Changes......

I believe that now is a good time to update you all on the status of the WWE vs. TNA debate. Since the smoke has cleared, so to speak, regarding Alex Shelley and Ric Flair, it seems best to allow whatever speculation about the status of Matt Morgan to rush by. His status still remains up in the air, but that doesn't mean he's out just yet.

In any case....WWE is losing their top tier. Randy Orton has been suspended for his 2nd violations of the Wellness Policy. That's a 60 day offense, guys. Not good news for the blue brand. While he continues to serve his sentence, Rey Mysterio is also serving a suspension for a Wellness Policy infraction. This trend, coupled with poor writing and a summer program that notoriously drops off until SummerSlam, is doing terrible things to the product. With the lawsuit between TNA looming on the horizon involving Brian Wittenstein, it seems clear to me that things are only going to get tougher for the big man on the hill.

To contrast, TNA is ramping up for their 10th Anniversary celebration and I see no sign of slowing, even with the losses of a couple of their veterans from the roster. Is the loss evident? of course. But does it mean collapse? Not at all. In fact, the Open Fight Night concept is doing such things for the product, even more of the critics are taking notice. By also incorporating MMA's fanbase in the inclusion of King Mo and their ongoing attempts to bring in professional sports celebrities, TNA is stretching themselves in as many ways as can be done without putting themselves in financial jeopardy.

WWE may have picked up what TNA has lost so far....perhaps. But they have the built in disasters of WCW in their ranks. The suggestion to run RAW for 3 hours every week is a mistake they will live to regret. Mark my words. It didn't work 15 years ago with WCW; it won't work now....particularly with the cast of players and shot callers behind the scenes. What the white collars and pencil pushers in the upper echelons of the Titan Tower are thinking with this idea, I doubt we'll ever know, but one thing is for very certain, they have their work cut out for them, because TNA is on the rise.