Reality From Ringside #85

Reality From Ringside #85
October 11, 2010
By: Doug Lackey of Wrestleview.com

TNA Bound for Glory 2010: The Hangover (on location)

As many of you have heard, read, and endured, I spent all of last weekend in beautiful Daytona Beach, Florida. This is a first for me and you, the loyal Realist; this is the first pay-per-view hangover column I will have written after attending it live.

As many of you have experienced I’m sure, attending a live professional wrestling show (regardless of television taping or pay-per-view broadcast) is completely different from watching it on a monitor. I cannot critique Taz and Mike Tenay’s announcing job (which from what I have heard was exceptionally horrid) nor can I comment on how something or someone came across on the screen. While it may seem that I’m restrained with what I have to work with in putting together this ‘hangover’, I’m actually given a lot more than you think.

Far too often I have complained about how TNA must leave the Impact Zone in Orlando. Last night was a clear cut example.

While attending TNA’s “Bound for Glory” at the Ocean Center, I spoke with one of the arena’s employees about its capacity. According to her, a typical wrestling show can bring around 7500 to the arena. On the hard camera side of the facility (main ring shot), the entire section was blocked off; that means almost less than half of the arena was not used for the paying public. Looking through optimistic sunglasses with how bright the sun is here, nearly 4000 showed up to pay homage to what was supposed to resemble professional wrestling.

I can sit here, critique, and analyze every single match, move, swerve, etc. about the entire program. The problem is that according to 3999 people, I was wrong. This was a crowd that loved everything they saw regardless of who, when, where or why.

They wanted back flips and spots that took over 15 seconds to set up.

They wanted to see blood.

They wanted to hear the sounds of inanimate objects clanging against each other or over the head of anyone in particular.

They wanted to be entertained by this, they were, and I am not one to tell them who or what should be entertaining.

What I can do, however, is provide my perspective after experiencing such a gathering of humanity (err… I think…) who are intensely supportive of TNA and ask the questions we are left with after such a program like ‘Bound for Glory’.

Will Mickie James help or hurt TNA’s Knockouts division?

It’s really difficult to say if the inclusion of Mickie James in TNA’s roster will be positive or not, it’s too soon to say. Will it bring some needed attention? Sure. Could it shadow the rest of the division? Absolutely.

There are many programs that can be brought about within the Knockouts division with or without Mickie James’ presence. We could see The Beautiful People go after Taylor Wilde and Hamada’s Knockouts Tag Team Titles. An inevitable program between Madison Rayne and Tara due to Tara’s newly-won Knockouts Title is apparent. The only purpose Mickie James has is to go after Tara’s title, but this should not be done so quickly.

Let the previously mentioned programs work their course and then insert Mickie James when needed. Again, it is far too soon to say that James could augment or damage the Knockouts division, but it is definitely bringing some attention to it. How TNA will utilize this is the most intriguing.

TNA has seemed to have swept this division under their rug only because of far more monumental programs being promoted (The revelation of ‘Them’ & EV2.0 vs. Fortune). Sad but true.

Has the EV2.0-Fortune program run its course?

After the human game of Boggle known as Lethal Lockdown last night, what exactly is unresolved in this program? How much longer are we going to see these two factions flanked by performers who are beyond their relevancy combat one another?

Let’s play armchair booker and say that this program reached its conclusion, what do you do with everyone involved? Do we finally see singles matches involving all the talents involved instead of random a tag-team match, lumberjack match, or any other heavily-stipulated match? If so, who do you pair against each other?

I have never been so confused on what to do with so many talents. AJ Styles is your World Television Champion (err… I think…), so who does he feud with? Will this obnoxious feud continue or will we see everyone else fall to the bottom of my TNA Milk Carton (viewed on the Wrestleview VIP blog)?

Tommy Dreamer, Stevie Richards, Rhino, Sabu, Raven, Matt Morgan, Kazarian, Beer Money Inc., what do you do with all of these wrestlers? I’m very curious to see what you can come up with.

What is the purpose of ‘Them’?

While the previous question dealt with the utilization of a handful of talents, this deals with the application of an idea.

What exactly are ‘They’ against?

It can’t be TNA itself; didn’t Bischoff and Hogan come in to help the organization?

Jeff Jarrett, through countless reminders, created this damned company. How many times has he been for or against it?

Before I go any further, let’s look at who consists ‘Them’: Jeff Hardy, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, Sting, Hulk Hogan, and Eric Bischoff. Now let’s look at the grander picture and figure out what everyone’s supposed role is in the faction.

Jeff Hardy: As TNA World Champion, I take it that he is the figurehead just as how Hulk Hogan was in NWO. His purpose is to knock down all who stand in the way of not just ‘Their’ intentions but his title as well.

Abyss: This is the enforcer of the faction. If there is someone that needs to be taken out who is deemed a threat to ‘Their’ intentions, he is the one to call on. Throw in whatever uber-violent stipulations you wish, he will comply.

Jeff Jarrett: He created TNA, I get that. So shouldn’t that make him slightly more powerful than the two that enacted the swerve last night, Bischoff and Hogan? His future and purpose within this group confuses me the most.

Kevin Nash: It doesn’t matter what his purpose is, his final TNA appearance comes this week. Thanks for playing.

Sting: Didn’t he hate Hogan? I thought this was a WCW thing? *searching for Tylenol*

Eric Bischoff: According to his own columns and comments on various wrestling radio shows, I thought he had no say in the company at all.

Before you start loading your chambers with my own arguments about how typical wrestling fans don’t regularly listen or read what is on the internet, don’t forget that most TNA fans are very active online. A typical wrestling fan watching last night’s debacle, without knowing what the internet bestows upon them, would still be lost from this.

Hulk Hogan: What exactly is he going to do? Give marching orders? Make matches only favoring ‘Them’? That I can understand.

What I don’t understand out of all of this, and what disgusts me the most, is that he even physically appeared at last night’s show. According to last Thursday’s live edition of Impact, he has gone through countless painful back surgeries. Seeing him on crutches, escorted down the ramp by security, and cringing in agony trying to bend over through the ropes made me leave the arena immediately after Jeff Hardy’s win.

I didn’t care who was involved or who ‘They’ were anymore. All I knew was that TNA didn’t give a damn about a wrestling legend’s well-being, as if they have cared in the past.

If you are a die-hard TNA fan like the near-4000 in the Ocean Center that night, please convince me that what happened with Hulk Hogan was positive in any way, shape or form without any mention of a storyline or program. This has nothing to do with your penchant for entertainment… this has to do with a human bring.

Until next time, mouth-breathers!

Annoy me with your assumptions and affronts… adore me with your adulations and acknowledgements: doug@wrestleview.com.

Don’t forget to check out “Reality from Ringside Radio: 3R” this Tuesday on Wrestleview! It’s only available to Wrestleview VIPs though… so sacrifice a Big Mac value meal! Become a VIP!

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