In covering the results of the TNA Genesis pay-per-view (PPV) event that took place this past Sun., Jan. 8, 2012, in Orlando, the same tired theme showed itself once again. The number two wrestling promotion in the U.S. insulted its fans by asking them to pay for an event that featured a smoz finish for nearly every match on the card.
Then, to make matters worse, the company released YouTube footage of the main event of that PPV, Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode, showing exactly how it all played out and further insulting its fanbase that actually bothered to pay for the show, not that there are many who do so anymore.
To cap it all off, TNA aired its taped episode of Impact Wrestling last night and essentially threw salt in the wounds they created just a few nights prior.
The show was centered around a pair of rematches from the PPV, Kurt Angle vs. James Storm and Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode. At Genesis, Angle defeated Storm and Roode retained his title over Hardy with a cheap disqualification loss after he straight up nut checked the referee.
So instead of building to proper rematches, TNA shot the return angles for the very next show. Storm went 16 or so minutes with Angle and defeated him clean to become the next contender to the heavyweight championship. Again, it boggles the mind that this happened on free TV instead of the show that fans are supposed to pay for. Roode retained his title in a weird non-finish finish in the main event, with Bully Ray coming out to bump the ref and Hardy's music just randomly playing to signify the end of the match. It was set up earlier in the night that the match would be no disqualification so Roode couldn't just get himself disqualified to retain his belt. Any pro wrestling fan who has watched TNA for more than two weeks knew this was just a way to open the door for yet another run-in and lack of a finish.
The funny thing about the entire ordeal is that Roode and Hardy actually had a very good match on Impact but fell mostly flat on the PPV. It's as though everyone in the company is being told to hold back on pay shows and really bring it on free TV.
You pay for the goods on PPV and you're given a content barely worthy of free TV. They then give you no reason to tune into the weekly Impact show then when you do tune in, you're given the best they have which, ultimately, really isn't that great.
TNA, ladies and gentlemen.