TNA Impact Review (A must read!)
By: Chris “The Authority†Schultz
Every week I usually put together a review of TNA Impact which airs on Spike TV every Thursday night for 2 hours. When I first started doing these reviews, I considered it a privilege to be able to cover an organization that I have grown quite fond of over the past several years. Heck, I used to be a part of TNA for two and a half years myself. I truly believed that the WWE couldn't help but take notice of this up and coming promotion and that it would only be matter of time before each company was fighting each other for the best ratings on television.
Lately, I have been disgusted with what TNA calls a wrestling show. Over the past several weeks, it seems like their main focus was to get people to laugh. They made and absolute joke of the professional wrestling business. I was critical, but I thought they would come around and realize what brought them to the dance. Looks like I was wrong though. TNA continues to waste my time with stupid antics and a horrible show that has me wishing I had those 2 hours back that I wasted watching Impact.
Consider this a wakeup call TNA! I know I don't speak for all the fans out there, but enough is enough. It's time to step it up and bring out your A game. What happened? Where did it all go wrong? I understand that some big names have made their way to the company, but when did the whole change take place? Am I being too hard on this organization? Do you, the fans, enjoy what your seeing week after week? Am I the only one that realizes that the X-Division is dying in TNA?
Let's take a look at what ticks me off and breakdown the problems that face this company lately. First off, kill the Sharkboy gimmick. First he comes to the ring bandaged up like a mummy and now he has an Austin 3:16 gimmick? Give me a freaking break! Why in the world would you want to poke fun at one of the best pro wrestlers ever to lace up a pair of boots? It's not funny. It will never be funny and to tell you the truth, it's seems a bit pathetic. Even though I like the Black Machismo gimmick that Jay Lethal portrays, maybe it's time to get rid of this as well. Come up with your own characters. It's called creativity.
Second, why in the world would you break up what was once the most exciting tag team in wrestling history, The New Age Outlaws, to pair up BG James with his 100 year old daddy? This is absolutely ridiculous. It will never get over. Mark my words on that. This reminds me way too much of a WCW last ditch effort. Kill it while you can.
Third, stop burying some of the true stars you still have in TNA such as Kevin Nash, AJ Styles, Abyss, and Team 3D. Kevin Nash is one of the biggest stars this industry has ever seen and now he is a mentor to a guy that buried him in front of a national audience calling him a has been and various other insults. If anything, they should have used this to start a Samoa Joe/Kevin Nash feud. I would have rather seen this than Samoa Joe going around acting like the disgruntled employee that doesn't get paid enough.
Why does AJ Styles have to be portrayed as an idiot week in and out? Lose the stupid crown and go your own way like Tomko. AJ Styles is one of the best pure athletes in the business today and to use him as a sidekick to Kurt Angle is downright useless. Bring back the AJ Styles that helped put TNA on the map. Sure he's funny, but why does he have to be the brunt of every joke and wear a turkey and reindeer outfit in the middle of the ring?
Abyss needs a makeover. The whole feeling sorry for a monster day has come and gone. Abyss is a damn good wrestler that belongs in the ring with the likes of Angle, Nash, Tomko, Christian, and all the other big players in TNA. Now James Mitchell is his daddy? Talk about going way to far with what was once an intriguing storyline. Also, please stop bringing in more monsters. It's getting to look like Halloween 25 every Thursday night with Rellik, Black Reign, Raven, Judas Mesias, and Abyss.
Team 3D needs to go back doing what they do best and that is dominate the tag team division. This whole dismantling of the X-Division is nonsense. Another thing that gets on my damn nerves is hearing Brother Ray spend more time on the microphone then in the wrestling wring kicking someones butt. No disrespect towards Brother Ray, but there is a time and a place for building up a good feud and it can't all be done behind the microphone. Your definitely not the Rock!
With the WWE putting on some of the best shows we have seen in a while and going to HD, TNA really has to step it up. The Rock N Rave infection playing guitar hero is not the answer to Jeff Hardy falling 30 feet onto Randy Orton. There is still hope left and it's time to step it up. The Knockout Division in TNA is solid. Keep up the good work. Robert Roode, Tomko, and Matt Morgan are starting to really come into their own. Utilize and realize the potential you have in this. TNA has some of the very best this industry has to offer in Kurt Angle, Christian, Sting, Samoa Joe, Kevin Nash, AJ Styles, Booker T, and the list goes on. Go back to the drawing board. Give fans what they came to see and expect out of TNA, Total Nonstop Action. Everyone loves sense of humor, but let's not make every Impact a sitcom or comedy club. Bring back the REAL X-Division. Don't let this garbage continue on. I haven't given up on TNA and will continue to follow their every move. I still have hope.
