For over fifty columns, I have mainly given my own opinions on the current state of the WWE. What can I say? I’m a loyal fan of the WWE, and I have been for 15 years, over half of my entire life. Even if I wanted to jump onto a new promotion completely, I could never really abandon my viewing of the WWE. We’re given choices all the time, almost every single day, and I believe it’s a great privilege that we can choose to watch the WWE on television every week, watch TNA on television every week, or watch both shows. We are given that option, and in most cases, you’ll only hear about fans of one promotion praising it (like myself with WWE) and not the fans who loyally follow both shows. I suppose it’s a case where your full loyalty can only go to one promotion.
I have sampled TNA on several different occasions, and I have largely avoided confronting my feelings on the promotion because I knew that my opinion would likely not be taken seriously by any hardcore TNA viewers. But once you allow fear to take over your own thoughts and opinions, and once you’re afraid to speak your mind about something, you’re only going to get weaker and weaker. So, I’m bringing you, the loyal X-ists (fan name subject to change upon request), my thoughts, opinions and suggestions for the TNA promotion.
Now, the first question you may have is “Why single out TNA? There are more promotions than the WWE and TNA.”. If you’re asking yourself that, then you’re absolutely correct. There are so many other wrestling promotions, but let’s face it. The big two are WWE and TNA, so it’s only fair to discuss the two most well-known promotions right now.
We have established the reasoning behind why we should discuss TNA, so let’s get to exactly what I think of TNA. Are you ready? Good, because here it is: I’m not crazy about it. Before you close the page and destroy your monitor, I’ll explain. I have watched quite a few full episodes of “TNA Impact”, and I have been able to see a few PPV shows to completely form an opinion that I can stand by and defend fully.
One of the biggest complaints a lot of people have (or, that I have, at least) is that TNA seems to be, more or less, the “hand-me-down” promotion. They have given a new home to former WWE superstars like Christian, Billy Gunn, The Dudley Boys, and Jeff Hardy. They have also went out of their way to draw big names, such as Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, and most recently, Sting. There are several pros and cons to this approach, but it should be remembered that TNA also has many talented superstars that are TNA-made (as in, they’re more well-known as original TNA talent, and not former WWE/WCW talent), like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Petey Williams, amongst others.
We all must remember that TNA is playing it smart by signing the big, established names to draw more viewers (and ultimately, more money) to the promotion. But they must remember to keep their focus on the up-and-coming talent that will carry the shows, not the “veteran” names that aren’t as talented as they once were. Let’s face it: most of the veterans that return to any wrestling company are not in the same shape as they were even ten years ago.
One of the other main concerns that even I have with TNA is the lack of story-telling in the wrestling. Mainly, there isn’t a lot of build-up in the matches, while there are a ton of high-flying spots that can be incredible to see. But it can be too much of a good thing. I enjoy seeing a big spot in a WWE match when the match builds up to it, but when the big spots end up being the main focus of a match (as is the case with a few of the matches that I’ve seen on TNA), it’s overkill. However, it’s hard to remember what TNA stands for (and no, it’s not the other meaning, so get your mind out of the gutter): Total Nonstop Action. It’s right there in the name. Nonstop Action. And some people enjoy that in their wrestling! Who am I to tell people what wrestling is? After all, everyone has their opinion of it, and no one is really right or wrong when it comes to that.
Which brings me to my next point: the fans. I believe the fans of TNA come to expect the matches that they see every week, so why should they change just because a group of people do not like the way their matches are conducted? It’s always important to do what the majority of the fans want, and I think it’s obvious that the fans of TNA love the total nonstop action of TNA wrestling, plain and simple. Just the same as the WWE fans come to expect and enjoy what the WWE gives them (except any sexual angles, of course). There’s always a bit of bias in any argument, and I surely will not deny my bias to the WWE. I have not denied it before, and I won’t be denying it now or in the future.
With my bigger complaints out of the way, I had to stop and examine TNA Wrestling. When I first heard about the promotion signing a contract with FSN two years ago, my first thought was that this might end up being another WCW. But, when I read about the WCW and the problems it had, I shy away from comparing the two. Besides, WCW had money to throw around, while TNA is currently attempting to make ends meet with the big-money signing of talent such as Sting.
TNA is the little show that might. So, while I was reading Eddie Guerrero’s book, I stopped and realized something when he spoke of his past: TNA is honestly a modern-day version of ECW. ECW was the “other” wrestling show after WWE and WCW, and there wasn’t a big threat with ECW (much like TNA, although I admit that in a few years, TNA could eventually be a threat, but not in the near-future). ECW had an incredible following of fans who lived and breathed ECW, much like TNA today. Those fans of ECW would live and die with the “Extreme” wrestling company, and I have a feeling that the TNA fans would do the exact same for their favorite show. And finally, let’s not forget that ECW was wrestling to the extreme, and TNA boasts total nonstop action.
After giving TNA many chances, it just hasn’t captured me yet. I blame my mind being so fixated on what the WWE gives me every week that I cannot possibly change my preferences right now at this point in time. But that’s what makes wrestling so great. We have these choices right now as to what shows we watch, and I honestly implore all of you to choose whatever you want. It’s great when fans have the choice, especially when a few years ago, the choice was just one. And, for a long time, up until Spike TV’s pick-up of TNA, fans had just the one choice of the WWE. There is no real need for the wars over the internet that the WWE and TNA fans have, because we should be grateful for the opportunity to choose whatever we want for any reasons that we believe.
And on that note, I leave you this week hoping that you’ll choose what you want. Not because of what I say or what anyone says, but because what you want. If you want to watch WWE and not experience Total Nonstop Action, so be it. If you want to jump the WWE ship over to TNA, let loose with it. And if you want to view RAW, Smackdown!, TNA Impact and all the wrestling PPVs, more power to you. Although, I should warn you that those PPVs add up quite quickly, so you may want to pick and choose there. I’ll see you all next time on “The X-Factor” when my topic doesn’t make me sound so preachy and lame. See you later.
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