Who Books This Stuff?

Last night's latest pay-per-view offering from TNA is leaving many shaking their heads. As Donnie alluded to in the prior column, Abyss was made to look like a total jobber in his match. Not only is his character cheapened, but the NWA title is greatly devalued by having your champion lose in such a fashion.

The Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle program is officially over and has been nothing short of a complete failure. I can not remember a feud that was so anticipated only to be booked into oblivion. They are arguably the two most important stars in TNA and their feud was ridiculously saturated with inconsistint booking and a trilogy of matches that should have spanned eight months. The flip-flopping of heel and face has left fans frustrated and confused as to where each man's respective character is heading.

TNA has already announced that Kurt Angle will face the new NWA Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage at next month's pay-per-view. Is that really the direction to go? That main event doesn't sound the least bit intriguing. Kurt Angle can now add himself to the list of stars that includes Scott Steiner, Goldberg, Ric Flair, Bret Hart and Billy Kidman as the men that Vince Russo has failed miserably at booking.

Kurt Angle went from a strong babyface in his debut to giving the ankle lock to a woman and being positioned as a maniac heel. He is now, once again, a babyface being booked against the heel champ Christian Cage. This has all been in the span of two months. Joe has been booked with the same horrendous lack of attention to detail. Now Joe can join Rhino and AJ Styles as the most talented guys in the company spinning their wheels in the curtain jerk match.

Why we have not seen the "Legend versus Legend" match between Kurt Angle and Sting is beyond me. The battle of two legends from different eras would spark come serious curiosity. Unfortunately, "the powers that be" seem to think Sting is better served programmed against Abyss. The same Abyss who won his title via disqualification and lost it in five minutes.

Is this the company that complains about not having any television time? Because I swear, I have yet to figure out what purpose the VKM skits have on television. Two mid-carders who are eight years past their peak challenging two men who won't show up is the epitome of meaningless television. I guess VKM is now being booked against Christy Hemme in what is sure to be a huge box office draw.

Where the hell was Robert Roode last night?

In this era of monthly pay-per-views and weekly television where writers feel the need to give away major matches, guys are being thrown together for no reason and expected to draw. Characters and storylines have zero consistency, pushes are dropped, and potentially great feuds are squandered.

If this is TNA at its finest, then there's a lot of people in Orlando in serious trouble of going hungry. Not since the dying days of WCW has their been a wrestling promotion with as little foresight and creativity as TNA right now. What bothers me the most is that this is the company with so many great minds behind the scenes. Raven, Scott D'amore, Jim Cornette and Terry Taylor are among the best in the business and yet TNA is subjecting fans to events like the one we saw last night.

Who books this stuff? Certainly not a wrestling fan.

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