TNA PPV lineup

[Loss]

Shocker v Alex Shelley

AJ Styles v Samoa Joe

Christopher Daniels v Austin Aires

Jerry Lynn v Sean Waltman

AMW/Naturals v Team Canada

Lance Hoyt v Abyss

Raven/Sabu v Rhino/Jarrett

Monty Brown/Kip James v Konnan/Ron Killings w/special ref BG James..

 

This has the potential, on paper, to be the best TNA show ever. We'll see how they do.

[sek69]

TNA looks to be on the verge of becoming really good, yet I hear they want Triple J to be the focus once they move to Spike TV.

[Guest Real F'n Show]

Yeah some friends and I will be ordering. This will be there first time seeeing Joe and Aries, so I hope they live up to the hype I've given them for my friends.

[Loss]

TNA looks to be on the verge of becoming really good, yet I hear they want Triple J to be the focus once they move to Spike TV.

I don't think we'll ever see Jarrett at that level again, considering that the Carters seem to be onto the game the Jarretts were playing with TNA early on, using the whole company as nothing more than a vehicle to make Jeff a star.

[sek69]

Also, reports are that TNA isn't paying for its timeslot after all and Spike is planning to give Impact all the push it can.

[Loss]

That's good news. You know, when Crockett went national, the only guys he had from the start that had ever been seen nationally were Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes and Ole Anderson. Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Midnight Express, Rock & Roll Express, Road Warriors and others were all new stars created through the exposure they got on TBS (the Roadies worked Georgia before, but this was their most successful period) and Crockett was a big success for the first two years or so because they were so fresh. So while having names around is a good thing, it's not necessary to have a roster full of over-the-hill WCW main eventers and WWE rejects to get recognition. I think they'll do just fine if they put out a consistently good product, especially with Spike pushing them hard.

[Mad Dog]

TNA's monthly PPVs have always tended to be good. Even the PPVs they get bashed for are better than a lot of the WWF single brand PPVs.

 

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles alone makes this PPV worth the money.

[Coffey]

So, I assume that this means Austin Aries won the internet vote? That's cool. He's who I voted for.

 

I've never liked AMW or the Naturals. So, I don't care about that match. I can't understand Lance Hoyt being popular. I assume it's like the Pounce. The fans get behind it in a sort of sarcastic way so that it catches on. The NAO will probably be back together by the end of the night. They've been teasing it forever.

 

Jerry Lynn is back wrestling again? It's about time. Waltman has been bringing the goods lately too. Too bad I still hate his ass.

 

Shocker does nothing but botch spots. He also has a terrible look. I don't know why he had so much hype for his debut a few months back. He's yet to do anything to impress me. He's just another Amazing Red to me.

 

Styles Vs. Joe? Holy crap, I'm at least downloading this show now.

 

Raven/Sabu Vs. Rhyno/Jarrett? Needs less Sabu & Jarrett.

 

I will agree that it does look like a good show on paper though. Let's hope it hits big and everyone brings their A game. TNA, so far, has been pretty good, well above average, for their PPV's.

[Guest Drake]

Out of interest what would you guys be classing as the current best TNA PPV? I've got to admit that I only really dip in and out of TNA but as of right now nothing they've produced as stood out as all that fantastic.

 

To me they've always been able to produce shows that have had potentialy good matches on them but they've never really produce a complete show. They don't seem to give enough time to develop stories behind the matches (a complaint which can be leveled in the direction of a lot of the WWE product as well) and they don't seem to grasp the idea that the casual fans (who bring the money and ratings) really don't care about all these 'amazing' matches.

 

If they did the indies would be huge.

 

Again this PPV seems like the same offering we get from TNA every month. A show that has the potential to deliver good matches but what emotional connection do I have to 90% of their roster? And what connection do I have to any of the stories behind these matches?

 

If I wanted to see these great matches I'd be buying RoH (and other indy fed) tapes, and is it just me or is TNA slowly starting to morph into RoH?

 

Yes the matches on this card will probably deliver better in ring action then HBK/Hogan but people are going to be talking about HBK/Hogan and are hugely interested in that match because of the connection they have with the characters and the story.

 

For me, TNA has always been missing that.

 

Solid in ring product will only get you so far. They need to create stories and characters people care about. Right now they simply don't have enough. And only one or two of the guys they do have, have actually been built within TNA.

 

But I've gone off on a major tangent here...

[Loss]

Part of the problem is that you have guys like AJ Styles who have potential to have major appeal, who's booked to win the World title and asks if he can lose it so he can go back to the X Division. I thought that was kind of a markish request. Hogan/Michaels are also 20+ year pros and Jeff Jarrett is the only guy on the TNA roster with that much experience, and we all know his story. Raven is a close second, and he's not someone who has ever been a consistent headliner in a national promotion. The type of Hogan/Michaels bond you described could take decades to create.

 

I agree with a lot of what you said and agree that they need to put more focus in the storylines. Perhaps when they have national TV, they will do just that.

[Mad Dog]

Jeff Jarrett is the only guy on the TNA roster with that much experience, and we all know his story. Raven is a close second, and he's not someone who has ever been a consistent headliner in a national promotion.

Jerry Lynn, Chris Daniels and Sean Waltman are all packing over a decade of experience as well. Sabu, Billy Gunn, Konnan, BG James and Shocker also have quite impressive resumes as far as experience. Then you figure in their backstage agents are Shane Douglas, Terry Taylor, Zybsko and D'More.

[sek69]

I just dig TNA because they seem to be able to mix the old school territory flavor with today's SPORTZ ENTERTAINMENT~! style so that every show usually has something that will please everyone. You're likely to get a good techinical match, a spotfest, a brawl between hosses, and then some goodness like a AMW tag match that cribs all the good parts of the classic NWA style.

 

If TNA was smart (which sometimes is a stretch), they would play up their NWA heritage while still providing a current product. You never know, they might lure a couple of those NWA/WCW marks who stopped watching wrestling when WCW ceased to exist.

 

Results for the PPV are found here . It seems the show pretty much delivered where you'd expect it to. I agree with the author of the review, they really gotta stop with the "watch out or you'll get fired to make room for ex WWE guys" stuff. Nothing screams bush league more than making it seem your company's happy to take the other guy's rejects.

[The Thread Killer]

I saw the show, and it was damn good, way better than any WWE PPV I've seen lately. I might do a brief review later if I have time.

[Mad Dog]

Who would've thought that Abyss/Hoyt would've been one of the best matches of the night? Abyss further proves that he's the best big man in wrestling right now with another carry job.

[Loss]

How was Styles/Joe?

[Coffey]

From what I've read, it was a great match that lost it's charm due to a shitty ending. I'll be able to personally give an opinion later in the day.

[The Thread Killer]

I was a hardcore TNA mark for quite some time. When they got the IMPACT slot on FSN, I stopped ordering the weekly PPV's, because I wasn't interested in paying ten bucks a week to hear ads for a show I couldn't see. (My satellite provider doesn't carry FSN.)

 

Now that they're coming to Spike, I decided to give them another shot.

 

Here's my 2.5 cents on the show...

 

Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt & Shark Boy vs. Simon Diamond, Elix Skipper & David Young

 

Holy CRAP. When I last saw David Young, he was doing some losing streak gimmick, and he had a big pot belly. He has apparently started the Triple H workout program (insert needle in your ass 3 to 5 times a week...repeat) and he is some buffed up. Also, when I was watching, Skipper was getting a push, and that seems to have died. Also, Simon Diamond was called "Irish" Pat Kenney. Things have changed.

 

I admit that the Shark Boy gimmick makes me laugh, so I liked this match. It was a quick, inoffensive opener. Nothing spectacular, but too short to be bad. Sabin pins Skipper for the win, and afterward Simon Diamond and Skipper get into a heated argument.

 

Alex Shelley vs. Shocker

 

This was my first exposure to either guy, and I was impressed. Shocker seems to be pretty damn good on the mat, especially with inventive submissions. These guys are apparently 1-1 against each other...Shocker beat Shelley at the last PPV, but Shelley beat Shocker in the Super X Cup Tournament. This was a solid match, good mat wrestling, nice back and forth action. This match alone was better than anything I saw on the GAB. Shelley wins.

 

Abyss with James Mitchell vs. Lance Hoyt

 

James Mitchell is GOLD on the mic...GOLD I tell you. He's perfect to be teamed with Abyss. Hoyt is CRAZY over with these people. Last time I saw him, his name was Dallas and he was teamed with Kid Kash.

 

This started off as your standard big man match...and then kicked it up a notch for the last few minutes, right when I assumed it was over! A very good match which surprised me considering the participants. Abyss goes over but needs two Black Hole Slams to do it. He looks great, he's dropped some weight and got some new ring attire.

 

This match had about three HOLY SHIT spots in the closing moments, most notably a Van Terminatior from Hoyt! These guys in TNA are really using the smaller 6 Sided Ring to their advantage.

 

Kip James & Monty Brown vs. Konnan & Ron "The Truth" Killings

 

This was the worst match of the night, but at least it had the whole "who will the Road Dogg side with... 3LK or Billy Gunn" angle going in. They did a great job of reviewing the whole angle before the match for those of us who hadn't seen it. Gunn looked motivated here believe it or not, and was actually very funny playing the over the top heel. Monty Brown looked bored. Killings looked good, and Konan (new spelling I see) looked injured.

 

3LK wins with help from the D-O-double-G. Meh. I've seen worse.

 

Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries

 

Apparently Aries won some fan poll online to get this match. He was pretty good, nothing spectacular, but not the usual independant spot-fu I've come to expect from a lot of these generic indy guys. Man, Daniels is good. His facial expressions and ability to play to the crowd is just out there. The fans were into this match HUGE with dueling chants. Daniels wins. Solid match.

 

Sean Waltman vs. Jerry Lynn

 

Once again, TNA does a great job of hyping this match and telling everybody the history between both guys...including clips of them fighting in Global 13 years ago. Lynn is very popular with TNA fans, known as "The Pioneer Of The X Division." This is his return match after a year's absence due to a shoulder injury.

 

I went into this match expecting to hate it. I can't stand Waltman, and Lynn is hit and miss for me. I have to say, this match won me over big time. This was a very, very good match and considering it had Sean Freaking Waltman involved...man that's saying something. Lynn wins, and Waltman attacks him after the match, inspiring Mike Tenay to do his best Jim Ross imitation as he freaks out.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this...but Waltman looked good. I'd like to see these guys fight again. Now I understand why their feud is talked about...they have chemistry believe it or not.

 

This match had a couple of HOLY SHIT moments, the best being a spot when Jerry Lynn suplexed Waltman to the outside!

 

Team Canada vs. The Naturals and AMW

 

This match was okay...and had a couple of serious spots in it, including one where Eric Young did a face plant to the outside, from the top rope. Serious HOLY SHIT territory. I find eight man tags are usually pretty cluttered, and this was no exception...but it wasn't bad or anything. Just too much going on and no real chance to tell a story. Team Canada wins which leads to arguments between AMW and The Naturals. Okay...these guys were feuding months ago when I stopped watching TNA...seriously. And I still don't like AMW. They play very whiny faces, and they're pretty boys which doesn't endear them to the male fans.

 

AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

 

Not to sound like a broken record...but TNA did a great job updating us on both the entire Super X Cup Tournament, but also the momentum of Samoa Joe since his arrival in TNA. I'm big fans of both guys, so I was looking forward to this. Christopher Daniels was on commentary, and he was GOLD. Man, this guy is awesome, and I'm glad he's finally getting the chance to shine as the X Division Champion. When I was watching before, he wasn't getting any microphone time. He is now, and it's paying off huge. I think TNA might finally be the place for his talents to shine.

 

This was the match of the night, hands down. The crowd was actually chanting "This Is Awesome" during this match. Styles brought his "A Game" which for him is really saying something, and Joe looked motivated and hit all his moves perfectly. They are really using Joe to his best potential in my opinion. This was going very well, until it was marred by a run in from Daniels, as he attempted to lay out both guys, and it backfired.

 

I agree that the run in ruined the flow of the match, but from a booking standpoint, it made sense. Styles is pretty much the franchise in TNA (sorry Jarrett) and they didn't want him to lose without some wonkiness. Joe was pushed to his limits, and came out on top. Man, this was a helluva match.

 

Raven & Sabu vs. Jeff Jarrett & Rhino

 

This match had the added drama of the stipulation that if Jarrett pinned Raven, he got the World Title Match at the next PPV, but if Raven pinned Jarrett, Double J wouldn't get any title shots for a YEAR. Obviously, this increased the tension nicely, since there were a lot of people who would love to see that.

 

Just like in the X Division Matches and Abyss vs. Hoyt, the smaller ring was made for Sabu. He got in all of his trademark spots, and didn't botch any that I recall. Raven looks good. He's dropped some weight and make a great champion...and HOLY CRAP is Rhino ever BUFFED UP.

 

Nice spot where Raven slices Jarrett open with a pizza cutter. This was a clusterfuck but in a good way, where it was a sloppy old school brawl all over the place. It reminded me of The Funks vs. The Sheik and Abdullah back in the day...no strategy, no wrestling but it sure kept your interest. Oh yeah, Jeff Hardy is back. He did a run in and hit his Swanton on Abyss who ran in to attack Raven. I guess the Hardy/Raven feud is still on.

 

Rhino gores Raven through a table, and gets the pin...so HE gets the shot at the next PPV! Double J is NOT happy!

 

Closing Thoughts

 

This was an excellent show. The Waltman/Lynn and Styles/Joe matches were both very good matches, and aside from the 3LK stuff, there wasn't a really bad match on the card. Hoyt/Abyss was way better than it had any right to be, and Shocker/Shelley and Daniels/Aries were both solid matches.

 

You know what I liked about this show? It was a clear alternative to the WWE. It didn't look like a WWE show. Universal Studios is an interesting looking venue, unlike a generic arena, and I don't care what people say about the 6 sided ring...that and the X Division where guys are actually allowed to use their signature spots makes it DIFFERENT.

 

The Spike Deal was announced, and all night Jarrett was going around backstage claiming that the released WWE guys were going to be coming in and stealing all the jobs from the TNA guys now that TNA has TV deal. He made a not so veiled reference to the Dudleys coming in as well, when he told AMW that some new tag teams would be coming in...some good, some not so good...and some DUDS. I can't help but wonder if they're planning some sort of stable of the former WWE guys vs. the TNA guys or something?

 

Man, Tenay is so much better than JR now it's not even funny. It's not even that Tenay has gotten better...it's that JR has got worse. Don West still needs to take a chill pill, but I have to admit I enjoy his enthusiasm for the product, because it comes across as REAL and sincere. You can tell that this guy really loves TNA, he's not just a shill like Schiavone back in the day. It cracks me up to see him jumping up in excitement during matches, it really does.

 

This was not the best PPV I've ever seen or anything, but I've seen every WWE Pay Per View since WM21, and in my opinion, this was better than any of them. These guys looked very motivated, and there seemed to be a real air of excitement about the October 1st Spike TV debut.

 

Maybe it was because I got to see Cruiserweight Style wrestling without any restrictions placed on the workers (there was a serious amount of HOLY SHIT spots on this show) or maybe it was because there was a lot of wrestling and no retarded angles about child custody, or diva searches...but I really liked this show.

[Guest Benjie]

I download Joe vs. Styles and Daniels vs. Aries. Joe vs. Styles was at least fun, but not as good as I was expecting. I found it to be a bit back and forth with no real direction or clear definitive story being told. There was a lot of cool spots in it, and it did to its credit have good nearfalls.

[sek69]

I watched the show last night and what I enjoyed the most was how the crowd was into every match.

 

I marked out for the "This is Awesome" chants during Joe-Styles, I mean when do you hear a WWE crowd get that into the show? If it's not HBK in Montreal, you don't.

 

It reminded me so much of the early ECW crowds that really appriciated good work.

[goodhelmet]

That's not exactly true sek. Most early ECW crowds crapped on the "good" matches until Heyman trained the monkeys. And even after they were trained, there were never enough good matches in the company to really make it a focus of their shows. However, yes, ECW crowds were passionate about their product.

[sek69]

I know it wasn't an exact comparison, but ECW fans were the only thing I could think of that was in the same ballpark as the TNA crowd at that PPV.

 

I loved the dueling chants during Daniels-Aries too, that's the kind of shit that made me a fan in the first place. Remember when the fans at the old Techwood studios Saturday Night shows used to come up with chants for the jobbers?

 

"Come on *jobber's name* you can do it, put a little OOMPH into it!"

 

That shit used to crack me up back in the day.