Wrestling Wednesday -- The State of TNA Wrestling Address

Wrestling Wednesday…

TNA Wrestling - The State of TNA Wrestling Address - or - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Impact Wrestling



The first two weeks of 2013 for TNA Wrestling have been a microcosm for the entire wrestling industry itself. Within two weeks, TNA fans have watched the company make drastic changes to their pay-per-view structure, hold an outstanding pay-per-view event, and have two weeks of television full of bright spots ultimately get tarnished by the same thing. Big announcements, lots of potential, and ultimately a repetitive fixture appearing to ruin it all. It is the same regardless of what promotion you watch. After watching this start for TNA in 2013, I felt the need to look in-depth at TNA in a critical manner with the State of TNA Wrestling Address.

First, the GOOD in TNA Wrestling. Contrary to what many in the Internet Wrestling Community would have you believe, there are many good things in TNA Wrestling. Of course, you have to stop believing that wrestling begins and ends with Vincent Kennedy McMahon but that is an argument made regarding the IWC for a decade now that will never be heard over the “Bah! WWE! Bah!” from the IWC. However, I digress.

The good in TNA is all around the company. First, TNA features one of the best collections of talent on a wrestling roster in the world. Anyone who denies this has not watched the in-ring product in TNA because the in-ring action is second-to-none in the business today. Even the matches rushed for television purposes still feature competitiveness and excitement as this current roster of performers bring something special to the ring every night. Nothing comes off as a pointless 90-second match in TNA. In signifying specific examples of the TNA roster’s greatness, I stress that fans look no further than Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, James Storm, or TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy. Each one of these men put on outstanding matches and has not missed a step in the ring in over a year. Like them or hate them, and I know many hate Jeff Hardy especially, I emphasize that respect has to be given when it is due. Hardy, much like his peers on the TNA roster, raises the bar every time he steps in the ring. 

Another example of the good in TNA is the character development of two long-term members of the TNA roster: AJ Styles and Abyss. Styles, coming off the worst year in his TNA career, has shown a backbone and an edge with his current departure from the company. Styles wants respect from the company he carried on his back in the early years of TNA. I like the development as Styles finally looks like a man with an edge after the Claire Lynch debacle. Meanwhile, the evolution of Abyss continues with the comical work of lawyer-turned-wrestler Joseph Park. While Abyss is still missing, his brother Park (same guy for the one person who still does not get it) has went from searching for him to fighting the bullies of TNA Wrestling. The vignettes showing Park’s training in Ohio Valley Wrestling with “Nightmare” Danny Davis wee wrestling comedy gold. 

Finally, Christy Hemme is working her way up the ranks to become my favorite ring announcer of all-time. Howard Fink may have the voice. Michael Buffer may have the catchphrase. However, Hemme has the sex appeal of Lilian Garcia trumped and does not botch every other introduction either.

Ho Chi Mihn!  Love me some Christy Hemme...

Now, there are a few things in TNA Wrestling that I consider BAD. First, TNA has allowed Aces and 8s to go from one of the most interesting angles in the wrestling world to one of apathetic feelings by dragging it out too long without any major revelations. After almost seven months, fans should have a main event figure unmasked and serving as a face for the group - not a mid-carder named Devon. Their motivation should be public knowledge by now. Even if my wishes for this came true tomorrow and Jeff Jarrett was unmasked and revealed as the leader, this angle would struggle to do anything more than limp to the barn. TNA has wasted too much time on revealing information and turned Aces and 8s into the wrestling equivalent of Lost - a lot of questions, a lack of answers, and a loss of interest. 

Another bad part of TNA Wrestling is the misuse of both the Knockouts and X-Division. While the matches in both divisions are good, I find myself annoyed with some of the roster developments. Current Knockouts Champion Tara does not need Jesse Godderz as her boy toy. It makes for an annoying paring and he is a detriment to her character. Meanwhile, Brooke Tessmacher, as sexy as she may be, is growing more unbearable by the week with her constant pelvic thrusts and booty shaking. The “Texas Tough” fighter is gone and a party girl is in her place. Finally, TNA needs to stop letting Mickie James, Gail Kim, and Madison Rayne sit on the sidelines because all three are more over and more talented in the ring than the returning poster-child of the Knockouts: Velvet Sky. As for the X-Division, Rob Van Dam’s title reign breathed fresh life into the division. However, with only Kenny King and Christian York as real challengers to RVD, the division can only do so much. TNA needs to use Zema Ion, Doug Williams, Kid Kash, and Sonjay Dutt more often while also reintroducing Joey Ryan to this division.

As bad as the bad things are, they are not the UGLY in TNA Wrestling. I can sum up the ugly in TNA Wrestling in five letters: H - O - G - A - N.

If it's not about me, nobody cares, Brother.

After spending a majority of 2012 away from the spotlight, Hulk Hogan has claimed the spotlight for himself on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling shows both weeks of 2013 in ways that nobody outside of the Hogan bloodline would find enjoyable. Hogan, the current GM of Impact Wrestling, has watched as his daughter and not-so-secret desire Brooke has started a relationship with Bully Ray. Yeah, the same Bully Ray who was the best heel in a generation is now a part of this garbage. Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan are set to wed tomorrow night in what will be the third week of a great show tarnished by Hogan DNA.

Bully Ray must have a lot of gambling debts to put up with this.

Garbage like this does not belong on wrestling anywhere. Period. End of story. Of course, Hulk Hogan and the brain trust at TNA who will not say “no” to the Orange Menace believe this is what fans want: Hogan as an angry dad, Brooke as the “virginal” daughter, and Bully Ray as the misunderstood bad boy with the heart of gold. However, the only people who want to see any of this either have a last name of Hogan or eat paint chips and still wet the bed well into their 40s. Tragically, this appears to have no end in the foreseeable future, as rumors are that Hogan and Bully Ray will actually have a match. Goody.

Another ugly thing in TNA Wrestling is their dependence on Orlando, Florida and growing dependence on pre-recorded programming. The story remains the same for another year in TNA - they need to get away from the Impact Zone. The longtime home base of TNA Wrestling, their dependence on hosting events in the Impact Zone has kept travel costs at a minimum but also limited their exposure to the rest of the world hungry for wrestling action. Many moments that would bring huge pops from an audience in Texas, California, New York, or Illinois instead appear less than exciting thanks to an Orlando audience witness to everything. Last week, TNA Management announced a change in their PPV structure that I will go more in detail on later. The gist of it though is that TNA will produce eight pay-per-view specials throughout the year taped months in advance. TNA will record the entire month of Impact Wrestling in February during their European tour next week. This is coming off a three-week stretch of Impact in December that featured taped programming. After a wildly successful summer of live TV, TNA is taking a major step back with their growing dependence on taped programming. People read spoilers and judge their interest on program viewing based on what they read in the spoilers. I am positive many will not watch these monthly pay-per-view specials, even if they are interested in the action, strictly because the event is already spoiled. That is a problem TNA could eliminate by refraining from returning to taped programming time after time.

A final ugly thing in TNA Wrestling sits at the commentators table weekly. Taz is the worst commentator in professional wrestling today. Yes, I know Michael Cole is still alive and working. I stand by my statement. Taz does nothing but work to confuse Mike Tenay and Todd Keneley while they call the action. His mockery of Keneley’s knowledge of wrestler’s names for signature moves - something Taz benefited in with every cry of Tazmission or Taz-plex - reeks of professional jealousy since Taz himself does not know the moves. Taz only works to put himself over with lame jokes and references to red Hook - both of which are pointless. Tenay and Keneley could work commentating duties by themselves. Jeremy Borash would work well and even Al Snow would be better suited for the position than Taz. The Human Suplex Machine needs to go away and go away fast.

The future is unknown for TNA Wrestling. While the company will never replace WWE on top of the wrestling totem pole because sport entertainment fans refuse to give TNA a chance, TNA itself may have accelerated their own demise with the recent change in their pay-per-view schedule. TNA reduced their live PPV schedule from 12 to four events - Genesis, Lockdown, Slammiversary, and Bound for Glory. They will have eight additional pay-per-view specials under the banner of “One Night Only” that will premiere on the first Friday of each month without a Sunday event. 

Personally, I would like this idea if these events aired free on Spike TV as a Clash of the Champions-style event. However, the lower prices for these One Night Only specials at least make them a viable option for the wrestling fan on a budget. The idea of dropping to four main pay-per-event events is an attempt to please wrestling fans who have screamed for fewer events and more build-up for those events; a cry I have heard for years. TNA is trying to appeal to these fans. However, they are trying to reach a fan base they lost the minute the company opened. I am not optimistic about the new PPV strategy because of the wrestling fan base as a whole. The hypocritical fans who say, “I remember when there were only four or five PPVs and everything meant something because there was a lot of build to it. I want that back” are the same fans that reacted to TNA’s announcement with “Ha! TNA is going under! You f*cking suck! The Rock made a funny! I must pay $89.95 for Cookie Puss! AHAHAHAHA!” Is there anyone out there still wondering why I hate the majority of the IWC? 

The future of TNA is standing at a crossroad. With a few tweaks, TNA could return to how the company was in the summer of 2012 when the company hit on all cylinders. However, if the bad and the ugly are not corrected soon, TNA very well could plummet into a new abyss ultimately culminating in the 10-year rumor finally coming true - TNA could finally go out of business in two, three weeks tops.