Matt O’Brien writes and maintains the Wrestleview.com poll every two weeks.
In the most recent Wrestleview.com poll asking what letter grade voters would give TNA for the year of 2010, the results are as follows:
A 6% (175 votes)
B 14% (424 votes)
C 28% (863 votes)
D 26% (830 votes)
F 27% (842 votes)
Total votes casted: 3,134
This poll came down to less than twenty votes between three choices. 28% of voters believed TNA deserved a C for their 2010 performance, while 27% gave the company an F. Just twelve votes behind was a D grade. By coming down to such a small margin this is the closest Wrestleview poll in the last year. The closeness of the votes is significant for the difference between the options. It comes down to those who believe TNA did average and those who thought they had a horrible year.
A few months back Wrestleview voters were asked whether the presence of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff has changed TNA for the better or worse. The majority of voters believed TNA had indeed been changed for the worse. TNA critics have become harsher and more outspoken in the last year. Many TNA loyalists balked at the signing of Hogan and Bischoff at the end of 2009. They felt the wrestling company they loved would be forever changed. In many ways it was. The six-sided ring was gone. Impact was moved to Monday nights in a failed attempt to revive the Monday Night Wars. TNA drew further criticism for bringing in older stars like Scott Hall and the Nasty Boys. Later on in the year the company brought in Members of the ECW alumni to put on a reunion show over nine years after the company had gone out of business.
TNA tried to rally to a huge angle at Bound for Glory by turning Jeff Hardy heel with the support of “them” as a new super group. For some this was another example of TNA’s bad booking, while others saw it as a chance to do something different.
Out of 3,134 votes, only one hundred seventy-five of those were dedicated to an A grade. It’s hard for any company to earn an A grade. Those who did vote for the A prove that TNA still has its loyalists and admirers, which TNA needs right now. Many point to the Beer Money-MCMG series, the Ric Flair-Jay Lethal rivalry, and their place as a the most accessible alternative to WWE as their reasons for giving them high marks. Regardless of all criticism waged over the company’s life, nobody has ever questioned the potential of the talent. It becomes a matter of harnessing that potential.
Given the narrow gap between the choices, this will be an interesting question to ask again at the end of 2011, as TNA is sure to undergo further changes this year. Thanks to all those who participated. Be sure to check out the latest poll at Wrestleview.com asking who will win the 2011 Royal Rumble!
Matt O’Brien
Columnist, Wrestleview.com
mattman5436@yahoo.com