Tony Shiavone Is At TNA Tonight

[Guest BoboBrazil]

Tonight's line-up includes:

*Jorge Estrada vs. Amazing Red

*Kid Kash & Trinity vs. Sonny Siaki & Desire - This is the first chance to see Trinity work as a wrestler, instead of doing the sporadic high flying stuff she's done in the past with Divine Storm. Desire no doubt is looking to atone for her horrible debut match with April Hunter

*Mike Sanders vs. Ron Killings

*Jerry Lynn vs. David Flair

There won't be a Jeff Jarrett vs. Raven match, but they'll do more stuff to build up for such a match. Dusty Rhodes isn't there tonight, but Larry Zbyszko is to continue the build-up of his next match with A.J. Styles. And there is also the return of Tony Schiavone, who is not the only surprise.

[Guest Justwitty]

Tonight's line-up includes:

*Jorge Estrada vs. Amazing Red

*Kid Kash & Trinity vs. Sonny Siaki & Desire - This is the first chance to see Trinity work as a wrestler, instead of doing the sporadic high flying stuff she's done in the past with Divine Storm. Desire no doubt is looking to atone for her horrible debut match with April Hunter

*Mike Sanders vs. Ron Killings

*Jerry Lynn vs. David Flair

There won't be a Jeff Jarrett vs. Raven match, but they'll do more stuff to build up for such a match. Dusty Rhodes isn't there tonight, but Larry Zbyszko is to continue the build-up of his next match with A.J. Styles. And there is also the return of Tony Schiavone, who is not the only surprise.

Whoa! An unpopular opinion here but I really like Tony as announcer. I think in the beginning of his WCW run and at the end, he was a great play-by-play man. It was just during the WCW vs. WWF war in the mid to late 90's that he turned deteriorated into what J.R. is going through today.

 

I REALLY wish I was able to order the PPV's here at college. I would definitely be getting it tonight.

[Guest BoboBrazil]

Yeah, I didn't think Tony was that bad either.

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

the REAL Question is.... Can Red carry Jorge?

[JustJoe2k5 0]

I also like Tony Schiavone, he and Mike Tenay made a great announce team in WCW. Mike Sanders vs. Ron Killings should be a pretty good match.

[Guest Raven_Effect01]

the REAL Question is.... Can Red carry Jorge?

Maybe, but then again, Shark Boy did give Red a bad match, so it's questionable.

[Astro101 0]

I sure hope they really build Jarrett/Raven. Why Red/Estrada though? They're both faces.

[Guest bob_barron]

I wish I could order to- Tony was a very good announcer until he just became disinterested with the product

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

(Ron goes for a lockup, Sanders backs up and turns to the crowd)

 

HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!

 

I LOVE that.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

the REAL Question is.... Can Red carry Jorge?

I don't think Red carrys many matches, he just spots his way through them. But at least he'll kick out of 100 near falls that should pin a worker twice his size.

[Guest RedJed]

I wonder what Schiavonie's role is? The announcing is just fine if you ask me.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I don't see the place for him.

 

I like the announcing as is.

[Guest Zack Malibu]

I sure hope they really build Jarrett/Raven. Why Red/Estrada though? They're both faces.

They did tease Jorge possibly joining SEX last week. Hopefully that's not where they're going with it, but it's possible.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I wonder what Schiavonie's role is? The announcing is just fine if you ask me.

Remember we're talking Russo here. Expect the unexpected. He'll probably come and bitchslap West and take over the spot.

[Guest RedJed]

LOL.......or come out and bitchslap Russo for fucking up WCW. I cant see Schiavonie as a heel announcer, that would be bizzare. Maybe he'll just be a third wheel to the announce team.

[Guest Tony149]

Maybe Tony does go heel and join S-E-X. The online fans jumped on the guy, so the reason is there.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

Maybe Tony does go heel and join S-E-X. The online fans jumped on the guy, so the reason is there.

and we know Russo reads the net.....if anything just to see his name over and over

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Russo doesn't read our site. If he did I would have damn well expected an email after being the only columnist on the net to take his side last week.

[Guest The Thread Killer]

Back in his early WCW and WWF days, Tony was okay. During the Monday Night Wars, he plain old sucked.

 

He couldn't call the moves right, and he was so pathetic with the non stop HYPE.

 

"Fans this is the BEST NITRO EVER! This is the GREATEST MATCH IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SPORT!"

 

And then, how can we forget him obeying Eric's order to trash Mick Foley when he won the belt? I was glad that Foley bitched him out for that.

 

If he's the Tony of OLD, I'm all for him getting an announcers job. If he's the "I'll sell my integrity to the highest bidder" Tony, then I hope the Diciples of The New Church and Father Mitchell sacfrice him to their pagan god, live on PPV.

 

While we're talking about announcers, I HATE DON WEST.

 

They could have Gertner. They could have Cyrus. They could have Douglas or Corino. Hell, they could even have that tub of shit MADDEN...but no.

 

They have THE most annoying color man in history.

 

Imagine he and Tony? They'd never even MENTION the match, they'd just HYPE HYPE HYPE all night long.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Don West grew on me to the point where I like him...not just tolerate him.

 

I appreciate the effort he gives, and if he ever does learn the moves or anything about pro wrestling I think he'll be good.

[Guest Zack Malibu]

Don West has grown on me to. I'm not worried about him figuring out the name of every move. We have Tenay for that. West, in his role as a hype machine, has made a tremendous effort to not only get the product over, but the individuals as well. Remember the 6 man with Red? Have you EVER seen an announcer stand up and work the crowd like West did? That was an awesome sight to see, and it only helped the crowd heat for that match, thus making it one of the best TNA main events.

[Guest Coffey]

I'm getting NWA: TNA tonight. First time in about a month. Raven is what bought me. Now that I've seen the match listings, it should be better than the last time I saw it.

 

I kindof want to see Nikita Koloff too..

 

 

I won't be here for the one & only thread, but I'm sure I'll give my thoughts on the PPV as a whole afterwards..

[Guest Justwitty]

I too have grown to really like Don West. He comes off to me as what Dennis Miller was supposed to have been on Monday Night Football...a fan doing announcing. (This next sentence pains me to say as I love Dennis Miller) The problem with Miller is that he didn't adjust his style enough to appeal to wider segment of the audience. West has grown by leaps and bounds as an announcer and his enthusiasm is infectious. (Zach brought up the best point...I was in absolute AWE the night he jumped up and down in his seat for Red. He got me jumping around in my living room hoping Red would win...I can't remember the last time I got so excited about a match.)

 

That's the other thing about him, he is SO enthusiastic about the product. Name one color commentator in the WWE who is like that...can't do it. They are all either jaded or false aggravated or sticking with the company line. West is just plain excited by what he sees each week.

[Guest The Thread Killer]

You make some excellent points, justwitty.

 

I admire his passion and enthusiasm for the product as well. I tried to look at him more from that perspective tonight, and you are totally right. It is obvious that he is not coming from the perspective of a experienced "insider" but as a fan. In that respect, he does his job I suppose.

 

I still find his voice grating, and his hyperbole a bit much at times though. But overall, you raise some valid arguments.

[Guest Justwitty]

Thank you Thread Killer. I'm always hoping to bring up something/anything to spark a discussion.

 

I've seen most weeks of TNA and I agree that sometimes he goes overboard on hyperbole. But to go back to the earlier point, his seems more light-hearted than coming from Ross or Cole. Thus, I'm able to overlook what would normally irritate me.

 

With Tony there now, I anxiously await to see the two of them in a "Who can sell the shit out of their respective organization more" contest.

[Guest nikowwf]

Question....i missed the show this week. I read DAMES DIATRIBE...and it looks like Shiavone came back, Road Dogg did a semi shoot inteview, the freaking R&R Express came back, and 80% of the wrestling sucked. Was it really that bad? I know DAMES didn't kill it, but he did indirectly for me cause it just didn't interest me.

 

niko

[Guest RedJed]

I thought the show was way too much talk last night, and not enough action. Still didn't think the show was too bad though. In most cases, they will do a week like this, and then come back with a show the next week that is built up to have a few really good matches, like for example next weeks match with Raven-Jarrett. I will say though that the business they did with Truth and Jerry Lynn, as well as with Pringle was downright shitty.

 

The highlight last night was Schiavonie coming out, and actually turning heel. I didn't think it would be possible, but he did REALLY good and I laughed at the exchanges with him and Tenay. He's playing the smart-ass redneck heel character damn good.

[Guest dreamer420]

Don West is the man! He is a mark and that is what makes him so good. I love it when a TNA wrestler will do an awesome move and West will mark out for it like there is no tomorrow. He brings a certain energy to the announce table that we haven't seen before and I think West and Tenay are one of the better announce teams I have ever seen. Not too much shilling and whoring, just Tenay telling it like it is and West marking out.

[Astro101 0]

That's what I love about Don too. He's basically a fan at the announce table, marking and screaming out for crazy moves along with you at home. The Tenay/Schiavone exchange was good..."Here's the man that I was responsible for having to pick up and drive to the arenas in WCW, Mike Tenay. " That had me laughing.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Tenay just annoys the shit out of me. He's not really a sympathetic face in my mind, as he sounds so whiny all the time. He also needs to work on those corn kernel teeth he was showing off last night while yelling at Shiavone.