The winds have picked up strength. The smell of fail is in the air my friends. The news broke and the message boards are in a frenzy. TNA is going to take on WWE in a one off constest Monday the 4th of January 2010 and TNA are hyping heavily the return to tv/TNA debut of Hulk Hogan which will happen on that show.
This may very well KILL TNA. And I don't mean a little "Oh we tried and failed" kill either I mean we may very well bear witness to the death of a company on January 4 and I'll tell you why, there's 3 very good reasons while any fan of TNA should be deathly afraid.
Reason 1: The timing
It smacks of desperation, you're putting on a live Impact, something you've never done on one months notice. I love TNA but the simple fact they're not ready for this fight yet. Not in terms of wrestling product, not in terms of brand marketability, not in terms of experience, not in terms of anything you can measure in terms in comparison with WWE. The one thing, love him or hate him anyone has ever said about Vince McMahon is he thrives on competiton and for almost 10 years now he hasn't had it. Now the wrestling equivalent of David could very well be about to awaken the sleeping giant.
And even if WWE doesn't take much notice, what exactly is TNA aiming for? Their Thursday night Impact at their HIGHEST point this year averaged a 1.3 and that was at the start of the year, in more recent times they've fallen to somewhere around 1.0. What is considered a victory here? Even as dire as Raw is now they're averaging about a 3.6 so if the aim is to defeat RAW then they'll fail and fail dismally, if the attempt is to get to a 2.0, they'll still fail. I don't think Hogan alone accounts for 1 million viewers. I can see only ONE viable reason for doing a show January 4. It's the first Monday night for 6 months without Monday Night Football and they're hoping that enough of those viewers tune into Impact to make it viable. Will it work? I don't think so. Most of the fans who would be intrested in wrestling are more than likely "Better the Devil you know" fans. They'll go to the WWE. If TNA gets to 1.5 that's a good effort but it's not worth the extra cash they're putting on the line to go live and head to head
Reason 2: Hulk Hogan
Yes Hulk Hogan. TNA's Biggest Asset is also their greatest albatross, and could be the rock that sinks the company.
Again I'll freely admit bias as I'm not a Hulkamanic nor was I ever, but the people who left WCW in their droves during their slump did so with Hogan on top of proceedings, every comeback he's made for WWE since has been the same, the 1ST week you get a nostalgia pop in the ratings (Maybe up to 0.3-0.4) and then the VERY NEXT WEEK they go back to normal or in most cases involving Hogan, worse. TNA doesn't have the fanbase to lose, they can barely fill the Impact Zone, a 1000 seat soundstage at Universal Studios. Hogan was and is a legend, but as I've said in previous columns you sending the wrong message by making him the focal point, TNA needs to be providing a alternative, not a nostalgia reunion. The focus should be on guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Matt Morgan, Desmond Wolfe, yet when the announcement is made and the ads are put out who gets the attention? Hulk Hogan, it's a step in the wrong direction for TNA and considering they're already close to the edge of a cliff, it's a step they can ill afford to make.
Reason 3: Vince Russo
This is a maybe but if he's still writing at TNA come January 4 then woe betide TNA. Those who watched WCW in 2000 and survived without killing themselves or winding up in the nuthouse would well remember just how crazy it was. Nonsensical segment after nonsensical segment, swerve after swerve, disaster after disaster. If that's the message TNA send in a live head to head battle, they will not only be beaten, they'll be annihilated.
Fix these three reasons and TNA may have a chance, but since they won't it's a very very bad idea from Dixie and the gang. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a fatal one.
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