“A Writer on Wrestling” is a weekly column that takes the world of the WWE and sports entertainment beyond the eye test. As the name suggests, the article looks through the eyes of an author, focusing on the storytelling aspect of sports entertainment and the “soap opera for men.”

I sat down and watched an entire TNA (Total Non-Stop Action)/Impact Wrestling* event for the first time in likely years last night as it presented its tenth anniversary show live on pay-per-view, Slammiversary. While I have long been a proponent of success for TNA, I have also long been one of their biggest critics. Last night, they delivered a perfectly acceptable wrestling program while still showing that they have a long way to go.

*The company was born TNA, a branch of the National Wrestling Alliance ((NWA)) in 2002 before breaking off somewhat in 2004 and entirely to become TNA Entertianment in 2007. Last year, its weekly show “TNA Impact” was rebranded as Impact Wrestling. There’s a lot of confusion, even clearly among the wrestlers themselves, as to whether or not the product is still TNA or if it is Impact Wrestling, a brand of the larger TNA promotion.

While TNA’s talent and employees have seen each milestone as an excuse to pound their chests and say “Look at us now, look at us now,” I have seen each milestone as another chance for TNA to prove itself to a new audience. From its humble debut on pay-per-view to the debut of weekly television to live television and now to ten years of existence, TNA finally embraced an opportunity to “show off” to a new audience at Slammiversary X. Continue reading →