It’s difficult to know on what authority I can comment about TNA. I’ve been watching the promotion on and off since it debuted on The Wrestling Channel here in the UK last year and I’ve been both impressed and incredibly frustrated with its output, but what you see on the screen is only half the issue with TNA. Like most other ‘underdog’ companies it makes bold statements ranging from the optimistic to the simply delusional based solely on the idea that it’s not the content of the noise you make that’s important but how loud you bark. Equally, some fans of TNA soft-focus the product to fuel some obvious anti-WWE feeling and ultimately dent the veracity of its fanbase through an unwillingness to self-criticise. In terms of airing, the UK has only just caught up, going from almost six months behind the US to now only being two months out, and we receive Impact, Xplosion and the PPV’s free-to-air once a month. The reason for my reluctance to pass any sort of holistic judgement on TNA comes from the fact that I have stopped watching its shows on a must-see basis and I only view if there’s nothing better on another channel or I’ve run out of nails to trim. Problem is, not writing a column about it makes me seem like a WWE-only wrestling fan and that isn’t the case. To avoid assumptions I will stick to what I know and what I have seen so excuse any holes or obvious omissions.
I’ll get this first issue out of the way because I want to pass comment on it and then ignore it. I’m talking about everyone’s favourite gold-hog, Jeff Jarrett. Just imagine how many wrestling federations there would be in the world if every performer who’d failed to make it to the top of the WWE, but thought they were the brightest star in the universe, got their own and made themselves champion. Jarrett is living out his own personal microcosmic wrestling fantasy where he waits for the next superstar to leave the WWE and job for him in TNA to boost his fragile ego. My only concern is that, if he’s ‘banging’ the offspring of the boss to get where he is like many accuse HHH of doing, then logically that means he’s masturbating his way to the top. The sad part is that Jarrett is and was a good wrestler. A little light in terms of offence but he had speed, agility and a sound wrestling brain. Where he leaves most casual fans behind is his belief that he is on the same level as Austin, Rock and HHH and he’s systematically burying the talent in TNA to prove it. The shame of it is that TNA at this time still needs Jarrett at or near the top because he’s their most successful in-house talent and the best example of someone who’s both recognisable and a decent worker.
The main body of the under-card is made up of mostly ex-WWE rejects or veterans. DDP (or ‘the little wrestler that could’) came out of retirement and seems remarkably fresh even if the routine isn’t. Kevin Nash is still the worst big man in the business and seems intent on undoing what little good work he did as Diesel. Jeff Hardy started his TNA career in a daze but seems to have found a kindred spirit in Abyss and his performances are back to the levels of his best efforts in the tag ranks of the WWE. Hall is once again absent and really shouldn’t be allowed near a wrestling ring until he sorts out his problems and Sean Waltman has just resurfaced, but to expect a worthwhile outing from him is to assume that he’s changed some element of his dated style and that seems unlikely when rehab has been his priority of late. Billy Gunn/Outlaw/whatever should do well in TNA because he’s in good condition and he can wrestle but his occasional in-ring laziness and lack of singular identity will be a hindrance over time. The thing that bothers me about Raven is that I was a big mark for him when his character first appeared in ECW. He was genuinely disconcerting, which was remarkable when the ECW fans were still trying to wind him up with ‘Johnny Polo’ chants, but he won them over with what I consider to be the best feud in wrestling history against Tommy Dreamer. Switching sides to WCW he lost some impetus with the convoluted ‘Raven’s nest’ idea and from then on it was a steady stream of stop/start pushes and promotion changes until he wound up in TNA, an overweight junkie pounding the same platform as always and ultimately failing to impress where it matters.
It’s not all bad news though. As I said, Abyss is an impressive performer and should be the top heel in the company. Christopher Daniels has always been a favourite of mine and is now showing some of the superstar potential he demonstrated in ROH. Elix Skipper has broken out of all that held him back in WCW and should be in line for a singles push and AMW’s Harris and Storm are currently the best tag team in America (though the competition isn’t fierce). Monty Brown is an explosive athlete though he suffers from forced mannerisms and poorly faked intensity and would greatly benefit from a calming of his character. Michael Shane will miss Kazarian but his natural genetic talent will surely hold him in good stead for the future. But sitting atop the cream of the independent scene is AJ styles, the best performer in the US right now. Not as technically sound as Benoit or as complete as HHH, AJ is still an incredible athlete and is TNA’s ‘show-stealer’. His matches for FWA in the UK alone would be enough to cement a reputation for excellence but he continues to do everything one could ask to justify the moniker ‘Phenomenal’. His size and accent are obvious drawbacks but his wrestling skills are more than enough to compensate for that and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a regular main-eventer in any federation.
As the most prominent alternative to the WWE it’s only natural that anybody who leaves Stamford is almost expected to reappear in TNA sooner or later. Even before Edge’s tyres were completely flat the buzz on the net was that Matt Hardy, along with Rhyno, would be joining TNA when the no-compete clause in their WWE contracts ends in ninety days. Have you noticed that almost every ex-WWE wrestler who joins TNA enters at or around the main event level? This is the same mistake that WCW made in the late nineties. It perpetuates the idea that people who come in from elsewhere are automatically better than the home-grown talent and it pushes them further down the roster in actuality and in the perception of the fans. Even in the unlikely event that The Rock joins, you TNA fans do know what it means right? He’s not going to magically ditch his film career and return to full time wrestling again. And it wouldn’t be cheap either. You think the backers of TNA are going to be happy paying five times the wages of an average performer to a man who would appear only twice a year at best? And TNA doesn’t have the market position, mainstream acceptance or promotional machinery that WWE has which benefits Rock’s movie ambitions. I’m not even sure if he can use the name in TNA as Vince owns half of it (correct me if I’m wrong on that one). Despite being a major player in the business, to assume that Rock could single-handedly bring TNA up to the same level in all senses as the WWE is wishful thinking and the sort of bitter optimism that killed WCW. Add to that a head booker with an antiquated style and an even worse on-screen presence, financial difficulties, no leverage in its on-going broadcast negotiations, a discontented locker-room, low but respectable ratings and a business infrastructure wholly unable to support the weight of its own aspirations.
I know that I come across as someone who takes great personal enjoyment in listing all the faults that currently dog the promotion but it’s more founded in the disappointment I felt when WCW fell under the spell of Hogan in the mid-nineties and then crapped on almost all the existing talent of a product I liked because of its dissimilarity from WWE. In trying to keep up with the McMahons, TNA could be over-stretching its resources and might burn out long before it manages to find its own place in the market, not just as an alternative. It would appear as though they offer a genuine PPV product worth purchasing if you watch the tv shows and the overall look of the output is slick and attractive. But they need to start running cost-effective house shows to get a ‘road’ profile, no good if all you do is play at home, and they need to stop using independent wrestlers in favour of a contracted lower and mid-card (something I believe they’re doing now). Stop sacrificing the budget for the sake of wrestlers who once had a name but can’t do business any more and lay faith in your youth and athletic talent. Small, economically sound steps and a strong foundation, Vince could tell you that. The more the company grows, the bigger the steps can become.
The WWE needs a competitive TNA on the market and so do the fans. For too long Vince has been able to run his product without fear of a ratings loss and it shows. You have to wonder if he hears us any more, he damn sure listened to us when we wanted Austin as the top face to turn the Monday night viewing figures on WCW. Support TNA. Just hope it gets better. Soon.
Lee
