Impact wrestling thread - It's a Don West tribute thread now!

[Professor Paul's Bin]

Apart from looking smoking hot Christy Hemme is fucking useless and shouldn't be ring announcing in the first place. Saying that I don't condone Aries's actions and think he could have handle the situation differently.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Ratings in TNA usually dont really matter, so its normally redundant to post them. But Impact this week did 1.05 million viewer. FUCK! This is viewership in the same ballpark as when they were going against Raw in 2010. Just over 1 million viewers is a scary number at the minute. I hope for their sake the move to 9pm works out for them.

 

Dixie has a way to increase interest, though:

"I don't think [the WWE] shares my belief in this, but I believe that competition is 100% positively essential,I think it's important for fans and for us. To have one company dominate, a) it's boring, and you are not being challenged enough. It's always better to have other options out there and I truly believe it makes both companies better. absolutely would do that. I'm not sure if they would do that (a crossover event), but I absolutely would."

 

No shit.

Edited May 17, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Mr Butternut Squash]

I said Impact was becoming unwatchable the other day. I completely eat my words cos it was fabulous this week. It felt like watching a proper TV show in that I never felt the need to skip through bits. That hasn't happened since I started following wrestling again a year ago. Even watched the Velvet Sky match (and liked it!) Everything had purpose and direction, it's not like WWE where the matches mainly serve to fill time. It helped that Sting and Angle were out there talking instead of having matches. I don't think Bully had his lackeys around him in a single segment this week and - wouldn't you know it - he looked like a star for the first time since he got the strap. Him and Sting were great in contract 'negotiation' thing at the end. That's how you do it, you don't need The Miz or fucking Josh Matthews in between them collating the thing, just let the people fighting chat shit. The stip has got me half interested in the match too.

 

Everyone hit the button tonight. Even Anderson was amusing in a "this idiot just don't have a clue lol" kind of way.

Edited May 18, 2013 by Mr Butternut Squash

[bAzTNM#1]

Meltzer said this about the "Aries, Crotch, Hemme, Face" incident on the WrestlingClassics.com board..

Incident not a work.Very strange week, was on the story for several days.Problem was this:1) Happened on Spike TV where such things are clearly against station policy2) Hemme complained on twitter3) Aries joked it off publiclyI don't know what TNA would or wouldn't have done, but by Tuesday, they no longer had a choice in the matter.

Edited May 18, 2013 by bAzTNM#1

[Benno]

I said Impact was becoming unwatchable the other day. I completely eat my words cos it was fabulous this week. It felt like watching a proper TV show in that I never felt the need to skip through bits. That hasn't happened since I started following wrestling again a year ago. Even watched the Velvet Sky match (and liked it!) Everything had purpose and direction, it's not like WWE where the matches mainly serve to fill time. It helped that Sting and Angle were out there talking instead of having matches. I don't think Bully had his lackeys around him in a single segment this week and - wouldn't you know it - he looked like a star for the first time since he got the strap. Him and Sting were great in contract 'negotiation' thing at the end. That's how you do it, you don't need The Miz or fucking Josh Matthews in between them collating the thing, just let the people fighting chat shit. The stip has got me half interested in the match too. Everyone hit the button tonight. Even Anderson was amusing in a "this idiot just don't have a clue lol" kind of way.

I wasn't as enamoured with this weeks show, it had its strong points but I do always find the taped second show more difficult to get into for whatever reason. Do love Hogan changing from Yellow and Red to All Black between each taping though, that old pro. Also got to love that Hulkster has taken New Balance trainers as part of his gimmick now.Although this week is the most worrying, I never really think much of TNA's week to week ratings. With the way the nielsen system works, to me minor fluctuation week to week is within an acceptable the margin of error, although there does seem to be a downward trend in the new timeslot, so hopefully switching back will bring things back to "normal" and placate the network.You're dead on about Bully Ray though. In the run up to winning the belt he was the hottest act in TNA and absolutely deserved to be the top guy. He's getting dragged down by the Aces stuff though. Even the little things like wrestling in about 7 layers of Aces clothing like the rest of the jobbers and coming out to the groups music rather than his own (Hogan, Flair and HHH always knew better when leading their respective stables) has massively damaged his aura. This Sting match is utterly uninspiring too. Stinger still has his role, but really, does anyone want him to be doing a longish PPV main event at his point?Seeing this at the top of the card and watching Bobby Roode in his current (entertaining) holding pattern, is becoming quite frustrating. They had something great with Aries/Roode on top last year. Edited May 18, 2013 by Benno

[PSF]

Seeing this at the top of the card and watching Bobby Roode in his current (entertaining) holding pattern, is becoming quite frustrating. They had something great with Aries/Roode on top last year.

Aries never did it for me in the Main event event, although I love his current position. Whats the situation with the Destination X stip they added last year in regards to the X CHamp swapping his belt for a shot at the Heavyweight title? Now the PPV doesn't exist, is it being dropped? I think Sabin would be a good shout for a H/W title shot if he wins the X/D Title.

[Benno]

Seeing this at the top of the card and watching Bobby Roode in his current (entertaining) holding pattern, is becoming quite frustrating. They had something great with Aries/Roode on top last year.

Aries never did it for me in the Main event event, although I love his current position. Whats the situation with the Destination X stip they added last year in regards to the X CHamp swapping his belt for a shot at the Heavyweight title? Now the PPV doesn't exist, is it being dropped? I think Sabin would be a good shout for a H/W title shot if he wins the X/D Title.

While I preferred Aries as the guy working with Roode, rather than being out and out top guy himself, I think there was still places to with him as champ, with matches against Angle,AJ, Bully and others, they just turned him too soon because they wanted to do something with Jeff on top. Was poor timing for Aries I think, being champ around the time they were trying to placate Jeff Hardy and get him to sign a new deal.As for the Destination X deal, I'd guess they'll do it as a special Impact around the time the PPV should have been. Edited May 18, 2013 by Benno

[Arch Stanton]

Who's going to be working the Suicide gimmick this time round?

[TheShowOff]

Who's going to be working the Suicide gimmick this time round?

 

Super Porky.

[Arch Stanton]

Now I know you're joking. No way TNA can afford Super Porky.

[Sexy Dad]

Who's going to be working the Suicide gimmick this time round?

 

I hope Daniels and Kazarian both portray him, resulting in a brilliant conclusion where they both find each others Suicide gear.

[Maverick]

They seem to have turned Storm into Road Warrior Hawk circa 97, anyone else worried his partner for Slammiversary will turn out to be Chris Harris?

Edited May 21, 2013 by Inspector Paul Solo

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Shark Boys back. No idea why he isn't around all the time. So much comedy you can get out of him. That cartoon mask is great. And Gunner is back, which can only be a good thing. Gunner and James Storm has potential I reckon. Gunner's a good man. AJ Styles hit Kurt Angle with a hammer and then turned on the Aces and 8s. Uncensored 97 this wasn't. Todd Kennelly was plugging the pay-per-view that takes place a week on Sunday as being "3 days away".

 

The rest of it wasn't up to much.

[FLips]

Shark Boys back. No idea why he isn't around all the time. So much comedy you can get out of him. That cartoon mask is great. And Gunner is back, which can only be a good thing. Gunner and James Storm has potential I reckon. Gunner's a good man. AJ Styles hit Kurt Angle with a hammer and then turned on the Aces and 8s. Uncensored 97 this wasn't. Todd Kennelly was plugging the pay-per-view that takes place a week on Sunday as being "3 days away".

 

The rest of it wasn't up to much.

 

I really liked what they did with the AJ Styles bit. All the way through him coming out and being patched in I was thinking "He's going to turn on them" but then he didn't, so when he full on smashed Kurt's leg in with the hammer I was shocked, but then he cleaned house on the Aces and 8s too. I think the "Lone Wolf" gimmick suits him well.

[Callum1993]

T.J Perkins is playing the role of Suicide this time around.