In recent years, no company has been able to create their own version of the WWE’s Wrestlemania event. TNA went PPV monthly, and while people watched, it just didn’t seem special despite Don West and Mike Tenay’s urging of how big a moment it was. WCW used to claim that Bash at the Beach was their big event every year.
Each year the WWE manages to absolutely whip the wrestling and non-wrestling world alike into a frenzy each spring time. How come other organizations weren’t able to do the same? It’s all in the presentation of the event.
The first Wrestlemania wasn’t really that big, unless you were inside the Garden. The second Wrestlemania was bigger, and it was bigger to the outside world as well. Before you think this is turning into a WWE column, I’ll let you know that I’m talking about TNA here.
I’ve heard more than once recently that TNA is attempting to create a Wrestlemania for themselves. And why wouldn’t they? Wrestlemania is a huge money maker each year for the E. So how could TNA make their own Wrestlemania?
Well, here’s a hint: DON’T CALL IT YOUR VERSION OF WRESTLEMANIA. It’s a simple concept, but it’s hard to keep mouths shut about it. You can’t just create an event of this magnitude, you have to let it happen. You have to let the fans make it happen.
A company can provide a great card, they can call it “the first” event, but ultimately the fans will decide what events become special, and what events (The WWE Great American Bash) have a reputation as being horrid.
I know I criticize TNA often, but I seriously want them to succeed as a wrestling promotion. I want them to develop their own talent and have wrestlers cross over into pop culture and give the E a swift kick in the pants to spark up some competition. All that aside, here’s the one piece of the puzzle that’s missing from TNA’s arsenal as a wrestling company.
They have GOT to do at least one event a year outside the comfort of their studios. And TNA has plans to do this for Sacrifice! I swear! Here’s the story…
My brother works for a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield California. A few months ago some TNA guys attended a game and threw out the first pitch in what was to be the first contact in a series of cross promotional events between the baseball team and TNA. He was told he was going to get a call from Dusty Rhodes (to give you an idea of when this all went down) about the promotion between the two organizations. Why was TNA doing this cross promotion with the baseball team? Because TNA was going to host Sacrifice, their August PPV, in Bakersfield California. Yes, they PLANNED on doing a PPV on the road.
Imagine how big that news would be. Finally people outside the southeast would be able to see TNA up close and in person. However…
Fast forward a few months later and here we are on the eve on Sacrifice. another TNA PPV emanating from Florida, with murmurs from TNA saying that in the future they will host their version of Wrestlemania.
October’s not far off though, and hopefully the Spike TV deal will give TNA that push that they are in desperate need of currently. Until then, we can only hope.
