My thoughts on TNA Impact for the month of June 2012

I used screen capture for this post

I just caught up with the three episodes of TNA Impact that I've been avoiding.  So, episodes for June 7th, 14th and 21st.

Shall I start by saying I hope Chris Sabin has a smooth recovery from his latest injury.  Dude, it totally sucks what happened, and I speak from experience when I say it's never easy getting over something like that.  And I don't just mean the injury itself but the irony of the situation.



Gut Check... I still think it's a bad idea so moving on... No wait, I have to say, after seeing that one splash of package on the removal of Joey Ryan, I can't help but wonder if my comments were heard?  I still think the whole Gut Check idea is only a band-aid and not a solution.

The X-Division title.  Austin Aries,  I do love that wrestler and what he's able to do in the ring and on the mic.  I love the fact that he's getting the chance to prove that he's just as wicked as some of the other hefty-bags that are in line for the TNA title, but I don't like the idea that he's willing to give up the X-title that easily.
Even with this new condition he spoke about, giving whomever is holding the X-belt to be able to get an instant pass at the TNA title every year at the Destination X ppv... it just doesn't vibe out for me.
I just can't help but think bad negative on that, my zombie eaten brain just seems to be screaming at me that the most important title in the industry right now will be phased off.  I can't get out the bad negative thoughts that the higher ups are doing their damnedest to phase off and out the whole division.  
I do hope for once my paranoia and general dislike of the world is just messing with me, and all will be fine for TNA and the X-Division.  So, prove me wrong on this please.

With my rant said,  it also makes sense at the moment to fit Mr. Aries into the heavy weight division, as there seems to be not much competition at the moment for him in the X-Division, with Alex Shelley having parted from TNA (I'm still digesting that information and it doesn't go with my coffee) and Chris Sabin having injured himself again... again get well soon dude!

The Bound For Glory series.  It was a good idea, and still is.  Anderson calling out Daniels, very nice, love it when a man comes to the ring with his cocktail in hand... I mean that literally this time, as he had a martini in hand.
The Bound For Glory series is something that puts many of the guys on even ground.  This I like.  It lets some of the guys get a leg up who might not otherwise.

The A.J. Styles and Dixie Carter affair... hate it. Just really hate it. And I'm guessing that the fans just didn't want to buy it.  I think the idea of Styles as anything other then perfect white knight right now is asking a bit much from the fans.
Had this storyline been introduced back when Styles was part of Angle's group few years back along with Karen, yeah it would have been easier to sit through.  But, there are just a few wrestlers that no matter what, just seem better off suited to being the "teen idol" and A. J. Styles is that. 
I don't know, when I hear the name A.J. Styles, I just think Prince Charming in a fairy tale sweetness. I get that's a very tall image to hold up to, but dude, that's the price for being the "Face" of the company for so many years.

I would love to see Robbie E change his style.  Get rid of the gimmick, loose the tan and just wrestle.

Magnus, shut him up please.  Just slap some duct tape on him please.

Have I mentioned how NOT a fan of the Hogans I am in this post?  In case you've missed it,  I have never been a fan of Hogan, and now his daughter is crapping up my screen.  How long will that fly before she dunks the KnockOuts division into the crap?
I've never been very quiet with what I think about women divisions in wrestling in general, but I have to say that when TNA really brought the women's division to the front; few years ago, it was a strong division. And compared to the other company it is still head and shoulders above; but I think in the last year and a half, even TNA's women's division has gotten a bit plugged.  Before they bring in anyone else, they should rethink what they have already.
And as much as I have always adored Eric Young and ODB, I really dislike the idea of them being the KnockOut Champs.  It's just foolish.

Love your Professionally Outraged Wrestling Fan,  Ardeth Blood.

Is Gut Check in TNA a good idea?

So the last few weeks TNA Impact has had a segment called Gut Check  where a new wrestler has a chance to audition live for the crowd and then is judged.   Sounds much like what the other company has been doing in the last few years doesn't it...

Anyways, is this really a good concept?

And I've been questioning this on my personal blog a bit, as I have with many of the items that has been introduced in the last two months.
If you look at it from the idea that now they are a live show for the time being, everything is well LIVE. There is no chance for the editors to package up anyone to make them look better or worse. What you see is fairly well what you will be getting.

So in the plus side.

But it's also an audition.  How many of these guys are too nervous for their own good?  Maybe their gimmicks were rock solid in the  indie companies they came from but how does it stack up against the long standing gimmicks of guys like the grade of TNA?

So in the minus side.

I understand that this is contract time for many of the guys to begin with. And as some of the wrestlers are ending their contracts TNA might also be in a small scramble to replace them.  The pressure might be on and a snap decision also might be made.

So in the minus side.

Then there is Twitter.  By all means, the fans should have a say in who they would like to see. But take it from me {a self titled Professionally Outraged Wrestling Fan, or POWF for short} sometimes we need a second look.  Or third for that matter.   With the whole world on instant now now now mode, is taking a round of tweets for gospel really a good thing?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

So in the minus side.

At the time of this posting, there have been two wrestlers given a pass or ticket with Gut Check, Alex Sliva and Joey Ryan.
Alex Sliva got in,  Joey Ryan did not.

When I watched those episodes, I wasn't very impressed by either men but for very different reasons.

Alex Silva just fell short as far as the match went.  They had him go up against Robbie E and Silva lost.  Look at it from this point of view, Robbie E might have one of the silliest gimmicks going right now, but he's one frealing hell of a wrestler.  He might not be #1 on anyone's list but he's damn sure in the top 7. 
But yet, TNA ended up giving Alex Silva a contract in the end.  I would not have.

Joey Ryan has a gimmick that makes you wonder what the hell the boy was thinking.  But I thought he held up a bit better in the match. And given he was up against Austin Aries, the deck was stacked against him in every corner.  But the judges felt that Joey Ryan wasn't there yet, and might not ever be.
Dude, anyone who can get into the ring with Austin Aries and survive, let alone put in even one or two good moves should have been signed. To quote myself "had this Joey Ryan gone up against someone  a bit less then Aries,  he might have looked impressive."
But yet TNA passed on Joey Ryan.   I would have given him a contract.

So far, the concept of Gut Check hasn't been a positive one from where I am sitting.

Last year however, when there was the X-Division tournament to see who would win the contract, we got to see many of the wrestlers in more then one match.  Of course that worked out to everyone's advantage as it was indeed Austin Aries who came up on top. But then again, there really wasn't a doubt on that one.

-love Ardeth Blood.