We all know that the Garett Bischoff storyline has been terrible. It hasn't really gone anywhere, it's hogged way too much screentime, and nothing entertaining has come of it. But through some combination of determination and pure stupidity, I'm going to try to fantasy-book this storyline out of this hole of suckdom it's stuck in.
As wrestling fans, we've all dreamed of hearing our music play, running out the door and down the ramp to the cheers of thousands of screaming fans. At it's core, this storyline should be about a longtime fan getting his big break in the business and living out our dreams before our eyes despite obstacles such as an overbearing father and an injury in his first real match going against him. It's a great idea for a storyline, if done well. So far it clearly hasn't. It's had way too much exposure, and kept the spotlight off the person it's trying to spotlight with Eric and Hogan stealing the spotlight. And this storyline needs to actually go somewhere, and fast.
Now keep in mind that this has to have good commentary to work, Tenay and Tazz need to drive home what he achieves each week. And we also don't know if Garett Bischoff can have a good match.
February 9: (Against All Odds Go Home Show)
-Short backstage segment where Sting shows confidence in Garett, and books him against the World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Roode.
-Match is a complete squash in 3 minutes or less. The champ dominates the rookie, as he should. Eric walks out and just says that his son will never make it in the business. His involvement in this storyline helps the feud as long as he doesn't hog the spotlight.
February 16:
-Eric comes out to berate his son yet again and laugh at his squash match last week, then Hogan and Garett say they want no more of it. He's ashamed of his father, sick of him berating him week after week and no longer wants to be associated with Eric or even the Bischoff family. Sting approved him being called Jackson James again. Not calling him Bischoff will help get the taste of nepotism out of the mouths of the smart mark fans, and him rebelling against his dad gets the young fans behind him. Eric sets up Jackson James vs. Bully Ray for next week. Segment should take less than 10 minutes.
February 23:
-Jackson (with new theme music and Hogan at ringside) vs. Bully Ray. Bully starts trash-talking the young rookie immediately and Garett hip-tosses him to the surprise of everyone, and Ray angrily Bubba-Bombs him with authority for the pinfall. As he's sprawled out, Hogan's telling him what he could have done to prevent that from happening. Later on, Bully walks backstage to meet Bobby Roode for another title shot, and he walks by a clapping Eric. That's all he needs to do.
March 1:
-Jackson's main-event jobber role continues, as he tags with Jeff Hardy to face Bully Ray and Bobby Roode. During the entrances, Taz points out how bad of an idea it is throwing the rookie to the wolves again seeing how badly the first two matches went, Hardy starts the match out, avoiding tagging out until near the end of the match when Jackson runs in and gets some nice, crisp offense in on the Bully, enough so to get Bully Ray to tag out to Roode to everyone's surprise. He gets some shots in on the champ before eventually getting his patented arm-drag reversed into a crossface so the champ can get a submission victory. Hogan congratulates him on the mic for the great showing the kid had against the company's best, Eric's given the night off.
March 8:
-The kid publically thanks Hogan for all the help he's been helping him improve as a wrestler, and that without him, none of this would be possible. However, he isn't satisfied. He doesn't want to just to give good performances, he wants to win matches. He's here to win championships! So he calls out the TV champion, Robbie E, and they have a match. It's pretty competitive and Jackson James gets his first win in Impact Wrestling! He celebrates with Hogan as Taz and Tenay put him over as going from "referee" to "TV championship contender" within just a few months. Amazing.
March 15:
-Victory Road go-home show, Jackson James gets the night off in favor of people who will actually be on the PPV.
March 22:
-Jackson takes on Robbie E for the TV title. They fight for 7-8 minutes, until JJ hits his finisher. Eric Bischoff runs out of the crowd and distracts the ref, leading to a pinfall win for Robbie E. Hogan then runs off Eric.
March 29:
-He then faces the Pope in one-on-one action, but the Immortal Lapdog, Gunner, runs out and causes a DQ. He grabs a mic and yells for Eric to come out, and they have an exchange about how Jackson's living his dream, and it's making Eric miserable, so Eric's getting Gunner to injure the poor rookie again.
April 5:
-The rookie faces another mid-card heel, and has a competitive match with them. Gunner runs into the ring, Jackson throws him back out, and hits his finisher to win the match. Gunner runs in he attacks him, but Eric cheapshots him from behind and they gang up on him. This should establish Jackson as more of a threat, get him more over, and justify him having a spot on the PPV while letting the heel have the final shot.
April 12 (Lockdown Go-Home Show)
Jackson vs. Gunner announced for Lockdown, complete with promo where he says that it's always been his dream to be a wrestler. Despite his overbearing father and getting piledrivered him on the concrete in his first real match, he pressed on. He's gotten better every week, and feels like he finally has a foothold in the wrestling business. He wants the fans to try to see things through his eyes... Who of us hasn't wanted to be a wrestler, to walk down the ramp as your entrance music plays, walk past Hulk Hogan in your corner as you climb inside a steel cage, and get ready to face a jackass who injured you, with Ric Flair eyeballing you at you from the other side? I'm living my dream, but maybe you can live your dream through my eyes. (Or words to that effect). And then he leaves. No overbooking, no old people, none of that. Just a reason to care about him going into Lockdown.
This is the easiest thing in the world to book, yet TNA can't seem to do anything with it despite loads of TV time. I know the internet won't like this idea very much, and it's not very entertaining, but logical booking is what the wrestling organization needs right now. Your comments are welcome.
As wrestling fans, we've all dreamed of hearing our music play, running out the door and down the ramp to the cheers of thousands of screaming fans. At it's core, this storyline should be about a longtime fan getting his big break in the business and living out our dreams before our eyes despite obstacles such as an overbearing father and an injury in his first real match going against him. It's a great idea for a storyline, if done well. So far it clearly hasn't. It's had way too much exposure, and kept the spotlight off the person it's trying to spotlight with Eric and Hogan stealing the spotlight. And this storyline needs to actually go somewhere, and fast.
Now keep in mind that this has to have good commentary to work, Tenay and Tazz need to drive home what he achieves each week. And we also don't know if Garett Bischoff can have a good match.
February 9: (Against All Odds Go Home Show)
-Short backstage segment where Sting shows confidence in Garett, and books him against the World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Roode.
-Match is a complete squash in 3 minutes or less. The champ dominates the rookie, as he should. Eric walks out and just says that his son will never make it in the business. His involvement in this storyline helps the feud as long as he doesn't hog the spotlight.
February 16:
-Eric comes out to berate his son yet again and laugh at his squash match last week, then Hogan and Garett say they want no more of it. He's ashamed of his father, sick of him berating him week after week and no longer wants to be associated with Eric or even the Bischoff family. Sting approved him being called Jackson James again. Not calling him Bischoff will help get the taste of nepotism out of the mouths of the smart mark fans, and him rebelling against his dad gets the young fans behind him. Eric sets up Jackson James vs. Bully Ray for next week. Segment should take less than 10 minutes.
February 23:
-Jackson (with new theme music and Hogan at ringside) vs. Bully Ray. Bully starts trash-talking the young rookie immediately and Garett hip-tosses him to the surprise of everyone, and Ray angrily Bubba-Bombs him with authority for the pinfall. As he's sprawled out, Hogan's telling him what he could have done to prevent that from happening. Later on, Bully walks backstage to meet Bobby Roode for another title shot, and he walks by a clapping Eric. That's all he needs to do.
March 1:
-Jackson's main-event jobber role continues, as he tags with Jeff Hardy to face Bully Ray and Bobby Roode. During the entrances, Taz points out how bad of an idea it is throwing the rookie to the wolves again seeing how badly the first two matches went, Hardy starts the match out, avoiding tagging out until near the end of the match when Jackson runs in and gets some nice, crisp offense in on the Bully, enough so to get Bully Ray to tag out to Roode to everyone's surprise. He gets some shots in on the champ before eventually getting his patented arm-drag reversed into a crossface so the champ can get a submission victory. Hogan congratulates him on the mic for the great showing the kid had against the company's best, Eric's given the night off.
March 8:
-The kid publically thanks Hogan for all the help he's been helping him improve as a wrestler, and that without him, none of this would be possible. However, he isn't satisfied. He doesn't want to just to give good performances, he wants to win matches. He's here to win championships! So he calls out the TV champion, Robbie E, and they have a match. It's pretty competitive and Jackson James gets his first win in Impact Wrestling! He celebrates with Hogan as Taz and Tenay put him over as going from "referee" to "TV championship contender" within just a few months. Amazing.
March 15:
-Victory Road go-home show, Jackson James gets the night off in favor of people who will actually be on the PPV.
March 22:
-Jackson takes on Robbie E for the TV title. They fight for 7-8 minutes, until JJ hits his finisher. Eric Bischoff runs out of the crowd and distracts the ref, leading to a pinfall win for Robbie E. Hogan then runs off Eric.
March 29:
-He then faces the Pope in one-on-one action, but the Immortal Lapdog, Gunner, runs out and causes a DQ. He grabs a mic and yells for Eric to come out, and they have an exchange about how Jackson's living his dream, and it's making Eric miserable, so Eric's getting Gunner to injure the poor rookie again.
April 5:
-The rookie faces another mid-card heel, and has a competitive match with them. Gunner runs into the ring, Jackson throws him back out, and hits his finisher to win the match. Gunner runs in he attacks him, but Eric cheapshots him from behind and they gang up on him. This should establish Jackson as more of a threat, get him more over, and justify him having a spot on the PPV while letting the heel have the final shot.
April 12 (Lockdown Go-Home Show)
Jackson vs. Gunner announced for Lockdown, complete with promo where he says that it's always been his dream to be a wrestler. Despite his overbearing father and getting piledrivered him on the concrete in his first real match, he pressed on. He's gotten better every week, and feels like he finally has a foothold in the wrestling business. He wants the fans to try to see things through his eyes... Who of us hasn't wanted to be a wrestler, to walk down the ramp as your entrance music plays, walk past Hulk Hogan in your corner as you climb inside a steel cage, and get ready to face a jackass who injured you, with Ric Flair eyeballing you at you from the other side? I'm living my dream, but maybe you can live your dream through my eyes. (Or words to that effect). And then he leaves. No overbooking, no old people, none of that. Just a reason to care about him going into Lockdown.
This is the easiest thing in the world to book, yet TNA can't seem to do anything with it despite loads of TV time. I know the internet won't like this idea very much, and it's not very entertaining, but logical booking is what the wrestling organization needs right now. Your comments are welcome.
