The three-hour TNA show earlier this month was a lot of fun to watch, to be sure. But far too often, it also resembled the train wreck that was WCW in its dying days.
The storylines — largely scripted by former WWE and WCW writer Vince Russo — were often hard to follow. Characters like Hogan and Bischoff also really blurred the lines between good and evil. One minute, Hogan is the guy who is there to save the company, and the next Bischoff's character, who is paired with Hulk, is firing fan-favorite Mick Foley and portraying himself as the same sniveling little shit he did in WCW. Good guys? Bad guys? Beats the hell out of me.
In wrestling, the lines between babyface and heel must always be clearly defined. The one thing you don't want to do is confuse who it is the fans are supposed to be cheering for and booing against. TNA is going to need to sharpen these stories, and define the characters better if they are going to succeed long term.
The other problem right now with TNA is that the older stars — many of whom are wrestling long past their expiration date (and look it) — threaten to overshadow the many young talents TNA will need to develop in order to compete with WWE. Right now, the promotion really just looks like the old WCW with a new name.
In addition to Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, Waltman, Hall and Nash — guys like the Nasty Boys, Jeff Jarrett (who helped start the company with his father), Sting, and Scott Steiner also have spots on the roster. WWE and ECW castoffs like Team 3D (the former Dudley Boys), Jeff Hardy (who arrives following a recent drug-related arrest), and even Kurt Angle (with a history of neck problems) complete the very familiar looking locker room there.
These faces should give TNA a short-term ratings bump for sure once the fans find them. But eventually, younger fans in particular are going to realize that Hogan and Flair are old enough to be their grandfathers.
The younger, hipper stars of WWE like Cena, Batista, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio already have devoted followings not unlike the Rock and Austin once did in the nineties. WWE is also busy developing the next generation of talent with people like C.M. Punk, The Miz, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and current champion Sheamus. In order to succeed, TNA will need to do the same.
Article comments
1 - Jonathan Sullivan
WWE has botched the Bret Hart storyline to the point of where I don't even care about it anymore. TNA is still a mess of crazy booking and bringing in stars like The Nasty Boys and turning AJ into the new Nature Boy is not helping, but this past Thursday's show was actually pretty good compared to 2009 as a whole. Jury's out.
I was a diehard WCW fan from 1992 until the final Nitro in 2001 and it scares me how much TNA looks like it's going down the same road.
2 - Glen Boyd
I'm with you Jon. It doesn't surprise me that WWE is botching the can't miss Bret Hart storyline so far...they had a similarly can't miss WCW Invasion angle handed to them ten years ago and botched it on the very first night (I was there at the Tacoma Dome that night). Since then they've pretty ruined much ECW, after one initial great PPV (the first One Night Stand).
As for TNA...I think it could work if they did it right, but so far it's so convoluted I can't even figure out who is who and what is what in terms of storyline and characters. Hogan and Bischoff so far look like a business-as-usual, prop up our friends, give minor pushes to a select few others, and bury the rest regime, and Russo seems to be literally be flying by the seat of his pants in terms of booking and storylines.
I have hopes this can revive wrestling, but I can assure you I'm not holding my breath.
-Glen
3 - Will
How can something be botched after ONE week?
4 - Nick
"How can something be botched after ONE week?"
Good question,....easy answer:
Just watch TNA & WWE and you'll understand.
5 - Glen Boyd
I'm willing to give them both a chance. I'm just not very encouraged by what I've seen thus far.
This Monday's Raw show has Hart back, and hopefully will advance that storyline. As for TNA, I'd just like to see the Hogan and Bischoff characters better defined one way for the other. Hogan's dressed in NWO black and his entrance music is very NWO'ish and Bischoff is as smarmy as ever -- yet I still get this weird feeling they are supposed to be babyfaces, which to me makes no sense.
Hopefully the coming weeks will reveal a better laid out story. We'll see...
By the way, the Observer just linked this article. So if either Dave or Bryan are reading, thanx guys!
-Glen
6 - Glen Boyd
The "Orlando Screwjob" deal with Styles, Flair, and Hebner (!) was pretty hilarious though...at least in a stupid, this could only happen in wrestling sort of way anyway.
-Glen
7 - Nick
"By the way, the Observer just linked this article. So if either Dave or Bryan are reading, thanx guys!"
Yep, this is how I found this! :)
"Bur for the present, WCW appears to be back and its new name is TNA."
Yep, and as long as Russo has anything to do with the booking in any shape or form AND as long as Hogan & Eric have ANY say, it will never live up to its potential.
I don't mind them (Hogan & Eric) not being clear cut heels or faces (50-60 % of workers should be "'tweeners" anyways with the remaining roster split into true faces and heels...allows for more variety in the match ups and is not 'stuck in the past super hero vs super villian' booking,) but they CANNOT be on compleate opposite sides of the spectrumpromo wise when they are both on camera at the same time.
8 - Ewan
TNA seems to be testing the waters to see how fans react to Hogan/Eric and The Band first before also defining their heel/face status in a climax. This is fine with me since it builds suspense as to how everything will pan out with these legendary key players. They shouldn't spoil this like the chickenheaded WWE did with the wcw/ecw Invasion situation.
9 - judith hedger
Why is Kurt Angle and Mick Foley on T N A Wrestling last week?
10 - Glen Boyd
They've both been with TNA for awhile now Judith.
-Glen