The TNA thread - catch it whilst you still can!

[Adam D]

First topic message reminder :

Thought I would start a thread where you can discuss the latest TNA episode each week and discuss the latest news.

I thought I would kick off with a funny comment that happened on this weeks show.

Joseph Parks was interviewed and he mentioned how he had fallen on hard times (and how it could be his new gimmick "hard times Joseph park"!) but how he lost all his money by investing in Tout!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Exceptional work - best rassling thing I've seen in years

[JCmag82]

I think that wrestling needs this sort of madness every now and again. Keeps it unreal and entertaining. If it was this sort of thing every week then it would just be ridiculous and annoying but something like this has been a funny and refreshing difference. I mean, howay, have you seen the Senor Benjamin twitter account???? Wrestling needs to be able to poke fun at itself. Matt Hardy has been bat-poo crazy and this has been the defining moment of it all. When he came back from his firework attack and saw Jeff with it and his face dropped and he legged it? Comedy gold

[Hero]

It's the wrestling equivalent of Sharknado.

[Electric Demon]

It was Big Boss Man stealing Big Show's dead daddy x100

[Samo]

I need to give TNA credit, the whole internet is talking about this. Any publicity is good publicity and its fine as a one off, I just thought it was a bit too far. Its like Ospreay vs Ricochet. I think that overexposed the choreography of wrestling and this overdid the story telling.

It certainly did its job, I just thought it was a bit cringey.

[temporary21]

It's definitely helped tna splutter along a bit longer. Because we don't know if thryre being serious or not makes the funniest thing I've seen

If the hardy boys ever come back to WWE "brother Nero, I knew you'd come" is all you are ever going to hear

[Fernando]

It worked for TNA viewers wise.

2 Weeks ago - 304k
1 Week ago - 322k
This Week - 410k

[dyrewolfe]

Well, it beats anything Steven Seagal's done since Under Seige.

Seriously though, that was hilariously goofy...sort like a Rambo parody.

Didn't help that the wrestling was more obviously and carefully choreographed, given they were working outside normal ring conditions.

Dunno about anyone else but my favourite bit was Jeff demolishing the drones with his guitar...the true weapon of choice for a badass! Second favourite bit was Reby's cleavage...

[Samo]

I will say Matt Hardy breaking character and shouting "Oh Poopie!" At the fireworks was seriously funny

[dyrewolfe]

It's the wrestling equivalent of Sharknado.

You thought Sharknado was good though, didn't you...or am I thinking of Adam?

[Adam D]

[temporary21]

I dunno the botched swanton bomb out the tree looked really painful

[Fernando]

TNA is moving to Thursdays to avoid SD live

[dyrewolfe]

I dunno the botched swanton bomb out the tree looked really painful

Yeah - I winced at that. Amazed Jeff didn't break any vertebrae landing straight on the ladder like that. Had some nasty-looking bruises on his back afterwards.

[Fernando]

TNA Destination X - Results - ITS OVAH!!!:

[Guest]

TNA is as good as it's been for years. Not as good wrestling as 05-08, but solid matches and stupid but entertaining stuff.

[Adam D]

[dyrewolfe]

A gradual but definite upward trend...encouraging.

Also surprising, given that nothing has really changed for the better. Its pretty much as you were...generally good wrestling, but flimsy or non-existent storylines meaning there is little hype or reason to get excited about them.

Belts (apart from the heavyweight title) still changing hands far too often. Little or no continuity regarding the roster. You're never sure who's going to be on from one week to the next and the lines between the X Division, tag team and heavyweight scenes seem to get more blurred as times goes on.

Shows still often have the "written on the back of an envelope the night before" feel to them.

The BFG series will only offer a temporary respite.

Really only keep watching for Lashley, Galloway and EC3...all very able wrestlers and entertaining characters, as well as the weirdness that is the Hardy saga. Oh and EEE...LIII...DRAKE!


By putting Maria in charge, the Knockouts have regressed back to when Karen Jarrett was in charge...and that was bloody awful too. Her other half, introduced with much fanfare not too long ago, looked like being on his way to becoming a great heel. Now he's reduced to spoiling other peoples' matches.

Meanwhile there's a whole load of talent that could be put to rebuilding the X Division and tag team division. One Ultimate X match a year really doesn't cut it and there hasn't been a tag team worthy of the name since the Wolves had to go on hiatus.

Why don't we see more of Spud, "Mandrews", DJZ, Robbie E, Jessie Godderz, Mahabali Shera, Sutter, The Tribunal...heck even Grado? Not forgetting the Wolves, when Davey Richards is fully fit again. Where did Tigre Uno go - did he leave?

I'd also break up Decay as they're just pointless. Put Rosemary in with the Knockouts, Crazzy Steve in the X Division and Abyss can go back to doing his usual scary monster thing when needed.


TNA really needs someone to go in there and impose a bit of order and structure. Instead of trying to hinge entire shows on the same handful of wrestlers all the time, make a few changes, start re-emphasising the importance of the other divisions and give more talent the time to develop and become stars in their own right, instead of just being filler material until the main event.

If they could do that, I'm sure they'd get that graph consistently above the 500,000 mark.



Wow...didn't intend to rant that much...I'll just go and have a lie down now...

[Adam D]

Impact Highlights from last night:

Matt Hardy tells EC3 that he will eat him and his cats
Rosemary reveals that her brother is a tree and next week she will introduce Bram to the ghosts in her barn. Not sure if this is a euphemism or not.

[marty2086]

TNA really needs someone to go in there and impose a bit of order and structure. Instead of trying to hinge entire shows on the same handful of wrestlers all the time, make a few changes, start re-emphasising the importance of the other divisions and give more talent the time to develop and become stars in their own right, instead of just being filler material until the main event.

If they could do that, I'm sure they'd get that graph consistently above the 500,000 mark.

Lack of direction, structure etc has long been TNAs problem and it comes from the top. They build guys up then change things in creative and the new guy fancies someone else and all the work done before goes out the window or they build someone up and they don't stay beyond their contract.

They built Joe up and then I think it was Russo who came in and Joe dropped out of the main event picture, they built up Aces and Eights then released most of the guys once they were 'revealed' basically building up a stable with 7/8 guys to get one guy over?

[dyrewolfe]

Impact Highlights from last night:

Matt Hardy tells EC3 that he will eat him and his cats
Rosemary reveals that her brother is a tree and next week she will introduce Bram to the ghosts in her barn. Not sure if this is a euphemism or not.

It'll probably be funny either way.

I'm also worried that "deranged" Matt Hardy is starting to grow on me. Then again I also loved Joker Sting (Matt's nowhere near as good, but similar).

[Electric Demon]

I dropped in on it last week and actually found it quite entertaining
It was better than Smackdown Live
The Hardy stuff actually does have a place in wrestling and it gets people talking. As does that Rosemary stuff. Nowt wrong with some tongue-in-cheek laughing at yourself. Chasing ghosts is a little over the top though....
EC3 is outstanding
I'm sure last time I watched they were doing a World Title vs X-Title match with Austin Aries - so that's a bit of a rehash. But there may be a genuine storyline reason for this that I didn't pick up
It was decent

[Enforcer]

Chasing ghosts is a little over the top though....

[Adam D]

Just watching Tna. 

The Rosemary segment was brilliant. I know it's hokey but it's really something different. It reminds me of the segments that ec3 and spud did with the search for willow but without the humour. 



Tna are really trying to make themselves different through cinematic tropes. And I love it.

[nadeem2099]

The Rosemary segments are top notch. Similar to the ones Lucha Underground do but different in a good way. Matt Hardy is Frak insane

[dyrewolfe]

Just watching Tna. 

The Rosemary segment was brilliant. I know it's hokey but it's really something different. It reminds me of the segments that ec3 and spud did with the search for willow but without the humour. 



Tna are really trying to make themselves different through cinematic tropes. And I love it.

I just wish I had a clue what its building up to. I've enjoyed TNA's previous film vignettes...particularly when they had Spud looking for AJ Styles and trying to get the title belt back. I just cannot for the life of me figure what the story is with Bram and Rosemary though (beyond the obvious romantic angle).

Enjoyed the X Division title match between DJZ and Lashley from last night's show too. Good contrast of styles made for a better match than you might expect. Also interesting to see the pretty-boy Bromans willing to get some cuts and bruises in a Monsters' Ball match with Decay.

[Adam D]

I have never seen someone lift a ladder whilst the other person is at the top - very impressive by Lashley.

When I did the Billy Corgan interview, he mentioned that he wanted to added more theatre to the entrances and show. You can see his style coming through with the Miracles entrance (my favourite entrance in wrestling today although not sold on Bennet himself).

It was a real shame that the crowd were dead (again). EC3 did really well to get a few chants going withough asking for them (such as "relevant creature") - reminds me of Bully at his promoing best. I loved his comment that Matt Hardy could get Vanguard 1 to drop a dilapidated boat on his head if he likes!

The only thing that was a bit weird in the Rosemary segments is that it got a bit rapey at one point!

[dyrewolfe]

They do seem to be getting a bit more experimental on the creative side, which is making for some interesting feuds, but its still too early stages for me to get my hopes too high.

Its a shame they can't afford to get out of the Impact Zone much. On the few occasions they've done it, the crowds have been so much better. I get the impression most of the IZ crowd are tourists / holidaymakers they've bribed to fill up the arena.

The only thing that was a bit weird in the Rosemary segments is that it got a bit rapey at one point!

Huh? I didn't get that vibe. Dark and weird, certainly...but thats (American) gothic for you.

[Adam D]

It was the the bit where Johnny turned up.

At about the 1.50 mark

[dyrewolfe]

Ah, okay - I somehow missed that bit. It is a bit "blink-and-you-miss-it".

Makes sense though as its probably meant to be the big traumatic event (coupled with the other stuff) that made her the way she is.

Maybe not the best subject matter for a wrestling show, I agree, but then again TNA isn't targeting a PG / 12 audience the way WWE are.

[Adam D]

Interview with Sandow by Rolling Stone - http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/damien-sandow-on-signing-with-tna-w433910

Just over three months after leaving WWE, the man formerly known as Damien Sandow is ready to return to the ring, and he will do so when he appears on Thursday night's Impact Wrestling. Rolling Stone had the chance to catch up with him, and find out exactly what made TNA an appealing landing spot.

"TNA just seemed like the perfect spot for me," Sandow, who went by Aaron Stevens when wrestling on the independent circuit in his time away says. "They are a growing company with a proven track record. I really believe that they have their finger on the pulse of what the audience wants, and they will gear their product towards that."

As he revealed in our interview back in May, at first he felt that he might want to spend some time at home, or possibly focus on opportunities outside of wrestling. However, he started to feel the itch, and when the opportunity with Total Nonstop Action came up, it wasn't one that he felt that he could pass up.


After being released by WWE last week, the fan favorite has big plans – including a return to the ring and studying Shakespeare

"I really was not planning on signing with anybody this soon, I was serious about that. But the way the conversations went with several TNA officials, and the strong feeling of a family atmosphere, really made me want to explore the possibility of getting in the ring sooner than I expected."

This isn't the first major talent to come to Impact Wrestling in recent months. Former Ring of Honor star Moose joined the company a month ago. "The Miracle" Michael Bennett, with his wife Maria Kanellis, also joined the company from ROH this year. Add that to a revitalized Matt Hardy with his new "Broken" character (and the two have already interacted), TNA champion Bobby Lashley, and The Wolves, and Stevens has plenty of new opponents to really prove himself against.

"I am just looking forward to showcasing myself in a way that I have not been in the past. There is so much talent at TNA that I just can't name one person that I really want to face over another. It's just a pleasure for me to have creative freedom and continue to work with talented supportive people."

Despite the talented roster, he knows that there will be challenges ahead of him once he joins the company. However, more than a personal challenge, he looks as any challenges that come his way in TNA as something that everyone involved has to face. For him, it's not about the individual, it's about the show.

"The challenge is to have a television show that continually gets better with every single episode and that is not just on me. That is on every one of us as a team. And everyone, as a team, really seems to be motivated and headed in the right direction."
His slogan coming in is that he's going do be doing it "His Way." We'll now have to wait and see what his way really is.

[Samo]

"They are a growing company..."

[Adam D]

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2016/0811/615429/matt-hardy-says-vince-mcmahon-would-be-terrified-of-his-broken/

On episode 270 of Talk Is Jericho, WWE Superstar and Fozzy lead singer Chris Jericho interviewed 'Broken' Matt Hardy. In this in-character conversation, Hardy talked about wanting to do more matches like his Final Deletion match versus Jeff Hardy. Also, Hardy discussed what it will take for TNA to keep its momentum.

While Hardy would like to continue to create so-called 'masterpieces' similar to his recent cinematically inspired match against his brother, Jeff, the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion acknowledged that such matches must be used only sparingly.

"I am going to take my broken universe in that direction more for sure. You cannot have every match, obviously, in that setting, in that circumstance. That is not wise. It is just time to change wrestling from, especially when I talk about the Impact Wrestling, the TNA universe, when I address it, it has to change. It has been stale. It has not had an identity. It has been directionless. But I have given it an identity. And this Dixie Carter and this John Gaburick, these people who are supposedly creative behind it, if they don't watch their step very wisely, I will delete their asses next."

Matt Hardy Talks Wyatt Family - New Day Copying 'Final Deletion', Changing Pro Wrestling, Lashley


When asked what TNA must do to succeed, Hardy professed that the company must find its own identity.

"They have to find some sort of identity. They have had an identity issue, I think, for a long, long time because now professional wrestling has been engulfed under [Vince] McMahon's show and McMahon is above and beyond everything else and anything else that seems so similar to McMahon's show is going to end up coming off like a second rate copy. And I think it's very important and very vital for Impact Wrestling to find their way, find their own identity. And my broken universe is something different that has never been seen anywhere else before. I can tell you this: my broken universe, Mr. McMahon, would be terrified of it. He would be afraid to let me go there. He wouldn't let me shoot the fireworks on his show or he wouldn't let me burn up my brother, Nero. But it is time to go to a different place, a different time, and that is what Impact Wrestling must do to succeed. That is the only way TNA can truly grow, is to find it's own identity."

[dyrewolfe]

Ah, so the dude in the pic you posted is Sandow? At least TNA seem to have the power to attract big names from other franchises. Is it money, creative freedom, or a combination of both?

Also nice to see Matt saying what a lot of TNA fans must have been thinking, regarding the company finding its own identity.

[Crimey]

Billy Corgan is new TNA President.

Dixie Carter has been moved to Chairman position.

After Corgan supposedly put up the funds to keep TNA in business, it makes sense that he's used it as leverage to get more influence.

[Samo]

Probably the best move TNA have ever made, Dixie should have been gone years ago. She was more concerned about the business side but wasnt very good at business.

Corgan seems like a guy with his finger on the pulse and seems passionate about the art of wrestling. Im still pessimistic about TNA, but they've somehow managed to hold on for this long. It will be interesting to see where they are in 12 months time.

[Samo]

So TNA have retired the King of the Mountain title (which was a joke btw) and are replacing it with the TNA Grand Championship - which will be defended in 3-round matches with judges deciding a winner if it goes the distance. Its basically putting UFC into Pro Wrestling.

I wish I could get excited but it sounds like TNA trying yet another gimmick to make themselves stand out, and I dont think UFC style matches will work with Pro Wrestling story-telling. We'll see soon enough I suppose.

[marty2086]

TNA were at their best putting on good matches with good solid relatable characters, a template NXT have used and stood out with.

Sometimes the simplest approach is the best

[Fernando]

It might be crap but atleast their having fun

https://twitter.com/amber_brooke541/status/765022486475964416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[dyrewolfe]

Whats the difference between a Chairman and a President?
Still, anything that put Dixie further away from the decision-making process is probably a good thing.

Kinda sad they've retired the KotM belt. It was a unique style of match (when done properly) that allowed a number of people to showcase their talents in a title match. It was at least better than the TV Title IMO.

As for the Grand Championship (TNA Title?) they've had stipulation matches that required multiple pins / submissions before. I guess this will just formalise that format and make it more meaningful now that a belt is involved.

If they're getting rid of one belt, they need to bring another in, so they can keep more of their roster actively involved. Would still like to see the Knockouts Tag Team title brought back, so we aren't stuck with watching the same 3-4 every week.

[Fernando]

Dixie is gone apparently.

In better news - Final Deletion II - #DeleteOrDecay - Next week

[marty2086]

Having not watched TNA for a while, when was the last time they had a match where people said that was actually a decent match? Instead of thinking that the match was quirky or different?

[Fernando]

After having a look about it appears someone else asked this and got this list from January to June

Matt Hardy vs EC III 1/5
Drew Galloway vs Kurt Angle 1/12
EC3 vs Matt Hardy Last Man Standing 1/19
Hardcore War 2/2
Kurt Angle vs Drew Galloway 2/9
Trevor Lee vs Tigre Uno 2/23
EC3 vs Matt Hardy 2/23
Kurt Angle vs Lashley 3/8
Wolves vs Beer Money 3/8
Matt Hardy vs EC3 vs Jeff Hardy (then Drew Galloway) 3/15
Drew Galloway vs Jeff Hardy (?)
Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy 4/19
Decay vs Beer Money 4/26
Mike Bennett vs EC3 4/26
Drew Galloway vs Lashley 5/17
Ultimate X match (either 5/24 or 5/31)
Slammiversary PPV is all worth watching!
Lashley vs Galloway 6/14
Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy 6/21

[marty2086]

Cheers, I'll try and look some of those up

For me though, TNAs biggest problem is they stopped doing what was working for them and now NXT are doing it and better

[Ché Guerrero]

Why is the Final Deletion not on that list

[dyrewolfe]

Why is the Final Deletion not on that list

Too "quirky"?

In all seriousness, it was lousy as a wrestling match, but great as comedy theatre.


The Ultimate X match from last night's show was pretty damn good though. DJZ and Mandrews put together some especially good moves, as did the Helms Dynasty guys.

[Fernando]

In lovely TNA News

Broken Matt took Broken Brother Nero to his personal zoo to teach him not to be a spot monkey by making him fight a kangaroo containing the ghost of Joe Frazier

[DrDeath]

In lovely TNA News

Broken Matt took Broken Brother Nero to his personal zoo to teach him not to be a spot monkey by making him fight a kangaroo containing the ghost of Joe Frazier

Absolute gold - I seriously love the whole Hardy angle at the moment, it is brilliant!

Decay are fantastic too as is the womens division and X division.

TNA are doing everything right, it cannot be faulted at the moment!

[Adam D]

[dyrewolfe]

In lovely TNA News

Broken Matt took Broken Brother Nero to his personal zoo to teach him not to be a spot monkey by making him fight a kangaroo containing the ghost of Joe Frazier

*head explodes*

Guess I'm going to have to watch this weekend's show now. Must admit Matt is making his "broken" character work well. I thought they'd bring the curtain down on the whole thing after the Final Deletion, but I'm glad they didn't. Jeff unsurprisingly is continuing to be a great foil for him.

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