^mm-hmm. it was neat, I guess, but the 'police' made me laugh out loud, and Dixie's one line at the end lacking any kind of suspense that makes me interested to see where the storyline goes.
Same here, though I hope they bring in some of the ECW guys who have more to offer in the ring - specifically Jerry Lynn and (doubtful on this one) Tajiri.
What a terrible show that was. The knockouts brawl-resembling thing was dreadful. The purse finish was creative though. Taz's line about that getting people fired elsewhere was topical, although not very funny. Abyss's promo was fine, but the stuff with the beef was just goofy. The watermelon bit wasn't much better later on. Kendrick choking Williams out with the grapevine cobra clutch progressed their feud.
The match itself was pretty good, and I loved seeing Douglas slap Kendrick with the climbing glove. Kendrick's win might've meant something if Nash hadn't come out to kill him. Way to build up the number 1 contender to the X title. Nash and Jarrett's argument was okay although I don't have any desire to see them have a match. Their '05 stuff wasn't good, and Nash is five years older and more immobile. Jeff defending Eric and Hogan made no sense, as Nash said, and why would Eric and Hogan be mad at "how the Hall and Syxx Pac thing turned out"? Pac was beaten up by 3D and hurt so badly he can't wrestle according to their own storyline, and it's not Nash's fault that Hall's a screwup. Joe winning via his grapevine sleeper IN THE MATCH RIGHT AFTER KENDRICK DID THE SAME THING was pretty stupid. Three chokeout finishes in a row and two of them came via basically the same move. Also, Rob Terry is only the number 10 contender despite being the Global Champion of the World (according to JB) - just how worthless is this title? Holding it automatically puts you at the bottom of the ladder for the world title. Magnus and Taz on commentary during this match, however, was great.
TBP being all pissed at each other was terrible. The acting in the backstage bit was bad, then they came out and did what seemed like a 40 minute deal in the ring and on the ramp with TBP and Angelina and the new biker chick dressed like a Fujiko Mine cosplayer bitching at each other loudly and in the most annoying manner possible.
Pope made his big Impact return with a revamped entrance theme, the falling Dinero-bucks and a hot crowd right after nearly beating Kurt Angle at the PPV and proceeded to beat Matt Morgan in a couple minutes. Despite, you know, proving that he's a top-shelf guy at the PPV and actually BEING IN THE TOP TEN unlike Morgan, Tenay said that this was an upset. How? He's ranked, Morgan isn't - logically, Morgan beating him would be the upset. The win didn't matter anyway because Morgan beat the shit out of him afterwards. Great. Build up the return match after the giant already lost to him clean in two minutes. Then Anderson came out, Tenay talked about his history with Pope. Showing it would've been nice as I've completely forgotten what happened, and then they...nodded at each other and this was apparently street for them being cool with each other.
Jeff Hardy beating Lethal in a match that literally meant nothing on the show was ungodly stupid. Lethal gets the biggest win of his career, a HIGHLIGHT OF HIS ENTIRE LIFE for goodness sake, and any momentum built up from it is just thrown away so Jeff can get a win he doesn't need over a guy who can't afford to lose. Then after building up the Fortune group's formation, including a promo from Flair during the show saying it would give TNA more attitude than ever, he just casually mentions that AJ and Kazarian are in the group, Desmond comes out, bitches, takes credit for their PPV win and Flair warns him to not touch God. That ruled. That was the funniest moment on the show by far.
Then Abyss came out, demanded RVD get out there, he did, they brawled, the FORMER ECW 4 came down and beat up Abyss. Foley came out. More TNA guys ran down. I think RVD did stuff, I'm not sure because they had one camera shoot everything in the ring and there were a few dozen guys out there at once. Way too many people came out in jeans and looked the same from afar. Lots of punching. Raven did a superkick to someone's gut, then Stevie did one right after, continuing the show's trend of redundant moves. Taz and Tenay yelled, and then Dixie came out and said she invited them.
This was nowhere near as good as the Nexus deal, which was far more realistic. Not even MIKE TENAY was so afraid of this supposed chaos to leave. Hell, Dixie just raised her voice and all these supposedly tough guys who are gonna take over the company just stopped. Then the show just ended. Very lackluster deal here, and it seemed horribly edited. The Flair deal began at about 10:40, and between then and 11:00 PM because the show no longer has an overrun, they had him announce the Fortune guys, Desmond complain, the non-ECW invasion, and Dixie's announcement that she invited them. Oh, and Foley's back. That happened during the ECW deal, but Dixie coming out was apparently more important since the show closed with her on-camera.
Aside from the AWESOME Guns-Beer Money ladder match, Kendrick-Williams, and the match portion of Lethal-Hardy, this show was terrible. The ladder match was truly great, aside from a couple of botched spots (Sabin not pulling off a Shelton-esque ladder run Shining Wizard, resulting in him kicking the shit out of James Storm, and Roode dropping the ladder before he was supposed to come to mind). They did a bunch of awesome-looking stuff, but very little dangerous stuff. A lot of simply looked great but posed no bodily risk - like Shelley running underneath the apron-to-guardrail ladder, or one Gun being on the ladder and the other picking both it and the other Gun up at the same time to move them closer to the contract. I loved that this best of five series came about due to the controversy of split ref decisions, and while at first, I wasn't a fan of Earl giving BME the win after the bottle shot that he theoretically saw, but now, I like it somewhat because it continues the ref dispute thing that started this mess. Now, they can have Brian say that he was the ref and it should've been his call, not his father's and...do something. Hopefully not a match between Earl and Brian Hebner.
For what was supposed to be a huge deal, the FORMER ECW 4 invasion really bored me. The ring work tonight made it clear that the young guys are the best thing going in the company, so of course the matches didn't get any real time except for the ladder match. I think the Knockouts bitchfest might've lasted longer than both Lethal-Hardy and Williams-Kendrick. Worse than just short matches was the poor execution of the non-invasion. It felt very rushed, and I'm not really sure what it's supposed to accomplish beyond the ECW reunion PPV. As a one-time thing, it should be okay, but they're risking their long-term guys looking bad to guys who aren't going to be around for the long haul. There were maybe a dozen ex-ECW dudes out there, and they laid waste to TNA's whole roster. All for the sake of building up a PPV. And unlike the Nexus beatings, no one was able to shine here. Everyone just did bad-looking punches and kicks. The very first Nexus beating at least got over ONE MOVE for every single guy involved.
Screens -
"BEAT THE MEAT"
...and the melon?
Anderson's a jackasshole?
TNA's most used document -
BEARD! MONEY!
The best reaction shot TNA could get of the ECW beatdown -
Quotes -
Tenay - The Monster is bringing his girl and a side of beef into the impact zone!
Taz - Think he knows which is which.
Taz - That’s gotta be a little unsanitary. Might have salmonila.
Taz - What’s with the beef?
Abyss - R-V-D! RVD, THEY HAVE A PLAN FOR YOU THAT INVOLVES ME, AND MY GIRL! AND IT’S A PLAN LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE AND IT’S BEYOND EXTREME! IT’S BEYOND ANYTHING YOU’VE EVER DONE IN THIS BUSINESS EVER. AND TONIGHT ROB, A LITTLE BIT LATE,R I’M GONNA SHARE THAT PLAN WITH YOU. BUT FIRST, I’M WAITING SOME FIINAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ALLOW ME TO INTRODDUCE YOU TO MY GIRL JANICE! SHE’S BEAUTIFUL. She’s tall. She’s sophisticated. She’s sexy! AND SHE’S SHARP! There’s a dark side to her. A side that likes pain! (destroys beef slab with Janice)
Crowd - BEAT THE MEAT! BEAT THE MEAT! BEAT THE MEAT!
Taz - This is like watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Abyss - Rob, she’s one hell of a cook! Before it’s all over and done with, you’re gonna realize just what a bitch my girl is!
(as Taylor and Sarita brawl in the back)Tenay - THIS IS STRANGE - THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE A STREET FIGHT TONIGHT!
Taz - It’s not often you see a knockouts-type hardcore-style brawl.
(as Sarita chokes Taylor with a purse strap)Taz - You can get fired for doing that in some companies.
Tessmacher - WHEN I’M IN CHARGE, YOU’RE GONNA BE THE FIRST ONE TO GO!
Nash - I’ve got a 9:30 with Hulk and Eric.
Tessmacher - Well, they’re not here - they had a last-minute thingy come up. Is there something I can do for you?
Nash - No…On the other hand, there Is something you can do for me. 10 o clock tonight, do me a favor, we don’t know each other, but I promise you, I’ll be the last meeting of the night.
Taz - Kendrick’s a spark plug - he doesn’t stop moving!
Taz - I don’t know why the ref is checking BEFORE the gut wrench suplex…
Nash - You know, I’M SO TIRED OF HOGAN AND BISCHOFF DODGING ME. I CAN’T FIND TV TIME HERE!? I’ll tell ya something right now - when Nash dies, he’ll never, ever be replaced. THERE’S ONLY GONNA BE ONE LIKE ME. SIX FOOT TEN, BUILT LIKE A GOD. PROPORTIANATE - MISS TESSMACHER, YOU’LL FIND THAT OUT IN A MINUTE. I’M A LIVING LEGEND! IF I CAN’T GET YOUR ATTENTION, THEN MAYBE IF I TAKE OUT A COUPLE OF YOUNG BOYS, MAYBE YOU’LL START PAYING ATTENTION! (Jarrett comes out)
Jarrett - Kevin, relax. This is the last thing we need. Sting got suspended, do you wanna be next?
Nash - What the hell you doing out here?
Jarrett - You got a personal issue with Hulk and Eric just like Sting. It’s not about you anymore. Just like it’s not about me anymore. Look at who Hulk and Eric are getting behind - like Jay Lethal.
Nash - I don’t see what Lethal’s got to do with it. I just came out here to get Hogan and Bischoff’s attention.
Jarrett - I guess it’s business as usual. Just like you’ve always been, Kevin. Kevin wants everyone’s attention. Ya know Kev, you’re a glory hound. Always have been, always will be. And you’re also an egotistical son of a bitch!
Nash - Ya know, Jeff Jarrett, there’s a lot of people who say I’m the greatest worker in the business cuz I always make sure I get the money. I look at those eyes of yours and I’m not too sure they fool me. Why would you be taking up for Hogan and Bischoff? If you want trouble with me, I guess you got it. As far as who the best worker is, stay tuned, I guess we’ll find out.
Nash - Jeff owns the company, these guys come in, send him home, and now he defends them? Does 2 plus 2 equal 5? Come 10 o clock, I’ll have all the answers I need.
Tenay - Rob Terry, the longest-reigning Global Champion in TNA history, is number 10 in the rankings.
Taz - I love my UK friend.
Magnus - Mike, you have not aged well.
Taz - That’s what dieting will do to you.
Taz - What do you think of your mate?
Magnus - This is looking like Gorillas in the Mist at the moment.
Taz - You’re taking your shirt off. Is it hot in here? Don’t strip.
Taz - Desmond and Terry, your countrymen.
Magnus - I like Chelsea.
Taz - We got something in common!
Magnus - It’s a shame Desmond’s card tricks don’t equal his in-ring skills. He gets cards out and the women flee.
Taz - He’s got a nice tomato.
Magnus - Tomato?
Taz - It’s a Brooklyn thing.
Magnus - Chelsea needs to go over and do something. She can’t just stand there and look pretty. She’s good at it though.
Flair - If you’re watching TNA at this very moment, I’m gonna make an announcement that’s gonna make more history, more attitude, and send TNA in a direction that’s only gonna spiral bigger and bigger. Know why I’m doing that? Cuz I’m Ric Flair and I can!
Tenay - Do you think that in a ladder match, the Guns have the advantage? Taz?
Taz - Hmm.? What? I’m paying attention to the match - what’d ya say?
Tenay - Ladder match - guns advantage?
Taz - Oh definitely.
Taz - Shelley looks like he’s setting up an erector set. Anyone even remember what that is?
Taz - Why did Storm move the ladder? He coulda climbed it to win. Guess he just wanted to punish Sabin.
Tenay - Abyss is moving through the food chain. First the side of beef, now a watermelon!
Velvet - When Madison gets here, I’m gonna put an exclamation point RIGHT UP HER ASS!
Lacey - Velvet…
Rayne - I’m here right now to formally protest the decision made by Andrew Thomas at Victory Road when he STRIPPED ME OF MY KNOCKOUTS TITLE. The stip stated that if either member of TBP, VELVET OR LACEY, interfered in my match with Angelina that I would be DQed and Angelina would become Knockouts Champion. THAT DIN’T HAPPEN. I am demanding that within seven days of right now, either that decision be reversed and I AM GIVEN BACK MY TITLE or I WILL SUE TNA FOR EVERY PENNY THAT ITS WORTH!
Tenay - Suing TNA? Isn’t that a bit much?
Taz - She’s right - how’s the ref know it was Lacey or Velvet? The person had a black outfit and helmet on.
Tenay - The ref had to make the call under pressure!
Velvet - WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN BRING SOMEONE NEW IN OUR GROUP!? NOT ONLY WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL, BUT WITHOUT EVEN LETTING US KNOW FIRST!? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU MADISON!
Madison - RELAX, OBVIOUSLY YOU’VE BEEN TAKING YOUR DUMB BLONDE PILLS. I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO THAT NIGHT AND TOOK MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS!
Velvet - Dumb blonde pills? Really? YOU MUST’VE OVERDOSED ON YOURS. This isn’t just about you making a decision without consulting us, it’s a lot bigger than that. It’s about you saying that you didn’t need us anymore - EXPLAIN THAT ONE.
Madison - Sure Vel Vel - I DON’T NEED YOU. Pick one of those four words, I’ll help ya figure it out.
Velvet - You don’t need me? Madison, WHY DON’T YOU BREAK DOWN THIS PHRASE - HOW ABOUT I KICK YOUR ASS ALL OVER THIS IRNG RIGHT NOW!
Love - I don’t know what’s worse - the bitches who act on the Hills or the ones who are acting in the ring? Kim Kardashian’s an Oscar winner compared to you! Do you think I don’t know it wasn’t you riding the motorcycle? WE’D RECOGNIZE THOSE BIG FAKE BOOBS ANYWHERE!
Velvet - DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WAS ME!? YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN! In fact, I have never in my entire life been so insulted! I mean, didya happen to see the dumpy ass on that person! CLEARLY IT WASN’T ME. OBVIOUSLY IT WASN’T ME. THIS BITCH IS ALL YOURS. I’M DONE!
Taz - The Beautiful People is a beautiful disaster.
Velvet - SHE’S ALL YOURS, ANGELINA!
Madison - GET YOUR ASS IN THIS RING! GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW! THAT’S NOT YOURS. GET YOUR GRIMEY FINGERS OFF OF IT AND GIVE IT BACKT O ME. FASTER!
Love - Baby wants her belt back?
Madison - NOW!
Love - Try and come get it, honey!
(mystery biker chick comes out)Taz - LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT HELMET!
Tenay - Well, we have some questions answered about who she is! Well not who she is, but who she isn’t!
Taz - Jay’s wearing the red and yellow as a tribute to Hogan who made the match with Flair.
Tenay - Jay said that there were three big days in his life - the day he was born, the day he started wrestling school, and the day he beat Ric Flair!
Tenay - IT’S THE FORMER ECW FOUR!
Taz - There’s Raven - he’s a lovely-looking fellow.
Taz - I noticed that you didn’t ask me about Dreamer and then coming down.
Tenay - I noticed you were sensitive to it last week.
Taz - It was annoying because you weren’t the only one asking me!
Tenay - Only trying to get to the bottom of it.
Taz - Jeff Hardy might be getting to the bottom of Jay Lethal.
Tenay - Are you hearingg what I’m hearing in my headset?
Taz - No! NO ONE EVER TALKS TO ME!
Tenay - Not only do we have The Guns and Beer Money in a street fight, but Kurt Angle puts his career on the line against Matt Morgan!
Tenay - Don’t wanna make excuses for Jay Lethal, but maybe he’s suffering from the letdown factor.
Flair - Jay Lethal, you’re at the top of my list. The two first members of Fortune - AJ, AND KAZARIAN. YOU’RE A MOVIE STAR BROTHER!
Wolfe - Listen, I know you Americans don’t like giving the Americans any credit, but after VR, if anyone deserves to be in Fortune, it’s me not these two wankers. YOU LISTEN TO ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU, SUNSHINE!
Flair - Don’t put your hands on God!
Abyss - RVD - COME. TO. ME! Rob, it’s time for me to share the plans that THEY have for you! You see Rob, I’ve said it for the past few weeks and I’ll reiterate it tonight. Very soon, THEY ARE COMING TO TNA. AND WHEN THEY GET HERE, THEY ARE TAKING TNA OVER! AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU OR DIXIE, OR ANY OF THESE SHEEP CAN DO ABOUT IT. Rob, they have asked me to pave the way for them and In that process, they have instructed me to get this TNA World Title off of you! So Rob, they laid out a blueprint, so here’s my question RVD. We’re gonna take my girl Janice, and we’re gonna hang her 15 feet high above this ring. And then you and I are gonna have the most extreme match in the history of wrestling! WE’RE GONNA USE LADDERS, CHAIRS, TACKS, GLASS, BARB WIRE, WHATEVER YOU WANT. But my girl Janice, she told me that she wants a piece of your ass! So, RVD, the only thing left is the when and the where. But how bout you and me get extreme!
RVD - I know what this title means. To everyone. Not just me. That’s why I’m not gonna take this personally. This deal with you and Janice. But this is mine. Know what I love about being world champion? It’s the standards I get to set whenever I’m faced with a monstrous challenge like you! (beats up Abyss)
Tenay - THE FORMER ECW FOUR HAVE JUMPED THE RAIL!
Taz - THEY DON’T EVEN WORK HERE AS FAR AS WE KNOW!
Dixie - STOP! STOP IT. LISTEN TO ME. STOP. LISTEN! I INVITED THEM!
tna has the brawl up on their website.... wow, the gimmick battle royal from wrestlemania was better than that. just a giant cluster, it looked and played out like a 9 yr old wrote it
The last time I saw TNA was during a Raw commercial break; they mentioned WWE and Bret Hart by name about five times and appeared to be doing some angle based on the Montreal screwjob. Now they're doing a storyline about ECW? Damn. They should probably work on building their own history, ya know?
And you're telling me WWE doesn't do the same shit also? WWE is horrible right now, and you guys still praise it. Come on, there's a laptop setup on the side of the ring, that makes a ding noise throughout the whole arena speakers, LOL.
[quote name='pimpster4183']And you're telling me WWE doesn't do the same shit also? WWE is horrible right now, and you guys still praise it. Come on, there's a laptop setup on the side of the ring, that makes a ding noise throughout the whole arena speakers, LOL.[/QUOTE]
This is truth.
I watched WWE almost exclusively for all my life until back in Feb/March when Brak told me to watch TNA. I can't even watch WWE anymore. There is no comparison. I tried watching Raw again the last couple of weeks, and the matches I saw were like, 2-5 minutes a piece. The Guns match from this past Thursday was longer than all the matches on a single Raw show combined. That's ridiculous. On top of that you've got the mystery GM and a Brady Bunch parody? TNA doesn't do everything perfect, but what they're doing now definitely shits on WWE. WWE PG is AIDS.
WWE still has a few guys I like, (Orton, Jericho, Christian, Bourne from what I've seen of him, and Taker) but I really don't understand how you guys praise it and constantly shit on TNA.
[quote name='pimpster4183']And you're telling me WWE doesn't do the same shit also? WWE is horrible right now, and you guys still praise it. Come on, there's a laptop setup on the side of the ring, that makes a ding noise throughout the whole arena speakers, LOL.[/QUOTE]
It also makes the arena lights flicker.
[quote name='strongpimphand']....And you people foolishly watch that crap[/QUOTE]
As opposed to your exquisitely refined tastes? Get over yourself.
[quote name='pimpster4183']And you're telling me WWE doesn't do the same shit also? WWE is horrible right now, and you guys still praise it. Come on, there's a laptop setup on the side of the ring, that makes a ding noise throughout the whole arena speakers, LOL.[/QUOTE]
[quote name='lmz00']It also makes the arena lights flicker.[/QUOTE]
Is it really that hokey? I am so glad I don't watch Raw anymore. It sounds like Raw makes SD look like UFC.
[quote name='pimpster4183']And you're telling me WWE doesn't do the same shit also?[/QUOTE]
Bring in people long past their prime as the main attraction, most of which can barely move and never made any worthwhile impression in either of the major companies? Uh, no, WWE does not do that. I don't recall seeing size 52-pants Raven beating down Cena or Triple H recently. Even the guys they bring in that WERE worth something make absolutely no difference (RVD, Hardy) because TNA is so hopelessly inept.
TNA doesn't "shit on" anything...other than the bed they sleep in. The Carters are ing retards, just some rich southerners getting all excited about 'rasslin. It's hilarious to see them fighting this hopeless war...the textbook definition of money marks. I hope they DO somehow get Heyman to come in and give him full control, since I'm actually really curious to see how they'll manage to that up too.
I bet you Heyman was offered full control...only if he promised to keep Vince Russo
Vince Russo = Matt Millen (For NFL fans, Millen was the president of the Lions for what seemed to be FOREVER and the son of the owner had to pull a power move to get him the out)
In response, I really don't see too many people extolling the virtues of WWE on here. While it doesn't get shit on as much, I wouldn't say it's 'praised'. Well, unless they deserve it, like the beginning NXT angle and that Orton/Bourne spot.
Overall, though, I'd say they, on average, screw things up less than TNA. Just my opinion, though. Bland? Sure, but at least the booking remains fairly solid (Hardy over Lethal? Really?).
The ECW invasion on WWF/E led to me watching older WWF/E videos on Youtube and I stumbled across some videos of The Rock. It's amazing to go back and watch older videos and to compare his mic skills with anyone from today.. it's just night and day. I miss having him on the mic every week.
You know what's sad, though? If/when he DOES come back, Michael Cole will deadpan the return. When Jim Ross was commentating, he brought so much excitement to the moment. Cole would kill the moment by deadpanning the return and giving a "Vintage Rock!" after Rock does his "Finally..." speech.
I loved how JR freaked out whenever someone returned.
[quote name='neocisco']Who here actually follows ROH? I watch the shows when ROH has them posted to YouTube and I've bought 2 of the last 3 PPV's. I think Demo follows ROH somewhat. Anyone else?[/QUOTE]
I try to follow ROH and puroresu. But, it's tough, though, as I'm usually always busy as a hooker.
--
Two things:
1.
Percy Watson's gimmick is a poor man's Johnny B. Badd mixed with a Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! character, right?
Every time I hear an announcer call Percy Watson a "ladies man", I cackle. The man behaves more like a "lady-man." #badjokes
2.
TNA's "ECW" faction beats WWE's for one reason: Al Snow. I loved Al in ECW and think he's one of the most under-appreciated, technically-savvy wrestlers in his generation.
TNA as a whole is rubbish, though. They have speckles of brilliance (Lethal-Flair, Motor City Machineguns-Beer Money, Inc.) but blow it out their ass 99.9 percent of the time. Why put Jeff Hardy over Jay Lethal? Why have Kevin Nash decimate Brian Kendrick after putting over Kendrick?
And then there's TNA's gratuitous "Oh hey, we're not PG" campaign (see: Anderson's Assholes, McGuinness legitimately cutting Abyss with a beer bottle, etc.). WWE's PG rating isn't the issue. When WWE properly books stories and matches no one complains (see: Michaels-'Taker, which was during this PG era, Low-Ki-Miz on NXT, etc.). People only complain when WWE gets lazy--'cause everyone knows they can do better.
Does TNA actually think if they hired Paul Heyman that he would start an ECW faction and relive the 1990s? Hell no. Paul E. would do the opposite by pushing young talent and creating fresh, new, and innovative stories. TNA needs to stop living the past. Most of the time when I see something from TNA, I turn to my girlfriend and say "This company is ing stupid", and then go on a rant about how stupid TNA is. She gets annoyed, and that's never good. Thanks, TNA, for annoying my girlfriend and I.
[quote name='cdeener']Is anybody going to watch Lucha Libre USA on MTV2 tonight?[/QUOTE]
I plan to. I loved the Behind the Mask special they aired on MTV2 at 1 AM last night. One problem I see happening is the original footage they shot for this show looks lower-rent than the archival AAA footage used for the special, which had tons of people in the stands, massive sets, etc., while the MTV2 stuff has relatively few people in the crowd and a rinky dink set.
WWE is largely very boring right now. The only thing that has me excited about the company as a whole are Nexus and Sheamus. Raw is clearly the A show and sometimes delivers good shows, but NXT is ungodly boring this season, and SD isn't much better. SD at least theoretically means something, but the show has fallen off a cliff over the past month with a lack of good/great matches and stupid shit like Kane neutering Jack Swagger, THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER TO THE WORLD TITLE.
TNA just saddens me - they've got one of the best rosters of any company in history and could carve their niche out as the place to go to for great wrestling on a national basis. It's the path that worked for them originally, but ever since Russo came back in '06, they've spiraled downward and no amount of change has really helped them out because Dixie Carter refused to ing fire this dipshit.
They've had chance after chance after chance to make progress. They signed Angle, DOUBLED their usual buyrates with his PPV debut match (not his company debut, nope, that had to be given away on free TV for God knows whatever reason) and then proceeded to milk Joe-Angle to the point where it had absolutely no drawing power left in '07. Thanks to Jeff Jarrett demanding the realistic build for Angle-Joe at LockDown '08, they actually got their biggest buyrate of all time as a result.
The very next show, Angle's back to being a comedy act literally crying about losing his title and his locker room, and then buyrates sank like a stone again. Since then, they've run over 24 PPVs and of them, only Lockdown '09 did anything resembling good numbers. Now, they're down to less than 10,000 buys per show. The company has GLOBAL TV EXPOSURE and they can only get 10,000 people to buy their product. Moreover, they're on the same channel as UFC, and they actually have higher ratings than a lot of UFC programming, yet UFC is able to get over a million buys for their PPVs and TNA is stuck proclaiming massive success when one does over 60,000.
ECW, on a worse time slot than TNA on the same station (well, technically), got more people to buy their shows and they damn sure didn't have a talent roster as star-heavy as TNA. TNA took a lot of chances this year and they just have not panned out at all. The Hogan-Bischoff era has been a disaster. Despite them doing their biggest TV rating with the 1/4 show, PPV buys have steadily decreased since then. And why shouldn't they? The company gives away pretty much anything that could draw money on PPV on free TV and that's been a problem for years. First Angle-Sting match? Free TV. First Flair match in TNA? Free TV. Second Flair match? Free TV. First Hogan TNA match? Free TV. RVD's big world title win? Free TV.
[quote name='cdeener']Is anybody going to watch Lucha Libre USA on MTV2 tonight?[/QUOTE]
Live? I don't know, but the DVR is set. Wife and I might have other plans tonight. Also the cheap Wrestling DVDs are starting to show at my Wal-Mart.. picked up Rise and Fall of ECW for 7.00. A steal at twice the price. Might go back and get Piper's, but they had PLENTY of those so I figured I'd get the ECW while I could.
[quote name='OnyxPrimal']Live? I don't know, but the DVR is set. Wife and I might have other plans tonight. Also the cheap Wrestling DVDs are starting to show at my Wal-Mart.. picked up Rise and Fall of ECW for 7.00. A steal at twice the price. Might go back and get Piper's, but they had PLENTY of those so I figured I'd get the ECW while I could.[/QUOTE]
I have my DVR set also. I have to get up early to do some work at my new house I just bought.
IIRC she said "I invited them" or something to that effect. I had Impact on last night in the backround. I can tell this ECW "invasion" angle is going to be really awful already.
Keep watching the Ecw angle from last night... good stuff
Sure a little unorganized but i think thats what they were going for. Chaos. No one knows what the hell was going on. When Simon Diamond and Al Snow joined, that added to the chaos and I thought was a nice touch.
At the end, being that i grew up with ECW, I am really excited about this. Will it fail? probably. Am i excited for the angle? Hell yes. Will everyone in this thread bitch to hell about tna and this angle? Damn right
Wish Raven looked a little better but the rest of the guys look good. Stevie looks awesome.
I wonder if they are doing this to book these guys at the Hammersten Show. If so... thats going to be awesome. Isnt the theme for next ppv "hardcore"?
They aren't doing this to build to the Hammerstein - they're doing it to build to a PPV in the Impact Zone - the TRUE haven for ECW action. I'm sure some of them will be at the Hammerstein show, but they aren't using this main event-level angle to just build up a house show.
Kofi-Cody ruled. This was my favorite singles match yet of Cody's, and he shined with his second rope bulldog and snap Russian legsweep - complete with post-move "DASHING" bragging. Kofi's big takedown>hammer fists was a pretty cool spot too. Then Kane came out to kill them, which I didn't mind so much because neither guy could really afford to lose, what with Cody's push just starting and Kofi already losing last week. I wanted to punch Matt Striker throughout this for making so many stupid statements. Calling Kofi's offense "standing room only"...WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!? Before that, he talked about imagine what Kofi could do in a ladder match, and thankfully Grisham brought up that he'd been in one. THIS YEAR. They've even shown clips of it to build this PPV up.
Drew-Christian was really good. I loved all the apron stuff they did, like the neckbreaker, the fulcrum kick, and the elbow exchanges. They meshed together perfectly, and having Drew use cunning to win continues that same trend they built up with him at first then shied away from for a while. They should keep at it because it makes him seem smarter than most heels in the company.
The Show-Punk deal ruled. Punk's initial promo was good, and him bitching throughout Show's promo was hilarious. I'm glad they introduced the reinforced ladder, because now it gives he and Mark Henry a credible way to actually win the MITB match. I didn't even mind the unmasking since Show's facial expressions were so funny.
The mixed tag was a nothing match, but I was amused by Rosa skipping rope out of the ringside area. Swagger's cutaways yelling to his dad and insulting Kentucky ruled. Matt claiming he'll win MITB and then cash it in that night to become world champion was funnier than Punk's unmasking, but his match with Dolph was great. Striker and Grisham were awesome on commentary, and Striker naming Dolph fans the Dolphiins is just wacky enough to work as something that can get over. Dolph's selling of the side effect by winding up doing a headstand somehow was hilarious. I loved him using one finger to grab the ropes and break a pinfall.
Swagger's grinning mug on the back of a production truck leading to him introducing Jimmy Golden as his father ruled. The wacky Swagger competitions were funny, and Jimmy Golden looked great taking the chokeslam and tombstone. Unlike the past month or so of SDs, this one felt like important stuff happened and was a blast to watch.
Screens -
*Cue the Bunkhouse Buck theme
Quotes -
Striker - CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THE STANDING ROOM OFFENSE OF KOFI CAN DO IN THE MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH!?
Grisham - Well, he was in MITB this year at ‘Mania, so yes…
Striker - Yes…but to your point, HOW WILL CODY DO!?
(after a snap Russian legsweep)Cody - THAT WAS DASHING!
Striker - Cody back on the ribs - WILL KOFI’S STANDING ROOM ONLY OFFENSE BE IMPAIRED ON SUNDAY!?
Striker - Is Cody employing the CLAW as well!? ADDING INSULT TO INJURY!
Striker - SECOND ROPE BULLDOG! Imagine that off a twenty foot ladder!
Striker - Everyone is guilty before being proven innocent according to BIG RED JUSTICE, Kane.
Kane - I have breaking news! There will be a bludgeoning tonight! (fans cheer) I KNOW JACK SWAGGER AND JACK SWAGGER IS A LIAR! HE WILL PAY FOR HIS SINS AND I WILL ENJOY EXTRACTING MY REVENGE!
Swagger - Where are you? TRAFFIC!? We’re in Kentucky - NO ONE HERE HAS ANYWHERE TO GO!
Striker - Imagine the parade in Scotland if Drew wins MITB!
Striker - CHRISTIAN IS LOOKING TO GET ADRENALINE FROM THE WWE UNIVERSE!
Punk - Shhh… We all know that I am a superior athlete that has built a reputation by winning back to back MITB ladder matches at WM. NEVER BEEN BEFORE DONE. We also know that I’ve built a foundation for a superior society through straight edge. While you live in a society with cracks in a foundation, you point your finger at us as if there are cracks in our foundation - there are not. WE ARE ALL STRONGER THAN EVER! (Show comes out) WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS!? Excuse me. Excuse me, I was talking. Is this on? HELLO! Turn his music off. EXCUSE ME. Hello! HELLO I’M TALKING. Hello! I’m talking here! I’m not gonna wait - YOU’RE INTERRUPTING!
Show - Pardon?
Punk - I’M SPEAKING - THESE PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO ME.
Show - They’re listening to you? I’ll be honest, I thought you were trying to put everyone to sleep. I know your finish is the Go to Sleep, but when you talk, it puts America to sleep. SES is a cure for insomnia - does it stand for Sleeps Every Second. I get it, you’re straight edge, you have short haircuts. I do to. I’m here for MITB and entertain everyone. As entertaining as the SES is, we COULD talk about something exciting - the first MITB match with a real fire-breathing, walking, talking giant!
Punk - I’m a fan of a car crash - I want to see you climb the ladder and do a 450!
Show - Like Evan Bourne?
Punk - NO, YOUR 450 POUNDS BURBLING THROUGH TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH! Sell me on the fire-breathing giant in MITB.
Show - No need to be insulting. Burbling?! MITB is one of the most dangerous matches in WWE - if I get on top of the ladder and fall on anyone, they’re kaput. They’re squashed.
Punk - This is taking forever. (ladder breaks as he climbs) Congratulations Big Show! He’s got a 1 cm vertical leap.
Striker - He’s got Hornswoggle’s ladder.
Show - I spared no expense, and I know the WWE UNVIERSE WANTS TO SEE ME CLIMB THE LADDER! I had this ladder built. It weighs over 350 pounds and has a 2,000 pound weigh limit. I don’t care how many trips I made to Subway, I’m not gonna weight 2,000 pounds!
Striker - THAT IS TWO LADDERS FORGED TOGETHER!
Show - Now that is one fine piece of American ingenuity - THAT’S A LADDER!
Punk - If show and tell is over, I’d like to mention that I’m reminded of King Kong on top of the Empire State Building. Also, HE FELL OFF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDILNG. Also, if it wasn’t for Kane accusing me of a crime I didn’t commit, I WOULD BE THE ONE CLIMBING THE LADDER LIKE I HAVE TWO TIMES BEFORE. I WOULD BE THE ONE UHOOKING THE CASE LIKE I HAVE TWO TIMES BEFORE!
(atop ladder)Punk - STRAIGHT EDGE MEANS I’M BETTER THAN YOU!
Grisham - Punk looks like Big Show Jr.
Swagger - THE DRIVER’S LOST!? HOW CAN THE DRIVER BE LOST!? THERE’S ONLY TWO ROADS IN THE WHOLE STATE!
(Rosa comes down with a jump rope)Striker - IT’S TIME FOR DOUBLE DUTCH!
Grisham - Don’t you need two ropes for double dutch?
Striker - Um, yeah - hence the double.
(after Rosa costs Layla the match)Grisham - She’d better leave.
Striker - She’s skipping rope out of here. REALLY!?
Grisham - Will Jack Swagger be able to provide an alibi tonight? (Matt Hardy’s OOHHH YEEEAHHH hits)
Matt Hardy - I am leaving Money in the Bank as Matt Hardy - World Heavyweight Champion!
Striker - It’s Vickie “Hot Cougar” Guerrero.
Striker - Dolph’s in the perfect position to win MITB.
Grisham - Um…because of Vickie?!
Striker - No…read a book!
Striker - Guys will be falling off ladders so slowly you’ll be thinking you’re watching Nikolai Volkoff.
Striker - So cunning, so intelligent…
Grisham - Thank you, thank you…
Striker - Vickie…
Grisham - Oh.
Striker - MANY MEMBERS OF THE WWE UNIVERSE HAVE THEIR HEARTSTRINGS TIED TO MATT HARDY’S CAREER.
Grisham - Would you call Dolph the dark horse?
Striker - Define dark horse.
Grisham - Guy no one expects to win.
Striker - Vickie expects him to win. Dolph expects Dolph to win, as do the Dolphins.
Grisham - Did you say Dolphins?
Striker - Yes.
Striker - Who is this man with Jack Swagger? Looks like a detective.
Swagger - It would be an understatement to say that I’ve lived a fortunate life. It’s easy to get lost in the limelight. It’s easy to lose sight of friends and family when you’re put on a pedestal against the tops of the world. AND WHEN YOU’RE BEING TERRORIZED BY KANE, IT’S EASY TO GET DISTRACTED FROM WHAT’S IMPORTANT - WINNING BACK MY TITLE. I’m gonna clear the good name of Swagger and prove that I had nothing to do with what happened to the Undertaker. That Memorial Day, I still found time to spend time with the one man who made me the All American, American, American. MY FATHER! WE SWAGGERS DID WHAT WE DID BEST - we win and we look good, ain’t that right pop!? Let’s roll exhibit A. What this shows is us having TWO WORKOUTS by the time most of you wake up.
Golden - At least 155.
Swagger - You’re being modest - it was at least 300. Here’s us winning the blue ribbon at the fishing classic. Wasn’t that a proud day?
Golden - It was a proud day, son.
Swagger - As you can see, all that winning builds up an appetite - we dominated the Oklahoma chicken-eating competition!
Striker - That BBQ sauce better be good in Oklahoma.
Kane - I don’t know if it that’s smug look on your face or my inner-loathing towards you, but I don’t believe a word you said!
Swagger - I HAVE MORE EVIDENCE! SEE, WE WON A 5K!
(after Kane goozles Jack)Golden - DON’T HURT MAH BOY!
Thanks for the replay info - I'd much rather record this on Saturday than do it right after SD and have to quickly change the channel and hope I don't miss anything in the time it takes to finish up my SD disc and begin the lucha one.
[quote name='JaytheGamefan']Thanks for the replay info - I'd much rather record this on Saturday than do it right after SD and have to quickly change the channel and hope I don't miss anything in the time it takes to finish up my SD disc and begin the lucha one.[/QUOTE]
You archive every show, Jay? That's got to be one hell of collection. At one time I would make friends and family "best of discs", but never archived every show.
Not quite every show - I didn't record a few S1 NXTs, and I've stopped recording S2 NXTs due to the show just being too boring to ever want to re-watch. S1 at least had goofy things like the obstacle course that are at least worth archiving to prove to people that WWE did devote MINUTES of TV time to guys drinking soda. DVD recorder + WWE Classics On Demand = Heaven.