The Ghost of bps21

Amen.

At least they finally changed the title at a non-TNA show. What they do next will decide how I feel about it.

bps is stuck working like 50 hours a week...and he drinks alot. I appreciate the kind words though. Perhaps I'll try and get back in the groove...the positive steps TNA has been making lately have really gotten me more and more excited about the product.

You know...I actually thought that too when I watched it a second time. The first time I was distracted by the fact that I had no idea who would win... It wasn't TNA's strongest effort in putting Joe over...but they did kind of correct it when they had him looking pissed at not winning (and yet not losing) after the match. Until they make the decision to move Joe to the World title picture (which I think will happen...but not for months and months) Styles and Daniels are his main peers. He made AJ tap out under interference last month...and didn't win this month. I still think they will put the title on him before he takes a fall.

I think it's important to remeber that the top 3 companies are going after 3 different styles of wrestling right now. If you are looking for a great wrestling match...Ring of Honor is for you. They are leaps and bounds ahead of TNA and WWE for smart, well constructed wrestling matches and feuds. Gabe is the best booker of the 3. He knows what his audience wants, and has found the most talented guys to fill those roles. If you want fun fast paced wrestling that you don't have to really think too hard on...TNA is for you. I fully believe that the 3 way last night would look totally different if the same 3 guys did it in RoH. But TNA wants them to work fast and frenzied. It results in really good shows...but it doesn't always make sense. If you're a fan of ridiculous storylines that are more important than the matches...then watch WWE. Outside of a few performers...their shows blow. What I really take from last nights show is this: Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels made a really strong case to be the face of a company about to hit a point that no one thought they could. And...Austin Aries and Roderick Strong can do in 8 minutes what many people can't do in 20. They worked a match with no storyline...and no hype...and blew away anything that Smackdown or Raw has done outside of a few HBK matches this year. (Side note...I hate HBK...when did he get so good?) As much as I enjoyed that 3 way...I don't think it was as good as the Strong and Aries vs. Spanky and Rave match that I saw in RoH last month. But it all comes down to taste. TNA moty? Maybe. I've watched it twice now...and it is pure fun from start to finish (it didn't lose much after the belt shot for me...as I took it as Daniels doing anything to win...and also I really didn't know who was going to pull out the victory. A rarity for a main event).

Nigel had cheated all match...so when he went for the handshake Joe kicked him in the head. Then Joe grabbed a chair and Nigel ran away. Joe eventually left ringside and Nigel came back to grab his iron and celebrate his big win.

I don't think Foley's wrong either...but man I would have loved to see him put over Joe. I also like the fact that TNA was willing to be a player. Getting Foley to pretty much agree to a contract (cause he would have taken it if WWE didn't come back) means they are willing to spend.

I'm obviously not talking about workrate. I'm talking about them being clearly the two biggest stars in the history of the company.

By the way...and this is FANTASTIC NEWS... Shocker has travel problems. Which leads to Sabin vs. Williams and Aries vs. Strong. Sabin and Williams had a FANTASTIC singles match at Turning Point which I fully believe was BETTER than the XXX/AMW cage match until the crappy finish. Aries vs. Strong in a "showcase" match will be awesome. They'll only get 10 minutes at best...but it will be GREAT. Aries is going to become a regular here...and I predict that Strong will after Sunday as well. If he puts on half the performance I saw out of him at Dragon's Gate Invasion in Buffalo...Strong is the emerging indy superstar of this year. Daniels vs. Styles vs. Joe Sabin vs. Williams Aries vs. Strong ... The card got better

I like my PSP because I like to watch my illagaly downloaded movies on it. ... I heard it play games too... but until Burnout or GTA comes out...I'll take that as a rumor.

15 always struck me as the only Hogan-esque ridiculous title match of Austin's time on top. You knew who was winning. And if you didn't...Michael Cole told you before the match started...literally. 19 was a crappy match that everyone thinks is good. Kind of like Taker/HHH at Mania 17. punch punch punch. no sell no sell no sell. finisher finisher finisher. It's like...HHH/Rock Iron man match overrated. I know Austin was hurting...but that's not adding to the match for me. 17 was the best match Rock has ever been near. The storyline, if we'll all recall...was that Austin stated that he would do ANYTHING to win that title back...as it was his drug. The pre match set up laid the ground work for what was the most shocking moment of the Attitude era. Austin...and Vince? Perfect.

All I can think of is DX driving a tank up to CNN tower to show how cool WWF was and how lame WCW was when WWF was losing the war. Now there is NO WAR. But there is a product that has been flat out better for months...and WWE will fear it by screwing former employees and giving Matt Hardy money just to bury him. Remember when WWF was cool? Remember when that made Vince a billion dollars when they went public? There's a reason that's gone now. Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels are about to hit national television. Anyone who watches the Masterlock challenge the Diva Search version 3.0 and Smackdown in general instead...is just contributing to bad work.

Hogan vs. Austin. The biggest match WWE could ever do. Period. And you know they want it...since ever single word that has come out of Hogans, Austins or McMahons mouth in the last 4 months has been a work towards this match. I think it happens. I think Austin wins. Steve Austin does not wrestle his first and maybe only match in years to lose to Hogan. Hogan jobs because he can claim the huge buyrate that this Mania will do...and went over HBK clean. I think what really needs to be taken from all of this is just how far out of the Hogan/Austin league Michaels really is. ...Rock, HHH and Bret freaking Hart aren't in there either...

I think Monty Brown should get his own thread on here. If we go back in time a little over a year...and you were a buyer of the weekly shows...I think you'd like him. His promo's were unique...and were probably the best part of the show. He faced JJ on Impact the week before Turning Point and they should have put the title on him then. That was December 04. His no sell of the guitar shot SHOULD HAVE BEEN the end and defining moment of JJ's title reign. A couple months later at Against All Odds he beat Nash and DDP to earn a title shot...which he really should have won...but lost again. Since then...he has not signed a contract and has been spinning his wheels. They can't push him until he does. But I defy any regular watcher to tell me that he isn't ripe for that push. The way TNA works is both frustrating and accepatable. They keep Joe, Styles (although seemingly by his own choice) and Daniels in the midcard X division to provide great matches...and keep "Names" like JJ and Raven and Rhino in the title hunt. Brown is something that none of those guys are...he's a TNA name. He's never been anyone anywhere else...but he's emerged in TNA. Good worker? Hardly. But he is charismatic. He is easily the mose charasmatic heavyweight they have. And...he's a better worker than...you know...John Cena...(which says nothing since I think Warrior was a tad better than Cena)... Brown should have been champion many months ago...when he was hot and could have squashed people on ppvs and made everyone happy.

It's not even close. I think their Mania 17 match is Rock's best match ever.

I agree that a Daniels match would make more sense. Not only is it a clear face/heel match...but Daniels claim to be the best X worker in the world makes it make sense. Hell...I'd have Liger win the friggin thing and then lose it at the tapings two days later (One would hope they'd be able to use him for those as well. Liger on Spike...happy times)

I look at it the same way as I do Angle's Anklelock. After he goes to the mat and wraps it up (vs. Benoit at the Rumble, or HBK at Mania)...no one gets out.

I agree completely that this is the most throwaway show that TNA has run in the 11 months of 3 hour ppvs... They screwed the pooch when they announced BFG as their Mania... This show is No Way Out...which always sucks... I don't think JJ will wrestle on the show...but his main event with Raven at the big show is obvious. Here's the kicker though...I think he's losing that match. Call me nuts all you want to...I just think he is. The three way is the whole show. They ALWAYS let AJ go all out in his ppv matches...and Daniels is getting pretty darn close to AJ status it seems...I think TNA is banking on solid undercard...fun bloody main event...and must see 3 way. BFG is going to be better than this show by a long shot. Raven/Jarrett II will be a good main event. The show is too important and the workers too smart to blow it. Add to that the Daniels/Joe/Styles/Liger combination and their should be 2 hot matchups. If you're a casual TNA observer...save your coin for Bound For Glory.

I was looking at it more from the perspective of why Joe didn't win clean at the last show...and why AJ got the "ref KOd" pin spot in that match... Even though AJ is TNA's guy...I kind of took it more as Joe WILL beat him some time but they left enough open for that rematch. If they didn't get Liger for this show...I think Joe would be winning the X title (which will happen sooner or later) and then they'd have the money Styles rematch in the bank... But they seem intent on making BFG their "Big" show...and they DID get Liger... Bah...I don't know...I do know that they have Styles, Daniels, Joe and Liger on this show...and if they don't run two killer singles bouts they are out of their fucking minds...regardless of the pairings.

So Traci doesn't have to be alone in the women's locker room anymore...

As discussed in the other thread... barring something stupid it's either Joe/Daniels and Styles/Liger or Joe/Styles and Daniels/Liger. Cool beans.

Fraggle Rock!!!

If they bring Liger in it's to face Daniels for the X title. That's his thing. The bad news is that it pushes back Joe's X division dominance. The good news is that it likely means AJ/Joe II after Styles loses at Unbreakable costing Joe his title. If things go well in getting Liger...and there's no guarantee there... and my fantasy booking goes right...which is even less a lock... BFG is Liger/Daniels, AJ/Joe II, Lynn/Waltman II and Raven/Jarrett II.

Sabin vs. Joe is the best.

I'll be at the Bills opener as well.