Last night I settled down to watch TNA "iMPACT!", hoping to see a better wrestling-related product than I had seen the past two nights. I'll get to TNA in a moment, but first I wanna critique what I saw Tuesday and Wednesday night.John Cena's Subway commercial. I saw this for the first time Wednesday night, and thought that, much like everything else John Cena does, it was thoroughly unoriginal (didn't Strahan make the exact same commercial?) and completely unentertaining.
Doesn't anyone understand how badly a vast majority of wrestling fans hate this guy? I miss Lil' Jon's commercial; I could watch that one thousands of times and never get tired of it.
As for ECW Tuesday night; it seems that coverage of that particular brand has discontinued on Tha O Show. I can't imagine why. The episode I watched was thoroughly horrible from top to bottom. Brad Armstrong was brutal on commentary, as was the interview with Vladimir Koslov.
I had high hopes for the main event; I believed they were gonna shove the ECW belt on Rob Van Dam to keep him from going to TNA. It seems as if Vince thinks it's a worthless belt anyway so why not shove it on someone if it keeps them away from the competition?
Getting back to my original point, the match brutally underdelievered, and the ending was the most craptacular finish ever. Bobby Lashley botched that spot so badly that it was obvious that neither of them were knocked out.I wish Vince would just bury ECW already instead of making it a burying ground for wasted talent and a way of keeping talent away from TNA. CM Punk could make a killing if he went back there. One of the main reasons he left TNA the first time was because he felt he didn't get over as a heel. He's over like nobody's business now, so that's not really a problem anymore.
As for TNA, they put together a very solid "iMPACT!" last night, and for a show that still has a hard time figuring out how to move from segment to segment, they did a halfway decent job. It could have been a lot better, but it also could have been a lot worse. Bobby Roode really does seem to be getting buried lately, but they may just be doing this for a little while and then suddenly push him like crazy after a face wins the title. We can only hope. Either way, Eric Young needs tobe used in a better storyline.
The PCS and the X Division are continuing to impress me; I loved watching Nash sing church hymns during a game of musical chairs. He uses such a twisted sense of humor that you can't help but laugh. Also, I equally love having the title on Christopher Daniels. He's pretty good on the stick, and he's got great in-ring skills. I would like to see him in the NWA title hunt sometime in the near future.
Picture this: Daniels VS. Styles VS. Angle VS. Joe VS. Cage in King of the Mountain at Slammiversary next June. Can you say "buy rates"?
I also like the fact that after so many feuds have featured the lame spot where one guy jumps the other and security has to continually break them up, they finally just let the guys go at it instead for at least a little while. I would have liked to have seen the Angle/Cage match be a little longer, but the brawl waspretty entertaining.
It's just a shame that they have to give "iMPACT!" that lousy ending with Sting rushing the ring.
Lastly, I am going to be the first, and most likely the only one to give some love to the VKM gimmick. The skit tonight was ridiculous, but it was more ridiculous because of the fact that Voodoo Kin Mafia won the battle. TNA decided to call out McMahon and the fortitude that he loves to brag about, and he backed right down. That's right, the man who loves controversy decided to tuck his tail and run instead of facing TNA head on.
In all honesty, Paul Levesque and Michael Hickenbottom probably would have won a straight-up fight anyway, so it was probably for the best that it got resolved the way it did. The timing is too close to say that McMahon suddenly just decided to suddenly get rid of the humor that DX is famous for without any other rhyme or reason. Perhaps VKM could become the mouthpiece of smarks everywhere. Hey, BG, don't you hate ECW?
It seems that TNA is slowly starting to get towards the payoffs on angles they kept building up over a long time. They didn't do that in the past (the infamous "tape" storyline), and I believe that doing that will be a huge key to their success. I may seem like a mark every week when I praise TNA, but it's because they are learning how to do more and more things right as they go along.
5 comments: on "The Hitlist: TNA, ECW & Subway"
VKM should buy tickets to front row of Raw and take signs. That's a good way to spend your $ instead of giving them a mil. And I think in a REAL FIGHT James and James would kick the shit out of them. Hunter is a juicebag he's nto strong and HBK is an awesome wrestler but he's not tough, and not a fighter. Kip James is stronger than both and never bet against an Armstrong in a fight.
I'm boycotting Subway. From now on it's Quizno's and Mr. Sub.
The Cena hate continues...
Vince isn't ignoring TNA, did you hear Michaels promo Monday? Do you remember ECW ONS this year, when Angle challenged anyone from any ring be it 4-6-8 sides? Vince knows TNA is there and we know he knows.
In what way is Michaels and H bologna, I know they aren't worth 2 squirts now, but I wouldn't go that far. I'm kidding, but I wouldn't go that far on the comparrison. Nobody said the in-house audience is as smarky as ROH's, but booing Shawn Michaels doesn't discredit your fanism if thats a word. Shawns done some some shitty shit over the years, and admits it.
About the SUBWAY thing, the WWE tries to push Cena down our throats and it continues with this. I'm guessing if you give Jarred or Jared 8 weeks of training on wrestling moves, he could out-WRESTLE Cena.
Also, just because Russo is in TNA now, that doesn't make your analogy correct. TNA is 10X better than WCW thought about being after January 4 or 5 1999. True ROH is the new old NWA, but TNA doesn't want to go that route, and they admit it. They want to be an alternative. Listen to Showtimes interview with Tha show.
And as far as VKM being the measuring thing for all things that suck in wrestling, I gotta disagree. The measuring stick for all things that suck in wrestling are WWE's 3 brand champions.
No, there are a lot of people who like Cena, I'm not one of them though, but I don't hold it against people that do. Alot of my friends do, and YES he is good for business.
I love Shawn Michaels and mark out for him big, don't misread what I'm saying on that. I bought his book, and have 2 copies, and respect him 10x for admitting the places he screwed up.
Also yeah the VKM thing is, eh, but Brian James is probably one of the most entertaining guys in wrestling, and I think they can make this work. I dont pop for it, but I don't turn the channel either. I like the segments, but a few of em have been dumb as shit. This weeks was supposed to be, and thats what made it good, but the one at the PPV, that one was the best one.
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