From the perspective of most true long-term wrestling fans, the sport was at a high point during the Monday Night Wars. Many fans were glued to NITRO and RAW when the battle raged on. From the moment WCW fired the first shot when Lex Luger, who had wrestled on a WWE show the night before, strolled out during the first NITRO. From that moment on it was war, and wrestling fans were the winners. Wrestling was at its best when Vince had serious competition.
Few would argue that WWE has competition these days. Yes, there is an alternative in TNA. However, at the present time, TNA is no real competition for Vince McMahon's WWE. In fact, at the present time, TNA is struggling. On paper they have some of the better wrestlers. "On paper" doesn't always translate to a better show. Recent TNA shows have just been painful to watch. What is wrong with TNA, a company once full of promise?
HER: I should like TNA. They have some great young stars. They have some charismatic folks. Yet, the show isn't working for me. The show has become a stale version of its former self. Why? For me, it comes down to three main reasons: Sting as World Heavyweight Champion, Angle v. Jarrett, and the destruction of the Knockouts division.
The current World Heavyweight Champion in TNA is Sting. Granted, he is an icon. He was one of the greats in WCW. The man had a fan following that was unbelievable. The key words are was and had. In order for TNA to be a viable company they need a believable champion. I do not think Sting, at the age of fifty-two, needs to be the face of TNA. The perplexing part to me is TNA is not desperate for a champion. The roster is a plethora of possibilities. Rob Van Dam, A.J. Styles, Mr. Anderson, and possibly Matt Morgan immediately come to mind. The company could build around any one of these as champion. Sting, while definitely a wrestling great, is past his prime. It's time to pass the torch to someone else.
This next reason is bittersweet for me. I am old-school when it comes to wrestling. There was a time when the best angles were those with an element of truth to them. (Eddie Gilbert-Missy Hyatt- John Tatum anyone) The Jeff Jarrett-Karen Angle Jarrett- Kurt Angle storyline is not working. They talk more than they wrestle. I also think people cringe when shots of the kids are shown. Sometimes I want to ask if Jeff and Karen are looking for drama in their marriage. Tradition shows that angles in wrestling that involve a husband and wife almost always lead to a real life divorce. Yes, wrestling fans know that Karen and Kurt were once married. Karen and Jeff are now married. I admire their ability to work together. However, I am tired of the storyline. I do not think Kurt and Jeff work well together. Their styles are completely different. My advice would be to end this feud and move both onto something else.
Lastly, I think the destruction of the Beautiful People was a mistake. They were a great heel tag team. The Knockouts division of TNA was clearly better than their WWE DIVA counterparts. It was a mistake to break up their most successful tag team. These days the company resorts to having Angelina Love walk around in a zombie like state to which we are supposed to believe Winter has some type of mind control over her. That is not what fans want to see. I would much rather see Love and Sky together against other Knockouts. Madison Rayne is not bad. Tara is one of the better female workers in the business. Mickie James was a good addition. TNA could do a competitive women's division instead of resorting to pretend mind control. I would like to see the Knockouts Championship change hands. Rayne has been champion long enough. James or Velvet Sky should be given a shot at it. I'm not sure of Winter's role other than it was the opportunity to put another former WWE face on camera. The Knockouts division needs to be refocused. Some of those girls aren't half bad. Some..... well, we'll just say they are better suited to the interchangeable silicone barbies of the WWE.
HIM: I, too, see issues with TNA. I understand that they may never be capable of putting up the challenge to the WWE that was so "must see" during the 1990's. I do think that the Monday Night Wars presented a golden age of wrestling. The remote was burning as you flipped from one show back to the other in an effort to see what outlandish things were going to happen. In no particular order, I can also find about three problems that TNA should look at in an effort to be as good as they can possibly be.
I don't really like what the X-division has become. If you have read this blog before, you already know my perspective on guys like Rey Mysterio and Daniel Bryan. However, there was a time, against each other, that these stars put on a huge show. A couple of years ago when they brought in the international teams to feud with those from America, the moves would simply make your mouth drop! They were flying everywhere and hitting moves that had never been seen before. It seems that management is content to let them have their five minute segment each week and remain in virtual obscurity.
The next problem I see is very similiar to the one that has already been mentioned. As great as Flair and Sting have always been, it is certainly time for someone else to take the reigns. At least Flair seems to prefer suits to tights these days; whereas, management is bound and determined to keep Sting on top. This is certainly not meant to be disrespectful at all towards these guys, I just think it's time to move on. As previously indicated, there is star power that needs to be used.
My third reason is actually a tie. The first part actually would go with the previous reason. I think TNA should stop trying to be WCW of the 1990's. I understand that you can't reinvent the wheel, but the similarities between old WCW and TNA are becoming more and more obvious. I think the writers are generally referred to as CREATIVE, and it's time that they earn their name. The second part of my third reason deals with one particular superstar. I was a huge Mr. Kennedy fan in WWE and even thought that they should have done more with him in that company. I hoped they would give him a push to stardom as opposed to a push out the door. Now they have him in TNA, and they seem to want him to be "Stone Cold Steve Austin." We need to remember that Stone Cold was a pure accident and impossible to emulate. Just let Anderson be his own character.
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