent, too much politics, bad booking, with something positive happening from time-to-time.
You want an alternative product? I'll give you all sorts of examples, and no, I don't watch all of them, but I DO know that they are very, very different from the WWE product.
UFC
NOAH
CZW
JAPW
Dragon Gate
ROH
Pride
You want to send a message? Chant for those companies when you're being subjected to Vince's masturbatory segments.
Alright folks, I'm going to try to make myself not come across as your usual ROH Message Board member, okay? I'll my original post (as above) the way it is, because I'm not to try re-writing something just to make seem less jerkish, but again, this is my attempt to not be so in your face.
Recently, during some WWE events, fans live at those events have been unhappy with the product that WWE has subjected them to. Personally speaking, this is understandable.
However, these fans' responses, in my mind, confuse me; they chant "TNA." For me, I just don't see how fans who are unhappy with World Wrestling Entertainment would be satisfied with Total Nonstop Action. I see both companies as being very similar in terms of the products that they present.
- rosters
Both companies have excellent rosters, no question about it. On WWE, there's guys like Cena, Undertaker, HBK, Finlay, Punk, Kane, Benoit, London, among others that can really bring something special to the business. For TNA, there is Joe, Angle, Christian, AJ, Daniels, Homicide, Konnan, Abyss, Rhino, Shelley, among others who also can really bring something special to the business.
But this leads to my next comparison.
- booking
While both companies have tremendous rosters, the folks in charge of coming up with the storylines for these wrestlers don't quite accomplish the job as great as they truly could. Many wrestlers who gain momentum get jobbed out for no logical reason, young mid-carders tend to just go in circles without any upward movement along the card, and many of the main-eventers take up way too much time in the spotlight, and thus, they overexpose themselves to where eventually some noticeable portions of the fanbase get burned out on them.
- the myth that TNA is more about "wrestling" than "sports-entertainment"
Yes, TNA deserves a huge thank you for trying to usually make its PPVs last for three hours. Also, I want to note that I do not hate sports-entertainment whatsoever; I hate sports-entertainment that lacks a purpose and that will not lead to anything substantial.
With that said, TNA and much of its fanbase has deemed itself as an alternative product to WWE. My eyes see differently. I see TNA's focus not having much direction, with its wrestling (which should be the focus of any legitimate alternative product) being put on the back-burner for sports-entertainment segments. Some of these have been received well, while others have not. For a product that has deemed itself the alternative to WWE, anybody who tunes in for the first time cannot possibly think that blowup dolls, feuds between referees, and two lifelong mid-carders imitating the WWE's sports-entertainment segments is the criteria of an alternative product to WWE.
So what would my idea be? I am hoping, and I am asking, that fans who have been convinced that TNA is an alternative product to WWE would also look elsewhere within wrestling for an alternative; I'm not saying to quit watching TNA, nor am I saying to quit watching WWE. I'm simply asking that if you want to support something drastically different within the same field, there are other promotions out there. You can't just depend on what gets placed on television if you want something unique.
If you are unhappy with the direction that mainstream professional wrestling in the United States has taken, then please at least send a message by supporting indies; I would also recommend puroresu not because I'm a fan of it, but because it is very different from WWE. Get some clothing from these promotions and wear them to WWE events, display them on signs you take to arenas, tell WWE fans about these promotions, let them know that if they are satisfied with WWE and/or TNA, that there are other choices out there and it's worth a shot of checking them out.
TNA, as long as it continues to copy and imitate WWE, will not become a legitimate threat to WWE. Fans are not going to want to see companies that are basic mirror images of one another, and when given the choice between the two, are most likely going to choose the one which is more familiar and has far greater star power.
If American fans were to support the independents and puroresu, I believe that these federations could rise up in popularity and have a much greater effect on the evolution of the business. And THAT would cause WWE to have to change, or else it would continue to witness its alienated fan base leave for the "newer, fresher, cooler, better" products.
He went to community college.
