Mitchell's Take on TNA

[TNABaddboi 0]

Number Two: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has been on the air for over two years now. They celebrated their second anniversary event on pay-per-view last night in Nashville. If you've watched every episode of TNA for the past two years, you've seen a number of impressive moments.

 

- The very first TNA match, when The Flying Elvises debuted and won a six-man tag over the unlikely team of AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn and Low-Ki.

- The subsequent theree-way feud among Low-Ki, Lynn and Styles over the X Division title.

- The return to wrestling of Evil Tony Schiavone.

- Ron "The Truth" Killings. Not the version we have now, but the wrestler who went toe-to-toe with Ricky Steamboat and turned himself face with the Asylum faithful. The Truth used to be the closest thing to an antihero that TNA had.

- The Super X Cup, and all of its kin, including the various World X Cup battles.

- America's Most Wanted, Chris Harris and James Storm. They weren't even together when the promotion started. Now they're the last real babyface tag team in this business.

- Mike Tenay's verbal thrashing of Vince Russo in their great debate.

- The America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X cage match.

- TNA Impact on Fox Sports Net, a show that has featured good wrestling in a slick, high-tech package.

 

Then you look at last night's show, when served a a reminder of everything that's wrong with TNA.

 

- Vince Russo

- Glen Gilberti

- The longest match of the night featured Jerry Lynn, one of the best all-round performers in TNA, and the captain of Team NWA, against Team Canada's manager, Scott D'Amore.

- A midget match where one of the wrestlers wasn't actually a midget, but a cruiserweight. Mike Tenay and Don West either never noticed this, or decided not to mention it.

- Jeff Jarrett, World Champion. Not only that, but Jeff Jarrett, a World Champion completely out of touch with the state of the industry in 2004. Jarrett is, in fact, so oblivious to his shortcomings as champion that last night, in response to media suggestions that maybe Dubba J should expand his moveset a little bit, Jarrett busted out...wait for it...A DROPKICK in his match against Ron Killings.

- A cliffhanger non-finish in the main event NWA Title match.

-Which, incidentally, is not the first time TNA has done that in a major title match.

- Or even the second time.

- TNA made a big deal of having Vince Russo and friends search ringside for Jeff Jarrett's guitar, in order to ensure that Jarrett couldn't use a foreign object. TNA also explained, on numerous occasions, that Jarrett would lose the title if he got disqualified. Then Jarrett hits Killings with two chairshots, the second of which actually broke the plastic chair across Killings back, and doesn't get disqualified.

 

- Pretty much everything about the AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy match for the X Division title, such as:

1) AJ Styles, TNA's "Wrestler of the Year" in 2003, being booked to go 50/50 with former WWE midcard washout Jeff Hardy.

2) The realization that Jeff Hardy, one of the tiniest wrestlers on the WWE roster, is actually significantly taller than The Phenomenal One.

3) The incredibly lame entrance video for Jeff.

4) The fact that this big pay-per-view encounter, one of the main matches of the night, went seven minutes.

5) With a non-finish like the one TNA used for AJ Styles vs. Sean Waltman in their first meeting two years ago.

6) All to set up a match down the line against Kid Kash, who, incidentally, couldn't wrestle on this show because he is sidelined WITH A BROKEN BONE IN HIS LEG.

 

That's the state of Total Nonstop Wrestling as it enters its third year. Keep this in mind. Out of all the potential competitors to World Wrestling Entertainment, TNA is the one with the biggest upside.

[Guest JacK]

Damn they're really out to burn TNA. First off, Jeff Jarrett's entrance video shows the ~GREAT STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES~ so how can it possibly be lame? And I thought Kash's injury was in his ribs, and he'll be back in a few weeks regardless of where it is? And I thought the DQ was only on the guitar shot, which I'll admit is a quite stupid rule. And as much as Gilberti can't do right now, he was still over as a heel last time I saw. Has that changed? As long as there's someone to do the bulk of the work I don't mind. Though I can't really see how someone who tries to get Borash can be a heel . . .

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

Everyone has an opinion. No one's matters. Not even mine. But i still do the rush. My reviews are at least a LITTLE positive. I actually enjoyed the show this week.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Gilberti still draws decent heat. And he's not featured in a big time role like he was last year, so I don't have a problem with it. In fact, he's been quite funny in his leprechaun role.

 

I actually enjoyed the show this week.

 

After seeing the show get crapped on, I actually thought I just enjoyed it because I was there. It was their best show, but it wasn't the horrible mess that people are making it out to be, IMO.

[Guest JacK]

That's what i thought . . . pairing someone over but not so able in the ring with someone not so over but able in the ring makes sense I would've thought. But Voice you're quite right, no one's opinion matter's but mine, and since I can't see the show even mine is quite irrevelant.

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

then you just have to agree with whatever I say

[Guest JacK]

I know . . . I do (Expect for the Dutch/Jeffy Jeff stuff, since that guy Donners or something was right, and Corey went on and on and on about it to the point of irritation.)

 

But at least they're there, and well written; with the PBP. PBP = good for someone who can't see the show. And since I'm your most important reader, you quite obviously should cater the review to me.