The Much Needed Transformation of TNA Wrestling

Instead of coming into TNA and seeing what made the company what it was, Hogan and Bischoff was on a mission to make TNA the new WCW, or WWE-lite, as some like to say. They changed the ring, much to the dismay of fans, and former WWE/WCW/ECW wrestlers such as Ric Flair, RVD, The Nasty Boyz, Val Venis, Matt Hardy, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman, all decided to follow suit. TNA would enter into what I like to call … the “year of hell”, as Hulk Hogan, Bischoff and Flair formed the stables of Immortal and Fortune. AJ Styles was defeated rather quickly by Rob Van Dam for the title, and even up until 2014, AJ Styles never made his way back to the top (except briefly in late 2013/early 2014), he was demoted almost immediately.

The product became unwatchable as Immortal (who soon became the stable to keep the “anti-christ” Jeff Hardy at the top) continued to dominate every episode with run-ins, and ambushes on wrestlers who were not in the stable. They had Bubba the Love Sponge running around, thinking he was cool, but his comments on Twitter annoyed Awesome Kong so much that she attacked him backstage. Fans despised Bubba with a great deal of passion, and even more so after the incident with Awesome Kong. When haters talk about how bad TNA is, they only appear to reference the product during 2010. There were some good moments in 2010, but they were rare and usually had nothing to do with the incoherent main storyline. The TNA originals were used to form stables like Fortune (or be buried) who served under Ric Flair and Immortal. Basically, the guys who built the company was now cannon fodder for Jeff Hardy, Hogan, Bischoff and Flair, and that didn’t sit very well with a lot of fans.

The X-Divison became non-existent, and whenever they had the X-Division, it wasn’t highlighted as being important. Bischoff continued to talk down to X-Division wrestlers for being too small, and although I could understand he was trying to garner heat, he was actually sticking a huge middle finger up at the legacy of the X-Division and its fans. He just didn’t get it, and neither did Hulk Hogan. They tried to move away from the X-Division being important (even giving the division with “no limits” an actual weight limit … ) so they could take the airtime for more promos and backstage segments that were poorly done. Can you remember those segments? Almost every week, a cameraman would follow someone like Flair to Bischoff’s room, and although Flair would tell the cameraman to get lost, Flair would enter the room, and the cameraman would peek in from the outside after Flair “accidentally” left the door open. Flair and Bischoff would discuss the current agenda … until Flair or Bischoff would notice the cameraman and shut the door. So many little things insulted the fan’s intelligence, and TNA was no longer TNA. It was transformed into Impact Wrestling, the show where the fans were not allowed to chant “TNA” (producers asked fans in the Impact Zone to stop using boisterous chants as it came across poorly on TV, in their eyes), the ring was no longer six sides, the Knockouts didn’t matter, the X-Division definitely didn’t matter, and the booking was so poor I almost stopped watching altogether.

We saw change over time. Some of the names that originally came in with Hogan left, but with all the changes that had been made, it felt like a lost cause. TNA had lost its identity, and looked like an episode of WCW Thunder or WWE Smackdown than TNA Impact. There was nothing unique about the product anymore, and we were almost guaranteed a lengthy Hogan promo (or two, or three, or seventeen), with Hogan taking forever to say nothing, and Hogan/Bischoff/Flair taking up so much airtime the wrestling suffered.

Luckily, TNA did begin to improve, especially in 2011. Instead of booking and writing the show in the short term, they started to plan the show out months, sometimes even a year in advance. Bobby Roode becoming World Champion, and the X-Division being highlighted again thanks to Austin Aries, the product had crawled out of the deep dark hole it had gotten itself into, and was beginning to see the light. It was building TNA originals (or wrestlers like Aries who were probably more ROH, but still, not a WWE guy) like Roode and Storm after the split of Beer Money, and the show was watchable again. Hogan continued to show himself though, and Dixie Carter appeared a lot more. There were far too many names taking up the show that didn’t actually wrestle.

The show continued on with this uneasy feeling surrounding it. There was almost always a heel authority figure, and if there wasn’t, the main heel stable was truly running things. Aces and Eights began well, but as soon as Bully Ray introduced himself as leader (which was really well done and got a ton of praise) and the members were unmasked, fans saw who they were and no longer cared. It had potential, but it fell short due to having guys like Garrett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Knux in it who didn’t contribute a great deal. TNA tried their absolute best to get Garrett over, but he was greener than grass on a hot summers day, and all the fans knew that. He absolutely sucked, but TNA continued to shove him down our throats, and we were vocal about that. Bully Ray transformed, and I loved it, he was Aces and Eights. He didn’t really need anyone else, Bully Ray was the stable, end of. Devon and Gallows contributed somewhat, but if Bully Ray wasn’t out there spewing manure out of his mouth, no one cared.

The constant emphasis on the heels being the dominant force continued on and on. I was so tired of seeing it. Sting becoming a joker, Dixie Carter turning heel, Hogan coming out and saying the same things over and over. There was far too much emphasis on these segments, TNA were absolutely convinced it was what the fans wanted, as that was the norm during the late 1990’s. They tried to replicate the old magic, but failed to realize that the fans of today were not the same fans back then, and if they were the same fans, they had seen it all before. They didn’t listen to the fans, they were trying it their way and that was final.

The treatment of AJ Styles in 2013-2014 was something I found hard to swallow. He had to wait almost a full year to be allowed to fight for the World Championship after losing a triple-threat match, which sent him loopy and turned him into the “lone-wolf”. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, or have anything to do with anyone. They tried to make it as real as possible by adding his family in there to talk about his recent change in attitude, but it came across as far too much. There was a lot of bad acting going around, especially from Dixie Carter. The less I say about the AJ Styles and Claire Lynch storyline the better; it was the best example of how NOT to conduct a wrestling angle. Dixie Carter had convinced herself she was going to be the next Vince/Stephanie McMahon and although I admire the fact that she tried, she was taking the airtime away from her own contracted wrestlers. Just as I felt they were going to give us a babyface authority figure who didn’t take up the entire show … we got MVP turning heel (and forming yet another heel stable), which did nothing more but continue the doom and gloom. I hated the decision, and I couldn’t see anybody praising the decision either. We had seen this same storyline for the past four years already.

2014 has been one of the best years for TNA. Not only did TNA finally listen to the fans by bringing back the six sided ring, they also lost names such as Hulk Hogan and Sting. Dixie Carter was written off television, and with Kurt Angle getting injured, he became the authority figure. The sudden changes prompted TNA to put the emphasis back on the wrestlers and the championships. Deactivating the Television Championship was another great decision, as they were not using it anyway. With one authority figure in Kurt Angle (who only shows up briefly), TNA can do nothing but use the talent they have and all the emphasis on them. The doom and gloom has been lifted, and we can just sit down on a Wednesday night and watch the wrestling. No bullshit, no heel stables and authority figures ruining the show, all we get is the wrestling, the way it should be.

In terms of utilizing the championships, TNA started this by reemphasizing the X-Division. Sanada and Austin Aries helped with that, as did a few other signings. James Storm becoming more of a manager, reinventing wrestlers such as Sanada and Manik is something I welcomed. Bringing back older names like Low-Ki and Homicide has also helped a ton. These guys are happy to showcase the X-Division style. Samoa Joe becoming the X-Division Champion again was excellent, it showed the importance of the belt. Samoa Joe is often vocal about how important the X-Division is, and so is Austin Aries. The two had an excellent match on Impact to start the show last night. The short promo by Aries before the match gave me a sense of clarity over the state of the X-Division. The two of them are World Championship worthy, but they were both happy to put on a classic X-Division match for the fans, iIt was nice to see Samoa Joe go over and continue his dominant run.

The Knockouts Division became a little stale and repetitive with Madision Rayne as champion. Bringing back The Beautiful People was good for a short time, but TNA didn’t do a lot with them. The main focus of the Knockouts was the epic battle between Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell, but after their match, Taryn got pregnant and had to leave TNA for a while. Gail Kim was the obvious choice for champion, and Taryn had proven her quality. When I looked at the Knockouts Division, I felt it was lacking something. It was lacking a monster. I was hoping to see Awesome Kong back in TNA, but that didn’t happen, so I was really happy to see the news they were bringing Havok in. She really impressed me on last nights Impact, some of her moves are incredibly devastating. No idea if she actually injured Gail Kim or not, but if she didn’t, it shows her technique is flawless. She is something new, and I am all for that. Her ring work is pretty good for a big girl, but we have no idea about her character yet. I am looking forward to hearing from her at some point. Did you notice that the Knockouts Championship match was the main event last night, and it didn’t completely suck? There is a lot more potential in the division now with the addition of Terrell and Havok.

What can I say about the tag team division? The Wolves became champions and all they really had to contend with was the Bromans. I said that the Wolves needed competition, and what did TNA do? They brought back Team 3D and The Hardys. You have the old blood verses the new blood, and the clash of styles and ongoing series is what I look forward to every week. The tag team division is arguably more highlighted than the World Championship right now. The tag team series is quite innovative and competitve, and the feud is heating nicely. They continue to produce PPV quality tag team matches every week on Impact, and if there is any reason to tune into TNA right now, it’s for these matches. Full Metal Mayhem (TLC .. copyright, blah blah) next week! Should be a blast.

The World Championship picture is something that people could debate. On one hand, you have the fans who see Lashley and say he just looks like a World Champion. He doesn’t need to say anything, he can stand there and look bad-ass. On the other hand, you have fans say Lashley has zero charisma and is as entertaining as a goldfish. Both points are somewhat true, but from how I see it, how many companies are willing to let a black wrestler (oops, did I just take a pop at WWE again?) who also has an MMA background to be their champion? Why does Lashley need to talk at all when you have MVP and Kenny King there? Why does Lashley need to develop a character when he’s never had a character? In the WWE he was the exact same as he is now, muted 99% of the time. When a casual viewer of television switches the channel and sees Lashley stood there with the belt on his shoulder, they believe it. They would take one look at Lashley and not be surprised he is the champion. Lashley is one of the biggest and most athletic in the business, why would you not give him a chance to run with the ball?

On the other hand, Bobby Roode has everything. He has the look, the mic skills, the wrestling ability, he has the total package to be a World Heavyweight Champion, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds a way to defeat Lashley soon. Their last match was so close to the wire, it was a different kind of match which saw Lashley struggle to stay with Roode, especially after the nasty bump to the floor. Lashley found a way, but only just, and this sets everything up nicely for a possible title switch. Either that, or it’s false hope and Lashley will continue to dominate. Even if Lashley does lose the title, I think he’s done a decent job with it. He is meant to be a heel, but he has defeated guys like Aries and Jeff Hardy clean, on his own, without the need of MVP or Kenny King. He hasn’t acted like a heel to be honest, he has continued to be Bobby Lashley the mute, standing alongside the heels of MVP and King, so he could turn back to babyface without a character change whatsoever.  How many wrestlers do you see turn from face to heel, and back to face, without changing the way they act? That’s the beauty of Lashley, he doesn’t explain himself, so he can be placed anywhere TNA needs him to be with minimal effort.

You have seen and read, TNA is all about the wrestling and the championships these days. It’s a big transformation from a few years ago when TNA was WCW/WWE lite, and it appears they have gone back to what got them noticed in the first place, Total Nonstop Action. It’s simple. but it’s refreshingly simple. There is nothing negative hanging around in the air, it’s much easier on the eyes and ears, and you can sit down with your friends and family, knowing that you won’t have to endure a cringing heel promo or a last minute swerve. Wrestling truly does matter again when it comes to TNA. Call me a TNA mark or whatever (still hate the term mark, it’s always used negatively), but I am just a wrestling fan calling it as I see it. If you could not be bothered to check TNA out , then maybe this article has opened your eyes a little bit. It’s not 2010 anymore, TNA has moved on from that, and if you are sick and tired of silly segments, pointless promos, and overused advertising, you should tune in to TNA and give them another chance. They might just surprise you.

Oh and how did I forget, Tajiri is back! It can’t get much better than that!