Former WCW/TNA commentator Mike Tenay recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote his podcast ‘Professor Vegas’ and during that interview, Tenay commented on his run WCW as well as other topics. Here are the highlights.
On WCW closing:
“The nature of the wrestling business is always open for second-guessing,” said Tenay. “But some of the booking decisions of the late 1990’s certainly hastened the decline of WCW. All of a sudden, WCW couldn’t garner the interest of the mainstream fans like it did in 1996 and ’97, and soon after, so went the company.”
On WCW’s booking:
“When it comes to wrestling booking, I’ve always been a fan of sports-based booking,” said Tenay. “The wrestling product should be presented as legitimate as possible, with individuals fighting over championships and over issues that resonate with the audience. But there was a time when WCW creative went in a different direction. While I never want to take away the entertainment aspect of pro wrestling, WCW went too far in that direction. If you look at the success these days of the UFC, you’ll see a product very similar to pro wrestling in the pre-sports entertainment era, and it’s no surprise that UFC is so successful with that mindset.”
On possibly returning to TNA to be a commentator:
“That hasn’t been discussed with me,” said Tenay. “I think it’s great that TNA, in a very competitive time, found that outlet for Impact Wrestling. There is an absolutely terrific group of very talented people who still have the ability to apply their trade and make a living because of that, and it’s fantastic for everybody involved.”
You can read the entire interview here.
