Post by Boaster on Nov 14, 2008 16:39:12 GMT -6
In my mind, TNA is the future of Professional Wrestling.
The wrestling industry has had it's fair share of ups and downs, twists and turns (fabricated or real). Superstars come, superstars go and some never go away. One thing is certain, different is good. TNA is providing a difference in the bland brand of wrestling. A ring with more than four sides? That is different; that is good; that is new.
TNA is the future not because of the number of vertices the ring has, but because they proclaim themselves to be a "wrestling" organization where as their competitor (WWE, formerly the WWF) present themselves as "sports entertainment." To me, calling yourself "Sports Entertainment" is a weak. "Sports Entertainment?" Can you get any more ambiguous than that? Sports Entertainment doesn't say anything. It's not even a statement.
"So what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a sports entertainer."
"Sports entertainer? What does that mean?"
"I don't know, I just know I am one."
Does anyone really know what that even means? With "Professional Wrestling" we at least have an expectation on what to see.
The WWE has so much talent and so few outlets. Oh wait, they have two "brands." Whatever the hell that means. It's one company. I guess is comparable to Pepsi and Coca Cola. But how much sense does that make for one company to produce two brands of the same product?
The name WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. Well, they don't even consider themselves as a Wrestling company, they're Sports Entertainment.
From 2000 to about 2007 WWE was king of the mountain, King of the Wrestling World. To me, that's a sad commentary because they're not in the business of wrestling anymore. They're in the business of "Sports Entertainment." If their idea of "Sports Entertainment" is wrestling, then they're sadly mistaking. Pulling off stunts, jumping off of cages two stories high and high risk maneuvers can be entertaining sometimes. That's what WWE brings to the table, but they're not doing anything new. They're running out of ideas.
I'm done beating the dead horse of WWE being "Sports Entertainment."
TNA is the alternative. And since WWE bought out WCW, and then ECW (due to bankruptcy), there were no alternatives to speak of. TNA is basically WCW². Classic Pro Wrestling with a modern twist of drama, new faces and new ideas (one being the dimensions of the ring).
I would say to anyone who watches "Sports Entertainment" to tune in to TNA (Pro Wrestling). TNA is basically doing what WCW failed to do in its later days, entertain. This wasn't due solely to the talent pool, but the staff, writers and the backstage politics (which undeniably there is, was, and will continue to be). Needless to say, everyone is looking out for their best interest while in WCW. They abandoned the commaradary of being a company and a family. Some say this was due to Bischoff keeping "everyone on their toes" so that one group of friends was against another. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. He brought an element of Chaos and he had a really good handle on it for awhile.
WWE has exited it's "raw attitude" era and went into a "coasting" or "cruise control." Their Monday night program can't even be called "Raw" anymore. Sure, they have talent in their midsts. There were guys there that I didn't like (personality conflicts) but I did grow to like and respect as wrestlers (aka entertainers). One wrestler from the WWE I think would make a solid mark (and career even) in TNA would be Batista. This is another case of a wrestler whom I did not initially like, but then grew to like. I think he's a solid character. He's like the new "Goldberg" in my opinion. On a side note, I didn't like Goldberg as a Champion because no one could "beat him fairly," but he was a true spectacle in Pro Wrestling. He was a force. I think Batista could be that new "force" in TNA.
But anyway, TNA is the next big thing in Wrestling. McMahon managed to win the war against WCW, due mainly to their own implosion and I have HIGH and SERIOUS doubts he will be able to stop TNA. After all, it is "Non-Stop" isn't it?
I'm a casual observer of Pro-Wrestling, but I have an idea of what works and doesn't work, despite my biases.
TNA is the future of Professional Wrestling.
The wrestling industry has had it's fair share of ups and downs, twists and turns (fabricated or real). Superstars come, superstars go and some never go away. One thing is certain, different is good. TNA is providing a difference in the bland brand of wrestling. A ring with more than four sides? That is different; that is good; that is new.
TNA is the future not because of the number of vertices the ring has, but because they proclaim themselves to be a "wrestling" organization where as their competitor (WWE, formerly the WWF) present themselves as "sports entertainment." To me, calling yourself "Sports Entertainment" is a weak. "Sports Entertainment?" Can you get any more ambiguous than that? Sports Entertainment doesn't say anything. It's not even a statement.
"So what do you do for a living?"
"I'm a sports entertainer."
"Sports entertainer? What does that mean?"
"I don't know, I just know I am one."
Does anyone really know what that even means? With "Professional Wrestling" we at least have an expectation on what to see.
The WWE has so much talent and so few outlets. Oh wait, they have two "brands." Whatever the hell that means. It's one company. I guess is comparable to Pepsi and Coca Cola. But how much sense does that make for one company to produce two brands of the same product?
The name WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. Well, they don't even consider themselves as a Wrestling company, they're Sports Entertainment.
From 2000 to about 2007 WWE was king of the mountain, King of the Wrestling World. To me, that's a sad commentary because they're not in the business of wrestling anymore. They're in the business of "Sports Entertainment." If their idea of "Sports Entertainment" is wrestling, then they're sadly mistaking. Pulling off stunts, jumping off of cages two stories high and high risk maneuvers can be entertaining sometimes. That's what WWE brings to the table, but they're not doing anything new. They're running out of ideas.
I'm done beating the dead horse of WWE being "Sports Entertainment."
TNA is the alternative. And since WWE bought out WCW, and then ECW (due to bankruptcy), there were no alternatives to speak of. TNA is basically WCW². Classic Pro Wrestling with a modern twist of drama, new faces and new ideas (one being the dimensions of the ring).
I would say to anyone who watches "Sports Entertainment" to tune in to TNA (Pro Wrestling). TNA is basically doing what WCW failed to do in its later days, entertain. This wasn't due solely to the talent pool, but the staff, writers and the backstage politics (which undeniably there is, was, and will continue to be). Needless to say, everyone is looking out for their best interest while in WCW. They abandoned the commaradary of being a company and a family. Some say this was due to Bischoff keeping "everyone on their toes" so that one group of friends was against another. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. He brought an element of Chaos and he had a really good handle on it for awhile.
WWE has exited it's "raw attitude" era and went into a "coasting" or "cruise control." Their Monday night program can't even be called "Raw" anymore. Sure, they have talent in their midsts. There were guys there that I didn't like (personality conflicts) but I did grow to like and respect as wrestlers (aka entertainers). One wrestler from the WWE I think would make a solid mark (and career even) in TNA would be Batista. This is another case of a wrestler whom I did not initially like, but then grew to like. I think he's a solid character. He's like the new "Goldberg" in my opinion. On a side note, I didn't like Goldberg as a Champion because no one could "beat him fairly," but he was a true spectacle in Pro Wrestling. He was a force. I think Batista could be that new "force" in TNA.
But anyway, TNA is the next big thing in Wrestling. McMahon managed to win the war against WCW, due mainly to their own implosion and I have HIGH and SERIOUS doubts he will be able to stop TNA. After all, it is "Non-Stop" isn't it?
I'm a casual observer of Pro-Wrestling, but I have an idea of what works and doesn't work, despite my biases.
TNA is the future of Professional Wrestling.
