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The Beginning
The years between WCW's bankruptcy and TNA's rise from upstart promotion to genuine global phenomenon were seen by many as pro wrestling's dark ages. While the business was in a far stronger position financially than it had been in the 70s and 80s, the existence of one global promotion and no credible challengers had created something of a vacuum within the industry.
Gone were the halcyon days in which fans across the world scoured internet message boards for rumors of the next high profile jump; gone were the days of edgy new personas, high risk wrestling, and balls to the wall promotion that had captured the hearts, minds, and imaginations of fans during the 'Monday Night Wars' that had pitted WCW and the WWF against one another.
Smarks (short for 'smart mark', meaning a fan with knowledge of the way the industry works) bemoaned the lack of competition because, in its absence, the WWE had become something of a stagnant organisation. Without competition to encourage the creation of stars and the evolution of the product - WWE PPVs (of which there were anywhere between 12 and 15 a year) had begun to feel like reruns. With only one company generating talent - the big stars were either old or, in the minority, home grown stars who had been so thoroughly forced down the throats of fans that ratings and buyrates were at an all time low.
TNA's jump from distant second to genuine contender didn't happen overnight - nor did it immediately reinvent an industry threatened by the increasing popularity of mixed martial arts promotion, UFC. What it did do, however, was force the WWE to take risks and forced TNA to step up their game.
And while the head to head battle that gave the wars their name would not eventuate immediately, the signing of Hulk Hogan in the fall of 2009 was the first rumble of a distant thunderhead. A storm was coming, and it was wrestling fans who would get to reap the benefits of a soil long parched.
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I've attempted a diary in this vein once before on EWB (entitled the Death of the WWE) and it fell on its ass because the above 'historical' style narrative meant I had to sim the entire game before I could begin writing. So, while I will use the above format from time to time, the rest will appear in a simple recap formula.
I'll be booking both WWE and TNA, as this is a diary about the 'war', not about one promotion bankrupting another.
Strap yourselves in.
-------------------
State of Play
WWE
Champions
WWE Champion: John Cena
US Champion: The Miz
WWE Diva's Champion: Melina
ECW Champion: Christian
World Heavyweight Champion: The Undertaker
WWE Intercontinental Champion: John Morrison
WWE Women's Champion: Michelle McCool
WWE Tag Team Champions: Big Show & Chris Jericho
WWE World Tag Champions: Big Show & Chris Jericho
TV Shows
Raw: Monday Night, USA Network
ECW on SyFy: Tuesday Night, SyFy Network
WWE Superstars: Thursday Night, WGN America
Smackdown: Friday Night, MyNetworkTV
PPV Schedule
January - Royal Rumble
February - Elimination Chamber
March/April - Wrestlemania
April - Backlash
May - Extreme Rules
May - Judgement Day
June - The Bash
July - Night of Champions
August - SummerSlam
September - Breaking Point
October - Hell in a Cell
October - Bragging Rights
November - Survivor Series
December - Tables, Ladders, and Chairs
TNA
Current Champions
TNA World Heavyweight Champion: AJ Styles
TNA Legends Champion: Eric Young
TNA World Tag Team Champions: The British Invasion
TNA X Division Champion: Amazing Red
TNA Knockouts Champion: ODB
TNA Knockout Tag Champions: Taylor Wilde & Sarita
TV
TNA Impact - Thursday Night, Spike TV
Pay Per View Schedule
January - Genesis
February - Against All Odds
March - Destination X
April - Lockdown
May - Sacrifice
June - Slammiversary
July - Victory Road
August - Hard Justice
September - No Surrender
October - Bound for Glory
November - Turning Point
December - Final Resolution
-----------
Rosters and rumors to follow.
The years between WCW's bankruptcy and TNA's rise from upstart promotion to genuine global phenomenon were seen by many as pro wrestling's dark ages. While the business was in a far stronger position financially than it had been in the 70s and 80s, the existence of one global promotion and no credible challengers had created something of a vacuum within the industry.
Gone were the halcyon days in which fans across the world scoured internet message boards for rumors of the next high profile jump; gone were the days of edgy new personas, high risk wrestling, and balls to the wall promotion that had captured the hearts, minds, and imaginations of fans during the 'Monday Night Wars' that had pitted WCW and the WWF against one another.
Smarks (short for 'smart mark', meaning a fan with knowledge of the way the industry works) bemoaned the lack of competition because, in its absence, the WWE had become something of a stagnant organisation. Without competition to encourage the creation of stars and the evolution of the product - WWE PPVs (of which there were anywhere between 12 and 15 a year) had begun to feel like reruns. With only one company generating talent - the big stars were either old or, in the minority, home grown stars who had been so thoroughly forced down the throats of fans that ratings and buyrates were at an all time low.
TNA's jump from distant second to genuine contender didn't happen overnight - nor did it immediately reinvent an industry threatened by the increasing popularity of mixed martial arts promotion, UFC. What it did do, however, was force the WWE to take risks and forced TNA to step up their game.
And while the head to head battle that gave the wars their name would not eventuate immediately, the signing of Hulk Hogan in the fall of 2009 was the first rumble of a distant thunderhead. A storm was coming, and it was wrestling fans who would get to reap the benefits of a soil long parched.
--------------------
I've attempted a diary in this vein once before on EWB (entitled the Death of the WWE) and it fell on its ass because the above 'historical' style narrative meant I had to sim the entire game before I could begin writing. So, while I will use the above format from time to time, the rest will appear in a simple recap formula.
I'll be booking both WWE and TNA, as this is a diary about the 'war', not about one promotion bankrupting another.
Strap yourselves in.
-------------------
State of Play
WWE
Champions
WWE Champion: John Cena
US Champion: The Miz
WWE Diva's Champion: Melina
ECW Champion: Christian
World Heavyweight Champion: The Undertaker
WWE Intercontinental Champion: John Morrison
WWE Women's Champion: Michelle McCool
WWE Tag Team Champions: Big Show & Chris Jericho
WWE World Tag Champions: Big Show & Chris Jericho
TV Shows
Raw: Monday Night, USA Network
ECW on SyFy: Tuesday Night, SyFy Network
WWE Superstars: Thursday Night, WGN America
Smackdown: Friday Night, MyNetworkTV
PPV Schedule
January - Royal Rumble
February - Elimination Chamber
March/April - Wrestlemania
April - Backlash
May - Extreme Rules
May - Judgement Day
June - The Bash
July - Night of Champions
August - SummerSlam
September - Breaking Point
October - Hell in a Cell
October - Bragging Rights
November - Survivor Series
December - Tables, Ladders, and Chairs
TNA
Current Champions
TNA World Heavyweight Champion: AJ Styles
TNA Legends Champion: Eric Young
TNA World Tag Team Champions: The British Invasion
TNA X Division Champion: Amazing Red
TNA Knockouts Champion: ODB
TNA Knockout Tag Champions: Taylor Wilde & Sarita
TV
TNA Impact - Thursday Night, Spike TV
Pay Per View Schedule
January - Genesis
February - Against All Odds
March - Destination X
April - Lockdown
May - Sacrifice
June - Slammiversary
July - Victory Road
August - Hard Justice
September - No Surrender
October - Bound for Glory
November - Turning Point
December - Final Resolution
-----------
Rosters and rumors to follow.
