I hadn't really paid much attention to the former TNA talent showing up on WWE programming the last year or so other than geeking out on AJ Styles. It wasn't until today when I hit #FlashBackFriday mode that I realized how important TNA was in regards to being a legit wrestling proving grounds. For a long time Impact Wrestling was a place where WWE cast-offs could collect a check all while trying to put over some home grown talent. As much as Dixie Carter tried to serve up a sequel to the Monday Night War, her promotion could never really compete with the WWE despite the efforts of her ragtag group of wrestlers.
Currently TNA is a shell of its former self with a just a few bright spots that keep them relevant in today's wrestling world. I will review the "Fall of TNA" for another time, today I want to focus on a group of guys once thought to be "not good enough" for the big league. Guys that had to travel the world to legitimize their careers in order to make the WWE roster. Superstars that come with a championship pedigree that is overshadowed by the fact that it all occurred outside the world wide leader in sports entertainment.
On this date four years ago TNA provided its fans one of its highest rated pay-per-views ever, Slammiversary 10 which took place in Arlington, TX. Here are the results:
Check out the highlighted names
At first glance you can see the big names that had once called the WWE home and carried a fair amount of clout. The arrival of stars like Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy gave the home grown TNA talent house hold names to help establish them. At the time it would have been hard to believe that the cream of the crop would find themselves in the WWE only four years later.
- Three championship matches where held at Slammiversary and at the end of the night we saw Bobby Roode defeat Sting to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. We recently saw Mr. Roode make his WWE debut during NXT Takeover: The End on The WWE Network.
- At NXT Takeover: The End we witnessed Austin Aries lose a hard fought battle against the NJPW import Shinsuke Nakamura. Four years ago Aries fared much better when he defended The X-Division Championship against the man that is currently the raining NXT Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe.
- AJ Styles made his presence felt at this years Royal Rumble and has been a constant in the Main Event spotlight since taking a loss to Jericho at Wrestlemania. Above you can see the picture of Styles holding his half of the TNA Tag Team Championship that we won along side WWE Legend Kurt Angle at Slammiversary 10.
Some how TNA's managed to grow talent that is now helping cement the foundation that the WWE New Era is built upon. These men proved their metal many years ago but now have an opportunity to apply their craft at the highest level. If anything this proves that at one point TNA had it right and was going in the positive direction. If only they where able to better manage their creative process and hold on to this talent that they invested so much in. Since that did not occur wrestling fans are being blessed with arguably the most diverse and talented WWE roster in recent memory. With a sample sizing of NJPW, strategically placed TNA vets, a heavy dose of life long Indy Players and some home grown talent the WWE is set for the long run.
Years from now we will value TNA for serving as a launching pad for WWE Superstars just like we do now when thinking about ECW. If that would have been said out loud four years ago very few would have taken it to heart. But the proof is in the pudding as they say and I for one am happy to have these TNA Alumni going into The New Era.
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