I used to watch wrestling quite a bit, around the time of NWO, NWO wolf pack, DX, Stone Cold, and the Rock. After a while, especially after WWE bough out WCW, I found my self watching less and less to the point that I only watch it when I'm channel surfing and usually never for more than 15 min straight. Basically something I flip to during the commercial breaks of other shows I watch (I don't have TIVO, and I usually don't even watch that much TV). I thought I grew out of it. But now, after watching TNA for just a few weeks, I realized that's just because after WWE bought out WCW and ECW, they just stop putting out good products. I mean if you think about the storylines in those periods, I can't come up with a single memorable ones. All the new guys they try to give a push to all just seem rather bland and un-interesting. Also a lot of the stable established performers weren't really used right (basically put them on for a few weeks usually beefing with another star over something really mundane and don't really incoporate them into any existing storylines). TNA on the other hand has done a really good job of developing some of the younger stars while promoting the old ones. And I have to say the showmanship (i.e. character interest, mike skills, coolness etc) also seemed better.
Tomko and AJ Styles for one. Black Machismo and Sanjay has a nice thing going too. I also liked Curry Man and Samoa Joe. I'm sure there are some guys that were on WWE, but didn't really receive good air time or was pushed/written correctly. What I really like about TNA is that they don't rush a storyline, they let it develop. WWE storyline lately have being way either too straight forward or just bizzarre and seemingly go no where (like a midget being Vince's illegitimate son). On the other hand, TNA gives you twist and turns, usually not overly sophisticated, but that's what wrestling should be. You have a good guy and a bad guy. The bad gets the upper hand, the good guy overcome the odds and win. Very basic story telling but if you have the right personalities, it works.
Tomko was a WWE product. Curry man is a rehashed TNA wrestler. I don't necesarrily like good guys vs bad guys. i just like guys that are entertaining.
Who do you consider entertaining right now in WWE? I would give you Y2J but even some of the stables like HHH and Shaw Michaels seem less itnersting now.
The Motor City Machineguns are TNA originals and are very good. Jay Lethal has great in ring skills. Abyss was good for a time. Kaz is a great performer. Robert Roode is the classic heel. All in all, TNA has some very good talent. Add in Sting, Cage, Angle, Tomko, and even Kevn Nash...you have a pretty good roster.
MCMG rule. They are the types of guys TNA needs to promote. They were on an episode of Made recently and they were just the cool, hip, guys they need to show off for that sort of demographic.
It's not bad in short spurts [insert joke here] but what's up with that funky looking ring? Just get rid of it and go back to the square ring. Quit trying to be unique.
Old TNA was awesome when they used to do a pay-per-view every week. I have the best of AJ Styles and Best of Raven before he got his fat disease. Both are very entertaining.
I don't think faces and heels matter too much anymore....especially after the attitude and NWO domination. Like alot of TV Shows and movies, it is better now to have characters who are in a shade of great than all out heroes or villains. It's better to have everyone or most being somewhat shady or anti-hero like instead of being do-gooder or an all-out villain. You can even go back to other generations find very popular heels: Ric Flair (for most of his career), The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin (when he first started the Stone Cold moniker), The Honky Tonk Man, Razor Ramon, Bruiser Brody, Iron Shiek, Roddy Piper, Gorgeous George, Jake Roberts, The Road Warriors, and alot more. I think it is more about individual more than anything else.....back in older days and before the writers had a big say in what you did out in the ring..... Most wrestlers came up with their own gimmicks and lines and worked their own angles with other wrestlers...before they even got to this point.
I remember watching those. And I disagree. Those days had the Dupp Cup, the formation of an NWO wannabe with SEX and some other embarrassing stuff. Though they did focus on an open-door policy and focus on X division stuff, which they need to do again. I think their best was at the end of their Fox Sports days in terms of booking and character.
