The star of TNA Impact was ... Eric Young
I think TNA is onto something with Eric Young as a heel. On Thursday’s episode of Impact, he cut a good promo on Jeff Jarrett that left me looking forward to a feud between these two.
Young’s work in the ring has never been in question, but – and perhaps I’m in the minority on this – I found very little entertainment value in the goofy babyface character that he played. When I saw him show a more serious side on Danny Bonaduce’s radio show for the angle that set up their match at the Lockdown pay-per-view a couple months ago, it became apparent that Young had more to offer than just comic relief.
That’s actually the basis for Young’s turn, and TNA did a nice job of illustrating Young’s point by showing clips of some of the ridiculous situations he has been involved in over the years. To really get some heat on Young and build him up for his program with Jarrett, he now needs to attack a babyface and deliver a vicious beat-down.
Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:
The only problem I had with Young’s promo is that Jarrett’s three young daughters were referenced – again. It wasn’t done in a disrespectful manner, but enough already. We get it that Jarrett is a single father with three adorable kids, but does that mean that every heel that feuds with Jarrett from this point forward is required to mention it? ...
Daffney’s dark, psychotic character is great. She has much more of an edge now than when she was doing the “screamer” gimmick that was pretty much played for laughs. Her Lobotomy finishing maneuver on Taylor Wilde was cool. ...
Don West had the line of the night during the Daffney-Wilde match: “Taylor Wilde is the kind of woman you take home to meet your mother, then you sneak out and go hook up with Daffney.” Then when Mike Tenay said, “Where does that leave Awesome Kong?’ West replied, “Hopefully at your house.” ...
The backstage segment with Mick Foley, Kip James and Kevin Nash was pretty funny. After James begged for a job, Foley told him that money was tight. Then when Nash came in after James left and said that he wasn’t going to wrestle Joe in the cage unless his payoff was four times more than usual, Foley happily signed off on it. ...
Victoria is now being referred to as Tara. Why doesn’t TNA just just use her real name – Lisa Marie Varon? I was hoping she would get an opportunity to cut a promo on this episode to establish her character and explain why she’s in TNA. ...
What was with the wrestling attire (baggy gray shirt and gym shorts) on newcomer Jesse Neal? It’s hard to take him seriously when he looks as if he just got out of one of his training sessions with Rhino. By the way, Rhino looked angry at ringside when Neal lost to Matt Morgan. Tension between teacher and student already. Only in TNA. ...
During an interview with Lethal Consequences and The Motor City Machine Guns, Consequences Creed said that “we created the X Division.” I think he should have said “they created the X Division.” ...
I’m a bit unclear as to why Lethal Consequences is still attacking Suicide. You mean they really dislike him more than they dislike the Guns? ...
Watching the video of ODB training Cody Deaner made me long for the good old days of ODB’s Angle. ...
Why are Rocco and Sally Boy still wearing their Main Event Mafia security shirts?
Comments
All amazing points. You're missing one tho, line of the night, re: Foley and his title defenses yearly vs monthly: "It's a World Title, not a menstrual cycle."
Posted by: Ultimate Niche | June 5, 2009 6:23 PM
Don't worry Kevin, I think the only people who found entertainment in Eric Young's goofy persona was TNA creative.
Posted by: Starman | June 5, 2009 6:45 PM
I haven't seen the airing yet , but in response to your comment re: Don West , I've got to admit I've been a closet Don West fan ( no comments from the peanut gallery ! ) . Over the years I've always liked the TNA/WCW announcers over the WWE . But then I don't really like WWE anyway .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | June 5, 2009 8:07 PM
The Don West Daffney/Taylor Wilde/Awesome Kong comment was one of the funniest I have heard in a while!
I can accept campy, cheesy, wrestling humor but Cody Deaner brings nothing to the table. I enjoyed the old ODB
Rhyno and what's his name probably will start fueding next week.
Posted by: Micheal Deff | June 6, 2009 8:46 AM
I am glad to see that Eric is gonna be given a chance i thought after he stepped up a few years ago in the Scott hall debacle he would get his chance. I hated the ending to the Joe/nash match thought that Joe should have choked nash out not just hit him with a stick and win.
Posted by: frank | June 6, 2009 10:40 AM
Done West has gone from being an annoyance to being one of TNA's most entertaining characters.
I'd love to know if anyone else here thinks Daffney is super hot (albeit in an unconventional way for pro wrestling). I want to marry her, and she doesn't even know where she is right now.
Posted by: Andy | June 6, 2009 11:24 AM
Ah! the vicious beatdown... the blind rage driven destruction of one's adversary... No tables, chairs, guitars, poles, coal-miners gloves... no half-thawed turkeys...
The beatdown: five solid minutes of manhandling an unconscious opponent, pillar to post; His face a crimson masque of blood. Mayhem in its basic form.
The beatdown: Medical staff coming in to attend to the hapless victim as his adversary paces the ring, calling in a stretcher...then dumping him off the stretcher onto the cold concrete floor, awaiting the punctuation of having said stretcher, a vessel of mercy, used as a foreign object in the final humiliation of the vicious beatdown.
The subtle irony of the moment.
Posted by: Bring back the WWWF | June 6, 2009 12:34 PM
I think Rhino was just disappointed that Jesse wasn't fighting anywhere near his full potential. Neal will probably lose a few more times, and Rhino will keep pushing him to the breaking point until he snaps and turns into a wrestling machine. Slow build for this storyline.
The Matt Morgan/Sting interview segment was good. Morgan is sometimes underrated in his entertainment value. I bet the WWE wishes he was still under contract. Why did they release him? Same for Brent Albright (AKA Gunner Scott).
I'm not so fond of the British Invasion working with Bashir and Kyoshi. It becomes crowded when you have seven or more people on screen at once.
Joe vs. Nash was very good. TNA needs to stop interrupting their main events with commercial breaks because it really killed the match's momentum.
Overall, the show was good and progressed well. It didn't seem quite as crammed in as it did last week.
Eric Young stepped up in a big way.
Posted by: Another Wrestling Mark | June 6, 2009 9:12 PM
Daffney rules! She is a versatile character and wrestler.
I am still hoping Paul E gets signed to advance an ECW fued where Paul E picks a side based on the ECW crew, and the 2 ECW units battle with the MEM and the Originals for TNA. I don't believe there has been a case where more than 2 factions were battling for a company.
Posted by: Flair | June 6, 2009 11:02 PM
I agree 100% Eric Young has more to offer than slips on pyro and that goofy grin when prompted. It's too bad that Jarrett will have to be the one to put him over. I mean Joe is doing his "Nation of Silence" shtick which has put him against who??? Nash?? C'mon.
AJ is holding on to a worthless title because it's obvious they just aren't enough titles in TNA to pacify everyone.
I can see a formation of Daffney, Raven, & Richards looming in the not so distant future against Abyss, Lauren, and ?? Tazz ??
What's up with Don West? First he's a straight commentator, then a drunk, now comic relief ?? Maybe the real laugh is his "Insane Deals" on the TNA website. Just call the damn match because Tenay can't do it alone.
Kip James begging Foley for work. Funny. Nash should be begging Dixie Carter for another year because it's almost over.
Victoria was by far the most underrated "Diva" the WWE had. Can you say Title within 30 days?
Jesse Neal should be ashamed of himself. Not that he has Rhino in his corner, or even the fact his family watched his first loss in TNA. He should be ashamed coming to the ring with a haircut that looks like something The Road Warriors had in 1987, and that garb he had on calling it "Ring Attire". We "get" he is in "training" but damn he looked worse than a sack of rotting potato's in that get-up.
Eric Young's first beat down should occur on Cody Beaner..I mean Deaner. Didn't we already see a version of this when Steve Keirn was Skinner????
Take it easy.
Posted by: Prime Time Bobby Lee | June 8, 2009 2:07 PM
I loved when Don West said that line about awesome Kong and also when Foley said "it's the world championship not a menstrual cycle". LMAO!
Daffney is absolutely my favorite character in women's wrestling right now. I love how she's completely out of her mind...my kind of person lol. I don't know about everyone else, but I think the Knockout's have far more entertaining personas than any of the WWE Divas. From a woman's point of view, I think TNA women's wrestling is far better...maybe because they actually allow their female wrestlers to show a personality...
Posted by: Orangana | June 8, 2009 5:33 PM
How good was Daffney's finisher? Just amazing.
They might want to get her over as a heel, but i don't think it'll happen because she's going to be too popular.
She has a great look (a look which is different and far more natural than almost all other female workers), works stiff (or at least looks it) which makes it look more realistic, and her gimmick is pretty cool.
Posted by: John | June 8, 2009 6:04 PM