TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 28th August 2008

After a good iMPACT last week and the promise of Sting appearing on this episode people were interested to see how TNA was going to handle the storyline and so was I.

Good Points

Abyss on Karen’s Angle

Abyss delivered a great promo and finally got chance to verbalise about his return and his action as of late, it also explained what was going on during his absence. It was a master class of character work in wrestling. Abyss should be given more time on the mic to voice his character as I fell it would get the fans back in to him again.

Knockouts Division

The Knockouts division really held this show together with Awesome Kong kicking the show off with a win against an unknown which forced ODB in to make a save which she backed up with an awesome promo later. We then had another excellent Beautiful People promo and finally a win for the pairing over Roxi and Taylor Wilde. If this wasn’t enough we learnt that Traci Brooks has been assigned by Cornette to run the division which should make things interesting as they get their very own GM style character.

Tying up loose ends

I always like it when promotions remember about loose ends and go back to them which is what TNA did here with Nash cashing in his favour for helping our Cornette many, many iMPACT’s ago and getting himself a shot at Angle. This shows great writing and gives people a reason to watch every week as they get a better understanding of why things are happening.

Bad Points

Sting's lack of impact

After watching Undertaker’s promo on Smackdown Sting’s big promo at the end of iMPACT wasn’t even close. Sting started spouting his message of how the new guys need to respect the old guys which we expected he would but it is a tired storyline idea and a flawed one at that. Sting claimed that AJ needed to pay his dues to the legends that paved the way where in fact he has been with TNA since the start and when comparing him with Angle as he has only been in the business just over 10 years I am sure AJ was getting in to wrestling before Angle came on the scene.

SoCal story line

This is ridiculous soap opera writing at the moment with the latest idea being that Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt as going to wrestle for a ring and whoever gets it will marry So Cal. It’s storylines like this which get wrestling a bad rep.

Team 3D

This week their role was reduced just to comedy heels and as a side part of a Booker T promo. Normally they at least get a match or a chance to do something which backstage makes them seem like heel team and not just goofballs.

Overall

After all the build up not enough substance. It’s not going to happen but they need to push Abyss back to main event. Instead we are going to see a new school, old school feud over the next months with I’m sure some surprising heel or face turns.

TNA Hard Justice 2008 Review

If you have been reading my blog for some time now you will know that I haven’t enjoyed many TNA PPV’s. So I wasn’t expecting too much from this one but I was hoping there would be a few standout moments.

Good Points

Angle vs AJ Styles match of the year candidate

This was one of my favourite matches of the year so far. As you already know I’m a huge AJ Styles fan and have loved the storyline between him and Angle. However I haven’t been a fan of their recent bouts but this one really showcased both at their best. The only problem I have is with Angle’s history of neck problems I cringe hen I see some of the moves and some of the risks he takes especially where they do endings when a stretcher comes out because with Kurt’s history there is always a chance it could be real.

Great effort put in to the Knockouts Division

The six woman tag was brilliant one of the best women’s tag matches I have seen in some time. The promos and videos before hand were brilliant as they labelled The Beautiful People as the step sisters from the Cinderella story. I like videos like this which are made to feel more like short films than wrestling promos.

Bad Points

LAX lose titles to Beer Money

This had the potential to be a great feuds but I feel that the longevity in this was to keep LAX as champs for a bit longer to build them and make it mean more when Beer Money finally got the belts off them. I feel this results weakened LAX and didn’t enhance Beer Money.

More could have been done with Sting

To have Sting come out and attack AJ Styles was the wrong thing to do. AJ had just been built as a heel for going back and attacking Angle whilst on a stretcher and that heat was then ruined by Sting. For all the build up they did with Sting they should have done more with him. It started off well with him being filmed coming in to the arena but after that it soon went downhill.

Team 3D losing their way

Their feud with Cage and Rhino isn’t really helping develop either team at the moment. The inappropriateness of their characters behaviour round women doesn’t fit in the current climate and to top this off they are suppose to be pushed as believable heels but then have comedy moments like getting them to go in the rafters and say they are scared of heights. You can have comedy heels but they need to be built as such and not just try and change between comedy and bad ass heels.

Booker T killed off

After having him beaten to a pulp at Victory Road in his home town and to have him lose clean well at least clean for a weapons match is stupid. You now have Angle who can’t wrestle a full programme, AJ and Sting put in a feud together and the other main eventers like Christian Cage pushed so far down the card they aren’t seen as main eventers any more. The only thing I can think of is that this leaves the way clean for Jeff Jarrett to come back.

Overall

Well worth the watch for the two matches I have mentioned. As an event as a whole again it didn’t work for me. They need to try and stop having too many matches which are overhyped and instead have a double main event which is hyped and an undercard which isn’t hyped that much but develops the talent involved well and is a talking point after the event.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 31st July 2008

After an above average iMPACT last week with some great storylines and PPV style matches I was very much looking forward to seeing this weeks offering.

Good Points

Use of the Sting storyline

The creative team are doing a great job with the Sting storyline. They are building the suspense for Sting’s in ring return and putting up more questions than answers which always keeps a wrestling fan hooked. The other thing they are doing well is branching storylines off the whole thing of the lights going off as now off the back of it we have the Samoa Joe feud with Sting and more heat to the AJ / Kurt Angle feud.

Matt Morgan has a feud

Matt Morgan has been given a great feud to prove himself with as he has been put in a programme with Tomko. Many people had Tomko down to be a breakout star this year so will be interesting to see how this one goes. I have at terrible feeling that a PPV match between the two would suck though as their styles are too similar.

Kaz leaves TNA is it a work or a shoot

If you have been reading the internet as of late you would have heard that Kaz is done with TNA so it was no shock when he announced it on iMPACT. Not many wrestlers get to announce they are leaving on their own show so this has many people wondering if this is just a storyline or not. Was an interesting way how they did it how Kaz announced it on Karen’ Angle in a pre-record segment as if this is a shoot they have more control doing it that way than letting him go in the ring.

Bad Points

Booker T pushed to the side

The only problem with the Sting storyline developments is that Booker T has been pushed to the side. After an excellent storyline build in the iMPACT after Victory Road since then Booker has been marginalised. Booker needs to do something big on the iMPACT before Hard Justice to really make this a math people want to see.

Prince Justice Brotherhood

The segments wear very comical on iMPACT but if they use too many of them in a show the comic effect will wear off very quickly. Sharkboy is the only really funny one out of the three as he carries the other two in the promo stakes but Sharkboy needs people to work off with his humour so needs them there.

Beautiful People never get a win

TNA give them a lot of TV time which they deserve as they are great on the mic and with their gimmick but it seems like every week they come out they lose. It’s alright giving them TV time but you have to let them win a bit to really establish themselves instead of giving the wins to Gail Kim and ODB who have gone a bit stale as of late.

Overall

More positives than negatives. If they can just focus in on the big feuds next week I’m sure they will get the fans buzzing for Hard Justice.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 26th June 2008

After missing last week’s iMPACT I was looking forward to seeing what was happening in TNA this week after hearing good things about their UK tour.

Good Points

Brother Ray getting good promo and mic time

I think TNA are really starting to use Brother Ray well giving him time to get over his heel persona. Although his best performing days are behind him its great to have him around one of the main event scenes to drive and add heat to a storyline.

Good use of Karen Angle

Great to see TNA really using Karen well and developing a feud between her and The Beautiful People as a little side storyline to play off the main Kurt and AJ thing is great thinking.

More guys getting time

It was good to see both The Guru Sonjay Dutt and Matt Morgan getting good TV time. Sonjay has had to hang around for months with not much to do but now that the storyline with him, Jay Lethal and SoCal Val has come to a head he is finally getting his rewards. Good to see Matt Morgan being given promo time hopefully this means they are actually going to commit him in to a proper feud soon.

Bad Points

Again no Samoa Joe in ring action

When Angle is injured TNA really need Samoa Joe to step up with more in ring action. To build him as the main event star they need to have him performing week in and week out and if they are building a PPV on him they need to give him the chance to help attract PPV buys through the weekly shows.

Poor Main event

To have Booker T and Nash headlining an iMPACT is terrible, it’s like we have warped back to WCW in 1999. Don’t get me wrong Booker deserves a push but to put him in there with Nash is the wrong move. WE maybe bad at the moment but I bet they are laughing when they see that as a main event.

Overall

Ruined by the main event and the lack of TNA made guys around the main event scene at the moment. Besides from that very good in places.