sheepy

The problem for the WWE tag teams is that to build new tag teams you need the established teams to put them up against of which there are exactly 0 at the moment. It's hard to imagine if there is anyway the WWE could build a successful tag division in under 5 years max. You can call up X, Y and Z but as good as they may be, the fans just won't care. The only hope for the WWE would be if they signed Beer Money / MCMG / Dudleys and made a big deal out of their time in TNA (not gonna happen) but at least that way you're establishing a dominant tag team. You'd need to put them over someone big (BOD might be decent candidates) to really establish them but it could be done. The problem you've then got is where do you go with them afterwards? You're trying to establish them as the face of your division but you also need to build new teams so you can't put the less established teams over without destroying your new faces of the division. Flip side, you can't have them dominated the next team you're trying to bring up or they seem like jokes. I honestly don't see any easy options for the WWE in building tag teams again. Maybe when trips takes over they may (see the start of his career for launching him) but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Agree, he's really the only one they should consider giving it too. There's not a lot of ways you could turn Cena heel and get 100% of the fanbase to hate him to the levels you'd need to make it work (though it would need to be correctly built up with Cena unable to beat Taker with this then culminating in a tainted victory as Cena refuses to be beaten). The only problem is I don't seen any obvious choice for someone that could take over from Cena as the face of the promotion to go up against him at the following Wrestlemania. Whoever you'd pick would need to be jesus pushed as the next big thing before getting a Hogan / Goldberg esque win on the grandest stage.

Very joker esque from sting there. Would love to see a character in wrestling like that however without a straight up face to combat him not sure it's gonna work.

So, watching Sacrifice, first time I've watched TNA in a while. Is Crimson a knock off of Goldberg?

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="ampulator" data-cite="ampulator" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25169" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>They should have put it on Nattie, Beth, or Gail. <p> </p><p> Now we KNOW Kelly is going to get tossed around like a ragdoll. She's athletic, but that's about it.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This is WWE, they'll build Kharma up for months only to get knocked out in the first minute by Kelly before being sent off to development for 6 months before being released. </p><p> </p><p> Kelly meanwhile goes on to be the longest reigning women's champion of all time.</p>

<p>TBH, Christian dropping the belt quickly gives him fire and will help improve his overness. I'd be surprised if this doesn't build to him going over Orton after a long feud which turns Orton heel which will do wonders for his career.</p><p> </p><p> Remember, Mysterio as champion got tired really quickly however his build to winning the belt was something that captured the imagination and the ultimate feel good after he won it.</p><p> </p><p> Whether the WWE follow through on it remains to be seen though...</p>

Youtube the Triple X vs. AMW match now! One of the best tag matches you'll see including one absolutely ridiculous spot that you'll rewatch a good 5/10 times! AMW > Beer Money

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hyde Hill" data-cite="Hyde Hill" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="25170" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>This might be a retread but still.<p> </p><p> What does everyone hope "They" is/are?</p><p> </p><p> What does everyone think "They" is/are?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I think and hope we're going to get a load of lurchadores all with a kind of occult, Flock-esque feel to it, probably with Bischoff pulling the strings sadly.</p><p> </p><p> Tbh, if they did go down the route of using this to debut the next generation of lurcha cross overs into the American mainstream that would be a pretty good payoff. Mysterio and Del Rey asside, there is a distinct lack of exciting lurchas in America compared to 10 years ago.</p>

Looking at all the names mentioned I really don't see why TNA think they need them. Matt Morgan could have been and probably could still be the next Goldberg (although his star has fallen badly in the last year). Compare the too and there's really not a great difference between their two skill sets. Or failing that, why not find the next rookie big thing? That's cheaper and if it works you could end up with as a big a star and then make a big deal about him being homegrown. That's what made Goldberg partly so successful. He was a proper WCW guy and became huge for them but when he went to the WWE (there were other mitigating stupid booking reasons) but he was just another guy. And continue pushing Pope

Goldberg

It might be just a different era but I always feel fans add something to a live broadcast over and above a taped show. Think this will be a very good move if true.

Michael Cole truely is the most worthless wrestling commentator ever. "AS JR would say Stone Cold, Stone Cold.... (awkward gap).... Stone Cold!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zMPV8FjCcE 6:08 I can't stop watching this clip over and over, slowly getting more and more annoyed. Is he truely going to be the voice of the WWE for the next 10 years??????

This is the same bloke who got caught smoking pot whilst the WWE champion and being given the biggest opportunity of his career = idiot Didn't realise this would cause so much of a stir though. All wrestlers are in the game of self promotion and this is no different. TBH, the fact he's delivered so many average matches annoys me more considering what he was and probably still is capable of. I'm actually left longing for the MEM and the Nation of Violence...

"I'd imagine a lot of the old TNA guys are feeling like they're taking a back seat. The thing is..you can't argue with numbers. Last week TNA broke new all-time records for ratings! TNA needed a change. The 6-sided ring and the great technical wrestlers that nobody knew wasn't working. TNA brought in two rock stars, and look at the company now! Dixie often points out how hiring Jeff Hardy and RVD started a whole new era, why do some of the wrestlers not see it? Too young, too green, too selfish to have the correct perspective. Whereas some of the TNA `stars' are lucky to get recognized walking around the studios, Jeff and myself live like actual celebrities, signing autographs and taking pictures EVERYWHERE we go. Without experiencing this, it's probably hard to imagine. In fact, very few wrestlers stick out in people's minds the way that Jeff and I do. WE love our fans and we love their love. TNA is blowing up. Good things will come our way and I see it all happening now. This is a very exciting time. More people watching TNA means more people to the other wrestlers on the card too...as long as they're good enough to hang around with the rising standards." Rob Van Dam is an idiot after all - who knew? http://www.twnpnews.com/messages2/29808.php

I don't see the problem with bringing the likes of Kennedy, Kendrick, Burke etc. These are guys who had a hell of a lot of talent but it just never clicked for whatever reason. I remember watching Burke in ECW and thinking this guy could be huge and then they just lost interest in him. Now I get to see him on regularly, getting made into a big deal. Kennedy was on the wrestling scrap heap but TNA picked him up and made him something more. He came in as a midcarder, was given the opportunity to shine and because the fans got behind him he's now a main eventer. His match against Angle (which I didn't get to see unfortunately) is possibly a MOTY candidate. Kennedy in WWE would never have got that opportunity. Personally one of the reasons I like TNA is they will give guys who didn't get a fair run in the WWE a chance to really develop and reinvent themselves. That said, the RVD's and Hardys are a bit meh. I don't see that they've added anything and wouldn't miss them (which is weird because I'm a Hardy mark but he just doesn't seem to have "it" in TNA).

Just imagine if you'd had all that going on and the tag title match gets put in the main event spot. That instantly says you have some of the top talent in the last 20 years, you have a title match featuring two guys in the top storyline but you're gonna let 4 relatively unknowns main event and steal the spotlight from all these other guys. If you spend the entire show hyping this match making everything a sideshow to this main event then you instantly solidify those 4 guys as bonafide main eventers and set yourself out as having the best tag division in wrestling (not necessarily true but you can use that to market themselves). I didn't mind the brawl and RVD being injured however I don't really see who it gets over or what angle it's going to lead to that will deliver a payoff. Having MCMG vs. Beer Money being the top match and then the entire locker room coming out to applaud that effort would have had a far more lasting impact than the ending to impact we got.

I don't see how you can make a case for Kurt to be let go of due to "substance abuse" and yet in the same post say they should be focusing on RVD, Kennedy and Hardy all of whom have equally terrible records for being drug abusers and one of whom has come very close to a 5 year jail stretch for drug dealing. Kurt is still IMO capable of being their number one star and the fact he isn't is more down to the fact he's having some time off atm whilst he does this rise back to the top. There are very few TNA wrestlers who properly understand the basics of using psychology in a match and Kurt is the one bloke you can look at and can sell a story. If anything, I'd argue for continuing to build the promotion around Angle as he has far more staying power at the top of a promotion than RVD, Kennedy or Hardy.

Looking at recent stories involving wrestlers health maybe this isn't such a bad thing. Personally I think TNA's style means they need to give guys time off to let them recuperate. Jeff Hardy has well documented issues which are due in part to the E forcing him to work as many nights a week so I don't think you can look and say WWE stars work this many nights a week and TNA work less and are inferior. The other thing that giving stars time off and keeping them off screen means you can keep stars fresher for longer. If you shove stars down wrestlers throats the fans turn on them. TNA have a big, diverse roster and they can afford to freshen up the roster every now and then by pushing someone out of the spotlight and letting the other guys take their place.

Doubt it, the Monday night wars showed that it takes months of solid / bad booking before you can start to move the ratings. I think this is more likely to do with them putting on solid feuds and solid impacts over the last few months than one angle.

Entire show from the sounds of it. Wouldn't be suprised if Hard Justice gets 50% of Impact dedicated to building to it with the other 50% being used to build to the next PPV. That way they can keep the TNA fans sweet with not becoming all ECW this, that etc but also allows them to build to the PPV. Hopefully they'll also use the event to re-ignite a couple of already played out feuds (Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle in an anything goes match, could be fun to see those two go at it again and this could be the event to get them in the ring again without making it seem like their old feud)

Don't know if this is being mentioned but apparently Tommy Dreamer has been given free reigns to put together the Hard Justice ppv. It'll probably be a flop due to most of the ECW guys being over the hill now but this is definately the kind of move I want to see. No idea if he's got what it takes as a booker but its good to see a new face being given the chance to run the show. Hope this may be the start of something with Bischoff and Hogan still in charge in the background but getting new creative ideas from new sources.

Seconded, TNA in general has been on the up over the course of the last year. There have just been a number of setbacks on the way that have stopped it from growing - more upheaval behind the scenes certainly isn't needed. The only area not getting the real attention it deserves and that needs to be looked at is the Knockouts division. Everything else seems to be going in the right direction.

Why can't we have someone new????? Seriously, can no one else on the planet other than Eric Bischoff / Vince Russo / Paul Heyman book a decent wrestling show? For a company that used to be all about innovation they certainly don't seem to keen for promoting a new face on the booking front...

looooooooooooooooooooooooool I really enjoyed the early days of the WWE ECW and again later with the Originals vs. New Breed stuff when Dusty was booking. If Heyman is involved with creative then that would be a major feather in their cap.

Agreed, they managed to snare the biggest name in wrestling in 2008 / 2009 - the guy selling the most merchandise, the guy who won multiple world titles, performed in the best matches and not make a big deal out of it having him debut during an opening match and then not appear. Hulk Hogan 2010 was not as big a draw as Jeff Hardy 2010 but you wouldn't know that considering their respective pushes. If they were worried about his drug issues and were waiting to see what happened with that then they should have not debuted him and just sat tight. Grrrrr, I've gone from a regular viewer to a occasional viewer just cause they killed what TNA used to be about. Bring back 6 sides and Cornette!!!!!!