Trick Williams retained the TNA World Title in the main event at “Slammiversary,” one of two wins by WWE wrestlers in title matches on the pay-per-view, which, to me, made the whole thing feel like, little guy capitulating to the big guy.
This, as the company is looking to secure a TV deal that would allow TNA to air live shows 52 weeks a year, according to Carlos Silva, the president of TNA’s parent company, Anthem Sports.
I’m not sure that allowing the big guy to book your PPV for you will help put you over with fans, but I’ll give the folks in the Anthem Sports front office the benefit of the doubt.
WWE has been leveraging its relationship with TNA as a wedge to combat the upstart AEW, in a manner reminiscent of the approach that the company’s former owner, Vince McMahon, took with ECW during the “Monday Night Wars” era in the 1990s as WWF battled WCW for pro-wrestling supremacy.
TNA has benefitted from getting the rub from WWE, with regular exposure for stars like, well, OK, pretty much Joe Hendry, since we can’t really count Jordynn Grace anymore, since Grace is now in WWE, with its NXT brand.
That said, I don’t know that TNA and Anthem Sports are talking about a weekly live-TV deal without that exposure, though, of course, WWE, and its parent company, TKO, aren’t worried about TNA being real competition.
The goal of the suits at TKO is to create another obstacle for AEW.
Prior to last night’s “Slammiversary,” I’d not tuned in to TNA programming in forever, but from what I saw on the PPV, there’s something to work with there.
Notebook
- Leon Slater wins the X Division Title: Slater, 20, defeated TNA veteran Moose to win his first TNA title, in a match that showcased Slater as a younger Will Ospreay.
Nice move after the match to give Slater the rub from the cameo appearance from AJ Styles, who appeared in-ring with Slater to praise the new star.
- The Hardys win the tag belts in a four-way ladder match: AEW head honcho Tony Khan gave up on Matt and Jeff Hardy, who have enjoyed a late-career resurgence since re-homing in TNA last year.
This match was fun sports entertainment, and it ended with Bully Ray challenging the new champs to a match with Team 3D at “Bound for Glory” in October that will be worth watching.
- I don’t care, I still like watching Tessa Blanchard work: Blanchard has been in a Jay Briscoe-like exile since allegations of bullying arose in 2020, despite her continuing to deny the substance of the allegations.
Like The Briscoes, who, despite being arguably the best tag team of its generation, never got a mainstream run because of something from years ago, Blanchard is, arguably, the best in-ring women’s wrestler of her generation.
Sunday night, she did the job for Indi Hartwell, a former WWE talent now getting a push with a lengthy undefeated streak in TNA.
Blanchard’s job last night was to make Hartwell look like a contender.
This is what the great ones do.
- I like this Trick Williams guy: I haven’t watched more than a couple of minutes of a WWE show in ages, because, I just don’t like the style of presentation.
I had no foreknowledge of Trick Williams, an NXT guy who is the current TNA World Champ, but what I saw of Williams in the main event last night, I like.
I see a lot in common with how AEW is using Swerve Strickland in Trick Williams.
- One quibble I’m with the interwebs critics on one point: TNA dropped the ball not putting the belt on Mike Santana.
I try to not be too critical of booking, knowing that there’s often something long-term in order that will make one point in time make sense later on.
In the here and now, having Williams go over in the men’s title match, and NXT Women’s Champ Jacy Jayne win the title-vs.-title match with TNA Women’s Champ Masha Slamovich earlier in the night, feels like the TNA folks allowing WWE to dictate the terms of their supposedly mutually beneficial relationship.
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Chris Graham
