There are things that are just so TNA, like the TNA injury report, organically over talent, awkward timing, and Ryan Nemeth clotheslining the living daylights out of Mara Sade.
Okay, intergender wrestling itself is not unique to TNA. Compare an episode of “iMPACT” to an episode of, say, “WWE Raw” or “AEW Dynamite,” however, and the prevalence of intergender wrestling on TNA programming is one of the many things that set TNA apart. In the Western wrestling scene, TNA is a trailblazer for intergender wrestling. Such was made clear on Thursday’s episode of “iMPACT,” where four intergender storylines were showcased throughout its two-hour broadcast. Of course, the segments weren’t perfect, but the Love is in the theory: we need more intergender wrestling on mainstream wrestling outlets.
Wrestling promotions love a romance story, and two of “iMPACT’s” four intergender segments featured lovers’ quarrels. Honestly, these were probably the least inspired of the night: both Alisha Edwards and Arianna Grace quarreled with their male partners, Eddie Edwards and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, respectively. The draw, however, is in the quantity. A fallout between a fiancée and her betrothed might be a common in-ring storyline, but two similar, but unrelated, segments on a single broadcast is something unusual (especially when both end with the woman standing firm in her convictions). It’s not the most girlboss storyline variant in the world, but it goes to show that TNA is quite comfortable booking intergender storylines.
I’m more interested in the storylines that pit male and female talent against each other. Jada Stone and Elijah are on their way there with their blossoming alliance against Order Four, but Stone’s initial argument with Order Four leader Mustafa Ali gives me some hope that this feud will see an intergender lockup — one, hopefully, as intense as the one between Nemeth and Sade early Thursday. When I saw Nemeth unapologetically lay his hands on Sade, I knew I was watching TNA. No other major wrestling broadcast in the present day will so openly show a man laying his hands on a woman, aside from TNA. I hated how Nemeth talked to Sade, but he’s a slimy heel, so I’ll let it slide (for now).
We talk a lot about equality in the ring. We dream that one day, female wrestlers will be taken just as seriously as their male counterparts. I genuinely think intergender wrestling is one way to handle that problem. If you show people that women and men can fight each other — with no prejudice, just skill — then we might make some big strides towards equality in the ring. If the storyline is good and the tensions are there, we should absolutely be letting men and women fight.
Written by Angeline Phu