TNA Comments which don't warrant a thread

[Scroby 0]

So WCW trained Bob Sapp to be a wrestler? I had no idea, hmm I wonder what would WCW have done with Bob. I wonder if they would have tried to give Sapp a Goldberg like push.

[Jingus 0]

Yeah, he was Powerplanting it up for a while. Did a little time in NWA Wildside when it was a pseudo-developmental, too.

[King Kamala 0]

I think Sapp was released a few months before WCW went out of business. First time, I remember seeing the guy was in late '00/early '01 beating the crap out of The Fridge on FX's Toughman show.

[RedJed 0]

Hot damn, I guessed right on that "international star" with throwing Sapps name out there.

 

I saw some of Sapp in Wildside (during some weird Best of shows they had on a local channel here right around when they went under) and for being extremely green at the time, he was immensely charismatic even then. It would be a big pick-up for TNA, in terms of a guy with a huge upside for this business (since his MMA starpower is fading a bit) but it would come down to if TNA would use him properly or not. Hard to say but I think its definately worth a shot since I could see matches with him against Angle, Booker, and Joe just off the top of my head as really interesting bouts.

[Atticus Chaos 0]

 

Dawn Marie recently did an interview with SLAM! Wrestling noting that she's interested in coming to TNA. However, her name hasn't come up with the writing team. Also, there may be potential issues between one or two major stars in TNA, as well as road agent Pat Kenney, her former fiancee.

 

 

wrestling observer newsletter

 

'The major stars' are probably the Angles.

[Jacques 0]

How the hell is Simon Diamond qualified to be a road agent? I don't remember him being any good at all.

[The Buzz 0]

I figured I'd ask this here. Has anyone else had a tough time with TNA's online store? I did an order around BFG time, the 79 dollar deal they had and ordereded two of the original three dvds they put out as well. Well when they sent me the order instead of sending me the original "Best of X-Division Matches" dvd they sent me the NWA-TNA Title match dvd. So I emailed them that day (10/24) and they said to keep the dvd as a gift, and they'd send me the right dvd. Well, I've emailed them recently like 6 times, and haven't even gotten so much as a "it's in the mail." I've never had any store ignore me when I question what's going on with my order, especially after it's been screwed up.

 

 

So has anyone had a similar problem, or know of any type of place I can report the bad service to?

[Jingus 0]

I've never bought from them myself, but I've heard plenty of bad stories about TNA fucking up people's merchandise orders. I doubt there's anything you can do about it other than keep emailing them, maybe try to get ahold of their office phone numbers if you're really determined. My advice is for people to always buy their TNA dvds from a reputable tape site like Highspots or ROH, those guys go out of their way to make sure you get the right stuff.

[cd213 0]

I've ordered a number of times from them and I have yet to have any problem whatsoever.

[Steviekick 0]

I've orderd from TNA a bunch of times and always received great service.

 

Did you try e-mailing them at this address, [email protected] ?

[Matt Young 0]

How the hell is Simon Diamond qualified to be a road agent? I don't remember him being any good at all.

 

Really? i always thought he was pretty awesome, and underutilized.

 

As far as Bob Sapp goes, I remember WCW airing a few vignettes for him back in the day, but he never had a televised match.

[Steviekick 0]

Simon Diamond was a great lower card guy. His matches were passable and was pretty funny. I'm sure he has a decent enough mind for the job.

 

Thanks to Youtube, I've become a bit of a Bob Sapp mark the last couple years and really hope he comes to TNA.

[The Buzz 0]

I've orderd from TNA a bunch of times and always received great service.

 

Did you try e-mailing them at this address, [email protected] ?

 

 

Yes, that's the email I tried. The first time I reported the problem the day I got the dvds they responded within an hour, and said they'd fix it. However, it's been the last two weeks when I've been trying to get information from them about possibly tracking my package to see where it is, or to see if they even sent it out. They haven't responded. I normally order all my dvds from ROH or Highspots. Very rarely I'll order dvd-rs from a tape trader, but all those websites have been great. This is like the time my dad bought me a shirt from WCW, and they billed 300 dollars to his credit card, and were supposed to send us something to make up for it after they fixed it. We received a WCW catalogue a year later. Thanks for the help guys, maybe I'll look for a telephone number.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

Hey, is TNA worth programming my unreliable DVR for again? I used to be into it a year or two ago (and I enjoyed a few of their weekly PPV showings many moons ago). I always thought that the less Jarrett, then the more interested I would be in the product, but I really haven't been swayed by what I've read and occasionally seen.

[Karnage 0]

On the topic of ShopTNA, I ordered one of Don's deal a long time ago for their TNA shorts and a package featuring the Best of the NWATNA World Title Matches and Phenomenal: Best of AJ Styles Volume 1. It was on process for a long time until I e-mailed them and they said they were out of the shorts, no big deal. I emailed them to ask if they could mail the iMPACT! ones instead of the TNA logo ones. They came a few weeks later, no complaints.

 

Second time was quite annoying. I ordered their Slammiversary package. A day or two later, I was charged and they said the shipment was out and I was given a tracking number. For like a month, it said that the package was in process on the FedEx site. In a very Russo-riffic manner, they SWERVED me. I called TNA (They weren't replying to my e-mails) and it turns out the package was never shipped. So I got a refund which was really quick.

 

The point of the story? Order TNA stuff somewhere else.

[The Buzz 0]

Hmm, I'll have to check the site for a number, just incase I don't find it do you remember the number?

[Mecca 0]

Consequences Creed signed with TNA.

 

Latest TNA idiocy is that the main event of this Sunday's PPV is a Feast of Fired Battle Royal. It's a smurfing POLE MATCH with briefcases on four poles. In three of the briefcases are contracts for the three major titles (World, Tag and X). In the fourth briefcase is a pink slip. So yes, COMPLETELY AT RANDOM, a man can either get a WORLD TITLE SHOT or GET FIRED.

 

I'm trying to think of a stupider concept for a match. This is seriously worse than the reverse battle royal. At least that match just was impossible to work without making it look stupid. In this, they are basically saying that their titles are so meaningless that any person completely at random can get a chance to win one, and has nearly as much of a chance of randomly winning the shot as he does of randomly being fired. And if title shots are given out so randomly in TNA, why not just wait until the next time you can randomly win one? Why enter this match where you may get fired? Futhermore, and obviously nobody thought this much about it, if the first three briefcases are opened and all contain title shots, why the smurf would anyone get the last briefcase? Can the match end without that briefcase being opened?.

 

The January 6th PPV will take place in Orlando and the February 10th show probably takes place in Greenville, SC.

 

Sting is finished until such time comes that he signs a new deal. It's not a guarantee he will. He was ready to walk away at the end of this year and quietly retire, but Dixie Carter really wants him back. I would think for $500,000 per year to work a super limited schedule he'd be willing. They beat him clean at the last PPV just in case, though, so for now that is the final match of his career.

 

Read a doozy of a Kurt Angle interview with David Robson on a bodybuilding site. It's actually several months old but I just discovered it. His VERY FIRST SENTENCE was about how he was on the road 300 days a year for WWE for seven years. This is the new Hulk Hogan. He couldn't handle the grind, he said, so he quit and went to TNA. Well, if you tell the story enough times you start to believe it. WWE fired Angle, fearing that he was about to die. That's the truth, no matter what anyone says now and in the future. He claimed TNA was averaging between a 1.1 and 1.5 rating on Spike, and that WWE was doing "around a 2.6".

 

TNA has never done a 1.5. They've done 1.5 million VIEWERS, but never a 1.5 rating. Raw is nowhere close to averaging a 2.6. Smackdown is, but that's a network rating as opposed to a cable rating, meaning they're still doing around 5 million viewers and have beaten Raw on certain weeks. He said TNA "easily matches the ECW ratings" and were "climbing fast to the Smackdown ratings". Does he believe this bullcrap? They've actually never even beaten ECW, even when ECW bottomed out at the 1.1. He had a very specific percentage for how much more action we got with TNA: 210%. No idea where that came from. He said he was 6-0, 220 pounds and five percent bodyfat. He claimed with TNA he was on the road "100 to 150 days a year". Keep in mind the average guy in WWE is on the road 140 days a year. With four TV tapings a month and one PPV, that's 60 dates for TNA.

 

So I guess they're running 40 to 90 house shows a year. No idea where those shows are at. He said in WWE you could have 280 matches a year. He talked about his diet and training regimen and said he was far healthier now than he'd been in a long time. I'd agree with that. He said he'd love to have one fight and was negotiating with different MMA companies. When asked about opponents he said he'd love to face Randy Couture. He said the fans considered him the greatest pro wrestler of all time. He said he wrestled for "30 minutes a night, every night".

 

He added: "Just getting clotheslined and hitting the plywood or concrete floor is enough pain for one day, but we go through a thirty-minute match where we are doing all of these moves, being thrown on your heads and suplexing one another over and over. You have to remember the ring is metal and wood with very little give. The ring has a little bit of canvas but all-in-all it's a pretty solid surface." So Bret was right. He said Abyss was 400 pounds. He said "in the past seven years I have won more titles than any other wrestler in history winning 11 world and Olympic titles.

 

And no one has ever done that. Rick Flair has won 16, but he has been a wrestler for 34 years. If I wrestled over that period of time I would probably have 30 titles." Elsewhere, it was said that he was the best wrestler ever because he won the TNA, IWGP, X-Division and Tag Titles, and that no one had ever held that many titles at the same time before. Actually, Ultimo Dragon once held ten belts at the same time. I guess he doesn't count because he's a foreigner.

 

Credit F4W

[Guest LuckyLopez]

Latest TNA idiocy is that the main event of this Sunday's PPV is a Feast of Fired Battle Royal. It's a smurfing POLE MATCH with briefcases on four poles. In three of the briefcases are contracts for the three major titles (World, Tag and X). In the fourth briefcase is a pink slip. So yes, COMPLETELY AT RANDOM, a man can either get a WORLD TITLE SHOT or GET FIRED.

 

I'm trying to think of a stupider concept for a match. This is seriously worse than the reverse battle royal. At least that match just was impossible to work without making it look stupid. In this, they are basically saying that their titles are so meaningless

 

I basically agree that the match concept is pretty silly and the idea of randomly firing someone and leaving it all to chance makes NO sense whatsoever. How do you see that Cornette honestly is ok with firing Chris Harris or Frankie Kazarian purely because they had bad luck? But random title shots say that the titles are meaningless? How does that work? Hasn't EVERY title in wrestling had a cocky heel hand out shots to lesser wrestlers for show or a face hand out opportunities to young upstarts somewhere along the line? Randomly assigning a World Title shot to someone is a bit odd but how in the world does it make it meaningless? And how is it functionally much different than if you had all the same guys in a Battle Royal for that title shot? A little more "random" because the shot wouldn't be given to any direct last man standing, but still a group of random talent in a less than ideal show of true ability.

 

And he completely fails to follow out his own logic. He says that the titles are meaningless because of this and that it would make sense for the wrestlers to skip the match if being fired is a reality. Ignoring that he pretty much makes up how often title shots are randomly handed out in TNA, by his own logic isn't that a wrestler is willing to risk being fired to gain a title shot basically a message of its worth? Again, I think the match is silly in general and I'm not saying this is something that elevates the titles or makes them look good. But the writer seems all too happy to follow his conclusions in one direction and not the other.

 

Can I presume this is Alvarez? It sounds like his writing on TNA.

[Karnage 0]

Hmm, I'll have to check the site for a number, just incase I don't find it do you remember the number?

 

Try 615-244-5557. That is the TNA Nashville Office according to Google. They don't have the number anywhere on the TNA site.

[garfieldsnose 0]

So, where are the spoilers for iMPACT! this week?

[garfieldsnose 0]

Nevermind, they were in with the 11/22 spoilers.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

But random title shots say that the titles are meaningless? How does that work?

 

Because instead of doing something to, you know, earn a title shot, the guy just has to pick one of three suitcases. How meaningful can a title shot be if the guy just has to open a briefcase?

 

Hasn't EVERY title in wrestling had a cocky heel hand out shots to lesser wrestlers for show or a face hand out opportunities to young upstarts somewhere along the line?

 

There is a difference between the cocky heel handing out title shots to lesser wrestlers and the promotion doing so. One tells a good story, that of the cocky heel choosing lesser opposition to avoid a real challenge, and the other one doesn't. It tells the story of a promotion that considers title shots so meaningful, that they're willing to give them out at random, to people who might not have done anything to earn them.

 

Randomly assigning a World Title shot to someone is a bit odd but how in the world does it make it meaningless?

 

Because it makes the chance of winning the World title mean a lot less than it did before. It doesn't help if they run a storyline with, say, Samoa Joe running through the members of the Angle Alliance to get a title shot at Kurt, and then out of nowhere TNA randomly give Eric Young a title shot for no reason. If TNA can give title shots at random, why not give one to Joe?

 

And how is it functionally much different than if you had all the same guys in a Battle Royal for that title shot?

 

Because at least then they'd be fighting with other wrestlers and trying to eliminate them from the ring. It would be some kid of competition. This match is basically a race to open a briefcase first.

 

A little more "random" because the shot wouldn't be given to any direct last man standing, but still a group of random talent in a less than ideal show of true ability.

 

At least the winner would have done something to earn his shot, namely avoiding elimination while eliminating others himself.

 

He says that the titles are meaningless because of this and that it would make sense for the wrestlers to skip the match if being fired is a reality. Ignoring that he pretty much makes up how often title shots are randomly handed out in TNA, by his own logic isn't that a wrestler is willing to risk being fired to gain a title shot basically a message of its worth?

 

It's one thing if the big storyline is the top babyface risking his career to get that title match against the top heel. It's another if you've got a crew of midcarders and comedy acts doing the same. Who cares if any of them is risking their career? A wrestler risking his career for a title shot only means something if the people care about the wrestler taking the risk, and even then, doing that angle with one person means a hell of a lot more than doing with a bunch of people at once.

 

 

 

 

[Jacques 0]

Eh, it's just a way for Angle to give a rub to a young wrestler like he has already done with Lethal and Kaz. No need to psychoanalyze the damn thing.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Eh, it's just a way for Angle to give a rub to a young wrestler like he has already done with Lethal and Kaz. No need to psychoanalyze the damn thing.

Since when is explaining the reasoning behind your argument 'psychoanalyzing'? You could always try to counter. That is, if you don't mind psychoanalyzing.

[Jacques 0]

Look man, It's just a filler match to give everybody on the roster a quick payday at the PPV. A bunch of guys will fight and 4 of them will end up with the briefcases. The one who get's fired will have a new storyline. And the Impact which will run alongside ECW will probably have three title matches just to get the viewers to tune into TNA instead of ECW. And with champions like Angle, AJ, Tomko and Lethal all those will be quality matches. I see a shitload of positives and very few negatives.

[Guest LuckyLopez]

Because instead of doing something to, you know, earn a title shot, the guy just has to pick one of three suitcases. How meaningful can a title shot be if the guy just has to open a briefcase?

Well obviously he has to be able to become the guy to open the briefcase. But I did basically agree that the match is fairly silly. Much like the Reverse Battle Royal that becomes both a hard to believe scenario and no real test of ability. But its a match being made to reward a title shot. How is this fundamentally different from the Reverse Battle Royal/Fight for the Right? And how is that fundamentally different from having a Battle Royal in which the winner earns a title shot? Or Smackdown's Beat The Clock Challenge? Again, ignoring the firing because I DO agree that ridiculous. But it seems absurd that handing out a fairly random title shot devalues the title when its been done for as long as I watched wrestling.

 

There is a difference between the cocky heel handing out title shots to lesser wrestlers and the promotion doing so. One tells a good story, that of the cocky heel choosing lesser opposition to avoid a real challenge, and the other one doesn't. It tells the story of a promotion that considers title shots so meaningful, that they're willing to give them out at random, to people who might not have done anything to earn them.

I'm not arguing its a good story. But do you honestly not see a basic story? TNA puts together a match so that one midcarder can get possibly the opportunity of his career with a title shot? The match is stupid, but the story is no different than a Battle Royal.

 

Because it makes the chance of winning the World title mean a lot less than it did before. It doesn't help if they run a storyline with, say, Samoa Joe running through the members of the Angle Alliance to get a title shot at Kurt, and then out of nowhere TNA randomly give Eric Young a title shot for no reason. If TNA can give title shots at random, why not give one to Joe?

TNA can't randomly give a title shot to Joe? Does TNA often hand out title shots? Doesn't WWE and ROH? Does ANY promotion have a finite amount of title shots and a strict protocol for winning them? Really, since when is setting up a title shot as the reward for a match a strange thing? Its merely the structure of the match that is silly, not the prize. Vickie Guerrero randomly assigned Edge a title shot last week. Every month people randomly assign title shots to each World Champ.

 

And even if the title shot was just "handed" to an undeserving wrestler how does that make the TITLE mean less? I can't even argue against that because neither you or the writer seem to be explaining how it happens. An undeserving contender = a worthless title? How?

 

Because at least then they'd be fighting with other wrestlers and trying to eliminate them from the ring. It would be some kid of competition. This match is basically a race to open a briefcase first.

 

At least the winner would have done something to earn his shot, namely avoiding elimination while eliminating others himself.

A race is not a competition? The wrestlers are doing something to "earn" the shot. They're battling with each other to be the first to acquire the briefcases. And again, I agree. Its a silly match concept. Its a less than ideal method of testing contenders. And the random nature of the briefcases and inclusion of the pink slip strike me as just plain bad. But whether the match is stupid and whether it renders titles less valuable are different arguments. That's what I found ridiculous about his rant.

 

It's one thing if the big storyline is the top babyface risking his career to get that title match against the top heel. It's another if you've got a crew of midcarders and comedy acts doing the same. Who cares if any of them is risking their career? A wrestler risking his career for a title shot only means something if the people care about the wrestler taking the risk, and even then, doing that angle with one person means a hell of a lot more than doing with a bunch of people at once.

I agree. Its a bad story. As a TNA fan I wish they wouldn't do it. But that means you IGNORE that the wrestler is risking his career and thus believes the prize to be valuable because you don't personally care for the wrestler? Because he isn't high enough on the card? If I actually believed someone would be fired I'd be concerned over any number of midcarders (and probably hopeful a few others got it). And I'll probably root for certain guys to get certain shots for the better story/match. Kaz winning a World Title shot could be a compelling story. Eric Young would seem like a waste. And I think it almost inevitable that Chris Harris get the pink slip and I dread that story.

 

I'm not defending the match. But you can't say "the match makes the titles meaningless when the wrestlers are risking their career for it." And while I agree that from a booking sense there was a CLEAR flaw in both this and the Fight for the Right because the top contenders were missing from the match the prize doesn't become meaningless because I care less about the players. Or because I wasn't impressed with the way he got the shot. That makes no sense.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Well obviously he has to be able to become the guy to open the briefcase. But I did basically agree that the match is fairly silly. Much like the Reverse Battle Royal that becomes both a hard to believe scenario and no real test of ability. But its a match being made to reward a title shot. How is this fundamentally different from the Reverse Battle Royal/Fight for the Right? And how is that fundamentally different from having a Battle Royal in which the winner earns a title shot? Or Smackdown's Beat The Clock Challenge? Again, ignoring the firing because I DO agree that ridiculous. But it seems absurd that handing out a fairly random title shot devalues the title when its been done for as long as I watched wrestling.

 

It's the whole premise that a guy can win a title shot just by opening a briefcase. Sure, he has to get someone worn down first, but it's not like his ultimate goal is to pin him, make him submit or throw him over the top rope and defeat him directly in some fashion. He just has to open a briefcase, and he gets a title shot. The whole idea is absurd. Handing out random title shots isn't necessarily a bad idea, but the manner in which that title shot is handed out can be.

 

I'm not arguing its a good story. But do you honestly not see a basic story? TNA puts together a match so that one midcarder can get possibly the opportunity of his career with a title shot? The match is stupid, but the story is no different than a Battle Royal.

 

It's a story, yes, but it's a stupid one for a possible title shot at what is meant to be your company's biggest championship. The story is in theory the same as if it was a Battle Royal, but the manner in which that story is being told is stupid. A Battle Royal would at least tell you who the best competitor is. This match is going to tell you who can open a briefcase the fastest and be the luckiest.

 

TNA can't randomly give a title shot to Joe? Does TNA often hand out title shots? Doesn't WWE and ROH? Does ANY promotion have a finite amount of title shots and a strict protocol for winning them? Really, since when is setting up a title shot as the reward for a match a strange thing? Its merely the structure of the match that is silly, not the prize. Vickie Guerrero randomly assigned Edge a title shot last week. Every month people randomly assign title shots to each World Champ.

 

I agree that setting up a title shot as a prize isn't a strange or a bad thing, and I wouldn't say otherwise. My issue is just with the manner in which it's being given out.

 

And even if the title shot was just "handed" to an undeserving wrestler how does that make the TITLE mean less? I can't even argue against that because neither you or the writer seem to be explaining how it happens. An undeserving contender = a worthless title? How?

 

A title looks better if the people chasing at are either established stars or credible wrestlers on the way up. If someone that nobody takes seriously gets a shot at a title, nobody takes the match seriously, and that's never a good thing for a title. Titles are meant to be important and mean something, so they can be used to draw interest and money. Look at boxing, for example. How many of the current 'world' titles mean anything? None. Why? Because nobody buys any of the fighters worthy of being a world champion.

 

A race is not a competition? The wrestlers are doing something to "earn" the shot. They're battling with each other to be the first to acquire the briefcases. And again, I agree. Its a silly match concept. Its a less than ideal method of testing contenders. And the random nature of the briefcases and inclusion of the pink slip strike me as just plain bad. But whether the match is stupid and whether it renders titles less valuable are different arguments. That's what I found ridiculous about his rant.

 

Then why not have more races like this to determine contenders or champions? The match is stupid because nobody could take it seriously. And I already said why it's devaluing the titles.

 

I agree. Its a bad story. As a TNA fan I wish they wouldn't do it. But that means you IGNORE that the wrestler is risking his career and thus believes the prize to be valuable because you don't personally care for the wrestler? Because he isn't high enough on the card? If I actually believed someone would be fired I'd be concerned over any number of midcarders (and probably hopeful a few others got it). And I'll probably root for certain guys to get certain shots for the better story/match. Kaz winning a World Title shot could be a compelling story. Eric Young would seem like a waste. And I think it almost inevitable that Chris Harris get the pink slip and I dread that story.

 

It's not about ignoring the wrestler is risking his career, it's about not caring that he's doing so because he's not been portrayed as anybody worth caring about. Sure, a midcard comedy act like Eric Young will have his fans, but for the most part, nobody is really going to care if he's around or not. Eric Young not being around isn't going to make one iota of difference in the grand scheme of things, because you can make a midcard comedy act out of almost anyone. But put a big name in that same position, and the attitude of the majority of fans canges, because he is someone to care about and he is someone who would make a difference if he's gone.

 

I'm not defending the match. But you can't say "the match makes the titles meaningless when the wrestlers are risking their career for it." And while I agree that from a booking sense there was a CLEAR flaw in both this and the Fight for the Right because the top contenders were missing from the match the prize doesn't become meaningless because I care less about the players. Or because I wasn't impressed with the way he got the shot. That makes no sense.

 

Of course the prize still has meaning, but it's no good having a major prize on the line if the match is so stupid and the booking so flawed that the match isn't anything special.

[Guest LuckyLopez]

It's the whole premise that a guy can win a title shot just by opening a briefcase. Sure, he has to get someone worn down first, but it's not like his ultimate goal is to pin him, make him submit or throw him over the top rope and defeat him directly in some fashion. He just has to open a briefcase, and he gets a title shot. The whole idea is absurd. Handing out random title shots isn't necessarily a bad idea, but the manner in which that title shot is handed out can be.

 

It's a story, yes, but it's a stupid one for a possible title shot at what is meant to be your company's biggest championship. The story is in theory the same as if it was a Battle Royal, but the manner in which that story is being told is stupid. A Battle Royal would at least tell you who the best competitor is. This match is going to tell you who can open a briefcase the fastest and be the luckiest.

Its not just "open a briefcase" though. Its battle a ring full of guys and climb a pole to get the briefcase. Its in principle not THAT much different than a ladder match or Ultimate X match. Retrieve an item that's just out of reach. There are other wrestlers in your way trying to get it as well. No argument about the "luck" though. Definitely a questionable aspect at best seemingly designed for silly stories like a heavyweight getting the X shot and unnecessary drama in someone getting fired.

 

A title looks better if the people chasing at are either established stars or credible wrestlers on the way up. If someone that nobody takes seriously gets a shot at a title, nobody takes the match seriously, and that's never a good thing for a title. Titles are meant to be important and mean something, so they can be used to draw interest and money. Look at boxing, for example. How many of the current 'world' titles mean anything? None. Why? Because nobody buys any of the fighters worthy of being a world champion.

I agree in general. But if the World Champ takes on Sting and Joe and gives a title shot to Kaz in between, is that damaging to the title? Kaz isn't the standard challenger. He's an exception. The one thing I would basically agree with is that I don't understand why you do this title shot gimmick 1 month after doing it with the Fight for the Right. It almost has me convinced that Kaz gets the shot to further the idea of him getting a 2nd shot at glory. But like the 1st shot I'm more or less expecting this to be an Impact main event, possibly for the Dec 7 show against ECW, and not the PPV headlining match. And I'd absolutely agree that Eric Young vs Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Title at Final Resolution would be a very bad move and one that hurts the title (not making it "meaningless", but certainly a laughable main event).

 

Then why not have more races like this to determine contenders or champions? The match is stupid because nobody could take it seriously. And I already said why it's devaluing the titles.

Its a random gimmicky thing. Like Beat the Clock. Like Royal Rumble. Like Money in the Bank. And I agree that MitB and RR are at least on paper vastly superior gimmicks, but its the same basic concept. I didn't object to the idea that this match is stupid. I objected to the idea that it was a public declaration that the titles are meaningless and that title shots are cheap and easy to come by. Each competitor has a 4 in 15 chance of getting a briefcase. And then only a 25% chance of getting any title shot and an 25% chance of getting fired. That's not terribly cheap.

 

Of course the prize still has meaning, but it's no good having a major prize on the line if the match is so stupid and the booking so flawed that the match isn't anything special.

 

Really, it doesn't sound like you're arguing what I objected to from the F4W writer (who I'm still presuming was Alvarez). Maybe I'm wrong. The three of us all agree that the match is basically stupid. And we all have varying levels of concern about giving a title shot to a midcarder who doesn't do all that much to "earn" it. Where I differ with the F4W guy is the idea that its a declaration of the title being without worth. And him not following his "why not wait for the next opportunity when you wouldn't risk your job" with the logical conclusion of "because the prize DOES have value and the wrestlers perceive the gamble worth it." The criticism just seemed over the top to the point where it lost the LEGITIMATE problems with the match in order to make it bigger than it is.

 

The match could end up being bad, although "worse than the Reverse Battle Royal" seems a stretch since we're basically talking a 15 man brawl rather than a race into the ring.

The challengers will be random, and the World Title challenger is likely to be "undeserving."

The "comedy" of a heavyweight getting the X shot seems unavoidable.

The idiotic "firing" wild card.

All criticisms I'd be pretty hard pressed to argue.

 

It declares the titles meaningless and may be the stupidest concept in wrestling? Really?

[cd213 0]

CTP, got a question for you. What would you say to the match, after seeing it first, if the big names were in the match as well. The possibility of someone like Joe, Abyss, Steiner possibly getting the pink-slip makes it more interesting. Or,how about this, Joe wins the world title shot after being in a hard fought match like the six-man tag and he wins the title at the Dec. 7 head-to-head against ECW. The IWC would cream their pants as one of their "chosen ones" finally won the title and no one expected it since it was on regular tv. Not only were big names in the match that people are shitting on before they see it, but there was a title change on FREE tv. Not saying that it is going to happen, but why not?

[Nate 0]

well Joe and Abyss have matches on the PPV, my guess is it'll probably wind up being guys like, Storm, Harris, Dutt, VKM, LAX, Eric Young, Petey, Shark Boy, Scott Stiener not sure who else they can put in because that's 11 off hand I can think of unless a few pull double duty