Tweet This

Twitter is bigger in Pro Wrestling now than ever before with the social networking site being used by companies as kayfabe to enhance the feuds, to promote the product and sometimes just used by the wrestlers as Twitter was intended to by putting over their points.

Victory Road or is the #VICTORYROAD
(photo (c) TNA Impact Wrestling)

I have no issue with TNA using Twitter as it is the biggest free global advertising platform around currently and they don't want to fall behind WWE, the interaction can be fun and as with anything everybody wants to get closer to their 'heroes' but it would be nice to not be rammed with facts about trends and people's opinions during the shows, Twitter is there constantly where as we only get 2 hours of TV time a week. I don't want to rant on about how annoying it can be to be told who some random person thinks will win a match on a PPV, the only two people who's opinions matter are the two who are paid to be there to call a match whether it be Tenay, Taz, J.B or even Eric Bischoff.
Promotion is the way of getting TNA to move to the next level as it is unbelievable the amount of tweets I see to TNA wrestlers asking if they have retired as they are no longer in the WWE; but I draw the line of including a hash-tag in front of the name of the PPV actually during the event itself, as can be seen with Jeff Hardy posing in front of the #VICTORYROAD sign.

Aries tweeting mid match at Victory Road
(photo (c) TNA Impact Wrestling)

As mentioned before I think tweeting should be most utilised when TNA is not on air, the one time I have enjoyed a mention was during Austin Aries match with Zema Ion at Victory Road where A Double tweeted 'It's a #GREAT day to be #GREAT...and a #GREAT day to#LiveTweet! #TGMTEL > @ZemaTNA #VictoryRoad' but this fit with the rivalry and with Aries cocky character, even if it was just a tactic to get more people to flock to the Internet to see what was tweeted.

While most wrestlers use their twitter accounts to connect with the fans, usually answering questions, retweeting random requests or updating their followers on their daily activities, it is becoming more the use of  a worked shoot, especially following Scott Steiner's parting words with the company in which he accused creative of taking over or telling wrestlers what to write and when on their twitter pages. As much as it add's to the show to see trash talking from World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode to build up his Lockdown match with James Storm, the best put downs are those that go relatively unnoticed. Recently Eric Bischoff has been trashing his Xplosion co-host Jeremy Borash, I may be wrong in thinking this is a work but since the comment appeared the two have had more on screen run-ins, especially at Victory Road where Bischoff took over J.B's interview of Aries.

My current personal favourite use of Twitter at the minute is Joseph Park (@JOSEPHPARK_esq) who has taken to the site to further his search for his brother Chris 'Abyss'. I know they are the same person and the fact the story of Abyss being missing is slightly flawed as TNA would have been searching for him long before his brother turned up, along with the fact he wrestled in India for Ring Ka King, but there is a fun element to his page in the fact it is played so deadpan and in character. He has replied to many a message from people not playing along telling them he isn't Abyss, claiming to be looking for 'part's unknown' and claiming he doesn't know what a work is; these tweets are a bit of fun and are a throw back to times when fans did not know that 99% of things were worked and is completely opposite to those tweets previously mentioned which blur reality with kayfabe.

Whilst Twitter is being used in will be difficult to know what is real and what is worked but that is part of the fun in a industry that tends to thrive under controversy, after all it does tend to create cash! I would rather the references were cut down in show, especially during PPV's which distracts the commentators from calling the matches, if I want to see what people are saying I will log on and follow the trend myself, but for the most part there is no harm is using the site to boost your product for free.

#TWEETTHIS

@Robbie_G_CH