I am sure most of the readers of Den Of Geek have at some time in the past watched wrestling. Whether it's Big Daddy or Giant Haystacks, you have, I bet, watched a bout of wrestling as a kid. More than likely you have seen or are aware of people like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Chris Jericho or John Cena. These guys all have one thing in common: they all work for the wrestling promotion WWE.

As the ‘Coca-Cola' of wrestling, WWE is the brand that everyone knows and recognises. However, there is a contender for the crown,  a sort of ‘Panda-pop' of wrestling that slowly, but surely, is creeping up on WWE. That company is, of course, TNA (Total Non-stop Action).

For those of you have not seen TNA now may be the time to tune in, as from Friday 30th October TNA will be broadcasting its two hour show TNA Impact on Virgin 1, meaning for nearly the first time in twenty years, there will be a wrestling show shown for free on UK television.

For those of you who have never heard of TNA, the promotion is the brain-child of wrestler and promoter Jeff Jarrett, who, along with his father Jerry, have a long history in the wresting business both as performers and promoters. With the backing, both financially and marketing-wise, of Dixie Carter and Panda Energy (a US-based energy company), and a writing team that includes long-time wrestling writer Vince Russo, TNA has only been around for eight years but is nipping at the heels of Vince McMahon and his billion dollar WWE wrestling franchise.

Using the same format as WWE's weekly shows such as Raw and Smackdown, TNA provides two hours of wrestling viewing on their Impact show and while as not as well recognised as WWE, the slow growth of the company and growing success may well provide the much needed competition to the world's biggest globally viewed ‘sports entertainment' shows.

While TNA has yet to have the success in films, music and merchandise WWE has, the use of new media, marketing and identity to spot new talent and mix it up with well known named talent has meant that TNA has been getting stronger and stronger brand-wise. This this move to Virgin is a step up to getting a much larger audience here in the UK.

Initially based in Nashville (where the company's headquarters are still based), TNA came about after the collaboration of the Jarretts and Carter buying into an old and well known wrestling promotion NWA, a company that had been around in various forms for many many years (it also assisted in creating WCW). Moving to Florida, more specifically, the back-lot of Universal Studios in Orlando, TNA has slowly but surely changed its product and increased its production values so that now the show has become a slick, well presented hour and a half ‘bloke-soap-opera' that harkens back to the action adventure shows and wrestling of the past.

For those who like ‘real' fighting there is always UFC, however TNA has taken the elements that made WWE so successful back in the 1990s, namely great ‘characters' and, well, fun. The shows are well written, the bad guys are bad, the good guys good and the stories and in-ring skills of the roster are excellent.

TNA also has something that a lot of bigger companies seem to have forgotten, namely the fans. By being a smaller organisation, TNA has more contact with fans and a lot more interaction. Whereas WWE has a ‘universe' and five shows a week being broadcast, TNA has two, namely Impact and a TNA classics show airing, meaning that the scope for catching up and following what is going on is easier and allows for a more intimate relationship with their fan base.

But what about what actually happens in and around the ring and who ‘stars' in TNA? Well, the studio in which the show is filmed (The Impact Zone) is a static area, similar to how Gladiators looks, with an impressive set and multiple video screens all showing well designed logos and video packages of the stars of the show. With the action taking place in a six-cornered ring rather than the usual four, the speed and dynamics of the matches are faster and visually more impressive and with a focus on high flyers and acrobats, the bouts the wrestlers deliver are very impressive to watch.

The roster for TNA is also quite diverse. From ‘old-school' wrestlers like the Dudley Boys, Tazz, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Sting, Booker T, Mick Foley and Raven to new acquisitions like Bobby Lashley and most recently Nigel McGuiness and Bryan Danielson, the ‘known' talent in the promotion is impressive.

However, it is TNA's home-grown talent that's real reason why people should be watching. From the high-flying AJ Styles, to the hardcore monster Abyss, the Cocky tag teams of the Motor City Machine Guns and Beer Money, the insane Amazing Red and Homicide to the impressive Samoa Joe, the talent that has built the company over its short lifespan is impressive, indeed.

So, if you fancy a change in your sports entertainment or if you haven't seen a wrestling bout since Big-Daddy left our screens and fancy seeing how much wrestling has evolved over the past twenty years, check out the show.

For more information check out Virgin1 or pop over to have a look at www.tnawrestling.com. Or try seeing them live as the roster are touring here in the UK in January.