The new improved TNA?

I think the question mark gives it away on this. TNA, for me, has been the most interesting and innovative wrestling company over past couple of years (Russo aside). With stars like AJ Styles, Joe and Sheik Abdul Bashir (RIP), TNA have proved themselves to be a forward-looking company. So fair enough, they may have recruited a few washed-up wrestlers who have long since had their day (Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Booker T., etc.), but nothing could prepare me for the dullness of Hulkamania going wild all over me.
I grew up on wrestling in the 90s, when WCW was the most dominant force in wrestling, for a while, and ECW was out there smacking things up with steel chairs and beer bottles (real ones) and WWF (yes, F) had some of the greatest microphone wrestlers of all time. In the days before 'sports entertainment' I still thought Hulk Hogan was an arrogant arse. I'll back peddle a moment, the Hulkster did a hell of a lot for the idustry and NWO was pretty cool at first, that can't be denied, but, there's still this aching feeling that he's a complete cretin and only got where he was because Snuka wasn't a very good microphone wrestler. His in ring wrestling is mediocre at best and when he does that funny strainy arm thing, I was always worried that poo would suddenly pop out.
Hulk Hogan is a parody of what wrestling was, and to be fair to him, he noticed that TNA was the future of wrestling - mark my words that this will no longer be the case when Hogan and Sleazy E come in and bring all their shit friends along. With its mix of hardcore, high-risk and traditional wrestling, with its six-sided squared-circle and its plethora of unique talent, TNA was indeed the future. Then Hulk came along and messed it up for everyone.
TNA is on the verge of becoming the same kind of parody of wrestling that Hogan is, or even worse it will end up like WCW (in face, I hear that David Arquette is number one contender now). He's got rid of the six-sides, and wait for it, in a big statement of innovation and 'change', installed the tried and test four-sided six-sided squared-circle (can you imagine that level of innovation with your puny non-Hoganesque minds; of course you can't), in order to move forward and distinguish yourself from the competition I thought that you should, erm, move forward and try and distinguish yourself for the competition.
So maybe, I'm getting a bit bothered by the ring, who cares tight? It's all about the talent. And Hogan has brought some talent with him . Remember that guy who used to be Razor Ramone and looked like a date rapist? He's in. X-Pac, sorry Six Pac, is in, looking like a gay biker pirate. The nastiest boy's on the block are in. I'm pretty sure that the nastiness of these boys refers to their diet - they're a lot fatter than they used to be. They look like some sad bouncers who try and score with 17 year olds outside of lame bars in market towns up and down the country.
Oh, and they've got Jeff Hardy. But wait, wasn't Jeff Hardy world WWE champion only a year ago? Isn't he one of the biggest names in recent years in sports entertainment? Whatever, let's waste our time bigging up a guy who used to rip his t-shirt off 25 years ago.
My main worry about TNA is that Sleazy E and Hogan will try and relive the good ol' days of WCW vs Raw and move TNA to mondays in the US. This could spell disaster for TNA, trust me on this. WCW had a lot of money behind it which TNA does not, it shouldn't be trying to compete with WWE - TNA is not an alternative, it's just a additional product - it's doesn't need to be a case of either/or. The fact is that putting TNA on at the same time as Raw will only damage TNA. The viewers will still watch it by downloading it from a torrent site, but the TV viewing figures will suffer, which will mean less advertising revenue and will thus be perceived as a less-successful show.

What Hogan needs to realise is that growth and expansion are not ends in themselves, TNA will make more money in the long-run if they try not to expand too quickly and keep their core lines of income intact.

Is it best to compete, or just do your own thing well?

Here's an idea, and this might sound crazy, but instead of compete, why not work with WWE to create a better business, bringing stars across in an IWGP kind of way or even like the old US regional promotions used to. I remember when WWE let ECW onto Raw; it was awesome and great for the business as a whole.




Get with the programme TNA, Hulk Hogan and the Band is dragging you down.

This is wrestling

It's all fake, innit? When Mick Foley sacrificed his ear to save his life - that was fake. When Jeff Hardy went got thrown off a ladder and through a table - that was fake. When Christopher Daniels fell from the steel asylum - that was fake. When Vader broke Joe Thurman's back - that was fake. When Chris Benoit killed his wife and kids, then killed himself - that was fake. Yeah, yeah, wrestling is fake. Well, it depends on what you mean by fake. The violence may be choreographed, the winner predetermined, but the injuries and the pain that these athletes put themselves through is not.
I'm from Britain, and it must be said that wrestling fans in the UK are usually adolescent hormone factories who jizz their pants on the sight of some side-boob. That was me a decade ago - I thought wrestling was fake bullshit back then.
Since then I've earned my Masters' degree and have nearly written my PhD thesis - the more educated I get, the more I appreciate professional wrestling.
This blog is about wrestling; I'll admit it, I'm obsessed with wrestling. I'm not going to justify myself on this. This blog is intended to be my little contribution to the world of pro wrestling. My intention is to review new wrestling and classic matches.
I'm not a sports journalist, and I find most writing about wrestling as dull as a dead fart. Hopefully, I'll bring something different to the mix - but don't hold your breath.