What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling on 11/3/11. The first wrestling show of November. How did it fair out? Well, let's find out and start the review.
We open up the show with James Storm. He talks about having Southern pride. Part of me wants to makes jokes during this, but I will let it slide.....at least for now. He invites Robert Roode out there to hype up their title match. Roode thanks Storm for getting him to the top and how Storm gave him all the opportunities to show management that he can be a main eventer. The two shake hands, but both say they will walk away world champion. Very basic scene to hype up the title match for later tonight. I think they set up the show nicely. So, we are off to a good start right off the bat. Hopefully, this will be a continuing theme for tonight.
Match #1: Tara and Tessmacher vs Gail Kim and Madison Rayne for the KO Tag Titles
Haven't they thrown these belts down a volcano yet? Why do these things still exist? What I find hilarious is how Tara and Tessmacher finally debuted new shirts for their tag team. They are calling themselves TNT (Tara n' Tessmacher). You will see where I was going with this in a second. The match was basic for KO standards. The finish comes when Tara hits Widow's Peak on Madison, bur Karen Jarrett is distracting the referee. Gail shows up and hits her finisher on Tara and puts Madison on top of Tara (giggity). The referee turns around and we have new KO tag champs. Now do you see where I was going with that debuting a tag team name earlier? Seems kinda pointless to debut a name and T-shirts only to lose the titles on the same night. What kind of marketing is that? To be fair, they can keep Tara and Tessmacher as a tag team, but I don't see the point. This division barely exist and there shouldn't even be championship belts. Either way, we have new KO tag champs. Gail already wins gold after only three appearances. She must be pulling some massive strings to already get gold for TNA. They really must love her.
Winner via pinfall and NEW KO Tag Champs: Gail Kim and Madison Rayne
Garrett Bischoff is in the ring and talks about how he didn't want a falling out with his father, Eric Bischoff, thus is ready to apologize. Garrett.....sucks. He just plain sucks. He stops too much while on the mic and has this "deer caught up in headlights" look on this face. Who's idea was it to give this guy some screen time? Anyway, Eric shows up and Garrett starts kissing his own father's ass. Yeah, that's a great way to make a good face in wrestling, doing what the heels want you to do. To be fair, Garrett was just setting up his father. He finally says he is sorry for this, thus he attacks his own father. Immortal runs out for the save, but Garrett retreats. This scene ends by Eric shouting "You son of a bitch". Really poor choice of words by Eric. By saying that to your own son, you are basically calling your wife a bitch. Well, I guess Eric isn't getting any action from Mrs. Bischoff this evening? Then again, maybe you can use one of those prostitutes that Karen Jarrett is always talking about?
Backstage where Sting and Ric Flair confront Sting. They kinda tease the fact Sting can't fire Bischoff because of some kayfabe stipulation on Eric's contract. With that said, Eric is willing to restructure his own contract, IF his son can beat him in a wrestling match. Sting thinks it's an interesting idea, but he needs to run it by Garrett first. This must be the weakest father/son fight in the history of anything. I'm being serious here. Garrett gives you no reason to feel sorry for him since we know nothing in regards to his character, while Eric is just being a typical heelish jackass. Now, I can't blame this on Eric's behalf since his character has already been established. I would care about this rivalry more if Garrett had an identity. There was also a backstage scene in which the Fallen Boredom, Christopher Daniels is talking about how he beat AJ Styles in their rivalry and taking out RVD. Well, it turns out RVD was listening in on this interview and the two start to fight. They fight for a while until Daniels runs away. What baffles me is RVD saying "See you at Turning Point". Turning Point is TNA's next PPV. Why would RVD/Daniels happen at Turning Point? This makes no sense. The rivalry was Daniels/Styles, which had no conclusion (It did have a conclusion until Daniels ran out to attack. Really stupid move, TNA creative). So, why did they put RVD in this whole thing? Because of that stupid screwdriver incident? Did we just see a wrestling rivalry start because of a screwdriver? I'm pretty sure there is something equally as stupid to start a wrestling rivalry, but this is pretty bad in its own right. Not to mention how lazily put together this whole thing is. Anyway, I guess it will be RVD vs Daniels at Turning Point. It could be a good match, but you have to give me a reason to care about the storyline, and this is a fail in my book.
Match #2: Austin Aries vs Jesse Sorensen
Anyone else feel that Aries is being wasted? The guy is loaded with charisma, but is only being used in the X Division. I realize Aries is a really small guy, but this guy has more charisma than the entire X Division put together. Hell, I would go even further and say Aries has more charisma than some of TNA's current mid card/main eventers. Anyway, Kid Kash gets on the headset and talks about how Jesse doesn't respect him and he should be kissing his ass. Yes, because Kid Kash now apparently has Hall of Fame credentials. I get where they are going with this, but it's kinda laughable when you think about it. What's next, Hardcore Holly gonna be demanding respect? The match was okay to watch, but nothing amazing. The finish comes when Jesse gets a miracle roll up for the victory. Lately, TNA has been doing this bit where they name the Direct Auto Insurance Impact of the Night for one of their matchups. Well.....THIS was the Impact of the Night for this evening. Are you kidding me? A roll up as your Impact of the Night? Maybe Direct Auto Insurance doesn't give a s*** anymore. Hell, why should they? They probably make a fortune for all of Kurt Angle's DUI/DWIs. With the victory, this keeps Jesse in line for a future title match against Aries, which I think is a mistake. Jesse wasn't ready earlier in the year when he got a title match, and he sure as hell isn't ready now. The guy is really green and gives you no reason to care about him. To me, all I see is a generic spot monkey. Then again, that's a problem in general for the X Division. Outside of Aries, there really isn't anyone else who leaves much of an impression. I still feel Alex Shelley is the best out of the X Division who is suited for a decent rivalry with Aries. Why not? It isn't like he's doing anything at the moment since Motor City Machine Guns is done until Chris Sabin is all healed up. So, why not use him? I don't care if Shelley and Aries had a feud earlier in the year, they could go much deeper a second time. This Sorensen guy isn't ready for this kind of exposure and it will blow up in TNA's face if they push him too fast. Then again, maybe that's what they want?
Winner via pinfall: Jesse Sorensen
Back in the ring where Robbie E and Rob Terry call out Eric Young and Ronnie from Jersey Shore. Robbie E talks about how Grizzly Adams is a joke, Jersey Shore sucks, and so does Ronnie. Wow, that's the most sense Robbie E has made in his entire career. Anyway, Robbie tells Ronnie to leave, which starts a fight. Of course, being the TV Champ, Eric Young.....is totally useless. With Young down, they start whipping Ronnie with a belt. Hey, I bet there are tons of people who have wanted to do this to those whiny Jersey rejects, right? After the beatdown, Young gets on the mic and challenges them to a tag match for next week. Now, as much as I hate Jersey Shore, I don't really have a problem with TNA bringing in another person from the cast to show up on their show. Keep in mind that celebrities have been appearing on wrestling since WrestleMania 1. Then again, does the phrase Jersey Shore and celebrities go hand in hand? Regardless, I don't have a problem with this match, nor do I have a problem with Young's comedy act. Even though I don't find it funny, there is nothing wrong with comedy on a wrestling show. I think my problem is they are using comedy at the expense of the TV Championship, which should be looked at as the mid card championship for TNA. That's my only gripe with this whole ordeal.
Match #3: Bully Ray and Jeff Jarrett vs Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy
How much longer is AAA Mexico going to allow the anal raping that is Jeff Jarrett wearing that abomination of a Mexican world title? Reckon it isn't the real AAA belt, but that thing needs to go since it's never used on this show. Don't we have enough pointless championships with the KO tag titles, Young's old TNA world title, or the TV Championship? Championships in wrestling are really losing credibility. Anyway, there wasn't much to say about this match. It was okay, but I couldn't really get into the match. The finish comes when Scott Steiner shows up and causes a DQ. After the match, Immortal takes out both Anderson and Hardy. Even though there is a lot of people who don't like Hardy these days, the guy is still getting a huge reaction from the audience. As long as Hardy is serious about cleaning up his habit, he can be useful for this company. Although, it's a big "if".
Winner via DQ: Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy
Backstage where Sting is talking to Garrett. After a while, Garrett agrees to work a match against his father on next week's show. If there's anything being a wrestling fan has taught me, having a famous last name does have its perks. Back in the ring where Matt Morgan calls out Crimson. He talks about getting a ton of messages from fans to face off against Crimson and it appears he wants to do the match because he wants to prove he's the best giant in the business....
Now, I like Morgan, but this is insane. He's the best giant/7 footer in the business? What about Undertaker, Kane, Andre the Giant, Big Show? Morgan, you got a long way to go before you're in this class. Anyway, Crimson agrees (For some stupid reason) and vows to defeat Morgan and keep his undefeated streak. Well, a guy like Morgan can help Crimson in many ways. One of the things I've criticized in regards to this undefeated streak is that it feels TNA isn't pushing the competition towards Crimson. For having an undefeated streak, he should really be over, but is still struggling to find an identity. With a person who is established like Morgan, it can help Crimson find his character and maybe this is what he needs to finally arrive. I do admit Crimson is under developed, but I still think the guy has great potential to go far in this business. This match will happen at Turning Point.
Match #4: James Storm vs Robert Roode for the TNA World Championship
I wouldn't call this a great wrestling match, but it was a good back and forth exchange. The match was well paced and it was entertaining to match. I would call it a damn good wrestling match. I can definitely recommend checking this one out. The finish comes when there is a slight ref bump. For some reason, the referee is selling a knee injury, which is kinda unusual. Roode is on the outside while Storm is recovering in the ring. Roode sees one of the beer bottles Storm brought to the ring earlier and ponders to use it or not. He eventually caves into envy and blindsides Storm with the beer bottle. This is a prime example of wrestling logic. You would think the referee would realize Roode cheated since there is shattered glass everywhere, but decides to let it slide. Anyway, the ref makes the three count and we have a new world champion. The show ends with Roode celebrating by spitting at his former best friend while the audience is booing. Back in a second.
Winner via pinfall and NEW TNA World Champion: Robert Roode
First thing I want to say is I wrote this in my Bound for Glory review. I said that with Roode losing, it would lead to Storm winning the world title. At some point, Roode would get bitter and make a heel turn. Thus we will get to a Storm/Roode rivalry involving the world championship. Since I freakin' called that, I need to say this...
Okay, now that I am done gloating, time to talk about what just happened. Many people are ready to bash TNA after tonight. While they made some silly mistakes, I am actually going to defend this. I think TNA's goal during the BFG Series was not to establish Roode. I think they wanted to establish Roode and Storm. While it wasn't done in the best way possible, I think they are trying to make something happen here. I actually prefer Roode as a heel based on his previous work. For some reason, Roode as a bad guy just seems to work as opposed to him playing the good guy. What I can see happening is Roode dodging Storm for a while and picking up some victories to establish himself as the top heel on the show. During this time, they can build up Storm as the top face and when it comes time to go full circle with the rivalry, I think it can be built up properly to make a big impression. Now, the question comes will TNA do this right or will they drop the ball? History shows that TNA most likely will screw it up, but let's try to be positive about the move as opposed to jumping on the "I hate TNA" bandwagon that seems to go around every Thursday night. Now, even though I was just talking about how they can use this opportunity to build up Roode's heelish reign as world champion and Storm's rise as the top face, there is a bit of a problem. It turns out that Storm ended up getting a concussion during the Georgia tapings. It probably happened during the beer bottle strike, but I can't say for sure as of this moment. Reports are saying Storm will be out 6-8 weeks, but concussions are a serious matter, so it could be longer. This is very unfortunate for Storm because he will be on the shelf while Roode is making his rise as the top heel. Then again, TNA can use this to their advantage in terms of kayfabe. Roode can go out there and gloat about the fact he took his best friend out to get his world title. For the time being, Roode goes up against a bunch of other guys to prove his dominance. Finally, when Storm is ready to get back in the ring, he can immediately go right after Roode and it can really be the storyline that TNA needs. Overall, I kinda like what they did tonight. It makes a lot of sense for Roode to not win the title at BFG, because they wanted Roode to be a heel and also want to start establishing Storm. Maybe this will make the IWC stop bitching about how Roode got screwed over, but I doubt it. It's interesting and I want to see where it goes. If there is one gripe I have with the title change tonight, it's the fact it didn't happen on PPV. This type of thing would've looked a lot better on PPV as opposed to free TV. This is why in so many ways the title match between Roode and Storm didn't get a lot of attention. Why? Because it was rushed. I will definitely say the heel turn would've looked a lot bigger on PPV. Other than that, I kinda like the storytelling aspect of this scene. I just hope TNA does this right and we will find out if Roode is capable of being the top heel on this show. Both guys aren't quite main eventers, but they can be if TNA creative actually follows through with all of this. I also wish Storm a speedy recovery.
Overall Impression:
I really didn't like everything else in between Impact this evening. I did enjoy the opening, and I liked the main event, but it was everything else that can take you out of the evening. To be fair, the other matches were tolerable, but the matches made no attempt to care about the other storylines. I am trying to get invested in this father/son rivalry with the Bischoffs, but I just don't like it. I don't find it entertaining and it seems kinda dumb. Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of it has to do with how Garrett Bischoff gives you no reason to care about him because the audience doesn't know anything about this kid. They spent a good chunk of the show building up the PPV, which is in two weeks. While I like what they are doing with the main event picture, the PPV card doesn't really seem promising. RVD/Daniels is really a forced fued. Plus, it makes no sense for them to start a rivalry when the Daniels/AJ Styles rivalry had no conclusion. A KO tag title change means nothing on this show, and I don't really care about this Jersey Shore nonsense. Morgan/Crimson can be interesting, but I hate the fact they just barely said something about this match. They could've announced this weeks ago and start fueling the tension between Morgan and Crimson to make the audience care. Now, it just looks like another one of those matches TNA puts together at the last moment because TNA crams too many storylines on their show. TNA should really stick to building up 4-6 good storylines as opposed to one good one and like 8 bad ones. There was a heavy amount of talking on this show, but I thought the balance between wrestling and promos was a little more balanced than say, two weeks ago. The main event was about 15-20 minutes of action, so that has to be worth something. I can't recommend the whole show since a lot of the stuff they're doing isn't very interesting, but the main event is definitely worth checking out. Just watch the last 15-20 minutes of Impact and I think you will be pleased with what you saw tonight. I still think this show overall was okay to watch and I was entertained, but only because of the ending. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Hey, I said something good about TNA this week.....and I bet I will still get bitching and moaning from TNA fanboys. Oh well, I guess it comes with the territory. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show, see you next time and.....I WAS RIGHT!!!
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