TNA Comments which don't warrant a thread

[The Buzz 0]

I think Terry Funk is legit retired, and said he'll only do one or two indy shows a year from now on after ONS 2. I could be wrong, but I remember reading something about that. I know its an oxymoron to say Terry Funk and retired, but given his age I tend to think he is a little more serious about it now.

[Scroby 0]

I just got a text from TNA Mobile that said that former WWE IC/Euro champion is D-Lo Brown, but his role is not know at the time.

can you give more detail?

[cd213 0]

I just got a text from TNA Mobile that said that former WWE IC/Euro champion is D-Lo Brown, but his role is not know at the time.

can you give more detail?

 

No

 

That's all the text said, but from what I'm reading at various "news" sites he is trying out to become a backstage agent.

[luke-o 0]

Hopefully Sting will sign on for another year, even if its just for a Revn/Sting fued.

 

Fatu can go fuck himself, he's not worth the money. Despite being a bit of a mark for him.

 

ECW legend? Probably Sandman, but either Sabu or RVD would be fine with me. If i had my way it would be all three.

 

And I know I'll get a lot of flack for this, but I'd probably mark out for a Too Cool reunion.

[Scroby 0]

I just got a text from TNA Mobile that said that former WWE IC/Euro champion is D-Lo Brown, but his role is not know at the time.

can you give more detail?

 

No

 

That's all the text said, but from what I'm reading at various "news" sites he is trying out to become a backstage agent.

Huh, I thought he was still in talks with the WWE. Intresting.

[The Buzz 0]

According to TNA Today, Sting's partner is a "former world champion in every organization he's wrestled for." That narrows down the choices a little bit.

[Mecca 0]

Sting's partner is Booker it's easy..

[Hawk 34 0]

According to TNA Today, Sting's partner is a "former world champion in every organization he's wrestled for." That narrows down the choices a little bit.

 

I thought for a few minutes who (living) would fit under this banner outside of Booker that isn't already with TNA or locked with WWE but I'm coming up empty. I assume they mean major companies (WWE, WCW, ECW, NWA, AWA) and not places like ROH and international promotions. I just keep expecting TNA to try to be cute and swerve the fans.

 

Edit: There is The Big Show, Goldberg and Bret Hart.

[The Buzz 0]

There is also Sid Vicious I believe since I would assume TNA would forget his short run in ECW not ending with any gold. You could also consider Brock Lesnar, for his WWE and IWGP World Titles. However, I know it's probably Booker.

[Karnage 0]

Some new TNA merch...

 

A MCMG T-SHIRT!!

 

Konnan-less LAX T-Shirt

 

A very vanilla Rhino one

 

A very un-original Angle t-shirt

 

A weird XXX shirt..

 

And the weirdest one...who the hell would buy their daughter a bib basically saying that they will be a future "TNA knockout"?!

[luke-o 0]

MCMG - Cool, I'd buy it

LAX - It's cool, but you'd have to convince me to buy it

Rhino - Pretty boring and generic

Angle - Again it's ok, I've seen worse shirts

XXX - Why is it weird? It's their logo. But again, I like it

The Bib - That's a bit weird, I hope they didn't order to many of those.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

Word is that Angle and Jeff Jarrett have made peace. The two had been forming factions backstage to vie for more control from Dixie Carter, with Sting being the only big name who refused to pick a side. Despite the differing opinions about TNA's booking it seems the status quo is going to be the way forward for now.

 

 

 

wrertling observer newsletter

 

 

It sounds like the NWO storyline.

 

 

I keep saying if TNA was this interesting on screen, ratings and PPV buyrates would be a lot higher. Seriously, they should write this in (but don't make it too smarky or the casual fans won't get it)

[Mecca 0]

Promos 101

 

October 22, 2007

 

After watching TNA’s Impact this week I was inspired to offer a free promo lesson, which I will call Promos 101. Keep in mind that I have never claimed to be able to hold a candle to the great talkers in this industry. I am not in any way shape or form a Ric Flair, a Rock, or a John Cena on the microphone. I am however a competent promo and more importantly, know the important elements of a good promo. This past week on Impact I witnessed two of the worst promos I have ever seen.

 

Before I point the finger at the specific promos in question, lets take a look at what promos are and what they are supposed to accomplish. Promos are supposed to PROMOTE something, thus the name. If I am going to go out and cut a promo, I am suppose promote myself, promote my opponent, promote the angle and match I am in, or in a perfect world all of the above. This business is called a business, because that is what it is. We are all out there trying to convince fans to spend money on our product. Promos are designed to get people and angles over and convince fans that what ever the person is talking about is worth paying for or at least worth tuning in to watch. All the Charisma, electricity, and excitement in the world doesn’t make for a good promo if fans care less about what you are promoting when you’ve finished talking.

 

The single most fundamental rule of promos is to NEVER completely bury anyone or anything! This business is a work, so when you are cutting a promo you are trying to sell the entire match or angle not just yourself. Even if you are a cocky heel you cannot just completely run down your opponent. It is both lazy and bad for business. If you call your opponent a bum, with no other build up, what do you have? If the fans believe you, you’re facing a bum; who cares. If you beat the guy, you’ve beaten a bum; who cares. Heaven forbid he beats you, and then a bum has beaten you; where does that leave you?

 

There are a few minor exceptions to this rule, but even in those instances it’s not really the best approach, but it’s relatively harmless. Those exceptions are guys like Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan, who are pretty much Teflon to insults because they are so established, and over. You could run down both guys till you are blue in the face and they crowd is still going to love them, because they are legendary house hold names, but when you are dealing with less established guys, burying them is absolutely inexcusable.

 

This brings me to the TNA promos that inspired this commentary. The first one was by Jr. Fatu. I both know and have worked with Jr. and have a lot of respect for him, but this promo was atrocious, and never should have been allowed to air. When a company like TNA hires a guy like Jr. Fatu they do so because of the level of success he has achieved in his career. As Rikishi, Jr. Fatu was extremely over and was a very big name, so bringing him in is supposed to give the company more credibility and help elevate those he works with. His promo accomplished the exact opposite. Jr. Fatu cut a promo talking about facing Robert Roode in the Fight For Your Right Tournament. In the promo he didn’t know or care what the tournament was even called, didn’t know what his opponents name was, and continually referred to Roode as a “jobroni”.

 

If Jr. Fatu doesn’t care that he is in a tournament to win a World Title shot, why should we, and what does that say about the importance of a World Title Shot? Calling Roode a “Jobroni” and screwing up his name is so disrespectful and bad for business, that it isn’t even funny. This promo was a chance for a former Huge WWE star to give a TNA star some credibility, but that is not what happened. Instead we are left to believe that Roode is so unimportant and crappy that people in this industry don’t even know who he is. Why would I want to see this match when the baby face (the guy who is supposed to be telling the truth) tells me it’s an unimportant joke match? Established more experienced guys are supposed to give younger guys the rub and elevate them, not bury them!

 

If Jr. Fatu beats Roode in the tournament now, who cares, he beat a “jobroni” to advance in a tournament he doesn’t even care about. If Roode beats Jr. Fatu, Jr. Fatu got beat by a “jobroni”. This is the epitome of bad business, and if TNA wants to succeed, things like this CANNOT happen, ever!

 

The second promo I had a problem with was by another guy who should know better. Team 3D (Brother Rey) cut a promo on the Motor City Machine Guns before attacking them and power bombing both guys through tables. I would assume this segment is to create interest in a Team 3D vs. MCMG match. Team 3D is by far the more established team, so elevating the Machine Guns should be the goal of this segment. This leaves a sane booker, two options.

 

Option 1: The heels can come out and build the faces up verbally, talking about how every body loves these guys, and how the MCMGs are younger faster and more exciting team that everyone is talking about, but that Team 3D is still the big kids on the block and that the Guns will need to go through them to prove themselves. Then when the attack happened the Guns should have gotten the advantage only to have the rug pulled out from under them leading to the power bombs. This way we as fans can get behind the MCMG hoping they get their revenge.

 

Option 2: Team 3D comes out and buries these guys verbally, being cocky heels, to create heat, only to have their attack fail with the MCMG getting the upper hand running off Team 3D, sending the message that the verbal burial was complete bullshit.

 

What we got was of course the worst combination of the two. We had Team 3D come out and tell us that the MCMG (who are actually getting over) are unimportant and useless, as is the whole X-Division (why they are also burying the X-Div. Is beyond me, they are in the Tag Team Division after all) then they hit the ring and killed the unimportant useless tag team to drive home the fact that everything they just said was true. Even if that was the way it was booked, Brother Rey should have cut a different promo. This segment threw a huge bucket of water on a tag team that was catching fire, in order to get over a team that is about as established and over as a tag team can get. Yet again horrible, horrible business, and thus a bad promo!

 

Lance Storm

[luke-o 0]

Way to boycott TNA there Lance.

[Jacques 0]

I don't know why everybody is making a big deal of Fatu calling Robert Roode Rick Rude. He's trying to rip off The Rock in his promos and he used to do that kind of stuff all the time.

[muzz 0]

Doesn't mean he's good at it.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

1 million dollars to the person who can name the last good Lance Storm promo

[Scroby 0]

"If I can be serious for a moment."

[Dobbs 3K 0]

While Lance Storm probably never cut a single memorable promo in his whole career, he was right on both points.

[Epic Reine 0]

So is Pacman's run with TNA officially over?

[pgi86 0]

^ Yep.

 

Meanwhile:

 

JarryPark.com has a new interview with TNA World champion Kurt Angle where Angle drops hints at a top superstar who is headed to the company. Angle tells the interviewer that TNA just signed a new superstar that will debut at the Genesis pay-per-view. Angle says this superstar will definitely help TNA's star power and the ratings. "You can probably make the guess. Who left WWE and who's available at this time." Angle went on to say the superstar has been a World champion in all major promotions and is one of the best all around wrestlers in the world overall - as far as acting, promos, wrestling and athleticism go.

[dubq 0]

They needed a Samoan for the Joe/Christian feud and decided to go for one of the old, tired, fat and out of shape ones.

 

Coulda went for Rosey or Siaki.

 

Ro'z is in OVW right now and Siaki is on leave from wrestling for "personal problems"

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

The most enjoyable thing about TNA at the moment is the Women's Division - if they booked the rest of the show like this it would be a good show.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Way to boycott TNA there Lance.

 

Jesus, a guy with years in the business offers his opinions (valid ones at that) at how to improve a company that doesn't know good booking if it stared right in their faces, and all you can say (which you do every damned time he posts something) is a stupid ass comment about how he doesn't boycott TNA. We get it, he still watches TNA. Who gives a shit? Does it invalidate any of his points? No.

[Boxer 0]

So to the people who watch TNA on a consistent basis, of all the free agents out there, who is the ONE GUY that could turn TNA into a threat?

 

And I mean really put them on the map, a wrestler that Russo probably would book properly.

[The Buzz 0]

I don't think there is one guy who's going to just catapult them into success. I mean they have plenty of name value already signed. If I really sit and think you'd have to come down to needing Steve Austin or The Rock to want to come back to wrestling a few days a month, and neither will happen for obvious reasons. That's just my opinion though.

[luke-o 0]

Way to boycott TNA there Lance.

 

Jesus, a guy with years in the business offers his opinions (valid ones at that) at how to improve a company that doesn't know good booking if it stared right in their faces, and all you can say (which you do every damned time he posts something) is a stupid ass comment about how he doesn't boycott TNA. We get it, he still watches TNA. Who gives a shit? Does it invalidate any of his points? No.

 

I didn't say I diasagreed with him, he is right. I'm just saying that if you make a claim about boycotting a show that you hate so much and get angry when watching, then stick to your claim.

 

I agree with what Lance said, but he does need to admit that his "boycott" of TNA worked even less than TSMs attempt a month ago.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I think the past year has shown that TNA isn't going to be successful based on any one or two big names coming in. Heck, I would almost say that the Rock himself coming in wouldn't even make much of a difference in TNA. Really, they just need to figure out how to put together the whole "package" of a wrestling promotion, and stick to it.

[2GOLD 0]

So to the people who watch TNA on a consistent basis, of all the free agents out there, who is the ONE GUY that could turn TNA into a threat?

 

And I mean really put them on the map, a wrestler that Russo probably would book properly.

 

No one. Without an advertising plan, a better understanding of how to book the wrestlers under contract and smarter decisions on who to keep employed and who to cut taps with then TNA will never rise above where they are.

 

It takes forever but all the progress they were making a year or two ago has been flushed by poor decision after poor decision and a failure to get their name out there so people know they are an actual DIFFERENT company from the WWE.

[Jericholic82 0]

anyone else getting sick of non-stop title changes?

 

two years in a row you build sting up to a big title win and he loses it within weeks (this time even sooner), if you're going to do that You might as well give Joe the title since they have pretty much killed all his momentum in favor of Kurt Jarrett (or is that Jeff Angle?)