Shining a Spotlight 8.23.07: TNA’s Hard Truth

I’ve talked about TNA a lot in the last year. I’ve noted their problems, the way their reach exceeds their grasp and how they seem to be making mistakes. At the same time, I’ve had hope and optimism for their future and that they can recover to really step up as a true equal someday. The company has managed to last over five years which is about four and a half years longer than most gave them when they started. They’ve been beating the odds to stay alive and I had hopes they would continue to do so. Sadly, that optimism is dwindling at a rapid pace following “Hard Justice.”

Not since the “Fingerpoke of Doom” has a company managed, in a single night, to turn long-time supporters against them. In the last week, TNA has suddenly managed to almost literally throw away a vast majority of the goodwill they have built up over the last few years. Bad booking, bad characters, blowing money on wasteful stuff while cutting loose some of the roster, poor use of their TV time, doing goofy skits instead of action, potshots at WWE…the parallels between TNA and the dying days of WCW are downright chilling. And the attitude behind them is matching as those in charge seemingly have no clue of how badly things are going over with the fans and that can lead to huge problems down the road.

We’d best start wit the big one and that’s how the Kurt Angle/Samoa Joe feud ended up. Despite my writing a whole column on how badly TNA has bungled this sure-fire moneymaker, I still couldn’t believe the way they screwed up the big showdown. Let’s get the major problem out of the way and that’s the fact that they completely ignored what the fans have been wanting for an entire year and refused to put Joe on top as TNA champion with such a perfect opportunity waiting. I know TNA wants the most out of Angle after the big payday but he was already made as champion, he didn’t need to have all the belts, especially the world one. Joe is the one fans have been wanting to see on top of the promotion, the man who can carry the promotion but TNA instead has decided to give it to a guy who’s already had plenty of times on top for the competition and that’s not good for a company trying to make themselves the alternative for WWE.

Now if Angle had just beat Joe, that would have been one thing. But first, they had to add the entire idiotic thing with Karen “leaving” Kurt. First, there was the fact that his verbal abuse thing was a bit much coming so soon after the Benoit mess. Second, this was a battle between two world-class athletes for every title in the company. That’s more than enough to sell a match without adding a totally whacko soap opera bit to it. Then there was reducing Kurt to a comedy figure of him sobbing at people over what happened, not exactly the intimidating figure to face off with Samoa Joe in a key title match. Of course, everyone and their brother could tell this was a swerve which just made Joe look more like an idiot for buying into it, weakening his own standing with fans as a smart ring worker. So Angle is now the holder of every title in the company and it appears his wife and her “friend” Trade Mark (Oh, lord I can’t believe they’re actually calling him that) are now being paid as employees of the company.

I’ll get to that bit in a minute. The much bigger problem is that Joe, the man fans have wanted to see win the big belt, has been denied once again. Even worse, he’s been made to look like an idiot doing it and is already being pushed down with word having it that the next big title feud will be Angle vs Christian. I’m reminded of how Hulk Hogan was constantly denied the AWA world title and that angered him to the point of leaving and we all know how that changed things. With his contract coming up, Joe may be rethinking his future with TNA. The folks on top have made it almost as clear as can be that they’re not going to give him the big belt so why should he stay around? Sure, he may not go to WWE but just losing him will be a blow to TNA as he’s got the crowd in his hands and that will cause a major shift in bias against TNA. Not to mention, it’ll be a big thing for the guys in the locker room who are going to start thinking that if TNA can shove a big star like Joe down, what chance do they have?

TNA’s constant pushes of ex-WWE talent is still something that amazes me. Had Angle not signed on, the landscape of TNA would be much different. I’d like to think it would be Joe at the top but for all we know, TNA might still be pushing Christian and Sting as well. I get that they want to give themselves more publicity with guys familiar to fans but it’s a double-edged sword. For every WWE guy they add, a TNA regular is pushed down. Worse, it just makes them look more and more like a weak copy of WWE, pushing guys left behind. The addition of Test is a clear example of this mentality as TNA seems obsessed with grabbing anyone from WWE, even guys who have absolutely no fan base to speak of and not that much in ring work. Yet, TNA will grab these guys and keep up the idea that they are the “new face of professional wrestling.” I’m not saying ex-WWE guys should be pushed down but a better balance can improve things.

Of course, it’s not that TNA doesn’t waste money in other ways. Yes, I’m going to be talking about Pacman Jones here. Now from the very start of the company, TNA has been trying to mix in celebrities and sports figures into the action. The very first TNA PPV had Jeff Jarrett interrupting Toby Keith during his rendition of the loathsome “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” So Keith came into the gauntlet battle royal to suplex and eliminate Jarrett. That’s continued over the years with baseball players, NASCAR drivers and Johnny Fairplay all taking part in TNA gimmicks to give them some publicity. But Pacman…that’s something else altogether and it’s already looking like a disaster in the making.

Yes, it got TNA publicity but it is the good kind? Not really because Jones is something of a joke in the NFL already with his actions so a lot of sportwriters just scoffed that getting involved in wrestling made sense for him. The bigger problem was when Jones came out to a major fireworks display and music video, another massive spending spree and proceeded to show his utter lack of charisma. I have to admit, I honestly believed Jones would at least come off passable on the mic but instead he was stiff and almost emotionless, not at all the major bad-ass TNA was painting him as. Hell, David Arquette at least had some charisma, no matter how bad it was. All that money and TNA didn’t even bother checking to see if their latest major investment could at least be halfway decent coming across to fans?

Of course, TNA also didn’t bother to check the legal ramifications of hiring someone who’s still technically under contract to the NFL. After making all those boasts of how Pacman was going to be a wrestler, TNA was caught with their pants down when the NFL got the court order barring Pacman from actually taking part in the physical action. This, naturally, led to an immediate drop in the media attention as sportswriters and broadcasters realized Pacman would only be doing celeb appearances and not being in the ring and turned their attentions elsewhere. Of course, TNA isn’t letting logic like that stand in their way as they had Ron Killings return to get in Pacman’s face for no real reason and then staged a “mystery attack” on Pacman to get a bit more attention. Then, on the following “Impact” they have Jones do another bad interview with Killings coming out and suddenly, their argument is forgotten and Jones and Killings are going to challenge for the tag titles held by Kurt Angle.

….Okay…TNA has openly acknowledged that they’re legally bound to ensure Pacman does not wrestle. The media knows it, everyone reading the Internet knows it. But they’re pushing the idea of Pacman teaming with Killings against Angle despite all that which isn’t just bait-and-switch but just blatant lying. It’s like when they kept on advertising the Steiners vs Team 3D at Slammiversary despite the fact everyone knew Scott wouldn’t be able to compete there. My guess is that it’ll be a singles match with Killings facing Angle and beating him for the belts and knowing TNA, they’ll just keep pushing Killings and Pacman as the champs while Pacman never actually competes. All those possible teams who could give the tag belts a much needed boost (LAX for example) and TNA would rather have them held by a guy who quit the company a few months back and a football player who is barred from actually competing in the ring. And we thought Buff Bagwell’s mother holding the WCW tag titles was bad.

The X Division is hurting too. There was a rumor abounding a bit back that TNA might do away with the division and title which would have meant the death of the traditional TNA and what set them apart. Thankfully, it appears they’ve come to their senses enough not to do that but it’s still rough to see the once great X workers being ignored like this. Nash is still around as a joke and their title has been used as a prop in the failed Joe/Angle feud. Getting it back on Christopher Daniels or Jay Lethal might be good but TNA has to understand that the X Division has long been what gives them an edge against WWE. If they keep on ignoring it, it’s going to cost them some goodwill with fans and workers.

Now we have a PPV where Angle is going to defend his belts in three different matches. I’m not going into the idiocy of one man holding all the belts but this just continues to push TNA being the Kurt Angle show (better than the Jarrett show but still). Of course, Joe won’t be competing for any of these belts which may add to his ideas of jumping ship once his contract is done. Angle is a great worker still but three matches in one night is a bit much, especially with his new goofball act. Part of it’s good with his ego, which has always been key to his character but it’s getting out of hand with him doing that skit of beating up a bar with “HHH” and “Vince” inside, yet another waste of money just to take a cheap shot at WWE.

The money issue is really troubling now. TNA is obviously spending a lot for Pacman and adding Karen and “Trade Mark” to the roster so they’re cutting some talent. I was amazed to read online on how so many of the TNA guys are being paid a shockingly low rate, sometimes less than $1000 per night. The fact that I make more a year than some of the X Division guys is jarring as I’m not risking my body every time out. While we don’t need a guaranteed contract mess, I think a bit higher raise can boost morale. Of course, TNA is too busy spending cash on football players, wives and fake bar fights to seem to care about their actual stars. Now some of the low salaries and pushes aside are understandable like Christy Hemme and Lance Hoyt (insert your own “They’ve got the real Test now, why do they need a knock-off” joke here) but leaving guys like XXX and Sonjay Dutt without any push is a criminal waste.

Matt Bentley’s recent radio interview should be a warning to everyone as he relates how bad the backstage morale of the company really is with the push of outsiders over the homegrown talent. The intriguing aspect to me is his claims that Russo isn’t the big problem but Mantell. I have to admit that while much of TNA programming does have Russo’s fingerprints on it (swerves, goofy skits, shots at WWE), Russo isn’t the one who hires people. Getting Jones was Mantell and Jarrett’s idea and they have say over who does and doesn’t get pushes while Russo tries to handle the writing of them. Jarrett himself has been taking a break after his personal tragedy but his return is inevitable and it seems likely that he intends to face off against Angle down the road. I have little doubt TNA will promote this as a “dream match” on par with Hogan vs Flair when it’s really not that big a thing. We’ll have a long-time vet against a man most still associate with WWE while all the guys who have been with TNA in the beginning wallow in the lower ranks.

TNA’s attitude at times is downright baffling. On the one hand, they’ll try to act like they really are the future of the company and push it to the forefront that they’re making stars. But then they’ll have the Steiners and Team 3D do a big matchup that’s about eight years too late to be really awesome and then throw in VKM with the idiotic claim their tag team legacy is on a par with the other two. They’ll give a big push to Test off the bat while keeping the Eric Young/Robert Roode feud going for over a year. I’ve been watching some TNA PPVs from 2005 and it’s stunning to see how different things were in both attitude and presentation. Sure, they had duds but you got the feeling the workers (especially the X Division guys) really loved what they did and were busting their asses to give the fans something to enjoy. But now, it just seems they’re going through the motions to earn a paycheck and realize that they’re not on the list to get a push to the top. After all their boasting about being different from WWE, it now appears TNA has a “glass ceiling” of their own and it looks like most of it are guys who already have made it in WWE (or even WCW) and the lower guys in TNA can pretty much forget being able to reach that level themselves.

The presentation of TNA is also an issue. I do hope that when they get the two hours for Impact, things can change but right now, they need to present things better on the show. Honestly, how many times can we watch someone burst into Jim Cornette’s office angry and demanding something? And what the hell is Matt Morgan really bringing in just a bodyguard role for Cornette? They are capable of some good matches for Impact but a lot of them are stuff that could have been saved for a PPV but TNA just puts them out and blows paydays. Remember, they don’t charge for the Impact zone so PPVs and merchandise are their bread and butter. Given the low buyrates for their last PPVs and how they’ve annoyed fans with the lack of pushes for guys they like, TNA needs to build up their PPVs right to earn money. The way they’re going, that’s not working right. The rough characters now aren’t working either. AJ Styles was long established as a terrific worker thanks to his quick wits but is now portrayed an idiot lackey. XXX has been thrown back together for no real reason as it seems Skipper and Shenshi are turning into lackeys for Daniels. Rhino agreeing to work drinking down beer in his feud with Storm is a move that really surprises me due to his public battles with alcoholism and how this seems to make light of them. And don’t get me started on VKM…

So we’ve got money blown on celebrities whose ring work and presence does nothing for the company bottom line; incredibly talented workers being forced into comedy roles or just pushed aside; precious TV time wasted on idiotic skits and giving away PPV matches; workers made to look like jokes and pushed down the card; and an attitude from those in charge that everything’s going perfectly fine despite the fan apathy. The similarities between TNA now and the dying days of WCW are chilling and if those in charge don’t wake up and see that, they’ll be lucky to make it to another Slammiversary. I know I’ve said this so many times but once again, a major problem is that those in charge are under the delusion TNA is on an equal par with WWE and they can afford to blow money and take potshots at the competition as if they’ve got a real leg to stand on. The company is barely in the black and they think Vince actually sweats over what they do?

Again, Bentley’s interview should be a major warning for TNA as it points to the bad morale of the locker room as the lower card guys are realizing management isn’t going to let them take charge. That those in charge are also willing to cut loose workers to save money in order to hire football players is another bad sign. More and more might start thinking that maybe the WWE wouldn’t be a bad place to try out after all. I know Vince has always had that reluctance to push those stars he didn’t create. But WWE is in a rough spot with all the injuries of late depleting the roster so Vince might be willing to take on a few guys to beef things up. Come on, you don’t think Vince would love to do what he did with Hogan and make Joe a champion just to rub it in TNA’s face? Hell, a half dozen X Division guys alone can beef up the tag ranks on either brand and give WWE a better boost. I could see Shark Boy hanging around the Cruiserweight ranks to be sure. TNA can offer a few things like a lighter schedule but WWE has money and, more importantly, they actually offer a better chance of breaking out than TNA currently does. Not to mention, their writing is actually better than TNA’s now which is a factor.

TNA has the ingredients to succeed, they always had. They had a great roster, a loyal fan base and so much potential to rise with great matches. But instead, those in charge are convinced that the only way to be on an equal par with WWE is to copy them and get as much publicity as they can and damn the guys who built the company up in the process. If it came down to keeping half the X Division or nabbing someone like RVD, well, get the pink slips ready. The key selling point of TNA for so long was that they were the alternative to WWE with action more than talking. But it turns out, they’re turning into a promotion that cares more about entertainment than wrestling and I’m frankly amazed Jarrett, a veteran who wanted this to stand out, is letting it happen. Of course, Jarrett has been distracted as of late while the ones in charge of the company (people who have almost no real knowledge of wrestling) are making decisions based on what they think can help. I also don’t think Russo has as much pull in the direction of the company some think he does. The man’s always lived and died by the Internet responses so he’d be the first to notice the backlash against this stuff. And as Bentley pointed out, it’s Mantell who seems to be coming up with the more idiotic ideas that are costing TNA big time.

The last few days have provided a brilliant dose of irony in that TNA is, in one respect, on the same page as WWE: Congress just served them with a letter on steroid investigations. Mock WWE’s wellness policy all you want but at least they have something to show they’re trying. TNA does not and if they actually believed they’d fly under the radar, they were fooling themselves. And for those who say there can’t be any drug problems there…come on. Steiners, Test, Tomko and nothing being used? Please. TNA has got to be very careful because this is a serious manner and if they try to brush it off as not that important, it could lead to some federal fines that can cripple them. But as I mentioned, I have to love the irony that after all the talk of being so big, they seemed to think they were small enough to avoid federal investigation.

I’ve closed previous TNA columns with my optimism that they can recover and grow to a great organization if they just realize their place. But now…Hard Justice has made me realize the problems are much bigger than I thought and they go to the top. TNA seems to have no long-range plans in mind, always short term stuff and are perfectly willing to shuffle all plans and pushes if something big (Pacman) were to come along. They seem willing to blow so much money on a football player and the wife of a wrestler rather than figure out how to get new guys over and have created a glass ceiling of guys, the majority of whom have long been made in other companies which the long-time vets of TNA can’t break through. TNA always saw itself as an equal to WWE but it now looks like they’re matching the AWA and WCW. If Samoa Joe does indeed leave, it could be the beginning of an exodus of talent that will leave this company a shell of what it could be. Unless TNA starts making some changes for the positive soon and realizes they need to put actual wrestling first then they’ll be following WCW all the way down before you know it and this entire business will suffer for it. That may be hard to accept but the truth often is.

Also around 411mania:

You’re an Idiot and Here’s Why also talks TNA and Kurt Angle.

Schmoozes and Screwjobs also examines the Hard Justice debacle.

Julian counts down the Top 10 Summerslam cards. Personally, I’d have put 91 in there somewhere.

Jordan also turns on TNA in why I Hate Wrestling.

Sturat elicts the wrath of fans with why Benoit is still great and Eddie really wasn’t in Friendly Competition

Piledriver Report examines the suspects of Vince’s child.

Evolution Schemathic takes a look at the Honky Tonk Man.

Don’t forget Column of Honor, Fact or Fiction, Triple Threat, Ask411 and the rest.