TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 26th March 2009

After a good little show last week it was time for TNA to bring us one step closer to Lockdown. At the moment they may be in WWE’ shadow with Wrestlemania upon us but TNA still need to show us what they can bring.

Good Points

The build for Lethal Lockdown

Tonight’s show was all about getting us ready for Lethal Lockdown with forty minutes spent deciding on team captains. To decide on captains they held a 20 man gauntlet match in a cage with the last standing being opposing team captains. Angle had promised to win it and captain MEM and he would stop at nothing to do it but after a very entertaining PPV quality match it was Samoa Joe that came out the victor beating Angle.

Sting has enough of Foley

Sting was in no mood to joke about with Foley this week as a little bit of heat got added to this feud from Sting’s side. This feud was started off by Sting trying to look out for Foley but now its personal and with Foley telling Sting he still has some cage dives left in him it should be an ok match at Lockdown.

Bad Points

Segment order

Again with TNA we had four non wrestling segments back to back. It’s not rocket science but TNA need to start mixing it up a little bit more in their running order to make the show flow better.

Dixie Carter tries to take the high ground and fails

This week Dixie Carter got in an argument on the internet where they both counter claimed that the other company isn’t producing family friendly TV and that they were. However Dixie needs to look at her own promotion if she is going to let wrestlers throw out throwaway lines which have sexual references which aren’t needed. This week it was Scott Steiner during a backstage segment with the Main Event Mafia.

Overall

A bit light but all in all a good show with a hot ending. Having these shows once in a while is great as it feels like you are getting PPV for free but they should go back to the usual format next week.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 19th March 2009

After a very disappointing Destination X could TNA produce the goods this week on iMPACT and get me excited for the product again?

Good Points

Interesting angle between Sting and Foley

Sting is doing a great job of playing this conflicted character between siding with the Main Event Mafia and the side of TNA management. Trying to look out for Foley, Sting tried to get the main event for iMPACT stopped so he wouldn’t have to wrestle but Foley saw this as a kick in the teeth and booked himself and Jarrett to square up against Angle and Sting in the main event which ended with Foley laying Sting out with a chair and getting the win. The only problem is I don’t want to see the match between them which is set for the next PPV.

Samoa Joe takes it to the extreme

I’m liking the off the wall crazy man that Joe is playing at the moment. This week he attacked Bashir and proceeded to torture him backstage. Their match lasted all of a few seconds on iMPACT before Joe got disqualified and took him to the back. Wonder who he is going to attack next.

Tag scene got a bit better

After being disappointed by the bogus ending to the tag title match between Team 3D and Beer Money they put it right this week on iMPACT. Now set for Lockdown is a steel cage match between the two in Philadelphia in a winner take all match as Team 3D put their New Japan titles up against Beer Money’s TNA titles.

Bad Points

Angle pushed to the side

Having Sting against Foley as the main event for Lockdown what does it leave for Angle? Angle did a great job on the mic tonight but needs someone to work with as am getting bored of him and Jarrett going at it because it has lost its intensity.

Frontline mess

When speaking about his Legends title win AJ addressed himself as part of the TNA Originals and not The Frontline so it looks like TNA are trying to remove The Frontline from everyone’s memories.

Overall

A quite decent show in all honesty was very entertained but thy need to be careful about the card for Lockdown.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 26th February 2009

After missing what looked like an exciting iMPACT last week i wanted tto get back in to the thick of it as we get closer to the next PPV.

Good Points

Sting takes the lead

TNA did a great job leading the storyline throughout the show of if Sting meant what he said when he said he was all in. Which culminated with a contract signing which saw Angle sign first and then attack Jarrett & Foley until Sting came out and laid Angle out with a bat before signing the contract and throwing it on Angle. Can’t wait to see these guys go at it.

Don West explodes

Don West gave a great promo on Mike Tenay saying how his best friend had screwed him over behind the scenes. It was out of the blue but was an interesting segment getting the commentators involved in a storyline. The only bad point was Mike Tenay’s over the top facial expressions, less is more my friend.

Bad Points

Abyss / Stevie segments not progressing

These segments could be great but they seem to be just fillers at the moment. I think they need to progress Abyss in to in ring action and then have these segments with him reacting to what has been happening to him. Also will be interesting to see what Stevie does after this.

Steiner / Joe needs more time

Iam liking what they are doing here with Joe’s sneak attacks but they need to give it more time instead of just one backstage segment that lasts a few minutes. Need to see these two in more in ring action to build this a bit better and make it mean a bit more.

Overall

I am totally loving what they are doing with Sting and Angle, finally after some mess ups of main events recently we have one i am really looking forward to. There is also enough happening in the undercard to keep me interested so at the moment things seem to be looking up for TNA.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 12th February 2009

After in what was in my opinion one of TNA’s poorest PPV’s to date last weekend I was hoping TNA could get back on track with a good iMPACT.

Good Points

The falling apart of MEM

With the frontline now a distant memory it’s now up to MEM to have inner conflict to create some main event matches. TNA are now doing the old classic of having two big draws Angle who wants to be the leader and Sting the champion getting angry with each other and falling out. This is great as it leaves the potential for a swerve by the MEM or for the members to pick sides in a proper inter faction war.

Solid Card

Besides from the usual TNA dusty finishes the actual card was very strong. We had three strong tag matches featuring, Beer Money, Team 3D, Angle & Sting, Lethal Consequences, MCMG and more. On top of this there was a great women’s match and a strong Steiner / Petey Williams match.

Bad Points

Hardcore History 101 with Mick Foley

This is a new segment where Foley talks about his favourite hardcore matches. This section is pointless as most fans won’t have a clue what he is talking about when he relives old matches and TNA don’t have any rights to his footage to show what he is talking about so it just turns out to be a pointless five minutes.

The Frontline

After what could have been a great faction war which could have run and run The Frontline aren’t even mentioned any more as over night they disappeared. If this was only ever intended to be a short feud they could have at least given it a proper ending and send off.

Overall

The MEM is the only interesting storyline at the moment on the show but it is a great storyline. They just need to invest in proper feuds and storylines down the card.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 18th December 2008

After a good show at iMPACT last week would TNA go back to its usual hit and miss formula of weekly TV programmes or would we see consistency creep in to TNA it is Christmas after all.

Good Points

Good Build for Angle vs. Jarrett

TNA did a good job of pushing this one as Angle went out to the ring to attack Jarrett’s family on the mic to force him to come out to the ring. The heated altercation ended with a nice pull apart and left Jarrett fuming backstage about Foley asking him who’s side he was on after cavorting with the Main Event Mafia over the last few weeks.

X-Division Tournament

The X-Division tournament is providing us with some good wrestling matches and a good storyline for the MCMG as they both try and make the finals and continue to try and prove they are the big guns in TNA.

Suicide

Another nice piece for Suicide this week as he appeared in the ring to fend off Awesome Kong from attacking ODB and Christy Hemme only for the lights to go down and for him or her to vanish. There is a lot thy can do with this character so long may this kind of stuff continue.

Bad Points

Frontline made to look pathetic

It’s the NWO all over again. TNA are pushing MEM too strong every week and not letting The Frontline get one back on them. After not protecting Bubba last week this week The Frontline were helpless but to watch Samoa Joe get a beat down. The booking decisions reek of backstage politics.

Most obvious swerves in history

At the moment TNA are setting up the most obvious swerves in history. I think it is obvious that Mick Foley is befriending the MEM is to turn on them as siding with them is out of his character and I think it is obvious the Team 3D may switch to MEM. I hope it doesn’t go down this way but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does.

Overall

If it wasn’t for Angle and Jarrett the show wouldn’t be worth watching when you have a feud which isn’t involved with the title and the main stable feud stealing the show you have major problems.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 30th October 2008

Due to other commitments I had missed the last couple of iMPACT’s so I was this week trying to get back in to the loop. After TNA’s rating success last week in Las Vegas it was the first night back in the redesigned iMPACT Zone.

Good Points

Stable Wars

Ok so it looks like the old days of WCW when it was the New Blood vs. The Millionaires club but the feud TNA have started between The Main Event Mafia and the yet to be named band of TNA originals and up and coming stars has got me interested. It’s a reverse of the old WCW storyline with the established stars being the heels and the new guys being the faces and I am looking forward to see how it plays out. It’s about time one promotion started proper stables in their storylines.

Push for MCMG

Was good to see MCMG getting a push. For months I have been complaining about how they have been used poorly but this week they got a lot of TV time whilst deciding not join with Samoa Joe and AJ or not.

Foley in Control

Great to see Foley being used in a non wrestling but central role a he is the on screen executive share owner. Will be interesting to see how they will keep Jarrett in the storyline now that Foley seems to be taking the duties that were once Jarrett’s.

Bad Points

Main Event

Made no sense to have Abyss going against Angle considering the storyline at the moment although it did give chance for the run in ending.

Lost in the shuffle

I think TNA needs to be careful how they work this stable wars as it needs to not end up like the NWO did. At the moment there are quite a few guys who no one knows where they fit and are in danger of being lost.

Overall

A great show, not one hundred percent sure of having so many of the WCW old guard in the main storyline but the storyline should be interesting enough to keep the fans intrigued. A lot better than when I last watched iMPACT.

TNA Bound for Glory IV 2008 Review

Bound for Glory is TNA’s version of WrestleMania and has been hyped as such by TNA over the last few weeks so I was expecting the best event of the year.

Good Points

Jarrett back on top form

Jeff Jarrett made an awesome in ring return after nearly two years out of action against Angle. The match was well paced told a great story and although predictable at times Foley’s involvement as Special Enforcer added to a great match. Foley helped Jarrett to the win but it was stressed by the commentators that this was Foley’s only contractual obligation which is obviously just part of the storyline so it will be interesting to see where this goes.

Sting wins the gold

After being pushed to the side in recent months it was great to see Sting win the TNA heavyweight title. In recent weeks TNA have been circulating news that Kevin Nash is out of contract with TNA but that didn’t stop him from costing Samoa Joe the title which makes me think this news is just part of the storyline and now Nash and Sting are going to be the leaders of the established stars vs. the TNA originals.

Great Monsters Ball match

The four way tag team title match was great. Although the ending was weak there were some very memorable moments. We had Abyss going through the flaming tables and then unlike what normally happens when the fire dies on impact Abyss was left rolling around afterward still engulfed in flames, I think something went wrong there but it was memorable to watch. Then we had Hernandez going through a table covered in thumbtacks chest first instead of back first which is how wrestlers normally take that bump.

Bad Points

No Wrestlemania

I thought that the second half of the show was awesome but the first half was quite hard to sit through and no Wrestlemania by any means. When WWE do Wrestlemania it has a distinctly different feel to all other PPV’s whereas although this had some good moments felt no different to any other TNA PPV.

Main Event Booking

When you book a show with such a strong under main event match I think you are asking for trouble. With Jarrett’s return against Angle and with Foley as special enforcer it took the shine off which should have been a night we went home remembering Sting. When you have such a strong match which isn’t for the title you need to put it last or book that match so that it is for the Heavyweight Title.

Overall

Although I didn’t finish the show thinking I had seen the most special event of the year I did think it was a really good event. Lots of scope for storyline development and some memorable matches.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 2nd October 2008

With only two weeks to go until Bound for Glory and with Mick Foley set to make his presence felt in the iMPACT Zone I was looking forward to what TNA had in store this week for us after I missed last week’s episode.

Good Points

Jarrett / Kurt feud

TNA have done orchestrated this perfectly with the help of the UK media especially Simon down at The Sun they have created a great angle. Kurt gave shoot style interviews to The Sun where he claimed he didn’t like TNA and still had respect for Vince at WWE. These comments then got printed and TNA have sewn in to the storyline where Jarrett now takes exception to the comments made about his company and the storyline is coming over as real which makes for entertaining TV.

Foley makes his iMPACT

Ok it wasn’t a great in ring promo that Foley delivered but it got attention and built to the announcement that he was going to be special enforcer for the Angle vs. Jarrett match. Will be interest to see where Foley fits in to this whole new school / old school situation currently going down in TNA.

A new name about to start

TNA produced a really good video teasing the debut of a new character called Suicide who looks really interesting. On the back of it TNA have launched a viral type campaign with a website and everything set up for fans to try and find out who this new guy is.

Bad Points

Samoa Joe pushed to the side

Samoa Joe was left with just a pre-record interview with Tenay and Sting as his involvement this week. Yes Angle vs. Jarrett is huge but it doesn’t mean you completely under sell your title match. I wouldn’t be happy if I was Joe at the moment.

Poor main event

The last match on the card before the final Foley segment was a woman’s tag which featured the Beautiful People vs. ODB and Raka Khan and as the girls aren’t currently in a match at the PPV it made no sense.

Overall

I thought bar the minor exceptions it was a great show and that momentum is starting to build again for TNA.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 18th September 2008

After a pretty good PPV TNA were looking to follow it up with one of their biggest iMPACT’s to date. With lots of storylines developing nicely and a new arrival looming TNA are starting to get that momentum back.

Good Points

Brilliant Jarrett Promo

Jarrett showed the boys how it was done in the final segment as he explained his reasons for his actions as of late letting the world know that he set up TNA to give young guys the breaks they deserve and not to be another WCW. It was heartfelt, emotional and felt real something which a lot of TNA promos and storylines haven’t been.

Cactus Jack makes his presence known in the iMPACT zone

As Angle came down to try and set up a match between himself and Jarrett for Bound for Glory Jarrett turned the tables on Angle by pointing to the video screen where Foley cut a short promo in his Cactus Jack Persona. It is going to be interesting to see how they use him next week on iMPACT.

Abyss and Matt Morgan continue to be pushed

Was great to see these two get good backstage interview time and for the feud with 3D to keep on rolling as the old protagonists interrupted their segment. Matt Morgan is being built as the future of TNA and a good run with Abyss which ends in the tag titles will do him no harm.

Bad Points

Jay Lethal’s promo

A lot of words get bleeped on iMPACT but during Jay Lethal’s promo one was let go. I don’t think wrestling is a place for swear words, I think a more creative mind can deliver a heated promo or a promo that really gets attention without swearing. Also I don’t see the point of just letting one swear word go, if you are going to use that language on a wrestling show either use it often or not at all there is no point in just having one.

Samoa Joe pushed to the side

With Jarrett, Angle, Sting and Mick Foley all getting either more TV time or better TV time than Samoa Joe he has been put in a bad situation. As champion if one maybe two people are pushed above you then you can handle it but when there are four guys above you in the pecking order it has a detrimental affect on your standing and the standing of the title belt.

Overall

Brilliant iMPACT. The focus was given to the right feuds and matches whilst still some attention paid to the lower card. I can’t wait to see what else happens in the run up to Bound for Glory.

TNA No Surrender 2008 Review

After a good PPV last time out I was looking forward to seeing what TNA would deliver on their first PPV outside of the United States. As most of you know it takes a lot for me to get excited about a TNA PPV but here are my thoughts on what went down.

Good Points

Team 3D help build talent

Was great to see Team 3D building the team of Abyss and Matt Morgan. The match had a great tempo and really pushed Abyss and Matt Morgan strong as they came back after every other handed trick in the book by Team 3D and so many false finishes to finally get an impressive victory.

SoCal turns on Lethal

After a terrible storyline it had a really good payoff as SoCal deliberately cost Jay Lethal the match so that Sonjay could win and that she could go off with him. It will be interesting to see what they do with this new heel couple in TNA. Having a Heel couple on a show is always fun for the creative team.

Good X-Division match

The quality of wrestling was phenomenal in this one with some great spots as Bashir won the X-Division title in the backyard of the X-Division champion. Consequences Creed and Petey Williams put in an awesome performance but it will be interesting to see what Bashir does with the title as he has great character skills.

Bad Points

Sting kicking the show off

With Sting hitting the ring to do a long in ring promo to kick the show off made the show feel like a regular weekly TV show. In the promo he then went on to say he would face the winner of the title match at the next PPV. Message to TNA concentrate on the PPV you are doing and not the next one, that was a promo which should have been kept for the iMPACT after the PPV.

Two Women’s matches on one PPV

It shows how much belief that TNA has in this division to put two all female fights on a PPV card when guys like Rhino are just reduced to support roles on the card. ODB and Kong put in some awesome performances but I just wasn’t feeling the Knockouts tonight.

Main event not living up to the hype

I thought that TNA could have done more with the event it just seemed to predictable at times especially when Jarrett came out to nail Angle. Now if TNA hadn’t mentioned Jarrett at all in the build up to the PPV and then have hit Angle with the guitar and then explain his actions on the next iMPACT would have caused interest. As it happened you knew Angle was going to be feuding with Jarrett so wouldn’t win the belt and as they hand’t been doing much with Cage recently he wasn’t going to win the belt so it was another easy predictable win for Samoa Joe.

Overall

A couple of solid matches, nothing to jump up and down about. I think the next PPV should be a lot better though with some good storyline movement in this show which sets us up nicely.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 11th September 2008

With only three days to go to No Surrender Thursday’s iMPACT was going to be an important one to hype the PPV. What finishing touches would the TNA creative team but on storylines and would Jarrett finally show his face in the iMPACT Zone.

Good Points

Push for Matt Morgan and Abyss

Was great to see these two getting pushed and a good feud developing between them and Angle / Booker T. They also have another feud in the making now as Team 3D interfered in their main event match against Angle and Booker T.

Push for the Beautiful People

I think these two are great characters and it is good to see them involved in so many segments. Although TNA need to be careful not to give them too much time over the big title feuds.

Jarrett’s back

Ok he only made it to the ramp but it was great to see him back on the show and it was a nice teaser to see if he would be involved at No Surrender.

Bad Points

Little Wrestling

There was very little wrestling on tonight’s show with most of the matches either being thrown out or very short squash matches. Storylines are more important than wrestling in the last show before a PPV but that still means you have to have some wrestling.

Terrible Promos

The promos which should have been long and delivered didn’t. Samoa Joe opened up the show with a very short promo which was then greeted by Sting coming out and stumbling over an unconvincing promo. This was added to by a rushed last segment of the show between Samoa Joe and Sting. They weren’t the only culprits though as Nash joined the stumbling over his words club.

Overall

For a show before a PPV I thought it was pure awful. A lot of the guys appearing at the PPV weren’t even on the show and those that were made a hash of developing their storylines.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 4th September 2008

After an average episode of iMPACT last week I was hoping for something good this week but I am not sure if TNA would deliver.

Good Points

Old School / New School set in motion

After this week’s episode of iMPACT it looks like it’s going to be Sting, Angle and Booker representing the old school and Cage, AJ Styles and Jarrett representing the new school. We are still yet to see Jarrett but Angle is starting to reference him in promos and his music is constantly hitting to unnerve Sting, Angle and Booker T.

Abyss being positioned under the main event

Now we knew that Abyss wouldn’t be getting main event status in TNA but it looks like they are building a feud involving him and Matt Morgan against Team 3D which could be interesting. The only problem is that with all this talent used up in two storylines it is really highlighting the weakness of the rest of the roster.

Bad Points

Top guys not delivering on the mic

I am usually a fan of Angle and Booker promos but the fifteen minutes they were given on the mic to kick the show off just seemed to drag and put the audience in a sleeperhold. Added to this we have Sting’s promos which aren’t working as after being positioned as a heel by taking a strip off fan favourites Samoa Joe and AJ Styles the fans are still cheering him.

Not enough wrestling

Yes I know I say that your weekly show isn’t about wrestling but building storylines and entertainment you still have to have some wrestling as on a two hour wrestling show to go the first forty minutes with only one quick throwaway match is terrible. Wrestling matches need to be used on TV to build storylines you can’t just build matches with promos.

Overall

TNA should be at it’s hottest right now with Samoa Joe as champ and the return of Sting and Jarrett but instead these last couple of shows have been the least entertaining for me in some time.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 14th August 2008

After an ok Hard Justice I was looking forward to iMPACT as the event had left some questions to be answered and some doors wide open which should be what a PPV tries to do.

Good Points

Jarrett on his way back

The show was all about teasing the return of Jarrett with Samoa Joe teasing it in the opening interview of the show and then by at the end having the lights go out, Jarrett’s music hitting and AJ having a guitar in hand. They really need to finish the Sting storyline properly first but at least it is keeping things interesting.

Nice reference to the Olympics

Was good to see TNA linking in to the Olympics with Angle doing an interview about his success at the Olympics and then putting his Gold Medal o the line in an Olympic wrestling style challenge against AJ for the main event.

Push for Matt Morgan

After being left out of the PPV Matt Morgan got his biggest push to date as after a promo in which he referred to himself as a the Blueprint and after a win over Jonny Divine, Abyss came down to the ring and when it looked like Abyss was going to take Morgan out he just shook his hand as both stood and posed for the cameras. This new partnership could be a force to be reckoned with in TNA.

Bad Points

No Sting

Even though we had another blackout moment with his music we could have really done with a Sting promo to explain his actions at Hard Justice. The only thing I can think is maybe Sting, Jarrett and Nash are going to be forming a faction at some point and takeover TNA as Nash says he hasn’t told Joe everything and now Sting and Jarrett are doing similar things with blackouts and having their music play.

Segment arrangement

Yet again I witnessed three back to back backstage interviews. Like I keep on saying this stuff should take precedent in a weekly TV show but it doesn’t mean you have three like segments bunched together.

Overall

Highly enjoyable if not a bit rough round the edges. TNA needs to be very careful how it builds the main storylines as it could very easily become quite confusing.

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 7th August 2008

After a disappointing TNA last week in terms of setting up Hard Justice I hoped that this week would be a more focused edition of iMPACT and that the right feuds would be developed. The show was good last week but this week’s episode isn’t about being a good wrestling show it’s about selling the PPV.

Good Points

Jay Lethal / SoCal Val / Sonjay Dutt storyline developing nicely

The TNA creative team did a good job with this one as they developed the feud nicely for a Hard Justice. Just as we thought Sonjay was going to be rumbled for stealing the wedding ring, Sonjay managed to worm his way out of the situation and back in to the affections of Val. Looking forward to seeing what the outcome is or if there will be another twist this Sunday.

Karen’s Angle turning in to Jerry Springer

They are using Karen’s Angle well now as they have taken it away from the shoot style interview it started like when it first aired. Now it’s more like Jerry Springer which fits perfectly on a wrestling show as Karen’s guests get out of control.

Liking the new start style.

On WWE they usually start with the announcers sat behind the desk promoting what was going to be happening but now TNA have a new style which they should keep to. The style is to have Mike Tenay in the ring with a mic and his broadcast colleagues like Jeremy Borash out in the crowd giving their opinions which I think is better than having them behind a desk.

Bad Points

Stuff that shouldn’t be on a wrestling show

Team 3D’s backstage interview with Beer Money had no place on a wrestling show. In a world where we are looking even more closely at how media with a large male following portrays women this segment had me reaching for the remote to change channel. The interview consisted of Brother Ray making sexual comments about the female interviewer and then trying to pull at her top. There wasn’t any need for Brother Ray to do this as he is already one of the top heel in the promotion and the creative team should be ashamed of themselves.

Too many backstage interviews

At one point I counted three backstage interviews in a row. Now I agree that the spotlight shouldn’t be on actual wrestling matches on a TV show but you have to keep the show moving and keeping it fresh. Having three backstage interviews in a row was overkill.

Poor storyline development

Again TNA need to learn how to sell a PPV today on iMPACT not all feuds were featured and then those that were most were just featured in the last twenty minutes so if you missed that you wouldn’t have a clue about Hard Justice. In the last twenty minutes the main event was a gauntlet match featuring many different feuds which really did nothing to further any of them as it was just a mess.

Overall

TNA has the potential to be great but until thy learn how to sell PPV’s properly they are just going to keep going round in circles.

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 24th July 2008

With some interesting storylines hotting up in TNA at the momen and with Kurt and Joe both having more TV time I was looking forward to shee what they were going o do this week on iMPACT.

Good Points

Great storyline build for Booker T and Samoa Joe

The show started and ended with these two in the ring which was great to see. The match in place for Hard Justice sounds great as we get ready for full metal mayhem inside the six sides of steel. Having Sting’s music hit and then for Samoa Joe to be laid out when the lights came back up has added intrigue to the feud although I believe this wasn’t Sting but a staged set up to make it look like Sting.

Push for Matt Morgan

Great to see Matt’s continuing push and put in a position where he can show off his size and ability. I have him down as a main eventer in 2009 so watch this space. I still believe if handled right he has potential.

New segment

Great new segment called Karen’s Angle, much like the rough cuts segment, very distinguishable as a shoot section of the show rather than a storyline section. Look forward to seeing next week’s part 2 of her interview with Kaz.

Bad Points

Giving away PPV style matches

This week we had a five table elimination match featuring the team of 3D and Angle vs. Christian, Rhino and AJ as well as a strap match between Beer Money and Motor City Machine Guns. Stipulation matches like this should be saved for PPV.

After Thoughts

Sometimes it is best not to feature something than to just throw something non noteworthy in. This was the case for the Sonjay Dutt / Lethal / Val storyline as they put in a few minutes of Sonjay in hospital which looked like a last minute idea to keep something from the storyline in the episode.

Overall

Great episode, lots of video segments lots of focus on the main storyline, can’t ask for anymore than that really.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 17th July 2008

After a terrible Victory Road I was interested to see how TNA were going to turn things round. TNA are erratic at the moment they aren’t consistently good and they aren’t consistently bad so here’ hoping this was going to be a good week.

Good Points

Great Booker T / Samoa Joe Promos

After a duff main event at Victory Road these guys really pulled out all the stops tonight. Great in ring and backstage promos throughout with a brilliant ending. Again no in ring action for Joe but he made up for it on the mic.

Unpredictability

I know it’s my favourite word but TNA had it in spades tonight as first three men get out a limo with Sting masks who we later find out to be Kurt Angle and Team 3-D then we have Beer Money going around beating on anyone fans, production crew and visitors to Universal. All really good stuff very reminiscent of NWO days.

Push for Matt Morgan

There was a great push for Morgan as he beat both members of the Rock and Rave Infection. Next they just need to give a one on one feud for a PPV and see from there.

Bad Points

No Sting

After his actions at Victory Road I personally would have started the show with him but to not have him on the show at all is criminal. I know TNA have to use him sparingly but it just seems to be the case that TNA are doing that with too many guys at the moment like Abyss, Angle, Joe etc.

Lack of consistency

After not doing much for a while Eric Young was thrust back on to our screens and after not being on the PPV Consequences Creed was in the main event on iMPACT. Yes you can’t highlight all your roster at the same time but when your not highlighting someone you need to keep them around and involved so when you want to push them back in to the spotlight the crowds aren’t scratching their heads to think of the last time they did something.

Overall

On millions time better than the PPV and it was free. The backstage, segments, promos and in ring mic time really stole the show tonight which it should on a TV show. After feeling gloomy about TNA I finally see light again but saying that next week I could be back in gloom again.

TNA Victory Road 2008 Review

After a decent Slammiversary but a not so good last couple of weeks on impact I wasn’t sure going in to this PPV whether I was going to like it or not but still hoped TNA would pull something out of the bag.

Good Points

12 Man World X-Cup match

Match of the night by far this one but by having it on first and having it go for over half an hour it then meant nothing else on the card could compete with it. Would have made sense to have this further down the card. Will be watching this match again though, great action for the wrestling fan which is what a PPV should be about.

Push for Taylor Wilde

Just as the Knockouts division was getting stale in comes Taylor Wilde who out of nowhere wins the title on impact and then makes a successful defence against Awesome Kong on Victory Road. If this wasn’t enough it was Abyss who came down to save her from a beat down after the match.

Bad Points

Terrible ending

The ending to Victory Road is an ending which should be saved for TV. I won’t spoil it but if I had paid to watch it on PPV I would have felt ripped off as the creative team copped out. The first match of the night was what a PPV should be about the last match of the night was what a PPV shouldn’t be about. The ending just smacked of backstage politics.

Poor lighting and shot choice

Whenever TNA go outside of the Impact Zone they really struggle with lighting andcamera shots. I lost count of the time there was a camera or crane in shot. The lighting looked like an 80s style WWF with only the first few rows of the crowd visible and the rest of the arena in darkness. This was all capped with the ruining of the Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt match as every two seconds they had put the camera on Val which meant you couldn’t follow what was happening in the ring.

Ultimate bore

TNA have done everything they can with Ultimate X and should give it a rest now. Besides the odd new bump we have seen it all before. They should have just had one world cup match and left it at the twelve man and not have Ultimate X.

Overall

A shambles, if I had paid to see that I would have been ringing up and asking for a refund. It’s shows like this that show how far TNA still has to come and if backstage politics is already starting to play a part in this stage of the companies development it doesn’t look that hopeful for the future.

TNA iMPACT Review - Thursday 10th July 2008

With WWE starting to get interesting again and with Victory Road just round the corner it was important that TNA hit a home run tonight.

Good Points

Unpredictability

TNA took a leaf out of WWE’s book this week with a wild start to show as we immediately cut live to a parking lot brawl between Roode and Homicide which eventually got in to the ring and lead Sting to appear from the rafters. I’m not normally a fan of promotions copying each other but in this case I make a rare exception.

A chance to see Doug Williams

Finally there is a reason for the World X Cup as we got to see Doug Williams on iMPACT in an impressive win putting points on the board for Team International. Can’t wait to see more of Doug in TNA.

Bad Points

Lack of build for the main event

The Samoa Joe vs. Booker T main event for Victory Road has been the worst built main event in Pay Per View history. I think Samoa Joe and Booker T have probably had a combined total of ten minutes of in ring action since the last pay per view. Then tonight they are given five minutes of mic time in the ring before Sting interrupts. Throwing Sting in to the mix last minute and not having this be the last part of the show is terrible. Two things you need to do with a main event. Push it above everything else and don’t change it at last minute, it’s not rocket science.

Mess of a six man

After some great weeks of build for the six man tag at Victory Road it all went for nothing this week as like the main event TNA cocked it up as well. Putting Angle and AJ in with the girls who are having a separate match and to not have any mic time for Bubba is criminal.

Overall

This week’s iMPACT made me glad I don’t have to pay for TNA PPV’s. With the stupid build they have done this could be TNA’s lowest buyrate in some time.