“iMPACT” Impressions 10/22/09
Leave a CommentThe week is winding down, and it’s time to join your Empress of “iMPACT” and cross the line!
The week is winding down, and it’s time to join your Empress of “iMPACT” and cross the line!
It’s a bit late, but it’s here.
I didn’t watch this PPV, and I’m refusing to. At first, I was refusing to watch because of the whole “submission matches without primarily submission wrestlers” thing. Now there’s another reason, but I’ll get to that at the end.
Chris Jericho & The Big Show def. MVP & Mark Henry to retain the Unified WWE Tag Team Championships. As if we didn’t see that coming.
Kofi Kingston def. The Miz to retain the WWE United States Championship. And the point of that was?
Legacy def. DX in a Submissions Count Anywhere match. Really? Wow! There’s some credibility for the two young guys there – which will no doubt be destroyed by Hell In A Cell next month.
Kane def. The Great Khali in a Singapore Cane Submission match. And people actually paid for this?
Christian def. William Regal to retain the ECW Championship. By Pinfall. On a submission themed Pay Per View. Where the main events are all supposed to be submission matches. In the ECW main event. Yup.
John Cena def. Randy Orton in an I Quit Match to win the WWE Championship. Great. Now we have to deal with Cena as the champion again.
The Undertaker def. CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship – but wait, there’s more!
Teddy Long came out and announced the the Hell’s Gate submission was still technically banned, so the match had to be restarted…
CM Punk def. The Undertaker to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Punk reversed a Last Ride into an Anaconda Vise, and the referee immediately called for the bell. Punk and the referee then bolted up the ramp to where Teddy Long was standing. Yes folks, another rehash of the Montreal Screwjob.
You know what, I’m sick of this crap. Every time the WWE is in Canada, they have to do some kind of screwjob angle. 2003 in Montreal with The Rock and Hulk Hogan. A few years back with Shane McMahon and Shawn Michaels. Look. The Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels thing happened in November of 1997. That’s nearly 12 years ago. The fact is, that wasn’t a storyline – that was real, or as they say in the business, a “shoot.” That pissed off a lot of people because Bret Hart was loved by the fans – especially the Canadian fans – and was legitimately screwed out of the WWF Championship. I get it, wink wink, nudge nudge, we screwed the fan favorite in Canada. It’s getting old. I get where you’re coming from with it, but enough is enough.
I also hate the whole gimmick PPV thing. John Cena, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, and Kane are not names that spring to mind when you mention submission wrestling to me. And next month is Hell in a Cell. Because a John Cena/Randy Orton Hell in a Cell main event makes any sense. Really, to have, at the very least, two Hell in a Cell matches in one Pay Per View sort of diminishes the significance of the match. Same with the TLC Pay Per View coming up in December. These type of matches should be kept to one per year, maximum, and the guys in the matches should be guys who specialize in them. Undertaker or Triple H in Hell in the Cell, for example, or Edge, Christian, or Matt Hardy in TLC.
Given the lack of anything decent or new on the card, and the oh so cliche Montreal Screwjob ending, I’m glad I didn’t waste either my time or my money on this PPV.
In a recent interview, TNA President Dixie Carter stated that the biggest challenge facing the business was “making new superstars.” The interview in its entirety can be read here:
Wednesday. The only day in the week where there is wrestling on your TV. Monday Nights are RAW, Tuesdays have ECW. Thursdays make an iMPACT. Friday nights have SmackDown! Saturday Nights are ROH and Sundays are for Pay-Per-View. Where does that leave Wednesday? Luckily, at BoredWrestlingFan, yours truly has completed your weekly wrestling fix.
TNA Lockdown
I’ve been promoting this PPV for weeks. I even talked about this PPV during Wrestlemania week, without talking about Wrestlemania. With all that said, did they let me down? Well, it depends on which way you look at it.
For those who watched it, I’ve heard mixed reactions, although some of these reactions have come from the same TNA bashers each week who have watched previous PPVs in the past and think that the rest will be the same. However, right here on this very website, our very own Drowgoddess, thought the PPV was at least decent. Infact, she enjoyed it. I didnt watch it, and Drow did, so I will take her word on how good it was. But that doesnt mean I have nothing to say.
How can Team 3D, have numerous ‘Rough Cuts’ segments, stating how they help the young guys, that they’re not there to be selfish and that they’re there to put over the young guys. Then why in the hell, did they NOT put over Beer Money Inc. at Lockdown? Was it because it was in Philly, your ‘hometown’ so to speak? Brother Ray, Brother Devon, since when did you guys become Bret Hart? It shouldnt matter if your ‘home’ or away, if the jobs to be done, then the jobs to be done. There is absolutely no reason why Team 3D should be the Tag Team Champions at this moment. It seems that you lie to your wrestling school, when you say you help the young guys, because all you done at Lockdown, was squash all the momentum James Storm and Robert Roode had. Thanks a lot Team 3D.
Suicide needs to be someone new, and not guys like Daniels or Kaz. if Suicide was a new guy, then you could have guys like Daniels, Kaz and Suicide on the roster, whereas this way, only one of Daniels and Kaz can be on the roster, otherwise one will be pulling double-duty every night. Daniels has just come back to the roster as himself, but he also donned the Suicide outfit for Lockdown, which means he wrestled two matches in the night, when he shouldnt of had to. Many people could complain as to why you turned a video game character into a real-life character, but I’m not one of those. The only thing that upsets me about Suicide, is that it isnt someone new in that suit.
Angelina Love won the KnockOuts belt. It gives Awesome Kong the chance for some time off, which is a good thing. However, is it such a godd thing for everything else. The Beautiful People is a good heel group in the KnockOuts division, especially since Kute Kip stopped hanging around, and they recruited Madison Rayne. The problem with Angelina Love with the belt is this, she has zero ability. It would be like, Lauren winning the belt. Thats how much ability she has, and plus, it will probably lead to a rift between Love and fellow members Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne, which will lead to the break-up of the group, which can only mean bad things for TNA. Sure, they have SoJo Bolt and Rhaka Khan as heels, but against the face core of Taylor Wilde, Roxxi, ODB, Kong, Raisha Saeed and Daffney, it is pivotial in this columnist’s opinion that they dont break up the Beautiful People over the title. But I suppose, like everything else in the world, only time will tell.
MotorCity Machine Guns retained the belts. Nice to see TNA actually see them as a Tag Team champion, even if it is only the Junior IWGP Tag Team Champions. They’re still champions. A note to Team 3D, have these guys beat you for your Tag gold. Thats right, you say you help the young guys, but you’d just rather squash. Sorry for suggesting you actually lose clean.
ODB won Queen of the Cage, thus becoming #1 contender for the KnockOuts title. Who is that guy with her? Since when did they hire Joe Dirt? JT would’ve been a better winner.
Abyss, Matt Morgan, Tean Jarrett and Team Angle? Meh.
Sting and Mick Foley. We have a new champion folks, and it’s Mick Foley. You know Mick Foley, he was thrown off a cage in 1996. He won his first major title as Mankind in 1998. It’s nice to see Sting putting over the young guys. Great job, Sting! I dont care how good the match may have been. It’s a joke that Foley is champ. Isnt he the Commish, or the Executive Shareholder or something like that? How can an authority figure win the belt? It’s like when Vince McMahon won the 1998 Royal Rumble, only Foley’s win makes no sense. Foley equals Ratings, bullshit. Pushing the young guys, and providing an actual wrestling show. That equals Ratings.
WWE Backlash
The Pay-Per-View is this Sunday. You think i’m lying don’t you? I promise you, I’m not. I wish I was though, because the matches they are providing doesnt exactly show a ‘great’ PPV. let me show you.
The Main Event has the Legacy (Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes), face off against the team of Shane McMahon, Batista and the WWE Champion, Triple H. The stipulation is as follows. If any members of Randy Orton’s team wins, then Randy Orton wins the title, however, if any members of Triple H’s team wins, then Triple H retains the title. Judging by the tension between Shane and Batista on RAW the past weeks, and Batista’s spear on Shane during the Orton/HHH NoDQ match on RAW this past week, I can say with great security, that Batista gets the pin for his team, then lays claim to the title, and challenges Triple H.
John Cena defends the World Heavyweight Championship, against the former holder, Edge, in a Last Man Standing match. Is it just me, or have these two feuded since New Year’s Revolution 2007, when Edge cashed in Money in the Bank, after Cena survivng the Elimination Chamber? This is about the only match that these two havent competed in against each other, besides Hell In A Cell. Cena doesnt interest me, and Edge, well, maybe with Vickie Guerrero on RAW now, he can become a heel on his own accord, rather than using the likes of Lita, and Vickie to help him get there.
Jack Swagger defends the ECW Championship against Christian. Yes, really. The ECW Title is being defended on Pay-Per-View. Shocking. Anyways, after the four-way, three-match elimination process, which saw Mark Henry, Tommy Dreamer and Finlay eliminated. Christian winds up as number one contender. This gives them one-week, two shows (ECW and Superstars), to build this match into any insignificance. With Swagger’s poor performance at No Way Out, many say he’s being punished. If that’s the case, then Swagger has an uphill ride ahead of him if he wants to get back to the levels he’s at now.
Chris Jericho vs Ricky Steamboat. It seems those in the WWE were impressed with Steamboat’s performance at Wrestlemania, that they’ve decided to book him in a match, against Jericho. Another match with pretty much zero buildup, which doesnt sound good. However, we know Jericho can go, it depends on if Steamboat can go at least ten minutes to make this match anything.
Jeff Hardy faces his brother Matt in an ‘I Quit’ match. This sure seems to be the PPV for gimmicks, doesnt it? I thought their gimmick PPV was a entitled ‘Extreme Rules’ and it was in June? Hmmm, I must be mistaken. This looks like the match to end the feud between the Hardy Boyz, which has stemmed since the Survivor Series. The fans utterly adore Jeff, so let’s hope he puts over his brother Matt, to give him the push. Otherwise, it’s a TNA-story all over again.
Khali kissing ‘Santina’ on Khali-kiss cam? Your kidding me, right? No? This is really happening. A guy in drag, is gonna kiss a big, useless guy whose claim to fame is being an extra in the re-make of the Longest Yard. I will use a quote, from US tennis great John McEnroe here when I say “You can’t be serious”.
CM Punk vs Kane? Since when? Apparently, this match stems from the end of the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania, in which Punk kicked Kane off the ladder, in order to grab the briefcase. The only other build-up this match has had, was a match on RAW between the two (remember, CM Punk and Kane were both drafted to SmackDown!, so why are they competing on RAW is my question), in which Punk countered the Chokeslam into a roll-up into a three count. Why do I get the feeling that Backlash is like one big jigsaw, that has been put together very rushed and all the pieces are in the wrong spot.
This PPV doesnt make me think it’s a must-watch, or even a maybe-watch. Maybe it’s the PPV after Wrestlemania. Maybe it’s the rush job they have done in creating matches, or maybe it’s me wanting to watch SummerSlam ’99 again. Whatever the reason, I’m staying away from Backlash.
WWE Vintage Collection
This, I have to say, is the only WWE show, I enjoy watching. For those who havent seen it, it’s hosted by ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund, and it’s an hour log show, remembering the shows of yesteryear. Anything from past Wrestlemanias, to U.K. only specials, to weekly shows from the 80s. It’s an old-school fan’s delight, and now, starting this week, I am recapping this show for WorldWrestlingInsanity.com, due to leave taken by their usual recapper. Whether it’s only a part-time gig, or whether it’s a more permanent role remains to be seen, but my first recap from what I understand, will appear at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com today! Go check it out, and enjoy the Battle Royal at Royal Albert Hall from October 3, 1991.
That’s it for another Wednesday. Be sure to check back each and every day for various columns and results from the fellow Bored Wrestling Fan crew. But, from this columnist, I bid you adieu.
This is the go-home show for “Lockdown.” Can TNA successfully convince us to shell out our hard-earned cash (or three hours of our lives and sore backsides) on their pay-per-view offering? Let’s find out.
New name. Same old dribble.
It seems that the folks at BoredWrestlingFan.com, liked my first column, and have allowed me back for a second week, and with this being Wrestlemania 25 week, I’m here to talk about the WWE’s biggest PPV of the year! Or not.
For you see, in a little over two weeks from now, Total Nonstop Action have a PPV entitled ‘Lockdown’, in which every match takes place, inside of the ‘Six Sides of Steel’. The main event of this event pits the TNA World Champion ‘the Icon’ Sting, against the man of many personas, ‘the Hardcore Legend’ Mick Foley. Two of the oldest, rundown names in TNA go one-on-one for the gold, in a company that is apparently pushing the ‘younger’ talent up the ranks.
Also announced for this PPV, is the New Japan Tag Team Champions, Team 3D, against the TNA Tag Team Champions, Beer Money Inc., in which both sets of titles will be on the line. The event is in Philadelphia, Team3D’s second home you could say, since ECW was based in Philly, so the likeliness of having new TNA Tag Champs, is very likely. However, like I said last week, if your pushing the young guys, have Beer Money win. Even in their little ‘Roughcuts’ interview segment with Brother Ray, he said that he’s there to help the young guys, and put them over. I’m the biggest Beer Money fan I know. I wear my James Storm ‘Sorry About Your Damn Luck’ T-Shirt with pride. If Team 3D win, then TNA inches another step closer to becoming WCW.
Then of course, there’s Lethal Lockdown, where teams of 4 or 5, depending on the year, battle each other to determine which is the better team. The team captains for the match, Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, which were decided in a 20-man Gauntlet inside the steel, will pick their partners to face the other team. Now Kurt has already gone on record, in picking his team, fellow Main Event Mafia members Booker T, Scott Steiner and Kevin Nash. Samoa Jow on the other hand, doesnt want to be Captain. He just wants to match Jeff Hardy for ridiculous face paint, and carry a blade around with him, to make him look tough. Expect Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Eric Young to be Joe’s partners.
Onto a topic, of a non-wrestling related manner, Jenson Button, driving for Brawn GP, led a 1-2 for his team in the first race of the Formula One season, after Sebastien Vettel, driving for RedBull Racing, and Robert Kubica, driving for BMW-Sauber, collided with each other with three laps to go, whilst sitting second and third respectively. After the 1-2 finish in Melbourne, Australia, Brawn GP decided to sack 270 of its workers. What a way to celebrate,you helped win us the race, now we dont need you. Also, the Brawn GP cars are sponsored by Richard Branson run, Virgin. Does that now mean, that because one of the cars sponsored by Virgin, won the race, will be false advertising for the rest of the year, because it won its first race? I thought you weren’t a Virgin after your first?
Awesome Kong is NOT a match with Al Bundy.
Did You Know? Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is Kurt Angle’s second cousin.
Enjoy the rest of Wrestlemania week! (This coming from the one person, who didnt talk about Wrestlemania in his column.)
Sorry, peeps, gotta vent. (more…)
Your Empress of “Impact” is back for another week’s thoughts on TNA. And there was much rejoicing!
We open with the Main Event Mafia and the casket representing Christian Cage and his career. Kurt HHHAngle spews on about how Christian wouldn’t commit to the TNA family, and had been in negotiations with WWE, so he had to be taken out. And Kurt Angle, as well as the rest of the Main Event Mafia, cares so much about TNA as a company since when, precisely? The MEM could actually get over as heels if the faces would seriously call them out on their bovine fertilizer promos, and do so in a way that made sense. Aside from losing matches and constantly being beaten down, the TNA Originals are almost completely muzzled on the mic. At the very least, the one battle the young guys should always win is the battle of words.
Well, after successfully predicting No Mercy earlier this month, I thought I’d give TNA predictions a shot. I don’t expect them to be super accurate, because you never can tell what these TNA bookers are going to do…
TNA Championship: Samoa Joe (C) vs. Sting
Joe is gonna kill you… With the “no rematch” stipulation added this past Thursday on iMPACT, I don’t really expect to see Sting winning this – Joe’s just not ready to be pushed out of the main event.
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett (Special Enforcer Mick Foley)
I don’t think we’ll see Angle win unless Foley turns on Jarrett. Since he’s new on the scene, I don’t know if I see that happening – but at the same time, I can’t see why Foley would be on the side of the young guys in this whole “respect” thing. Unless something drastic happens though, I’m taking Jarrett in this one.
Monster’s Ball Match for the World Tag Team Titles: Beer Money Inc. (C) vs. LAX vs. Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss
Quite frankly, I can see any of the four winning. I expect to see Beer Money get their asses handed to them, but somehow manage to retain their titles.
The Steel Asylum Match
Not sure who’s going to be in this match, but if they found somebody to replace Kaz in the role, I wouldn’t be surprised if Suicide debuts tonight and wins the match. If not, I’m not sure who would be in this match, let alone who might win.
TNA Knockouts Championship: Taylor Wilde (C) vs. Roxxi vs. Awesome Kong
Given recent events, where Taylor Wilde’s been feuding with The Beautiful People, and Roxxi’s been getting over on Kong, I’m going to give the nod, and JohnnyCraze if you’re reading this, remember that this is only a prediction, to Roxxi.
Christian Cage vs. AJ Styles vs. Booker T
I have no idea where they’re headed with this one. Let’s say Cage.
X-Division Championship: Shiek Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed
I can’t stand the Bashir character. That said, he’ll probably retain.
I won’t be around for the PPV tonight, but if you’re watching it, enjoy!