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TNA Wrestling and Jeff Hardy: Titles, Drugs and Managing Stupidity

Posted: Mar 14th 2011 By: mikeiles

If you saw TNA's Victory Road last night like 20 other people did?well, the ones that actually bought and didn't stream it?then you saw a very weird turn of events with the World Heavyweight Championship match involving "The Icon" Sting and "The Wrestling Anti-Christ" Jeff Hardy.

Now, before I get started here, I would like to say I'm not surprised any of this happened; in fact, the same thing happened a few months prior at a PPV. Thing was, at that PPV, Hardy lasted longer than a minute-and-a-half in the ring.

For those of you who didn't see the match, you're not alone; some of the people who bought the PPV feel in the same boat. The match lasted literally just a few seconds over a minute. Those of you who took a pee break at the beginning, thinking you'd be fine by going at the beginning of the match, are probably pissed. At least most of it ended up off the floor.

In any case, many wondered what in the world was going on with the world title match lasting such a small amount of time. Well, once again it was because Jeff Hardy was out of it before heading to the ring. Can't blame an overseas trip this time, now can we Jeffery?

Like I mentioned earlier in the article, this has happened before?a few months ago, in fact. It was in a match between Jeff Hardy and Matt Morgan for the TNA world title.

Now, Morgan is a very safe wrestler nowadays. He is very cautious about what he does and is one of those guys who likes to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone in the ring, therefore making him one of the safer men to work with on the TNA roster.

But even though he's upwards of 300 pounds and seven feet tall, he probably didn't want to wrestle Hardy on that night. See, Hardy was intoxicated, according to many, before he went out to the ring. Morgan knew it probably within a few seconds of working with him in the ring.

That match lasted around 10 minutes, maybe a bit longer. But it seemed Hardy was able to work some during the match. Morgan, I'm sure, didn't want to work that match knowing Hardy's state.

And what is up with Hardy? Knowing you've got to wrestle a man in the main event of the evening, putting up the world title you now have, and you want to get stone cold drunk before it? Why not after the match, you complete and utter moron?

Morgan, as I mentioned, probably didn't want to work the match. But seeing as Morgan is not a major vet in the promotion, and is in no place to say what he will and won't do as much as others, he worked the match.

However, last night, Sting didn't do this. Sting, according to sources, told management he would not wrestle a long match with Hardy in this state. Notice he said he didn't want to do it while Hardy was in this state. I'm sure he has no problem wrestling the man, just doesn't want to do it knowing he could get hurt out there.

And really, can you blame the Stinger? According to sources, Sting was a complete professional about the situation, and I'm sure the match was planned to be longer. But Sting told management, NO!

Some are mad Hardy was even sent to the ring in the state he was in, and I don't blame them for that at all. Sting visibly was mad after the match, and for that, once again, he cannot be blamed.

I'm sure Sting had a few choice words for Hardy after the match last night, as did management. Many see this as a very big embarrassment for TNA, and it surely was. Having to pretty much kill off a main event that hundreds came out for, and many bought at home, is quite awful.

Is it as bad as a WCW moment where the main event went over time and WCW had to show the match for free? Possibly not. But it doesn't make this matter any less embarrassing. However, this could be their WCW downfall moment No. 1.

Remember, that main event mess-up for WCW was just a beginning-of-the-end moment for them. Now, TNA has Immortal going, which thankfully they haven't added the entire roster to just yet. Which can resemble NWO a good bit. Even Sting said before that even though he loved working the NWO stuff, it was one of the key things that killed WCW in the end.

It seems that TNA remembers the past, and understands and even talks about it on TV. But yet they are falling down the same lines as the lost promotion before them.

* Trying to hustle putting young guys in top spots, check
* Employing WWE names, either old and once top there, check
* Backstage issues killing what's on TV or PPV, check
* Doing things that make no sense, and are just for the moment instead of the future, check, check and check!

You see, TNA, many fans and even WWE wrestlers want to see your promotion succeed. Because the more you succeed, the better for us, the fans. And it's good for the wrestlers too.

But you have the same people who ran down one promotion in your house today. A. J. Styles may have built the house, but he no longer owns it. He is yet another pawn in its downfall, even though he doesn't want to be.

I wonder if Sting regrets coming back to TNA with all of this controversy unfolding. Thankfully it seems that TNA is doing some sort of punishment for Hardy after his actions, sending him home from the iMPACT tapings this week.

But hey, this is just one man's perspective. What do you think? Is TNA falling down the same line WCW did toward its death?

Tags: TNA, Sting, WCW, WWE, A. J. Styles