COMING SOON TO AN ARENA NEAR ME…
…sort of. TNA will run a house show 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. The date is March 13, the place is a ramshackle hockey rink called Rostraver Ice Gardens, the seating will consist of folding chairs and ancient wooden bleachers – unless you can score a barstool at Murph’s Pub, a tavern that hovers over one end. I recommend that course of action. You’re going to need a drink. It will be a Smoky Mountain-style atmosphere. YEE-HAW!
TNA bypassed Mellon Arena, the University of Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center, Duquesne University’s Palumbo Center and Robert Morris University’s Sewall Center, all major-league facilities, three within Pittsburgh’s city limits, one just 15 minutes away. The capacity of the Palumbo Center is 6,000. The Sewall Center holds 3.500. Both are modern. Neither is a dump. Either would have been suitable for TNA.
If you’re not major-league, you’re minor-league. It’s that simple.
Most of TNA’s perceived marquee talent will not be there. Somehow, I doubt Hulk Hogan will EVER see the inside of Rostraver Ice Gardens, or even Murph’s Pub. Kurt Angle, TNA’s No. 1 star and a Pittsburgh native, will be there, as will AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett. But all the recent “surprises” won’t, which is really no surprise. One plus: No Dudleyz, no Nasty Boys.
Jeremy Borash will be there to MC. Hey, make Bubba the Love Stooge do some grunt work. (Getting his ass kicked by Awesome Kong doesn’t count.)
It’s vintage TNA. Which is to say, vintage WCW.
But I’ll still go, because Lacey Von Erich will be there. HOT!
