TNA Impact: Another episode of 'As Mick Foley Turns'
I can’t believe I am actually typing this sentence, but it sure looks as if Mick Foley is turning heel. Again.
On Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact, Foley was portrayed as insecure and paranoid because he wasn’t given a head’s up about Hulk Hogan joining TNA and TNA president Dixie Carter is not returning his text messages.
It was just a few weeks ago that Foley went babyface after a short stint as a heel during his feud with Abyss. If Foley does indeed turn heel in this story line, it will make the fifth time he has switched sides in his 14-month stint in TNA.
I get it that Foley is supposed to be unpredictable and unstable, but this is ridiculous. At this point, it almost seems like a rib on the audience. If you’re a casual viewer, you have to be totally confused.
Plus, every time Foley turns, it has less impact and weakens his character. It really shocks me that Foley – who has always had a good mind for the business from a creative standpoint – is allowing it to happen.
I think there are too many turns in TNA in general. In recent weeks, Kurt Angle, Team 3D, Daniels, D’Angelo Dinero, Traci Brooks and Jesse Neal have all turned. I don’t know about you, but all those turns have my head spinning.
Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:
TNA spent a week hyping that there would be a taped interview with Sting talking about his potential retirement and Hogan coming to TNA. Mike Tenay mentioned it at the top of the show, saying that the interview “evolved into an unprecedented turn of events.” Wow. I couldn’t wait to see what happened. Unfortunately, nothing did. Sting no-showed it. Talk about a bait and switch. Why go out of your way to tick off your audience? ...
TNA is doing a good job of making the partnership with Hogan come off as a big deal. Having the talent express their thoughts about Hogan in taped segments is a nice touch, and showing comments from Hogan and footage from his book signings also are effective at building anticipation for his imminent arrival. ...
I think I saw A.J. Styles’ nose growing when he was talking about how excited he was about Hogan joining TNA. ...
Kevin Nash told Foley that Hogan is not coming alone. I hope that doesn’t mean that he’s bringing Brutus Beefcake, The Nasty Boys and Jimmy Hart with him. Actually, I wouldn’t mind if “The Mouth of the South” came. ...
Nash bringing up his two-week suspension – which he got for blasting TNA officials backstage and cutting an unscripted promo because he thought the company did not properly take care of Chris Sabin after he suffered a scary-looking injury in the ring – was too much of an inside reference. Vince Russo has never been able to grasp the concept that not every fan reads the Internet. Once again, casual viewers are left confused. ...
The main event, which saw Desmond Wolfe and Daniels defeat Angle and Styles, was really good. Daniels, who scored the winning pin over Styles, is coming off more like a major star than he has at any time in his career. His ability as a worker has never been in question, but his intensity and mic work as of late have also been top notch. ...
So Raven and Dr. Stevie hang Abyss with a cable and TNA cuts to a commercial while he’s being choked out. Unless I missed it, the attack wasn’t mentioned the rest of the show. Was Abyss choked to death? Was he sent to the hospital? It’s pretty inexcusable to leave the audience, um, hanging. ...
Speaking of Abyss, I find him a lot more entertaining as a lovable-but-dangerous monster than when he was a mute monster. Based on what I read on the Internet, I’m in the minority on that one, but I think his former character was too one dimensional and needed to evolve. ...
Dr. Stevie appears to be the leader of the group consisting of him, Raven and Daffney, which I’m happy about. I like Raven, but Stevie is doing the best work of his career, and he shouldn’t be Raven’s lackey anymore. ...
I like Neal’s new look. TNA obviously wanted a dramatic physical transformation, and they succeeded. I do think it could have been accomplished without putting Neal in a sweatshirt and gym shorts when he first came on the scene, however. They could have just had him wear nondescript tights and boots. And if they were going to give him a gimmick haircut when his character changed, they should have had him start out with a normal one. ...
The Sarita-Alissa Flash match was good. Flash is quickly becoming my favorite female wrestler. Having her not show a lot of skin and teasing the crowd that they’re going to see some is a good way to get heat. She needs to do something like that because I think the fans at the Impact Zone want to cheer her. ...
The Hamada-Taylor Wilde match was hard-hitting and entertaining. Hamada also is becoming one of my favorites. The one problem I had with the match was that it was so rushed that the women didn’t have enough time to sufficiently sell all the high-impact moves. ...
I usually find ODB very entertaining, but the “Trash Talking” interview segment she did with Homicide was really bad. That would have never made it on the air if I was in charge. Beyond the fact that it just wasn’t funny, it didn’t make any sense for Homicide (a heel) and ODB (a babyface) to be so friendly with each other. They should have been trading insults. How can you mess up something that basic? ...
A backstage segment with The Beautiful People and Lauren immediately followed the ODB-Homicide disaster and it was almost as bad. Madison Rayne and Lacey Von Erich put on a cringe-worthy performance. ....
I was surprised that Tomko was shown on camera. I figured we wouldn’t see him until it was revealed that he was the mystery man who was attacking Styles. Perhaps he won’t end up being the attacker. Or perhaps the whole thing has already been forgotten. ...
Having a microphone on Don West and listening to him yell instructions to Amazing Red during Red’s match against Scott Steiner was annoying. I also thought it was totally backward how West, Tenay and Taz kept saying that it was unfair that Red had to face Steiner and he was going to end up getting hurt. How weak does that make Red look? Again, how can you mess up something so basic?
Is Big Rob Terry actually going to turn babyface? Why?
Comments
I love the new heel daniels. He's friggin awesome!!!
Why would jesse neal get a hairdo that further accentuates the awkward size of his head?
Main event was awesome. The stevie faction is great. Aside from these gems, TNA still sucks.
Posted by: Andy | November 21, 2009 12:49 AM
"Vince Russo has never been able to grasp the concept that not every fan reads the Internet."
__________________________________
I dare you to say that to him without scissors in your hand.
Posted by: Christopher | November 21, 2009 12:56 AM
I'm also confused as to why Rob Terry is the odd man out in the British Invasion. It looked like Brutus Magnus was going to be the fall guy.
Christopher Daniels intensity on the mike doesn't surprise me. It was the very first thing that struck me about Daniels during his feud with A.J. Styles in 2005 while TNA Impact was airing on Fox Sportsnet. Because the program had relatively low viewership and enough time has passed a Styles-Daniels feud will be fresh in the eyes of many TNA fans.
Posted by: Aaron Goldstein | November 21, 2009 3:09 AM
thanks for the heads up, because tna is shown here on a sat night, i know i dont have to worry about watching this one! u just saved me 2 hours!
Posted by: delliott | November 21, 2009 6:17 AM
As much as I enjoy watching them actually WRESTLE, some of the booking in TNA lately is leaving me shaking my head. It's coming off like they're just making things up as they go along from week to week without having much more than a basic outline of where they want their characters to go.
Some things have been done well, like the interaction between Styles/Daniels/Joe and the introduction of Wolfe and the feud with Angle. But, though they were teasing the Bubba/D-Von turn with the segments with Rhyno the whole end result seems like it was rushed so they could be a heel trio before the PPV. We go from ending one week with Bubba using the chair and looking like he's distraught over it to the next where he's cutting a big heel promo and even running down Hernandez with the green card line.
The Suicide/ODB segment was pointless. The Beautiful People are awful without Angelina Love leading the group and in a perfect world it'd just be her and Velvet Sky. Madison Rayne and LVE are annoying.
Last week we go from Jay Lethal jobbing to an out of shape Anvil to nothing now? Things look interesting with Stevie/Raven/Daffney vs. Abyss/Foley but it's hard to get interested in it when you just know Foley's probably going to turn again.
And, if they're going to turn someone from the World Elite babyface, could Big Rob be any more pointless? I don't know why we're supposed to care.
It's tough, because TNA's wrestling often entertains me more than WWE's. They have good workers and do some entertaining matches and spots. The Machine Guns have a lot of talent and when they work with guys like Lethal it's a lot of fun. Amazing Red is insane in the ring.
It's mainly the storylines that are lacking and with Hogan coming in with "the boys" I don't see them improving any time soon.
Posted by: James | November 21, 2009 12:25 PM
i dont understand the Don West-Red-Steiner thing at all either.West yells at Big Poppa "You should join the X-division if you want to wrestle Red".But nobody i knew has ever said what you have to do to be in the x-division,Its obviously not a weight class,Samoa Joe has been in there.Does it mean you have to do x number of spots in y number of minutes? I just dont get it.
Also Traci Brookes complaining about somebody attacking her physical deformity is also stupid.Hey,Matt Striker will tell you,always work on that compromised body part.
But I really did laugh when traci does that exaggerated deep bow on her entrance,because it looks exactly like what Linda Vaughn,Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Girl,would do at the Drag races back in the enlightened mid-60s.Exactly,like a real-life Deja Vu.Except Linda was a platinum blonde.And she looked a lot less beat-out.
Posted by: Bill | November 21, 2009 1:25 PM
"I don’t know about you, but all those turns have my head spinning."
Kev, I think you should take a vacation. This stuff ain't that complicated. Does the same wrestling dogma have to be applied uniformly forever or else? Loosen up!
TNA seems to be trying much harder than WWE these days so I give them credit for that and for at least keeping things interesting.
WWE is resting on its laurels way too much these days. That bothers me way more! Raw has already dropped off my radar screen, Smackdown is not far behind. ECW is at least holding its own in that things do not stay the same forever. God forbid icons like HHH or Undertaker should leave their comfort zones and try something different!
Posted by: AMC | November 21, 2009 1:58 PM
I think your making too big a deal about all the turns. Dinero and Angle were loved by the fans anyway. Jesse Neal's turn goes along Team 3D's, which has been developing for many weeks. If Mick Foley is turning heel again, though, that would be ridiculous. My take on some of his heelish mannerisms is that was simply him reacting intensely to what happened last week. I'm not really where they are going with Nash/Foley/Hogan seeds they planted, but if its a match I'm not sure that's the best way to showcase each of those guys.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Aside from Foley, I agree that all the turns have made sense. I just think they have happened too close together. Batista turning heel has impact. Now if Batista, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, John Morrison and MVP all turned within a few weeks, would we really care that much about any of them?
Posted by: J Newbs | November 21, 2009 3:29 PM
I dont really have a problem with the switches. Its nice to see Angle as a face again and Daniels as a heel is perfect for what will be a memorable fued between AJ and "The Fallen Angel". Dinero turned because, frankly, the people cheered for him anyway (his WWE background). And Team 3D-Rhino-Jesse Neal faction will make quite a splash. But as for Mick....You said it all Kevin.
Posted by: Ace | November 21, 2009 3:47 PM
I don't understand why you seem to be so critical of TNA when the WWE continues to put out the stalest product each and every week. I'll take the numerous "turns" over any of the idiotic nonsense that Vince crams down the throats of fans week after week. Hornswoggle involved in anything even close to the main event is horrendous booking and just making a mockery of a title program. How's that compare to Mick Foley switching sides every week? Vince is going to offer up something pretty special to ever win me back as a devoted fan, and that just doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. TNA is where it's at as far as I'm concerned.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I'm with you on Hornswoggle and I have written that on several occasions.
Posted by: Mike | November 21, 2009 4:22 PM
Kev love your blog but I'm with ACE and Mike on this one. TNA does tend to turn their wrestlers often but usually its just to set up interesting in-ring match-ups. They have a talented roster and it's nice to see them play different sides of the characters. Mick Foley is the perfect example because his ability to deliver a wide array of emotions is up there with the best of all time. And really throughout his career he's played heel and face 100's of times so why would I "care" any more about one of these?
Posted by: justbill | November 21, 2009 7:20 PM
If wrestling was a shoot then I would have no problem with Mick Foley's 'turns' because they would simply be Mick being who he is, saying what he thinks at any given time.
Unfortunately for Russo, shoots are notoriously boring.
Posted by: Paul | November 22, 2009 2:45 AM
Raven and Richards teaming up in a match is fun to see. Where's Beulah?
Daniels probably hired Tomko as his enforcer, which could be a decent faction.
I doubt Rob Terry is turning face. Can he carry that kind of push at this point in his career? He's probably just getting the Madison Rayne intern treatment.
I'm not looking forward to seeing Lethal wrestle at all for the duration of his legends angle...
Posted by: Another Wrestling Mark | November 22, 2009 12:59 PM
I don't see Rob Terry turning face; more than likely he is being let go. What has he really done to warrant a switch?
Funny how Daniels talked about AJ not pinning him when AJ pinned him after he was attacked back stage a few weeks ago. I would like to see Daniels get a world title reign and not be the jobber to the stars.
TNA, bring back Angelina. I do agree that Flash and Hamada are the best thing going right now in the Knockout division. Will be interested to see what they do with Kong and Tara.
Raven was great as always. Will Mrs. Foley be making an appearance since Raven keeps referencing her?
Posted by: Flair | November 23, 2009 1:42 PM
Kevin, I completely agree with you on the ridiculous number of heel/face turns in TNA. That just compounds their existing problems of booking heels-like-faces and faces-like-heels. It's amazing that the fans in the Impact Zone know when to cheer and when to boo (which is why people are always saying "you can tell they wanted to cheer"). Between that and the even-Steven booking that gets no one over, TNA is stuck in the pre-Monday Night Wars doldrums.
Posted by: Don | November 24, 2009 4:30 PM
Having the talent express their thoughts about Hogan in taped segments is a nice touch, and showing comments from Hogan and footage from his book signings also are effective at building anticipation for his imminent arrival. ...
Anticipation? It's more like dread, or at the very least tension.
I'm hoping TNA will stay decent enough for their Aussie tour here. Don't make light of the Hogan situation! It's scary!
Posted by: Amy | November 25, 2009 9:16 AM