EXCLUSIVE: Nevermore

NEVERMORE

 

The end of TNA Impact was, indeed, groundbreaking.

 

The end of TNA Impact was stupid on so many levels it almost defies description.

 

The end of TNA Impact cemented Dixie Carter’s legacy as one of the very dumbest people to ever be involved with wrestling.

 

Dixie Carter went into the ring and, surrounded by one mid-level star and four scrubs, devalued her own company’s brand name for the sake of a promotion that has, for all intents and purposes, been dead since 2001 – a promotion that Vince McMahon OWNS THE NAME TO AND TRADEMARKS OF.

 

I’m not sure if McMahon will bother, but he certainly seemed a victim of infringement last night. You can’t stop people from chanting “E-C-W.” But should you encourage them? You can’t stop a fan from hoisting a sign festooned with a logo McMahon owns. But should you keep putting it on camera again and again?

 

No matter. McMahon’s lawyers couldn’t possibly damage TNA as badly as Dixie and her management team have.

 

Sad part is, TNA’s ECW-themed show will probably generate fractionally more buys than a normal TNA PPV. Nostalgia sells. Those hokey “Hardcore Homecoming” shows drew a couple decent houses. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right move.

 

I am amazed by the continuing deification of a company that never built enough fan interest to stand on its own two feet financially. ECW was innovative. It changed the face of wrestling.

 

But ECW never assembled more than a cult following. Despite that, the cult’s members get super-served every so often.

 

Ah, what’s the difference? TNA’s brand name is permanently damaged anyway. Do a Mid-South tribute show next month, a look back at Portland Wrestling the month after that. Who cares?

 

The vast majority of wrestling fans don’t identify Mick Foley with ECW. But Mick will attach himself to any cause that pays. Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Stevie Richards…none ever meant anything in a big-time promotion, and it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. Dreamer’s tears aside, when ex-ECW guys lost their jobs in WWE, it was because they couldn’t cut the mustard. Those bums should be grateful they got the paychecks they did.

 

If Sabu comes back for “Hard Justice,” TNA should tape his match in advance and beg Paul E. to provide coherency via editing. Then it really would be like old times.

 

Guys like Kurt Angle are going to take a back seat to this nonsense. That shouldn’t happen. Not even for one night.

 

The comparison between ECW and TNA was totally silly…with one exception. Like ECW, TNA exists on the principal of someone who knows something about wrestling sucking a money mark DRY. But Paul E. did that with the ambition of ultimately rising above it. No such ambition can be spotted at TNA.

 

Hey, have fun. I will. I’m having fun right now as I think of Dixie Carter smiling broadly during “Hard Justice” as TNA fans chant a brand name owned by Vince McMahon.

 

“The chosen begin their path towards greatness. The ill-fated are doomed from the beginning. The unfortunate devour themselves, searching for annihilation.” Makes a nice epitaph, doesn’t it?

 

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM, Pittsburgh. Check out the Mark Madden page at WXDX.com. Contact Mark via wzmarkmadden@hotmail.com.