Can "Heymanism" Draw for TNA In 2010?

This past week, Impact set the stage for TNA's next big angle.

Finally a heel, Abyss continuously hinted towards the arrival of "They."

Abyss' heel turn and veiled announcements "They"'s arrival coincides with heavy speculation that TNA is closing in on signing former ECW President, and universally respected creative mind, Paul Heyman.

The angle also coincides with the recent TNA debut of ECW original Tommy Dreamer, who was in attendance at the Impact tapings this week alongside fellow ECW alumni Raven and Stevie Richards.

One does not need to be Sherlock Holmes to submit that a possible ECW Invasion type angle will commence sometime within the next few weeks.

No 'Conspiracy Theory' article needed for this one, folks.

However, as much as TNA needs Paul Heyman's stroke to put their creative efforts on par with the in-ring work of their up-and-coming stars, is this looming ECW angle really the way to start things off under the Heyman administration?

The announcement that TNA has signed Paul Heyman would be yet another 'big announcement' in a string of big announcements TNA has made over the past year or so.

"We've signed Hulk Hogan!"

"We're having a Monday Night Special!"

"We're Moving to Monday Nights permanently!"

"We're Changing timeslots!"

"We're going back to Thursday nights!"

"We're debuting a new show..."

Suffice to say TNA's total nonstop pattern of announcements and internal shakeups mirror its often disheveled on-camera product.

There's no doubt that Paul Heyman can be good for TNA.

He just may be what that company needs to get over the hump and to claim a significant market share in the sports entertainment industry.

But if Hulk Hogan (a legend in the 80's and 90's) can come under criticism for bringing in the likes of Kevin Nash (90's), Scott Hall (90's), Sean Waltman (90's), The Nasty Boys (90's), Jimmy Hart (1890's), and Eric Bischoff (at the helm for WCW during the the Monday Night Wars of the late 90's) to create unwanted nostalgia, Paul Heyman should be just as scrutinized for potentially relaunching a concept that inspired the Attitude Era (of the 90's) and peaked in the 90's.     

Two things that the short lived Monday Night Wars circa 2010 taught us:

A. Most wrestling fans watch RAW on Monday nights and

B. Said wrestling fans will only tune in to see stars of years past for so long.

TNA is on the right track with this potential ECW invasion.

They already have many of the key players (RVD, Dreamer, Raven, Taz) and Paul Heyman will be a necessity for this angle to even have a chance.

The initial pop of an ECW angle will draw in viewers, no doubt. 

But over time, how many tables is an aging Tommy Dreamer going to have to fall through before televisions switch over to "The Office" on Thursday nights?

Abyss has been implicated in this angle, would it really be new and exciting to see him take it to the extreme?

The guy sliced his arm open on free TV, so I think he's pretty set in that department already.

WWE is the industry leader, and as in any business, the industry leader decides what will draw for the industry in the current time period.

Alternatives will only attract so much attention.

WWE has taken a politically friendly stance that blood is not okay, chair shots to the head will not be tolerated, and hardcore wrestling is an outdated form of entertainment that is dangerous to the well being of those involved.

An ECW angle in the TV-14 world of TNA is the antithesis of every stance the WWE has taken in the past few years to clean up their sport at least from a PR standpoint.

With TNA Extremists over on Spike throwing chairs, eating barbed wire, and bleeding into oblivion, how many wrestling fans, many of who watch both WWE (Industry leader) and TNA, will decide that it's okay to stick with Impact despite the stances that the much larger and more influential WWE has taken?

Heyman coming into TNA is good news indeed.

As has been the case with TNA for years now, TNA's creative direction will be its deciding factor in the long run.

But TNA needs to begin taking a forward-thinking approach.

What's old can be new again; however, it cannot be used as a crutch.

Paul Heyman was an obvious beneficiary of absence making the heart grow fonder.

Heyman has had many highlights in his pro wrestling career, but is often given the benefit of the doubt for his shortcomings due to "what if" scenarios.

"What if he had a larger budget?"

"What if his top guys didn't jump ship?"

Heyman has shown tendencies of a revolutionary.

His brainchild was something fresh and unique, and it set the stage for what would be the most successful period in the history of pro wrestling, as ECW acted as the exception by changing the industry despite being a small, national promotion and anything but an industry leader.

If Paul Heyman is a true revolutionary, then his ideas in 2010 will stray from what brought him to the dance back in the early 90's.

There's nothing revolutionary about a once-popular concept with touch-up paint and Rogaine added (Tommy Dreamer).

If TNA is ever to fold, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff will shoulder the majority of the blame for TNA's eventual shortcomings for trying to live in the past. 

However, familiar ideas that were made famous by Paul Heyman could also be to TNA's detriment. Paul E. should not be exempt from such harsh criticism should TNA fail again under new direction.

TNA has the bankroll and support of a major network to take a step in the right direction.

No more "What if's."

No more apologist-fueled excuses.

The stage is set for Paul Heyman to do what he couldn't do when all he had was a brain, a baseball cap, and loyal (or so we thought) extremists.

TNA needs to move forward in large steps from here on out.

And if Paul Heyman is the creative genius he's made out to be, he will get them there.

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