Pull up a barstool
Pull up a barstool, order a pint of whatever cheap lager is on tap, and let's talk about the absolute car crash that was early-2000s professional wrestling. WWE had bought WCW, and we were stuck with Triple H playing Reign of Terror simulator on Raw. But down in Nashville, a father and son duo decided they could build their own kingdom out of acoustic guitars, six-sided rings, and pure madness.
That kingdom was TNA, and next week, Vice TV is finally giving us the deep dive we deserve. As PWInsider reported, the show is returning with a double-episode special on Jeff Jarrett and the rise of Total Nonstop Action. The internet wrestling community is already melting down over opening this vault of radioactive trash-TV gold.
Wrestling forums are split right down the middle, with fans arguing over whether this will be a glorious tribute to the best alternative WWE ever had or a depressing autopsy of Jeff Jarrett's ego. Let's break down the factions, the arguments, and the absolute insanity that awaits us next week.
How the internet is reacting to the double-header
The Nostalgia Trip: TNA was actually good, you cowards
The first faction online consists of TNA loyalists ready to defend the six-sided ring. They are reminiscing about the golden era of the X-Division. They will gladly remind you that before AJ Styles won WWE titles, he was flying off the ropes in the Nashville Asylum.
They remember the innovation of the Ultimate X match, where wrestlers hung from steel cables to grab the prize. These fans argue the episodes should focus on the workhorses who built the brand. They want the spotlight on Samoa Joe choking people out with the Coquina Clutch during his undefeated run.
They want credit for Petey Williams, who made the Canadian Destroyer the coolest move on the planet. TNA was the only place for high-flying athletic art while WWE pushed lumbering bodybuilders. Fans online are talking about the distinct sound of the Orlando crowd banging on the guardrails at Universal Studios.
They argue that TNA provided a genuine alternative that forced WWE to stop being so lazy. Without them, the indie-wrestler revolution that took over NXT might never have happened.
The Skeptics: Prepare for the ultimate Double J ego trip
On the flip side, the skeptics are out in full force, and they are armed with spreadsheets of Jeff Jarrett's win-loss record. The prevailing sentiment among this crowd is that the documentary will inevitably turn into a two-hour rehab project for Jeff Jarrett's legacy. They remember the weekly Wednesday night pay-per-views where Jarrett, the co-founder, mysteriously managed to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship over and over again.
They call it the original Reign of Terror, a dark time when younger, hotter talent constantly hit a brick wall made of acoustic guitars. Forum posts are filled with complaints about early booking decisions. Fans point out how Monty Brown, who had the crowd screaming for the Pounce, was repeatedly fed to Jarrett.
They talk about Raven being screwed out of the title to keep the belt on Double J. Skeptics worry the documentary will paint Jarrett as a visionary savior rather than a guy booking his own sandbox.
One commenter on X noted that they can already hear the acoustic guitars smashing over heads in their nightmares. They worry the show will go soft on Jarrett because he remains active in the business. They want the grimy details, not a sanitized history lesson.
The Chaos Enthusiasts: Give us the Russo-era trash
Then we have the chaos enthusiasts who do not care about five-star matches. These fans are begging the producers to focus entirely on the Vince Russo era of booking. They want to talk about the Electrified Steel Cage match at Lockdown 2007 between LAX and Team 3D.
They remember the lights flickering like a cheap horror movie while the wrestlers pretended to be electrocuted by the mesh wire. They want a deep dive into the Reverse Battle Royal, where wrestlers fought to get into the ring.
They want the documentary to cover the blindfold match between James Storm and Chris Harris at Lockdown 2007, where two guys stumbled around in hoods. And let's not forget Pacman Jones winning the Tag Team Championship despite being legally banned from wrestling.
For this crowd, TNA was the ultimate trainwreck. You could tune in on Thursday and see AJ Styles put on a clinic, followed immediately by a segment where someone was thrown into a lake. They want the documentary to embrace the trash that made TNA legendary.
My Take: Jarrett deserves his flowers, but the scars are real
Look, let's be honest here. The skeptics have a point when they complain about Jarrett's booking. Between 2002 and 2006, Jeff Jarrett held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for a total of six reigns.
He booked himself in the main event when fans desperately wanted AJ Styles or Monty Brown. Every time a new star got hot, Jarrett was there with a guitar shot and a three-count to kill their momentum. But without Jeff Jarrett's stubbornness, TNA would have died in its first year.
When the original financial backers pulled out, Jarrett did not quit. He went out and convinced Panda Energy to buy in, securing the company's survival. He was willing to carry the heat when the company had no television deal and was flying by the seat of its pants.
Yes, the booking was often terrible. But TNA also gave us some of the greatest matches of the 21st century. The three-way match at Unbreakable 2005 between AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels is still widely regarded as a masterpiece.
The company reached its peak in 2006 when Kurt Angle debuted, proving that TNA could draw top-tier talent away from WWE. In the end, the enthusiasts have the stronger argument here.
The legacy of TNA is not just Jeff Jarrett's ego; it is the fact that they survived in the shadow of the WWE monopoly for over a decade. They provided a paycheck and a platform for wrestlers who would have otherwise been ignored by Vince McMahon.
The upcoming Dark Side of the Ring special needs to strike a balance. It must roast the ridiculous booking and the guitar-shot spam, but it also has to respect the hustle of a promotion that refused to die.
