garynysmon

The only people I really give a toss about in WWE are the ones who turn up for a month or so around Wrestlemania and then fuck off again, but with TNA, I can see the people I liked when I was a bigger fan of wrestling most weeks, and I can reasonably work out what's happening without having to swot up on months of Youtube videos or NXT highlights. So TNA suits what I'm after these days, but if most of the fanbase are like me, I can see why it might not be that profitable.

That's pretty much a carbon copy of how I look at it. Although I wouldn't go as far as to say that i'm a casual fan, as I still spend plenty of time watching shoot interviews and classic stuff, and do go to the once a year TNA show in Manchester.

But otherwise, I couldn't have put it better myself.

The only Raw's I've looked forward to and watched properly over the past 2 years are Raw 1000 and the old-school ones.

My point is that the only niche TNA really ticks these days is the likes of you guys who aren't fussed about the proper wrestling in 2013 but are fine casually watching a show that's basically a tribute/attempt to create what wrestling was like in the glory days.

I know TNA aren't on WWE's level, but whatever TNA are doing doesn't mean it's not 'proper wrestling'. Despite it being a very distant number two, it's still part of the scene.

The back issues of the Observer have reached April 1996. Read this line from the questions section sent in by a reader:

Yes, Buh Buh Ray Dudley is a silly gimmick, but it's a low card comedy gimmick as it should be. If Buh Buh was in WCW, he'd be pushed to the top as a monster heel and be put in a program with Hulk Hogan.

 

Move forward 17 years ...

And he's been mostly great.

Lugers face turn was done brilliantly with the helicopter entrance, everything after that was appalling. Wrestling was changing and bret in my opinion was at the peak of his in ring powers. I think the fans wanted Bret and no coach trip was going to change that. It was pretty shite aswell. Luger also looked rubbish as he had hiis mullett trimmed.

As a kid I always assumed i'd missed something and that an event of consequence took place between Narcissist knocking everyone out and the sudden face turn.

A little treat for those around my age or older who remember WCW Worldwide on ITV.

Executive producer, Virgil Runnels...

Cheers lads. Might start off with 85 then and see where that gets me. I'm sure most of it's gold.

After watching the 1988 timeline with JJ Dillon, I realised how unfamiliar I am with that time period in NWA history. I fancy buying a yearly set of WCW Saturday Night or something, but what year was the best between 1985-1990? Any ideas?

Can anyone else see WWE buying ROH and TNA like they did with WCW and ECW in 2001.

 

I suppose they might pick 'em up if they're cheap enough for DVD footage. They're not really worth much other than if they release a new Punk DVD or something.

Whoa, hold the boat! If they're signing people to new deals they're not quite dead yet!

I know the ring roasts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I love this one.

Taz has signed a new deal with TNA. Just announced it on his Twitter.

Fuck sake!!!

Whatever he's on, it's too much. It better be on reduced terms.

Sting hasn't been seen by the mainstream for yonks.

Well, yeah, if by mainstream you mean 'WWE'. Whether you watch TNA or not, appearing on national cable for the past 8 years is hardly backyard stuff.

As it stands after Bound for Glory no IMPACT live dates have been announced. I wonder if after 6 months on the road they pull the plug?

Thing is, where do they go? They've lost the Impact Zone.

Manhattan Centre or Vegas it is.

It's been said a number of times on here, but they really should be looking at buildings like the Hammerstein Ballroom.

I've never swallowed all these stories about TNA's demise but that PWT story has really set the alarmbells going. Not making payroll is what happens to football teams on the verge of administration, so that doesn't sound good at all.

If things are as bad as that, they need to scrap these tapings asap. Perception is one thing but when it's putting the future of the company at risk, fuck that.

I watched the RF Video shoot with the Godwinns last week and they were just smashed. Glad I didn't pay for it as i'd feel a bit short changed listing to Henry Godwinn mumbling on about Road Warrior Hawk breaking his neck.

Whats the point in having Hogan to promote TNA when his wages are one of the factors preventing bringing in anyone new worth promoting?

Plus they wont be around forever, TNA would save face letting Hogan go rather than having him leave for a Wrestlemania 30 payday

Like people have been saying for the last 11 years.

Hogan is the only person who can promote them on a decent platform. Do you see Samoa Joe popping up on Loose Women and getting Jane McDonald's knickers wet?

A lot of contracts coming up in the next 1-6 months. TNA might be better off just letter some of the bigger names go and try and rebuild with what they have and a couple new names. Sting and Hogan would take a load off the wage bill. I'd also get rid of Taz and bring in Ron Hed from OVW. He's great. Or just stick Borash on the headset. JB is the only bloke I've seen in TNA that had chemistry with Tenay.

I'm inclined to agree, and it's fair to say Sting's achieved all he can in TNA. I would keep hold of Hogan though. He's brilliant for publicity and stuff, the only real household name in wrestling.

Had an absolute rotten week. Even Serena Williams managed to lose and cost me an accumulator win. I think my problem is that I always bet pretty low so even when I win it doesn't manage to cover the losses.

I see Levadia Tallinn are evens to beat Bala in the Europa League tomorrow night. Bala have only been back in training a week and have lost their best striker, while Tallinn are well into their season. Worth a few quid.

The Beverly Brothers manage to almost kill someone on WWF Superstars.

Think the years are a bit off on some of them, but interesting nontheless. 1983-92 wins it for me hands down.

I never got the whole women in football shirts thing. I prefer women in the nud.

This.

I really, really wish the A&8's angle would just hurry up and be over with. More than ever it's like a dark cloud just dragging the entire show down, and now that the MEM are back it means twice as much time dedicated to the angle. Bully Ray is fantastic in his role but he'd be just as great without the group. It wouldn't be so bad if the rest of the guys were only used as backup for Bully Ray but I have no interest in seeing any of the other scrubs in actual matches.

I don't hate it as much as most, but looks like it'll be here until Bound for Glory at least.

They teased Bischoff being part of it once or twice, but nothing came of it. Love me some Bisch.

I loved that period when Ahmed was putting random Nation members through tables. I bet the ones taking it were shitting themselves.

Aye, thought he was on a push for the world title for a while there.

Traditional Championship Wrestling have seemingly signed some sort of TV deal.

Looks a decent little outfit, might give them a go. http://tcwwrestling.com/

I remember they were discussing it on the WrestlingClassics.com board and somebody said the bloke was a friend of Ahmed's from his old Global days in Texas. Definately 100% wasn't D'Lo. He done him at Wrestlemania 13 though.

Spot looked really nasty too.

Got a bit confused there

And if I remember correctly they had to turn the lights off on the crowd as there was relatively no fucker there.

Wasn't that because Skydome was the only real arena they had in Toronto? All different now of course, since they built the Air Canada Centre a year or so later.

Was a decent gate at the time.

Ahmed Johnson will always go down in folklore in this house by being the only time I know of, that Mr Garynysmon Sr. managed to laugh at anything wrestling related.

Skip to 42 minutes in

Giving D'lo Brown the pearl river plunge through the French announce table, meaning poor old Jaques Rougeau Sr had to carry on trying to commentate through the wreckage.