[skidawgz]

A friend of mine told me "The problem with TNA is... its the same shit every week"
He would DVR and watch Impact for me on nights I'd miss it due to class.

We have 3 long title reigns going (heavy, KO, Xdiv). We have at least 2 really long "find out more next week" feuds going. I'm speaking of Abyss/Joe Parks Bully and AJ Daniels Kaz.

Bully Ray has been amazing, but I am actually tired of seeing him every week. Things are getting stale with so much of the roster being inactive for long periods. I don't understand why a proper feud can't involve Sarita, ODB, Winter, Angelina against Gail. Can we leave Aries off screen to remind us who the hell is even still in the Xdiv? I am so sick of Morgan v Crimson. Why isnt ODB booked to be somewhat like Kong?

Things have been both fantastic and yet sometimes boring this year. I don't ever recall watching and seeing wrestlers missing for such a long period of time when I was younger.

Has this always been common for wrestling shows or is TNA just working on new ideas?

The one thing that contradicts what I just wrote would be OFN. The first one was confusing but the second was very cool.

 

[dastardly]

I agree in some ways. TNA is certainly revolving around Roode, Aries and Ray at the moment (and Gail Kim is a steady presence in the KOs).

I suspect they've done this partly because they've suddenly been presented with three guys who CAN actually carry the company and they're kinds savouring that fact.

Also, they have been (and still are) introducing a number of format changes etc so they want some kind of stability so everything doesn't seem like it's going crazy.

But I agree - they definitely need more stories and feuds. And it would be a welcome change to have a proper feud involving guys we don't see so much.

 

[Wildcat410]

The once great tag division is practically nonexistent.

The Knockouts division almost might as well be. Gail has had the belt for too long. It isn't doing anything for anyone else and isn't nearly the same without Kong.

Any purpose the Legends/Global/TV belt had during a specific angle has long since left with it's "creator." The belt symbolizes nothing useful and should have been shelved or combined with the X title by now.

TNA increasingly reminds me of a WWE-lite product. With occasional exceptions, if you aren't a singles main event male and/or someone's friend or pet project, you aren't really anything. The minute TNA began bleeding it's internal product diversity, it was playing a losing game.

 

[JenksIX]

There are a number of wrestlers I'd like TNA to sign for personal preference (Briscoe Brothers, Kenny Omega) then there are wrestler's I'd like them to sign as I think it would be good for TNA business. One name that I think would be good for business is Extreme Tiger. I'm not an expert on him or AAA, but what I've seen of the guy, I like. It would be no problem for him to get over with the kids and while Mysterio's out in WWE, kids might even think he is Mysterio lol.

Anyway, I was thinking about it, but who the heck would he face? Let's say Chris Sabin/Austin Aries are feuding and Extreme Tiger is brought into TNA. If you used him in a three way with those guys, then ok, you'll get good matches. But lets figure he won't be pushed into that right away. So who else is their for him to face? Zema Ion, Kid Kash, Mark Haskins ... the only guy that could really give Extreme Tiger a match and probably not even that great at that, is Zema Ion. What has happened to TNA having the better wrestling roster?

I mean they still have good wrestlers, but most have moved on from the X Division style and most are 35+ yrs old now. If you brought Extreme Tiger in, his matches would look like that of Mysterio/Cara vs'ing the likes of Batista, Sheamus, Swagger, Heath Slater etc.

Not to long ago, a luchador could of fit seemlessly into TNA as they had the roster and gimmick matches that the lucha style excels in. And a trend that seems to be happening is that TNA is signing smaller guys who have very basic wrestling skills. Even if the wrestler is experienced, their smaller wrestlers just don't seem to have any flashy moves anymore and wrestle like they are in 1980s WWF.

Part of the reason the roster is stagnant is because their is no successful new blood being pumped into the X Division. Austin Aries is a perfect fit for TV title and maybe even eventually World title, but he is too stable for the X Division. I think X Division needs to go back to being chaotic, having gimmick matches, add a little hardcore, and usually have no less then 3 competitors in a match. Doesn't need to be these people but TNA needs wrestlers with comparable skills to Sonjay Dutt, Low Ki, Teddy Hart, Jack Evans, Petey Williams, Juventud Guerrera, etc. A mixture of Roh, Luchador, Puro, with a little CZW(or hardcore style) thrown in on occasion.

 

[Brown Hippy]

I understand, but I think they're doing this purposely to establish who their main stars are.

When you think of WWE, you think of Cena, Orton, Miz, CM Punk, etc., because they're the ones being showcased on most of their shows. I think TNA is trying to mark guys like AJ, Kaz, Daniels, Angle, Bully, Joe, Aries, and Velvet Sky as TNA guys, the same way you think of Cena, Orton, Kane as WWE guys.

Because Impact Wrestling roster has changed so much over time, specific names didn't directly identify with TNA. Now when you think of Impact Wrestling, you know that you're probably going to see Bully, Roode, Velvet Sky, Jeff Hardy, etc. on the show.

 

[USAUSA1]

They used to have the best roster in the business. When people tell me Ray is one of the top guys on the roster, I already know the roster is in bad shape. You all can tell me how awesome Ray promos is and blah,blah but TOP PERFORMER? Really, this is the best TNA have to offer? Bunkhouse Buck was equally awesome in WCW 1994 but it will take me a couple of names before I mention him.

I am trying to figure out what so fantastic about TNA booking and storylines at the moment? Sure, it's better than the MEM era and Immortal crap but that's not really saying much.

Give me a hot storyline from the last 12 months? Hot means that it made a difference quality wise and business wise. You got some posters that say wait and see, how long is we suppose to wait in the Twitter world we live in?

 

[skidawgz]

They used to have the best roster in the business. When people tell me Ray is one of the top guys on the roster, I already know the roster is in bad shape. You all can tell me how awesome Ray promos is and blah,blah but TOP PERFORMER? Really, this is the best TNA have to offer? Bunkhouse Buck was equally awesome in WCW 1994 but it will take me a couple of names before I mention him.

I am trying to figure out what so fantastic about TNA booking and storylines at the moment? Sure, it's better than the MEM era and Immortal crap but that's not really saying much.

Give me a hot storyline from the last 12 months? Hot means that it made a difference quality wise and business wise. You got some posters that say wait and see, how long is we suppose to wait in the Twitter world we live in?

Most of the Bully Ray is shock he could get into good shape, as did Devon. Also on the mic he is funny and he plays heel very well. Top guy on screen but he's at end of career, everyone knows that.

Roode vs. Storm was quality feud to answer your ?

 

[USAUSA1]

Jury still out on Storm vs. Roode. Plus, match wise this feud hasn't produce on the high level it should. Definitely nowhere near Joe vs. Angle or Angle vs. Styles.

 

[JenksIX]

I think you'd get a good amount of people who would say Bully Ray has had good/awesome matches with AJ Styles, Mr. Anderson, and Austin Aries. Bully Ray is 40, which is not that far off from Styles, Roode, and Storm who are 35 and younger then 41 yr old Christopher Daniels.

As for Storm/Roode, I'm not that big a fan of Storms. To me, Storm is kind of like Christopher Daniels too AJ Styles. AJ was getting on a hot streak before BFG and then they threw him in a feud with Daniels and when they did that, it seemed to bring Styles right back down to Daniels level, and now they are doing it again. Right now you know Roode won't have any meaningful feuds until he gets too Storm, whose already waiting for him. It's like WWE booking, knowing who will main event Mania as well as 4-5 other matches a year in advance, and I HATE THAT! Because now we have to wait for Storm/Roode at BFG and that basically means no storyline can supersede it however itriguing.

 

[Bowlen]

I totally agree.

Slammiversary features this disaster on what should be one of the biggest events in company history. They should have showcased the majority of the roster and not only the half of it or even less.

The guys you see on IW are basically the same each week and it gets boring with them. When you have no plans on progress one of the few storylines, just showcase someone else, but creative prefers to do pointless matches and dragging segments instead.

 

[dastardly]

They used to have the best roster in the business. When people tell me Ray is one of the top guys on the roster, I already know the roster is in bad shape. You all can tell me how awesome Ray promos is and blah,blah but TOP PERFORMER? Really, this is the best TNA have to offer?

I think Ray is underestimated as an in-ring talent. True, he doesn't blow you away like Aries or Roode but the fact that he can have good matches with smaller guys like AJ and Aries, bigger guys like Roode and Storm and hardcore matches against giants like Abyss shows how versatile he is. A company needs guys who can deliver quality matches against a variety of styles - a safe pair of hands - as much as they need the showy guys. The fact that he's great on the mic is just a big, fat bonus.

 

[skidawgz]

I think Ray is underestimated as an in-ring talent. True, he doesn't blow you away like Aries or Roode but the fact that he can have good matches with smaller guys like AJ and Aries, bigger guys like Roode and Storm and hardcore matches against giants like Abyss shows how versatile he is. A company needs guys who can deliver quality matches against a variety of styles - a safe pair of hands - as much as they need the showy guys. The fact that he's great on the mic is just a big, fat bonus.

YESSS,

Bully Ray is very good in PPV. The match that sticks out is AJ vs him hardcore match at I forget which show. He puts the story along well, and can wrestle more than just one match. He does deserve his slight overhype for that alone.

However you can't ride the back of 2 heels can you?

I am practically dying for the return of Jeff Jarrett. I hope he comes back as a Gut Check contestant on OFN and has to be voted in by the panel.