WrestleMania has been coined as a “global phenomenon”. The biggest pay per view event of the year is the WWE equivalent to the Super Bowl. Other companies strive to find their answer to the wrestling juggernaut’s annual super event. TNA’s Bound for Glory has been the WrestleMania of Impact Wrestling and while TNA is a smaller company, it is always able to serve as an alternative for WWE programming.
While Bound for Glory has historically remained in the United States, on October 12th, BFG is going overseas. Is it to the ever-popular United Kingdom? No. For the first time ever, BFG leaves the states for Tokyo, Japan. For years, Japan has been one of the most popular countries for showcasing pro wrestling talent. With companies such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and Japanese stars in TNA such as Sanada and the inclusion of stars such as The Great Muta and Tajiri, BFG looks to pay homage to the nation that has welcomed and supported pro wrestling with open arms. However, there is another side to the story. With the show airing at 7:30pm eastern, that would be 8:30am Tokyo time, TNA’s flagship pay per view won’t be live but rather on a taped delay for the United States. While it’s great to see TNA’s popularity reaches a global audience, what will be the reaction that Monday morning?
It’s one thing to leave the country, but for the biggest event of the year, especially when other PPVs have transformed into free events on Spike TV, is having a pay per view that’s in another country a smart decision, showcasing other cultures and TNA’s popularity, or will it be infested with complaints of rabid spoilers?
With multiple episodes of TNA being taped weeks in advance, one must be careful looking up any TNA information if they wish to avoid spoilers, especially in the age of social media and the “instant gratification” generation. While some may avoid TNA outside of television altogether to avoid spoilers, millennials help push a show’s popularity with fandoms and social media buzz. If people avoid social media to avoid spoilers, how can something like TNA reach a level of popularity to compete with any competition? Spoilers take away the surprise and joy of seeing something unfold, and with BFG being taped delayed, there’s a higher risk of being spoiled. While it’s best to avoid social media before the event airs, is this a risk of losing a part of the fan base or an alternative to how social media increases for, say, the WWE before a PPV (albeit live) such as WrestleMania?
On the other side of the coin, TNA spoiled their own product by announcing that Bully Ray actually did slam Dixie Carter through a table and it would air the next week. While some were turned off by the spoiler, others heard about the actions and flocked to Spike TV that next week. While some may look at it as an old way of thinking by wanting to avoid spoilers, maybe there’s still a strong desire to avoid spoilers. While both have been seen amongst fans, time will truly tell which way of presenting information and “spoilers” will thrive in the social media age.
With Bound for Glory in Japan, it should be an exhilarating event for the ages. However, will the threat of spoilers hurt buzz about the show, or encourage more to tune in and watch? We’ll have to wait and see.
-Celine
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