As the new week started, news started to leak out of TNA’s potential sale – and although (at time of writing) nothing has been finalised, the details coming out seemed to indicate that the company destined for a warehouse was veering into yet another PR crisis.
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Television can be a very useful tool for a professional wrestling promotion. Back in the day, it was one of the main vehicles that companies had to sell tickets to live events. As wrestling evolved, television shows became a tool to increase awareness and sell pay-per-views as well. With success comes ratings, and the inevitable addition of extra coverage, which leads us to the conundrum that we face today.
Spoilers have been part and parcel of wrestling for its entire life. Especially when matches didn’t air live on TV, there has always been a group of fans looking to be ahead of the curve and figure out what’s happened before it’s broadcast to the masses. (Friendly tip: there’s none included in this article!)
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll have heard that WrestleMania weekend was host to a number of high quality matches – even if the event itself led to mixed feelings amongst fans. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. Bayley vs. Asuka. – and that’s just three matches. But whilst they all were good matches that captivated the crowds, they were all missing one thing: clearly defined heels.
A lot has been said of TNA’s ongoing woes – hell, it’s been the story of their existence. From their very first show in 2002, there’s always been a millstone around the company’s neck: financial issues, controversy about recent hires (or firings), question marks over the company’s televisual future. Last week, news crept out about how TNA were relocating… to a warehouse?!
The fabled Monday Night Wars changed a lot of things in wrestling. It led to the increased use of “hot-shots” – where a storyline that would have played out over the course of months is told in a matter of weeks. It led to the increase in pay-per-views across the board… and it also led to the assertion that “live matters”.
WrestleMania weekend was big for NXT in more ways than one. Friday night’s Takeover: Dallas show ended up blowing WrestleMania out of the water as far as critical acclaim, whilst Baron Corbin finally made his main roster debut courtesy of the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Maybe Baron will stop being a moody so-and-so now he’s finally up there? Of course, there was more on Raw…
Whilst this weekend was undoubtedly headlined by WrestleMania – and with a WWE-record attendance in Dallas, how could it not – a lot of eyeballs were also directed towards the independent scene this weekend. Would they also make it big in Texas?