PWP Nation’s Zak Fellows talks about the thing that is the buzz of professional wrestling right now, TNA’s The Final Deletion.
Since TNA’s move to POP, and my subsequent article about the promotion’s inability to maintain investment which you may view here, I have heard through my more trusting colleagues that TNA have started putting on a consistently good product…well again I should say. I know that, on paper and it would probably be different watching it as opposed to reading it, I haven’t been interested in TNA’s goings on for some time now due to past history of disappointment. I guess you can only put your hand between two bricks so many times before you realize it’s probably not the best thing…unless you watch Raw because us wrestling fans are masochists when it comes to Raw.
With that said, the happenings of Matt and Jeff Hardy have been cause for attention specifically their latest, and probably most ambitious, effort the Final Deletion. On paper, and going by the teaser promos, you would think that this segment was going to be an empty arena/promoted backyard wrestling match with a bit of cheesy character in it. And when we, as wrestling fans, hear the words cheesy and backyard among a bunch of other words, we tend to react with a bunch of rolled eyes.
However, the Final Deletion proved to be a success: the edition of Impact for which it aired drew TNA’s highest rating since their move to Pop with an additional 90,000 tuning in from the previous week and it has received mostly positive reception from fans and wrestlers alike. And since TNA will be moving to Thursday soon, to accommodate for Smackdown going live, they need all the momentum they can get.
But why did the Final Deletion become as successful as it did?
I know that for me personally, I started paying mind to this storyline, by itself, because of one difficult to grasp feeling: Car Crash Factor. We, as individuals, have been indulging and observing products of different mediums we have been exposed to both good and bad. And even as we become aware of the bad through word of mouth or reputation there is a difference in reading about something being bad and actually watching it play out. You tend to notice this a lot in the application of Nostalgia where fond memories tend to eclipse the overall quality of something.
In the Hardy’s case, the car crash factor applies on the side of those who do view it as bad and horrible in that it is SO bad and horrible, in a way, you cannot take your eyes off of it almost as if it’s compellingly awful. I knew that, even if it was bad, I could still be entertained by how bizarre Matt’s character had become and the events playing out involving Brother Nero, What the hell is wrong with you and now Senor Benjamin (Not his name by the way…go to the PWP Nation Facebook page to learn his real name according to me) and all the other mimetic jokes we have made because of this feud.
To watch the FULL VIDEO of “The Final Deletion,” you can CLICK HERE
I realise, though, it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste and I’m watching it to see what joke they will have me making this week as opposed to excited about its prospects.
I suppose though, the positive that TNA and the Hardy’s have to this whole storyline that has garnered the attention and success that is has is the appeal and the embracing of such. Before the Final Deletion was being hyped up, yes eyes were on the feud and we were enjoying it but it was mostly a negative response because of the sheer absurdity and cheap looking feel to it (strictly my thoughts so feel free to challenge) and the majority were enjoying it for the so bad it’s good quality. The Final Deletion serves as a cap off to that and represents TNA’s point where the feud goes from being the butt of jokes to balls to the wall nuts (this article seems vulgar don’t it?)
By embracing the sheer absurdity and ridiculousness that has plagued this storyline, and playing to the side of people who wanted more of that and then some, TNA took what was slowly becoming a guilty pleasure and turned it into something for fans to enjoy and get a kick out of. What’s most important is that the promotion showed pride in it: they promoted it as a crazy event to be seen, they dedicated a lot of time to it and gave the audience that had come to enjoy it what they were after with more mimetic stuff such as Aerial Assault Robots and Dilapidated Boat.
I’d bet you’d love some context with that. When a promotion takes pride in their work, regardless if it will raise eyebrows, it will produce results and send a message that they are confident enough in their talent to pull off even the most out there of content.
Whether or not the Final Deletion will have a lasting impact (huh huh) on TNA remains to be seen and will have to be determined by the end of the year. I’m still not sold on TNA but that’s not out of criticism for this segment but more my own personal baggage. If I want to see the Hardy’s antics I’ll just watch it on YouTube as opposed to watch TNA every week and hope Matt Hardy shows up. In the bubble of the Hardy’s though, Matt has reinvented himself into a potentially Bully Ray level ascension, Jeff is always good and interesting and we have a new memetic character in Senor Benjamin…all got to be good right?
[Zak Fellows is good thanks for asking.]
We get it, Toph… you liked it.
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