TNA Wrestling - The High Cost for Succeeding
Shakespeare time kids. “To stay or not to stay, that is the question.” Let’s hear YOUR opinion. #BULLYNATION - Bully Ray @REALBully5150 via Twitter
TNA Wrestling is the premiere professional wrestling organization in the United States today. I did not say sports entertainment organization; I said professional wrestling organization. There is a major distinction between the two even though a majority of viewers cannot tell the difference. That is why it is nothing to go online to a wrestling website and find thousands of Vince McMahon worshipers bashing everything about TNA Wrestling despite having never watched a minute of TNA Wrestling in their lives. They see TNA Wrestling as competition to the sports entertainment juggernaut WWE and must tear TNA down as a result.
While TNA Wrestling has the stature of being the premiere professional wrestling organization in the country, that spot also comes with the responsibility of paying the talents who have earned you this prestigious spot in the industry. TNA and WWE differ in what they do. However, both companies take workers from the same profession. WWE pays talents a lot more to waste their careers under the World Wrestling Entertainment sports entertainment umbrella than TNA Wrestling can pay talents to apply their talents towards making the best possible in-ring product. Despite being unable to match the offers made by WWE, TNA can make offers that are not insulting to the stars they have to retain them. Right? Apparently not. 2012 looks like the year TNA finally crumbles from within.
TNA President Dixie Carter has announced TNA Wrestling resigned three talents to long-term deals in 2012: TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries, TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion ODB, and Hernandez. Meanwhile, the TNA roster has lost “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Matt Morgan, former multiple-time X-Division and Tag Team Champion Alex Shelley, former Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky and former five-time Knockouts Champion Angelina Love in the last five months. Rumors are circulating that the best heel in the business today, Bully Ray, and current TV Champion Devon are leaving after failed contract negotiations. In addition, former two-time Knockouts Champion Winter is on her way out of the company too. These moves, as a whole, make for one giant red flag for TNA Wrestling.
While the resigning of Aries was a tremendous move, the other two signings are garbage. I have never been a fan of ODB or her work. The resigning of ODB while allowing Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, and Winter to walk is a major mistake. It damages the Knockouts roster immensely. Hernandez appears to be the TNA version of Mark Henry in WWE. He is going to continue to get a paycheck and pushed by the company despite being unable to draw a dime until he backs into a major push because of company seniority. Hernandez is worthless. Yet, TNA resigned him while the company will allow Bully Ray to walk despite being one of the biggest stars in the company today. Devon is going to walk despite currently holding the TV title. Alex Shelley and Matt Morgan both left without TNA putting up a fight. However, the resigning of Hernandez is a major deal?!?
It costs a lot of money to keep talent rosters stocked and happy. It is the high cost for succeeding. TNA Wrestling has succeeded in 2012 as they never have before in ten years. Sadly for TNA, this success means that talent want compensation, fair compensation, for their roles in the success of the company. Vince McMahon has made billions on the blood, sweat, and broken bodies of wrestlers over 30 years and cast each one aside after getting the flavor from the proverbial piece of chewing gum. TNA President Dixie Carter made it a point to say she did not conduct business like that years ago when asked about some of her questionable signings. Now, it appears that Dixie is conducting business from the Vince McMahon Book of Shady Business Dealings. Instead of keeping the talent fans want, resign the talents who will work cheap and let the hard workers walk. World Wrestling Entertainment has millions of mindless sheep in their WWE Universe so this business practice does not harm their bottom line. On the other hand, TNA Wrestling has a small, devout following who appreciate the work of these talents being allowed to walk. Losing Bully Ray, Devon, Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, Alex Shelley, and Matt Morgan hurts the TNA product. All of the former WWE talents signed to debut as Aces & Eights in the world cannot replace the talents lost. Resigning Hernandez damn sure does not replace the talents you lost.
There is a high cost for succeeding. TNA Wrestling may very well pay the price for not paying the talents.
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