TNA

[Jordo]

So TNA Impact has been around for over a month now. This has been my first real exposure to anything non-WWE since WCW died. Some of you may be in the same boat as me, and some of you obviously dig ROH and Japan stuff. Some of you are also casual wrestling fans. I'm interested in compiling everyone's reactions to the show. We can all agree on that the wrestling industry is better off if TNA succeeds. On that note, however, I'll start off with the cons.

The announcing: Mike Tenay is just okay, but Don West is horrible. He's like that one guy from Battledome that sounded like a frog. Additionally, at times the announcers aren't very audible. The crowd and the mat is louder than they are, and I'm not sure what to make of that.

Morphoplex: I understand TNA needs sponsors, but that same damn Morphoplex commercial with the two unknown floozies, Larry Zbysko, and that awkward black guy looks like it belongs on a 3:00 AM WGN movie of the week.

Larry Zbysko: Sure, I know this guy has tenure in the wrestling industry. But that was how long ago? This guy is supposed to be in charge of TNA, but he shows up to work dressed as Mitch, your next door neighbor with the loud kids and a grill. And his shirt has "Morphoplex" embedded on it. Nice touch. This guy should either dress the part or take a hike.

Shane Douglas: This guy has always sucked. I realized I didn't like him as an interviewer when he uttered out "Tito Ortiz!" like a tool on the very first show. Remember when he couldn't get an erection with Torrie Wilson in WCW? That's not even relevent to what I'm talking about, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Jeff Jarrett: I have no problem with him being on the TNA roster. But the fact that he's one of the focal points of the promotion is laughable. He's compared to Triple H by cynical smarks. But the difference between Double J and Triple H is that Triple H is (or at least has been) a draw. Triple H can have good matches on a regular basis. Plus, the guy's a sharp dresser. Jarrett as the number one guy makes TNA very B quality. And by that I mean TNA is an internet writer.

Character development: TNA may at least have some good wrestling, but there's hardly any reason to get behind the wrestlers in the X Division. Why should I cheer for AJ Styles? Chris Sabin? Matt Bentley? Sonjay Dutt? Why should I boo for Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, or Alex Shelley? The X Division wrestlers should be given characters. It's hard to tell Chris Sabin apart from Matt Bentley. I will point out that they're starting to make progress with AJ Styles and Samoa Joe right now.

And now, the pros about TNA.

The X Division: This should come as no surprise. The six-man tag on the primetime special was one of the best (or at least entertaining) matches I've seen in a long time. More often than not, I'm bored with WWE wrestling. I hope this is the future of wrestling, I really do.

Christian Cage: Especially with Eddie's death, this could be the start of a WWE exodus to TNA, which can do only good. I've liked what I've seen of his face run so far. Jarrett going over in their eventual feud with be a huge mistake that could cost them a lot of fans, though.

Here are the wrestlers that have grabbed my attention so far:

- AJ Styles
- Samoa Joe
- Christopher Daniels
- Abyss
- Sonjay Dutt
- Alex Shelley
- Austin Aries
- Petey Williams

So it's looking like I basically tune in for the X Division. I didn't think I'd have so many cons and so few pros. But really, I'm just looking for an alternative at this point. And if TNA succeeds, then it'll hopefully make WWE better.

[Sgt_Pompous]

I quite enjoy TNA. It's a good way to spend a Saturday if there's nothing else to do. I'll even ocassionally throw 30 bucks at them for a Pay Per View. They have their flaws, but it's a good alternative to WWE, and that's all I need.

And please continue to make the dumbass commentators quieter than the crowd, it makes it easier for me not to hear them.
_________________
The bucks flock here

[B]

My biggest problem with TNA is the "screwjob" ending. When they first started up they were big on "We don't DO what the WWE does!" and bragged about how they weren't going to give us these convoluted endings to matches. I understand that with wrestling comes the "cheat" ending, and even Ring of Honor started doing it in moderation. However, TNA has taken it a little far.

For example, the first Impact with Joe on it had 4 matches. Joe won his match. The remaining three matches all ended the same way... the referee is distracted by something, the heels get a foreign object and AWWWW hit the faces with it, NOT LIKE THIS NOT LIKE THIS. A broken bottle, a hockey stick, and the guitar. Three matches on a one hour show

Last night I'm watching, and Joe wins his match. Then AMW comes out, a team that once won dramatic cage matches against Triple X, guys who can win a match. They beat the two worst wrestlers in the company (Sonny Siaki and Apolo) with, you guessed it, AWWW BROKEN BOTTLE NOT LIKE THIS.

Cheaters should cheat. Heels should be heels. But heels should not have to win every match they win every single time with the exact same method of cheating. TNA isn't the only organization doing this (Carlito I'm looking in your direction) but they're doing it the most.
_________________

[Justin]

I hate the crowd more than anything else on the show. They try so fucking hard to be "smart" to the business that it's often times hard to get into what's going on in the ring. Like, TNA are doing a great job of turning Joe heel, with the savage Daniels beatdown and him WEARING the blood-soaked towel to the ring, but it doesn't matter if the crowd chants "OLE" at him every time he's in the ring. Even (arguably) the most over guy in the company, AJ Styles, couldn't help draw a negative reaction.

I know they can cheer for who they like, but part of being a wrestling fan is suspending belief and playing along. EVERYONE likes Kurt Angle, but they still boo him because it betters the entire experience. Sometimes it's just fun to heckle a guy, and aside of Jarrett (who gets more X-Pac heat than anything) I can't think of another REALLY over heel in TNA right now.
_________________
[quote="Bismark"]Didn't you know? Having uncontrollable shits is wicked scene.[/quote]

[Jordo]

Ah yes, the crowd. At first I didn't even realize Monty Brown was supposed to be a heel because he was cheered. Plus, they never zoom in on fans that look like they belong in society. More often than not, when Jeff Hardy comes out, we see two fat chicks in neon body paint.

[Sgt_Pompous]

I quite enjoy the feuding crowd during matches. I just like an atmosphere where I choose who to cheer better.

Besides, even if you hate them, they're still more interesting than the commentary.
_________________
The bucks flock here

[B]

The crowd isn't even paying attention to the match though. Sinister Minister is cutting a promo on Sabu and the crowd is just going OOOOOOOOOOO AAABYSSS OOOOOOOOOOOOOH over him. It's like the WHAT chants, but constantly.
_________________

[Justin]

I like Tenay. You can tell he knows what he's talking about.

The worst part of the crowd is during the "feuding" chants when everybody chants for BOTH wrestlers. Pick one or the other. TNA doesn't help matters by having Tenay, West and AJ put Joe over as a monster heel only to cut to a couple of idiot kids cheering for him, or some wicked fat hambeast holding a "GOTTA GET TOUGH! GO JOE!" sign. They've got like, four days to edit these things. You'd think they'd pay a little attention to internal logic.
_________________
[quote="Bismark"]Didn't you know? Having uncontrollable shits is wicked scene.[/quote]

[Sgt_Pompous]

I tune them out during the promos so I never noticed.

If high school has taught me anything, it's how to tune out screaming assholes. Except that one shrill bitch at the Genesis PPV. Every five damn seconds, you'd hear "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!" as if someone was repeatedly stabbing a crow that got its nuts kicked.

edit:

[Jordo]

That Morphoplex commercial is still my number one gripe with the company. Let me try to analyze it:

1. It starts off by showing Larry Zbysko telling you (the consumer!) about Morphoplex testimonials! Let's watch!

2. It cuts to an awkward-looking black ex-football player that I've never heard of.

3. It then cuts to a semi-attractive female with an actual name, despite the fact that I have no idea who the hell she is. Why not just put "Hot chick"? I could better relate to that.

4. It then shows a big, sun-burnt ex-football player talking about Morphoplex. This guy just looks like he's going to die of a heart attack within the next five years.

5. It then shows the awkward-looking black ex-football player holding Morphoplex up to the camera. Seriously, this guy looks like one of those guys that giggles every time he sees a female breast.

6. It then shows Larry Zbysko interviewing a "TNA wrestler" Traci something. And she can barely keep her pants on!

What's more is that Larry Zbysko has "Morphoplex" on his Tommy Bahamas shirts. What does that prove, Larry? What does that prove?

[B]

[Jordo]

The one good thing about the crowd I can say is that during Impact, when AMW sprayed "3D" on the table (except it looked like "3b"), a loud woman yelled out "It's Team 3D, not 3B!" That just proves that wrestling fans are literate.

[Sgt_Pompous]

[SundownMotel]

I enjoy iMPACT!, but I do tend to fast-forward through the 3LK/non-Williams Team Canada/Jeff Jarrett/Jeff Hardy stuff. There are about a dozen or so guys that I watch TNA for, and everything else is just WWE lite with a bit more emphasis on in-ring stuff. Honestly, watching the upper-card guys work squash matches is really cool and something that I've kind of missed in recent years, but occasionally I feel like I'm watching a tape of GWF or something.

Also, Don West's voice makes me want to kill myself.
_________________
And this is a promise, because this is true. This is real. This is Straight Edge.

[Jim]

[Ragingape]

I agree with just about all the comments here. I watch TNA less often than most of you since I don't have cable and just download the show if I feel like it. I rarely watch more than one match from the show in its entirety.

One more thing about the crowd: anybody remember the heel section? And how TNA asked them to stop because it wasn't getting heels over? That all seems pretty funny now since most of the guys they cheered for don't do anything to get over as heels anyway.

I like Christian a lot but I doubt he can save the heavyweight division. If Jarrett doesn't put him over I will be very pissed off.

[TLA]

I don't think it makes sense to have a guy who just defected from the midcard of another operation swoop in and go over what they consider their biggest star. I haven't seen an episode of TNA so I'm talking out of my ass a little here. I like Christian and dislike Jarrett as much as the next guy, but I don't think it should happen. Six months from now, if Christian can establish himself as a player in TNA then you might have something.

I mean, looking back, having Hardcore Holly return into a Main Event feud with Brock Lesnar served its purpose, but there was no way Bob wasn't going to go back to staring at the ceiling for a living.
_________________
It took Jesus 3 days to respawn. Man, talk about lag.

[Ragingape]

That was actually more of a dig at Jarrett than a comment on Christian. And with him I think you have a different situation in that he is a guy the internet loves and has gotten over to the top of the WWE midcard with very little showtime. Obviously the feud needs to be built. I don't want to see Christian wrestling for the gold this Saturday.

[betholution]

I love TNA. I went to the Bound For Glory fanfest in October, attended the PPV and the tapings for Impact and the two hour special. In 20 years of being a wrestling fan, I have never had more wrestling-related fun than the TNA shows I attended.

The crowd, I found, was a lot of fun. Contrary to B's assessment, the crowds at both shows I attended were absolutely transfixed on the action, not on themselves. During the actual pay per view, the crowd was hot for every match. Every single one, even the Diamonds In The Rough match. And every single match was entertaining. Everyone in the building was having an awesome time. I compare this to 18 years of attending WWF/E shows where I either wanted to take a nap in the middle or go on a murderous rampage on the crowd full of mouth-breathing morons.

Jarrett being always on top is annoying, yes. But it's also nothing new. Politics are bullshit in every wrestling company. But I love the fact that TNA is cool with a wrestler being (gasp!) short as long as he's talented. Petey Williams is like 5'4" for god's sake, yet it's not an issue, because he's a good wrestler. AJ Styles is a multiple time NWA champion.

I have ordered the last six TNA pay-per-views. And at the end of every single one of them, I felt like I got my money's worth. The company delivers on pay-per-view. They don't have enough time on free TV. Hopefully Spike will give them two hours eventually and Impact can feel a little less rushed.

I think Tenay is great. West used to annoy the hell out of me but he's actually toned it down. And I think after years of JR and the King, I learned how to have a severely high tolerance for shit announcing.
_________________
That's Sandy Frink? What the hell was I thinking?

[Jim]

The thing is, they'll never push Petey beyond the X-Division. People that bitch about WWE only pushing hosses don't seem to mention that Benoit (5'11" ) and Eddie (5'9") were champions at the same time. And then there's Rey Mysterio, one of the biggest names in the company. The dude could live in my shoe. In fact, I make sure to look inside before I put them on, as I don't want to take any chances. Sure, Vince loves his big men. But aside from Kane, Show, and Taker, they hardly ever get a worthwhile push.
_________________