I had the honor of attending this week’s Impact Wrestling television taping event from Peoria, IL – a big thanks to my friends on the inside for the hookup. Overall, I thought it was pretty fun show from top to bottom, and the friends I brought along for the ride seemed to really enjoy themselves. As Wrestlezone’s resident TNA fan, I thought it appropriate to take some time out and talk about what the stars of Impact did really well, and also what they could improve on.
**CAUTION: THIS ARTICLE WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS**
First, the Peoria Civic Center is actually a pretty decent sized venue, but it’s so far away from the major Chicago suburbs, that you’re just not going to draw any crazy traffic. The arena was maybe one-quarter full, at most. It took my friends and I over three hours to drive out to Peoria; it’s not much shorter from the actual Windy City. I know WWE probably has the area on lock-down (ha…TNA puns) but I think TNA could draw better closer to Chicago.
I’ve heard good things about TNA live events, and overall I wasn’t disappointed. My biggest surprise was how hard Jeremy Borash works throughout the night. During every single commercial break he’s talking to the fans, hyping them up for the next segment, or holding up various signs. They showed a lot of respect for their ring announcers, the work crew, and other miscellaneous ring-side talent, which was cool. Jimmy Jay was at the merch table throughout the night, and was extremely friendly and approachable, walking around and shaking hands. I got myself a Bad Influence shirt for a reasonable price, and I didn’t even have to wait in line for 45 minutes; trying to go anywhere at WWE events is hell.
