Why Moving to Mondays was TNA's Biggest Mistake

[@StoneColdSteveAutism95]

2010 WWE vs 2010 TNA is the ultimate virtual embodiment of the infamous Germaine De Staël quote: "One must choose in life between boredom and suffering"

[@TheSpartanWin]

Didn't Maffew use that quote and example for a Botchamania opening?

[@addi543]

@@TheSpartanWinfor his Chikara plugs at the time

[@malikwilson7387]

​@@addi543give me 2010 TNA it was better more entertaining and WWE 2010 had become stale Batista left and Cena Buried the Nexus because of his Ego .people onky hate on the old TNA because it's a sheep like mentality

[@geedee1264]

Do your homework Math?? That's the most boring The other choice is suffering, wanna start now? Tony Soprano

[@InaudibleSlinky]

@@malikwilson7387 Prove it, bet you can't.

[@RockedNet]

I was in Orlando at the Impact Zone the night Hogan gave his ring to Abyss. What wasn't shown was the crowd's mouth dropping and people going "No don't do it!" and crossing their arms, and then laughing at what was happening.

[@blxckheartrose]

Hogan giving the ring to Abyss would be like if Metallica gave all of their Grammys to Limp Bizkit

[@comixproviderftw_02]

Magic Hall of Fame ring Abyss was truly a choice

[@Whatabozo9]

Hello rocked love your rock coliseum live streams

[@OikPoinFive]

​@@blxckheartroseLimp dic Biscuit

[@OikPoinFive]

​@@Whatabozo9huh

[@TheAlan136]

“Dark, Orange Cloud” is the best way to describe Terry.

[@jasonamrhein9593]

I remember it went very clearly like this: DUE TO FAN DEMAND, WE'RE MOVING TO MONDAYS!!! (crowd goes wild) Then, not long after ... DUE TO FAN DEMAND, WE'RE MOVING BACK TO THURSDAYS!!! (crowd goes wild).

[@skippythealien9627]

i didn't watch TNA back in the day, but from what i've gathered from so many sources...that checks out lmao

[@closethockeyfan5284]

I was among the fans tuning out from all of the above when Bischoff and Hogan took over. I don't regret it a bit.

[@saicharand7765]

No one’s accused wrestling fans of being smart…

[@dragonlord1689]

And the crowd goes mild!

[@kevinlee9929]

There was a number of us who watched TNA who said it was a dumb idea for them to go head to head with WWE.

[@MazeDaGr8]

What makes this hopeless defeat from TNA even more embarrassing is this was during the Goddamn Guest Host era of Raw, which everyone hated

[@addi543]

Yup, TNA threw everything including the kitchen sink and all WWE did was bring Bret Hart back and continue airing terrible Guest Host skits

[@oliverraven]

Bob Barker was the big exception there. But his guest host slot had already been and gone a few months before TNA made the leap to Mondays.

[@jeremyhegg9367]

The Guest Host era was bad, but I don't know if it got any better once Raw was run by a laptop (or just a laptop screen with a piece of paper taped to it for Michael Cole to read, because Vince McMahon probably couldn't figure out how to work an actual computer, he had a hard enough time working a phone during Million Dollar Mania after all)

[@MazeDaGr8]

@@jeremyhegg9367 I agree with you on that first part, I hated that fucking laptop

[@KoolKeithProductions]

​​​@@addi543this is why I wanna slap anyone who criticizes the wwe product today. Do they not remember what we were getting 15 years ago? A laptop booking matches? A cringey guest host promoting some goofy movie/show no one wanted to see? Midgets? (no offense) The most popular criticism today is the occasional women's match being cut down for time. Face it, ppl. We are eating good. Enjoy it.

[@DANGMQ]

In 2010: WWE and TNA are at War In 2024: WWE and TNA are collaborating

[@Mr.Majestic77]

2025: Anthem Sports and Entertainment sells TNA Wrestling to Endeavor TKO.

[@Smart-Towel-RG-400]

@@Mr.Majestic77 atlest the tape library

[@malikwilson7387]

​​@@Smart-Towel-RG-400I actually liked TNA in the summer of 2010 It was fun different and unique the storyline were entertaining and the matches were top notch good in ring work it was better than watching Cena Bury the Nexus with his ego .people love to hate on the old TNA

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

Ethan page and Jordan grace just Showed up.

[@robertocioffi2523]

That's because it's not competition anymore. We will see the same about Aew in 5 or 6 years

[@Thephantom95]

That Hogan jump scare worked for me, brother!

[@sonicheroxd5767]

OR MAYBE IT DIDN'T, DUDE!

[@logansheffield8641]

THIS COMMENT PROVES THAT YOU CAN FOOL A WRESTLING FAN SOMETIMES, DUDE. BUT YOU CAN NEVER FOOL A BLACK AND WHITE NWO-ITE ANY TIME, BROTHER!

[@comixproviderftw_02]

GOOD JACK DUDE!

[@addi543]

Hahaha, yes!

[@SuperTed641]

​@@sonicheroxd5767NO PRIMA DONNAS, BROTHER!

[@ari-dynamic]

It was the great WWE vs. TNA war in 2010 where I discovered and later added "What're they doing here in the Impact Zone?!" to my list of insults, lol, for better or worse. XD

[@pendafen7405]

tbh I still like quoting that, but affectionately

[@charlottecorday8494]

You gotta make sure to mangle the wrestler's name, like "what's Wayne Garrett doing in the Impact Zone?!?"

[@armnhc84]

3:01 A dark orange cloud…that’s definitely one way to describe Hogan 😂🤣

[@davidyoung6649]

The TNA war was never going to work because of 3 things. 1) Hogan and Bischoff's hearts weren't into the war like there when WCW was around. 2) While TNA put impact on Mondays, they still aired replays on Thursdays, essentially splitting their own audience. 3) They weren't live every week. They did a live show followed by a taped show.

[@Ian-Omega]

No, there are many more significant reasons than those.

[@TingTong2568]

@@Ian-Omega what was it?

[@Bmd-gc]

@@TingTong2568I’d say the biggest reason was booking and the fact TNA had a fraction of the market and still really looked at as an indie. I was wrestling at the time and the guys down to the refs would all tease me for being such a TNA fan. I had one guy start watching around the Hogan era and he told me it was worse than what we were doing 😅

[@claymathewselevator8121]

All wrestlers on that Volcano Raw deserve credit for putting on a show as good as they did on such short notice

[@obsoleteworlds]

The worst thing about this was Jarrett later revealing that the biggest lesson learned was "people have DVR now". This is why out of touch carnies shouldn't decide network policy.

[@Don_Ramiro]

What's that?

[@Downiron]

Digital video recorder

[@redbigun]

@@Downiron Are we at the point where DVR is just as nostalgic as VCRs and VHS tapes? 🤣

[@reeseangle9621]

@@redbigunexactly that’s crazy

[@whaduzitmatr]

@@redbigun My Mom still has a DVR thru DirecTV she lives in an area where the internet is not super reliable

[@primalrival2555]

I want to see some post apocalyptic fiction where the last human survivors take a day off from scavenging the wasteland to go see a TNA event, because that company ain’t ever dying

[@stupid5pin]

The one thing I distinctly remember from that first TNA Monday show is that I was watching RAW on TV and Impact on my computer; and the very second Impact went to break, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels hugged in the ring on RAW. That was the moment I *knew* this was gonna be a disaster.

[@juansanchez209]

Brian touched on a very interesting point. I have ZERO interest in AEW, but I am EXTREMELY happy about its existence because it made WWE step it up

[@adamandanna]

agreed, and they at least haven't brought in Hogan or Russo or Bischoff(though I do enjoy his podcast) And Tony khan is not trying to start a Monday night war, but he sure keeps on mentioning being a war. Just focus on your own product, and don't worry about WWE. They are established and juggernaut. Learn from TNA here, Do your own thing.

[@salsasaul101]

@@adamandannasame with wwe don’t forget during mania week they talked about AEW

[@faceSSScase3]

No it didnt vince leaving made it better

[@Immortalangel14]

​@faceSSScase3 exactly, aew had no impact on wwe's ratings and business. It was vince mcmahon's exit and tko acquisition of wwe

[@brandonmaddox4862]

Agreed

[@seanclark1037]

One of my favourite Wrestlecrap articles is the one RD Reynolds did on the 2010 Monday Night War. You just did an equally exceptional video covering that dark period, which is now probably one of my favourite videos of yours. Congratulations!

[@Larry-dq4ig]

Brian, you were spot on with your commentary on the Larry King interview Hogan did. I remember back then that was a big criticism of Hogan amongst the wrestling community since he was going on a lot of different corporate media appearances during that time period. He would rarely mention TNA in any of them like he was embarrassed to be part of the company -- even though they were paying him a ton.

[@matt_rasslin]

I was in the Georgia Dome for the Finger Poke on Jan. 4, 1999. Wild night.

[@editnosmirc4489]

Were people talking about Mick Foley winning the WWF title? I know no one had phones back then but I'm sure there were people there that knew because RAW was taped that week.

[@matt_rasslin]

@editnosmirc4489 I don't recall any chatter in the crowd about Foley. It was a hard show to follow in person. All of the television segments with Goldberg being arrested were shown on a big screen that you could hardly hear. Hard to keep up with the theme of the show. And then damn, the finger poke and everyone went dead silent. One cool part of it at the end after the show went off the air, the whole Atlanta Falcons team came out and helped Goldberg to his feet. They were hot that year heading to the Super Bowl.

[@UnboxedtvNet]

You don't have to worry Brian, AEW will never be on Mondays as Tony is LEGALLY prevented from doing so. Owning the Jags means he is forbidden from hosting a show against Monday Night Football

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Huh 🤔

[@charlottecorday8494]

I fully believe there will come a day Tony is forced to sell the Jags by the NFL, and they'll point to him wearing that neck brace at the Draft as the reason why.

[@DevilSurvivor69]

He doesn't actually own the Jags, his father is the legal and listed owner of the team. I don't think that provision applies to him even if he is the son of a franchise owner.

[@UnboxedtvNet]

@@DevilSurvivor69 You're right, Shahid is listed as the owner of the Jaguars Guess what else he's listed as the owner of.....

[@evanhunke1676]

contrary to popular belief the NFL doesn't actually have that rule in place. AEW fan boys keep making excuses for AEWs numbers and everything but the whole "NFL wouldn't allow it" is a joke. TK's dad owns the Jags, TK owns AEW...if you want to know the real reason behind it its because all AEW is to turner is a loss leader and a write off. TNT looses money on AEW, they just write off the loss but on their worst days AEW gets more viewers then made for TV movies do and it keeps people tuned into the channel. But TNT would never greenlight AEW to move to Monday nights and loose their coveted prime time NBA coverage...never.

[@zimmerfly77]

"Remember 1997 kids? Hehe... Please remember." Hahaha!

[@DasNordlicht91]

If Wrestling Bios ever did a "Reliving the War" series for TNA vs. WWE in 2010, it'd just be short and be so one-sided it hurts.

[@moopert86]

Cue Ralph Wiggum crying, "Stop, stop, he's already dead."

[@daoust26]

@@moopert86that wasn’t Ralph it was a random kid lol

[@SteRDLK]

@@daoust26 I'm learnding!

[@nick56677]

Wrestling Bios narration and voice irritates me, and has no energy.

[@anthonykaruri6430]

Marky D did that already, and, wow, both shows weren't that good😅

[@claymathewselevator8121]

I remember when TNA went on tour in 2013 some the wrestlers said they’d go to local gyms and people wouldn’t even know they were in town because the company wouldn’t advertise 😂

[@DrLetMeBFrank]

I was an avid viewer of TNA before Hogan and Bischoff. The Knockouts were some of the highest rated segments. They were far superior to the Divas and really integral to TNA's success at that time (along with Samoa Joe, AJ, and all the homegrown talent). It's really great to see women's wrestling get the deserved respect these past few years!

[@ShinyBurrito]

I still miss bra and panties matches.

[@dhenderson1810]

They had Women's ladder and cage matches while WWE still had women do Bra & Panties Matches.

[@mitchcolburn1216]

Wasn’t the in ring work that did it though. Daffney and the Beautiful People in particular were hot, charismatic and had interesting characters. ODB was hilarious. Kong was an imposing monster. It comes down to character work really.

[@pendafen7405]

Yes! Being a woman myself, I was always more drawn to the Knockouts and felt like they were treated more respectfully as serious competitors & fighters, rather than just glorified strippers. Even the titillating gimmicks like Velvet Sky or Miss Tessmacher still acted and worked and had storylines like tough athletes & brawlers with grudges.

[@sebastianbruckwilder5720]

There was a nearly blow by blow series about this years ago on KZbin by Markyd123… That and this video made me genuinely sad ^^ I loved TNA in the 00s and it was just rotting on the inside here…

[@kevinramsey417]

I vividly remember the Impact that opened with a guitar performance in the ring by Eric Bischoff. Mind you, Easy E's musicianship wasn't bad, I'll give him credit for that but why? It had nothing whatsoever to do with any angle that was happening in TNA at the time, it was just Bischoff doing a recital because reasons. What was the point? How was that supposed to pop a rating?

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Ryan Phillippe also appeared on a Smackdown in 2016 and helped Mojo Rawley beat Curt Hawkins

[@dhenderson1810]

Hugh Jackman once decked Dolph Ziggler on RAW.

[@SamCalderas-nt6lv]

LA Knight's (Eli Drake's) with the "Shoes of a Champion." for the next opening jump scare. "HAHAHAHAHA YEEAAAAH!!!"

[@johnsapp8810]

The video opening was one of your best ever. Editing perfection

[@michaelgryboski1]

A big thing I remember, which I did not hear mentioned in this video, was that TNA would sporadically air reruns of Impact Wrestling in their original Thursday evening slot (I think they stopped briefly at one point when they realized it was hurting them). Once I found that out, I lost virtually all interest in watching the Monday show, as I could always wait for the Thursday encore.

[@godspeedyoublacknerd]

I could hear James Darnell angrily yelling when you brought up Bubba The Love Sponge and The Nasty Boys

[@coreylineberry8557]

GET OUT OF OUR COMPANY!!

[@KillFriskey]

WHO THE FUCK CAREEESSSSSSSSS?! (just also showing the James love to that reply lol)

[@comixproviderftw_02]

@@KillFriskeyWHO THE FUCK CARES WHAT KRONIK THINKS ABOUT THE SCRIPT!

[@godspeedyoublacknerd]

@@KillFriskey don't worry, I heard it in his voice in my head

[@malikwilson7387]

​@@godspeedyoublacknerdTNA in 2010 was very fun I don't care what anyone says a d it was better than. 2010 WWE smh Batista Left than Sheamus won the WWE title twice than jack swagger won the world heavyweight title over Shelton Benjamin then vince released Shelton then John Cena buried Wade Barrett

[@MjArmstrong35]

I watched WWF and I didn't flip channels, I was just continuing what I did as a kid when I watched it every Saturday morning on the USA network, I didn't have to go to the school house so I watched WCW on its rerun at 11 on TNT, and that was just a Monday tradition from watching Monday night football, I can still hear Hank Williams asking if I'm ready for some football

[@pippin3430]

The fact that the last Guess Host of that dreaded era was in after Wrestlemania 32 is pretty much WWE highlighting the worst of the PG era, before they were heading to the New Era. 2009-2016 was definitley a hard time as a WWE fan.

[@editnosmirc4489]

Shoot 2016-2022 weren't that good either. 2023 and 2024 definitely been the best years since 2007

[@cellariusmack2595]

My hypothesis from your graph is that if TNA stayed on Mondays, then they would have eventually dragged WWE down to their numbers as wrestling fans checked both channels, thought "This is wrestling now?", and tuned out altogether.

[@pendafen7405]

TNA could have done something so heroic

[@aZuRePuNK98]

Lol your giving tna way too much credit if you think that thems staying for longer would have dragged WWE from the low spot they were on, to an even lower level.

[@nycholasrawls5769]

You should have said as a side note MacGruber had a quick cameo appearances from Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, MVP, Kane, The Great Khali and The Big Show

[@PeytonManning187]

“LUL. LMAO, even. How the Hell did this happen??” That, & animated Zane is always a guaranteed laugh everytime.

[@speedcola4378]

It makes me happy seeing more and more people talking about just how boring and awful early 2010s WWE was and not just how TNA was around that same time

[@alcheman12]

Picking Bubba the love sponge over a talent like Awesome Kong is the most TNA move possible

[@claymathewselevator8121]

The Dudebusters got left in Europe an extra week because there wasn’t enough room on the plane 😂

[@tonythepokemonguy751]

That Hogan “yes” legitimately got a pop from me

[@darkanimegamer]

And now we're living in a time where both TNA and WWE are seemly working together. I'm really hoping we get a PPV of WWE x TNA

[@heateddragon7912]

I'm hoping it'll be NXTNA Worlds Collide

[@reeseangle9621]

TNA don’t have stars anymore

[@heateddragon7912]

@@reeseangle9621 While that may be true, and they don't have massive names, they do have a decent roster and most of their talent are good wrestlers.

[@VelocitrapLords]

@@heateddragon7912 could see NXT having some interest in Hendry, Maclin, Something and maaaaybe ABC but otherwise it’s talent they’ve already passed on or don’t really fit their current building ground-up MO. Honestly good for anybody working TNA that can use it to clout hop before it gets scrapped and sold for parts

[@heateddragon7912]

@@VelocitrapLords Masha, Moose (they've been interested in before and made an offer to him), Hendry, Maclin, ABC, I could realistically see

[@emmanueleferrarotto2986]

Take the unholy trinity of wrestling Hulk "That doesn't work for me, brother" Hogan, "Easy E" Eric Bishoff, and "Mr. Gimmick" Vice Russo and leave them unsupervised to play with a wrestling company. Welcome to the Monday Night "War"

[@dhenderson1810]

AEW should sign them.

[@tafua_a]

They pulled all the big nostalgic names from the past as well: like 40 year-old Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy after his drug arrest, Orlando "Nobody Cared About Me Even When I Was In WWE" Jordan, "The Nasty Old Men Who Haven't Been Good For So Long, Our Fans Don't Even Remember That Time", "Bubba The Hate Sponge", Val "I Was Mid Even In My Prime" Venis and Ric "I Should Be Retired, But I Need To Pay My Alimony" Flair.

[@codyjames52]

I remember being 9 and being such a little wrestling nerd and was so excited for my Monday Night War.

[@theimmortaldavefuckinmiller]

I see you believe

[@Gametester110-qf8vs]

I remember Monday's during the Monday Night War was like, "Fight night" for me. It was hype as hell. I'd tune in for the first hour of WCW Nitro, then switch to WWF when it went on. Then i'd catch the replay of Nitro late at night and watch it in it's entirety too. Good times. It was the PEAK of wrestling and it has never reached those heights again.

[@matthewcoloma5220]

the (march-may of 2010) in the thumbnail killed me

[@alexlucasmusic]

Damn. I was waiting for that MarkyD cameo 😢

[@wwesvk9958]

DAMN THAT INTRO BROTHER!😂

[@Buckdawg]

As a TNA megafan back then, there was no way I was missing Bret's return on the other channel. Vince played that ace up his sleeve very, very nicely. Loved TNA up to this point, and was so rewarding watching it grow each year... Until Hogan and Bischoff turned up and completely changed the vibe. Seeing the Nasty Boys going over in 2009 was fuckin cringe. Especially in a company built on the backs of young talent like Styles, Daniels, Kaz, Joe, MCMG and the like. The writing was on the wall. The TNA I knew and loved, was gone 😢

[@bernardosantosribeiro6665]

It's really cool to see that this year WWE and TNA are working together in this new era

[@mattm7798]

LOL yeah, once WWE doesn't see you as competition(because you aren't) they'll start working with you, which makes sense. The TNA of 2023-2024 is not the same TNA of 2010 by a long shot.

[@ONLY_RR7]

⁠@@mattm7798did WWE ever really see TNA as competition though?

[@CantRead1]

​@@ONLY_RR7Probably not.

[@mattm7798]

@@ONLY_RR7 LOL, I think the fact they had Bret return the same night as TNA's first Monday night showed they at least were hedging their bets but no, you're right, they never really saw TNA as a threat like WCW was in the 80s and 90s.

[@malikwilson7387]

​@@mattm7798TNA was a big threat to vince mcmahon from 2003 to 2012 that's why wwe still hates WCW because they came very close to putting vince out of business but Ego Got in the way of that

[@isaiahchapman7660]

To be honest, the only thing that I think was really good in the Hogan Era in TNA was Joker Sting. Seriously, look back at Joker Sting moments in TNA, they're actually good.

[@Hulkling93]

And Joker Sting came around the period when TNA started to shift from the heavy Hogan-Bischoff stuff. Late 2011-2013 is one of the company's best periods, excluding Claire Lynch and Aces & 8's for me.

[@tapset]

That shit was awful. Sounded like Jim Carey in the mask

[@TheRealKSmith]

Anti-christ Jeff Hardy was a great change up, but his drug habits went overboard and really fucked it up

[@diabeticman2194]

I watched the complete history of Joker Sting on TNA’s channel, can confirm it’s a great gimmick

[@kiereanm3254]

23:50 I'd kill for fanart of Abyss wearing multiple HOF rings like that one green lantern cover

[@animatedCHUG]

We now have TNA & WWE forming a working relationship, and that's probably because the head of the ship changed. If it had changed when the two companies were at war, maybe WWE's ratings wouldn't have taken the hit they did, and the 2010s could've been a much better decade for the company.

[@ykosiris3125]

Vince shouldve get caught during 2010s

[@CrashMcCloudX29]

The even worse thing about the Orlando Jordan gimmick debut was allegedly that pushed Kanyon over the edge because he also pitched that gimmick to WWE.

[@Maximus4587]

It also caused Lance Storm to stop watching TNA altogether for several years (that, and them airing the infamous in-ring segment where Rob Terry took an unprotected chair-shot to the head just *two days* after Kanyon's death)

[@DieSeuchen-g8q]

The "yes" on the intro was unexpected. The "bro" was uncanny. Top work as always Brian, Much love HH x

[@wwesvk9958]

If hogan sold more grills it might have worked out 😂

[@thenigelverse1130]

And now 10+ years later they’re working together. Ah wrestling!

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

Their downfall was the same as WCW...Hogan, Bischoff and Russo. The fact that Dixie Carter thought bringing them in was really going to help 🤣🥴🤡🤦‍♀️

[@imfreviews]

Um, hello? Bischoff and Hogan were brought in by *Spike TV*. Why anyone puts in on them and not on Dixie is beyond me. That's such wrestling bubble thinking. Come to think of it, it's the same line of thinking that tells people that Tony Khan listening only to his EVPS = good, but owners listening to Hogan and Bischoff = bad.

[@Mecha82]

Believe it or not unlike WCW TNA is still around today. They endured that era.

[@wondermcthunder8835]

I can understand bringing Hogan as a talent and on screen character but also Bischoff and Russo was a disaster lmfao

[@napalmblaziken]

Their downfall would have happened even without them. Dixie Carter was notoriously really really REALLY bad.

[@imfreviews]

@@wondermcthunder8835 You should listen to Bischoff's podcast before you say that. He wasn't a decision maker in TNA.

[@stat_rule444]

Hi returning wrestling fan that stop watching for 7 years. I remember watching your videos along time ago and I’m happy to see that your still here and growing boss.

[@chuck31]

"Damn, I'm poetic!" Great line! You had me rolling! Great video as always!

[@weinermug]

I think your assessment of TNA fans not wanting to tune in because Hogan/Bischoff represented everything TNA wasn't hit the nail on the head. I used to go to TNA shows at Universal Studios all the time and watched them become a really decent alternative to WWE. Watching that first Monday show was disheartening. It showcased very little of TNA's strengths and only showcased "name recognition" talent, the majority of which were names that no one watching TNA even wanted to see. I doubt any TNA wrestling fan was thinking of dream matches when guys like Val Venis and the Nasty Boys showed up.

[@Bulls3ye86]

@weinermug _"I used to go to TNA shows at Universal Studios all the time"_ That reminds me of Hogan's second biggest sin in TNA. He said that the Impact Zone made them look "Minor League", and after much badgering, convinced Dixie to take them on the road like WWE. After less than a year of hemorrhaging money--and Hogan's departure--they tried to go home, only to find that their old place at stage 21 was booked, and they would have to move to the smaller stage 19.🤣

[@pepito2847]

Might be a hot take But I thought Hogan being the mentor figure for Abyss was pretty cool I particularly like the segment where Hogan gets Abyss to shake off the willys by pumping the monster up with comparisons to Superman and Popeye

[@tapset]

And he gave him his HOF ring? Wildly corny

[@ConcertCrap]

14:35 - Nothing made me change TNA on Monday nights more than seeing The Nasty Boys in ANYTHING.

[@dhenderson1810]

I'd love the Nasty Boys on a WWE 2K video game and have often downloaded them as CAWs in the past.

[@lengmoua22]

WWE guest host era…those were some dark times

[@Nicky66D]

At least Bob Barker was decent for one episode of Raw.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@Nicky66D Few knew of Bob Barker outside of the USA though.

[@dhenderson1810]

Some were good. Mick Foley, Trish, I think Ricky Steamboat did one. Freddie Prinze Jr, Seth Green who are actual wrestling fans and know their stuff. I remember Freddie Prinze Jr getting booed by the crowd until he made references to different wrestling matches, showing that he was a fan, and they accepted him after that. I think Chuck Norris did it one night, but I might be wrong. The worst was Jeremy Piven from "Entourage" who booked matches for "Summerfest" and the Muppets. I am not American so I didn't know Bob Barker and had to look him up.

[@damaniresida6439]

Atleast it was better than tna 😂

[@pendafen7405]

@slayer21121 so true. If you're going to be Awful, be Shockingly Can't-Look-Away Interesting Entertaining Awfui, not Boring Awful. This is how Russo used to excel.

[@MABMGuitar]

lol at the hulkster’s Larry King appearance - a real meeting of the minds! ETA: especially when Larry starts hyping an appearance from Jermaine Jackson at the end.

[@Kaltagstar96]

I'm just thinking, imagine being Jeff Jarrett and seeing the same people who ran WCW into the ground also arrive in TNA, If I'm Jarrett, I'd be having war flashbacks seeing Hogan showing up with his cronies. (OK, at least Waltman could go in the ring and Nash is charismatic as hell, so they'd be decent to keep around)

[@austinmeyer_238]

Also, he wasn’t there when WCW was at its worst, he was in WWF.

[@tafua_a]

@@austinmeyer_238 He was there in 2000 and late 1999...

[@MrRyanlennie2005]

Eric Bischoff booking himself to open a live head to head show with him pretending to play acoustic guitar is why his criticisms of AEW product are not to be taken seriously.

[@Linklex7]

Facts. There’s a lot legit criticism you can throw at AEW, none of them came from Bischoff. People sometimes forget that Bischoff actually made a few appearances for AEW. The reason he hates that company so much is cause he thought he would get his old job back with Turner. When he didn’t, he got pissed. Tony Khan has flaws you can call out but never forget Bischoff killed two wrestling companies. Yeah he actually beat WWF cause he was a one trick pony and tried the same trick again in TNA. Immortal was basically just TNA-NWO.

[@AliSubhi-xs4rn]

What does Bischoff booking bad segments a decade ago have to do with AEW being hot garbage though lol

[@MrRyanlennie2005]

@@AliSubhi-xs4rn because AEW’s creative is miles ahead of ANYTHING in his TNA run. It was horrific. That he thinks he should be listened to after a run that killed that company from ever being taken seriously again is laughable.

[@AliSubhi-xs4rn]

@@MrRyanlennie2005 He has been around or in the wrestling business for a long time and was responsible for some incredibly successful shows/angles. You could argue if Eric's criticism is valid or not, but trying to gatekeep wrestling talk exclusively for people that have never booked a bad show is both wild and unrealistic.

[@MrRyanlennie2005]

@@AliSubhi-xs4rn so has Vince Russo, Russo wrote the highest rated segment in the last 30+ years of wrestling…..doesn’t stop people shitting on him.

[@jasonray8702]

I wonder if it had ever crossed TNA's mind to put their show in the timeslot before RAW, that way you could still compete but not split the audience, and maybe ride the coattails of WWE to see where the ratings were, then if the ratings ever got comparable and they still felt compelled to do so, declare the war in the same timeslot. I mean I still think of Monday as "wrestling night" and I'd watch it on any time slot really. The thinking here by TNA in how this played out may have been that they believed there was a large pool of wrestling fans that weren't tuning into WWE, because after WCW folded, WWE didn't necessarily inherit the WCW audience into its viewership. Maybe that's who TNA thought they were going to pull back in but it obviously didn't materialize. Did they think that the WCW fans were gonna be as cult-like loyal as the ECW fans? I do remember watching TNA during this time (and being a fan) but I knew they weren't even in the same league as WWE and that their "war" was doomed to fail. Realistically TNA's only comparable league of competition at this time was Ring of Honor.

[@riskybitness]

I think the big difference between AEW vs. NXT and RAW vs. Impact is that most of AEW's core audience was watching it because they wanted an alternative to WWE and most likely have been following The Elite in other promotions for a while. They were fans of BTE and pretty entrenched in the world of pro wrestling outside of WWE. TNA was largely relying on throwbacks not only to past legends but also to ECW And WCW, and people who were fans of those promotions had largely already migrated back to watching WWE. When it comes to the ratings conversation, I think it gets muddled a lot by what people think the ratings mean vs. what they actually mean. WWE is top dog by a lot, and that shouldn't surprise anyone. What people get caught up in is this idea that because Dynamite's ratings are so far behind Raw and Smackdown that the ratings are bad, or that they're in danger of losing their TV deal. The reality is that while the audience is much smaller, when you look at the cost of their media rights and the network they're on, they're actually doing quite well from that perspective. I think it's perfectly fine to have a wrestling show with a small but loyal audience. I think they should lean into that, quite frankly. Be the small, scrappy promotion that does what the big fed won't or can't do. That's what makes it compelling and interesting. On that note, lower ratings doesn't necessarily mean a show is bad. Dynamite has its ups and downs and I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I always enjoy it. I've never watched an episode of Dynamite and been like "well that's two hours of my life I'll never get back." Some people might feel that way and that's fine, but just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's objectively bad. It's just not for you, and that's ok.

[@tootzy-the-roll]

TNA was in a war that WWE just ignored.

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

Yep I didn't even know it was happening at the time. I just watched WWE.

[@anonim1083]

April 26th Raw was actually first Raw I've ever witnessed. Had no idea there were some war with TNA about which I didn't know anything.

[@KitsuneRokaku]

26:12 You missed the perfect opportunity to play a Whose Line Is It Anyway clip of Wayne Brady saying "Not A Damn Thing" since Wayne Brady was on that episode of RAW. If anyone wants to know what I mean, here's the clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpPIm5mbeaeBaKMsi=S7Tok4WLfp3QpxXD

[@JagerLange]

If this one opening segment causes Tony Khan to start saying "yeah well we won the Wednesday Night War" again in EVERY interview, then I swear...

[@pendafen7405]

8:13 ngl I liked the big red dome. Stupid and didn't work on camera, but iconic

[@FewerMiles]

Maybe it was the WCW/TBS mark in me, but I wanted to see Abyss combine 5 rings to form Captain Wrestling.

[@dtm_666]

Yeah, except they're WWE Hall Of Fame rings, so they'd technically form Captain Sports Entertainment.

[@ajahh24]

Shoutout MarkyD for being the first to cover this topic still a dope video.

[@num1Jaysta]

3 plus hours

[@Buffalo31]

TNA was just in a war with theirselves. When they checked the numbers (which WWE weren't worried about) and didn't see a big rise after a good show, they panicked and changed so much for the next week it confused more fans into not watching.

[@MIKELIN8]

Dude, during the Monday Night War, all of my friends were WCW fans, I had to take getting laughed at for almost 2 straight years while I was telling them that WWF would eventually win. All of the derision was based on the ratings. No differnt today from then.

[@porkboy86]

I can remember watching both of these episodes at the same time in a bar. It's crazy how long ago it was. It feels like it was just yesterday

[@pippin3430]

If there was one thing to learn about Hogan in WcW and TNA, is that Hulk Hogan killed WcW and TNA. WWE could never be able to compete at this rate, since WWE was already a PG power house at this point, in comparason to the other companies. No other competetion would wage war of something casual in favor of the hardcore audience. Is like how Nintendo was marking towards casuals in 2006-2016 with the Wii era. Ultimately it hurted WWE and Nintendo at the end because it was too much of a good thing.

[@dhenderson1810]

Yet Hogan was integral to WWF's success during "The Rock 'N Wrestling Era" and launching the first Wrestlemania.

[@VelocitrapLords]

Remember being so bored when both were having their promo segments at the same time lol USA was channel 51/Spike was 52 it was otherwise perfect

[@jeffcoates1134]

“A dark orange cloud” 🤪

[@MauriceBear]

How fitting years ago they were at ‘war’ together then as today TNA and NXT hinting the possibility of a relationship which is becoming more likely then it sounds. This is a strange time in wrestling. Hopefully it would be better than TNA’s last elite working relationship.

[@Top10Wrestling]

Been waiting for this video! Excited for this one

[@scorpionqueen11]

Not that Hulk Hogan jump scare in the beginning. 😂

[@cmstrike]

Damn, why'd you change the channel on Jermaine like that?

[@robcassey6043]

Always love your stuff Brian, as a Brit could I ask how the TV ratings metrics work in the States. I've heard things like "Raw drew a 3.8 for that show" but never understood what that meant. In Britain we just say how many actual people tuned in.

[@josephmalgieri1624]

It is amazing how sting outlasted two bischoff/Russo/Hogan ran companies just to go to aew, at least he "retired" before Tony inevitably brings the magical trio in haha

[@KnowPhere]

“Damn I’m poetic” lmaooo I was gunna say you killed that segment Brian well said 👏👏

[@thehorrorhound6575]

I’ve been saying it since it happened and I’ll continue to say it. People laugh about TNA’s “Monday night war” like it’s so hilarious they thought they could compete, as if WWE was still putting out banger episodes and feuds. It wasn’t that TNA couldn’t compete it’s that fans are stubborn and hard headed and they didn’t want to give TNA a chance. While TNA was having Mr. Anderson vs the pope, aj styles vs rvd, and sting and Kurt angle, and a women’s division actually worth watching. WWE was having guest hosts who couldn’t even remember the name of the ppv they were supposed to be hyping “summer fest” *cough* *cough*. Throw away divas matches that looked like they were still in wrestling school, and worst of all…farting Natalya. You’re gonna lie to my face and say you’d rather seen Natalya fart and hornswaggle pass out because he was the closest to her ass instead of RVD vs aj styles?! 🤦🏻

[@xaviergutierrez4382]

What a great freaking video, i also think there was wrestling fatigue in those years to, i personally moved on to the ufc after the attitude era and early 2000, but have made my way back due to the content feeling fresh and exciting again...🤘😍🤘

[@skippythealien9627]

"And I would do my best to try and watch both (WWE and WCW) practically at the same time." man...imagine if we had today's technology back during the Monday night wars of the 90s. You could be watching WWE on TV and WCW on your tablet/smartphone

[@KillFriskey]

But then I counteract with the fact that if you think WWE and AEW tribalism is bad...god, it would be insufferable today with WWF and WCW.

[@num1Jaysta]

@@KillFriskey Which is why I don't believe half the people complaining about either side taking shots were even watching back then.

[@buhbuhjaychampagne1706]

I’d watch Raw and then watch the replay of Nitro right after. I got to see them both this way. If they weren’t doing a replay, I’d record Raw and watch it after Nitro. I was a die hard WCW guy.

[@RazorShalom]

The MONDAY NIGHT WARS was what got me through middle school. I looked forward to watching it and then talking about what happened Tuesday morning. Also when smackdown and thunder came out it was like heaven. NEVER WILL THERE EVER BE A TIME LIKE THAT IN WRESTLING AGAIN!

[@charlottecorday8494]

Ahhhh, the SuperCena hostage situation is finally over!

[@stephenriddle1292]

I watched tna for a little bit when this was going on, some gems came from this

[@espurrthestupididiot2405]

0:01 This Hulk Hogan meme keeps showing up in my recent wrestling videos, please end this torment.

[@Boozer13]

Yoooo those signs at 2:40 are savage AF!!!! Hahaha

[@NinetyfiveNachos]

I will forever be subscribed if you keep that Hogan clip in your intro (I’ll stay subscribed anyways)

[@vigoroushero8623]

We had it good in our house in the 90's. We had TNT broadcasting from the east coast so we would watch WCW first and later that night we watched WWE during west coast time space. Both shows in one night! Miss those times.

[@Wandering_Nowhere]

Once Hogan and friends hijacked TNA, watching it gave me second hand embarassment. It was like the momentum died and we're witnessing the beginning of the end. Even just the presentation had bingo hall vibes.

[@therealangelalexander1858]

If nothing else, this era of TNA spawned a countless amount of fantastic memes. The one with Hogan going WHAT A MASTERPIECE and saying shucks while flexing in an empty room is my favorite by far.

[@PlatinumRoseLady]

WWF vs WCW - The Monday Night Wars WWE vs TNA - The Monday Night Pillow Fight

[@sdmurphy20]

I should tell my sister that the press conference took place on her birthday 😂