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

[PowerButchi]

Not necessarily. There's the stories about fans going up to people like RVD and Angle when they were in TNA and the fans assuming they were retired now.

[Slapnut]

For someone with a lot of natural charisma, Rampage Jackson is really shit in TNA, and his attire is worse than Sting in his t-shirt.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I agree with this. I don't understand this the WWE audience will have no clue who he is, yet people assume they will know Sting.

What? Sting? That really famous wrestler who has appeared on dozens of WWE DVDs, appeared on countless talk shows and forms of media and main evented for WCW for about 15 years, once drawing the biggest buyrate in history during a wrestling boom period. Do you seriously want it explained the difference in name value between him and AJ Styles? I'm stunned anyone could make the comparison. The people who know AJ Styles dont give a shit about him. That's been evident for years.

Edited August 23, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[wrestlingmad]

I agree with this. I don't understand this the WWE audience will have no clue who he is, yet people assume they will know Sting.

What? Sting? That really famous wrestler who has appeared on dozens of WWE DVDs, appeared on countless talk shows and forms of media and main evented for WCW for about 15 years, once drawing the biggest buyrate in history. Do you seriously want it explained the difference in name value between him and AJ Styles? I'm stunned anyone could make the comparison.

What kid who's watched WWE from say 2006 will know who Sting is?

[PowerButchi]

Yeah, that's pretty mental isn't it? Sting's iconic, once the face of the hottest company in the World, put over by Ric Flair every time Flair gets a chance to, AJ Styles is off TNA.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I agree with this. I don't understand this the WWE audience will have no clue who he is, yet people assume they will know Sting.

What? Sting? That really famous wrestler who has appeared on dozens of WWE DVDs, appeared on countless talk shows and forms of media and main evented for WCW for about 15 years, once drawing the biggest buyrate in history. Do you seriously want it explained the difference in name value between him and AJ Styles? I'm stunned anyone could make the comparison.

What kid who's watched WWE from say 2006 will know who Sting is?

Who gives a fuck about some kid who watched WWE in 2006? WWE's main audience are well into their 20s. Kids will buy whatever you are selling if pushed correctly, so they would soon know who Sting is. Kids aren't the driving audience, contrary to some knob off the youtube comments page. The main audience who have jobs and can pay the 40 quid to buy the WWE's PPVs and all their spin off merchandise know who Sting is. Those people paying the advance to buy the WWE game with the Warrior on it know who Sting is. Its why WWE goes from an average of 150,000 to 1,000,000 buys at WrestleMania when you fill it with star names. He's Sting for fucks sake. Its why WWE put him on the cover of their WCW releases. Because he is Sting.

Edited August 23, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[PowerButchi]

I agree with this. I don't understand this the WWE audience will have no clue who he is, yet people assume they will know Sting.

What? Sting? That really famous wrestler who has appeared on dozens of WWE DVDs, appeared on countless talk shows and forms of media and main evented for WCW for about 15 years, once drawing the biggest buyrate in history. Do you seriously want it explained the difference in name value between him and AJ Styles? I'm stunned anyone could make the comparison.

What kid who's watched WWE from say 2006 will know who Sting is?

 

Eh? If Sting was there those people from 2006 would soon know who Sting is long before he had a match on TV. Hours of hours of footage, talking heads, putting over his legendary status. What would they do for Styles? Show him jobbing on Velocity? Teaming with Air Paris on Thunder against the Jung Dragons? Apples, Oranges, Insanity.

[Slapnut]

I agree with this. I don't understand this the WWE audience will have no clue who he is, yet people assume they will know Sting.

What? Sting? That really famous wrestler who has appeared on dozens of WWE DVDs, appeared on countless talk shows and forms of media and main evented for WCW for about 15 years, once drawing the biggest buyrate in history. Do you seriously want it explained the difference in name value between him and AJ Styles? I'm stunned anyone could make the comparison.

What kid who's watched WWE from say 2006 will know who Sting is?

 

That's irrelevant though, considering only 21% of WWE's TV audience is under 18.

[unfitfinlay]

I think its a shame that AJ hasn't had the opportunity to have decent feud with Jeff Hardy as that had to be considered a dream match at one time. I'd like a Styles-Aries program too which I think TNA have been daft to hold back. Other than them things I can't see a lot for Styles in TNA now to be honest, not much that'd cause

much excitement anyway as he has done everything multiple times.

 

It would be a shame for TNA to fuck him off though and I can't see it happening as according to Magnus' FSM column, hasn't Samoa Joe been offered a new deal? Joe and AJ have to be of the same worth to TNA really and I can't see Joe being the more favourable of the two amongst management.

 

They won't "fuck him off". They're skint and are gambling that, as his expiry date gets closer, AJ will cave and accept a low offer rather than take his chances on the Indy scene and/or WWE developmental. It's a shite way to treat a guy that's literally been there from day one but it's hardly unexpected.

 

It's definitely been shit since Aces & 8s started, so that's over a year isn't it? I can't remember much before that I enjoyed as I'm sure it was all that "do the right thing AJ" stuff. The only time in the immediate past I can remember TNA being any good were the start of the Joseph Parks storyline (which dragged and fizzled out), and Austin Aries' rise to the top.

 

I disagree.

 

I really enjoyed the Aces and Eights storyline. At first. It's just dragged on far far too long and the pay offs have been really disappointing. An Aces and Eights member has been unmasked! Who could it be? Oh, it's, erm, Mike Knox.

 

Last years Bound for Glory was one of those occasions when they really should've just done the obvious and had Bully turn to help Aces and Eights gain "free access" and had Bischoff and Jarrett reveal themselves as the masterminds behind it. All three had logical reasons for being involved (Bischoff and Jarrett are both banned from TNA and Bully was an Immortal die hard.) and Bully immediately going for the Title, Hogan vs Bischoff (in promos obviously) and Angle vs Jarrett would've been vastly more entertaining than what actually happened. Plus if they kept the rest of them (Knox, Gallows, D'Lo, Brisco etc) under masks and kept making out that they were a legitimate biker gang that Bischoff and Jarrett bought their way in to then you keep their mystique and even have the possibility of them turning babyface.

 

Actually come to think of it, Abyss was also Immortal so I assume the original plan was for him to "remask" at Bound For Glory and join Aces and Eights as well. I'll give them a pass on that one though since he was so great as Joseph.

[FLips]

So Cal Val posted the following her Twitter account today:

 

"Thank u #ImpactWrestling ,the lockerroom & esp the fans for 9 wonderful years. No longer w the company. Really excited 2 see what's NEXT! 💗💋"

 

YES! My wish has been granted. It's unhealthy how much I've wanted her to get the sack for ages. She should have been first to go in this wave of money-clearing firings.

[GlennCullen]

Seems like Eric the Actor is coming in for BFG after being challenged by Roode. It'll probably be annoying as shot, as he's annoying as shit, but ill watch anyway.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

The Roode and Eric the Midget stuff has been going on since last years Bound For Glory when Eric was picking who was going to win the matches. Its just a cheap publicity stunt to get TNA mentioned on Howard Stern, like the Bunny Ranch do. What can you do with Eric the Midget? He can barely string a sentence together. Eric is very 2007 anyway.

Edited August 23, 2013 by IANdrewDiceClay

[GlennCullen]

The Roode and Eric the Midget stuff has been going on since last years Bound For Glory when Eric was picking who was going to win the matches. Its just a cheap publicity stunt to get TNA mentioned on Howard Stern, like the Bunny Ranch do. What can you do with Eric the Midget? He can barely string a sentence together. Eric is very 2007 anyway.

 

Hopefully Double R spine buster him. That may be a little harsh.

 

Get Benjy in there. The vortex could kill off TNA once and for all.

[garynysmon]

the TV show has been appalling for years now

 

For weeks now. Or at the most 3 or 4 months. For the last couple of years though it's generally been excellent. WWE's been on a tear since Wrestlemania, but let's not re-write history.

 

It's definitely been shit since Aces & 8s started, so that's over a year isn't it? I can't remember much before that I enjoyed as I'm sure it was all that "do the right thing AJ" stuff.

 

That doesn't mean the show is 'appalling' does it? There are parts of the show that can drag on, but trust me, I wouldn't be tuning in every week if I thought it was end to end shite.

 

Not necessarily. There's the stories about fans going up to people like RVD and Angle when they were in TNA and the fans assuming they were retired now.

 

I'm not doubting the validity of these stories as I've heard them told by so many sources, but they still baffle me. Wrestling culture sure has changed, and not for the better. We're not talking Ring of Honor or an Internet show here, but a national one.

As a kid, I drove my parents crazy watching DSF and catching any WCW I could, New Japan on Eurosport and even AAA on Galavision. Most seemingly can't even be arsed skipping over to TNA, which is broadcast nationally every week, any more.

Edited August 23, 2013 by garynysmon

[UK Kat Von D]

Sting and Styles are extremely different in terms of star power and marketability, they are worlds apart. However Styles is hardly an unknown with nothing to offer, hes just not on Stings level.