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TNA in the UK 2013
by Adam Davey
Jeff Hardy dives off the top of the cage
TNA is having a strange year. I don't think anyone can disagree with that.
But before I talk about where the product is now, I just want to take a step back and look at TNAs recent history. And ore importantly, I want to have a look at the Hulk Hogan era.
Back in January 2010, TNA announced that Hulk Hogan would be debuting in the Florida based wrestling promotion. And although this was the same night that the WWE revealed their own returning superstar [Bret Hart], TNA pulled in their best figures to date.
Leading up to that watershed moment, TNA had steadily grown in stature to become a good (if not great) wrestling show. The X Division was exhilarating, the Knockout division was bustling with actual female talent that could wrestle, the tag division had not one, two but three of the best tag teams working the circuits and the heavyweight champion was a certain Mr A J Styles, who many thought (and still think) was TNAs greatest home grown star.
With the Hulkster due to return, TNA would surely step up to the next level and challenge WWEs dominance in the mainstream.
Hulk certainly pulled in the crowds at first, but it didn't last for long.
So what happened?
Well, it certainly wasn't the WWE pulling out anything spectacular. Bret came back and with him delivered the most lacklustre performance in recent memory. So what was it that went wrong? I personally think that it can be summed up with one word - focus.
And that word can be used on a number of different aspects of what went wrong. Namely, the bookers at the time focused on the big names - Hogan, Bischoff, Nash, Booker T, Steiner....the list goes on. They lost focus on what made TNA at that time great - the X Division was won by Abyss, AJ Styles lost to RVD and disappeared to mid card status, the womens division lost first Gail Kim and then Awesome Kong. They lost focused on what made TNA different to WWE and that was namely the wrestling.
The second coming of Hulk Hogan coincided with TNA turning into the second coming of WCW. Big name egos taking the limelight away from the real talent that had grown the brand to a respectable place on the wrestling map. Not only did we have the power houses of yesteryear, we also encountered a change away from the simple story telling that had gone before. Now the audience had to get its head around the Main Event Mafia, Fourtune, Immortal and the World Elite, to name but a few. The fact that no one could tell who were supposed to be the heels and who were the faces was largely irrelevant at this point.
And this continued for most of 2010.
But then things got better. A lot better.
But before I talk about where the product is now, I just want to take a step back and look at TNAs recent history. And ore importantly, I want to have a look at the Hulk Hogan era.
Back in January 2010, TNA announced that Hulk Hogan would be debuting in the Florida based wrestling promotion. And although this was the same night that the WWE revealed their own returning superstar [Bret Hart], TNA pulled in their best figures to date.
Leading up to that watershed moment, TNA had steadily grown in stature to become a good (if not great) wrestling show. The X Division was exhilarating, the Knockout division was bustling with actual female talent that could wrestle, the tag division had not one, two but three of the best tag teams working the circuits and the heavyweight champion was a certain Mr A J Styles, who many thought (and still think) was TNAs greatest home grown star.
With the Hulkster due to return, TNA would surely step up to the next level and challenge WWEs dominance in the mainstream.
Hulk certainly pulled in the crowds at first, but it didn't last for long.
So what happened?
Well, it certainly wasn't the WWE pulling out anything spectacular. Bret came back and with him delivered the most lacklustre performance in recent memory. So what was it that went wrong? I personally think that it can be summed up with one word - focus.
And that word can be used on a number of different aspects of what went wrong. Namely, the bookers at the time focused on the big names - Hogan, Bischoff, Nash, Booker T, Steiner....the list goes on. They lost focus on what made TNA at that time great - the X Division was won by Abyss, AJ Styles lost to RVD and disappeared to mid card status, the womens division lost first Gail Kim and then Awesome Kong. They lost focused on what made TNA different to WWE and that was namely the wrestling.
The second coming of Hulk Hogan coincided with TNA turning into the second coming of WCW. Big name egos taking the limelight away from the real talent that had grown the brand to a respectable place on the wrestling map. Not only did we have the power houses of yesteryear, we also encountered a change away from the simple story telling that had gone before. Now the audience had to get its head around the Main Event Mafia, Fourtune, Immortal and the World Elite, to name but a few. The fact that no one could tell who were supposed to be the heels and who were the faces was largely irrelevant at this point.
And this continued for most of 2010.
But then things got better. A lot better.
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WWE returns
In January 2011, Kevin Nash and Booker T returned to WWE for the annual Royal Rumble event. And the crowd went wild for them. This is the same crowd that labelled Nash and Booker T WWE rejects whilst in TNA - its amazing how fickle and hypocritical some wrestling fans are, but that's a story for another day. With these two gone, the MEM disintegrated, leaving TNA to rethink its strategy. Suddenly, it appeared that the penny had dropped to the TNA creative team. Factions broke up, clarity began to take shape and the things that made TNA great in the first place started to come back to the fore front. In fact, TNA summed it up themselves when they rebranded as Impact Wrestling "Where Wrestling Matters". |
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IMPACT Wrestling
The remainder of 2011 was almost a rebirth of the TNA product. It got back to doing what it always id best and that was namely to push the right people towards the title. Now don't get me wrong, it still made mistakes along the way but in amongst those errors of creative judgement were some nuggets of brilliance. The foundations were taking place for something special, or more importantly, someone special to happen. And at the end of 2011, TNA managed to create a new star in the shape of Bobby Roode.Yes there were uproars in the initial booking but I don't think anyone can deny that the heel that Roode plays has been nothing but a success. And going back to my earlier point of hypocritical hyperbole from the WWE fans, the way his title reign and challenge from Storm is perfect. How many times have we hear the WWE fans becry that both Punk and Cena should be chasing the title, as opposed to holding it for any length of time?
Well that is exactly how this is playing out and bravo to TNA for doing things the right way. Wrestling does indeed matter in the headline storyline.
But back to where I came in and the the year of 2012. It has undoubtedly belonged to Bobby Roode so far, But there are other breakout stars on the horizon. CM Punk and Y2J have been fighting over the best in the world moniker - maybe they should have asked Austin Aries for his opinion. Matt Morgan is finally becoming a credible future champion and his programme with Crimson has turned both into potential main eventers. And who would have thought that Bully Ray would or could be as brilliant as he currently is? Add to that the re-emergence of the X Division, tag and knockout divisions and things are looking up. They are still not perfect but its looking like the right foundations are there - something that hasn't been true for a long time.But there is still one thing that is weighing TNA down. It;'s the albatross around the neck of TNAs potential challenge to WWE. And that problem is the Impact Zone.
Last month at Lockdown, the main event match, in James Storms home town should have been an epic battle, rewarded by an electric crowd. However, that night, the biggest heel was the audience who failed to turn up and those who did were lifeless.To have any chance of surviving and challenging, TNA needs to get on the road and show off its deep talent pool. Only then will the crowds begin to appreciate the product and only then will the product be elevated to new heights. TNA needs to get a reputation in front of real crowds that will appreciate the product.2011 proved that when in front of a large audience, the product feels more epic. This years UK tour proved that when put in front of a willing crowd, the shows just feel bigger [and dare I say better]. The UK Tour and more specifically the Wembley shows are the blue print to TNAs future success. This, combined with the knowledge of putting the things that make TNA different from the WWE, are will what will elevate the product.And the rest of this year should just be about that. Taking the show on the road and taking it to the places that will appreciate it.
UK tour 2013
Which leads me on to the good news for other TNA fans. The show rolls back in to the UK in January. And hopefully the TNA creative team have learnt from past mistakes. The fact that they are coming back to film Impact at Wembley suggests they have learnt something. And with this announcement came more exciting news - in a move to push the boundaries of what the competition are doing, the 2013 tour will feature a cage match every night.
Finally, TNA seems to have found it feet and has realised that what the audience wants is a alternative that isnt afraid to celebrate the things it does well.And should Impact continue on its current path, by the time the tour kicks off in January 2013, Impact Wrestling could be the most exciting show in wrestling.
If you wish to discuss this article with our members, please visit the 606v2 forum
If you want more details of the UK Tour 2013, please click here
You can follow Adam on Twitter at @v2journal
(c) Copyright 606v2 2012. Please do not reproduce without permission
The remainder of 2011 was almost a rebirth of the TNA product. It got back to doing what it always id best and that was namely to push the right people towards the title. Now don't get me wrong, it still made mistakes along the way but in amongst those errors of creative judgement were some nuggets of brilliance. The foundations were taking place for something special, or more importantly, someone special to happen. And at the end of 2011, TNA managed to create a new star in the shape of Bobby Roode.Yes there were uproars in the initial booking but I don't think anyone can deny that the heel that Roode plays has been nothing but a success. And going back to my earlier point of hypocritical hyperbole from the WWE fans, the way his title reign and challenge from Storm is perfect. How many times have we hear the WWE fans becry that both Punk and Cena should be chasing the title, as opposed to holding it for any length of time?
Well that is exactly how this is playing out and bravo to TNA for doing things the right way. Wrestling does indeed matter in the headline storyline.
But back to where I came in and the the year of 2012. It has undoubtedly belonged to Bobby Roode so far, But there are other breakout stars on the horizon. CM Punk and Y2J have been fighting over the best in the world moniker - maybe they should have asked Austin Aries for his opinion. Matt Morgan is finally becoming a credible future champion and his programme with Crimson has turned both into potential main eventers. And who would have thought that Bully Ray would or could be as brilliant as he currently is? Add to that the re-emergence of the X Division, tag and knockout divisions and things are looking up. They are still not perfect but its looking like the right foundations are there - something that hasn't been true for a long time.But there is still one thing that is weighing TNA down. It;'s the albatross around the neck of TNAs potential challenge to WWE. And that problem is the Impact Zone.
Last month at Lockdown, the main event match, in James Storms home town should have been an epic battle, rewarded by an electric crowd. However, that night, the biggest heel was the audience who failed to turn up and those who did were lifeless.To have any chance of surviving and challenging, TNA needs to get on the road and show off its deep talent pool. Only then will the crowds begin to appreciate the product and only then will the product be elevated to new heights. TNA needs to get a reputation in front of real crowds that will appreciate the product.2011 proved that when in front of a large audience, the product feels more epic. This years UK tour proved that when put in front of a willing crowd, the shows just feel bigger [and dare I say better]. The UK Tour and more specifically the Wembley shows are the blue print to TNAs future success. This, combined with the knowledge of putting the things that make TNA different from the WWE, are will what will elevate the product.And the rest of this year should just be about that. Taking the show on the road and taking it to the places that will appreciate it.
UK tour 2013
Which leads me on to the good news for other TNA fans. The show rolls back in to the UK in January. And hopefully the TNA creative team have learnt from past mistakes. The fact that they are coming back to film Impact at Wembley suggests they have learnt something. And with this announcement came more exciting news - in a move to push the boundaries of what the competition are doing, the 2013 tour will feature a cage match every night.
Finally, TNA seems to have found it feet and has realised that what the audience wants is a alternative that isnt afraid to celebrate the things it does well.And should Impact continue on its current path, by the time the tour kicks off in January 2013, Impact Wrestling could be the most exciting show in wrestling.
If you wish to discuss this article with our members, please visit the 606v2 forum
If you want more details of the UK Tour 2013, please click here
You can follow Adam on Twitter at @v2journal
(c) Copyright 606v2 2012. Please do not reproduce without permission
