It seems like TNA just doesn’t get it. How can a company that was such a solid sports entertainment alternative two years ago, continue to drift away from the things that made it so special?
It’s truly sad when the best part of Impact was the trailer for the Captain America film.
Even sadder that a real fan of this company has to go to their DVD collection to get their wrestling fix.
When will this company find its way back?
Who knows.
Like Rob Van Dam’s concussion symptoms, this episode of Impact was a scrambled mess and ultimately forgettable.
It’s shocking why TNA would decide to push Bully Ray instead of the countless other younger wrestlers they have in the back. Make no mistake, the guy can get heat and can still compete, but an AJ Styles/Bully Ray match isn’t going to make TNA money.
It’s safe to say that they know that now considering the way the angle has developed. Adding in Fortune, Abyss and Matt Hardy will obviously help tremendously and will set up a nice eight-man tag. The question remains however as to why many of the youngsters aren’t getting pushed.
It’s hilarious how TNA has wrestlers the likes of Eric Young, Desmond Wolfe, Doug Williams, Samoa Joe and Crimson are wasting away backstage, while former WWE stars get consistent time on Impact every week.
Speaking of funny, Sting’s Vignette was a complete joke. Why would he come back and win the title in his first match back if he wanted to help the 20-somethings in the back? Isn’t him having the title holding back those youngsters just as much as TNA is giving so much time to Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and former WWE stars that are past their prime?
Despite the fact that he’s a babyface, TNA using that angle for Sting is a smack in the face to any wrestling fan that goes on the Internet and knows the situation in the company.
One guy that is young and getting a push in TNA however is Hernandez. While his mic skills aren’t where they need to be yet, this Mexican America angle could be a solid secondary feud in the company, especially with Brother Devon and Matt Morgan facing off with them. If TNA is able to slow things down and let real heat develop, which would be uncharacteristic of them, Hernandez could develop into a decent heel. He’s got the ring ability; he just needs a real opportunity.
Overall, this show just didn’t cut it.
There was too much talking, not enough wrestling and the angles are borderline boring.
In the end, TNA is desperately missing Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. These guys used to go out and wrestle their hearts out every week and without them, the tag team division, which used to be a major selling point in the company, is a complete disaster.
TNA’s inability to use Frankie Kazarian and other X-Division stars properly as well have reduced this company to something that is just as bad as the last year of WCW, minus the wrestling.
Seriously, how much wrestling was on Impact this week? For a company that is more about promoting their television shows and getting ratings than selling DVDs, TNA isn’t doing a good job lately of selling their product.
Matches:
Mickie James vs. Tara: Two beautiful women, who can wrestle? You bet. This match showcased two of the best female wrestlers in the business. While the match wasn’t particularly long and had one ugly spot in the turnbuckle when Tara dropped James in a Styles Clash-like move that looked botched, the contest proved an important thing, these two could have a good match together, maybe one of the best the Knockouts Division is capable of right now. After James’ angle with Madison Rayne is over, they could easily do something together.
Okato vs. The Pope: A quick beating on Samoa Joe’s sidekick by the former Elijah Burke. Overall, it was nothing special- just a poor attempt to build heat for their upcoming match at Lockdown.
Matt Morgan and Brother Devon w/Velvet Skye vs. Hernandez and Anarchia w/ Sarita and Rosita: Lets forget about the retarded hypnosis power Winter has over Angelina Love that fans were forced to watch. This match had some action and is the beginning of what could be a decent feud.
Scott Steiner and Crimson vs. Ink Inc: A battle of TNA’s secondary tag teams. Even though he’s still green, Crimson has the ability to be something special. His finishing move is solid, but he’s got to deliver it with more impact and speed. The internal feud between Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal is an interesting one, but its been done before and needs something different to make it enjoyable.
Ken Anderson vs. Rob Van Dam w/Sting as Guest Enforcer: This match saved the show. Anderson and RVD put on a good match with both exchanging a nice amount of offense. At the same time, there’s still no real #1 contender in TNA and plenty of questions that haven’t been answered. Sting and Anderson obviously don’t get along, but Anderson isn’t exactly a heel. He’s not a legit babyface either. This is the problem when bad writing gets in the way. To make matters worse, Sting isn’t a compelling babyface right now, which makes fans not care who is fighting for the promotion’s biggest title. Not good.
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