I’m in the mood to talk wrestling and I still have a couple of them sitting here, so let’s do some Fact Or Fiction, shall we? Wait, why am I asking? I’m the only one doing it. Well, me and these guys.
This is an all TNA questions special, so if you can’t get Impact since the end of their Spike TV era, you might be a little lost if you don’t have the whole streaming/torrent thing mastered yet.
Speaking of which, TNA has made it officially possible for Canadians to see the shows online while they work on getting themselves a television deal here. But of course, in true TNA can never quite get its shit together fashion, when I Googled this an out of date page listing them as still on Spike every Wednesday ranked higher than that there current one. Oops.
Anywho, now that you can watch Destination America Impacts, let’s get to it.
1. TNA Lockdown was a solid, but unspectacular show.
Sounds about right. There was a good bit to like about it, but nothing I’ll remember for years to come.
While we’re on the subject, we need to talk about cage matches. Listen, wrestling companies. If you want to book interference, don’t make a fucking cage match. You’ve killed the stipulation to death, dug it up, reanimated it and killed it again multiple times at this point. What good is a match where no one gets out and no one gets in when everybody either gets in or tosses shit through the camera hole? Once in a blue moon cage interference is fine, but it has to be unexpected to be special. As it is, when I hear cage match, I know that two things are going to happen. Somebody’s going to take a stupid bump off the top of the thing and somebody from the outside is getting in through the door or throwing in a chair/chain/table/handcuffs/whatever. It’s long past old. Please stop.
And quit enforcing tags in tag team cage matches. That’s just dumb. Feel free to mash this guy’s head into the side until he’s torn to shreds, but don’t you even think about attacking him 2 on 1, little misters. What sense does that make, especially since A: the dude has a partner who can come over and help and B: cage matches are no disqualification? If nobody wants to tag, what exactly is the ref going to do about it?
2. Following a great return in 2014, Lashley has lost steam since his face turn and separation from MVP.
He has, but who hasn’t? I’m more entertained than not by TNA these days, but it doesn’t feel can’t miss. I like that there’s more of a focus on the ring now. I’ll almost always see some good wrestling when I tune in. There are some entertaining characters. But nothing has any sort of buzz around it. it’s just sort of there, like they’re still getting their feet back underneath them. The way he’s acted since he left MVP isn’t exactly doing him any favours, but the cooling off thing isn’t an issue specific to Lashley.
3. You do not care how far ahead TNA tapes their TV as long as they put out quality programming.
Indeed. I do my best to avoid spoilers, so it mostly doesn’t concern me. My only issue is that sometimes they film things out of order and it shows because attention to detail has never been a company strong point. Oh, and never tape so much TV that it runs beyond a pay-per-view that hasn’t happened yet. That was stupid in the 90’s when WCW did it and it’s even worse now because internet.
4. Gunner has been the most wasted/misused talent on the TNA roster over the last 12 months.
It’s hard to pick one, but he’s definitely in the conversation. He’s shown that he could be something kind of special as a babyface if he’s given time to connect with the audience. They really should let him and see what they have.
5. While they are close friends outside of the ring, the “Beat Down Clan” feels like every other “new heel stable that tries to takeover” that TNA seems to always run with.
Yes. I like all of those guys, but I have no reason to care about them as a group beyond the usual. They want the title and the money and the power. Yeah, join the club. That’s why there’s a show. They’re just another group of dudes. Dudes who are good in the ring, but dudes.
6. Ethan Carter III will be the TNA World Champion by the end of 2015.
Boy, did WWE drop the ball on that guy or what? Everything Gunner could be as a face he is as a heel, and I’ll bet he’d have no problem turning.
As for whether or not he’ll be champion by the end of 2015, I’ll give that one an easy yes unless they strike gold with something else they can ride long-term. He’ll make a fine champion some day regardless, because he’s just so good at everything.
That’ll do it. Enjoy Impact, now that such a thing is possible. Take that however you’d like.
