WWE veterans who raised the TNA (and others who lowered it)

TNA Before AEW was released after WCW ended, they tried to fill the market gap of being the second major American promotion after WWE. One of the complaints about TNA is that they fell into the trap of signing and relying on other ex-WWE talents rather than making their own roster.

A considerable number of names have been created in TNA positives and negatives that each case has been created. Some had a great run featuring strong performers trying to help their product grow. Unfortunately, others treated TNA like a joke, hurting the images. Each WWE veteran who helps to raise TNA and drag it is seen in detail.

Height: Christian Cage

Christian Cage proved he could become the world champion of TNA

The Christian Cage represents the perfect scenario of WWE talents who joined TNA. The end of Christian’s 2005 WWE contract made the decision to leave and prove that he could thrive in the larger role of TNA as the main event person.

WWE refused to push Christian when he organically got over it and received strong fan support. Cage had an incredible TNA tenure that won the world title as both face and heel. Fans respected TNA more for having a Christian-like mainstay as a top dog.

Dragged: Booker t

Booker T called TNA “paid leave”

Many veterans left WWE for TNA because they had to maintain a big salary and hire fewer dates. Booker T boasted about this when he described TNA as “paid leave” for taking leave with minimal work compared to previous runs.

Booker lost his appeal as the main event manager for TNA after a weak programme against Samoa Joe. Booker became a terrible signing until the Mafia in the Main Event saved his relevance. Even at the end, it was characterized by poor moments rather than neatly losing, as Booker demanded he writes out of a TLC match via injury.

Promotion: Mickey James

Mickey James helped TNA’s knockout division multiple times

The Knockout division was a huge part of TNA’s success as fans loved female performers outperformed WWE. Gail Kim, the amazing Kong, and beautiful people were representing the homemade stars, but some legends began to move.

Mickey James has become the equipment for the Knockouts division to help with the depths of the main event following the controversial WWE release following Piggy James Angle. In recent history, Mickey has returned after another WWE ran to add star power and interest to TNA again.

Dragged: Val Venis

TNA fans didn’t want to see Val Venis

The first night of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff Running TNA featured a list of previous WWE talent debuts. Both new creative leaders felt they could hand over the roster by bringing memorable free agent veterans.

Some, such as Hogan, Jeff Hardy and Rick Flair, had at least some legendary heritage. Not so much for Sean Morley, aka Val Venis. The veteran was on the hill and failed badly in a feud with Christopher Daniels, quickly releasing the fans he was heading towards him as a face.

Height: Raven

Raven was one of TNA’s first major signatures

Raven, who was unhappy in WWE in the early 2000s, was to be released. TNA fans had great stints in WCW and ECW, so they wanted to see Raven before it became a forgotten low card WWE name.

There was no time wasted as Raven quickly joined TNA a few days after the WWE release.

Raven attracted attention for smaller promotions and quickly became part of the main event scene. In the underrated TNA storyline, Raven won the NWA Heavyweight Championship as his beloved face. He even managed to work with TNA’s future WWE champion, CM Punk.

Dragged: Scott Hall

This was not a good time in Scott Hall’s life because of the personal demon

Scott Hall was the first name to be promoted for the first TNA PPV event. WWE’s release hall led to Hall joining Jeff Jarrett and Ken Shamrock in the New World Order storyline, with early faces of the company trying to give fans a new promotion to give shots.

Unfortunately, Hall still had his alcoholics and caused problems to make him unreliable. TNA booked the hall and had him burn multiple times for no-shows or poor conditioning. Hall helped with the negative stigma that veterans used TNA for money and didn’t treat it as respectfully as WWE or WCW did.

Promotion: Team 3D

The Dudley Boys did an amazing TNA run

The Dudley Boys shocked the world of wrestling by deciding to leave WWE when they felt the offer to extend WWE was too low. TNA signed Bubba Ray and D-Von under Team 3D’s new tag team persona as WWE owned the name Dudley.

Team 3D continued to thrive as a premier team for many years, adding some depth to the tag division and winning New Pan Gold as part of their work relationship. The farewell was working for TNA, with Bubba (as Bully Ray) becoming the main event, with D-Von reigning an underrated TV championship.

Dragged: Voodoo Kin Mafia

New Age outlaws were embarrassed by their legacy

One tag team that has the opposite results from TNA’s Team 3D was the outlaw of a new era. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn joined TNA at different points after WWE released, and it appears that both performers burned the bridge in humiliation.

The reunion of James Gang and TNA as Voodoo Kin Mafia saw them struggle to appeal to the same tag team as they were in the WWE era. The scary storyline, impersonating Triple H and Shawn Michaels, impersonating D-Generation X, is still considered a low point for many TNA fans.

Height: Cart angle

Kurt Angle considers TNA to be the peak of his talent

Kurt Angle has said many times that he believes he has done his best job at TNA and wants more complete fans to see it like the WWE era. A clash with business owners over Angle’s painkiller addiction led WWE to release him in 2006 as a shocking real-life story.

Angle had many personal issues early in his tenure at TNA, but he had no impact on his on-screen outcome. For years as dozens of classic matches and main event, we saw Angle became a mainstay for giving new fans the opportunity to fall in love with his matches.

Dragged: Hulk Hogan

TNA was never the same after Hulk Hogan

Dixie Carter won the biggest gamble by running the TNA creatively to Hulk Hogan and using his name to sell promotions that compete with WWE. Hogan hired many of his excess friends to push them at the expense of TNA’s homemade talent.

The first PPV under Hogan was characterized by shaming him and his previous history by claiming that TNA achieved nothing at the time. Hogan’s damage hurt the company, leading to many stubborn fans leaving when he left without much growth at the time.