TNA Impact looking prety go-..nevermind.

[PureHatred]

Y'know..I was just thinking to myself...what TNA REALLY needs, is ANOTHER World Title controversy.

From 411mania.com' s review of the show:

"Angle Numero Uno: Clusterfuck to the World Title

]Well, last week I stated that I liked the direction in which TNA was headed for their next pay per view main event. They managed to shoot that all to hell within twenty minutes.

Kurt Angle was taking on Sting in a rematch of their Bound for Glory bout. It looked like the strained relationship between Angle and Kevin Nash was going to play a major role in the outcome, as Nash had stationed himself at ringside. The match was going along well, and then Sting collided with Big Kev. Despite the fact that this was entirely Sting's fault, the champ sucker punched Nash, who looked visibly angry afterwards. Then, as Sting had Angle in the Scorpion Deathlock, Nash popped up on the apron and tried to get in to the ring. Sting sucker punched him a second time, Angle hit the Olympic Slam, and we got a three count and a new champion. Then EVERYBODY BEGAN YELLING. Referees yelled, Mike Tenay yelled, Jim Cornette yelled. {NOTE: Seriosuly, the devoted time to building up a strained relationship between Tenay and Cornette]

At the end of the night, it was determined that Angle will remain the champion but that he must defend the title in a tag team match at the pay per view, teaming with Kevin Nash against Sting and a partner of Sting's choosing.

Ahem . . .

WHAT?!

So we had some issues in the match itself. I will say that I have no problem with Jim Cornette's decision to keep the championship belt on Angle. However, the match that they've booked for the next pay per view is an even bigger mess than the match that they had on Impact tonight. ..It's a tag team match in which the title is on the line and one of the teams is guaranteed to hate each other! DAMN IT! I've said this five million times, but that's only because TNA has booked it five million times: The "team that hates each other" gimmick is overplayed. There are more pairings in TNA that disagree than those who get along, and we're all sick and tired of seeing it. On top of that, these matches are virtually guaranteed to not draw pay per view or television viewers in 2007. Again, I've said this many times, but that's only the case because it continues to be true and TNA still doesn't get it: People in 2007 pay to see one-on-one matchups between individuals who hate each other for a simple, easy to relate to reasons. That's what has been on the top of all of the best grossing WWE pay per views of the last several years, and that's what has been on top of all of the best grossing UFC pay per views of the last several years. TNA continues to do these convoluted stories in which we're supposed to tune in to see partners fight each other, and they remain a distant third in the PPV business. Sometimes being different just for the sake of being different doesn't work, and this is a prime example.

God, this company was at its most frustrating tonight. Unsurprisingly, the second hour has solved nothing."

Hugely disappointed in tonight's show. This angle really ruined what was otherwise a pretty good Impact.

[Werner Mueck]

When the ratings war was going on we'd turn on Telemundo before WWF and WCW started to watch an hours worth of Mexican wrestling. The athletecism was outstanding and fun and the shows were entertaining on the most part but for some reason, all the matches they ever showed were six man tag, lucha libre style. After a while it got boring even though the wrestling didn't go down any. I think you're right. Tag team matches are good but it's the one on one story that makes me follow along.

[JMello]

Umm...I don't need to reply, because I completely agree.

Oh wait, I just replied, sorry.

[Talison]

It was dumb that there was even a controversy. Angle pinned the Champion. The senior referee took over the match when the assigned referee was injured. Nash never laid a hand on anyone. It's not Angle's fault Sting can't stay focused. Simply going by the story they presented, I don't see what the gripe was.

I've said before I don't like any World Title Match that isn't one on one. I hate Triple Threat and Four Way matches, it's just a way to get a new Champion without having the old one loose. These dumb tag World Title Matches drive me nuts. Remember when The Rock pinned Vince to win Hunter's WWE Title. Hell, this kind of match is what got us David Arquette as WCW Champion. The very idea that a Champion can loose his title without being beat is horrible.

And if Sting is picking his own partner, how long does the fight for the right winner have to wait for their shot.

TNA loves their over complicated match stipulations, don't they?

[BDS]

wernermueck said:

Tag team matches are good but it's the one on one story that makes me follow along.

I think that Tag Team matches can be just as compelling, though, if the team is itself an entity instead of two dudes fighting together. I'll take the Road Warriors in their prime to main event any show and make it good, but I wouldn't have wanted to see Hawk or Animal alone on the top of a card.

That's something I think wrestling is really missing now - real tag teams. Two guys who share a gimmick together and fight almost exclusively as a tag team. TNA used to have that in spades back when their booking was awesome and they could main event a show with a match for any of the three belts because they made them all so strong. Russo came along and real tag wrestling's now basically been abandoned.

Sorry. The tag team wrestling mark had to vent a little bit.

[JED-SE]

You know, Pure Hatred said it better than anyone. I don't mind them putting the belt back on Angle. I don't even mind the ref's arguing, and I'll put up with Tenay getting involved even though I think it was uncessasary / mildly retarded. Having a rematch at the next PPV would have been good booking. The set-up was good; the end result was absolutely, positively, lame.

For those of you who did not read Bishoff's book, this was one of Bishoff's complaints about Russo. He could start a decent booking spark between two wrestlers. His delivery at the end was always p**s poor. Whether you like Bishoff or not, he was completely on the money with this critism, and last night was proof.

[PureHatred]

What kills me is that, as Talison said, there was not even a REASON for a controversy.

A heel getting a tainted title win is a standard part of the wrestling business. The fact they did this giant rematch on free TV is a little baffling, but still....have Sting get his rematch on the next PPV with a special stip, have there be a no interference clause, whatever.

The match at BFG was so good I doubt any fans is going to complain about a third match.

And if you want to get Nash involved: special ref, special enforcer, make it a three-way if you absolutely must...

But you JUST did the "champ and his partner hate each other" with Angle and Joe..you just had a controversy when Angle won his first TNA title...and NO ONE thinks its a good idea to defend your top singles title in a tag team match.

Again..the rest of the show wasn't bad...but this was the big storyline of the night and it was incredibly frustrating.

[Talison]

BDS, up until a short time ago TNA prided themselves on having three separate Divisions. World, X, and Tag. And they kept to it. When someone like AJ jumped divisions he only fought in that new division. It was one of the things that set TNA apart.

I don't know if it's Russo or what, but that has really started slipping away in the last 4 months or so. The Machine Guns are X Division Wrestlers who are now tagging and were both going for the Heavyweight Title in Fight for the Right. That's a key part of TNA being thrown out.