Another slam dunk for MEM on Impact
At the moment, the Main Event Mafia-TNA Originals feud is about as compelling as the longstanding basketball rivalry between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals.
Watching Impact last night, it occurred to me that a victory by a TNA Original over a MEM member would be a bigger upset than if the winless Detroit Lions knocked off the unbeaten Tennessee Titans on Thanksgiving.
I’m guessing the idea with this story line is that the young babyfaces keep losing battles before eventually winning the war. As I have said before, however, will the fans still care when the faces finally prevail?
It’s gotten so bad that the young guys can’t even win in the commercials. I hadn’t paid much attention before, but last night I realized that A.J. Styles jobs to Kurt Angle in the spot for the TNA videogame.
Here’s a brief recap of the latest chapter in this not-so-storied rivalry:
• The show began with the MEM conducting a symbolic burial of Christian Cage’s career in TNA. Rhino then came out to confront them, but was quickly beaten down, bloodied and thrown into a casket. Not one TNA Original came out to make the save, thus completing a literal burial.
• The MEM (not including Sting) attacked Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles after the latter’s victory over The Motor City Machine Guns. Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed came out to help, but they also were quickly laid out. It probably would have made more sense if Lethal and Creed had brought chairs with them, but I guess they’re dumb as well as inept. In the midst of the carnage, Don West said, “This is really hard to watch.” Amen, brother.
• Eric Young’s victory over Sheik Abdul Bashir for the X Division title last week was overturned, so he was given a shot at Booker T.’s TNA Legends title. Booker, of course, proceeded to kick out of Young’s finisher and pin him.
• Angle and Kevin Nash defeated Matt Morgan and Abyss thanks to interference by Beer Money. That makes sense on the surface, but perhaps a better finish would have been Team 3-D thwarting Beer Money’s interference, thus allowing Morgan and Abyss to gain the victory. No TNA Originals were buried here, but it was yet another one in the win column for the bad guys.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
TNA sure is making it seem as if Cage really has left the company for WWE. He may have, but the way TNA loves to swerve everyone (including people in their own company sometimes), I won’t believe it until I see him on a WWE program. …
Oh no, the Feast or Fired briefcases gimmick is coming back. That’s one Thanksgiving tradition that should have gone the way of The Gobbledygooker. For those who don’t remember, it’s like Deal or No Deal except a lot more confusing and a lot less entertaining. Wrestlers compete for briefcases that have contracts in them for title shots, although one case has a termination notice. Why would anyone try to grab a briefcase that could result in them getting fired, you ask? Exactly. …
Speaking of stipulations that don’t make a lot of sense, it was announced that if the TNA Originals defeat the MEM in the eight-man tag main event at the Final Resolution pay-per-view on Dec. 7, Styles becomes the world champion. Why Styles and not Samoa Joe? Has Joe ever received a rematch since getting screwed out of the title? …
What exactly does the TNA Legends title represent? Why would anyone want to win a title that Booker just made up? More importantly, why is the Legends title belt bigger and more impressive-looking than the TNA world title belt? …
The Joe/Styles-MCMG match was good, but it could have been better with some more time. The most interesting aspect of the MEM-TNA Originals feud has been the character development of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. …
Rhino’s “Spirit of ’76” promo in the TNA Originals’ locker room was, uh, spirited, but it was so clichéd that it was hard to take seriously. He talked about being in a wrestling war before and brought up ECW. Is Rhino aware of how that one turned out? …
The first installment of ODB’s talk show was like a Scott Steiner promo – it was so bad that it was good. Did I actually hear Sharmell say “I’ll cut you” to ODB? …
As far as annoying female babyfaces go, Christy Hemme is TNA’s version of Michelle McCool. …
Hermie’s Hotseat? There are no words.
Comments
Hey Kev to answer your question about Joe getting the title shot. I'm not sure but I think that before bound for glory they said that their would be no rematch for the title regardless of who won. I'm not sure but I think thats right.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: You are exactly right. I forgot about that.
Posted by: Martin | November 21, 2008 4:35 PM
wasn't there a stipulation for BFG that there would be no rematch between Joe and Sting?
to me, it makes sense that the MEM should be dominating... but there's got to be a way for them to dominate without making the originals look like idiots... i'm already finding myself rooting for the MEM
Posted by: Jeff Q | November 21, 2008 5:04 PM
Call me stupid , (too easy) but I love MEM , I love watching and listening to Scott Steiner . Since his return from injury and the evolution of MEM , I've had a renewed interest in TNA . I had all but stopped watching it , opting for "Celebrity Rehab" or just about anything else that was on !
One opinion that hasn't changed however is that Samoa Joe s_ _ _s .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | November 21, 2008 8:49 PM
Having an 8 man tag match decide who becomes the World Champ may be the stupidest concept TNA has ever come up with, and thats saying something.
So Samoa Joe can pin Kevin Nash, and AJ Styles would be awarded Sting's title.
Yeah, OK that was well thought out.
Posted by: Elevation | November 21, 2008 11:26 PM
You can tell something isn't going to be good if even Mick Foley can't make it sound entertaining. Hopefully TNA creative will realize how convoluted that match will be after trying to listen to Foley describe the rules.
Also, I thought ODB has one of those "car wreck" segments, but in an entertaining way. I couldn't stop watching it and I was entertained in the end.
One question, though? How many authority figures is too many? Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, Jim Cornette, and Traci Brooks all have some kind of say in what happens in the ring.
Posted by: Chris Slater | November 22, 2008 1:55 AM
I just can't tell if guys like Sting really do want to help elevate the future or if it's all a ploy to prolong the "last call?" I mean Kevin Nash is how old and went over Joe with no plan to do a clean job in return? Now Sting is piling the dirt on Joe and Styles. Yet every interview with Nash/Booker/Sting is "I signed with TNA because they're the future." Only Angle has really backed it up. It's like they all laugh with Russo and count cash together. "So Vince, I really need to go over Joe again so that I can have insane heat for my retirement...err I mean when I put him back over."
Also, this whole treatment reminds me of something that the MVP angle started in my head.....has this plot ever worked? Lance Storm and his intentionally "boring" matches would have to say no from retirement. Maybe TNA can fix it, but it usually leads to "future endeavous" not future success.
Say what you will about Flair, but he laid the blueprint no one ever uses for how to put people over and get his heat back and then some without having to fulfill some ratio of like win twice first then lose once or consider a close win enough of a rub. He'd either blade an artery or cut a Flair promo (you know the kind I mean) and move on.
Posted by: James C | November 22, 2008 3:37 AM
I read a few wrestling blogs such as this and some others and I've come to a conclusion...
I'm the only person who somewhat enjoyed Feast or Fired. Maybe it was because I was JUST getting into TNA and didn't really care about Christopher Daniels. Now that I've seen some past ppvs... I want him to take off the Curry Man mask and get back into the ring!
I'm excited to see what happens because of Feast or Fired
Posted by: White Rabbit | November 22, 2008 4:58 AM
Kaz is reportedly recovering from an injury, and maybe they need that silly fest or fired match to sideline someone to fill the "suicide" gap that Kaz Left.
I'm just wondering: Hernandez can be pushed as a singles wrestler, so Homocide can tag with Suicide! You know what?They can even put a mask on the absent Hector Guerrero and call him "Murderer".
"Team MEM vs Team TNA Originals"
Could have been booked in a much more coherent way. The stipulation could have been "who ever scores the pinfall, gets the title". And immediately after the announcement, the MEM comes out and make an statement. They have decided that who ever gets the pinfall, they will keep Sting as the champion, just because they want to focus on destroy the TNA originals.
That way, Odds are against the Originals, because it seems like they will not find quorum in the team. But at the end, the whole team make a combination of finishers, and then the last one (lets say Joe) make the tag with Styles so he can get the pin, as a show of union.
Or even MEM can steal another one, thanks to Steiner. And then Steiner starts to brag about why Sting has to be Champion, if he didn't even win the match.
And that's how the dawn of MEM begins.
I know, it's not a hell of a script, but I find it much more reasonable than the one TNA is already shooting.
Posted by: Gaston | November 22, 2008 2:23 PM
After painfully sitting through Impact, I now realize that the program is WORSE than WCW in 1999-2000.
Terrible stuff. A monkey could book this company better.
Posted by: WoA | November 22, 2008 4:10 PM
I don't know why but I have a feeling
Sting is eventually going to become the
leader of the originals, maybe its
because he dosn't take part in the
beat downs but I think he is going
to switch down the road and help
the young guys.
Posted by: BRIAN SHEARER | November 24, 2008 7:27 AM
tna sucks wwe is the best wrestling biz period when people think wrestling they do not think tna they think WWE
Posted by: Anonymous | November 26, 2008 7:13 AM