Corner to Corner: Calm before the Storm

The most devastating of storms is capable of tearing communities to bits. It blows through the construction of buildings and houses. It floods the streets and sewers with no sense of reason. It destroys hopes and dreams with it’s fierce, unyielding barrage of lightning and thunder. In the end, all thats left are pieces of what used to be. And yet, before any of that happens, there is a calm. It’s quiet, uneasy, and peaceful…

Corner to Corner: Calm Before the Storm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Corner to Corner. I have some news to announce today as we prepare for another edition. I am pleased to announce that as of today, Corner to Corner has been picked up by FTWnews.com ! I cannot tell you how cool it is to have another site pick up on the momentum we’re building. So, hello to the new set of readers and I hope to see your feedback as well.

First of all, I want to talk a little about the tragic earthquake in Haiti. There is little doubt that we, as Americans, have it pretty good. I mean let’s face it, if we get an earthquake, we can pretty much count on being able to recover pretty quick. Sure, our economy is facing multiple challenges and our political system is battered, but we are so much better off than these smaller countries. I found Bubba The Love Sponge’s comments about our country being in shambles to be not only wrong but stupid. To blow off the devastation that we’re seeing in Haiti is just plain idiotic. Bubba, I hope you get a chance to apologize and make this right by offering some monetary support. I mean, we may not all live as well as you do, but those suffering in Haiti could use a hand don’t you think? And yes, I did donate. I care about the world, not just my little part of it.

Today’s edition is a two fold complaint so bear with me. First, here we are, just hours away from TNA’s Genesis. We’ve already seen confirmation of *spoiler alert* and *spoiler alert* arriving on the scene as well as the ring *spoiler*. And it occurs to me that I am really annoyed by that. You know… The spoilers…

Now, contrary to popular belief, I do not like spoilers. Granted, I’ve read them but I get so dissapointed every single time I do. I mean let’s be honest. We all want to know what’s going to happen. For example tonight. We want to know who the big acquisition is. We want to see who Amazing Red’s opponent will be. We want to see if the six sided ring will be sticking around or not. Only problem is, now that the news is out there, has it ruined the moment for us? I mean, when we get to the show, that moment is just blah. So tonight, we get a chance to see -and I’ll spoil it because I think it’s already out now- the debut of

*SPOILER STOP READING if you DO NOT want to KNOW*

Brian Kendrick and Ken Anderson. While it is so awesome to have Ken come back, would we have enjoyed it more to have him surprise us? I think I would have. I mean, I’m my own worst enemy here because I wanted to know just like the rest of us. Still, it was a bit anticlimatic to have it confirmed. Then we see Brian Kendrick confirmed and to me, this is another blah kinda moment. I mean, yeah it’s cool to have a former WWE guy show up on TNA, but doesn’t TNA have enough talent right now? Do they NEED Kendrick or Ken Anderson? Not really. Do they need some organization to their storylines and their title divisions? Absolutely.

Case and point, the January 4th show. Hogan parades around the arena in a limo right? Well, maybe… No wait, he comes out and says he’s been in the back the whole time! What a moron! Look, I’m not saying it always has to be perfect, but if you want to make sure people are on board, get this stuff done right. So maybe before we debut some more WWE cast offs, we might want to get our already staffed company in order.

Here’s the thing about tonight’s spoilers… All that really has been answered by signing these guys is the question of if Hogan/Bischoff will be loose with the money and unorganized like they were with WCW.I mean, the six sided ring was something that set TNA apart. It made them special and unique. It gave TNA something nobody in the mainstream had. So what happens? Instantly, I MEAN INSTANTLY, the ring changes back to status quo and TNA goes back to being just another company.

I really wish I had not been curious about the spoilers. I have myself to blame, but now that I know, I am really annoyed. The decision to go from unique to ordinary is like taking the horn off a unicorn. When you do it, it’s just a horse and we can see one of them ANYWHERE. Why would fans want to see TNA now?

Hey TNA, is your product truly different now? Let’s face it folks, all of the storylines we’ve seen have all been done before. There will always be good vs evil. Someone will lust over the other’s girl. Someone will want to take control of the company and make a power play. The faces will get together to protect the company. The heels will cheat to win and disrupt the show. NONE of this is new. Seeing ‘the band’ get back together is not going to turn WWE fans into TNA fans. And why is that?

It’s not the story that makes the fan change. It’s the wrestler that makes the story and the wrestler that snares the fan’s interest. Put the focus on the wrestler and you’ll put the focus on TNA. THAT is how you get fans to move their interests to the other side. Tonight, we need to see AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Kurt Angle, and Beer Money draw a line in the sand and dare us to change. Don’t allow the shock tv to override common sense. Vince Russo and the rest of TNA creative are sure to be pushing hard to get tonight’s show to come off huge, but I worry that they’ll rush the process just to get their instant gratification. I hope I’m wrong about it. I want to see a show that makes me say ‘TNA is seriously bringing the heat.’ I want to see the show that makes a statement about what TNA really brings to the table.

OF course, when you eliminate the factors that keep you unique, boy is it ever hard to change the momentum. WWE is a huge machine that picks it’s spots with such precision, they don’t even need to worry right now. They have their share of issues and creative problems, but they also have huge main event talents ready to bury the competition. This stopped being a simple scuffle when Hulk Hogan started comparing himself to Vince McMahon. Hulkster, I’d say that was a bit much, even for you. I realize the facts are saying that Hogan is a huge draw and instant star for TNA to hook up with. I know that with Bischoff as the creative and executive experience, the odds are good TNA can pull off a big win. I just get irritated when I see them do the same old things with the same old talent. I personally hope Team 3D vs The Nasty Boys ends in a 30 second squash with the Nasties getting the 3D and then being escorted from the building. That’s the fan in me.

In the end, I have a lot of random questions about tonight. I want to see TNA bring everything they have and really turn it out. It’s time to make that statement by putting out a 5 star show. The whole buildup has been clumsy and a bit of all over the place, kinda like today’s column. The fan in me is just screaming to see something different.

What about you? What do you want to see tonight? Hit me up on my email or on twitter @ImpactXtreme . I’d love to see your thoughts.

Filed Under: Corner to Corner