TNA got what it deserved with Scott Hall
I feel sorry for anyone who paid $29.95 for TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view last night.
In what should have come as a shock to no one – except perhaps to the people who run TNA – Scott Hall was a no-show. The advertised main event had been built around Hall and Nash reuniting as partners in a six-man tag match, but mid-card comedy wrestler Eric Young ended up taking Hall’s place in the match.
According to wrestlingobserver.com, Hall called TNA and said that he had food poisoning. Maybe he did. But he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt because the former Wolfpac member has cried wolf too often.
I’ve lost count of how many chances Hall has squandered. Yet despite his track record, TNA still decided to not only do business with him, but to make him a focal point of the pay-per-view.
Nash’s track record isn’t exactly sparkling, either. He has a history of no-showing pay-per-views – especially when he is scheduled to lose – yet those who run TNA keep bringing him back even though he has burned them. How many times can the same people keep getting fooled?
The problems with the direction of the company are glaring, and it bears repeating that the similarities between TNA and WCW in its dying days are many.
It’s ironic that this show was called Turning Point, because I think it was one for TNA. I don’t see how anyone could have any confidence in the product after last night’s debacle. In fact, if anyone paid for this show and feels like they got their money’s worth, I’d love to hear from you.
Not only was Hall a no-show, but TNA also failed to deliver on its Feast or Fired match. Like a lot of TNA matches, the stipulations were nonsensical, but if the company is asking you to pay your hard-earned money to see this nonsense, the least it can do is let it play out to a conclusion on the pay-per-view.
Last night, however, after four wrestlers in the bout retrieved suitcases – there supposedly were contracts for title shots in three of them and a pink slip in the other – TNA told viewers that they would have to watch Impact on Thursday to find out the contents of the suitcases. With that decision alone, TNA made chumps out of everyone who paid for this show.
TNA’s worst move of the night was having Samoa Joe, who was scheduled to team with Hall and Nash in the main event, cut an impassioned “shoot” promo. He ripped the old guys like Hall and Nash who come to TNA for the money and praised the young guys who work hard. From the reports I have read, the crowd couldn’t have cared less about this.
The whole scene was very reminiscent of WCW’s Bash at The Beach show in 2000, when Vince Russo cut a “shoot” promo on Hulk Hogan for “The Hulkster’s” refusal to lose to Jeff Jarrett. I was working for WCW then and was in the crowd that night in Daytona, Fla. I remember the people sitting around me having no idea what was going on. The idea is to entertain people, not confuse them. The insider stuff is lost on casual fans, and without casual fans, the company can’t expand its audience.
Doing “worked shoots” and making backstage politics part of story lines was cutting edge in 1997. By 2000, it already had become passé, but seven years after that, Russo still hasn’t learned. Russo is so in love with swerving the audience that fans don’t know what to believe anymore, and many are past the point of caring.
As bad as it is that Hall was a no-show, it would be even worse if his absence was scripted as part of yet another young guys vs. old stars angle (basically copying Russo’s New Blood vs. Millionaires Club story line in WCW that flopped in 2000).
If the whole thing wasn’t scripted, then TNA got what it deserved for doing business with someone like Hall. And if fans keep paying $29.95 for this product, then they will be getting what they deserve as well.
Comments
The Feast or Fired stipulation that is "to be continued" on the next IMPACT! is beyond the Last Days of WCW, bordering on the Original AWA Turkey Bowl with the part of Jake the Milkman Milliman played by the human floral wallpaper, Eric Young.
We all knew Hall would somehow embarass the legacy he and Nash built, but TNA needs to either build an angle out of this (TNA v Washed up WWE "superstars") or be prepared for the 3rd tier, a mere step up from the Indies
Posted by: Stunning Stewy Smoot TMD | December 3, 2007 7:42 PM
So does anybody know yet if this is a work or not?
Maybe it will end Nash's TNA career also.
Posted by: John | December 3, 2007 7:45 PM
The Pay-Per-View was still better than most PPV's that WWE produces, even their WrestleMania stunk! They learn from their mistakes and I'm sure they'll never bring back Hall ever again. I think it was good for Joe to cut that promo too.
Posted by: Augie | December 4, 2007 3:48 AM
TNA made a huge mistake hiring Hall, but I would have done that too.
There has been several reports that Hall is in better shape now and I've heard that he made several good matches at Puerto Rico. It looked like the guy has really brushed up his act. If I had heard about this and I would need a good old-time superstar, I would consider hiring Hall. However, no one knew that he still turned out to be that guy who he was was couple of years ago.
Posted by: Jesse Ojala | December 4, 2007 4:38 AM
I'm not surprised TNA continues to book matches with stupid stipulations and continues to employ guys who reached their prime a decade ago but it annoys me greatly as there is genuine potential in the company.
Why can't Angle just go into a feud with a homegrown talent like Abyss who has consistently delivered in the ring and gotten over as a heel AND a babyface with minimum speech>
Posted by: Craig | December 4, 2007 8:32 AM
Food Poisoning?? That was the same excuse that Chris Benoit made for no-showing, right? His family had food poisoning? I really hate that I am thinking that there could be a Benoit spoof angle to this. When Russo is involved though, you have to wonder. Whether it was something planned or not, I have a difficult time accepting that this no-show due to food poisoning wasn't a direct reference to the real-life Benoit tragedy.
Posted by: Lee | December 4, 2007 9:07 AM
I have to agree that building a PPV around Scott Hall was pointless. I have to give it to TNA for throwing out the money to him though.
I would have to say that Vince Russo needs to give a call to Paul Heyman and find out if he wants to come to TNA to help them out with some creative stuff for them since obviously they are using the old storylines and gimmicks that were popular in WCW.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Even worse, they are using story lines and gimmicks that weren't popular in WCW.
Posted by: Denis | December 4, 2007 9:17 AM
Okay, so Hall no showed the event and they had to find a last minute substitution. That's no reason to say TNA is doomed. Despite the current situation, TNA pay-per-views usually deliver and leave no one disappointed that they paid $29.95. Unlike WWE pay-per-views, that are now $39.95, and don't carry near the three hours of entertainment TNA does.
Posted by: David | December 4, 2007 9:36 AM
Been wondering what happened to you Kevin! Always enjoyed Ecks Files in WCW Magazine.
Eric Young is a talented worker who earned his spot last night.
From all reports Samoa Joe took a worked shoot and turned it into a full fledged shoot.
Posted by: Justin Myers | December 4, 2007 11:04 AM
everybody wants to be a critic. How in the world would TNA know that Hall would no show. Yes he has done this before but wrestling is a world of 2nd chances. Tna is trying to jump start their stalling ship, but for years people have been saying TNA need to make their own stars. So they push Kaz, Eric Young, Bobby Roode, James Storm and the masses hate it. I say get over it TNA is still entertaining and way better than WWE.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: How would TNA know that Hall would no-show? You answered your own question: he's done it before. Wrestling is about second chances, but Hall is up to about his 22nd chance.
Posted by: Bill Paceley | December 4, 2007 11:30 AM
I can't believe Scott Hall dissed TNA and the fans like that. Well, not that I don't believe it because it was inevitable but that it just happened this early in. In some ways, Scott Hall is like Mike Tyson as in he's been given so many opportunities but screwed them all up. Like Tyson, I have wondered on how far Scott Hall's career would have went without the out of the ring distractions.
Posted by: Will | December 4, 2007 1:08 PM
I live in the UK, thus didnt have to pay for the PPV, however, only got to see it tonight on Bravo2.
I have to say, that Samoa Joes Mic Time wasnt really "impassionate". He looked ticked off.
Same with the fans. There WAS a reaction from what i could see on TV.
Apart from that, you have said the same thing I have said many times before.
Russo isnt cut out for the job, but because Jarrett has the Stroke, then Russo has a job. Jarrett has the Stroke, Nash has a job. Jarrett has the stroke, Hall has a job... see what Im getting at?
Sting is the only wrestler that I know of having a job AGAINST what Jarrett believes is right. Dixie Carter wanted Sting, so Sting got a contract (whether he signs a new one is to be seen).
Sting doesnt No-Show. He has a flurishing track record of coming to PPVs and Tapings and he will Job when asked to. He might have a Part Time contract, but hes getting on a bit and has family.
Joe was right. People like Hall, even though I liked him, need to wake up. That was his last run, and if he is allowed back in TNA after this, then there is something seriously wrong in the Back.
We need Russo out, and a new, fresh writer in there. The roster needs cutting down also. If they insist on keeping Nash, and he is a great talker, so maybe they can, then have him wrestle the odd match.
People like RHINO are getting pushed down in order, with all the "oldies" coming in. Booker is a great signing for TNA. The womens division is a complete failure. No one wants that, and its taking up valueable space on TV.
In the real world. Kong would kill everyone.
And STOP with the AJ Styles non-sense! He needs the biggest push, instead of being the "dumb follower" of Christian!
Posted by: Mark | December 5, 2007 10:48 PM
I live in the uk and and a big TNA fan and i think tna will one day be bigger than the WWE, if they start using the stars they have got in the right way i mean, when was the last time AJ styles did something apart from been up cages ass. he as the abblities to be the best in the world, some of his moves from the past show as left me gob smacked, but as of late he seems to have stoped doing risky moves as often maybe its cos he turned heal or cos of the writers i dunno. but they need him to step up once again and others and show the world what he can do, i went to see a 1pw show at doncaster in the uk and AJ & Cage turned up and he did more then than he as done in the past few months it was amazing.
And as for nash ( i have seen a shoot interview with Jim cornet on twc fight in uk saying that nash is basicly the worst so called super star he as ever seen he said i mean come on the guys only knows 4 moves and he a jackass. and as for scott hall they should never had hired him in the first place all the stars they have and the give that nob a job fire them all its time Russo got fired too how many companys does he want to wreck.
or i almost forgot the ladder match between cage & kaz was better than the ladder match that made cage in the wwe we want more of that and less of the over the hillers
nuff-sed
long live TNA
Posted by: DOTCOM1 | December 9, 2007 12:01 PM