Evolution, It’s A Beautiful Thing

March 22, 2008

I want to root for TNA, I really do. The business needs an alternative. However, most of the time it’s hard to do so because beind-the-scenes they haven’t been very receptive to good ol’ Jarry Park. Actually, they have been downright rude to us on MANY occasions but, nevertheless, they are the number two game in town right now and that, in itself, makes them relevant. I won’t start covering their PPVs or big shows anytime soon but I will give props when it is due.

This past episode of Impact! featured two video packages that should give wrestling fans hope that TNA actually knows how to produce an interesting and compelling television show because for a while the jury was still out on that one. And, wouldn’t you know it, the genesis of both ideas came from outside the wrestling world. Who would have thunk it? There are actual lessons to be learned from the real world.

WWE refuses to change with the times. The Mayweather-Show angle – which should have been a home run – has been adequate at best (this week’s package on the Big Show at home with his wife and dogs was interesting but I have no idea what he said as I was blinded by the royal blue shirt he was wearing).

So, here comes Team Orlando showing Samoa Joe training with the likes of UFC fighter Marcus Davis. They are actually building up Angle-Joe XXXVIII into a heated affair. No girlfriends, no wives, no underwear, no tanning beds – just two guys who want to kill each other and have valid reasons for wanting to do so. Brilliant.

Next, we have the next installment in a new segment called “Rough Cut.” (On a sperate note, one thing that really gets under my skin when watching TNA is how much television terminology they use during their broadcasts. The average person doesn’t know what B-Roll or even a rough cut means yet, for some reason, they continue to use them.) Sure, I could give a rat’s behind of the problems Kipe and BG James are or have been experiencing but the segments have been great if not a little short. Make these characters real. Forget the gimmicks and the over-the-top storylines. Give me Jay Lethal and Christopher Daniels and get rid of Black Machismo and Curry Man. If I want to see cartoon characters I’ll watch ABC on a Saturday morning. If I want jokes I’ll watch Comedy Central and if I want to see porn I’ll watch Skinimax.

Is it that f*cking hard to understand?

  1. 10 Responses to “Evolution, It’s A Beautiful Thing”

  2. The Joe video is ok but it also could have been 100 times better…the rough cut one is really good.

    Not bad improvements but if you ask me they still suck. I actually used to watch those wednesday ppvs from time-to-time because the action was usually fast-paced and good (not the S.E.X crap) but the current product is way too contrived and frustrating to watch.

    By Dubs on Mar 22, 2008

  3. Fuck TNA if they cant see what a gift it is to have free media like JP cover their sorry asses…

    They should embraces the coverage and offer you a job. You can put sentences together, so right there you are smarter then half of their writers…

    By Taks on Mar 22, 2008

  4. TNA is good because it is alternative, but they aren’t smart enough to capitalize on anything…

    By The Rock Says on Mar 22, 2008

  5. Mayweather/TBS angle is weak. Mayweather being thrown into 6 wrestlers and knocking them all down is comical…

    By Anonymous on Mar 22, 2008

  6. When Tyson was involved with 2 huge wrestlers, it is was ground-breaking and you can feel the energy in the buildup and the event (remember RAW ending with McMahon yelling “YOU RUINED EVERYTHING” at Stone Cold.

    But when they integrated LT and now Floyd into the mix, they opted for Tier 2 or even tier 3 caliber names. Bam Bam was a great ‘wrestler’, and he helped LT along in the actual match, but they have to do better then TBS. I understand the cute size difference, and not many guys would actually volunteer to get hit in the face by real punches from a real champ; but it could be better.

    If Salt ‘N Pepa is performing as Floyd enters the ring, however, forget everything I just wrote…

    By Mikey on Mar 22, 2008

  7. tna is ok.

    their midcard guys are alot better than the maineventers.

    abyss sucks. he’s like kane x mankind.

    i just dont enjoy it.

    its like a bad wcw thunder.

    By oo718oo on Mar 22, 2008

  8. Thunder was a huge joke…remember WCW Saturday Night??? it made Smackdown look like an Emmy Award Winner

    By Taks on Mar 23, 2008

  9. saturday night was horrendous.

    that was like the home of el dandy and stevie ray.

    By oo718oo on Mar 24, 2008

  10. The one great thing about TNA is that it has developed the ability to illicit a ton of passion from wrestling fans. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that they see a lot of potential in their product but, regardless, everyone gets all pumped up when discussing them and that’s always fun.

    By AH on Mar 25, 2008

  11. I thank god for TNA it gives tru wrestling fans vareity instead of the overinflated talent pools and retarded storylines i used to have to watch on wwe. vince cares about his pocket and image with mainstream wwe fans and not the true wrestling fans.

    By iSTANDalone on Mar 26, 2008

Post a Comment