Before I go into what happened on this week's Impact, I want to discuss reports that Hulk Hogan is a little frustrated backstage because Dixie wants him to push people he doesn't have alot of faith in when it comes to the ring. Report is that Dixie doesn't want to see the TNA originals get buried under the House of Hogan. Yet more proof that Hogan/Bischoff is taking the pulse of the TNA fans with an ovenmitt. If Hogan actually believes that the fans want to see any of the friends of Hogan that he has brought it, except for maybe Anderson. Speaking of people brought in recently, where is Kendrick or Generation Me? I had such high hopes.
Now on to the show.
On the recap of last week we see the Bischoff/Foley confrontation and Bischoff's ultimatum, then we see Hall and Waltman attacking Nash (this still doesn't make sense to me especially with no Nash this week)
Hogan limps his way to the ring with his sad looking NWO slide. You know if Hogan would just come out and talk I think he would go over a lot better, but he always has to add in TNAmaniacs (which doesn't work) and now we have 'This is the "Im" place to be, brother.' (there was another use of "Im" in there as well, le sigh). Eric Young came out to chants of "Overrated", which I don't necessarily agree with. He tells Hogan that he wan't Hall and Waltman in revenge for the attack on Nash. Hogan blows smoke about Yuong being on of the guys that made him want to come to TNA in the first place and if he wants to go after Hall and Waltman to do it away from the Impact Zone. This scene would make better sense if Young actually did something else in the show, and no punching a locker doesn't count.
Match One: Dinero vs Jordan 8 Card Stud Tourney
Not too bad a match. Jordan doesn't look too bad in the ring. But again the outcome was obvious. After defeating Styles last week, TNA would do a diservice to allow Dinero to lose to Jordan again. Then again they are pretty good at two steps forward one step back, just ask Daniels and Beer Money, who are obviously good enough for House Shows, but not TV time.
Jeff Jarrett is in Bischoff's office sucking up and looking as charismatic as drying cement. He tells Bischoff that he's ready to be a team player and maybe he should get one of the two open spots in the 8 Card Stud Tourney. Bischoff say, um no. That's not the bottom of the ladder Jeff. Jarrett walks off dejected. So what are we doing with Jarrett? I think we are all confused. One week he's face, the next two he's hell, the third he's sorry, the forth he agrees to start at the bottom whatever to help TNA, this weeks he's sour puss not heel, not face, hell not ever tweener. Sad.
Match Two: Matt Morgan vs Suicide 8 Card Stud Tourney
Another match with no doubt. There was no wa Suicide would win over Morgan. Slack match.
Foley goes to see Bischoff, again like Jarrett we have the sad puppy Foley agreeing to Bischoff's terms. Bischoff is glad and to show Mick he's cool he puts Mick and Abyss in the final two slots of the 8 Card Stud Tourney and if Mick tries anything funny, then Abyss will have to unmask on the Next Impact. You know, I know that this is all heading toward a Bischoff gets his ending, but the segments aren't strong enough to get there. While Bischoff seems to be enjoying himself, Jarrett and Foley just seem to be going through the motions. Is this how they want it played? I'd rather have Jarrett and Foley bowing under protest at least showing some emotion.
Angle and Anderson are talking with Christy Hemme about them coexisting as a tag team for tonight's match. Angle threatens Anderson with an ankle snap and leaves, but not before coming back into the scene with a second snap. Ah haha the humor, they made fun of Anderson. ahah ahah ahah, hmmm. Angle leaves and an actual mic drops from the sky in a locker room. I guess the mic mysteriously follows Anderson around. This would have been a little more amusing if after Anderson left Hemme looked up to figure out where the mic came from. That might have gotten a chuckle from me, maybe.
After commercial we see Angle telling Eric Young to stay out of the Hall/Waltman mess, that he would take care of it alone. Angle leaves and Young punches a locker room, because even though he is one of the guys Hogan came here for he's only good for tantrums and being treated like a kid not allowed to go outside.
Doug Williams vs Amazing Red.
Red gets his rematch after losing the X Division title last week. Decent match with Red bouncing around the ring like a jumping bean on an energy drink. Williams retains will a rolling german suplex into a pin.
Tara/Angelina Love vs TBP
Mediocre match with TBP getting the win after beating Tara with the ugly stick. I guess these are the only five women that Hogan wants to push. It's been weeks since we've seen any other. Well in ODB's case that's a blessing. Who the hell in TNA actually thought that skank has any ring skill? She disgusted me from day one.
Desmond Wolfe with Hemme backstage. Wolfe goes on about being in the tag team match later, how if anyone crosses him n the match he's ending them. Through the whole interview Hemme smiled like a school girl and it looks like she would need a sponge to get all the wetness.
Wolfe/Hernendez vs Anderson/Angle
Anderson left Angle to take most of the punishment in the match, even giving Angle the short tag on one occassion. The match ended after an Angle slam, Anderson blind tag, throwing Angle to the floor and stealing the pin on Hernendez (Can you tell me out of these four who's not going far in the 8 Card Stud tourney?
Samoa Joe is in the ring, time to build the World Title match. He calls out Styles, who answers with Flair in tow. Nice seesaw promo, until Joe goes too far and Style comes after him Joe gets the upper hand until Flair comes in with the low blow. Joe is left laying in the ring.
Styles is stopped from leaving the building by Bischoff who says that he will be the referee in the Styles'Joe match and he will call it right down the middle. So who thinks that's going to happen.
Hogan stops Angle from going after Hall and Waltman, saying that if it's going to happen it's going to happen in Hogan's house, so he opens the back door so Hall and Waltman can get in. Again where is the constistency? Earlier in the show he said he's wasn't allowing Hall and Waltman in the building and that Young should take care of them away from the Impact Zone, now he's saying the only way it will happen is in the Impact Zone? I'm confused.
Angle is in the ring here comes Hall and Waltman. Angle beats on Waltman as we wait for Grandfather Hall to make it to the ring and he does looking sloppy as hell. Waltman hits Angle with brass knuckles and the two beat on Angle. Hogan's music hits he makes his way to the ring, NWO slide in effect. Kissy fingers Hall and Waltman. Waltman hands him the brass knuckles and Hogan does the "oh Gosh for me" look, then proceeds to hit Hall and Waltman, before tossing the knuckles to Angle as we go off the air.
The Good
- Got to see Wolfe and Dinero in the ring.
- Joe vs Styles
- Amazing Red (I can't wait for an Amazine Red./Kendrick match)
- Flow (Even with five matches and a lot of segments the show flowed pretty well, it didn't seem to drag.
The Bad
- Hall and Waltman. Hall continually looks drunk and out of shape, and what's up with the sweatpants? Only Foley can pull that off and even doesn't do it that well.
- Foley and Jarrett just look like they are going through the motions.
- No Gerneration Me, Beer Money, Daniels, MCMG's.
-Too many segments with the same people. Bischoff was in like four and ANgle was in five. Crazy
The Rant
You know I really don't understand the wrestling business sometimes. When you have the chance to mine from one of the greatest wrestling minds in the business and you choose instead to let Jim Cournette leave and bring in Hogan thinking that he can reinvigorate TNA and bring ratings there is something wrong. Cornette could do more with free reign in the company than Hogan and Bischoff have done with their retread storylines. They say there is nothing new under the sun in wrestling and that may be true. When a storyline starts, nine times out of ten we know where it's going to end, but half the fun is supposed to be in the getting there. My question is when is the fun starting. I'll say that Impact has improved since Hogan and Bishoff have taken over, but it's disregarding what made them stand apart from WWE in the first place, the wrestling.
With a roster of over sixty wrestlers, which is almost as many as the WWE has with four shows (Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and SuperStars) Even before Hogan brought in his handful of cronies the roster was still almost unmanagable. Someone needs to sharpen up the carving knife and trim the fat. There is one thing that Hogan has said that is true, there is talent in TNA they're just being underuttilized.
The sad thing is, it's going to get worse, before it gets better.
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