The Rise & Fall Of TNA | Wrestling Timelines

11. May 5, 2014 | Ghost Town

Eric Young TNA
TNA.com

Very little happens in 2014. The Bischoff and Hogan era has nuked fan investment.

AJ Styles - who once proudly and defiantly tattooed his initials on his side at a time when WWE changed the stage name of every incoming performer - is gone now. 

Even the most hardcore wrestling fans stateside barely track it; as Dave Meltzer writes in the May 5, 2014 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, barely any fans respond to the poll gauging the quality of the April 27 Sacrifice pay-per-view. This is headlined by the heavily-bearded Eric Young retaining the World title over Magnus. Eric Young - who is presented as TNA’s answer to Daniel Bryan and WrestleMania 30, because this promotion will always bend the knee to its supreme leader - is a company guy through and through. When a promotion resorts to belting up company guys, you know it’s doomed. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!