But firstly, i believe that the booking team needs to agree on the alignment for each character and how story-lines are going to progress. Jarrett and Hogan are both characters that seem to turn literally from one show to the next. The Kurt Angle-Hogan storyline is also non-sensical.

Unlike many, i believe that Hogan and Bischoff’s presence improves the show and gives it a bigger time feel. However, they need to quickly add focus to the show so that the viewer can follow it from one week to the next.

It’s not all bad, I like Samoa Joe’s appearance on the past iMPACT and greatly appreciated the squash match against Jesse Neal, which instantly made him appear as a dangerous force again (and the crowd loved it).
Also, i enjoy Mr. Anderson’s skits; the guy has bags of charisma and i’m glad TNA gives him the time he needs to show it. They should also give more time to Desmond Wolfe, who, I believe should win the title shot and be pushed vigorously. He’s great!

In closing, i don’t mind AJ Styles as a heel at all, he played a good heel a few years ago with C.C. and Tomko, as well as in the S.E.X. era in TNA. However, having him mimmick Flair is NOT the way to go about it. Let him be a traditional heel, with Flair in his corner. AJ will never be the new naitch; they’re so different, it’s unreal.

Many thanks for your reviews again, Starman.

It seems to me that Hogan is playing a similar character to what Vince is in WWE. But again all of this has been done. They need to get something new and fresh. I watch both companies and they both have some decent wrestlers but the scripted drama sometimes gets out of hand.

Thank you for answer me and allow the discussion.

I got to say this: that ring, although I accept the change, is not what TNA is all about. I mean, everybody (or at least who watches) knows that TNA has a lot of spotfest and things like that. With that ramp – something I do NOT like, because it reminds me of WCW, and that is bad –, the wrestlers aren’t able to do some dives and flips to the outside. And the interaction in the exterior is none. That’s bad. However, I already read a new about the decision of the officials (not the referees) of asking the talent to tell a story in the ring and not just doing spotfest. I’m confused now.

You talk about the World Elite, and I agree. I mean, Eric Young – when he is shown – is always with Nash, and ZERO mention to the World Elite. It’s not understandable to me. I agree again with you: TNA NEEDS more time slot. Not on iMPACT!, but another show. I mean, COME ON! If they are trying to “beat the competition, a.k.a. WWE”, they’ve to come more often and show up several (at least 2) times a week. That’s my point of view. Of course, then we got almost the same guys every week and there are others who appear whenever the officials think of them.

Again, I’m with you in the next point: TNA does NOT need to sell themselves as “the competition”, but instead, a company of wrestling, with a bunch of known names, trying to do its things without worrying about WWE. And if that is not enough, they keep mention and bringing the WWE name week after week. It comes to a point that people are watching a second version of the WWE and not ANOTHER company instead of WWE. They need to think about what they really want, because right now the idea is that they’re trying to beat the competition without sell and do their own stuff. I used to like when TNA was about ITSELF and not about “beating Vince McMahon, brother~!”.

I’m sorry for what I’m about to say, but I’m not dumb, I know that WWE has trademarked everything they got. Of course, they wouldn’t use the name Kennedy. What I was trying to say was: everything he says is similar of what he used to say back in his WWE days, instead of bringing new things to the table. But I know they’re trying to be different from WWE by using/copying WWE. Whatever.

Well, don’t get me wrong: I like this persona of “Pope” D’Angelo Dinero, but I thought it was ODD and, in some way, bad to the champion loosing for a guy who was defeated by Orlando Jordan – and he does not show up on TV since that day. Weird. I’d accept that defeat if DD was added to the main event of Against All Odds, but no. but then again, you’ve to protect your World Champ the hardest you can, because, if he is the champion, he’s the better man, even if he’s heel. How am I going to believe that AJ is a good champion? Just because he hangs out with the old “Naitch”? That’s not enough for me.

The thing about the constant turns made me think of EWR. I don’t know if you know what I’m talking about, but EWR stands for Extreme Warfare Revenge, it’s a wrestling game. You control the company and you do “your thing”. And, in that game, if you turn a guy heel in a week and then, 3 or 4 months later, he’s babyface again, he loses overness and the fans will not ‘eat’ him as such. That’s the same thing here, but it comes to a point that 3 or 4 months is too much. Weeks and that’s it. They need to establish themselves and STOP doing bullshits like these.

Yes, Tomko is fat (Matt Hardy is getting better, Tomko. You’ll loose the race, buddy!) and totally out of “shine” and shape. I used to like him in TNA with AJ, Christian, Angle and et cetera, but, if he’s back and he’s a monster (that he is, after all), people will not see that aspect in him if he does not kill his opponents. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not worth of wasting TV and people’s time.

Now I would like to do some questions and say some topics. I don’t know if you’re going to read and/or answer, but whatever.

1. Do you think TNA would be ‘big’ if they change their audience? I mean, several years ALWAYS in the same building, with the same people, does not do well for a Global company like they’re trying to be. I read that Europe was a success in terms of fans, and I think they need to think about expanding themselves for another ‘markets’.

2. I’d like to apologize, because I said that Red was still the X Division Champion, and that is not the truth. Doug Williams is the one. But – again – how can I know who the champion is if I didn’t watch last show? Not even a small mention (or video or something). I mean, they said something, if I can recall it well, during Brutus Magnus’ entrance, but then again, he’s not his partner NEITHER his partner (DW) walked out with his PARTNER (BM) to the ring. Weird.

3. My bad once again when I said that the PPV had only 2 matches (the 8 Card Stud is not only one match, but I guess you can understand my point), because 3D will face the Nasty Boyz. I really hope they make it a some-kind-of hardcore match. Just a singles will kill the show, in my opinion.

4. Who would you like to see IN TNA? Or you’d like to see better used frequently. It’s up to you. And taking the momentum, who would you like to see OUT of the company? I’ve some names in the back of my mind, but I’d like to see what you got.

Just another thing about the latest shows: why don’t they give the fans what they REALLY want to see? Who cares about who’s the boss if there isn’t wrestling? Yeah, I know that Foley, Hogan, Bischoff, Jarrett and the others are good in the mic, they’ve charisma and they’re known all around the world (not because of TNA, but because of other companies. That’s why no one knows who AJ Styles is), but TNA stands for Total Non-Stop Action, I guess it’d be a good thing if we could have more action and less words. But then again, the “non-time for everything” thing. Yeah, this is bad.

Cheers!

I don’t like that a lot of the roster seems to have been lost in the shuffle such as Beer Money, the Guns, and pretty much the entire World Elite faction. While a lot of this probably has to do with Hogan/Bischoff deciding who gets pushed, you can’t really blame them too much. The TNA roster as a whole has gotten too big for just a two hour weekly program and they either need to find more television time or cut out some of the fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Beer Money or the Motorcity Machine Guns are expendable, because they are not, it’s just unfortunate that people who were in the mix were suddenly dropped with nothing much said out of it.

I know I have said hundreds of times that TNA needs to put more focus back on their matches, but again, this directly relates to having too large of a roster for a two hour program. Each week a handful of angles and storylines are progressed and with too much going on, the length of the matches gets cut. This, too, is unfortunate as TNA has an extremely talented roster and should be used to give wrestling fans a viable alternative to what is going on in WWE. Instead, though, the creative team seems hell bent on becoming WWE and forcing it on to their fans.

I believe Mr. Anderson was referencing and putting emphasis on the four sided ring to draw heat from the Orlando crowd. I was surprised that TNA used a six sided ring on their UK tour (I’m not sure if they still are in the US or not), but my only guess is that they are in a period of transition. I did find it odd that they were still using it and also noticed it in the photos. I’m starting to wonder if Lockdown will use the six sided ring as that show is outside of the Impact Zone as well. Guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

As for Anderson’s character, his brash persona with the microphone is his trademark, and I wouldn’t have expected TNA to make him change that at all. I hate to compare Anderson/Kennedy to the likes of the Rock or Steve Austin, but I doubt TNA would want either of those two the change their persona after coming over to their company. The name switch is due to the WWE owning the Mr. Kennedy trademark.

I was surprised over Dinero’s victory over AJ Styles, but once I thought about it some more, I don’t think Styles looks weak after having done so. The match was pretty even for the most part and the pin fall came out of nowhere, which did two things – made it a surprise and made it seem like a fluke victory. Yes, Dinero just lost to Orlando Jordan a couple of weeks ago, but this win put him back on track and may have even elevated him a bit. We’ll have to see what the follow up to all of this is for the Pope, but the win did bring back the element of surprise into the broadcast. If Dinero totally dominated the match, then I would have some problems with it, but this was fine in my eyes.

One aspect of what you wrote that I 100% agree with is the amount of times people turn from week to week. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even sure where Samoa Joe stood prior to his match against Jesse Neal. I’m assuming he is a face again, but it’s pretty sad when a person like myself, who watches and critiques their shows every week, has a hard time keeping things like this straight. I know Vince Russo has enjoyed booking people in a grey area in the past, but this is ridiculous. I’m guessing a lot of it has to do with Hogan and Bischoff coming on board and changing things to suit their wants and needs, but there has been too many turns going on at once and needs to come to an end.

Finally, as for Tomko, it is plain to see that the guy is out of shape and uninspired. If he someday returns to the form he was in before leaving TNA in 2008, then he may deserve to get another push as a monster. Until then, I am content in seeing him as a big man that puts over everyone else.

I don’t know if I answered any of your questions or helped you see things from a different perspective, but thanks again for leaving your thoughts and comments. It’s always nice to hear what other true wrestling fans think of their product.

Second: I mean, don’t get me wrong, I agree with you when you say that we’re seeing less and less the “Hogan crew”, but there are a couple things that I do NOT understand. Here we go:

- If, like they say a THOUSAND times, Hall and Pac do NOT have contrat, why in the Hell they are in TV more time than — I don’t know — Beer Money? Where are the Guns? The X Division CHAMPION Amazing Red? The CHAMPIONS Hamada and Kong? The list goes on and on. I mean: seriously?

- And then, a BIG thing with the “Jarrett situation” and no mention (just in the video pack after the opening) or no show-up for JJ. I mean: seriously?

- Then, they’re trying to sell TNA like “a company of wrestling/entertainment who actually does wrestling every single time”, but we got matches with a couple of minutes? I mean: seriously?

- One of the things I don’t understand and I’m afraid of: why is everyone turning week in and week out? Wasn’t Joe heel a couple of weeks ago? The last time I checked, Team 3D were heels and they had a BLOODY~! feud with Morgandez (w/Pope and Suicide) and, almost all of a sudden, they’re all buddies and they share RESPECT for the others? I mean: seriously?

- Anderson talks about the FOUR-SIDED RING~! and then we got a video pack highlighting the tour through here in Europe with the 6-sides one? I mean: really?

- Tomko is this big and dangerous guy, but in one month he is defeated clean by AJ and Angle? OK, they are so much better than him, but I don’t think this is a good way of selling a ‘monster’.

- They’re doing things people already seen. Example? Anderson’s mic time before and after his matches. It’s almost the exact same thing from the WWE days, just switching the “Kennedy” for the “Anderson”. Really?

- Pope was defeated by Orlando Jordan two weeks ago, and he’s actually BEATING the World Champ (who was the guy they are/were trying to sell as the best wrestler in the world)? Come on!

- I just HATE one thing that they do A LOT. The fact that they tease all night long the fact that THERE’S GONNA BE A SEGMENT WHEN X CONFRONTS Y! Really?! The teasers are good for matches, not confrontations that NOBODY (or at least I don’t) cares!

Don’t get me wrong (again), because I think Vince Russo – despite all the shits – is a man who tries to put a good writting, and I realize that in every segment/match there is something for the people to think, but he’s doing a lot of crap.

And with all this, besides the ME and the 8 Card Stud (another thing I do not understand, because they still don’t explain how this thing will work on), what do we got for a PPV?

Sorry about this (and for some nasty words), but I’m just frustrated will all this crap.

Thanks!