I Like Old People

One constant criticism I see coming up against TNA these days is that they push fossils and overlook the younger talent. I disagree.

Look at what TNA is trying to do. They are actually trying to compete with the WWE. There is nothing wrong with that. Problem is, how should they go about it? Frankly, if all they feature is good wrestling among names that are not very popular in the mainstream, they may never make it at all. Even I, a wrestling fan for so long, would have rather watched WWE over TNA in any given week at one time. Kurt Angle did not draw me. Knockout hype did not actually make me tune in. Mick Foley, one of my first favorite wrestlers, could not break my habit with the WWE. If anything, I would just read spoilers and watch what I wanted on Youtube. I occasionally would watch a segment or two of Impact, but I never stuck around for long.

I fell for the Hogan hype. On the day he was to make his big return, the WWE planned on the return of Bret Hart. Like it or not, fossils still seem to be a draw. But I actually was more interested for Hogan than Bret. I was never a huge fan of Hogan. I never gave him that much thought at all. I prefered Ric Flair. For some reason beyond me, it was still Hogan I was interested in at first, not even Flair. Back on WWE, I knew what to expect from Bret Hart. He was coming back to end what started a decade ago. I did not know what exactly to expect from Hogan and his crew. I only knew they would be sticking around. I actually felt the hype over on TNA. On Raw, what happened that night was a big disappointment for me. No huge swerves. Nothing really exciting. One kick, show's over. I did not like how the rest of the feud was developed, not to mention Bret's matches against Vince McMahon and equipment.

Am I happy that almost every impact seems to end with Hogan now in some way? No. Am I glad that Ric Flair refuses to leave the memories alone. Honestly, I would have respected him more if he did stay out, but I have not lost respect for him since he did return. He may not be exactly what he used to be, but I like to know he is still a part of the show, if he truly feels that is what he wants.

Last time I checked, the fossils have not been winning the TNA title since they came back a few months ago. They are not here for that. And new guys are being built up. I see it. I never knew what to think of AJ Styles, but after seeing Impact for a few weeks, I am liking this guy. I used to think Desmond Wolfe was completely overrated. After seeing him, some people may still overrate him, but I am liking him too. These are guys who never made a name for themselves in WWE and went to TNA. These are guys who made it in TNA. That is what TNA is going for. Draw the casual fans with big names like Hogan and Flair, but push the younger talent in a good way to create the hype in the next generations.

It is not like the WWE lacks fossils as well. Maybe not as old as Hogan and Flair, but the shows are built around the same draws. Cena? Triple H? Rey Mysterio attracts the Hispanic audience. And I am not even liking how they are pushing the younger talent in the WWE. They seem so generic so often. Many times, they just do not seem built properly. But the idea is still the same. The idea behind NXT was that top guys like Jericho and Christian would be involved, so the fans can think some star power would be there. You tune in for the draws, but also fall in love with the rookies. Last time I checked, NXT is not doing so well.

Impact may not be doing so well either, but the WWE had a huge head start over them. Will they ever catch up? I do not know. Whether they do or not, I do not latch on to the flavor of the week. I am a fan of what I enjoy. I am enjoying TNA. I will still watch parts of Raw out of habit. I am going to ignore Smackdown entirely from now on. No draw there for me. I can just read spoilers. Nevertheless, I am still waiting on something more refreshing. I think it is possible.