Although skeptics didn’t believe it could survive in the monopolized pro wrestling market, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling is now celebrating 10 years of consistently making its rival, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), look better by comparison.

“We’ve beaten the odds,” said TNA President Dixie Carter during a press conference yesterday. “The naysayers and critics thought we’d only make WWE look better for a year, max, but a decade later, we’re still doing it.”

TNA held its first live event in the summer of 2002, immediately establishing itself as a yardstick against which WWE’s product could be measured.

In practically every category — production quality, crowd size, booking, creative direction, popularity, profitability — TNA has offered a wrestling product that elevates the perception of the competition.

WWE honcho Vince McMahon reportedly expressed his appreciation by sending Dixie Carter a gift basket and a card that read “Keep up the mediocre work!”