10 Times TNA Succeeded Where WWE Failed

It’s impossible to argue that TNA has been anything but a distant second to WWE since it began in 2002. However, it's often forgotten that the unloved runt of the industry litter has done a lot of good for the wrestling world since the demise of WCW and ECW in 2001.

When there was nowhere else to go, TNA gave wrestlers an option. When the WWE product was stale, TNA gave viewers an alternative. Most importantly, when WWE squandered a talent, TNA gave performers a stage.

While WWE is universally regarded by workers as the place to go and the ultimate goal for any wrestler worth his salt, Vince and co. don’t always have the golden ticket for everyone. There can only be so many men that make it to the main event of WrestleMania and not everyone is going to get the push of a Steve Austin or a John Cena.

For every WWE home run, there’s a thousand strikes. Luckily for the wrestling industry, TNA has usually been there to pick up whenever WWE has dropped the ball and a large number of wrestlers have flourished in TNA after floundering in WWE.

Let’s flip the script and recount ten times that TNA succeeded where WWE failed.

Matt Morgan’s run in WWE was so disastrously underwhelming, it’s virtually been buried in WWE history ever since it ended.

Originally debuting as part of the monolithic Team Lesnar at the Survivor Series ‘03, Morgan quickly slipped out of view, appearing sporadically on Smackdown until late January 2004. Despite still being under contract, he didn’t return again until mid 2005, where he was given the gimmick of a stuttering giant. Thankfully, the gimmick died quickly and he was gone for good by July.

After a spell overseas, Morgan finally made his way over to TNA for what would become the run of his career. Debuting as Jim Cornette's backup, Morgan became a singles star in 2008 and took on the moniker of 'The Blueprint'. Articulate, huge, and exuding charisma, Morgan had all the tools to become a superstar.

After several weeks of squash matches, Morgan won the Tag Team Titles with Abyss before eventually feuding with his partner in 2009. Later that year, Morgan would also feud with Kurt Angle, culminating in a marquee match at Bound For Glory ‘09.

Morgan would subsequently become a member of Ric Flair's Fortune stable before joining Hulk Hogan in Immortal thereafter. Although unsuccessful, Morgan also received several shots at the World Championship throughout his TNA tenure.