OR
“WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO… CHANGE?”
BY
JERRY AND GRANDPA DUDLEY
Grandpa Dudley and I have been watching TNA and over the past few weeks, we thought the NWO, sans Hollyweird Hogan and The Nacho Man, was back in business. You remember the NWO, don’t you? It was the ‘savior’ of WCW, when they were a struggling operation and needed a shot in the arm. They came up with the NWO as a bunch of ‘outsiders’ who were there to save WCW from it’s self … along with Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo. They had a bunch of big names riding in like knights on white horses and slaying the dragon. Well if it was good enough for WCW, it must be good enough for TNA.
Instead of a bunch of older stars, mostly from The WWE, calling themselves The NWO, appearing and taking over the place, we have a bunch of older stars, mostly from within, doing the same thing. Instead of calling themselves The NWO, they call themselves The Main Event Mafia, MFE for short. In place of Hollyweird, who is off fighting lawyers and finishing the first (and probably the last) season of Celebrity Championship Wrestling (CCW), we have Kurt Angle leading the MME. His supporting cast includes Kevin ‘Big Lazy’ Nash, Scott ‘I have muscles in my s***’ Steiner, Mr. & Mrs. Booger T, and Sting (Yup, he still exists). TNA is defended by a group led by Rhyno, and includes A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, and a host of Rhyno’s mid-card buddies. That Rhyno is the leader says a lot about the House Group. They have two fantastic wrestlers in Styles and Joe, but Rhyno (with his Gore) is their leader. That’s like having Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise playing second fiddle to Mr. Kennedy in an action movie.
At the present Kurt Angle is getting ready to face Jeff Jarrett in a grudge match (naturally). Seems mean old Kurt denigrated Jarrett’s family. How dastardly of him. Jarrett is the ‘owner’ of TNA and face of the company. Angle wants to run the show. The match is for control of TNA. Then there is Mic Foley, ‘TNA’s Major Investor.’ Is he next for Angle in MME vs. TNA? Isn’t this about how The NWO ‘took over’ WCW … Beating the House?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Brother DeVon and Brother Bubba Ray. They have switched sides and you never really know from week to week where they’ll end up. Here is arguably the best tag team of all time following, rather than leading. That never happened in ECW or WWE. Call them The Dudley Boyz or Team 3-D (TNA), they have always made the rules, not follows the direction of others.
I may not be fair about TNA repeating a good thing, remembering they were founded on the concept of providing a fresh, new and different product. Then again, maybe I am. They came up with a match that had four briefcases, one in each corner. One of the briefcases had a ‘Fired On The Spot’ inside. Now it looks like they are going to make it a yearly match, possibly with a ladder and several briefcases involved. One will hold the ‘Fired On The Spot’ card, and the others a Title Match in one of TNA’s Divisions, anytime the holders wants to use them. Where have I seen a concept similar to that? Darn, it’s sounds so familiar … Climb the Ladder, Get A Title Shot Anytime You Want in the Next Year. Granted the ‘Fired On The Spot’ is additional, but the basic concept is from WWE ‘Money In The Bank’ Match.
‘Fresh, New, Different?’ Frankly, I expected more from TNA and it’s more of the same. Not that repeating a good thing is bad, but beating a dead kangaroo is not the way to go. Build on your young and real stars, like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. There are others who hold a lot of promise, however, it’s not a bunch of older and past their prime used-to-be’s. Kurt Angle may be the best wrestler in the world, but he could also be one supple away from a wheelchair. He is a tried and tested Main Reenter, as are a few of his buddies, but this is almost 2009. not 1999.
Grandpa wants you to know that he likes several of TNA’s hotties. He liked them in WEW and WWE, and he still likes them. He just wishes Kurt Angle would wrestle Awesome Kong in a Loser Leaves Town Match. Oh, wait … Kong is a female. Since she weighs about the same Kurt and is bigger than him, maybe it would be Politically Correct for them to face each other in a match. Open line has Kong at 7-5.
Grandpa also wants to remind you to cast your votes in the Best of 2008 voting. Vote early, vote often. I just reminded him that this is not the election for Mayor of Dudleyville and he can’t say that. He told me where to go … and it wasn’t for a walk.
Happy New Year from Grandma Dudley, Grandpa Dudley, Everyone in Beautiful Downtown Lower Dudleyville, The Acme Corporation and Jerry.
