Lynas looks at TNA 2011

[Lynas]

TNA – Looking to 2011

Hi All,
Guess who’s back with a brand new blog. I decided that with the death of WA, I’m going to leave behind the lost TNA Fan’s Journey diaries. I will still be doing the 30 days in TNA blogs when the time comes & I thought I’d write up this blog, it’s a good start to a new era. It’s fair to say TNA’s product has been questionable throughout 2010. The Creative & Hogan/Bischoff connection has been widely blamed for this.

With TNA seemingly concentrating on former WWE/WCW talent for most of 2010, instead of its own home-grown stars, Fourtune was indeed a faction of TNA “original” talent, but they joined up with Immortal to make one big faction of all sorts.

It’s no secret that I may well be the biggest and most outspoken TNA fan within our forum family, but even I have gotten to a point where I’ve missed shows, and not even bothered to bring them up using my “on demand” button on TV Remote… I just think what else I could do with 2 hours of my life… and even cracking open a tin of paint and watching it dry comes above TNA right now.

I’ve criticised then applauded, criticised then applauded, criticised & crap-canned all things TNA over the last 10 months in my associations with both OWW & WA, as well as this new incantation.
But allow me to go a little Jim Cornette here...

In this blog, I’m going to take the TNA Roster, TNA card levels, it’s titles & give opinions & views, I’m going to tell you what I think TNA should do with them in 2011. Whether it be giving them World Title shots… or firing them, you’ll get my opinion on TNA 2011… and how it should go.

TNA Knockouts Division & World & Tag Team Championships
The Knockouts division is statistically & consistently one of the highest rated segments on iMPACT! every week. Yet the Knockouts championship is passed around like a pass-the-parcel at a 9 year old’s birthday party. In a division of 9 women… WHY…oh WHY do you have tag team championships? It was great 16 months ago or whenever they were introduced, because TNA’s KO Division was full to the brim with Knockouts, but now it’s rendered to near nothing, scrap them.

My hope for 2011 is that they try and put some prestige back on the belt, actually have it competed for mainly on PPV, rather than won & lost every iMPACT!. I like this current Mickie James/Tara feud & I’m hoping it spills into the new year. I’m hoping creative decide whether the Beautiful People are face or heel, (hopefully heel) and have them acting accordingly… (if heel… ridding the world one ugly person at a time…)

I hope they learn the KO Division is actually worth something if they try… it’s a way to reach out to the ever difficult female demographic… They need to expand it & make it bigger and better, but they sure don’t need the Tag Team Titles currently as 9 wrestlers is just not enough for a tag division especially when there’s only two real tag teams, TBP & Rayne/Tara... and as it stands it’s Love & Winter who hold the titles, but I’m interested in their dynamic, so I’m gonna run with it, not that it needed the tag titles to play out.

X-Division & Championship
One of the first lies we were told by the current administration was by Eric Bischoff, who came out and proclaimed he came to TNA because of the X-Division… within months it’s rendered to its lowest yet. Main contenders like Daniels & Homicide released, 2010’s operating X-Division seems to be Amazing Red, Douglas Williams, Brian Kendrick, Jay Lethal, Kazarian & Robbie E. … those are the guys who have really competed properly for the title. Particularly poor if you think about the potential size of that division, and also if you look back at previous years… Eric Bischoff. You straight up lied. No shock there then.

My only hope for 2011 is if they really set this division alight again, giving proper match times to build up high spots & build back the credibility of this title, let the Machineguns & Young Bucks take some shots in the X-Division picture, hell if you’re not going to use them properly, throw Joe & AJ in there, they’ll get it done. The X-Division is probably the most exciting mainstream division of the last 10 years… but in TNA’s most recent few administrations, the division & title has been held back unnecessarily, if TNA management listened to the crowd like they claim to, they’d realise that most of the gasps & “TNA” chants come during TNA X-Division highspots, if you want to keep a crowd pumped & into your product, do more of what keeps them on their feet.

Let’s face it, these days TNA’s crowd is half plants, quarter walking past tourists & quarter TNA fans… They look positively bored during most show tapings. Its clear TNA needs a hook, the X-Division is that hook, but as we know, TNA has trouble reeling anything in these days.

Tag Team Division & Championships
In a day and age where WWE might as well suspend their tag team championship belts. WWE needs a mainstream alternative, TNA used to be that alternative, now, look at their current tag team division;

Motorcity Machine Guns
London Brawling
Ink Inc.
Generation Me.
Beer Money
Eric Young & Orlando Jordan
Okada & Kiyoshi (Potentially)

I look at that division and think two things… Wow there’s some talent in there, and wow it could be bigger for sure. But 6 tag teams, is 5 tag teams more than WWE.
Look at some of the best matches in my opinion of 2010 in TNA… they were tag matches… the Motorcity/Beer Money series, the Motorcity vs Generation Me feud, the rise of London Brawling, the comedy of Young & Jordan, the class of Beer Money… this is another division in which to push upfront. Singles wrestling is all WWE seems to do these days, so to be an alternative, push your tag division, guys with chemistry in a team, guys in similar outfits or matching colours, double team moves.

I’ve personally always loved tag team wrestling, without doubt, they’re my favourite matches to watch… but only if the tag teams are true teams, almost long gone were the days of true tag teams who went through the ranks together & joined the company together… but with TNA, with some of the best tag teams in the world (the others are all in RoH), use them… and properly.

My hope for 2011 in tag team wrestling is to see more exciting storylines involving some of these tag teams, seeing tag teams work together in an emotional hunt for the tag team gold. TNA did get the build-up & crowning of the guns as tag team champions just right and for that I applaude. But something’s gotta give when it comes to the rest of these teams… and how to use them.

TNA seems to forget that not all feuds need a title in it, and for tag team wrestling in 2011, it’s precisely what they’ll need to remember as they work to build up London Brawling again, as they look to GenMe, MCMG & Beer Money to be at the top of this division… and hopefully, finding a way to expand the division itself… though you just missed the boat on Hass & Benjamin as they plan a full 12 months with RoH.

Midcard & Television Championship
TNA’s Midcard situation… I suppose it boils down to what you would call TNA’s midcard… I guess we’re talking guys like Doug Williams, Abyss, Brother Ray, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Jeff Jarrett etc. TNA’s midcard is pretty tough to distinguish at the moment, midcard is usually tag team time or maybe the odd singles match.

But let’s talk first about the Legends Global Television Championship, a title that doesn’t really hold much prestige, holds no real midcard purpose, a waste of money & effort in the current climate. TNA are rumoured to be thinking of introducing a TNA US Championship, that’s great, but give it some meaning, and have a companywide tournament, every non champion goes into the tournament, the winner will have truly earned that belt, it gives instant prestige, but everything you did with the red leathered belt, don’t repeat with the US title.

I believe the red leathered belt could indeed be disbanded and put aside. TNA needs to build a clear singles midcard, the guys who sit on the cusp of world title, the guys who become the backbone of the company, guys who can draw and create crowd reactions.

Main Event Picture & World Heavyweight Championship
Main Event in TNA, a picture that has featured some truly big names… but now, in 2011, it’s time to make some stars. TNA has been compared to WCW all throughout 2010, the way to break that cycle, is to really propel some of the younger guys into the spotlight, Matt Morgan currently stands on that brink, two World Title shots down & a possible third coming up as he faces Mr. Anderson in TNA’s final PPV of 2010, though no actual title defense has been made for this PPV (Perhaps a clever ploy in case Hardy was indeed sent to jail) though it could still at any point be made a three way dance & I wouldn’t complain, unless of course Hardy left the building as TNA Champion that night.

In 2011 you need to look to guys like Samoa Joe. TNA simply hasn't shown an understanding of who Joe is as a character and what Joe brings to the table the last two years. His wrestling persona is too dynamic and his marketability is too valuable to be wasted.

You need to look to guys like AJ Styles. TNA slams home the point that TNA is the house that AJ built… but fails to give the man his true due, he sits on the undercard, despite being named top wrestler in the PWI 500 of 2010… a man who is voted best wrestler of 2010 NEEDS to be the focus of a company, that’s the way it’s been in previous years… AJ Styles will need a World Title run or push in 2011, or TNA will have undoubtedly buried/lost a true star.

Mr. Anderson, “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero & Desmond Wolfe, 3 more younger stars who could step up and take a credible World Title reign… I’d rather see any of those 6 men hold the World Championship than see Jeff Hardy or RVD make a mockery of it. I mainly say RVD, because he and Hogan always used to bang on about how good it is to be champ, because you make more money, not because of the honour or pride or any of that stuff… but because of money.

Veterans – A guide on how to use
Ric Flair, gets younger guys over by wrestling them in his typical fashion, that’s great, but Flair really should hang up the boots, if you need to get younger guys over, I’ll give you two names… Sting & Kurt Angle, both guys are now over the hill, perhaps as far as championships go, both would like lighter schedules, so it make perfect sense to have these two veterans make the younger guys look good, and both are extremely capable of doing that, and look at what Kurt Angle did for Desmond Wolfe, Wolfe was booked in, to attack Angle and instantly feud with Angle, they went back and forth and when it was over, Wolfe practically won a popularity contest on TNA’s website & was instantly recognisable by any TNA fan, this can be done for many more.

One of the worst things in the world of professional wrestling is seeing veterans still try and hog the limelight, still try to flounce about the ring like they’re 25 years of age & act that way too… For all those that DO that, act your age and just help the younger guys.

TNA – Who to go
I look at the TNA roster now and just am faced with a wall of talent. However, as always, there will be hirings & firings within TNA over the next 12 months. I’m going to concentrate on those who I think will leave the company in the next 12 months & why I believe they’ll leave… then next December we’ll look and see how many I got right.

1- Amazing Red – Based on the fact that currently, he’s not doing a lot, the current administration have never been high on this explosive superstar and it shows, they did give him an X-Division title run… of 2 days, winning it in his hometown, before dropping it back to Jay Lethal in his hometown. In 2011 I don’t really see a lot changing for this guy, and I feel his fortunes would be best favoured, elsewhere.

2- Kiyoshi – How many of you guys just went “Who!?”. A former member of World Elite and has done nothing memorable since (including playing Suicide). Barely any matches. Barely anything. Kiyoshi is another guy who’s fortune is just better sought elsewhere. Though it will depend on how far TNA push the new partnership of Kiyoshi & Okada.

3- Okada – Much like Kiyoshi, you’ve probably just said “Who!?”… but you may actually have reason to… Okada hasn’t really done anything. Granted, he only joined in February and has made a few Xplosion appearances and one iMPACT! appearance, but that’s about it. I can’t see him being pushed anywhere as a singles competitor in TNA. So just as with Kiyoshi, it will totally depend on how far they push the two Japanese stars partnership that has blossomed lately on Xplosion.

4- Brian Kendrick – Another much ado about nothing guy. You cannot deny the talent Kendrick clearly has & the passion Kendrick has for this business. They began building a mysterious character around Kendrick, had him talking about destiny & X-Division gold and then… nothing. Until he resurfaces as part of EV2, as a fill-in for the injured Mick Foley, but now EV2 is over, are they prepared to go back and re-visit Brian Kendrick, my guess is no, Kendrick may rightfully grow restless & leave TNA to seek fortunes elsewhere, perhaps he’ll re-unite with Paul London in RoH or something… We should be so lucky.

5- AJ Styles – How many of you are shocked to see this name up here? AJ Styles is slowly & clearly becoming more and more frustrated with the TNA Administration. Even on screen it shows, you can see the fire, passion & desire dying in his eyes. At the moment AJ Styles just isn’t feeling it, and unless TNA change something soon, they are going to lose this man to RoH or WWE, and then it’ll be a classic case of “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”. I see AJ possibly getting a released mid to late 2011, unless something changes.


If I was given the job of loosening up some money in TNA & I was told “Lynas, you’ve got to release 5 guys to save TNA some money”… who would I release & why?


1- Jeff Hardy – There’s no denying Jeff Hardy can be a great wrestler & brilliant to watch, but he has too many personal problems that are mixing with his career, and I couldn’t have him in my company if he was a liability, let alone book him as World Champion.

2- Orlando Jordan – I love what TNA did at the beginning of the year with this guy, people hated OJay, but they lost their way with him and it’s difficult to get it back, because he’s failed to make the true impact he could, I would find Orlando in my 5 for release.

3- Rob Terry – Now, this guy has always had a soft spot from me, something about him just makes me like him, a bit like the Val Venis factor I guess. Despite not having any personality whatsoever. His new role as enforcer for Ric Flair works… it truly works… but it’s the only gimmick that ever works for this guy & that isn’t grounds to keep him. He doesn’t draw & his wrestling ability is nil compared to some of the guys on the block.

4- Rob Van Dam – Yeah he’s really over, Yeah he used to be great… but he’s done nothing for TNA… He was champion within five minutes of being with the company… and he sh*t all over that. He’s a guy who blatantly refuses to work with “unknown” younger talent & his so far up his own self that he would have no place in my locker room, you come to make an impact, and you fail.

5- Hulk Hogan – No shock here. Hogan came to bring TNA exposure. To give TNA that edge, but it just didn’t happen did it. TNA expected an instant rocket in ratings because TNA now had Hulk Hogan’s name in it, and what has it done for ratings points? Nothing. Either way it’s done nothing. Ratings haven’t changed, PPV buy rates sure as hell haven’t gone up, house shows still can’t sell out. What has Hogan achieved except for giving his old WCW buddies a shot back in the ring & employed a bunch of WWE, WCW & ECW castoff/hasbeens. Nothing. Hogan can only have simply cost the company money. He’s brought nothing to the table, but pocketed a decent sized check a dare say. At least you can notice Bischoff’s influence with backstage angles & media presentation.

So that’s it. My opinion on how 2011 could be, an opinion on where TNA could go in 2011 if they used common sense, and did what crowds have been chanting for over a decade now… “FIRE RUSSO”…

I don’t know why I wrote this… or if any of you will bother to read its full 3046 words.

But this is my first new blog of the new era.

That’s all folks
Lynas

[kirbs2002]

I bothered to read all 3,046 words of this. :p

I must say that this is simply AMAZING! Even that doesn't do this justice!

The reason why your plans won't transpire, I think, is because it's very obvious that TNA no longer wants to be an alternative. All they care about, much like WCW in its later years, is being competition. The problem is with an average 1.0 rating on your top show, you can't credibly HOPE to compete with shows that have a viewership 2 to 3 times your rating.

If they want to compete, they should realize their best hope is to be different.

[Lynas]

I gotta say. I didn't expect anyone to fully read it!!!

Thanks for the compliment. I just sat down today and began writing and it all just came to me. Before I knew it I was over 3000 words and even I was like... SHHIT! No-one will read this.!

[Serujuunin]

I completely agree with everything. Those guys that you identified as those who would quit are definitely guys TNA should look into keeping, and the guys you identified as those that need to go are indeed ones that need to go.

I'm not sure if they're in order, but personally my top two would be Jeff and RVD. I think if one leaves and one doesn't it would just make things difficult, the one remaining would probably get his nose out of koint about the whole deal.

I think one guy that TNA needs to use better is Mr. Anderson, but I also have no idea what they're doing with him because I haven't watched TNA in... I don't even know how long.

The Knockout Division also definitely needs a revamp, as the Diva's division in WWE is kinda dead (though with Natalya, Phoenix and, unfortunately for me, Melina, it has some potential), so people who are actually interested in female wrestling need a mainstream alternative.

Long story short, wonderful blog, and I completely agree.

[Big Red Machine]

I don't understand why everyone thinks that RVD has been so terrible in TNA! He has put on good matches, except when he was made to wrok with Sting who, let's face it, isn't that good anymore. Rob has show his ability to put on great technical matches with guys like AJ (yeah, yeah. I know... AJ is so good that he could carry any one of us to a decent match), and to even work pludner matches with guys like Sabu or Abyss. He can wrestle someone who wrestles his style (AJ), or someone who wresltes a much different style. He works with guys his size, guys smaller than him, or guys larger than him. I just don't understand why everyone is crapping on RVD so much.

He has been BOOKED terribly (his title win and title reign, giving away free first time ever TV matches against both AJ, Sting, and Joe), NOT putting him in the ring one-on-one with Kurt Angle, and having him repeat Hogan' BS that all that is importnat is the money while remaining a babyface), but no one that is ROB's fault, but rather the fault of, as Lynas identified; creative.

[Rabid619]

I don't understand why everyone thinks that RVD has been so terrible in TNA! He has put on good matches, except when he was made to wrok with Sting who, let's face it, isn't that good anymore. Rob has show his ability to put on great technical matches with guys like AJ (yeah, yeah. I know... AJ is so good that he could carry any one of us to a decent match), and to even work pludner matches with guys like Sabu or Abyss. He can wrestle someone who wrestles his style (AJ), or someone who wresltes a much different style. He works with guys his size, guys smaller than him, or guys larger than him. I just don't understand why everyone is crapping on RVD so much.

He has been BOOKED terribly (his title win and title reign, giving away free first time ever TV matches against both AJ, Sting, and Joe), NOT putting him in the ring one-on-one with Kurt Angle, and having him repeat Hogan' BS that all that is importnat is the money while remaining a babyface), but no one that is ROB's fault, but rather the fault of, as Lynas identified; creative.

Rob Van Dam in TNA irks me. I've been disappointed with him being there since he showed up. I haven't liked any of his matches and i absolutely hated his title reign. I for one do not like RVD in TNA, the thought of it before it happened unsettled me. Its just the fact, in my eyes he's not main event type material and he's not as great in the ring as people thinks he is. He just does spots. I dont consider him a good wrestler.

I'm with Serujuunin about Anderson, i like him in TNA. Also, i think he deserves to be champion more than Hardy does.

[Serujuunin]

Also, i think he deserves to be champion more than Hardy does.

This.

I was stoked at first when Jeff won it, but he's done nothing but sully the title and destroy his own reputation since getting it.

Anderson seems like the kind of guy that keeps his nose clean outside of the business, and that respects the business enough to understand what that title means.

[5Ray4Bacardi1]

I gotta say. I didn't expect anyone to fully read it!!!

Serious??? I always read your TNA blogs, but this one is your best work thus far.

[Lynas]

I gotta say. I didn't expect anyone to fully read it!!!

Serious??? I always read your TNA blogs, but this one is your best work thus far.

I know I got some hardcore fans lol... I just thought it's so damn long no-one would want to... BUT I've been proved wrong...

I just need to find other stuff to blog on now.

[Serujuunin]

I just need to find other stuff to blog on now.

Focus on specific talent?

[Y2J]

I gotta say. I didn't expect anyone to fully read itI know I got some hardcore fans lol... I just thought it's so damn long no-one would want to... BUT I've been proved wrong...

I just need to find other stuff to blog on now.

Great blog as always Lynas but in my opinion TNA isn't worth your time in the state it's been lately, if you're thinking about writing a column on something else then may I suggest a coverage of WWE from this year? I've been watching on and off but from what I've seen they've really stepped up their game since the crapfest their product was in 2009.

[Lynas]

WWE just isn't my area of expertise....

[Bob-O]

Great read, Lynas! I completely agree with everything you said. TNA lost a viewer in me this year and we seem to be in agreement as to where the company SHOULD be going.

As for RVD, I haven't been able to get behind him in TNA because of the rant he went on a month or two before signing with them. I'm still bitter about that...

[Lynas]

As for RVD, I haven't been able to get behind him in TNA because of the rant he went on a month or two before signing with them. I'm still bitter about that...

This is precisely why I find it hard to will him on or want him. Any guy who refuses to work with "unknown" talent (meaning guys who aren't necessarily known in the mainstream) and slags off some of the talent he did, just would not have a space or paycheck from TNA if it was down to me.

[Rabid619]

I had almost forgotten about RVD's stupid little rant. I didnt consider myself an RVD fan before he joined TNA but i didnt dislike the guy. It really started when that rant came out. When he showed up in TNA, i didnt like it then he got the belt and i became more disgruntled with him. That rant made me hate him because he acts like he's the best in the world which he is not. If i remember correctly, he made a lot of enemies in the locker room because of that.

[Big Red Machine]

I didn't know about Rob's rant. I find it ironic, though, considering that he had just come out of retirement to wrestle for PWG against Chris Hero & Roderick Strong earlier that year.