The NWA TNA week 37 Preview

[Guest TSMAdmin]

“For those who believe…you don’t need an explanation. For those who don’t believe…no explanation will do.”

 

- Jeff Jarrett

 

Wrestling has really gotten me down lately. Normally, I would turn to wrestling as an entertaining diversion from everyday life. Lately…it just brings me down. I won’t even get started on specific WWE problems in this TNA column…let’s just say EVERYTHING that they do combined with TNA’s new decision to keep the champion from ever defending the title really piss me off. Watching wrestling…or being a wrestling “fan” (at least in North America) is kind of like believing in God. A lot has to be taken on faith. Well…I’m not a religious person…but I do believe in wrestling. Or at least I used to.

 

Maybe everyone reaches a point where it just isn’t fun anymore. Maybe my parents were right over a decade ago when they said I’d “grow out of it”. Maybe the internet does ruin wrestling for people.

 

Oh…wait…that’s BULLSHIT. And here’s why. I can pop in Flair/Steamboat and still be entertained. How does that work? How is it that I can be so fed up with wrestling…but still really enjoy what I always have?

 

No Virginia, there is no Smarky Clause.

 

I’d like to begin by dispelling this great myth that being a smark makes one incapable of appreciating the product. Where this load of bullshit started…I’ll never know. I have yet to find the site on the internet that explains to me why I should cheer workrate and boo shitty wrestlers. Here’s what happens: When one becomes invested in a product such as this…and I mean real invested…their opinions on certain things change due to exposure. Watch Albert work a hundred times…and you may just start to realize that this guy sucks. Watch Chris Benoit work a hundred times…and you just might start to appreciate it. Why are “smarks” more prone to cheer Benoit and boo Albert? Because they’ve seen them. Period. Why are “smarks” more prone to blast the product? Because the product hardly ever reflects what is good. The product keeps pretending that the audience isn’t paying attention…and can’t decipher good from bad. The product still thinks it knows what’s good for you. Hulk Hogan was hugely popular in the 80’s and drew a ton of money. People also only had to see him once in a while. Nowadays wrestling is survival of the fittest. Between TV shows, house shows, ppvs and syndicated highlight shows…you can see Nathan Jones work several times a month! You can also see Eddy Guerrero work several times a month. Guess who survives this one in the fan’s mind. Now guess who survives in Vince’s.

 

I don’t know how many people in the world still believe that wrestling is real. Some children I suppose. Wrestling is still booked like it’s real though…and that’s kind of mind boggling. Why do the bigger wrestlers always have to beat the smaller wrestlers? Because it’s unbelievable to think that a small man could beat a big man. And thus Rikishi will squash Jamie Noble until the end of time. Never mind that Noble is a hell of a worker and Rikishi…well…isn’t. I’ve been a proponent for a very long time in the idea of wrestling completely overhauling the way business is done. Basically I find it hard to believe that the owner of a company can come on TV and proclaim that wrestling is fake…and then continue to book absurd angles leading into matches. “You said I had sex with a dead girl…now I will fake suplex you for revenge!” Doesn’t add up.

 

When Jeff Jarrett made that quote he was referring to fans that think wrestling is real vs. those who think it’s fake. Nowadays the quote doesn’t really fit anymore. Far fewer people believe…and yet no one is searching for an explanation. We all know the explanation. You told us. Then you turned around and went about business as usual.

 

So what’s the answer? Hell I don’t know…I just work here. This is just what pisses me off, and I think it merits some thought. If you are going to bring the audience behind the curtain…why not let them dictate at least some of the booking decisions? And for the love of Pete…TNA PLEASE HAVE JARRETT DEFEND THE GODDAMN TITLE. I think it’s slowly starting to kill me watching this company piss on one of its greatest resources (the NWA lineage) for no particular reason. Jeff Jarrett’s title reign was supposed to be a step in the direction of restoring credibility to the NWA title. As it turns out…Jeff Jarrett’s title reign is a joke that he should be ashamed to be attached to. At this point I don’t care if he defends against Jorge Estrada (not that he doesn’t have a bunch of challengers…some with guaranteed shots lined up). I just want someone in TNA to explain to me what good can possibly come from these long weeks of non-activity for Jarrett.

 

Well…enough rambling.

 

The NWA TNA week 37 Preview

 

As always Dames’ Diatribe is up on the site with a review of last weeks…hit and miss show. I liked the XXX/New Church match and I really dug the Styles/Raven match. Everything else is kind of a blur.

 

I will say this though…Disco Inferno and Sonny Siaki have really grown into roles that I think are perfect for them. They have benefited the most from Russo leaving TV…well…after the viewers.

 

Dusty Rhodes vs. ???

 

Oh boy. Dusty Rhodes has apparently “requested” a Bunkhouse Brawl. We don’t know who his opponent is…and yet the * rating for it seems in little doubt. I would imagine the opponent would be one of the bitter second-generation semi-stars…but Moondog Spot is always hanging around!

 

Kid Kash and Trinity vs. Red and Alexis Laree

 

They seemed to have lightning strike last week when Kash and Red were able to have a decent little match even with Trinity involved. Last week they tempted fate…this week they kick fate square in the nuts and dare it to reign down upon the match with epic disaster. No X title defense this week. Hmm…

 

XXX and the Harris Boys vs. The New Church and ???

 

Getting sick of typing ??? in to match previews every week. Last week Malice returned again and they immediately announced he would join Slash and Lee in this match. I guess no one bothered to ask him if he would be in the country this week. So now the Church has to find 2 partners after promising a new member for this week. I’m going to lay my money down right now that Bull Buchanon is that man. He’s the only guy who appears backstage and hasn’t gotten a job yet…and even Erik Watts has gotten a job. Everyone knows my opinion on hosses. I don’t like them. On the other hand…TNA doesn’t actually have any (Vince has cornered this market) except for the Harris brothers…who rarely wrestle and hardly ever win. Buchanon could be a fit. I’ll never doubt the power of the New Church after seeing how entertaining they made SLASH AND LEE out to be. The only way to win the match is to pin someone who is bleeding. That’s different I guess…but the fact is everyone bleeds in New Church matches anyway. XXX make everything watchable…but they don’t normally team with the Harris boys. XXX also hold the tag titles…so no tag title defense this week. Hmm…

 

Jerry Lynn vs. Konnan

 

The best built up match TNA has had in a long time. However…we always knew in the back of our minds that the end result was Konnan wrestling. ‘Nuff said.

 

 

Most of the biggest stars in TNA are once again…not yet booked. It AMAZES me on a weekly basis the kind of card they COULD put together with what’s left over.

 

AJ Styles- They seem to be indicating that his storyline with S.E.X. will continue.

 

Raven- supposedly will miss show to sell his injuries from last week’s match.

 

AMW- Nothing planned. Could be surprise partners of the New Church (and fit the storyline to boot, if something falls through)

 

D-Lo Brown- No clue.

 

Jeff Jarrett- Won’t defend title…I’ll tell you that much with some certainty. I’ve never seen a face duck people so blatantly and still get cheered. If you’re keeping count…this means 0 titles will be on the line this week.

 

Juventud Guerera- Don’t even know if he’s in the country this week.

 

Truth- Returned then…um…re-turned heel last week. Good to see him back where he belongs. I expect a promo (which I have really been missing from him lately) that I guess could lead to a match of some kind…maybe.

 

It looked like they may have started some kind of Siaki/David Young feud last week…but they start new things for Siaki every week and don’t follow through.

 

Other than what I’ve listed…I dunno...wonder if they do. I used to think they did…but I’ve lost that faith.

 

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