It's 4:20 in TNA, Rob Van Dam Debuts!

Like probably most of the wrestling audience last night, I primarily watched WWE's Monday Night Raw.  But I did switch over to TNA Impact quite a few times.  Felt like the old days, flipping back and forth between USA and TNT to try and get as much of Raw and Nitro action as I could. 

Raw was a fairly standard show.  More exciting than usual, though, because of the strong WrestleMania card they have going.  Nothing really stood out other than the excellent Undertaker/Shawn Michaels promo, but that's okay - they want us to pay for the good stuff at WrestleMania, and that makes sense.

I switched over to Impact a few times.  I did want to see how they opened, but once I saw that Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were opening the show, I knew I could stay on Raw for a while.  The opening segment on Raw was great.  The HBK/Taker program feels a lot different than last year.  Feels a lot more serious.  The stipulations definitely add to that.

From then on, neither show really stood out to me.  I did switch to Impact just about any time Chris Angel was on, but never saw anything that interested me..

Though there was one moment where I thought TNA was on to something.  I caught Dixie Carter telling Sting that he was facing a Mystery Opponent - and since I read this site, and others, I had a pretty good feeling it was going to be Rob Van Dam.

I wasn't going to miss that!

So there I was, watching Sting get to the ring.  Then the lights turned green.  I knew everyone was right - RVD was debuting.  First off, I loved both the lighting for his entrance and his new music.  My first reaction - they're giving RVD's character a bit of an "assassin" persona.  Really, that's what I thought - because of the way Dixie said she found someone to face Sting (like a hitman) and because of the way his music sounded.  It sounded a bit dark.  I thought I was right  when RVD came in the back way.  Though his outfit hadn't changed one bit - and while I've always dug his outfits, I thought he could have changed it up a bit.  Added some dark green to match his entrance in TNA.

And before I knew it, his match with Sting was over.  Well, that seemed cool.  He came in, surprised Sting, took him out with "pinpoint precision" (even though his rolling thunder seemed a little off).  I thought, hey, maybe I was right that they're going to make him a bad ass in the company!

But then TNA did something I couldn't believe.  For what felt like 20 minutes, Sting beat RVD down with his bat.  Hogan appeared.

TNA?  WHAT IS GOING ON?

HELLO?  RVD was the "hottest free agent" in wrestling.  Everyone wanted to see him.  Everyone wanted to go crazy for him.  Well, we got to for about 10 seconds, and that was it.  Are you kidding me?

There's a reason why people were calling him the hottest free agent.  Because he's a guy fans haven't seen regularly in years.  He's a guy who held both the WWE Championship and the ECW Championship at the same time during his last run.  He's a guy who everyone would immediately buy in the main event, and want to pay to see him go for the title.

So first off, why put him in a match with Sting?  Yeah, he won, that's cool, but then to have Sting beat him down and almost make RVD a bit player in this Hogan/Sting interaction..  it either means RVD is going to have a program with just Sting, or he's going to ally with Hogan (something no RVD fan wants to see!  get this through your thick skulls TNA!), or they're going to drop it and RVD will get no payback on Sting.  (because hey, he beat Sting already, right?)  Sting is not a good opponent for RVD.  Not only is Sting not that great of a worker anymore (not that he ever was THAT great), but he's not as fast as he used to be.  RVD does not work so well against slower guys who can't do much - it exposes RVD more than anything.

This is what I would have done, and I think people would have much different opinions today if TNA had gone this route:

In the opening of the show, I would have had RVD debut immediately.  The show should have started with Tazz announcing that the biggest free agent in wrestling history is coming out RIGHT NOW.  RVD comes out, cuts a promo that he is here to scout the amazing talent in TNA.  He's ready to rise "high" to the top of TNA, and what better way to do it than to be out here at ringside for the Hogan & Abyss vs Flair & AJ Styles match?

So you have that match begin, and have the same screwy finish.  RVD does NOT get involved, though.

Then you don't have RVD around until the very end of the show, when the match is again taking place.  RVD comes out, pretty much in place of Jeff Hardy (who could have taken RVD's actual role in the Sting/Hogan segment and beatdown), and hits the frog splash on Styles.  Then he does the same to Abyss.  Then it's RVD either interjecting himself into Styles vs Abyss at Destination X, or the match simply becomes RVD vs Styles for the title at the PPV.

That's it!  You immediately stick RVD into a top program.  You have him take no sides - he's not with Hogan, he's not with Flair, he's for himself. 

Now, he could get screwed at Destination X, get the beat down there - that's fine.  But everyone can be excited going into the PPV that perhaps RVD will become the champion, and will face D'Angelo Dinero at Lockdown. 

TNA, you let me down on January 4th.  You let me down on March 8th.  How many more chances can I give you?

Just one. :)