The one positive effect may be that WWE, if it feels challenged by TNA, will produce a better product with more imaginative booking. But that would likely be temporary.
One year from now, I have a feeling we’ll remember this as much ado about nothing. Dirt-sheet and Internet talk that caused momentary hysteria but led to nothing substantial. Frankly, anything that involves fake fights is going to be a mere blip on the radar screen. It just doesn’t matter.
Where did those WCW fans go, though? Imagine if McMahon had kept Nitro alive for just a few more months when he bought WCW? Imagine if he had kept the brand name strong, kept the brand-name wrestlers involved and done the WCW invasion of WWE properly? It could have been HUGE. Those WCW fans might still be hooked.
Instead, he kept ECW alive. Why?
Because he’s not as smart as you think he is, and NOWHERE NEAR as smart as he thinks he is. That’s why Bischoff and Hogan have a chance, however slim. You don’t necessarily have to outsmart a fool. You just goad him into imploding.
My one tangible hope for TNA is that Hogan hires the Nasty Boys and they potato the crap out of the Dudleyz. The Dudleyz fancy themselves a latter-day Crusher and Bruiser. But all they are is the Nasty Boys, Mk II.
Mark Madden can be reached at wzmarkmadden@hotmail.com.
