It has been about 7 months since Pritchard took over and about 4 months since Vince Russo left the company and I can clearly state that this is a whole new TNA and a whole new product. Fans of the old product may be disappointed by what they have been getting and there are some strengths that were lost at the departure of Russo but I think overall, a new day is just what TNA needed.
IMPACT Wrestling has a WWE feel to it. While WWE presents their show like a theatrical release, IMPACT Wrestling presents their show like a Reality TV show. Pritchard's history with WWE has brought along alot of WWE flavor (such as how the roster is presented) but I think in many ways alot of what he is doing is unique and positive for the company.
The first major change is that the product has been drastically toned down from what it was. Storylines move at a much slower pace. Less of the roster is used on a weekly basis and the use of gimmick matches is much less. This slower but more methodical style of storytelling has allowed TNA to focus on highlighting even the smallest details in storylines. For example a few weeks ago, Bobby Roode used a beer bottle to defeat Mr. Anderson. In Vince Russo's world, that would have just been a finish. In Pritchard's world that is a motivation for Mr. Anderson, and was constantly referenced over the following weeks.
TNA has definitely taken WWE's style of roster focus, whereas before TNA would try and equally focus on all of their divisions. Since Pritchard has taken over, the X Division has taken a backseat and the Tag Team Division is made up of makeshift teams (a WWE trait). Most of the focus is on the main roster; which is really the selling point of IMPACT Wrestling right now. Unfortunately, most of the wrestlers are still running off of their characters created by Vince Russo, with no real development since then. The main exception to this rule is Bobby Roode, who has developed miraculously as a badass heel.The focus on less talent has given the entire show a better feel but unfortunately has hurt them backstage and has really hurt the diversity of the roster. Main characters are getting alot of TV time while others can't get any. Because of this, talented wrestlers such as Anthony Nese and maybe even Alex Shelley are looking elsewhere for work.
Along with toning everything down, Pritchard, Bischoff and Hogan have brought a heavy reality TV element to the show. While Bischoff has been pushing this since debuting Reaction in 2010, the camera style has been seen heavily since then. This reality TV style is completely fresh and unique to TNA.
Recently TNA has had a few excellent backstage segments (the segments from the first and second Open Fight Night) where the wrestlers were allowed to say what they wanted in an unscripted manner. It was completely different from what WWE was doing with their scripted dialogue. It allows the wrestlers to really let their personalities shine while allowing comedy and realism to rise to prominence.
The Open Fight Night concept is also original. While TNA has been doing major concepts the past few years with the Ranking System and the BFG Series, the Open Fight Night is completely fresh. It allows for fresh matchups and new challengers. With TNA going Live, these shows will only get better.
One of my favorite new elements is the Gutcheck Challenge. A wrestler not in TNA will get an opportunity to earn a TNA contract through a match and promo. For once, the scripted nature of wrestling isn't seen as it is the performance of the wrestler that earns them the contract. While alot of it is foreseen, there is a certain live aspect to this. The thought of TNA getting some excellent talent from the indies through this fresh new concept excites me.
Nonetheless, TNA has alot of good things going on. While they are hurting in the X Division and Tag Team Division, they are strong in their main division, booking and Reality TV presentation. I personally believe this will be their path to prosperity.
Thank you to all the writers and readers at TNAsylum. Your support makes everything worth it. I am excited for the future of TNA and TNAsylum and hope you are too.
