DVD Review: Impact Wrestling’s “TNA: Immortal Forever?”

As someone who used not to be a big fan of TNA wrestling, and who saw TNA as half-assed alternative to WWE, my mind has now been changed by the recent DVD release of “TNA: Immortal Forever?”.  I mean, c’mon, can guys like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Sting still remain relevant?  Can younger TNA starts such as AJ Styles, Beer Money, and Samoa Joe hold a candle to today’s WWE superstars?  The answer is, or at least should be, as resounding YES!

“TNA: Immortal Forever?” takes us through the last two years in TNA wrestling and opens up with the legendary Hulk Hogan making the announcement that he would be entering TNA.  The DVD, for the most part, follows chronological order, and takes us from Hogan’s announcement right up to the moment that the “Stinger” defeated the “Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy. “Immortal: Forever” contains full and partial match footage as well as “backstage” interviews with TNA superstars, both young and older.

The DVD set is centered around how Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff take over TNA from Dixie Carter.  If viewers of “Immortal: Forever?” are unfamiliar with this storyline before watching the DVDs, they are in for a treat; this set of DVDs does a masterful job of weaving the tale of how Hogan and Bischoff ascend to the top fo the hierarchy within TNA wrestling….it seems as if Dixie Carter never stood a chance to prevent Hogan and Bischoff from reaching their lofty goal.

Of particular interest in this DVD set is the chronicling of the feud between Hulk Hogan’s “Immortal” and Ric Flair’s “Fortune”.  Initially, the two factions were able to function together, although that did not last and the two sides clashes in a violent “Lethal Lockdown” matchup that is shown in whole on this DVD and is highly entertaining.  Aside from the match footage, the story of “Fortune” vs. “Immortal” is brought to life for viewers with interviews of members from both teams giving their thoughts about the situation between the warring groups.

Interviews and in-ring footage of TNA stalwart “Double J” Jeff Jarrett are attention grabbing and are of the utmost value in telling the “Immortal” story; while “Immortal” seems to be playing a “heel” role, viewers may want to side with Jarrett after his emotional interviews/promos relating to how he was the founder of TNA and how is seemingly resents Carter for having ascended to the top role in TNA.

Overall, this is a fantastic DVD; I particularly recommend it to viewers who are new to TNA, as the “Immortal: Forever?” DVD set’s strengths lie in its impeccable storytelling.  Hogan’s interviews give particularly interesting insights into “Immortal” and TNA.  Enjoy the matches, enjoy the interviews, but most of all….enjoy this great trip into the world of TNA! — Duke Foster