Tag Archive: Paycheck

  1. Why? First Rayne now Sky! Why have the TBP taken over Impact?

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    I would have included this in my rant yesterday but I thought it would be distracting since it deals with another topic. My disappointment with the Knockout Division has caused me to latch onto the fan fiction booking bandwagon with TKO by FK9, that is how bad its become. Within the last year we have been subjected to first Madison Rayne, who for some reason was the longest reigning knockout title holder, hence her last name Rayne, I guess. I thought it stood for “raining down mediocrity for fan consumption”.

    Well before I go off on a tangent I first have to remind folks how during her title run leading to the hand off to Mickie James, they (booking team) attempted to amp up her heel heat by having her defeat former Knockouts like Roxxi, ODB and Alissa Flash  by the way was very painful  to watch . Now iMPACT is going back to the well with Jackie Moore and (glutton for punishment (paycheck) ODB.

    These past few weeks have watched the veteran Jackie Moore be taken to school by former wet dream turned “runt of the litter”. Why? For someone who  once had an illustrious career taking on the likes of Trish Stratus, Gail Kim,Victoria (now Tara),Lita, Molly Holly and Ivory been reduced to jobbing to a glamorized valet? She must really be in dire straights to take a paycheck from a company that now expects her to put over “limited sky”, and her now face turn since her former more talented partner is now a talking Zombie with lesbian ambition. I understand that the wrestling business is all about the money and never leaving the spot light if one can help it but how much did it cost iMPACT wrestling to buy Jackie’s self respect? $400? $600? maybe (doubtful) $800 an appearance? How much does self respect go for now a days?

    I guess we will never know. But then that leads to the inclusion of ODB, and her return yet again to take an ass whooping for pay. I guess someone has to pay the rent at her brother’s place. Earlier last year when she left the company with her rant talent usage and the influx of ideas from the Hogan regime I so thought we would never see her again in the company, maybe Vince’s company or even ROH but never iMPACT. And then 2011 happened and we watched three entertaining dedicated women come in to job to -Mundane Rayne- with Alissa Flash getting the worst of it since there was no actual wrestling but an attack from behind which lead to a minute match, watching Melissa Anderson walk away during the ensuing chaos with a look of irritation on her face was the final nail in the coffin of the former regimes Knockouts lead by Dutch Mantel and co.

    I guess what they say about wrestling is true it filled with egotists, ass kissers and genuine talent that due to not playing ball, get sent home. What really works my nerves is that what we have in front of us are what iMPACT wrestling has planned for us for the foreseeable future. Which could mean pretty soon we will have all the “talent” wrestling on Xplosion similar to the the talented divas on WWE Superstars. No going out with a bang but with a whimper that will barely register.

    Well not to be a spoil sport, I want to congratulate Rayne, Sky, Tessmacher for being in the right place and right positions to keep the jobs they have and helping decimate a once landmark division which promoted diversity, talent and showmanship that will never come back. Also a special mention to Hogan,Bischoff, Russo and Dixie you made us care then you took it all away in under a year, to leave a disappointed fan boy with no desire to watch a full episode of iMPACT; without shedding a tear for what could of been.

  2. Impact Wrestling or how I see TNA in theory pt 1

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    The news has been hitting the fan for weeks and now it was finally confirmed on May 12th. TNA is now Impact Wrestling. Watching the event unfold before my eyes as The Network, Mick Foley proclaimed “Impact is wrestling” telling Hogan and his cohorts that the politics have ended. I smiled as I thought of a happier time in TNA history. The year was 2006, as I was streaming through all the on demand selections skimming the porn and sport selections, I was stopped in my tracks by a wrestling event called TNA: No Surrender. What could this be? And better yet how much would this cost?

    Well folks for $24.99, I watched a company impress. Jackass antics aside TNA gave me some intriguing matches. LAX w/ Konnan vs AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels, Senshi vs Chris Sabin and the wrestler who left a impressive mark…Eric Young. Wearing his white tights with a censorship bar over the word “Fire”.  It would continue to impress next month when I watched Bound for Glory. Eric Young was there so was Daniels/AJ, LAX and the match of the night Chris Sabin vs Senshi. A four star match that left both men forever immortalized in my brain.

    I became a fanatic. I bought “The Best of the X Division” 2 pack, watched TNA Impact on Spike, where Christian was speared through a steel cage by Rhyno. Mouth dropped as I watched the end of a feud that left Christian victorious albeit Rhyno was avenged. Then after a year I went away every once in a while I’d stop in to see how the program was progressing. And then 2010 happened and I see Hogan on my screen in a four sided ring telling the audience that big changes are about to unfold. I was unimpressed. All I saw was old dudes (ea friends of Hogan collecting a paycheck) I lost faith and didn’t look back for about six months or so. When I returned all was  the same except some of the old dudes remained. Namely Hogan and a Silver haired Bischoff. Now TNA had become WCW: 2010 with endless promos to open the show followed by two minute matches then right behind that would be more promos and another five minute match. The endless cycle was monotonous. That is also when I became a devotee to the Internet Wrestling Community. Reading how much folks would argue with one another over what was the definition of TNA or how whether or not the veterans were either hurting or bettering the product was astonishing. I didn’t know how to respond, depending on what site you’re on it could be the difference from being called a troll or mark. People attitudes were as intense as the old comic book argument of who was faster Superman or the Flash.

    Now here we are in May, TNA has decided to push wrestling over promos. What went through my head was all the talent that are on the roster and all the epic matches and smaller lead ins using the reaction cam could bring to the overall product. Taking the best of 2002-2009 and mixing it with what was decent or innovative about 2010-2011(so far).

    Here’s where my wrestling theory kicks in.

    After Sacrifice and Slammiversary, iMPACT Wrestling should start building up the future while deconstructing the past year and change.  First should come the end of Immortal. Not right away but with Hogan’s power null in void we can watch as the group slowly implodes. Leading to either Hogan or Flair taking on Impact caretaker Sting. In a loser leaves Impact Wrestling at Bound for Glory.

    That is the end result of Bischoff/ Hogan regime, but before that in the three months leading up to that landmark moment we should see the X division wrestlers get their revenge on Bischoff. July 10th is Destination X. We should see the division rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Led in part by Max Buck and Brian Kendrick, who documented performance in the ring and outside of it has shown that they could definitely steer the course of the next generation of talent. This of course could allow Kaz to get back into heel territory were he does his best work.

    Kaz as a man surrounded, relentlessly holding on to the X gold . Kendrick, The Bucks, Sangrieto and Suicide all jockeying for his title. By giving these characters personalities the fans will care. Bring in Traci Brooks as his right hand woman snagging him victories against them.  Use the Reaction Cam in short (and by short i mean two to three minutes) explaining their reasons for participating in the X division using each wrestlers personality to showcase how they differ from each other. This would add to the importance of the belt. More could be added with the World X Cup. More on that on another article. This of course is a small sample of the thoughts running through my mind. But then it jumped to Orlando Jordan.

    Orlando Jordan. Yes, that Orlando Jordan. When he first debuted he represented someone different than the stereotypical “black” wrestler, he  wasn’t a gang banger,pimp or extremist militant. He was instead a bi-sexual male who wanted to wrestler and be accepted by his peers. At first he was entertaining and then became a joke of epic proportions. With his brain damaged partner/lover? Eric Young he has become one half of a dreaded jobber team. There for simple entertainment. Nothing much else. I’m more offended by this then by John Cena’s playful middle school comments. Here is someone who came in with an original idea for a wrestler and has been given squat. Instead what they should do is put him in singles territory with a female valet. What has So Cal Val been up to in the past two plus years?  Secondly have Bully Ray make Orlando Jordan’s life miserable which leads to a feud for acceptance. The simplest promoter could conceive this.

    And then it touched on Eric Young. Again. Here is a man who when presented with a gimmick he takes it and runs with it. No matter how asinine. He is a good little soldier and follows orders. But where has that positioned him? Earlier in 2009-2010 he was being pushed as a leader. A heel leader in charge of World Elite. You couldn’t help but think of a man who would of brought great feuds to the forefront. Especially against former tag partner Robert Roode. Then he fell off the turnbuckle onto the floor below and now we have “Idiot Savant” Eric Young. The dream had been crushed. Where can he go from here? Simple. Last Thursday, Eric Young stole Gunner’s Television title. I could see a swift kick in the head would straighten Eric out to fight for the former Global title. Maybe even a three way between him, Gunner and Daniels. The thoughts ceased for a bit.

    What was presented was this somewhat garbled article that I hope to continue in a serial format. Giving you sneak peeks into my brain in regards to the Television, tag team and World title picture. Even the Knockouts brought something to mind. But for now I better slow down before I have a novella on my hands.

    Part 2 should be on its way soon.

  3. “Impact” Impressions 5/14/09

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    Greetings, line crossers!

    Apologies for the lateness of this report. I started it on time, I swear! The hellish nightmare that is the end of a school year plus an obscenely lengthy commute equals not enough time for writing prior to the weekend. Much like the film career of Kurt Angle, though, it will all be over soon. Tonight’s episode is titled “Nightmare at the Asylum.” The jokes write themselves, don’t they? Onward!

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