[Makdafi]

The Makdafi Report #2: TNA Impact Wrestling - 5/10/12
Main Points On TNA Impact Wrestling - 5/10/12

1. Selling The PPV
2. Selling The Champion
3. James Storm In Exile
4. Side Angles: Abyss Saga/Styles Down In Dixie

​

1.As far as TNA selling their "Sacrifice" I would give this show a failure grade. The PPV this Sunday was pretty much put on the back-burner to set up storyline developments in the future. Which you could look at it in two ways, you could say it was stupid not to sell the ppv. Or you could concede Sacrifice is going to do a low number anyways, and try and build future business. Personally I feel the wrestling industry is a chess game, and too many critics look at it like checkers. Sometimes you have to "Sacrifice" a buyrate that is going to be low anyways, to try and build one that has more worth.

The only thing that I did find puzzling is on the go home show, having the Impact main event match(fatal4 way) set up what the PPV match would be. I don't see how you think you can promote something that is to be determined. It ultimately just leaves the audience confused, and apathetic towards your PPV.

2. One thing that TNA is doing tremendously better than WWE, is selling the champion, and selling the concept of title importance. On the stats for this show(I compiled more stats this week, than I probably will in the weeks to come), you will see that TNA did a good job of putting over the championship and Robert Roode as champion. Whereas with WWE they are more focused on selling authority figures such as Johnny Ace, and the main selling point of their brand, WWE.

3.This show highlighted the fact that James Storm is conflicted about his future, and conflicted about the outcome of his title match against Robert Roode at Lockdown. To me the James Storm piece was really effective in making the feud have a realistic tone, and building the underdog aura around Storm.

I also liked the line about the good guy losing, and the right guy lost. With wrestling, the cliche of "sending the people home happy" is a tired one. And it's good they noted that in a subtle way, in a realistic non arena setting.

4. The two main side angles was the "Where is Abyss" stuff and the "AJ Styles relationship with Dixie" revelation. You have to wait and see with this type of stuff, but honestly I don't see many people really being intrigued in these angles.

Having Abyss returning at the end of the show was weird, and definitely took the audiences mind off of the PPV TNA was supposedly trying to sell to them. Unless people decide to buy En masse to see Abyss have a discussion with his brother.

Statistics​

Total Time Of Show: 1:21:59
Non Wrestling Time: 1:06:32
Wrestling Time(Bell To Bell): 15:27
% Of Wrestling Content(Bell To Bell): 18.7(18.715528863831352)
Number Of Matches: 5
Longest Match On TNA Impact Wrestling 5/10/12 (In Time Duration): Anderson V Hardy V RVD V Roode(C) - 5:44
Shortest Match Of The Night(In Time Duration): Morgan V Crimson - 0:33


18.7 % of TNA Impact Wrestling 5/10/12 was wrestling. Which is pathethic to say the least.


Number Of Times A Wrestler/Character Told You Their Name: 7 (Roode-3, RVD-4)

The Number Of Times "TNA/Impact/Impact Wrestling" Was Said During This Episode: 34

The Number Of Times "World Champion/Championship/Title(Said In Conjunction) Was Said During This Episode:41

Top Wrestler Namedrops(The Number Of Times A Wrestlers/Characters Name Was Said):
Robert Roode 64 - RVD: 74 - Jeff Hardy: 48 - Mr.Anderson: 45

It should be noted with the namedrops of the 4 wrestlers I kept track of(Anderson/RVD/Roode/Hardy), all competed in a match in the main event of this program. Overall the number of "World Champion/Championship/Title" and wrestler namedrops was really good as far as promoting individuality and promoting the importance of the World Championship, and being World Champion.

With WWE Raw 5/7/12 you had more of a focus on the company name and with the beating you over the head with the John Laurinaitis namedrops. Which at 80 is the highest number of namedrops between the two shows this week(Impact Wrestling/Raw).

Impact 5/10/12 /Raw 5/7/12 - Side By Side Statistic Breakdown​

Total Time Of Show:
Impact: 1:21:59
Raw: 1:31:34
-11.9

Non Wrestling Time:
Impact: 1:06:32
Raw: 1:04:57
+ 2.7

Wrestling Time(Bell To Bell):
Impact:15:27
Raw:26:37
-42

% Of Wrestling Content(Bell To Bell):
Impact:18.7(18.715528863831352)
Raw:28.9(28.870155463104886)

Number Of Times The Company Name Was Said
TNA/Impact:34
WWE:63
-46

Top 3 Namedrops From Each Respective Program(Ranked Numerically)
John Laurinatis *Did Not Wrestle*- 80
RVD *Did Wrestle*- 74
Robert Roode *Did Wrestle* 64

Basically with WWE you get an overt brand namedrop, with little emphasis on talent or championships. With TNA you get a more natural, less contrived balance. The company is being namedropped, but not to the detriment of the talent, to the importance of championships, or the ideal of being champion.

Match Of The Show​

Considering the lack of an importance this episode placed on wrestling matches. It would be silly to say there was a real match of the show. If I had to pick I would pick the Ion V Aries match that went a whopping 4:17
Here's the rest of the matches with the results listed....

Velvet[L] V Brooke[W] - 3:41
Morgan[L] V Crimson[W] - 0:33 (It took the referee 33 seconds to count to 10)
Ion[L] V Aries[W] - 4:17
Robbie E[L] V D-Von[W] - 1:12
Anderson[L] V Hardy[L] V RVD[W] V Roode[L] - 5:44

Notable, Interesting Or Humorous Quotes From TNA Impact Wrestling: 5/10/12​

Taz: "Big bright lights, big city right here baby, Impact Zone"

 

[joeisgonnakillyou]

I'm pretty sure you can use this forum as your official blog xD

 

[justabit2g]

haha nice work dude

 

[Makdafi]

One note is in the time I didn't include the standard recap intro. Which I didn't include on my Raw report either.

If I missed anything please let me know and I'll correct it.

 

[Cliffy]

Thats a shameful lack of wrestling

 

[Makdafi]

Thats a shameful lack of wrestling

You would think that with this new crew in charge of the creative side of things. Their would be at least a 4th of the show that was bell to bell wrestling.

Even Raw this week had 28 % bell to bell.

I was probably more generous on praise on this show than I should have been. Considering the lack of wrestling, the horrible to lackluster quality that was on the show, and the pretty much lack at any attempt of promoting their PPV.

On the positive side they did set themselves up for business in the future so to speak. And they did a good job(in relation to WWE) at making the championship and having the championship mean something. They also spread out the promotion of stars this show, unlike Raw that just promoted WWE and Johnny Ace on Raw.(to a lesser extent Cena).

 

[Skopuh]

You did a nice job there with the numbers.

*The only thing that I did find puzzling is on the go home show, having the main event match set up what the PPV match would be. I don't see how you think you can promote something that is to be determined. It ultimately just leaves the audience confused, and apathetic towards your PPV*


You mean the fatal 4 way? Cause thats a little bit different then the PPV mainevent.

 

[Makdafi]

You did a nice job there with the numbers.

*The only thing that I did find puzzling is on the go home show, having the main event match set up what the PPV match would be. I don't see how you think you can promote something that is to be determined. It ultimately just leaves the audience confused, and apathetic towards your PPV*


You mean the fatal 4 way? Cause thats a little bit different then the PPV mainevent.

Yeah I was referring to the main event of Impact. I will clarify it in the report.

 

[NoWordsNoPain]

c'mon...couldn't this be posted in the May 10th Impact Wrestling Discussion Thread?

 

[horseman5]

There was nothing wrong with the angles in the show.
Save the phantom chair shot to the ring post botch.
The matches were passable.
Except Velvets, I guess those were chops, my grandma is more stiff and she is dead. And two foot away knee lift botches.
That and the main event ending where Anderson could have won the match, but was pulled to Hardy like a magnet.
The story is the same as usual, to many segments not enough wrestling.
Wrestling sells PPV's not hype.

 

[Loudness]

I turned on James Storm bigtime, his character is terrible, his face turn character progression is not only worse than CM Punks recently, but even John Cenas. I hate random rednecks, or common men as he's trying to display himself with his phony "good guy" speeches (lol at first beeing a drunk guy who randomly beats people up at bars to a family man), to me they're boring people I can see everyday, and I wouldn't ever be friends with those people, especially not as hypocritical as Storm let alone waste my time watching people like those on TV, where's the larger than life approach? I hope he gets depushed BIGTIME because he sure needs that punishment to realise that you can't be a wrestling star by literally having the most generic, devoid of any personality gimmick, John Cena is Stone Cold Steve Austin level edgy compared to Storm. I hope he gets pushed aside so people with a personality like Aries, Magnus, or even Pope can take his place. Honestly, the worst personality in all of wrestling right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes up with " Bobby Roode is poopy" next.

 

[Dragonballfan]

This was pretty awesome, keep it up... I wonder what would happen if you compared the wrestling times of Raw & Impact to Smackdown today, cause it had a ton of wrestling (of which I am grateful)...

 

[joeisgonnakillyou]

After saying cena is stone cold compared to storm, why not call his mother a whore too?

Cena loses against the rock in "the biggest match of his life" eats the pin 1,2,3
Next week, "nah I'm okay"

Storm loses against roode in "the biggest match of this life" with bad luck
Not seen on impact for a month.


Can't wait for austin aries to get a main event push so that everyone turns on him too and that guy from the "AA is killing the x division" finally gets what he wants.

 

[Loudness]

Cena smiles, but at least he doesn't try to get cheap heat in all different kinds of ways by saying what a great family man he is, how he is a common random idiot from the streets like the rest of the audience or stuff like that no man hits a woman to get cheap pops from the female audiences etc. He sticks to the hard working route and doesn't go THAT MUCH overboard, Storm does every cheap thing to get sympathy from the fans, and it's backfiring imo. Not to mention it's my personal opinion, not the whole IWCs, so I dunno how you came up with the generalisation part.

 

[joeisgonnakillyou]

Every time a new guy stays on top for a long period of time people start bitching about him for no reason.

I'm not a big fan of punk current persona but I'm not going to put the guy down because I know how much he worked to be where he is. Right after MITB, hordes of fans started bashing punk for breaking kayfable when in my opinion it was the first time in ages wrestling was "cool" again.

James Storm is the perfect main face for TNA, his cheap "tactics" work perfectly with him.
He's the kind of guy that can say all that and make his fans believe in it, on the other hand everything cena says sounds like a lie.

 

[Cliffy]

I never saw the appeal in Storm.

I'd rather they just have Hardy or Pope as top face.

AJ ruined his look with that tatoo and Joe is beyond salvage so it cant be either of them.

 

[Loudness]

The thing is I'm not an anti-face/pro heel kind of guy, I just don't like how most of the top faces currently are, it's not a Storm exclusive thing but I wouldn't call myself a bandwaggon jumper or something either. I can take Storm as a badass brawler redneck cowboy like he was before, but suddenly he's a two-goody shoes babyface that's insecure about his standing with pro wrestling which makes him seem fake and phony to me, it's like when Cena abruptly went from a thug rapper to Hustle, Loyalty, Respect mode. But to each his own I guess, because you obviously think it's believeable, I accept that. But to me, he's as fake as it gets.