Before we begin, I must apologize to my fans expecting their regularly scheduled dose of IMPACT player of the week. That column will not run this week as a result of two things:
1) I was attending the Yankee game in hopes of Derek Jeter collecting his 3,000th hit (spoiler: he did not)
2) Despite it being 2011, I do not own a DVR box and thus did not record Impact. Yes, I understand I should "get with the times" but as of now, that isn't happening so deal with it!
Still, I felt that I should do something in regards to TNA to make up for the lack of Impact talk this week. I did read up about the show and it sounded ok, but that's it. Destination X sounds fun, but after that, I'm very skeptical about where TNA will go.
And that is what this article will be about.
If you remember back, I vowed to stay away from fully negative articles regarding TNA as I found myself angered and writing with that emotion. That's great for poetry, horrible for column writing when your goal is to get credentialed by the company you are writing about. Thus, we forge on and I will play both sides of the coin here and hopefully not pissing off too many people.
Last year around this time, TNA unveiled its latest experiment. In an effort to add a "real sport" atmosphere, a top 10 list was revealed where the #1 person on the list became top contender to the heavyweight title. Of course, the list was made by TNA management so it was rigged, but that wasn't really the point. The main thing to come out of it was Kurt Angle's storyline.
Starting and #2, Angle announced that he would remove himself from the top 10 list and instead earn his keep. He would beat everyone from 10-1 to earn his title shot and if he couldnt' do it, he'd retire. It seemed the perfect story to build to a dream match at Bound For Glory. Kurt wrestles his way to the title match, faces someone awesome, Kurt wins title as a babyface and everyone is happy. If only bookers remembered that happy moments sell......
We know by now that the nice moment was ripped away from fans like a bandaid from dry skin, giving way to the newest heel super group in TNA, Immortal. This wasn't so much of a swerve as it was a letdown, as the touching moment was set for months but never delivered.
It's not often in this business that second chances see the light, but fastforward to today and that is exactly what we have in front of us. Yet again, TNA has introduced an idea to make their product seem more like legitimate sport, the Bound For Glory Series. Sound familiar? Let's hope that this is the end of the comparisons. This round robin tournament features a point system for winning and losing matches with the winner receiving a title shot at Bound For Glory. Quite a ballsy concept considering most of the talents in the tournament have barely main evented independent promotions, let alone TNA.
What I forsee is a huge opportunity for TNA. The one thing this company lacks is a true face of the company. Everything has been predicated on the heel group getting over, leaving a bunch of decent faces but not THE face of TNA. The tournament gives the company a chance to truly establish that guy. Be it Matt Morgan, Robert Roode (who would overcome injury and a slow start to win), AJ Styles, or even Crimson, though I cringe at the idea of the latter winning anything. Still, any one of these guys could become the face of TNA if booked right and this tournament could do that for any of them.
It's so simple too. Just book one of the faces to win the tournament, play him off as the underdog to Immortal's champion, have him beat said champion to help destroy Immortal, and BAM, face of TNA! Unfortunately, I'm not so sure I see that happening.
While I am a fan of the face triumph moment, TNA doesn't seem to be. Last year, they ripped away the heartfelt moment in favor of the megaheel group and I wouldn't put it past them to do it again. Imagine Crimson winning and continuing his winning streak until Bound For Glory. He is put in a triple threat and is the fan favorite to win the match and his first title (provided no one figures out by then that he's incredibly uninteresting and not worth rooting for like Goldberg). Come main event time, everyone wants to see a new champion and a babyface triumph. Just when it looks like Crimson will win for the big moment, either someone turns heel on him or he turns heel himself to make it the plan "all along" for Immortal to have a new champion. Nice moment gone, another swerve in its place. Don't blame me if and when it happens.
With all of that in mind, I will choose to live in hope for the summer. Until October, TNA can't disappoint me so I will hope that they get it right this time. I'm begging you TNA. Despite what Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo might tell you, big babyfaces DO draw. Oversaturated heel groups don't, so do the right thing! Use this tournament to build your company face, preferably Matt Morgan or Robert Roode who have been there forever but never got a chance to shine. If not them, go with AJ Styles who deserves to be the face of TNA to begin with. Either way, elevate a face to the main event and trust them to draw a babyface champion. Do this and I promise to applaud the decision in the most public forum I can think of, whatever that may be.
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