Speaking of niches that appeal to a number of fans, how about tag team wrestling? TNA features it: the Motor City Machine Guns and Beer Money, Inc. have been allowed to grow as organic teams and develop dynamic storylines. In the WWE, tag team just means "pair of solo wrestlers we can’t figure out what else to do with." It’s bad enough that I had to watch Degeneration X perform the same spots against Jeri-Show for like five weeks in a row simply because there weren’t any other contenders for the tag team titles. Then I had to watch them perform the exact same spots against Sho-Miz.
Now the #1 contender for tag team gold is the team of R-Truth and John Morrison. Wait… seriously? R-Truth and John Morrison? That’s not even an attempt at a coherent story. That’s Dusty Rhodes walking into the back and throwing darts at a list of names who aren’t currently involved in a feud.
Finally, TNA has room for expansion. Did you know that they already have nearly as many wrestlers on the active roster as WWE? Oh, it’s true, it’s true. Soon they’re going to have to expand to a second weekly show just to showcase all of their talent. I can easily envision a future in which they tape one show at the Impact Zone, then send the other show touring around the country in various arenas. It goes without saying that this will increase their visibility and give them much-needed national exposure.
The WWE, on the other hand, isn’t expanding — they’re contracting. They’re releasing talent (some of which is likely to be gobbled up by TNA), they’ve consolidated rosters, and they waste valuable wrestling time each Monday with lame hosts and awkward jokes about Chris Masters’ breasts.
I’m not saying that the road ahead is going to be easy. Hell, the show that Vince McMahon just canceled (ECW) was pulling the same ratings that Impact did last Monday night. But I think Eric Bischoff has a solid game plan in place. Amass as much young talent as you can. Stockpile names that people recognize from the past, and use them to help get the young talent over. Overbid for a few prominent free agents.
Sure, they’ve got a few bruises. Bubba’s a cypher. Hulk is inserting himself into the storyline too much. Scott Hall may actually disintegrate in the ring if anyone asks him to wrestle. But I’d rather watch RVD fight Sting than Santino selling Criss Angel’s parlor tricks any day. And seeing AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle beats the hell out of watching Batista knee John Cena in the balls and glower over him for 15 minutes. For most of us, it will probably be gradual. First you’re flipping over during every commercial break, then you’re sticking around a few extra minutes to see if Jeff Hardy’s going to show up.
Eventually you’ll decide to stick around for a match or two, because you know the only thing you’re going to miss on Raw is a short skit implying that the Bella twins want to sleep with that week’s co-host. And that, my friends, is how TNA win can win the new Monday Night Wars.
