Shining a Spotlight 12.31.09: Forecast For 2010

Posted by Michael Weyer on 12.31.2009

Looking at how WWE, TNA and ROH can continue their momentum into the New Year.


　
One year closes, another opens and the cycle begins again. Wrestling has always been unique in that there's no "off-season" and thus hard to get a fresh start. But then, the New Year is supposed to provide that although I'm sure many of us can talk about how hard it is keeping to resolutions. It's even harder for wrestling companies and promoters trying to figure out how to work things right. That's not to mention the slews of real-life issues that can pop up over the year and jar plans, from injuries to suspensions. Of course, you can't predict what the fans will respond to and what new stars might break through. Thus, figuring out the year in advance in wrestling is tricky to say the least. Yet, you can gauge how things can begin with the year and thus shape up as things go on.
　

WWE



Still on top of the wrestling world, WWE has been through some shifts in tone and product, ranging from great highs to major lows. As ever, the trio of brands for WWE has allowed an intriguing mix of stars and shows, making it harder to judge the company on a whole. Yet each show does provide an interesting look at the company's prospects.

First there's RAW. Putting the belt on Seamus was a major surprise to many and the debate rages as to how long he may reign. I do think it may be worth it short-term as sometimes you just have to roll the dice and see if you end up with something bad or good. JBL was such a roll and he eventually turned into a pretty good heel champ. I don't see the Irishman lasting as long, probably losing at Rumble or No Way Out to Cena to set up the Wrestlemania event. They've run through Orton already and get the feeling they're treading water a bit until Edge can come back. We've already seen Cena vs. Michaels and HHH as well so hard to pick who his Mania opponent might be. The rumors are abounding of them setting up Cena vs. Undertaker which would be a pretty cool event but we all know how things can shift for Mania.

One thing that does need to change big-time with RAW is the GM situation. While we've had some good bits here and there, the fact is that the whole "Guest host" thing has been a huge mess, making RAW look more like a joke. They need to pick a real regular General Manager and get things back on track. That choice alone will make RAW seem more focused and go over well with the fans. The wrestling might improve as well as we'll get more time for matches instead of host skits and might see more of the younger guys breaking through, something WWE could use. RAW remains the company's flagship show and needs to remind folks why that is.

SmackDown is better off as they have a regular GM and continue to provide great matches. If the plan is for Cena-Taker at Mania then Taker would probably drop the belt to either Batista or Rey at the Rumble (assuming they do a Triple Threat match). The challengers from there would be an intriguing lot to say the least. Punk has been riding high with his new attitude and can probably make a great main event feud but Morrison seems ready to make his jump to the big stage as well. Indeed, a Morrison-Punk program would be a great one for either the World or other belt or just regular feud as well. Having Jericho back on SmackDown is a push for the brand too as he'd be a fine pick for World champ whether as face or heel, able to work programs with most anyone at a great level.

ECW has seen some nice improvement over the last year due to Christian making the brand look more important. Putting a big star like that on top has shown WWE does indeed care about ECW and using it as the "starter" brand for new guys is a good move. The brand continues to emphasize in-ring action which helps gain it more respect from the fans and should be able to continue to provide some newer guys nice exposure to WWE fans. However, I get the feeling they may lose some guys. With both RAW and SmackDown needing fresh main-event challengers, it's likely Christian will be making a jump to either one which would provide some good matches. I can see Swagger also moving to one of the other shows as he's gotten hugely over as well. Given how FCW has been building up more rookies, ECW can still work well as the first stop in the WWE chain and mixing rookies with seasoned vets can help the company out finding new stars.

The woman's division has been doing well also this year with the addition of the Divas title giving each brand something for the ladies to strive for. It has been nice seeing the Divas becoming real wrestlers and we can hopefully get more starlets in that field as well. It would be nice to see a revival of the tag division but I've been wanting that for about five years now and unlikely it'll change this year. A ton of stuff is up in the air such as who will win MITB and who's going to be switched around via the draft lottery. But things are still in tune for WWE to enjoy another year of success that will keep fans guessing which makes it so fun to watch.


TNA



TNA begins 2010 a lot better than they started 2009. The early half of the year was pretty bad as TNA was still emphasizing the older ex-WWE guys over their own talent. Having Mick Foley and Sting, at their ages, feuding for the TNA World title and the Main Event Mafia crowding way too much TV time. The backstage battles between Jarrett and Angle didn't help the company's image either while their shows continued to gyrate between good matches and over-the-top booking.

But midway through the year, TNA managed to turn around in a great way. Giving the title to AJ Styles and letting him run with it helped while Desmond Wolfe's arrival was handled perfectly as he went over Angle and established as a real threat. The main event programs with Styles against Daniels and Joe proved that TNA didn't need the ex-WWE guys to make terrific main events. The Knockouts showed improvement as well with the addition of Tara giving them some new life after some rough goings in the early part of the year and a tag team title there pushed things along. And Taz proved a more than able replacement for Don West in the commentary booth, helping the matches be more bearable.

The arrival of Hulk Hogan into TNA is going to shift things majorly of course. Whether that's for good or bad is a bit up in the air. The word of Hogan being the "Mr. McMahon" character in TNA is a bit jarring as Hogan's never struck one as the real authority type. I'm sure the comments of him being a behind the scenes player is making more than a few folks panic but his statements of how TNA should emulate UFC in creating characters for the fans to get behind is actually not that bad an idea. One can hope Dixie Carter doesn't get seduced by Hogan's fame and the big money they've paid out and keep him reined in. There's also the chance Hogan (who does seem to have shifted his attitude a bit given his personal problems of the last few years) may actually try to do well by the company for a change. I know, it seems remote but it's possible.

I do think TNA is putting too much emphasis on this big prime-time January 4th "Impact" and going head-to-head with WWE. The company has always had the problem of thinking they're on equal terms with WWE when they're not. This could be a good wake-up call for them, let them see their real status and regroup. They should be looking for more of the rookies in the indy circuit instead of trying for WWE cast-offs all the time as some new and younger blood can really set them apart from WWE. They also need to enhance the X Division once more, make it the breakout that helped the company succeed in the first place. More importantly, for the first time in a long time, TNA has the goodwill of a lot of the fan base with terrific shows and emphasizing the younger, TNA-grown talent instead of guys who have been over for a decade or more. They need to keep that momentum going into 2010 and do more right than wrong. They keep that up, then 2010 may be the year TNA finally establishes itself as the true Number Two instead of just the kid brother of WWE.


ROH



In contrast to TNA, Ring of Honor begins the New Year a bit rough. The loss of McGuiness and Danielson still weighs on the company and the disastrous "Final Battle" main event left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans. I also worry about Jim Cornette's involvement behind the scenes. Don't get me wrong, Cornette has a great mind and experience in wrestling. The problem is that the man has ranted about how things were so much better in the "good old days" of the territories and the "FB" main event seemed to be a statement of how a sixty-minute match would be a great choice. Unfortunately, like many a guy with that mentality, Cornette doesn't seem to get that fan tastes today (particularly with the ROH fandom) are so much different and the reaction to the show proved that. It wasn't the only bad thing as even "Column of Honor" noted how in 2009, ROH had more than its share of crappy storylines and matches.

The promotion does still have the great show on HDNet which has allowed them to expand their fan base. Like all indy promotions (and ROH does count as an indy) the recession has hit a bit hard but fans are still in big support for the company. The problem there is the same that faced ECW: ROH seems to cater to a select part of the fan base, one that leans quite a bit toward the "smarks" that can make ROH look rather elitist to WWE/TNA fans. While the HDNet show helps, the fact HDNet isn't widely available cuts down on the number of people who can get hooked onto ROH. The company has a great reputation to be sure but reputation isn't enough to gain new followers, they need to actually see the product itself in order to judge it well. That, more than anything, is what prevents ROH from rising as high as they could.

Danielson and McGuiness leaving was a blow but ROH should be able to get over that with their wide range of young stars. Davey Richards really came into his own this year as champion and a great heel star while ROH continues to have the best tag team division around. The possibility of snagging some TNA guys who bolt if Hogan gets out of control is high as well. Of course, there's a danger in that some guys may see ROH not as a place to stay but rather just to make names before they go to WWE or TNA. The company has to be careful cultivating their talent as in these times, too many guys will be looking for the big paychecks rather than

The economic factor is hitting hard as ROH is having trouble with running shows constantly as proven by how their schedule for early ‘10 is much lighter. The company does need to make some moves to get more attention but they need to be careful how they do it. The Ric Flair fiasco comes easily to mind as a bad attempt to get mainstream wrestling attention. As noted, Cornette's viewpoint on what can make ROH work may not gel with fan expectations although in a way, the narrow feelings ROH fans have can be hurtful as well. The company still provides the best pure wrestling action and presentation of any promotion around. But they need to realize that's not enough. As bad as it may sound, ROH may have to become more "entertainment" than "sport" if they wish to truly break through and survive at this particular stage.


Conclusion

As ever, trying to predict the coming year is tricky at best, futile at worst. After all, you can't tell what fans will and won't respond to, not to mention who might get injured or rise without warning. For WWE, it looks to be another year of success, especially if they can get a real RAW GM and raise a few new talents. For TNA, keeping up the momentum of great shows and keeping Hogan from running roughshod can help them really assert themselves. ROH needs to continue their own great run but also make the right choices for their financial survival. Overall, 2010 looks to be a year of change around the business and growth with emphasis on wrestling rather than the entertainment aspect. And that's what makes it so great to watch.