The “New Face of Professional Wrestling” is carving its own niche in the industry. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling continues to blaze a unique path, and their entertaining programs reflect this singular approach.
TODAY’S ISSUE: TNA starts off the new year with a bang.
After a one-hour episode of iMPACT! earlier in the evening, TNA presented a half-hour special at midnight on January 1, 2006. This was a cool idea, as the ‘little company that could’ boasted the inaugural wrestling event of the year. Their much-ballyhooed announcement of Sting joining the roster was a foregone conclusion of course, but Christian’s revelation of the main event tag-team match at Final Resolution added to the excitement of the moment. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett and his new ally the Alpha Male Monty Brown will square off against Captain Charisma and his partner, none other than Sting, at the January 15 pay-per-view, Final Resolution.
Events of a singles match between Tennessee Cowboy James Storm and the Phenomenal AJ Styles from the first show prompted championship committee member Larry Zybysko to book the first championship match of the year between AMW and the X Division dream team of Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels and partner AJ Styles. It was very interesting to see Daniels and Styles teaming together. The former heated rivals bonded over the recent disrespectful actions of new X Division champion Samoa Joe, who showed blatant disregard and disdain for the code of honor among X Division competitors.
During the match, in which Daniels and Styles worked very well together, the Prince of Punk Shannon Moore finally did something more than stand above the entranceway waving a sign. The former little MF’er and leader of the Mooreons cost Styles and Daniels the NWA tag-team titles, and looked impressive in the process. Moore seemed to have bulked up a bit, and hit a nice modified blockbuster off the top rope onto Styles, leading to Styles being pinned. I can’t wait to see matches between The Prince of Punk and the Phenomenal One, and certainly Daniels vs. Moore is in the queue now as well.
Moore’s interference felt more like a newcomer making a huge impact, rather than a cheap way out of a title match. At one point in the match I excitedly thought Daniels and Styles might actually win the belts, and Moore’s interjection, while it cost the dream team the titles, got my attention and whet my appetite for the upcoming feuds that were nicely set up in a 30-second confrontation.
If Sting shows up motivated, in shape, and ready to contribute, his addition could be much better than some fans have suggested. Many feel he’s not worth the money at this point in his career, and that his presence will add confusion to the already cluttered heavyweight title picture. I believe he can be utilized to help put over the NWA championship and the top contenders to the title, rather than being a detriment. Time will tell of course, but I like that he’s been immediately mixed in with some of the top men in the division, namely Christian and Monty Brown. What this will mean for Rhino is uncertain at this time, but if his story arc is booked properly, he should continue his quest against Team Canada for several months anyway. Rhino’s match against A1 on the earlier episode of iMPACT! on New Year’s Eve continued that angle exactly as it should have.
The post-match attack on Rhino by Abyss reminded us of two things: first, Abyss and James Mitchell have recently aligned themselves with Jarrett’s “army”, and second, Abyss is a dangerous, scary monster.
Speaking of monsters, Samoa Joe is being booked brilliantly. TNA creative continues to follow the failsafe, paint-by-numbers monster heel build-up to perfection. Kane, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and many others have been successfully pushed in this manner. Joe is being established as a wrecking machine who is impervious to his opponents’ attacks. He has no friends or allies; he has nothing much to say, and he has not lost a match in TNA. Keeping Samoa Joe this strong could eventually lead him to the heavyweight division, which may have been foreshadowed by a recent uncomfortable stare-down between Joe and champion Jeff Jarrett.
In proper New Year’s fashion, the January 7th episode of iMPACT! pushed new ideas and highlighted new concepts for the company. They formally introduced Konnan’s new faction, the Latin-American Exchange. They featured mid-card X Division wrestlers Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, and Roderick Strong by giving them a huge win over a trio of former X Division champions in AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Chris Sabin. This also started a storyline in which these less-famous men are seeking recognition from the championship committee, and the win on iMPACT! seems to guarantee that recognition. Look for this storyline to continue week to week, as TNA creative does a great job with ongoing angles and continuity.
At the end of the show, Jeff Jarrett and his allies gave a “tribute” to Sting, who returns to professional wrestling at the Final Resolution ppv on January 15th. This segment was in the tradition of DX mocking the Nation of Domination, and the nWo burying the Four Horsemen. It was funny, and it antagonized the babyface faction of Christian Cage, Team 3D, Rhino and most likely, Sting. I say “most likely” because TNA has wisely chosen to leave Sting off of free television until his return to the business. If you want to be among the first to see the Stinger after years away from the ring, you’ll have to shell out $30.00 for Final Resolution. That’s smart business.
TNA continues to book entertaining shows, utilize a logical booking philosophy, and showcase consistently solid matches within the six-sided ring. There is already talk about them moving to a Thursday night slot, which has worked out well for them in the two primetime specials that aired in the past few months. This is the kind of wrestling promotion I enjoy, and I find myself eagerly anticipating the next show, even as the current one goes off the air. I hope TNA continues to grow and attract viewers while they remain a true alternative to the WWE.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled reality.
p.s. – Ever hear of somebody being “read the riot act”? Did you know it was a real law? The Riot Act was passed by the British government in 1715, because mobs opposed to King George I were attacking the meeting houses of dissenting groups. The Act remained in force for a surprisingly long time, only finally being repealed in 1973, though it had been effectively defunct for decades.
