Concussion Storyline

[shattered dreams]

What do you think of it?

I have been impressed with it. TNA was in a bad place in that they lost their intended feud coming out of BFG to a freak occurrence. It seems they have made something interesting out of that setback. Both an elevation of Matt Morgan towards his potential and this storyline. It is interesting in that blurred line sense. I like how they have openly talked about concussions and old school mentality vs the realities of modern times. It is certainly newsworthy with present NFL situations and some other unfortunate wrestling history. I like how TNA has been using reaction and interviews to highlight the reality of the injuries in general. The behind the scenes look at that stuff is quite intriguing. It really lends itself to furthering storylines in many cases.

 

[The Brain]

I admit I don't watch TNA and am not familiar with this storyline so go easy on me. Two months ago I recevied free tickets to a TNA house show. Eric Young teamed with Orlando Jordan agaisnt Beer Money Inc. During the match Young was acting like a complete fool. He went from wrestling his opponent, to his own partner, to the referee. He would stand in the wrong corner and just do the most bizzare things. I had no idea what was going on. Then someone told me there was a storyline where Young had a concussion and that's why he was acting that way. To go from a nonsense comedy angle involving a concussion to a serious angle in only two months seems kind of strange. Why is a concussion suddenly serious business with Morgan but it was just a joke with Young? Again, I don't regularly watch TNA (this might be my first ever post in the TNA section) so if I'm way off base with this post straighten me out.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I said a few weeks ago that I thought the concussion angle was actually a blessing in disguise for Anderson, and I still stand by it. At the time Anderson was on the rise in the main event with TNA, so too was Hardy, Immortal and Fortune, which put him in a bit of a poor spot, because while it was awesome to see the guy finally start competing for the title, there was little to no chance he'd have ever won it at the time, which would have meant pain-staking losses and then another slow climb to the top where he may have eventually attained it later in 2011.

What the concussion did was actually sideline him in real life, but not entirely write him out of the show itself, which allowed for him to remain relevant through injury. Morgan took his place in the interim, which allowed for Morgan to be the fall guy to Immortal while Anderson healed up, and when Anderson returned the momentum was all on his side.

TNA is obviously milking this by having Eric pull strings to force Anderson and Morgan to face one another at Genesis (thus protecting Hardy from having to compete), but that's not a bad thing at all, as I'd imagine this is all a means to push both Morgan and Anderson through the roof, as well as RVD (who I don't doubt will eventually show face, making it a four-way dance at some point or another).

 

[Judah's Lion]

to answer The Brain's question as to which angle this is specifically referring... i'm gonna guess from the OP and IDR's response that the angle being discussed here is the one involving Anderson/Morgan/Hardy and some others.

Anderson received a legit concussion after a bad chair shot from Hardy. Anderson was gonna be "forced to compete" but Morgan stood up for Anderson, became face and has been challenging Hardy and Immortal since.

i actually like the angle as a rule. i can't say much more about it because it hasn't finished playing out, but so far it has been very good and even believable. i also appreciate that Anderson was able to stay relevant and on TV while injured. that doesn't happen to everyone and not very often, so for him to still get in on a good angle in the main event picture is pretty impressive by both Anderson and creative.

i guess i can see Brain's point, though. it is a little curious that the concussion angle with Eric Young was a big comedy angle and Anderson's is a mega serious one. that's just unfortunate and obviously unplanned timing. i doubt Anderson and creative wanted and/or expected him to get a legit concussion when he did. so that's just bad luck. otherwise, i don't mind EY's angle either. i think there is a place for comedy in wrestling if done correctly. this was just bad timing as they are two similar angles with two very different intentions.

 

[twiztid jay]

The difference between the two is one is real and one is fake. They had the eric young storyline going on because it was a fake concussion.. it was just for entertainment purposes. but when mr. anderson took the chair to the back of the head and got a real concussion, they realized that concussions were way more serious than they had thought. so as far as im concerned i dont think eric has been doing really anything now since, except chillin with mickie james..

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I like the angle. It has done a whole lot of good for TNA. Firstly it made Jeff Hardy look like a beast taking Anderson out that way. Secondly it turned Matt Morgan face and that reduced the number of wrestlers that Fortune had which initially were too many at least in my view. Also I feel Morgan was lost in the shuffle as a heel, but as a face he has been a standout performer so far. And finally it has made fans wait for Anderson's match with Hardy. Anderson has really emerged as the mega face in this angle and by making us fans wait for his match with Hardy, TNA have heightened the fans' interest in the storyline.

In reply to The Brain I would say that he has brought up a good point. Its pretty unfortunate that Eric Young's and Mr Anderson's storylines have come about in such a short while. But I think that you know Brain that it is the serious storylines that sell at a main event level. Comedic storylines are okay for midcarders like Eric Young but they aren't really gonna work at the main event level. That is why in case of Eric Young the concussion angle was a goofy one while in case of Anderson it is a serious one.

I do think TNA were in a sticky spot after Anderson got injured but they have handled the story welland have really done the best that they could.

 

[harrythem]

I think TNA have handled this mishap really well actually. It was a tight spot and they made the best of a bad situation, as well as improving the conditions for the wrestlers. The only thing I dont quite get is Anderson's referring to it as "just an owie". I get his character is meant to be an asshole but it just doesn't seem to fit in with the, dare I say it, class and restraint that Morgan and the bookers have shown with the handling of this very real problem in wrestling.

 

[JJYanks121]

Just to play devil's advocate a bit here, I'll say that the one negative that this story provided is justification for Jeff Hardy's real life stupidity.

It's great that this story has been able to shed light on concussions and it's great that the good guys are portrayed as the ones supporting concussion research and whatnot, but the good guys haven't won anything! Thus, the ******** on screen and in real life that caused a concussion comes out looking like a winner, at least at this point.

In Jeff Hardy's warped, stupid, drug infused mind, he sees that he caused a concussion and has still remained champion. On top of that, he has continued his awful behavior (as documented many times) and still remained quite in favor with Hogan and Bischoff. It's basically shown that he can do everything short of dying and would still not be punished. Until Jeff Hardy loses the title as a result of causing a concussion, the story dictates that causing concussions makes you a champion while getting a concussion or standing up for those who have concussions makes you a dud if you aren't part of the takeover.

Bottom line, we need to see the title change hands soon or the story is for naught. The exposure was nice, but the end result will be that "the old way" is the right way and that actually is a regression in thought, not progression. Let's see how it plays out over the next couple of months.

 

[Барбоса]

I would agree with the suggestion that Anderson's concussion has proved to be a blessing in disguise for TNA. Not only does it help build some sympathy for what is still something of a heelishly arrogant Anderson character and help elevate another foe for Immortal in Morgan but most importantly it has forced TNA to slow the whole process down.

If Anderson had not been injured we could easily be gearing up for Anderson/Hardy III at Genesis or perhaps the feud may even be over by now with Anderson swamped by the sheer numbers and power encapsulated in Immortal/Fourtune rather than a month long building of the feud, with the main characters kept apart.

Perhaps it is a hangover from the Monday Night Wars when Vince and Bischoff were constantly trying to one up each other on weekly episodic television but things happen too fast for their own good in professional wrestling - look at the Nexus/Cena storyline in WWE. Personally, I think that Vince and co. have rushed something that could have been extremely good, whether it be a Nexus domination of RAW with all the titles breaking out into a full on war or actually have Cena take a week or two off after being "fired"?

Could the personal problems of Jeff Hardy also have contributed to this holding off? Perhaps but either way it has turned into a positive and TNA should embrace it and continue to build the feud for the inevitable showdown between Hardy and Anderson. Although it is possible that Hardy's problems could lead to a rushed or impromptu conclusion to the feud, TNA (and WWE) should relearn the lessons of the slow build that has been forced upon them.

 

[ABMorales787]

I admit I don't watch TNA and am not familiar with this storyline so go easy on me. Two months ago I recevied free tickets to a TNA house show. Eric Young teamed with Orlando Jordan agaisnt Beer Money Inc. During the match Young was acting like a complete fool. He went from wrestling his opponent, to his own partner, to the referee. He would stand in the wrong corner and just do the most bizzare things. I had no idea what was going on. Then someone told me there was a storyline where Young had a concussion and that's why he was acting that way. To go from a nonsense comedy angle involving a concussion to a serious angle in only two months seems kind of strange. Why is a concussion suddenly serious business with Morgan but it was just a joke with Young? Again, I don't regularly watch TNA (this might be my first ever post in the TNA section) so if I'm way off base with this post straighten me out.

The thing is, that the Eric Young "head trauma" was a very simplistic angle that played out on Xplosion. About a month following Lockdown and his loss to Kevin Nash, the commentators talked about how "his world came crashing down on him" and that he was all alone. In a match, he fell off the top turnbuckle and hit the guardrail. Medical personnel checked him out, but he claimed he was alright.

Back then, in hindsight, I really doubt TNA had any idea of what would happen down the road. The Eric Young angle was simple and comedic and was left at that. With the Mr. Anderson concussion thing, I think it may help TNA's development of him because it avoided exposing him to a loss at Turning Point and Final Resolution. And now he's in a #1 Contender's Match at Genesis. Which means more stalling while developing an interesting vendetta story. Still, any time a wrestler gets hurt it's a bad thing. But it can't avoided. Steve Austin was removed from WWF TV by getting hit by a car. These kind of angles are bound to happen. At least TNA is doing the right thing after a real injury happened.

 

[Joe's Gonna Kill You]

I think that Story has been Great and in many different ways, It prolonged the inevitable Anderson Vs Hardy feud which makes it more interesting and allows the feud to be built even better, Another Really Good thing about this storyline is that it built up 2 faces Anderson and Matt Morgan. Matt Morgan has benefitted greatly from this storyline as a Face he went from the Insurance policy in Fortune to Main Eventing World Title matches against Jeff Hardy. This storyline has been Execllent and I'm interested to now see the tension building between Morgan and Anderson for their match at Genesis.

 

[MB1025]

I like the story about it because it is the hot topic in all of sports. It is something to be taken seriously and TNA is treating it like that with their current storyline.


BTW I don't think TNA ever said Eric Young ever had a concussion (If you can find proof it would help). I thought they showed what happened and said he just bumped his head when he fell. Obviously the way he acts isn't how people act when they get concussions and the example is Mr. Anderson. He was bleeding, cut wide open, and had memory lose. There was no signs of being stupid and acting like a child.

 

[Rayne]

Folks, you don't miss two months over a concussion. This is a story; I think the real reason for Anderson's shelving had more to do with not wanting to hotshot a Hardy-Anderson match, which has potential to put some asses in seats at a bigger PPV than Turning Point.

Concussions are big news these days, now that we're recognizing that they're more serious than initially thought. At the high school football level, you might see a kid benched for two months; S.O.P. is to take a baseline test (reaction/mental coordination) at the beginning of the season, and if a player is suspected of having a concussion, another comparison test. If the player can't meet his baseline score, he's sidelined until he can. That's high school football, and there's an abundance of caution because a) we're dealing with children here, who haven't finished growing and can suffer a more permanent injury as a result, and b) no school wants to be sued for failing to protect a child. If you can't meet those baseline tests, you could well end up sitting out for two months.

The multi-million dollar industry of professional wrestling is a different story. There's money on the line, lots of it. You have to be able to perform, if you have the flu, if you've got a broken hand, if a ladder kicks up during a bad spot and slices you across the nose (how's that comeback going, Joey?) Missing a couple of weeks of wrestling, while still performing on the PPV and appearing in promo roles? That happens so often now that most people don't even know a wrestler was "shelved". Missing two months? On the only feud you have remotely built up at the time? Nuh uh.

Professional wrestling is taking concussions more seriously, and that's a Very Good Thing in my view. This, however, is using the media hype of concussions and turning it into a storyline. Hey, good for TNA- if they had hotshotted Anderson/Hardy, they'd be in a really shit spot right now, either giving us a WWE-style "3 PPV's in a row" feud, or simply having no attractive opponents for Jeff. (OK, Matt Morgan. But at least we can look forward to Hardy/Anderson, instead of asking ourselves "what the hell could they possibly give us down the line if they're promoting Matt Morgan as the top contender now?")

 

[shattered dreams]

Folks, you don't miss two months over a concussion.

I didn't know you were a doctor. Some people miss the rest of their career because of a concussion.

This is a story; I think the real reason for Anderson's shelving had more to do with not wanting to hotshot a Hardy-Anderson match, which has potential to put some asses in seats at a bigger PPV than Turning Point.

Which is why they taped everything like Anderson was going to face Hardy and then scrambled for a replacement in the two weeks before turning point, including a rushed but still seemingly successful face turn for Morgan?

The multi-million dollar industry of professional wrestling is a different story. There's money on the line, lots of it. You have to be able to perform, if you have the flu, if you've got a broken hand, if a ladder kicks up during a bad spot and slices you across the nose (how's that comeback going, Joey?) Missing a couple of weeks of wrestling, while still performing on the PPV and appearing in promo roles? That happens so often now that most people don't even know a wrestler was "shelved". Missing two months? On the only feud you have remotely built up at the time? Nuh uh.

Professional wrestling is taking concussions more seriously, and that's a Very Good Thing in my view. This, however, is using the media hype of concussions and turning it into a storyline. Hey, good for TNA- if they had hotshotted Anderson/Hardy, they'd be in a really shit spot right now, either giving us a WWE-style "3 PPV's in a row" feud, or simply having no attractive opponents for Jeff. (OK, Matt Morgan. But at least we can look forward to Hardy/Anderson, instead of asking ourselves "what the hell could they possibly give us down the line if they're promoting Matt Morgan as the top contender now?")

You are having your cake and eating it too. You are basically saying it is ok to miss some time for a concussion now but saying at some point you still have to be loyal to the entertainment no matter what it means. You are brushing of the fact you are ignoring the health aspect based on some extremely suspect opinions you have on concussion timeframes. Sometimes missing two months is the prudent thing to do when considering long-term health instead of fixating on the short-term need.

What has made the story compelling is that they are playing out the believable tug of war that is likely actually going on behind the scenes. Yes, it transitioned into a story at the end but to suggest they made the whole thing a story just to avoid a match is nothing short of ridiculous. I think they thought it would be a short-term thing but the fact is it wasn't. They kept thinking Anderson could come back quicker but realistically it was not working out. Don't let the NFL trick you into thinking concussions are a oneish week type thing. Also, do not be fooled that taking a week off resets everything back to perfect. No matter what you do having one concussion makes the next one more likely and each one damages you further. The whole point of the story is to bring a real sense of that fine line between the show must go on and the unfortunate realities of where that has taken various athletes. I am extremely skeptical they are making light of that situation instead of playing of what is really going on. It is fairly well documented Anderson tried to come back too fast and it was an awakening of sorts for everyone involved.

 

[Rayne]

I didn't know you were a doctor. Some people miss the rest of their career because of a concussion.

Well, there's a lot you don't know. This is long established.

Which is why they taped everything like Anderson was going to face Hardy and then scrambled for a replacement in the two weeks before turning point, including a rushed but still seemingly successful face turn for Morgan?

Mmmm, you mean like Hardcore Justice, where they scrapped the matches they had planned because they signed Tommy Dreamer and some of his buddies joined along? You're acting under the impression that TNA makes long-term plans and sticks to them no matter what.

As far as "seemingly successful", don't kid yourself. Matt Morgan is right back to the mid-card after this feud.

You are having your cake and eating it too. You are basically saying it is ok to miss some time for a concussion now but saying at some point you still have to be loyal to the entertainment no matter what it means. You are brushing of the fact you are ignoring the health aspect based on some extremely suspect opinions you have on concussion timeframes. Sometimes missing two months is the prudent thing to do when considering long-term health instead of fixating on the short-term need.

No, I'm recognizing that there is no absolute "yes or no" answer, like many people want to strip a complex situation down to to make the scenario simpler for them. Money talks. Bullshit walks. Why do you think so many wrestlers succumb to painkiller addictions, because they're just a trendy drug to do on the road?

And if you're going to lecture me about my opinions on concussions, please, don't start talking about what's "prudent" yourself because you read it on the dirt sheets.

What has made the story compelling is that they are playing out the believable tug of war that is likely actually going on behind the scenes.

Jeeeeeeesus.

Don't let the NFL trick you into thinking concussions are a oneish week type thing.

I'm not. The NFL represents a lot of money. TNA represents, well, not much money, but they have very big hopes of making money in the near future. Money talks. Bullshit walks. Don't let anyone who runs a business tell you any different, especially in professional wrestling, which has such a wonderful record of caring for their performers (but, oh, they've changed the past few years. )

Also, do not be fooled that taking a week off resets everything back to perfect. No matter what you do having one concussion makes the next one more likely and each one damages you further.

Thank you, CNN's Chris Benoit coverage.

I am extremely skeptical they are making light of that situation instead of playing of what is really going on. It is fairly well documented Anderson tried to come back too fast and it was an awakening of sorts for everyone involved.

Well documented by- the people who write the angles. And the dirt sheets you love to slag whenever they talk bad about TNA, but get much of their information *from* TNA (so you know it's not part of an angle.) Of course you doubt things aren't as they portray them on TV- hell, you were just talking about how the show is mirroring real-life power struggles.

 

[LSN80]

It was a good thing for all parties involved. While it was unfortunate that Hardy missed terribly and hit Anderson in the head, its turned into a good thing. Its wound up creating another star, a credible main eventer, in Matt Morgan.

Anderson wasn't going to take the belt off of Hardy right away anyhow. They've built towards this angle for too long for Anderson just to swoop in and take the title off of Hardy right away. While the concussion was extremely unfortunate, it also benefitted Anderson. He didnt have to take loss after loss to Hardy and have his credibility as a main eventer shot. He was already at the main event level when this happened.

The losses have hurt Matt Morgan much less. He was a background player in Fourtune, and wasn't coming close to sniffing any title, let alone the WHC. This accomplished several things. It allowed Morgan to be propelled to a place he hadn't been before: wrestling single's matches for the WHC. It also allowed TNA to handle to concussion issue tastefully. You have the "old guard" insisting that a wrestler wrestles no matter what, and then the more logical, reasonable Morgan presenting the facts as to the true effects of concussions.

So yes, the concussion to Anderson, and the storyline that resulted, was an extreme success. It benefitted Hardy in that it gave him several wins over a credible opponent. It moved Morgan to the main event level, wrestling in single's title matches. And finally, its allowed Anderson to bide his time and wait his turn to challenge for the WHC, which will be a much bigger deal now then it would have been before.