 |
| .gif Credit: Zombie Prophet/Bloody Elbow |
I don't cover MMA here for good reason (I don't like it). However, this is no ordinary MMA fighter. That's King Mo Lawal getting knocked the fuck out by a spinning backfist. I'm sorry, that's TNA Superstar King Mo Lawal getting knocked the fuck out by a spinning backfist. During the Impact telecast/combination Bellator commercial and infomercial for Dixie Carter's social media presence, we were reminded over and over again that Lawal is part of the Impact Wrestling roster, that he's a TNA superstar. I don't know if he had a black eye after taking that hit to the face, but Impact sure suffered one with it.
It would be one thing if Impact actually saw a return on their initial investment. Two-sport superstar, they claimed. They were gonna get a big fish in the world of MMA and have him on the roster to be a boon for them. It's been nine months. What has King Mo done for them? He shoved Bobby Roode down on the show before Bound for Glory, and then he was a special guest referee. That's it.
So, he's not wrestling for them in the ring. He's not making positive news for them out of it. What exactly are they paying him money for again? What's the return on investment? Is he even a bigger boost for Impact in 2013 than Hulk Hogan as he is now? Or did Carter just see what WWE was doing with The Rock and Brock Lesnar and wanted to catch on with anyone that would hop into the proverbial sack with her? I really can't answer that because I am not Dixie Carter. But that's what this feels like.
In classic TNA, little brother syndrome fashion, TNA didn't grab anyone nearly as much of a big name in the world of MMA like Lesnar, nor did they poach a celebrity with an eighth of the fame and cache as The Rock. If the celebrity free agent market could be compared to, say, football, if The Rock and Lesnar were Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, then Lawal is Ryan Fitzpatrick. It's a downgrade who might show some promise sometimes, but it feels reactionary.
Impact has turned a corner in the last two years, but they still have the same identity confusion issues they've had for their entire existence. First off, they need to stop trying to do things just because WWE is doing them. Second, they need to stand up for themselves on their own network. Third, they need to sign wrestlers who will help them, not just because they'll sound good in a headline. King Mo Lawal might end up being the next great Impact wrestler, but he's gotta get into a ring first. Because if I were TNA, I wouldn't want to hitch my wagon to a guy as my employee when he got knocked out in the first round of a fight, especially if he only made time for my company to do a special guest ref spot.
It would be one thing if Impact actually saw a return on their initial investment. Two-sport superstar, they claimed. They were gonna get a big fish in the world of MMA and have him on the roster to be a boon for them. It's been nine months. What has King Mo done for them? He shoved Bobby Roode down on the show before Bound for Glory, and then he was a special guest referee. That's it.
So, he's not wrestling for them in the ring. He's not making positive news for them out of it. What exactly are they paying him money for again? What's the return on investment? Is he even a bigger boost for Impact in 2013 than Hulk Hogan as he is now? Or did Carter just see what WWE was doing with The Rock and Brock Lesnar and wanted to catch on with anyone that would hop into the proverbial sack with her? I really can't answer that because I am not Dixie Carter. But that's what this feels like.
In classic TNA, little brother syndrome fashion, TNA didn't grab anyone nearly as much of a big name in the world of MMA like Lesnar, nor did they poach a celebrity with an eighth of the fame and cache as The Rock. If the celebrity free agent market could be compared to, say, football, if The Rock and Lesnar were Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, then Lawal is Ryan Fitzpatrick. It's a downgrade who might show some promise sometimes, but it feels reactionary.
Impact has turned a corner in the last two years, but they still have the same identity confusion issues they've had for their entire existence. First off, they need to stop trying to do things just because WWE is doing them. Second, they need to stand up for themselves on their own network. Third, they need to sign wrestlers who will help them, not just because they'll sound good in a headline. King Mo Lawal might end up being the next great Impact wrestler, but he's gotta get into a ring first. Because if I were TNA, I wouldn't want to hitch my wagon to a guy as my employee when he got knocked out in the first round of a fight, especially if he only made time for my company to do a special guest ref spot.