Tuesday, October 6 – 4:03 P.M. (CT)

I just finished watching the TNA "Before The Glory" video that will air on DirecTV Ch. 101 at various times over the next week. It's a gem. The production is top notch and the sports-like vibe was awesome. Unlike so many things we see in

This is the direction TNA needs to take with its on-air product. The wrestlers are shown training for their various Bound For Glory matches and talking about them just as a boxer would talk about an upcoming fight or a football player would talk about a big game.

Samoa Joe delivers some heel mic work while hyping his match against Bobby Lashley, but he sounded no different than a cocky UFC fighter trying to sell a fight. He didn't go over the top and deliver a phony pro wrestling promo. Lashley also came across great in the video by talking in his normal speaking voice and acting as if he's as determined to defeat Joe as he is any MMA opponent.

The Abyss character initially didn't play well in the video because he comes across more like a guy playing a character than a fighter because of the over the top laughter, but his sitdown interview was serious and fit the vibe. Mick Foley played it straight and was also very good.

Matt Morgan came off better in this setting than he ever has on television. The footage of him training combined with his comments about how much his match with Kurt Angle means to him would make a first-time viewer think they were hyping one of the biggest matches of the year.

Sting was especially strong. He stated that he wishes he could tell people whether he was wrestling his final match at BFG, but he just doesn't know. Dixie Carter echoed his comments by saying she convinces Sting to stick around for another year every year around this time, but even she doesn't know what the future holds for him.

The Sting segment was the first time they've even established that this could be Sting's final match. They didn't make any false promises, and it didn't come off as a sleazy pro wrestling retirement tease. Rather, it was a lot like an aging athlete who just couldn't make up his mind about whether he was playing the next season.

This video did a better job of making me want to see the Bound For Glory pay-per-view more than the Impact TV show ever has. Vince Russo and the creative staff should watch this video closely and they'll realize how great pro wrestling can be if it's promoted as a serious sport.

I applaud the creative staff for taking the show more in that direction lately, but I hope they realize that we don't need silly comedy distractions, gimmick matches, and the usual sports entertainment campiness that we get our fill of on Monday nights. If TNA wants to be a true alternative to WWE, they simply need to take themselves seriously.

If you have DirecTV 101, I highly recommend you go out of your way to see this preview. I also recommend that TNA find a way to let more viewers see this show via Spike TV or the company website. You can check it out on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. CT. For additional air times, visit TNAwrestling.com.

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