TNA Impact discussion - US air date 3rd Nov - SPOILERS -

[IANdrewDiceClay]

The thing with Morgan is that he's overexposed and bad in the ring. You can be shit if your protected. But nobody has been protected in TNA during the Russo years. Samoa Joe was protected, then it all fell apart. They are doing a good job protecting Crimson at the minute, but Crimson looks and talks as if he knows nobody gives a fuck. It seems to be a road to nowhere with him. Morgan has done everything there is to do. What else can he be? The ships well and truly sailed with him. I'm sick to death of him.

 

One thing is interesting though. I've slagged off Samoa Joe loads of here over the last year or two, but watching him wrestle Morgan and Crimson really opened my eyes to what they've done to him. I used to love Joe around 2005/06 when he was killing people, and having top bouts with Angle and Styles. And I'd forgotten why in recent years because of how rotten he's looked. I sort of remembered why at BFG. The fans were cheering for him at Bound For Glory, and Joe was the only one putting a shift in. I remember saying in the chat "he doesn't deserve to lose this". Crimson and Morgan were plodding anyway soaking up apathy. Seemed wrong that he was the third wheel and obviously doing twice the work than the other two.

[Loki]

He's done it to himself mainly, though. He's not an adaptable wrestler - recently he cut a promo saying how he was the most dominant force in TNA, which is a ridiculous thing to say when you've lost about the last 10 matches. Time to switch up the character a bit, Joe.

 

He also just looks TERRIBLE nowadays. He was always big, he's Samoan, but he's just so white and wobbly.

 

That makes it all the worse when he does put effort in, as he did at BFG. Too little, too late. The man needs to take 6 months off, and go and lose some weight and get a fucking tan.

[Chris B]

That was a brilliant episode. Loved the Garrett punch to Bischoff - that was beautiful. Although between that and RVD, I wasn't mad keen on the amount of babyfaces suckerpunching heels...but that's a small gripe. It felt like they cared, which was great.

 

Storm vs Roode - that was awesome. Loved the whole thing. I particularly loved that the bottle wasn't rushed. You saw him realise, then look around to work out if he'd be caught...and then take the deliberate decision. Beautiful. Utterly beautiful.

[Doog]

It was awesome.

 

Im just a little confused about what the story is with Roode. I mean throughout the match he was saying please tap etc to Storm, but couldnt keep him down. So he looked at the bottle, used it to win.

 

However, he then goes into full heel mode, spits on Storm and acts obnoxious with the ref etc. How does that work? I get he was frustrated and just did what it took to win the belt, but why suddenly spit on Storm etc, who even throughout the match he was treating as his best friend and all that.

[TotalDebacle]

Surely the 'please tap' thing can be taken as him just wanting to win? I know the commentators put it over as him not wanting to hurt the guy but that's just their interpretation.

[Doog]

Yeah i get the wanting to win part, I get smacking him with a bottle because he ''wanted to win'', thats fine, what I didnt get was how he then went into full on wanker mode, spitting on Storm and standing on him etc, it makes it seem pre planned, wheras the bottle spot and camera work looked as if it was a spur of the moment thing.

 

I should wait until next week and see what he says of course, but yanno.

[Chris B]

I thought it was a thing of having made his choice and not regretting it. He'd realised he'd got what made him happy, and his friendship with Storm wasn't it. Add on top of that the idea that he thought he could beat Storm, and was frustrated when he couldn't. As long as he was the better man, they were friends.

[Doog]

I thought it was a thing of having made his choice and not regretting it. He'd realised he'd got what made him happy, and his friendship with Storm wasn't it.

 

I suppose that kinda makes sense, but it's like, they've done it so quick, that no tension or anything was built, so Roode literally went to being best mates with Storm, to smashing him with a bottle, spitting on him and treading on him, within an hour and a half.

[Professor Paul's Bin]

Brilliant episode of iMPACT. I'm really into TNA at the moment. Another episode out of the iMPACT Zone looked brilliant for them too. I thought Robbie E was class on this week's episode. The Main Event worked really well and they did a nice video package leading up to the match. Aries looked quality and Kid Kash look's like a mean fucker these days. The Bischoff storyline isn't too bad either. Daniels as a heel works great. I could tolerate RVD this week. Knockouts tag titles were back on the show with Knockouts who regularly appear. The only flaws I can point out at the moment are the TV Title not being defended at all (apart from the week before the last for the first time in a blue moon) and the tag divison's gone abit shit.

 

I'd love to see Robbie E and Rob Terry as tag champs soon.

[Adam South]

Brilliant episode of iMPACT. I'm really into TNA at the moment. Another episode out of the iMPACT Zone looked brilliant for them too. I thought Robbie E was class on this week's episode. The Main Event worked really well and they did a nice video package leading up to the match. Aries looked quality and Kid Kash look's like a mean fucker these days. The Bischoff storyline isn't too bad either. Daniels as a heel works great. I could tolerate RVD this week. Knockouts tag titles were back on the show with Knockouts who regularly appear. The only flaws I can point out at the moment are the TV Title not being defended at all (apart from the week before the last for the first time in a blue moon) and the [btag divison's gone abit shit.][/b]

 

I'd love to see Robbie E and Rob Terry as tag champs soon.

 

If in by 'a bit shit' you mean next to non-existent, then you're absolutely right. Outside of Mexican America there are virtually no full time teams. And even they are hardly being booked recently.

 

That said, the lack of a tag team scene is really the only disapointing thing about TNA for me at the moment.

 

One observation ref. the title match- did anyone notice the differnce in reactions to the intros of Roode and Storm? Personally thought Roode got very little in the way of a pop, whereas the reaction to Storm was probably ten times louder! Another thing that convinces me turning Bobby heel was the right move.

 

It also makes perfect sense down the line. If Jeff Hardy can keep his shit together and prove himself worthy of another run with the belt/headline run there's a feud waiting to happen. Failing that, there's a ready made feud with James Storm's revenge, not to mention fresh bouts with the likes of Anderson, Van Dam, etc. Fair enough, match quality might not be brilliant, but at least they're relatively new/under used matches.

 

Overall, while I don't ever see TNA upsetting the applecart with WWE I'd say now they're at least making steps towards being an actual real, quality alternative.

[Loki]

One observation ref. the title match- did anyone notice the differnce in reactions to the intros of Roode and Storm? Personally thought Roode got very little in the way of a pop, whereas the reaction to Storm was probably ten times louder! Another thing that convinces me turning Bobby heel was the right move.

 

The whole show was heavily sweetened, so it's hard to tell. I think Storm still needs work on his promos, Bobby Roode is a stronger talker at the moment.