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The World According To Dutch: Can TNA Lose And Still Win?

Posted: Jan 4th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Some people have written me and asked me to predict how TNA will fare head up against the WWE on January 4th. Wait a second. How in the **** would I know how TNA will do against WWE? What do I look like to you? Friggin Nostradamus? But since you've asked, I will comment briefly.

Today is a serious column because January 4th is a serious day. No bullshit stories, no humorous tales. 1.04.09 is shaping up to be a pivotal day in TNA history and could have repercussions farther down the line in how wrestling is perceived by the mainstream media and fans. What will it take to win for TNA? According to internal sources in TNA, the ratings are irrelevant and that's coming from a company that places ratings at the top of the Richter scale. When I first read that statement, I didn't know what to think. But when I finally got around to using Dutch 101 Wrestling Philosophy on it and dissected the statement, it does make sense.

If you, just for one moment, think of how far TNA has come in their development, from a dilapidated fairgrounds arena in Nashville, Tennessee, 7 years ago, to going head to head with WWE and on Monday night no less, TNA's rise, while riddled with starts and stops, has been almost story book. From the little kid getting his ass kicked every week to growing up to a man and finally fighting the bully on a big stage is a great rags to riches story. I was glad I could be a part of it for 6 years. I helped them fight the good fight and now the fight is paying off.

TNA's entire image and almost 8 year old history is riding on this one night. To WWE, it's another night at the office. To TNA, it's being on the BIG STAGE for the first time ever and in my opinion, it's the biggest stage TNA has ever been upon. It's the Super Bowl, the World Series and the NBA Finals all rolled into one so one would assume that the ratings are RELEVANT..but they aren't. What is relevant is just the mere fact that TNA got there. I don't for one second think TNA is going to win the ratings battle on January 4th but TNA has already won just by pulling up in the driveway of Monday night. My analogy might miss some people but TNA will make HISTORY TONIGHT!!

If TNA can produce a great show and give fans a reason to watch...then they're on their way. TNA making it to Monday night is a major milestone in the company's history and actually does take precedent over whatever rating TNA can garner. When I first heard that TNA was going head to head with WWE, my first thought was that it could possibly prove embarrassing. Now, I'm beginning to think that it could prove embarrassing for WWE. It's almost like the US basketball team when they first went to the Olympics. If they played a team and the team lost by 30 points, it actually was a win for the losing team because most people expected them to lose by 50. Just being in the game and on Monday night has to count for something because it puts TNA in a completely different light.

If TNA can stand toe to toe with the giant WWE for one night and slug it out, then there's a bigger fight brewing down the line. TNA needs to let every disgruntled wrestling fan in the world know that there is an ALTERNATIVE product just a flip of the remote away.

Secretly, I think Vinny Mac himself wants TNA to give him a run for his money because he hasn't really been stimulated since the downfall of WCW and he's spoiling for a fight because he's an Irishman and he likes it. Hulk has been saying for months that he wants to fight and if TNA can slug it out long enough with Vinny Mac, then wrestling fans could be in for a long and enjoyable fight.

But wrestling fans had a fight like this 10 years ago with a bad ending, remember? TNA has to fight with strategy and with a long term purpose in mind. WWE knows how to fight but this is all new to TNA. TNA needs to give the fans what they've been yelling for...give them wrestling but more than that, give them wrestling with a purpose which means more than just two guys going out there and doing beautiful moves. Believe me, as a guy who's been around this business for years, professional wrestling done right is a beautiful thing to see.

I''m not Nostradamus but for TNA to be recognized as a major player, I would highly advise them to put out the damnest wrestling show they can produce on January 4th with a lot of quality wrestling and concentrate on one main theme during the show. The whole show should be dedicated to getting TNA over and not the individual players. I'm very interested in seeing how this plays out tonight. The theme of the night is that there's a new gunslinger in town and let TNA throw down the challenge. I never like using the WWE name before in interviews but if there ever was a time to use it, January 4th is the night to specifically confront Vinny Mac and his machine.

I'm not even going to try to make a ratings prediction but before I shut this down, I remember a giant in this business telling me years ago one of the most important things I ever learned in the wrestling business. When I say giant, I'm talking about a 6'11" former pro football player turned wrestler, the Big Cat, Ernie Ladd right after he had made his first appearance in Atlanta, Georgia and completely dominated his opponent. Ernie was brand new to Atlanta but he knew how to get over. When Ernie came back from the ring and entered the dressing room, I sat there like a bright eyed kid marveling aat the fact that I was sitting in the same dressing room as the great Ernie Ladd. As he sat down next to me, he looked over and said, "boy, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression". He was so right.

TNA...remember that. TNA could possibly have hundreds of thousands of new eyeballs on their product tonight so the first impression will be lasting. This could be the night that TNA officially enters the mindset of pro wrestling fans and be taken seriously. I would strongly suggest that TNA emphasize their strongest assets...the wrestlers and to make this night memorable. Tonight is a battle for TNA to grab a ton of disgruntled WWE fans because I do believe there's a bunch of them out there and there's enough to go round. Tonight is the night for TNA to make the statement that there is an ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT which is why TNA was conceived in the first place.

Who will win? Well, ratings wise, WWE will. But hopefully, if TNA can pull away just a hundred thousand new viewers, that's a major accomplishment and I don't think thats out of the realm of possibility. I also want to say that I'm pulling for my TNA friends of which I have many. I don't have a dog in this fight but this could be a night that reinvents wrestling and ushers in a new period of growth. To everybody that makes their living in this crazy business...good luck.

Dutch

Tags: Dutch Mantel, TNA, Ernie Ladd, WWE