Before I get stuck into this week’s topic, I have two quick notes.
First, I want to thank everyone for the feedback on last week’s column on wrestling journalism. It’s greatly appreciated.
Second, a column about TNA on PWPonderings!? I know, not exactly par for the course. When myself and Jerome discussed a weekly column for the site, we talked about focusing on current issues in wrestling – independent or otherwise. Fear not; this wont be a designated WWE/TNA column going forward, but rather one that will focus on whatever topic catches my eye on any given week. I was gearing up to write about Mike Bennett and Beyond Wrestling this week but, well, the more I saw of that story the less interested I was.
Now to the subject at hand; TNA.
I wanted to kick this column off by noting how TNA is in a time of intense change right now – with the ascension of Magnus, the departure of Hulk Hogan and Sting, as well as the arrival of The American Wolves, Derrick Bateman and other promising younger stars. I wanted to kick this column off with that, but I realized it would be disingenuous.
When I think back to Sunday night, after the company’s Lockdown pay-per-view, that’s not how I felt. I had an unsettling sensation of deja vu. That classic TNA thought process of “wow those matches were quite good!” quickly followed by my head being irremovably buried in my hands as the show proceeded to be written to death.
In my few years as a writer, I feel I’ve penned more columns about TNA squandering their potential than any other subject. I find myself in a never-ending cycle of being lured in by every promising aspect of their show, only to immediately alienated by their clumsy execution and inability to learn from previous mistakes.
The first part is important; that potential. TNA has it in spades. Whether it was a deliberate choice or an upshot of budgetary constraints, there is a legitimate youth movement in the company right now. While I’m not totally sold on Magnus as world champion, he has improved immeasurably in a short period of time and has undeniable charisma. The American Wolves, one of my favourite teams of the last five years, are now a part of the company. Ethan Carter III has been highly entertaining since he debuted – a notable missed chance on WWE’s account. New X-Division champion Sanada (of Wrestle-1) had a very promising debut at Sunday’s event.
So why the frustration?
Regardless of the numerous creative overhauls in the last few years, the same irritating tropes show up time and time again, and Lockdown 2014 was a prime example. The over-played heel faction angle. Too much talking. Cycling of talent in and out, making it difficult for audiences to connect with anyone. Cartoony finishes to potentially great matches. Excessive heel and face turns, usually ill-thought out and predicated on the short attention span of viewers. Faction warfare matches to determine who has “power” in TNA – unspecific power that we never fully understand. Some of these traits were frustrating viewers in the heyday of Russo, almost a decade ago. Several regime changes later, we still suffer through them.
The real issue is when these problems manifest themselves in such a way that it hinders the talent. TJ Perkins, a perennially underrated talent in my opinion, was handicapped by creative on Sunday, which impacted his match. Resurfacing after months off TV, he was placed in an ice-cold match with the debuting Tigre Uno (formerly of AAA in Mexico), resulting in a match that was well worked, but suffered from a lack of crowd engagement. This is just one example, and doesn’t even begin to describe the mess that was made of the main events – but that’s another essay’s worth of critique that I will spare you of.
I’ve given up on TNA before, and come back, and given up again. I don’t think there’s any point in threatening to do so once more. They’ll continue to scoop up some of the best talent in the world – enough to catch my eye yet again and convince me they’ve changed. Perhaps it’s the wrestling fan in me that just loves an underdog story, but I think I’m doomed to watch them forever, getting a buzz from their briefest of highs, and pulling my hair out during their all-too-familiar lows.
Thanks for reading, and if you can empathize with my frustration, shoot me a tweet and we can be there for each other.