TNA Blog Zone – Steiner’s Return, Who’s next?

[Lynas]

By Kendra Bunyon on January 27th, 2011 for WrestlingNewsWorld.com

Just when I think TNA has pulled out their last bit of insanity, they turn around and get even stupider! I so wish TNA had managed to market in a way that they were able to bring in fans on the merit of their fabulous wrestlers and their matches. TNA had been worth the time to race home after picking Ellie up from school so we could catch AJ, EY, Jeff Hardy, Daniels, Petey and the rest throw moves in that six sided ring that I didn’t know were possible! Even the most heart wrenching day, April 29, 2005, was worth the rush, just to watch Chris Candido in his wheelchair ringside, knowing that he’d passed and we’d never again see him in the ring.

Fast forward to 2011, TNA has spent more money than we could even imagine to bring in wrestlers who are so past their prime that many of them wear slides so they don’t have to worry about trying to tie their shoes or reach to pull on loafers. They’re cut many of their best wrestlers from the roster completely, or hobbled them with craptastic storylines that push formerly illustrious wrestlers over those boys who carried TNA for so long. Even the WWE who is in a HUGE transitional phase, struggling for main event talent like that haven’t struggled in, well, for a very long time – they wouldn’t touch the likes of Hogan, Bisch, Flair, Steiner, Nash, etc.

I know so many hardcore wrestling fans have washed their hands of TNA. Most figure TNA has screwed up so many times that they’re done with it. Even the loyal Impact Zone fans seem to have dwindled and changed into fly-by-night wrestling fans out to see blood or one morbid last look at Flair, Hogan, Sting, etc. Some days, especially during TNA PPVs that WNW allows me to run the Live Blog, I realize just how few TNA fans are hanging on. (BTW – Make sure you’re nice to whoever is running the Royal Rumble Live Blog! They’re new at it and aren’t used to our ways of doing things. I’ll be back to my favorite spot for the next PPV, hopefully TNA’s Against All Odds.)

Even through it all I believe TNA will pull their heads out of their asses. Or I did until some of the things I read this week. I must admit I’m torn over the report on Flair. I have a very low tolerance for Flair. I think he’s been disgusting to women, an asshole to fans and an overall egomaniac to the N’th degree. On the other hand, TNA is so obviously treating their wrestlers extremely unprofessionally, almost slave-like. Between pay cuts and learning that TNA pays 90 days after house shows making it ridiculous for wrestlers to live, TNA doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this instance. On the other hand, Flair knows that’s how TNA pays and to be an ass on the road, in front of fans, rather than handling it all professionally with Dixie doesn’t further endear me to him in any way.

Then TNA popped out with that press release about giving Ochocinco and Martin Lewis a steel cage at Lockdown to work out their differences. It’s one thing to work with people and come to some sort of agreement, then announce a match. It shows a level of professionalism competency and organization of a company’s management. But that’s not at all what TNA has done here. They, yet again, threw something absurd out there without even a hint of agreement or cooperation with the people they want to involve. Okay, if TNA wants to get their name out there as a total joke, then they did a good job of it. I’d love to know who’s brilliant idea this was and why Dixie allowed such a farcical press release out in the real world. The further TNA goes, the less I believe in Dixie as a business woman. I’m wondering if her parents at all regret the purchase of TNA.

Even through all this crap, I faithfully tune in each week and would do so even if I wasn’t Blogging. I am so in love with professional wrestling / sports entertainment that I will go to any show I can get to, no matter how bad. My life has changed that my distance I can travel to shows has greatly expanded so I’m able to go to Boston and possibly further, but I’m also thrilled about heading to Portland for a house show or even to Augusta for a local NWA show. I will take wrestling where and when I can get it and that means sticking with TNA for as long as it’s possible and all the time hoping they succeed.