One of TNA's most obvious criticisms, as I said last week, is that the show is so fragmented. Wrestlers will have three or four segments in one night where they could have probably done everything in one. By itself, it doesn't make the show bad, but it does make it harder at times for a wrestling fan, especially casual wrestling fans, to watch and follow the entire show for two hours.However, TNA is still on the upswing, and I once again found myself enjoying the product. The wrestling is what brought TNA this far, and it's what they need to focus on if they want to grow.
AJ Styles and Consequences Creed opened up the show with a match. To me, this is good use of AJ on free TV. Creed is a good young worker, so AJ's not simply carrying a tomato can through a squash, but at the same time, Creed is not a main eventer, so there's not the feel like TNA just gave away a possible pay-per-view match for free.
Now, the Kurt Angle/AJ Styles feud is a great one, and I think it's one that can put AJ back as a top contender in the company. However, the use of Frank Trigg and Karen Angle is pointless, and, quite frankly, irritating. These two guys are two of the best workers in TNA, there is no reason that their storyline has to be so laden with poorly written soap opera drama.
Christian Cage being put through a glass table is the best spot I've seen Team 3D perform in quite some time. They still seem like such a different team from when they were in the E, but I guess I'm being nitpicky there. The match between Christian Cage and Brother Ray was good, and I expect the ultimate payoff match of Cage/Rhino vs. Team 3D to be another solid match.
I don't think I can praise World X Cup enough. Team Mexico and Team Japan squared off in tag team action this week. Usually I only use YouTube to find archived Colin Cowherd clips, which means that TNA's X Cup is the only means through which I can see them. For that, I loudly applaud TNA, because they did their homework when it came to scouting the talent to use.
The Knockout Division lived up to its name last night, as ODB squared off against newcomer Moose. So we've got a girl wrestling as One Dirty Bitch, and another wrestling as Moose. Can anyone else see this becoming a fucking awesome feud with these two women just beating the shit out of each other? Well, that's exactly what they did last night, folks. Hopefully Moose stays around for a while, because I like what I see in the ring.
This match (with the mark out-able title of "Bimbo Brawl") was the only match that felt like TNA was giving away a lot for free, but you know that with how red hot this division is, any pay-per-view match between these two would still manage to be better by a mile.
Finally, the main event pitted Kevin Nash against Booker T. The Nash/Joe angle had better have a payoff soon, or this will go into the category of "TNA did it because they like having friends argue for months". I've many times documented how often they do that, but now I'm getting a bit tangential.
The match was decent enough. Any match with Kevin Nash in it certainly isn't giving away too much for free, and Joe inadvertantly costing Nash the match will hopefully help lead to a turn by one of these two very soon. I could even forsee Nash turning on Joe at Victory Road. Not that I want to forecast; it's really more wishful thinking.
Maybe it's just me, but "iMPACT!" has put out a very respectable product over the past few weeks. I want to see this trend continue, because with how bad WWE has been lately, it's always good to have an alternative that actually delivers wrestling.
3 comments: on "Tha "iMPACT!" Dispatch"
As a big fan of tna (I watch it more frequently than I watch any wwe product) I really enjoyed the show. I only had two small problems with it. Did anyone else notice that when the doctors came out to help Christian the towels had blood on them even before it got to Christian. That was a sick spot he took from the table, but was clear that his back wasn't as bloody as the towel made it seem.
My only other problem I had with the show was the no-sell job Moose did after getting a shovel to the face. I've seen that knock the Undertaker out (in many of his buried alive matched), and Moose took it and wanted more.
Ok, other than that, I thought it was a well planned show. Oh and I O'd big time when I seen Booker's new locker room. He played it up perfectly.
I enjoyed the show very much. I was so loving the Taylor vs Kong brawl, those chicks were really going at it.
When it comes to Nash and Joe, I think neither will turn heel, but if one does, the safe bet would be Nash. But if AJ/Angle feuds ends at the next PPV, then I can see Joe turning heel to set up a Joe/AJ feud.
Some things I'd like to see:
Creed needs a new attire. He doesn't really stick out the way he did at BFG, and one reason is I feel his attire is very plain/jobber like.
Sonjay as a heel is hilarious and cool. He reminds me of the Joker. Hopefully he stays a heel, and moves up in the X Division to get his long awaited X Division title reign.
Much love for the new hysterical guru, I honestly never thought the whole guru gimmick would last (because as a face it sucked), but I'm actually digging it.
And, Black Machismo's character is really coming into his own, switching in between Lethal and Machismo very "fluidly" outside of the ring.
Not dismissing any of the criticisms towards impact, but I think the one thing holding back the program and TNA brand is not taping live shows in front of their coliseum audiences. The average wrestling fan is accustom to WWE and the large crowds; the lack of subliminally (or not so) tells the audience that the product is inferior.
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