The NWA TNA Week 41 Preview

[Guest TSMAdmin]

The X division lives!!! Err…um…in the tag division anyway. Last week’s XXX vs. Lynn and Red match was awesome. I’m surprised they went with the title change there…but if the result is more of that…then you won’t hear me complain.

 

Someone who you will hear complain is Ron “The Truth” Killings. Most of you know that Truth is my absolute favorite TNA wrestler and with the exception of RVD…my favorite wrestler of all. He isn’t happy with his lack of use in TNA…and who can blame him? Here’s a guy with more charisma than anyone else on the pay roll, a guy who was given a push to the top based solely on his ability to connect with the fans. We see far too little of that in the current WWE product. Truth’s title win was one of the first things (along with the X division…and the pushing of actual cruiserweights) that separated TNA from what you see in the WWE. I mentioned RVD being my favorite wrestler and I’ll be honest in saying that his use in the WWE makes me feel like shit. Here’s a guy who I connect with for whatever reason and he gets shit on constantly. It’s not just me either…this guy was at one time far and away the most popular wrestler on the roster. On any given night he still sometimes is. They can bring in all the new (old) faces they want to try and make a buck…but all they are really doing is looking the gift horse that this man is in the mouth and taking a big dump on the majority of fans who WANT to see him do something meaningful. Is he a good worker? No. Does he know how to put a match together? Hell no. But he does take the crowd in the palm of his hand and moves them. And I absolutely defy any of the “bigger” names that the company does feature to do that without all the video packages and hype and monster pushes. Let’s see Kevin Nash get the crowd on their feet in the middle of a match chanting their names. Sure he gets a pop when they come out because the company has told us that he is a star…and we should cheer him. But let’s compare match heat in a Big Sexy match to that of a Van Dam match. Or the crowd heat of a Mike Awesome match to that of a Truth match. See…that story I just told is the same for both guys. I like Mike Awesome and I wanted him to come to TNA when he was released from the WWE. The fact of the matter is, however, that Mike Awesome was only on the show last week to be the latest in the long line of “surprise” appearances that TNA wants to be famous for. So we get Mike Awesome and Justin Credible to come in and pop the crowd…while a man who is far more popular and has proven to sustain that popularity doesn’t even work that show, or the show before that. Pardon my French but that’s bullshit. As of this week I am officially over the concept of “surprise” appearances in TNA. Find yourself a roster of regular workers and focus the product on them. The Raven vs. Jarrett build-up has been fantastic. The work of XXX and Lynn and Red has been out of this world (as Don West would say). I’m into Sonny Siaki’s “Ace in the hole” gimmick. I’m into Kid Kash’s character. I’m into almost everything on the show. I just want my Truth back. Without Mabel this time…another one of those “surprises” that TNA wants to be famous for.

 

The big news in wrestling today is the release of Jeff Hardy from the WWE. This has led to the obvious question on the board as to whether or not he will/should go to TNA. I honestly think that he just wants out of the business completely so this is kind of a non-issue. He wants to go work on his music and poetry and…well…whatever the hell else a Jeff Hardy does. If he ever did want to wrestle they’d seem to make a good fit. One day a week with limited travel (North Carolina…to Tennessee) would seem like a good way to keep getting paid. God knows TNA would like to “surprise” people with him. Does he fit? Maybe. I’d trust him more in Russo’s hands than most writers. The problem is what the hell do you do with him? The X division wrestlers (namely guys like Daniels and Styles) would expose him more than being in the ring with 3 Minute Warning ever could. He’s too small and spotty to be a legitimate threat to the NWA title. Plus…eww. I don’t really like Jeff Hardy…and I would vote no on bringing him in…but I don’t get a vote. If the day comes that Jeff wants to work again and he does land in TNA…I have only two words: Flock Hardy.

 

If you disagree and think Jeff will or should come to TNA…drop me a line at [email protected].

 

Dames’ Diatribe on last week’s show is up on the site. This week he got sound and everything! Like I said before I really enjoyed last week’s show. I wonder how long this ECW vs. New Church thing is going to last…it’s not the most entertaining thing to watch…but it really does get the crowd going.

 

Only one week left until I’ll be previewing the Raven vs. Jarrett NWA title match. I like how it’s been built up so far and they won’t be pulling any punches this week. I’m very interested in what kind of build they get this week. Last week Jarrett tried to eliminate Raven’s flock and failed. Will he try again? If he succeeds and Raven is alone does that help his chances of fulfilling his destiny?

 

The NWA TNA Week 41 Preview

 

They announced three matches for this week and I’m really pumped about two of them.

 

Slash and Brian Lee vs. Sandman and New Jack

 

This is the other one. This is being dubbed the ultimate sin match. I don’t know what that means but it’s probably just another name for sloppy hardcore matches where New Jack dives off of the balcony. It’s kind of funny that they made a big deal out of the arrivals of Mike Awesome and Justin Credible to this feud last week…and in the end it’s still just another Slash and Lee vs. Sandman and New Jack match. If you’ve watched TNA in the last month you’ve seen exactly what this match will look like.

 

XXX vs. America’s Most Wanted

 

AMW is back, baby! This match is to crown the #1 contender for the NWA Tag Team titles now held by Jerry Lynn and Red. XXX has already had two good matches with AMW so this shouldn’t be any different. I’ll assume until told otherwise that XXX will be played once again by Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper. There really is no wrong answer to the booking going on in the tag division here. Either we get a rematch between XXX and Lynn/Red or we get a fresh match in AMW vs. Lynn/Red. Part of me thinks that XXX will win this match to set up a face vs. heel match for the tag titles…but then I think that XXX can’t beat AMW three straight times. Of course then you have to factor in AMW’s current break-up angle. This is what I like about TNA booking lately. They have created some clearly defined characters all with their own ambitions and problems…then they pit them against each other and you just don’t know what to expect. Except good action…which this match should provide.

 

 

Jerry Lynn vs. Red

 

Speaking of good action…here’s another winner. This match is to determine the #1 contender to the X title currently held by Kid Kash. Red and Lynn have had one match in TNA history and I thought that match was terrific. It lacked the drama of the two Red/Styles matches…but it was special in its own right. That pesky mystery luchadore is still running around Nashville. At first I thought that he was out to help Red because he was going to eventually turn on Lynn…but not before helping him to the X title. Last week blew that one since the luchadore ran in and took out Red almost costing them the tag team titles. So now I have no idea what his motivation is. If he wants to hurt Lynn so much why does he only attack the people around him…and not Lynn himself? Either way this should be a cool match. I’d like to see Red win and have his blow off with Kash for the title.

 

 

As usual a lot of things are going to appear on the show that have not been announced yet. We’ll see Raven and Jarrett build-up no doubt. This is the week that TNA is on in Australia…and I still can’t quite figure out why Raven/Jarrett isn’t happening this week when there is a larger potential audience. Actually it kind of sucks for Australia to get to see the final build up for the most built up match in TNA history…and then not get to see the match itself. It was on the first broadcast in Australia that Raven made his first appearance, stealing the NWA title from Jarrett. Like I said…weird.

 

That’s not to say that this week is a bust…far from it. I’d order this show for the Red/Lynn, XXX/AMW and Raven/Jarrett feud alone. But there are certain names that still need direction to top that off.

 

AJ Styles isn’t on the card yet, but after two good weeks with Glen Gilberti I could certainly go for another round of it. Styles took the clean pin last week so this can’t be over. In fact now that I think of it last week’s match had both D-Lo and Sanders interfere and then brawl off on there own. That has the makings of a good tag battle if that’s the route they want to go.

 

Kid Kash is the X champion and he isn’t doing anything yet. I assume we’ll see some kind of continuation of the brewing Trinity feud and hopefully an X title defense of some kind.

 

I believe I read that Chris Sabin (who has made one TNA appearance just two weeks ago in the 4 team elimination match) was going to return tonight. He made a good impression on me…so bring it on.

 

Sabin would be a good opponent for David Young who is now receiving guidance from Sonny Siaki…the Ace in the hole. I don’t know where that storyline is going…but I think Siaki is funny as the guy who thinks he knows it all.

 

I’d have to think we’d see Justin Credible around since he just debuted last week. Maybe the same goes for Mike Awesome.

 

Perry Saturn has been on every show since he debuted so I think he’s going to be a regular. I think he was a good pick-up.

 

And then there is the Truth. Will we see him make his return this week? As a fan I hope so…but I can’t imagine TNA (who likes to preach about locker room harmony) was blown away by his comments of frustration. Please bring the Truth back.

 

I’m probably forgetting someone or other…and you never know who’ll show up. Oh yeah, Dusty Rhodes (who I like in a non-wrestling role) is feuding with Erik Watts now over a fake title. This can only lead to disaster.

 

Until next week.