TNA Wrestling: Will TNA Finally Realize Its Potential at Bound for Glory?

June 19, 2002: Jeff Jarrett and his father, Jerry, promote the first Total Nonstop Action weekly pay-per-view event.

January 22, 2003: Raven debuts with TNA at the Asylum, home of the company's weekly pay-per-view events.

June 4, 2004: TNA Impact debuts on Fox Sports Net.

June 23, 2004: Jeff Hardy debuts in Total Nonstop Action, facing AJ Styles in what many consider a dream match.

November 7, 2004: TNA Wrestling holds its first monthly pay-per-view, Victory Road, headlined by Jeff Hardy vs. Jeff Jarrett in a Ladder Match for the TNA World Championship.

October 1, 2005: TNA Impact moves to Spike TV.

September 24, 2006: Kurt Angle debuts in the closing minutes of the No Surrender pay-per-view.

January 4, 2010: Hulk Hogan arrives in TNA.

The above dates are the most significant in TNA Impact Wrestling's nine-year history.

They are moments that either changed the company for better or worse, depending on one's opinion. The often-maligned company has had a number of speed bumps over the course of its history.

With a talent roster that has rivaled WWE's in terms of quality in-ring workers, fans and critics across the globe have often criticized the company for catering to the older veteran stars brought in from other companies and not building from the inside, with such stars as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Beer Money and others.

Storytelling has been another weakness many are quick to expose.

Vince Russo, the writer most responsible for the creative success that was the Attitude Era in WWE, but also the man most feel was a major factor in the demise of WCW, has been head of the TNA creative team for the majority of its existence.

During his time, the chaotic "Crash TV" style of the Impact program led to much backlash. Idiotic storylines, nonsensical twists and turns and poor management of the roster are all complaints that have landed in the lap of Russo.

The 2011 edition of the company's most prestigious event, Bound For Glory, has the opportunity to right all of TNA's perceived wrongs.

A new head of creative is in place. A fresh, new, exciting babyface has been built up via strong booking and appears poised to become the company's next heavyweight champion. There is a measurable excitement for this event that has been missing in most of TNA's pay-per-view offerings this and any other year.

The question is, can the company capitalize on the momentum it has heading into its annual October offering and give the fans a show that lives up to the hype and gives them a reason to believe the company has finally realized its potential?

Bobby Roode is not only the first truly fresh face to penetrate the TNA main event scene, he is also the symbol of hope for so many disenfranchised TNA fans.

For years, the company has vowed to be something different, revolutionary in wrestling—then, in the same breath, has continually hyped main event contests featuring the same tired retreads that WWE had tossed aside.

Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Jeff Hardy...all of these men were superstars made in other promotions who, for whatever reason, no longer occupied a spot on the WWE roster.

TNA used those stars for their name value but never truly allowed their homegrown talent to beat them. Thus, those stars populated a crowded main event scene and the more talented stars, in the middle of their primes, were left to flounder in the X-Division or mid-card.

Roode has the opportunity to break that cycle.

A member of the highly successful, highly popular Beer Money tag team, Bobby has broken out in 2011 and established himself as a sure-fire future world champion. The fans completely buy into him, and the videos produced hyping his preparation for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against reigning titleholder Kurt Angle have been a thing of beauty.

For the first time in years, fans are legitimately excited for a TNA Championship match—and that is completely due to Roode and what is perceived to be new, fresh and exciting.

Much of Bobby Roode's successful ascension to the top of the of card is due to a switch in the creative team. Vince Russo, the long-time head writer, has been replaced by long-time, former WWE employee Bruce Prichard (credit ProWrestling.net).

Since the change, the Impact program has become far more focused and easier to understand. The product has slowed and individual programs have been spotlighted, rather than the incoherent, "one big mess" approach Russo often took to writing.

TNA finally appears to have direction.

TNA will always rely heavily on name talent. A smaller company without the resources that WWE enjoys, they need to hook fans with reliable names.

But if Bound for Glory is any indication, the new regime of bookers appears to understand how to use those names and their talent to attract fans while focusing on their own talent. Beer Money, AJ Styles, Kazarian and Christopher Daniels have all seen increased television time while other, more familiar stars have been pushed to the mid-card.

TNA Wrestling will realize its potential at Bound For Glory, even if only for one night. Bobby Roode will win the World Championship. Fellow homegrown talent Velvet Sky will finally capture the Knockouts title. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels could very well steal the show.

And Sting and Hulk Hogan, icons in the business, will do what they were meant to do: attract fans. Bound For Glory may very well be the greatest show in the history of the company, a show that finally grabs fans and holds their interest into Thursday night's Impact program and, hopefully, longer.

The product will be better for it and, as a result, so will the pro wrestling business.

The company has taken baby steps in the weeks leading to Sunday's event. At Bound For Glory, it's time for the company to take one giant leap. If that happens, October 16, 2011 will join the other pivotal  dates in TNA history.