Hello everyone! There’s still really nothing in the news, so I’m just gonna
skip that and get right to this asshole’s opinions. Also, look for a joint column
from me and Lambert soon, doing a WWE/TNA head-to-head thing. Speaking of which…
WWE vs. TNA
First of all, if you didn’t yet read Lambert, go do that. I’ll wait here.
Okay, now I’ve got some catching up to do, since my column only comes every
fortnight. I’m not going to do a Top Five or anything like that, I’m just going
to hit on a number of points that spell out why I think that TNA can’t (currently)
compete with WWE. Some of these points were brought up by some of Lambert’s
readers as well, but they bear repeating.
“¢ Match Quality — Now, Mr. Lambert, you have made clear
in your column a number of times that to you, the term “athlete” refers
to a wrestler who can do 12 spins off the top rope. As I did in my last column,
I must again refute that. The term you a looking for is “gymnast.”
Just because someone does flashier spots does NOT mean that they are a better
athlete. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar had an awesome iron man match a couple
years ago. Two men battling for 60 grueling minutes…and not one tope con hilo,
not one triple jump moonsault, not one 450 splash. Instead, these men told a
story, which is something that WWE wrestlers do better than TNA wrestlers. And
frankly, telling a story is what wrestling is about. Period. It’s not about
out-spotting someone, it’s about making the audience suspend their collective
disbelief and just get lost in the moment. Now, does TNA have some great storytellers?
Yes, of course. AJ Styles is one of them. He is a rare breed: a flashy wrestler
who also has a firm grasp on psychology and can tell a story. And, having met
him 5 years ago, I can tell you also that he is an absolute gentleman, and he
deserves all the success he gets. Getting back on track, though, I know not
everyone in WWE puts on compelling matches. Viscera vs. Kane is not my idea
of a good time. However, TNA has just as many soul-sucking matches as WWE, if
not more. Sonny Siaki and Apolo? Give me a break. Which brings me to my next
point…
“¢ Wrestlers — I’m not going to pretend like I know
who is a great worker and who isn’t, so I will use the term “wrestler.”
Lance Storm made a compelling argument a few years ago explaining why he disagreed
with the IWC making “Top Workers” lists, and that is this: we, as
fans, can see who is a great wrestler. We can see who has exciting and believable
offense, who uses psychology to tell a story, and who understands how to properly
sell. What we can’t see, however, is how someone is to work with, and that is
because we’re not actually in the ring with them. Anyway, that was just a tangent.
The point is this. When people talk about TNA, they talk about the X-division.
As well they should; the X-division is exciting and innovative. The other thing
people talk about, when talking about TNA, is America’s Most Wanted, to so-called
best tag team in American wrestling today. However, that’s ALL people talk about
when it comes to TNA. Their roster has no depth. The heavyweight division is
a joke; with a few exceptions like Monty Brown and Abyss, the heavyweight division
consists of washed-up WWE castoffs. There is also no midcard to speak of. Maybe
it’s because there is no second-tier title, maybe not. This brings me to the
tag team division, which Lambert has been quick to praise for its depth. I disagree.
I think the tag team division is a joke. There are really only 3 viable contenders
for the titles; the rest of the teams are just filler.
“¢ Learning from Mistakes — One could make the argument,
certainly, that WWE doesn’t learn from their mistakes too often either. But,
for every steroid freak they push that fails to get over, there is also a truly
great moment where WWE does exactly what the fans want. Yes, Chris Masters and
Hardcore Holly have jobs. But Benoit and Guerrero won the Heavyweight Titles!
And hey, there is now and actual Cruiserweight division…and Paul London is
the champ! Moving to TNA, Sonny Siaki has been with them since their inception.
However, he’s not a good wrestler, and he’s never been over. Apolo has been
brought back to the company a number of times now, and each time he has failed
to make any kind of impact whatsoever. And, the obvious best example of TNA
not learning from their mistakes is Jeff Jarrett as champion. Yes, they finally
got the belt off of him, but not without several months of fans chanting “drop
the belt.” That’s not heel heat.
“¢ Characters and Angles — These are the things that
get people coming back. Even in wrestling’s golden age, the wrestlers with great
characters were the ones you remembered. Granted, these days it can sometimes
get a bit out of control (Katie Vick, Dawn Marie & Al Wilson, etc.). However,
back in the day you had Harley Race putting a bounty on Ric Flair. You had the
Four Horsemen beating down Dusty Rhodes. You had the Iron Sheik challenging
our patriotism. You had Gorgeous George pissing off EVERYBODY. Having a great
character means that people will get behind you or root against you vehemently,
and very few wrestlers in TNA actually have compelling characters. Raven is
one of the few; however, it’s a character he brought with him, and he hasn’t
been properly pushed to capitalize on it anyway. Another big problem with TNA
is the absolutely nonsensical face and heel turns. People turn for no reason
all the time, and they often turn back without any explanation given. In fact,
without a scorecard, it can be hard to tell who is a face or a heel from one
week to the next. WWE can sometimes be guilty of that, especially when it comes
to Kane and the Big Show, but TNA brings it to a new level.
Okay, that’s enough of that for now. One thing I would like to mention, though,
is TNA’s production. Ever since they hired David Sahedi from WWE, TNA’s production
has grown by leaps and bounds, and that can only be a good thing. Even a lukewarm
character or angle can be given a boost by an excellent video package, so kudos
to TNA on that. And look, just to reiterate a point…I don’t hate TNA. On the
contrary, I want them to succeed. I really do. They just keep doing some really
dumb things, though, and if they continue doing these things, it will keep them
from legitimately competing with WWE. That is why I refuse to look at TNA through
rose-colored glasses and say that they are better than WWE, because they simply
aren’t.
The Adventure of Links
I’m lazy, so I’ll only link Shaffer, as his epic concludes. Great stuff, my friend.
Let me know what you though via e-mail or IM, and I’ll see you here in two
weeks.
AIM = GoldenAce 007
