Why TNA’s Rebranding is the Right Idea at the Right Time
As rumors swirl that WWE is buying TNA’s vast library, it opens the doors for TNA to rebrand the company and become something new.
In March 2001 Vince McMahon did the impossible. He put a final, resounding end to the so-called “Monday Night Wars” when he bought World Championship Wrestling, free and clear. It’s arguably the biggest moment in professional wrestling history, and it was an utter disaster all around.
Ignoring what happened storyline-wise with the dreadful invasion angles, WWE essentially had a monopoly on the entire wrestling industry. While some of WCW’s top superstars made the transition just fine, many more were left out of work and with few viable alternatives for employment. But the biggest, most devastating impact of the sale was simply that WCW ceased to exist other than as a footnote in the WWE Network archives.
Now we may be on the verge of something similar. Depending on your chosen news source, TNA Impact Wrestling is either about to have its vast 14-year library bought by Vince McMahon, or it’s not. If this happens it will be the latest seismic shift in the wrestling world, and the potential for it to hurt the business is just as significant.
But there’s perhaps a silver lining this time that wasn’t there 15 years ago. If TNA does sell their library to WWE, it could mean Billy Corgan is free to rebrand and relaunch the company. That would allow him to chart a new course for the second largest promotion in America and the once-perceived only true competition to WWE.
Let’s be honest; TNA has probably needed to repackage itself for a while, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. With Corgan’s recent ascension to the top of the company, basically taking over from the much-maligned, creatively-despised Dixie Carter, TNA has already taken the first step. He’s come in and brought a different kind of energy, using his music background to secure new themes for top superstars such as Decay. He also created the MMA-style TNA Grand Championship. The jury’s out on that one but at least he’s trying something new. So TNA is moving in a different direction already, but the name continues to drag them down.
More from Daily DDT
- It’s time for Adam Cole and MJF to drop the ROH tag team titles
- Tom Lawlor talks MLW return, AEW opportunity, CM Punk’s WWE return and more
- Eddie Kingston stands to gain the most from the AEW Continental Classic
- Trish Stratus on WWE NXT would help elevate that women’s division
- Randy Orton signs with SmackDown to go after The Bloodline
There’s a stigma attached to TNA that they’ve never been able to escape. Years of late paychecks, poor talent signings, and crappy storyline often cribbed from WWE have set them as perennial losers in many fans’ eyes. A look at their wasted past roster of homegrown talent, guys such as Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Jay Lethal, and Xavier Woods, has only furthered this perception they can do nothing right. The only way to get away from that is to start over fresh. Corgan has begun that process with the signing of Aron Rex (formerly Damien Sandow), Moose, and Cody Rhodes, and if he’s smart a complete re-evaulation of the roster will be in order. Surely they’ll want to hang on to their most popular superstars, like Broken Hardys, Lashley, EC3, and Gail Kim. From there, an examination of the overall presentation will be needed, such as if the promotion continues with their signature six-sided ring.
In line with that, the biggest benefit of a rebranding is that it leaves the company as a viable option of employment. Few wrestlers will ever get their shot in the WWE. As much as we may love the pure wrestling of the indie circuit, it’s a lot of punishment for not much pay. Traveling to Japan isn’t an option for everyone. Mid-majors like ROH are becoming more insular all the time now that they face direct competition from WWE’s NXT brand. If TNA begins anew it opens the doors for an influx of international and independent superstars to crossover and get national exposure in a way they couldn’t before. This assumes that the new company will maintain its national TV deal, which has become crucial to the life of any brand. If you don’t have TV, you don’t have anything.
Next: WWE To Buy TNA's Video Library?
Nothing is confirmed yet and TNA has shows ready to go through the end of the year, meaning if this is going to happen it could be the kickoff to 2017. So while it’s never good to learn of a promotion’s demise, this could be the start of something new and exciting for TNA, and thus for wrestling fans looking for a major alternative to WWE.