TNA SuperThread SPOILERS

[Big Pete]

Had a hankering for Impact Wrestling and filled it by catching the last two episodes.

A few thoughts...

- Really hope they do something different with the Emo AJ storyline. Right now, it feels too Sting circa WCW for my taste.

- Why are they pushing Tiffany?

- They really need to decide what to do with Rob Terry & Robbie E. I honestly think both guys should be cut loose unless TNA can find some way to bring Robbie E out of 2009.

- Tag scene is solid. Shame the babyface champions are such wet blankets. I don't mind Super Mex so much, but why not replace Chavo with Homicide?

- Why are they pushing Velvet? Great entrance but she's virtually just a hot chick who used to have a 'good gimmick'. She isn't much of a wrestler.

- I'm over the authority figure being at war with a wrestler. How about they promote their active talent into those slots?

- Don't really have a problem with Bully/Sting kayfabe wise. Makes sense, just wish Sting would retire soon. Unlike Taker, he performs like he's an old man and it's sad to watch.

- Nice to see Sabin return and the hype packages. Don't think he should be propelled straight into an X Division shot but it's a minor complaint.

- Battle of the Eurocontinental Champions was okay by me. Angle gets one over Aces and 8s and the stable gets to establish how ruthless they are next week. Not bad.

Arm-Chair Booking

Needs more mid-card wrestling, more tag teams, more X-Div and better Knockouts. Less Hogan too and they need to move on from Aces and 8s by this year.

 

[Iafeta]

Had a hankering for Impact Wrestling and filled it by catching the last two episodes.

A few thoughts...

- Really hope they do something different with the Emo AJ storyline. Right now, it feels too Sting circa WCW for my taste.

Its Sting-ish. With some differences. No rafter like drops, and Sting was entertaining without wrestling, AJ is wrestling. Its a free agent type story, with a guy who is perhaps in a slightly Raven persona, in that he's a loner doing his own thing without the care to have regard elsewhere. I think its a smart way to use AJ.

- Why are they pushing Tiffany?

Good looking but does nothing for me as an active wrestler. I suppose she was too hot to remain a ref.

- They really need to decide what to do with Rob Terry & Robbie E. I honestly think both guys should be cut loose unless TNA can find some way to bring Robbie E out of 2009.

They've at least broken Rob E and Rob Terry apart. Terry's a daunting presence, Rob E though unfortunately I think is going to struggle from a gimmick that while entertaining is going to struggle to move him anywhere forward. Sort of like Disco Inferno in WCW. He'd either need time away to change his gimmick, or a change in promotion. I think they have some plans for Terry.

- Tag scene is solid. Shame the babyface champions are such wet blankets. I don't mind Super Mex so much, but why not replace Chavo with Homicide?

They spent a fair bit of time in Texas recently, I wonder whether the likes of Chavo are trying to be used as hooks into the Mex-Tex scene?

- Why are they pushing Velvet? Great entrance but she's virtually just a hot chick who used to have a 'good gimmick'. She isn't much of a wrestler.

No question, I would bone her. And she would I'm sure be quite thrilled that I would. I don't mind Velvet. Don't know about her as a face though. Velvet worked best for me as a heel in the Beautiful People. I guess as a heel maybe she's associated as the heel fodder she was in the Beautiful People. TBF though, I'm glad she's on my screen.

- I'm over the authority figure being at war with a wrestler. How about they promote their active talent into those slots?

Common wrestling practice I guess. Hogan even at this point in his career still sells, whether it be tickets or merchandise. As far as why, hopefully it builds to Matt Morgan getting a good push, that guy is a great physical presence, and his persona at the moment is fantastic IMO. With Bully Ray, why not? Its selling, big time. Bully Ray is being set up as the uber heel. Its been super awesome.

- Don't really have a problem with Bully/Sting kayfabe wise. Makes sense, just wish Sting would retire soon. Unlike Taker, he performs like he's an old man and it's sad to watch.

TBF, he doesn't really perform so much these days. He's more involved in tag matches that build a swerve or a turn, and is obviously someone who draws a certain demographic still. He's got that legacy to him. On most occasions I see him he's more or less furthering a key story, rather than getting a key win. I'm down with that.

- Nice to see Sabin return and the hype packages. Don't think he should be propelled straight into an X Division shot but it's a minor complaint.

Thrilled he's coming back. Would love for Alex Shelley to return to TNA. If you want a 'face' tag team, MCMG to me is where its at.

- Battle of the Eurocontinental Champions was okay by me. Angle gets one over Aces and 8s and the stable gets to establish how ruthless they are next week. Not bad.

Also happy with this angle (excuse the pun). Its given the bottom end of A&E something logical to do, and hopefully helps develop them and put them over. Angle's a good guy for the likes of Bischoff and Brisco to put up against at the moment.

Arm-Chair Booking

Needs more mid-card wrestling, more tag teams, more X-Div and better Knockouts. Less Hogan too and they need to move on from Aces and 8s by this year.

I think A&E is a lot better positioned than say the NWO to be phased out by the end of the year. NWO was sold as its own separate institution, almost a breakaway rebellion, A&E is more or less intent on domination, not takeover.

There's probably a couple of things that cause me concern with TNA:

- The ruling that the threeway X Division match, the loser is out of the title picture. You could go from champ one second, and through a schoolboy roll out be out of the picture altogether.

- I like the likes of Joey Ryan. Cool character. But he's been booked as a pure jobber, which I'm not down with. They are potentially setting him up for Robbie E situation.

- It'd be interesting if Aries/Roode go at Daniels/Kazarian, as both teams are over. My problem is they're both heel teams. Heels v heels don't work, the basic premise is you have to have someone to cheer for.

- I think they need to get Matt Morgan in the ring a bit more, and dominating.

- I'm not sure why they're still disregarding Samoa Joe as much as they are. They need to feed him some opponents for a while, and build him up as the legitimate threat that he should be.

- Brooke Hogan ... yuck. Horror show face. Get her off my screen.

- It'd be good for a lower-midcard underdog face get an upset win off say Devon to move the TV title situation along. At the moment its stalled on Devon's shoulders. Devon doesn't need the belt right now.

 

[Big Pete]

I think its a smart way to use AJ.

The rogue persona could work, turning AJ into a self-centred emo just doesn't.

I wonder whether the likes of Chavo are trying to be used as hooks into the Mex-Tex scene?

Perhaps but surely they could find somebody better than Chavo. TNA has or at least had a working relationship with AAA. Wouldn't calling up some of their talent to work the odd 3 month program work? I just don't think Chavo carries that much appeal, especially after he was jobbed out to Hornswaggle repeatedly on Raw.

As far as why, hopefully it builds to Matt Morgan getting a good push, that guy is a great physical presence, and his persona at the moment is fantastic IMO

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I used to drink the Jim Cornette kool-aid and believe Matt Morgan could be a real superstar in wrestling but the guy just doesn't have 'it'. How many times have TNA tried to push the guy only for him to disappoint them with lousy promos & mediocre matches?

I don't know how you build a career out of being an anti-Hogan character.

Besides, given AJ's new finisher is called the 'calf-killer' it's pretty obvious to see who's going to take the big gold belt off of Bully.

TBF, he doesn't really perform so much these days. He's more involved in tag matches that build a swerve or a turn, and is obviously someone who draws a certain demographic still. He's got that legacy to him. On most occasions I see him he's more or less furthering a key story, rather than getting a key win. I'm down with that.

I don't have a problem with him performing at this stage and it's a good 'in-between' angle that has some build up but as a performer Sting really needs to call it quits soon.

Wrestling in general needs to let go of the 'legends' crutch, but TNA especially. How long has TNA been on this 'legends' run for? 7 years? He's becoming the new Terry Funk, except Terry was a much better performer.

 

[Iafeta]

Disagree on the Funk/Sting comparison. Terry bumped like a madman at the end (like he always did), but the pure wrestling stamina that he had as a younger man which made him a genuine NWA championship contender was so far past it when he was wrestling at the end in WCW. The bloke looked a hip replacement dude who was seriously struggling. Sting looks like a vet who wrestles infrequently and is used before you can build 'overness' on him by associating him with those coming up. To me he's an effective gate keeper to the main event. Sting as a performer in 2013 v Funk as a performer in say '99 is no comparison for me, Sting looks like he can quarter-go, Funk looked like an old man with a metal hip.

 

[Big Pete]

Funk was considered a legend long before 99, you could go as far back as 89 really. Still, I'd take his 6-Man Tag from ECW ONS II over anything Sting has produced in TNA.

 

[Iafeta]

I didn't really see much of ECW, so I can't comment. Its interesting with Sting, TBF I thought he was showing signs of being past it in 2001. How sad was it that both him and Ric Flair wrestled on the last show in t-shirts, almost scared of their physique.

Funk was still good in '89. At that point he was hanging around the NWA main event scene with Flair and Steamboat. It was a very underrated period in NWA history.

 

[Misanthrope]

I'd buy Sting's gatekeeper role if he was putting guys over rather than being the focus of shows.

 

[Iafeta]

I haven't seen this week's episode yet, but last week he wasn't the focus. It was A&E taking everyone out really. He seems to have barely been on Impact lately.

 

[Misanthrope]

I haven't seen this week's episode yet, but last week he wasn't the focus. It was A&E taking everyone out really. He seems to have barely been on Impact lately.

So he could come back and play the returning hero.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

I have no problem with Sting still wrestling, but he should not be chasing the TNA World Title. Roode and Aries should be up there instead of Sting, though it is a concern that TNA cannot build top babyfaces and rely on guys like Sting.

 

[Big Pete]

At that point he was hanging around the NWA main event scene with Flair and Steamboat. It was a very underrated period in NWA history.

Great period for WCW but don't know about it being underrated - that Flair/Steamboat program is regarded as a golden program. In fact, it was basically considered a golden program as it was happening.

'92 was the real underrated era. Due to Foley it was perceived as the era of 'We Want Flair' but due to the amount of quality talent there was still plenty of good wrestling on show. Forget about your Michaels, Harts, Diesels & Razors - WCW had the true New Generation.

If you want to make Bully Ray a true heat magnet, have him retire Sting. Now that's impact.

 

[Iafeta]

I saw only the first part of this week's Impact (will watch the rest later), but inferring what you boys are saying, I'd find it cringe worthy if Sting went over Morgan. That said, BP, your last comment, that would be excellent. It'd be brilliant for Bully Ray, and it'd therefore be excellent then for the guy who eventually goes over him.

 

[Big Pete]

Meltzer on his radio show was discussing TNA on the back of Impact drawing it's lowest rating of the year and second lowest of the past 52 weeks.

I thought he made a good point.

There isn't any upside to having the likes of Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy & Magnus laid out only for Sting & Hogan to save the day. While Hogan & Sting are always going to get the biggest pop on the road due to their novelty, it doesn't do anything for ratings, house show attendances or PPV buyrates and that they would be better off making a star like Austin Aries the focal point.

 

[Misanthrope]

I think TNA being on the road will help their product greatly. They'll be able to get a better gauge for his is over and book accordingly. The Orlando atmosphere - while a lot of fun - is torn between fans getting themselves over and fans who have been completely indoctrinated by the existing product.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Under no circumstance is it okay for a 60+ year old Hulk Hogan to beat up your World Champion.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

I don't know how you build a career out of being an anti-Hogan character.

They had a genuine anti-authority character who could wrestle the TNA style, as well as work with bigger guys and a decent mat product too, and they let him go.

...

Homicide.

Also, why Low Ki isn't there baffles me.

 

[Big Pete]

Low Ki probably wants more money than he's worth.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

Or he burnt bridges when he left the last time...when Kurt Angle was the champions...member?

 

[Big Pete]

Yes.

Realistically, TNA should bring him in as the guy who works every now and then for two months. Let him work the undercard on a big show like Slammiversary or Bound For Glory.

Look at bringing in Rich Swann, Ricochet & AR Fox too.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

I think Sonjay Dutt is filling that role very well at the moment. Skilled vet that can put TNA contracted talent over. Might see more of Petey Williams too.