Fans are chomping at the bit about January 4, 2010.   When was the last time wrestling fans had something to really get excited about?   While wrestling has given us some great moments over the last decade, it’s hard to remember a time when people were genuinely excited to tune in to Monday nights for wrestling action.   Wrestling has had some great moments over the last ten years but the bottom line is that things could be a lot better.  

While some people are already downplaying TNA’s head to head battle with the WWE, it’s already clear that one man isn’t taking things lying down.  With rumors of Bret Hart signing with the WWE to do a program it’s already clear Vince McMahon isn’t taking any chances.    Sure, Vince has wanted to bring Bret back to WWE TV ever since they mended fences a few years back but it’s no coincidence that the rumors of Hart's return began not long after TNA announced they were going to run Impact against RAW on January 4, 2010. 

Vince may be somewhat out of touch with his audience but he has a built in survivor’s instinct that kicks in at the slightest hint of competition.  When ROH  inexplicably switched their HDNET program to Monday Nights, WWE instantly made a talent raid of ROH.  Sure, Ring of Honor is as much of a competitor to the WWE as roller derby is but Vince isn’t taking chances.   While many people are dismissing TNA’s head to head battle with WWE as sheer suicide, you can be sure that Vince isn’t.  With the rumors about Bret as well as the rumors that the Rock is coming back for an expanded appearance, Vince is preparing for battle.

True, you can’t fault people for writing TNA off as no true competition to WWE.  Impact rarely beats ECW’s rating every week, their PPV shows have yet to make a profit, and the company’s storylines aren’t the talk of the wrestling world.   TNA is a company propped up by a very wealthy woman who happens to like wrestling.  Anyone who thinks TNA would last three months without the Panda Energy money tree is living in La La Land.

Still, you’d have to be a fool to just dismiss TNA’s head to head battle with WWE  Just look at the history of the original Monday Night War.  No one thought that World Championship Wrestling (WCW) had a chance in hell of making a blip on the ratings radar when they decided to challenge the WWF's flagship show RAW.   Certainly few people thought that WCW would hold their own.  The conventional wisdom was that the two shows would split the RAW audience or that RAW would eat WCW alive.   However conventional wisdom turned out to be wrong as both RAW and Nitro attracted an all new audience.   Even before WCW signed WWE stars like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, WCW managed to keep things interesting.  Once the competition heated up, both WCW and WWF grew their audiences to record numbers. 

In the end, anything can happen.  We really don’t know how serious TNA is about signing new talent or if they have any idea how to use it.  TNA is capable of putting on a good program but I just don’t see people watching it if they continue to push themselves as WWE Lite.   However if they develop a direction that catches the fans' interest, anything is possible.   While wrestling's audience is way down from its glory days, history has shown that people enjoy good professional wrestling.   The problem is that no one is producing good professional wrestling.

No one can tell what will happen on 1/4/09 but we know one thing-the fans are already benefitting from the competition.   With any luck, this new competition may spark a new rivalry.   What's the worst that could happen?   TNA goes out of business?   That's a stretch, especially when Panda Energy has kept them afloat for several years without coming close to turning a profit.   The company barely brings in a 1.0 rating every week.   They've got little to lose and much to gain.   More importantly, wrestling fans have much to gain if the WWE and TNA start paying closer attention to their product.

Mike Rickard is the author of the book, Wrestling's Greatest Moments which captures the best in wrestling from the last thirty years.  It brings you all the most memorable and controversial moments from modern wrestling history. It’s an insightful and essential compendium of thirty years’ worth of groundbreaking matches, angles and interviews. From Hulkamania to the Montreal “screwjob,” from the NWA to the nWo, you’ll rediscover what really occurred in arenas and on the air worldwide, and learn all the backstage and behind-the-scenes secrets that made these highlight-reel moments possible from the men and women who were there.