Down In The Pit - A New Era For TNA On Thursday
DOWN IN THE PIT - THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA THIS THURSDAY NIGHT
By Ryan Jevec
Milestones. Synonymous with achievements, milestones are the turning points that a person experiences throughout their journey of life. From a child’s first steps to their first words to their first day of school to their first love in life, these are commonality milestones that each and every one of us shares. However, as nature takes its course, the lives we lead appear to become divergent rather than convergent and thus, the milestones we achieve can vary greatly based on the decisions that we all make. Whether it be graduation day from college, a big promotion at your job, or your wedding day, no two lives are likely to have the same milestones. And yet, history proves that our respective paths of existence will at some point intertwine with one another once more.
In the world of big business, specifically that of professional wrestling, this art has often imitated life. For what may have seemed like an eternity for many, it appeared as if there was only one mainstream company in professional wrestling. Then, in May 2002, the industry changed forever as fans worldwide witnessed the birth of TNA Wrestling. Persevering under a vastly different business model, TNA Wrestling sought out to provide fans a quality alternative product, the likes of which would both awe and inspire. And while these two companies have followed distinctively different paths to their own success, it certainly appears that as in life, their legacies are bound to come head to head.
Within the storied history of the now nearly five-year old company, there have been many milestones that have forged the legacy of what Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is and what it will become. From the first weekly pay per view broadcast from Huntsville, Alabama, to the weekly pay per view events from the Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee, to the debut on cable tv with iMPACT! on Fox SportsNet from the iMPACT! Zone in Orlando, Florida, to the grand debut on SpikeTV in October 2005, each of these moments have been stepping-stones to what lay ahead as the single biggest broadcast achievement for TNA. This milestone is the debut of TNA iMPACT! on prime-time television coming this Thursday, November 16, 2006.
November 16 will be a night filled with history for TNA Wrestling and the millions of fans that will be tuning in around the globe. For on this night, not only does TNA go prime-time on a permanent basis, but many historic ‘firsts’ will be taking place that evening.
In what is sure to be a bout filled with blood, agony and potentially career-threatening injuries, TNA Wrestling will present it’s very first barbed wire steel cage match. The confines of a steel cage are violent and deadly enough in its own right, but capping off the top of the cage with razor sharp gator wire shall only serve as a catalyst for greater physical harm. The combatants who are willing to wage war in this setting, Christian Cage and the War Machine Rhino, are certainly no strangers to one another.
As has been previously documented, Cage and Rhino have each had their own distinctive paths to success in their career. Throughout time though, their paths have crossed at points as they have both fought valiantly for the same companies. Having moved on to bigger and better things in TNA Wrestling, both Cage and Rhino have each made their own mark within the ever-growing company. But again, as divergent as their careers have been in the past, they are now linked once more and this time in a heated rivalry. A rivalry so fierce and so wrought with violence, that the only way to settle this once and for all is within the confines of a steel cage.
These two men have waged war in hellish matches previously, both in Orlando and Detroit respectively. And while it may be true that Cage has somehow found himself victorious in each of those encounters, there is no doubt that Rhino has bruised, beaten and pounded respect in the body and mind of Cage. Now, as they prepare to do battle this Thursday within the steel cage, it remains unclear as to who will emerge as the ultimate victor. What can be most assured though, is that with the intensity of these two individuals combined with the unrelenting steel cage, neither warrior will leave the cage the same man as they were when they went in.
The other epic ‘first’ on that special night will be an encounter that has the potential to be a match of the year candidate. In this bout, the newly crowned number one contender for Sting’s NWA World Heavyweight Title, the Monster Abyss will take on the Olympic Hero Kurt Angle, in what will be the in-ring debut of TNA’s newest, greatest and most acclaimed acquisition. In previous columns there had been speculation of what a match between these two ring giants may be like. Come November 16, the speculation can end. The Monster Abyss is coursing down a path to heavyweight gold and he most assuredly will not let anyone, even an Olympian, halt his momentum. With Father James Mitchell at his side guiding him through the treacherous terrain of TNA, this could very well be the night that Abyss makes his ultimate statement and declares a “Doomsday,” on the entire TNA organization.
On the opposite of the ring for that match stands Kurt Angle, the most celebrated athlete ever in professional wrestling. As he makes his debut in a TNA ring, he will not only look to gain a win against Abyss, but he will be looking to make a statement to his opponent at Genesis, Samoa Joe, and fans everywhere that he is the unstoppable force in professional wrestling and no one or no thing will stop him from ascending to the very top of TNA Wrestling. This Olympic Hero is a man on a mission who left the competitor from the north of his own accord with the purpose of proving that not only is he the greatest wrestler in the world, but that TNA Wrestling is the greatest wrestling company in the entire industry. With his veteran mentality and his vast knowledge of technical wrestling mat capability, Kurt Angle will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on both his legacy and that of TNA on the historic broadcast.
November 16, 2006 is about so much more than just a two hour spectacle of wrestling on prime-time television. Rather, it is a testament of perseverance. It is a testament of the blood, sweat and determination of the stars of the X Division, the heavyweight division, the tag team division, the Knockouts, the production staff in the back and the office staff in Nashville. This is their night to make a statement of thanks to their loyal fans across the country and around the worldwide for it is their unrelenting support and loyalty that has enabled them to achieve such monumental success. And at the same time, this night will be a milestone opportunity where all those who comprise TNA can make a profound statement to the ‘competition’ from the north that TNA Wrestling is for real, is here to stay, and is headed on a course direct to the very top of the industry. And that folks, is not a conjecture, that is fact. TNA Wrestling is the future, and the future is now.
