TNA Kills

2007 after the horrific double murder/suicide of Chris Benoit wrestler mega giant, World Wrestling Entertainment cracked down on its wrestlers and issued a very strong anti-drug policy. Following that, WWE changed its image from nearly (and at times way over) a TV-MA rating to a solid TV-PG rating. They replaced any character or storyline that seems too risky; John Cena (the center of the hate fest for this rating change) even changed his finisher’s name from the F-U, a direct slap in the face of former WWE wrestler and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar whose finisher was named the F5. Cena took the high road and rename is modified fisherman’s suplex to the “Attitude Adjustment.” Or even take “The Rated R Superstar” Edge who’s now as tame as Disney’s hit movie Up. On the other side it’s been a rumor that because of the sheer size of some of the wrestlers (John Cena and Dave Batista are center of the debate) the TV-PG will never go to a TV-G, which is what WWE is shooting for currently. WWE wants wrestling to appeal to all age groups again, as it did all throughout the 80s, making wrestling a family-friendly outing; cheering for the good guy and booing the bad guy. A total 180 from the “adult-male-chest beating-gore-fest” wrestling has been in the last 15 or so years.

But the big battle for the WWE was to drop the drugs behind the scenes and protect their investments (the wresters). Wrestling has a very dark past of excess narcotic/alcohol usage, most of which lead to deaths of some very talented people at very young ages. The WWE, being at the top of the ladder of wrestling promotions, wanted to take a stand and put an end to untimely deaths because of bad decisions while at the same time cleaning up its image. The WWE has fired or let go of any wrestler that has violated its “wellbeing” policy in the last few years (the wellbeing policy also prohibits wrestlers from things like chair shots to the head and “cutting”). Rob Van Damn was (unofficially) striped of his title(s) in 2007 (early in the WWE “wellbeing policy” era) because of a drug possession charge. The wrestler he was traveling with at the time, Sabu, was even fired. Soon after RVD had suffered his punishment he left the WWE (willingly and on good terms; Rob’s wife had been diagnosed with cancer and WWE let him go) but he has yet to return to the WWE (a few appearances but nothing official). He, like many discharged or disciplined from the WWE, headed to Orlando, Florida and took a role in smaller but steadily growing TNA, or Total Nonstop Action wrestling, founded by Jeff Jarrett which, for the record "That's J-E-Double-F J-A- Double-R, E-Double-T!” Ain’t he great?

TNA has a very ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) feel to it. As Barry Blaustein said about ECW in his documentary Beyond the Mat, “it’s where old wrestlers come to be reborn and young wrestlers come to be discovered.” When you put it like that it is almost beautiful but the sad and sick reality is that TNA doesn’t have a “wellbeing policy”; most wrestlers that come there have some very serious issues with drugs and none is more apparent to me than Jeff Hardy.

Just look at him two years ago while in the WWE (as champion).


Look at him now.


His eyes seem glossy and “out-there” and I’m not alone. Of course this is a photo of him after being arrested but just tune in one night to TNA Impact and see for yourself this is a normal look for him now. Every single fan I have chatted with says the same. No doubt he’s a great wrestler and as an entertainer he’s remarkable but since his departure from WWE he’s gone downhill in his wellbeing to the point where you can notice it drastically. Kurt Angle is another wrestler whose addiction to pain pills had led him to TNA. Angle, a true Olympic gold medalist in men’s freestyle wrestling (he’s even in the National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame), has grown in size in just the last year from being in TNA and his lack of personality behind the scenes has been noted. Steroids and chair shots do not mix.

TNA has a TV-MA rating, so blood and chair shots to the head come into play. And just by watching a few shows you see both, a lot. The only thing that TNA is suffering from, besides all the negative things, is high ratings and a bigger budget. This is indeed a dark path to go down. The parent company of TNA, Panda Energy, will suffer no consequences from the actions of TNA and guys like Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff, who are directly responsible for the tarnish and the fall of WCW and deaths of several wrestlers including Owen Hart, whose stunt was result of Vince Russo’s idea. Also, to give credit where it’s due, both Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo are directly responsible for the biggest and most recognized faction in wrestling history, the NWO.