Blades Edge: October October, and the trees are stripped bare Of all they wear, what do I care? October, and kingdoms rise And kingdoms fall, but you go on - October by U2 I remember when I first started watching wrestling. There were no DVDs, no internet, and no Monday Night Raw. WWF and WCW only ran four PPVs per year. Back then, the only way kids like me got to read about their favorite sport (I say sport because sports entertainment wasn’t invented yet) was through a monthly magazine. Im sure to anyone who has grown up in the internet age, the idea of having to wait a whole month to find out results of a show or a PPV is crazy, but thats how it was for us back then. As time passed, information started to become more available, magazines and PPVs more frequent, and soon there were live weekly TV shows. Once the internet boomed, news spread instantly with just the click of a button. As we stand now in 2014, the way we watch and talk about wrestling has come a long way from when I started watching in 1990. The two biggest wrestling companies in the United States are going through a tough period, the outcome of which will not only shape their futures but maybe how we access our favorite wrestling content. If you believe the dirt sheets, TNA is as good as dead – that Spike has already moved on, decided not to renew Impact Wrestling, and come October, TNA will close its doors forever. But, as much as some people hate to admit it, TNA is still driving onward, currently producing some of its best shows ever. The company has drawn rave reviews, signed new and established talent, and are negotiating with Spike and other networks to continue airing Impact into the future. Meanwhile, WWE has lost a ton of money, released several wrestlers and office staff, and even closed their monthly magazine (which ran for 30 successful years). I know that WWE and TNA are different, but right now its concerning times for both companies. Dont get me wrong, Ive been a WWE fan since I was four years old and I want to see them succeed with their network and continue to be a global brand, but I also want TNA to succeed too. As much as the haters are wrong about the company, they are right that TNA needs a television deal to survive. Television is still the lifeblood for a national wrestling company; losing TNN hastened the demise of ECW, and once TNT was no longer interested in keeping Nitro on the air, WCW became all but worthless to anyone except Vince McMahon. As a TNA fan, October 2014 is going to be a special month for me. Not only will it mark the 7th anniversary of my dear Knockouts Division, but TNA will have surpassed the lifespan of WCW. Even though it only existed from 1988 to 2001, WCW were, without question, the second biggest American wrestling company in history and come October of this year, our little TNA will have survived longer than that massive Ted Turner backed promotion. Keep in mind that this is happening despite people saying as far back as the first show in 2002 that TNA will never last. So yeah, it makes me smile to think that TNA is going surpass WCWs tenure, but I hope thats just the start. I hope TNA can lock down a new deal with Spike or another network that will ensure their survival for a long time to come, because I remember WCW going out of business and it was a very sad end. After all their hard work, I would hate to see TNA go the same way. The wrestling landscape is changing; how we watch wrestling is changing. TNA is looking for a chance to carry on, to have a platform to allow fans to enjoy the product. Impact Wrestling has already been taped to where it will take them to the end of the current Spike deal – and Bound For Glory is set for Tokyo, Japan shortly thereafter. Right now thats where the horizon ends. What happens next, none of us knows. Well have to wait with bated breath and whisper to ourselves, Come on, TNA, you can make it...You can make it. [TNAsylum/borman] Like ·Comment ·Share ·Get Notifications
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:34:51 +0000