Tossing Salt Presents:
Wrestling Fact or Fiction
TNA Total Non-Stop Action
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Let’s take a break from the Q&A and tackle some Fact or Fiction. The statements come from Mr. Jake Chambers of 411mania.com. The opinions that follow? That’s all me. Let’s do this and talk about TNA.

Statement #1: Joe Hendry should have won the TNA Championship at Bound for Glory.

FICTION: Hendy is on fire and arguably the most popular star TNA has right now, but he doesn’t need the Championship. It seems to me that being the champion would distract from the character more than anything else. People like to see someone as the underdog in the chase, but once they’ve reached the goal, the love seems to fade. Look at Cody Rhodes for an example. He finished the story and now what? Let Joe do what he does to grow his character and draw the fans. He doesn’t need the belt.

Statement #2: When you think of how impressive it was when WWF got to Wrestlemania XX, it is even more amazing that now there have been 20 Bound for Glory PPVs.

FACT: WWE making it to twenty-plus years surprises no one. TNA barely made it through the first couple of years and has been in critical condition, barely hanging on for so long, so many times, that making it twenty years seems like a big deal. Hell, it is a big deal because no one expected it to happen and by all rights, it probably never should have. Congratulations to TNA for twenty-plus years and to many more to come.

Statement #3: In a year saturated with multi-person ladder matches on mainstream wrestling events, it was corny to main event Bound for Glory with another one instead of a TNA World Title match.

FACT: The World Championship should always be the main event of the show, especially in the biggest show of the year. There are exceptions to be sure, but those should be few and far between and it needs to be for a very good reason. While I appreciate Matt & Jeff Hardy winning gold in their signature match, it shouldn’t have been the final match. Sentimentality is a wonderful thing, but it has a place, which is usually not in the main event.

Statement #4: Pro-wrestling should evolve past constant pinfall attempts that take place after a wrestler uses a move that has never ended a match before.

FICTION: Are the fans popping? Does it get a reaction and add to the match? The answer is yes. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The object of every match is to win and that means to attempt a pin at every available opportunity. It doesn’t always work, nor should it. But it builds suspense and tension in the match. Or as Dr. Frank N. Furter would say, it heightens the antici… pation. Things are working so don’t screw it up by trying to fix it.

Statement #5: TNA’s Knockout division is as good now as it has ever been.

FICTION: TNA has some talented women as part of their roster, but can it compare to Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, The Beautiful People, Chelsea Green, Mickie James, Tara, etc? No, I don’t think so and I doubt anyone else does either.

Statement #6: PCO, Moose, and Eddie Edwards mean more to the history of TNA/IMPACT than AJ Styles, Sting, and Abyss.

FICTION: No offense to PCO, Moose, and Edwards, but outside the TNA bubble, does anyone know who these guys are? AJ Styles and Sting are synonymous with the best peak years of TNA. It’s not even close. Those guys are damn good and doing a great job helping to keep TNA relevant, but it’s not even a legitimate comparison in my opinion.

And there you go. Again, my thanks to Jake Chambers for allowing me to play with his toys and express a few views. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe. And with that, I’m out of here. I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!