This is awesome............... (TNA Wrestling)

Member Name: Bearstorm

Product:	TNA Wrestling
Date:	19/05/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Roster, Great High Risk, Not WWE

Disadvantages: Sometimes crappy storyline, critics tear it apart too easily

I have been following TNA very intently for about 4 years now. The first time I watched it I thought awesome its Road Dogg, Konan, JJ, Jeff Hardy, Sabu wow I wondered what happened to them....that got me to start watching. Being a big WCW/ECW fan I was really looking for something away from WWE which has turned into some sort of shockingly bad over rated soap opera where they worship a moron aimed at 5 years olds (Cena), The Rock and Austin I could hande since they could wrestle somewhat and they had sensational charisma. Now I just cringe at the thought of most WWE related things, what they done to Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn, Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo all incedibley talented wrestlers coming in from WCW who they turned into complete jokes.

But anyways this isn't an anti WWE review this is a why I decided to watch TNA review. Back on topic I seen the guys I recognised and that was the hook that got me watching more matches. Enter some guys I hadn't seen much of other than some ROH clips. AJ Styles, Chris Sabin, Chris Daniels, Alex Shelley to name a few. I watched my first X Division match and it reminded me of a better version of the cruiserweight division (again old WCW not crappy WWE attempt at Cruiserweight) I was blown away. The sheer athletisism of the wrestlers was unreal. These guys went at it like every night was Wrestlemania and they were there to put on a show. Even so called "bad guys" playing the heel still got huge pops from the crowd. Dual chanting for the face and the heel give matches an extra edge like there is two sides in the crowd, not just a case of the whole crowd always getting behind the face for the big victory.

So that was a good few years ago and now we have many new faces. We have Sting, Booker T, Mick Foley, The Dudleys, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle and more up and comers like Jay Lethal and Creed. It has moved toward storylines a bit too much for my liking at the moment but still when they are done well it can add to the matches. They have a new knockout division which in a shock move actually has some women that are capable wrestlers, again we have some old faces like Daffney coming back for old WCW fans.

While some story lines are a bit cringeworthy the MEM vs Frontline is solid although has gone a little flat of late and could use some new faces or twists (other than Lashley).

I have been to see TNA live in the UK twice once in Glasgow and once a friend and I travelled to Coventry for an overnight to see it. At the Glasgow event the TNA President Dixie Carter was standing in the crowd with the tag team title belts letting folks get their picture taken with her and giving out autographs which was the best way to start the event possible. The atmosphere was phenomonal compared to another WWE show I went to in Glasgow which was flat and the guys looked like they didn't give a toss if they put on a show or not. With TNA it was the real deal they were pulling out all the tricks for a house show and I loved every second of it, it was worth every penny to see them putting on such a show.

All in all if you liked WCW or original ECW then this is for you, if you hate WWE this is for you, if you want to try something different, give it a shot and try and watch one of the Destination X or Lockdown PPV's for a taste and see how you like it. TNA is wrestling for grown ups so if you like John Cena don't bother tuning in stick with the over rated, over paid superstars of the WWE.

Summary: Great for something different, a must for any real wrestling fan.