Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted July 19, 2008 Didn't he book RAW for a while to? No, but he did write/format the weekend shows. In his shoot, Raven says it was a great gig because when they inserted a classic match into the show, he'd get to watch them in the Titan video vault in order to pick the matches that would air. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadManOnTheWater 0 Report post Posted July 20, 2008 Since when is Lance Hoyt Lance Rock? Lame. Since this week. And the Rock and Rave Infection are supposed to be a couple of lame poseurs, so it fits their gimmick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedJed 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2008 --TNA's web site is reporting that Kaz asked for his release on Monday and would appear on TV on Thursday to talk about the reasons. This reads like an angle to me and a spoof of the WWE "future endavors" deal, but we'll try and update later. (wrestlingobserver.com) I don't get this angle at all, how many times has TNA done the "disgruntled worker" deal anyway?!! Otherwise, if it's not an angle, I don't get it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike wanna be 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2008 I presume it's related to Kaz losing that Cup thing they had going there. World X Cup, whatever the hell its name is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jebus 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2008 It's gotta be part of the angle with Kaz "letting everyone down" (i.e.: the X Cup, the X-Division title) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RepoMan 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2008 --TNA's web site is reporting that Kaz asked for his release on Monday and would appear on TV on Thursday to talk about the reasons. This reads like an angle to me and a spoof of the WWE "future endavors" deal, but we'll try and update later. (wrestlingobserver.com) I don't get this angle at all, how many times has TNA done the "disgruntled worker" deal anyway?!! Otherwise, if it's not an angle, I don't get it. Sweat, another of Russo's patented work-shoots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarKnight 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2008 Sweat, another of Russo's patented work-shoots. Russo has tried this since his WCW days, and it didn't get over then either. I read in the Death of WCW book that once he took over as the writer in late 99, he was obsessed with doing shoot angles, thinking that every wrestling fan read the internet and knew everything about the business. It turned out that only maybe 5% of the fans knew what was going on, so everyone else was confused, and the people that did get the jokes thought they were stupid anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Corey_Lazarus 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2008 There's the smart way of working the 'net, which TNA actually has done before, and then there's the dumb (Russo) way. Kaz is a guy I want to like. I really, really do. He's talented in the ring, he's got a great look, and he can at least have an entertaining match with just about anybody you put him in the ring with, and a downright very good/great one with a capable opponent (read: Chris Sabin or AJ Styles, who he seems to have the best chemistry with in TNA). It's just...there's something about him that makes me not care. I'm not sure if it's his personality, or just a complete lack of direction, but there's some reason I don't particularly care for him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarKnight 0 Report post Posted July 22, 2008 Your exactly right. I too have found Kaz to be a great worker ever since I first saw him in 2002, but the guy is bland as hell. I did find him pretty good on the mic though, while he was on Velocity for a few weeks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Golgo 13 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 His look is boring and uninspired. It wouldn't hurt to change his name back to Frankie Kazarian either. He's fine otherwise, but I don't see how this upcoming storyline is going to do him any favors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cd213 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 Maybe he'll disappear for a while and come back under a mask and team with Christopher Danie....I mean Curry Man. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Obi Chris Kenobi 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 Please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silence 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 Please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King... Lawler beat him to it anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2GOLD 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 Please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King... Cookie Monster it is then. I mean, the big blue guy has to be looking for work after being cut from Street right? THE MONSTER COMES TO TNA! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarKnight 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 It wouldn't hurt to change his name back to Frankie Kazarian either I think its really funny that he still has that Kaz name from that Serintonin group. Anyone still remember that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cabbageboy 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 This sort of bizarre shoot angle goes back to before Russo though. Sullivan did this sort of insane crap in WCW with Brian Pillman and it didn't draw any money and actually sent Pillman to the WWF. As far as Kaz goes, I said it before on here and I'll say it again: The dude is like a modern Tom Zenk. A solid enough worker, but no real charisma. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Obi Chris Kenobi 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 Please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King, please not as Burger King... Cookie Monster it is then. I mean, the big blue guy has to be looking for work after being cut from Street right? THE MONSTER COMES TO TNA! I'd buy the PPVs for that! Cookie Monster... CM... CM Crunk! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuckyLopez 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 This doesn't strike me so much as a worked shoot as it does just the TNA website keeping kayfabe. Which to the best of my memory it has always done with announcing Daniels' firing to posting open letters from AJ to Christian and always staying in character in the articles. I could be wrong on that, but that's all it seems to be to me. Kaz the character has asked for his release and thus TNA's website is reporting it as fact. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Obi Chris Kenobi 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2008 This doesn't strike me so much as a worked shoot as it does just the TNA website keeping kayfabe. Which to the best of my memory it has always done with announcing Daniels' firing to posting open letters from AJ to Christian and always staying in character in the articles. I could be wrong on that, but that's all it seems to be to me. Kaz the character has asked for his release and thus TNA's website is reporting it as fact. No, don't fall for it, you'll only make him stronger! (Somewhere over in TNA Land Russo grows stronger, a slight 'ding' can be heard as he levels up) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarKnight 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2008 I don't like wrestling websites that do that kind of stuff, because eventually they end up looking like fools. Remember in 2006 when Orton got suspended, and the way they wrote him off in storyline was having Angle break his ankle? On WWE.com, they had articles right next to each other with the headlines "Orton Suspended" and "Orton suffers a broken ankle". I mean who really would be dumb enough to believe that both happened!? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuckyLopez 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2008 But to the best of my memory TNA's website has never really tried to be the legit news source that WWE.com sometimes tries to be. So in that case they wouldn't have reported the Orton suspension, just the kayfabed ankle breaking story. At least that's what my memory is telling me as I can't think of any legit stories TNA covered but can think of quite a few kayfabe ones they did. I don't know, I'm not really sticking up for it because I'm actually pretty sick of Kaz and him getting all emo or being confronted by some jerk like Bubba or being implicated as Karen's boyfriend... none of those things really appeal to me. It just strikes me that in order for something to be a "worked shoot" there has to be a "shoot" portion of this. And Kaz isn't really a guy has failed TNA repeatedly or was once released or anything that this story references. The "shoot" criticisms seem to stem entirely from TNA's website reporting it as real when from everything I remember TNA's website simple plays along with the story like the announcers do. Its probably a stupid angle. But I fail to see how its in anyway "bizarre", "shoot", or "working the net." Its not like we're reading how TNA and Kaz are telling everyone that they REALLY ARE done. In fact the common sentiment on the web is that's obviously a worked story seeing as how in the next breath they advertised him appearing on Impact to address it. It just seems like the equivalent of WWE.com announcing that Regal had been fired or that Cena was just "grazed." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarKnight 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2008 I too am sick of this Kaz push. The guy does nothing for anybody. The sad thing is, is that TNA have way to many goofy characters in the X-Division to ever main event. So because Kaz is bland and boring, and inoffensive, thats why they main event him at times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuckyLopez 0 Report post Posted July 24, 2008 Kaz sizes up well with the heavyweight and has a pretty boy look, so I hardly think its just a lack of a gimmick. And he's been with TNA for a long time, was one of the X guys who got pushed years ago with Sabin and Shane/Bentley after the 1st wave of Lynn, AJ, and Ki ran through, and even had a short run with WWE as they saw something there. And he's done some really good work with guys like Cage and Angle and I think tends to step up his game and perform in the big matches like the Terrordome and the Ultimate X matches from Victory Road '08 (World X Cup) and '07 (where he broke out from the Serotonin angle and XXX reformed). But in between all of those moments he's boring and bland. He's not terribly good on the mic and there's nothing inherently engaging about him unless he's having a very good match. And this year long push TNA has given him has just been starting and stopping. He wins some big thing, gets a title shot, loses it, and then cools his heels for a month... then he wins something big, gets a title shot, loses it, and then cools his heels for a month... he wins something big, gets a title shot, loses, cools heels... And feuds with Black Reign and Bobby Roode as well as a tag team with Eric Young haven't done him much good as those are guys unable to even really keep themselves very interesting. I think he does fine when TNA has a plan for the guy and he has good dance partners and I think he's a fine choice as a breakthrough guy. But he doesn't seem to have "it" to be a star and the lack of direction TNA has had with him along with the constant push has just made him drag. Kaz is probably yet another example along with guys like Roode, Storm, and Harris of why TNA could use a midcard title besides the X belt because a lot of this boredom and start/stop push probably could have been alleviated if he was holding/feuding over an IC, US, or TV title. But what's done is done and after a year of Kaz being King of the Directionless Midcarders I'm as bored with him as I was with Roode or am with EY. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BruteSquad_BRODY 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2008 I watch very very infrequently, and was surprised to lead Rellik was actually Johnny The Bull Stambolli Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunter's Torn Quad 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2008 I figured this excerpt of a review of the 7/17 Impact from the latest Observer might generate discussion over what draws. Whether it's intelligent discussion remains to be seen. Nash told him that he beat Booker up, and that the guy who beats someone up won the fight even if he wasn’t the official winner of the match. Joe said that he gave Booker everything he had and couldn’t beat Booker. Um, the dude never tried to pin him, and he had him choked out and finished when Sting came out. But Joe is now in depression because he couldn’t beat Booker. This isn’t a fucking soap opera. It’s about creating characters that can draw money. A main event world champion battling depression isn’t going to draw squat, just like a great talker and worker who is spending more time breaking up with his wife on a weekly basis isn’t going to draw. In fact, the company has had exactly one match that drew this year and it was when the guy battling depression and the guy breaking up with his wife were shown just going to the gym and looked like they were training for a fight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Golgo 13 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2008 Yep. I'll never know why TNA thinks Joe being not-Joe will work. It's the same as with Kazarian. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BruteSquad_BRODY 0 Report post Posted July 25, 2008 I'm watching the AM Impact replay, and Spike had a pop up ad during the 3D match promoting "UP NEXT Disorderly Conduct" I marked out briefly thinking of Tough Tom and Mean Mike. Then the nano second later I was saddened to conclude it was a movie. Fuck these announcers are annoying Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Downhome 0 Report post Posted July 26, 2008 I'm sure that this has been mentioned, but screw it. Why the fuck does TNA "title" each episode of Impact? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted July 26, 2008 Watched last week's Impact, and the strap match 'star' bit was great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MillenniumMan831 0 Report post Posted July 27, 2008 I'm sure that this has been mentioned, but screw it. Why the fuck does TNA "title" each episode of Impact? In the words of Jane's Addiction . . . Just Because Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
