Tuesdays at TNA: Are They Right?

Welcome back to Tuesdays at TNA, where we examine the hottest topics from this side of Dixieland!

I was going to discuss the possibilities that are endless now that TNA has created the TV Title, but a pair of recent interviews by notable stars in both TNA and WWE changed my mind.

Besides, there will be plenty of time to discuss whether or not Desmond Wolfe will ever hoist a TNA belt or not.

First, I wanted to discuss a recent interview that WWE star Chris Jericho had with Monday Night Mayhem.

Among the many topics was about Tommy Dreamer and his attempt to have yet another ECW reunion, this time at the expense of TNA. Check out what Y2J had to say:

"They got nothing else going on, their booking is horrendous, and I say that with the utmost respect for those guys and I most desire to see them succeed, but it's crap.

"You know it's crap, they throw stuff up against the wall, and it's so hard to watch when it doesn't have to be. They're doing 10,000 buys on Pay-Per-View, so let's bring back The Sandman & Sabu, and maybe they could do 30,000 buys. Go for it; maybe they can do something out of it.

"Having a guy like Tommy Dreamer involved behind the scenes might be what they need. Get rid of the same old stuff that they have been doing over & over, and bring in someone with a new perspective, and maybe that will help them get their heads out of there asses and just making some money instead of doing this as sort of a vanity project that's been treading water for the last four years."

To quote Keanu Reeves, "Whoa!" 

Now anyone who knows me understands that I am not one of these typical guys who scream "TNA-is-doomed" and "TNA sucks" at everything they do. Unlike 90percent of the IWC, I tend to look at things at a realistic perspective, and this is as real as it gets.

Think about it, until now we rarely heard anyone from WWE even discussing TNA unless it was on Jim Ross's blog. 

Even Vince McMahon only mentioned it in small doses, calling the product "tawdry" (pot calling kettle black much?). That said, it was well known that WWE didn't even mention the existence of the number two wrestling promotion in North America.

This interview by Jericho is really telling of what pretty much is the popular consensus about TNA. 

It's very interesting that he would say those things, especially since the WWE is very protective of anyone speaking in public on what is considered a taboo topic such as TNA.

I believe that the WWE probably knew that Jericho could speak for the company when he made these statements.

It appears that Jericho, who has wrestled the world over, knows what it takes to make a product work. 

It's one thing when myopic fans make these statements, but when a well-respected World Champion of Jericho's ilk, one has to take notice, regardless if it was the competition or not. 

"I most desire to see them succeed" and "it's so hard to watch when it doesn't have to be."

Do these sound like words of someone who wants to see TNA fail?  No, he knows that competition is good for business, that it will make money for everyone involved.

Now, if that's not all, check out this interview from Mr. TNA himself, the Phenomenal AJ Styles. Here's what he had to say about losing the World Title to RVD:

"I definitely didn't understand it. For the life of me, I couldn't figure it. I was very surprised that they would want me to lose that title after holding it for so long, and to somebody who hasn't been in wrestling for over a year, and came from WWE to win the World Title so quickly.

"And he should have been tired from wrestling a match before that (against Jeff Hardy). I was very conflicted on that. It was like, 'I have no idea what's going on here anymore.' I don't know how to put it in words. I was pissed off (I don't want to say that) but at the same time, I was very confused. 'Okay, I guess I'm not the star that I thought I was here at TNA. I guess I'm just a TNA guy.'"

Not good if you're TNA to have your No. 1 homegrown star put down the company in this fashion. Also, take a look at what he said regarding the ill-fated move to Monday Nights:

We never should have switched to Monday nights. We know that now. I wish that we would have just gone live on Thursday nights. The first one we did on Monday nights was huge, but Thursday nights was our night. There's no mistake about it; Monday night is WWE's. It's theirs. We need to own Thursday nights."

They can spin it all they want, but this was a byproduct of listening too much to Hogan and Bischoff when they tried to go to Monday Nights.

Styles is right; establish your brand on Thursday nights and keep it there. There is enough of an audience to enjoy wrestling on many nights throughout the week. 

Finally, on TNA's mistakes of the past: "I think there are mistakes that have done. I don't know if it's necessarily the people we've brought in, but there's stuff where surely they took a step back and thought, 'Okay, maybe we don't need this.' There were some people brought in who I don't think we necessarily needed.

"But, there's Jeff Hardy. He sells so much merchandise; he's making so much money for this company. There are other guys I think who deserved a shot at TNA who are not here that I'm very confused they're not here because I think they could make money."

It's one thing when your competition slams your company, but when the guy you are supposed to be building your company around says these things, something is definitely wrong here.

Much like Jericho, Styles (and I'm sure many others) have seen the problems in TNA and it's refreshing to hear them voice out their opinion in an almost shoot-like fashion. 

I believe the shows have gotten much better the less they have put Hogan and his boys on the show, and time will tell what will happen after next Sunday, especially if this PPV-style Impact episode lives up to par.

That said, hopefully TNA management takes a look at these interviews from not only their top star but from their competition as a sign that while they have made some strides, they still have a ways to go.