The Official TNA / Impact / GFW Discussion Thread

[LoganRodzen]

I'm assuming its "the brawl to end Impact" - if so the video is on the front page of TNA.com. Checking it out right now.

 

EDIT: I like to see the ring full of people brawling - so I enjoyed that part. They took the NXT invasion and turned it up a few notches by sending out road agents like Terry Taylor and D-Lo (cops were an interesting addition). I really can't say it was better because it was a bunch of guys who have already been around for a decade. The NXT invasion was unique due to the fact it was a bunch of unknowns.

[liontamer]

Awesome impact (the only one I can think of off the top of my head that was close was the one when they switched to mondays in March). Curious to see what the ratings are. First hour was interesting, not sure why they are prolonging Williams and Kendrick so long. I think the second hour should be pretty high though, possibly their best. The ending was sweet and very well done.

 

A little confused though on the 'invasion' angle they are doing. Not having read the spoilers yet, I'm not sure if this means that Dixie invited the ECW guys or that she invited another group and the TNA and ex-ECW guys are both against it and think the other side has something to do with it. And did the ecw guys play abyss for a fool, or is there yet another group on the way that has been talking to abyss?

 

TNA better advertise like he!! the next few weeks because now is the time to pull viewers in, especially coming off of last weeks show. Here's to hoping for a 1.5.

[Slagaholic]

I actually think Dixie "made" the ending.

 

Yup. It was logical and well done.

[GDE71]

Watching it again on tnawrestling.com

 

Taz said "This was the plan Mike. This thing was setup for weeks."

[LoganRodzen]

Am I the only one who never wanted to see Dixie have an on-air role? I could barely watch her segments with Sting.

[Slagaholic]

I don't think she'll be on TV often. But she is on TV next week. She's fine in the "aw shucks" owner role, but beyond that? Yeah...no.

[GDE71]

Am I the only one who never wanted to see Dixie have an on-air role? I could barely watch her segments with Sting.

 

I agree.

 

But tonight she made the ending. I will stick by that opinion.

 

 

I'm intrigued by what Taz said and wonder if it was a throw-away line or if it plays into this at all.

[Stennick]

I'm just not that interested in Raven, Stevie Richards, etc. This would have been awesome in 1996 but as someone said these guys are so far passed their prime and its not like we haven't seen all of these guys in TNA for most of the last 8 years so really its not like their "invading". With the nWo and to a lesser extend NXT these guys just showed up out of nowhere and had never been affialated with the shows before. This is kind of like when the Alliance started bringing in guys like Test. It waters everything down when you say "ok Team 3d, Raven, Stevie Richards, etc. I've been seeing these guys in TNA for the last five years or better".

 

Its an interesting concept but again its guys that are well into their 40's and are way beyond their peak. If people want Nash to stop wrestling I'd argue Nash has way more to offer at this point than these guys do atleast in this role.

 

That being said I'm sure some people will be interested and enjoy it. Its just not my cup of tea.

 

Wrestling right now just feels like its stuck on repeat. With all this talk of Russo, Bischoff, Heyman as the booker. These guys had their chances ten years ago, they succeeded and they failed. Give a new guy a shot. I want to hear about James Smith the hot young booker who's breathing life into some promotion.

 

I think TNA is the better show or was a month ago when I stopped watching. I think TNA embraces being pro wrestling and doesn't think of it as a dirty word. I liked a lot of the things they've been doing such as letting Jay Lethal be Jay Lethal, the top cotenders, Anderson's face turn, the pope, Fortune, etc. This may even be their best time period in the last five years and maybe ever as far as quality shows and consistency and what not.

 

TNA to me feels like their never comfortable with themselves. I just don't think they have their own identity. They don't know who they want to be. ECW was dead a year before this promotion even started. They can't use the name, they don't have any video library, and really the two promotions have no connection. They was never any "war" or any workers jumping between the two or talking badly about each other. They have no history together and I think thats why this makes my head scratch.

[LoganRodzen]

If people want Nash to stop wrestling I'd argue Nash has way more to offer at this point than these guys do atleast in this role.

 

I agree when people say Nash could be a great colour commentator. The guy has zero problems with putting guys over when it comes to interviews and audio appearances. I think that, plus his knowledge of wrestling would be perfect. I thought Taz was doing well in TNA for a while... until recently for some reason. He's better than Don West (thats for sure), but he's never really been a commentator I liked even in WWE.

 

TNA to me feels like their never comfortable with themselves. I just don't think they have their own identity. They don't know who they want to be. ECW was dead a year before this promotion even started. They can't use the name, they don't have any video library, and really the two promotions have no connection. They was never any "war" or any workers jumping between the two or talking badly about each other. They have no history together and I think thats why this makes my head scratch.

 

I agree with this completely. From what I've seen the past few months has been decent, but things seem random far too often. I guess with all wrestling you have to wait and see where it goes. The problem with THAT mentality is that if the end result is garbage... it was worthless and complaining is pointless.

[Moe Hunter]

While Sarita was choking Taylor with the purse Taz said "That kind of thing can get you fired in other companies".

Or get you life in jail in Boxing. Remember this was how Arturo Gatti was killed by his wife.

 

Nash has really changed since his WCW days.

 

Kevin Nash: "Some people say I'm the best worker in this business"

 

WHO THE **** SAYS THAT KEVIN? YOUR MAGIC MIRROR?

Kevin Nash is awesome. Not as a wrestler, but his character for the last few years in TNA. Laid back, always exaggerating his achievements and public opinion of himself. From way back with Alex Shelly, through the "PCS" skits with the whole X Division - developing their characters (plus all the Backlund jokes!)... Nash is one of the best comedians in all of wrestling.

[pate]

I'm glad Al Snow and Simon Diamond got into the attacking-non-ECW-guys act, and that it wasn't mentioned or specifically shown.

[masterded]

Kevin Nash is awesome. Not as a wrestler, but his character for the last few years in TNA. Laid back, always exaggerating his achievements and public opinion of himself. From way back with Alex Shelly, through the "PCS" skits with the whole X Division - developing their characters (plus all the Backlund jokes!)... Nash is one of the best comedians in all of wrestling.

 

I loved his skits with Shelly and think if he isn’t going to be a color commentator he needs to go back to a mentor role to a bunch of young guys.

 

I remember one of the sketches he talks about winning the WWF title an it was something like

 

Nash: “That day 50000 people where on their feet cheering as I won the title.”

 

Shelly: “Does Madison Square Garden even hold 50000 people?”

 

Nash: “It did that day.”

 

(Very badly paraphrased)

 

I miss the whole Shelly and Nash promo combo they just worked off each other so well.

[Moe Hunter]

Not badly paraphrased at all, you covered all the important ground on the joke. I also love his ratings chart in the background - as soon as he became champ, it skyrocketed

[TheEdgeOfReason]

Nash is hilarious. Whether he wrote that for himself or not.

[Hyde Hill]

I'm just not that interested in Raven, Stevie Richards, etc. This would have been awesome in 1996 but as someone said these guys are so far passed their prime and its not like we haven't seen all of these guys in TNA for most of the last 8 years so really its not like their "invading". With the nWo and to a lesser extend NXT these guys just showed up out of nowhere and had never been affialated with the shows before. This is kind of like when the Alliance started bringing in guys like Test. It waters everything down when you say "ok Team 3d, Raven, Stevie Richards, etc. I've been seeing these guys in TNA for the last five years or better".

 

Its an interesting concept but again its guys that are well into their 40's and are way beyond their peak. If people want Nash to stop wrestling I'd argue Nash has way more to offer at this point than these guys do atleast in this role.

 

That being said I'm sure some people will be interested and enjoy it. Its just not my cup of tea.

 

Wrestling right now just feels like its stuck on repeat. With all this talk of Russo, Bischoff, Heyman as the booker. These guys had their chances ten years ago, they succeeded and they failed. Give a new guy a shot. I want to hear about James Smith the hot young booker who's breathing life into some promotion.

 

I think TNA is the better show or was a month ago when I stopped watching. I think TNA embraces being pro wrestling and doesn't think of it as a dirty word. I liked a lot of the things they've been doing such as letting Jay Lethal be Jay Lethal, the top cotenders, Anderson's face turn, the pope, Fortune, etc. This may even be their best time period in the last five years and maybe ever as far as quality shows and consistency and what not.

 

TNA to me feels like their never comfortable with themselves. I just don't think they have their own identity. They don't know who they want to be. ECW was dead a year before this promotion even started. They can't use the name, they don't have any video library, and really the two promotions have no connection. They was never any "war" or any workers jumping between the two or talking badly about each other. They have no history together and I think thats why this makes my head scratch.

 

Yep Brand Identity is still something TNA is struggling with but atm they seem to be focusing all their attention on brand awareness and with the quality of the shows lately, if they keep them up and the stories have satisfying conclusions, said lack of identity does not have to be a problem. BTW Richards is a relatively new addition to TNA and Raven only returned full time recently. So its mainly Rhino and 3D, and to a lesser extent Pat Kenny, that can be equally or more identified with TNA.

 

Is Jerry Lynn's contract with ROH an exclusive one btw as he could fit in here well as well.

 

Also seems that TNA have finally learned that with wrestlers perceived as "legends" that less is more as they are rotating them in and out.

 

Nash and Jarrett talk but no Hogan and Bisch

 

Foley returns but Sting is suspended.

 

Ok now that it seems that the ECW guys are not Abyss's they/them who the hell is it? Hogan and Bisch and co? Which would mean they are the same they Sting was talking about.

 

Anyway looking forward to some multiple stable storylines.

[Hyde Hill]

On Nash as a colour guy, I liked him when he did it in WCW but his TNA stint with Booker T I personally did not like although what I have read a lot of other people did.

 

Still Nash has reportedly been smart with his money so once he quits he is probably really gone

[Hyde Hill]

1.09! Although it is down it does seem to be they are regaining their old size of audience.

[Slagaholic]

The biggest factor is if they kept an audience throughout the show. Not 1.4 the first our and .7 the second.

[20LEgend]

Tenay and Taz actually said 'ECW' didn't they? Are they aloud to use the actual 'ECW' even if it is just a comment?

[GDE71]

Last week was a 1.14 with 1,450,000

This week was a 1.09 with 1,436,000

 

 

So while they were down 0.05 it was only 14,000 people.

[Stennick]

Sure they can say whatever they want as a comment as long as the faction is called that or even alluded to as that. They can say ECW, WCW, even WWE. Heck didn't they call out Vince McMahon and other guys on the show.

 

Bischoff used to give away entire shows on the air so they can say the name they just can't USE the name if that make sense.

[nucleardonkey]

Yea it's basically like when Kurt Angle was screwed a few months ago and spit on Hogan then yelled "I'll go back to WWE if you pull this ****!" They can say whatever they want as long as they in no way profit off it. So while on TV they are called former ECW stars on all the press info and advertising for the PPV and iMpact they are referred to as "Hardcore superstars" last I checked.

[Stennick]

You got it. As long as their faction isn't ECW, as long as there are no ECW shirts made or anything of that nature their fine. Sure its silly to say "ECW this ECW that" and then when it comes time to talk about their faction their like "we're the hardcore superstars". But then again the entire angle is silly imo. Getting back on track though as long as they can't be perceived as profiting off of it their legally ok. That being said you know Vince's lawyers are combing the show to make sure there isn't anything out of line. He might not care about TNA but he cares about anything he owns being used for profit by anybody else.

[crownsy]

Last week was a 1.14 with 1,450,000

This week was a 1.09 with 1,436,000

 

 

So while they were down 0.05 it was only 14,000 people.

 

 

careful with that premise if you want to trumpet the 1.14 as a huge accomplishment.

 

Following the logic back, the difference between the meh 1.0 and the WOOOO!! 1.4 is a whopping 30,000 people or so.

 

I'm hoping TNA is on an upswing so WWE will step it's game up to counter instead of staying hte course, but so far i'm not seeing much evidence of that.

 

They need to hold there ratings and improve over time, not struggle to return to the 1.1 they were pulling last year before the absolutely atrocious monday night experiment.

[crownsy]

I'm assuming its "the brawl to end Impact" - if so the video is on the front page of TNA.com. Checking it out right now.

 

EDIT: I like to see the ring full of people brawling - so I enjoyed that part. They took the NXT invasion and turned it up a few notches by sending out road agents like Terry Taylor and D-Lo (cops were an interesting addition). I really can't say it was better because it was a bunch of guys who have already been around for a decade. The NXT invasion was unique due to the fact it was a bunch of unknowns.

 

 

It wasn't Unique to TNA, never mind wrestling. That was a cool angle when they did it a year and a half ago with the MEM and World Elite joining forces and having an all out riot in the impact zone.

 

I still remember Bubba Ray slamming Terry through a concession stand and going after him with a garbage can, was a fun night.

 

Last night just looked like a rehash of that pretty much, only with more focus on the ring. Some of the rent a cops actually looked familer. Ah well, hopefully it will lead to more than that sad angle did. They did that whole build up, gave the MEM all the titles a month later, then blew it up and started from scrath a month later.