It is time to take a journey through a few noteworthy topics and items that I have come across lately but didn’t deserve the attention of a full blown column. I will give my thoughts on the new TNA Impact stage and setup, the pay-per-view name shake up and a couple of columns that I have read that I would like to comment on.
New Impact Set to Debut on Thursday
For the most part, the Impact Zone has used the same set up for the past four years. After all of that time, the Impact Zone has gotten a well-needed face lift and it is set to debut this Thursday night.
One aspect that has been unique for the Impact Zone has been its dual ring entrances. After all was said and done, two entrance tunnels remained but they now come out of the same main stage, which is highlighted by a huge screen. Removing the second entrance ramp on the opposite side made way for an extra 400 seats, which I’m sure will be no problem to fill.
Photos of the new set can be found online and from the looks of, it appears to be a nice upgrade. I am waiting to see an actual televised event, though, before I make a final decision on it. After four years, the new set will take some getting used to, but it was long overdue.
PPV Shake Up
As most of you already know, the TNA pay-per-view naming convention has been thrown into disarray in the past few weeks. It wasn’t enough that the WWE strong-armed their way into TNA’s original December pay-per-view date, but they have since then decided to play musical chairs with a few of pay-per-views names.
Turning Point, which was usually scheduled for December, is now taking place in a couple of weeks for their November pay-per-view. In the past, November has been the month for Genesis, which has now been moved to January, which I guess makes sense since Genesis means origin or birth and January is the first month of the year.
Genesis kicked the January staple, Final Resolution, out of its spot and into the December slot. This, too, makes some weird sense as resolutions are closely tied in with New Year’s Day. Anyone who makes a resolution after that day usually ended up breaking their original one.
What this does mean, however, is that TNA is having two (2) pay-per-view events titled Final Resolution bookend the entire year of 2008. I can’t help but question the judgment on that one. It might have been better to take the Unbreakable pay-per-view title out of retirement for this special occasion or think of a new temporary name instead of using the same name twice in the same year.
But what do I know?
Heyman Calls for a Shake Up
In an article that he wrote for The Sun, Paul Heyman talks about the state of TNA, WWE, and pro wrestling in general. He says that the industry needs to wake up and realize that the smaller crowds are due to the poor product and wrestling organizations need to shake things up a bit to brings the fans back into the fold.
Heyman pulls no punches when it comes to his criticism of TNA and its booking. Heyman says TNA has all of the talent in the world, a strong financial backing and a cooperative cable television network, which are things that Heyman didn’t have during his tenure with the original ECW. To him, TNA seems to be lacking focus and a central theme for its product to help draw the fans in.
Heyman’s entire column is good to read and you can’t help but to think he is pretty much right on the money. I have stated in the past that TNA has a great roster, but even with all of the talent at their disposal, nothing is going to come from it when they have an inept creative and writing staff.
Instead of playing catch up with the WWE or trying to come across as another version of WWE, TNA really needs to focus on their strengths which is their wrestling talent. Enough with trying to cross the line and trying to come across as being innovative, it’s time to focus on pure wrestling and the fans will come. Period.
McMahon’s Lost It?
A column written by Adam Smerecki of the Bleach Report states that Vince McMahon’s has lost it after banning certain wrestling terms from his product, such as “wrestler,” “fan,” “sports entertainment,” and other widely used terms by the WWE and the wrestling industry. Instead of calling their talent wrestlers, they will now be called entertainers. Wrestling is now entertainment and their fans as the WWE Universe. At the end of the article, Smerecki makes a bold statement saying that TNA’s forthcoming rise is WWE’s own fault.
Being a traditionalist and a wrestling fan since the days of the NWA and the AWA, I wanted to believe that this was only a rumor when I first read about this change. It didn’t take long, however, before I started hearing the word “entertainer” thrown into the broadcasts. From what I have read, this has come about due to the WWE not wanting to be labeled as a sporting event and being taxed as such.
Another reason is due to the fact that in most cases sporting events must fall under the jurisdiction of the state athletic commission. Either way, I think this is a horrible change that will diminish the end product. How awkward does it sound to have an entertainment match or people dreaming to become professional entertainers? Paul Heyman was right about shaking things up a bit, but I doubt this is what he had in mind. Plus, aren’t entertainers usually strippers?
At any rate, I sincerely hope that TNA doesn’t follow suit with this ridiculous change, even though at times it seems that TNA strives to be exactly like them. As for Smerecki’s claim at the end of the article, I believe that is ridiculous, too. Sure, the new terminology may turn off a lot of viewers, but more often than not the fans will continue to tune in. I doubt TNA would reap any benefit of these changes even though they do have a better group of “entertainers” at their disposal.
