Two questions come to mind when you watch MTV’s new wrestling series Wrestling Society X; 1) why couldn’t TNA come up with such a solid alternative to the WWE and 2) when is the next episode on.  Within a matter of two weeks, the program has become the most entertaining wrestling product on free television.  (And for those keeping score, the answers are 1) because they’re idiots and 2) it’s on every Tuesday night at 10:30PM)

Quite simply, Wrestling Society X is a very enjoyable thirty minutes of slightly over-the-top professional wrestling that keeps you entertained without insulting your intelligence.  There are hard questions that need to be asked about the product’s long-term goals but in the end, you can’t help but appreciate the fact that MTV has launched a wrestling show with its own identity and style, something TNA still hasn’t figured out how to do.  Whether it’s the show’s look, its wrestlers, or the announcing team; WSX does things differently and it does so well.  More importantly, the things that make WSX distinct don’t amount to difference for the sake of being different. 

As Vince Russo demonstrated so well during his tenure in WCW, being different isn’t always a good thing.  Jobbing world champions to bookers and actors may be different, but if it doesn’t draw money, it’s not worth doing.  Heel turns that don’t make sense are different but they’re more likely to turn off fans than draw them in.  To paraphrase Ole Anderson from his book Inside Out a guy can drop his pants and take a shit in the middle of the ring to be different but that doesn’t mean it’s good for business. 

Not the case with WSX which has established itself in two weeks as a promotion built on fast paced, violent matches with tongue firmly planted in cheek.  The show is aimed at the Attention Deficit Disorder crowd with a pace that makes the “Crash TV” style of booking look glacial in comparison.  If the WWF of the late 90’s was “Crash TV”, this is “Shock and Awe” television.

So far it’s worked well because WSX has created its own identity without discarding the fundamentals necessary to any professional wrestling program.  There are interviews and angles to set up matches, competent announcing to establish the players and their moves, and a framework of rules to educate fans on what they can expect to happen in the ring.  Case in point, last Tuesday’s program featured three matches, promos, and hype videos all in just thirty minutes (not even taking commercial interruptions into account).  Time management definitely isn’t a problem for this show.   

The fundamentals of professional wrestling are so easy but not always easily done.  The idea of two wrestlers settling their differences by violence can be told via a variety of styles (hardcore, realistic, or sports entertainment) but in the end, you still need the basic foundation of angles, interviews, and matches set in an established milieu to do so.  WSX is different than the WWE, ROH, and TNA but it succeeds because it sticks to the fundamentals of wrestling.  The matches may be short but they’re built up by interviews, hype videos, and the announcers.  The moves may be fast-paced and violent but they’re executed properly and sold by both the announcers and the wrestlers.  Finally, the world of WSX is described by the announcers so the fans know what to expect.  A great example of this was during the WSX title match when the announcers went out of their way to explain that pinfalls can occur outside the ring in any WSX match.  That’s the kind of attention to detail that every promotion should provide but often don’t.  Far too many times, potential fans tune in but they have no idea what is going on in the ring nor any idea who is fighting.  Not so with WSX where each wrestler is introduced before their match with a brief title screen showing their moves and title history.  During the match, the announcers describe both the moves, the wrestlers, and the storylines driving the match.  It’s Wrestling 101 but not everyone does it.

This isn’t to say that TNA puts out a bad product.  To their credit, they’ve established themselves as the industry leader in presenting consistently entertaining PPV’s but they’ve also suffered from a longstanding identity crisis.  If ever a promotion has adopted the “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” philosophy of business, it’s TNA.  One week it’s “southern” wrestling, complete with NASCAR and country music stars.  Another week it’s high-flying X Division stars.  Yet another week it’s ECW Old Home Week.  For a while it was a poor man’s version of WCW Nitro with every former WWE star thrown in for good measure whether it was Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, or Randy Savage.   Recently it’s been Crash TV as Vince Russo’s booking style is unmistakable by the slew of “mystery” angles whether it’s Abyss, Christian’s training partner, or the mystery of when Samoa Joe will be given main event status (and the added mystery of why it’s taken so long).

If you’re a regular viewer of TNA, you’ve got to be frustrated when you see the WSX product.  Is it that difficult to do?  Obviously not but TNA continues to struggle.  The WSX product stands out so much that Vince McMahon and his cronies at the WWE are already keeping a close eye on the new promotion.  TNA doesn’t seem to be a blip on the WWE radar.

As mentioned, there are still questions to be answered about WSX.   Do they plan on touring?  Do they plan on running PPV’s eventually?  If the show is a success, will they expand to an hour (or even more)?  How will WSX handle talent raids by the WWE?   Does MTV plan on airing new programs every week or are reruns going to be part of the promotion?  Does MTV plan on keeping a core roster of talent or are they going to use a rotation of whoever they can get for particular programs?  Finally, is there room for another wrestling promotion?

The questions remain to be answered but one thing is certain; WSX provides a solid half hour of entertainment.  It may be wrestling for the Attention Deficit Disorder Generation but it covers all the basics and it does so with its own style.  For many fans, that may enough.

Mike Rickard is our resident WSX TV reviewer.