Officially turned my opinion. This company is F***ED.

TNA is quickly turning into a train wreck. Kevin - What do you think would happen if some of the younger TNA guys would go back to ROH or even CZW and make them into legitimate competition for WWE & TNA?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Don't see that happening.

I agree completely, Kev. Hogan and Bischoff keep telling us about turning TNA around but they keep doing angles the made WCW flame-out so fast . I don't know why they are keeping Russo around or if their animosity towards each other is a work but I do know the creative team is doing horrible stuff. It isn't even entertaining to me. The only thing they have done right is bring in Mr.Anderso, and I only say the because I think he is pretty entertaining on the mic. And where is Jeff Hardy? he had this big entrance on "The Big Night" and then nothing. No mention of him or anything. I think it would be funny if he went back to the WWE.

I don't know if giving Russo the axe would improve anything but I think they should. If they have to have Dixie take Paul Heyman or Jim Cornette to a hotel and get then to sign a contract then i think they should. However, if they do we do not need to have Heyman or Cornette talk about how Bischoff screwed them. We have heard it before now give us something new.

I am thoroughly disappointed with how this turned out...I guess I shouldn't be considering the people who go down in history as screwing up something so good so badly are the same people I expected to give me "Monday Night Wars II".I will now light myself on fire.

i will never watch TNA again

TNA has no chance at competing with WWE. Which is a shame because WWE lacks creative, fresh ideas as well in my opinion. I am begging either organization, to please, please give me something fresh and new!

Kevin,

I completely agree with you about this week's episode of Impact. What a joke! When Angle was threatening to go back to WWE I was hoping he was serious. Guys like Angle, Styles, Dinero, Morgan etc. are wasted on the morons running TNA right now. If I wanted to watch a bunch of overweight octogenarians fight it out on television I would tune into C-Span. And Brian Knobs face was so red at first I thought he was wearing the proverbial "crimson mask." Maybe he got into Foley's ketchup. Good thing he doesn't wear red trunks or he'd look like a radish. Well, there goes my Thursday nights. Looks like I picked a bad time to stop drinking.

You hit the nail on the head, Eck. Dixie Carter is going to regret bringing in Hogan (and the rest of his cronies/ Hulkamania tour buddies) really soon,
if she hasn't already done so.

They pretty much cost themselves Awesome Kong for standing up to another one of Hogans' friends, (refuse to say his name; he's gotten enough pub here recently) as it seems she has turned in her notice.

Seeing retreads that can't wrestle just isn't what the pre-Hogan TNA fan wanted. Orlando Jordan; Ken Anderson; Nasty Boys; Sean Morley; The Band?

Next thing you'll see is some type of Invasion angle. Or Hogan putting himself over as he starts kicking those guys out, because in the end, Hogan thinks the only way TNA can be good is by having himself as the top Face.

SPOT on analysis on Impact!!!

Let me clarify my "Ravens suck statement". I am a Pittsburgh fan. I hate the Ravens because they are a competitive, talented, ultra physical team who you know you are going to get a tough matchup out of no matter what.

I hate them like I hated Ric Flair when I was young because he was the bad guy and very good.

Conversely, I hate the Patriots like I hate Syxx/X-Pac. Just go away hate...

In fact this Steelers fan and 3 others rooted for the Ravens (well, didn't root against them) vs New England in the Wild card).

But Eck I would rather lose 1000 Comments of the Week than suppress my Raven Hatred!

Keep up the great work.
Eck's Army

Normally I'd say you come off as a bitter WWE mark. But in this case I can't disagree with a single thing you wrote. I go back to the WCW rise and fall cd: how do people who've never drawn a dime (like Jarrett) get into positions of power? Not to mention failed bookers like Russo and Bischoff. D Carter should be embarrassed. Any idiot with a brain can see that TNA's only chance of success is to be known as the Anti WWE. More wrestling less "entertainment". Draw the hardcore oldschool wrestling fan. To do a lame WWE rip off is suicide. And that's the bottom line cause Jim Cornette said so! And where's my Damn burgers Dairy Queen Woman!!!??

Recycling the Montreal Screwjob is not change we can believe in. Who is TNA's answer to Scott Brown?

So let me get this straight, Hogan comes to TNA to bring them to a level where they can compete with WWE. So he wants TNA to set itself apart from WWE. Which means taking the biggest thing that set them apart (six-sided ring) and making it a traditional 4 sided ring like WWE has? Then they re-hash a tired storyline from over a decade ago that WWE did! How is this gonna help them? How is bringing in two overweight has-beens, a fat alcoholic, and a crap shock-jock gonna give them ratings? TNA is worse for bringing in Hogan, last night’s show was garbage. TNA is making it really hard for me to continue to give a crap about their ever degrading product.

So, the first time I decide to give TNA a chance I get to see a direct rip off of an old storyline that the WWE is bringing back for some silly reason; the return of the Nasty Boyz, Scott Hall and Sixx/X-Pac/1-2-3 Kidd coming back, and a screwed up Foley/Bicshoff feud that you know will end up with Foley coming back and saying he never touched Eric.

The WWE is looking for a lot of young talent to help keep them fresh and I dislike a lot of what is being offered. Seems like an opportunity for some of those guys from TNA to get a shot in ECW while Hogan brings in horrible old guys and never-weres to wrestle in TNA.

This was the wrong direction for TNA.

Kevin,

So you were not entertained I gather?

Do not fret. James Roday and Dule Hill will be hosting Raw next week!

Now that's entertainment!

It was a horrible scene thursday the only good thing about that episode was watching Angelina return but thats not even the same without her TBP music, Mr A was good on the MIc but was wishing he got the BHS. I am wondering though was was the rest of W/E and why is EY now such a chump he was originally hated all Americans for disrespecting him now he respects Flair respects the band.

One thing TNA had was die hard fans that had been there for years. Being one who has watched it for years I now find myself cringing as I watch Impact wishing that TNA would give the fans what they want: young wrestlers. The last few ppv of last year were awesome. How hard is it to read the signs the crowd has and hear their chants. Yes, we really do want
Beer Money, MCMG, Samoa Joe etc not washed up, old guys like they are forcing on us

For someone who has been a wrestling fan now for 24 years - I think I have hit rock bottom. Neither WWE or TNA offer any compelling reason to stick around...to the next episode.

I am done with TNA for a while until they can get their act together...

I turned the channel when Jordan beat The Pope. No plans to watch TNA again until the all the newcomers that Hogan brought with him leave TNA

TNA jumped the shark.

Its a shame, just a few weeks ago, they had one of the best episodes ever... (new years eve)

I keep thinking all this stuff is an angle (four-sided ring, Nasty Boys, BTLS, The Band, crap crap and more crap). I mean, everyone kept dreading before Hogan came to TNA that all this was going to happen, and now it is. All of it. Exactly what people were expecting and more.

I mean, it's almost so over the top that it all seems like a work - "The die-hard TNA fans are expecting Hogan and his buddies to screw up TNA, so let's run with that." Why? I'm thinking it's so they can set up whoever "saves" TNA as the "heroes" at the end of this.

I keep hoping that they're doing all of this to create controversy, and hoping - HOPING - that at some point in the "story line" someone steps up (Foley? Jarrett? Sting? TNA originals?) and says "ENOUGH!" and fights back against all this and TNA returns to the roll they were on prior to Jan. 4th. I'd be down with that. Hogan, Bishoff and the rest are generating so much heat right now it's off the charts - the fans would be out of their minds for anyone who fights back against all this.

I mean, it just seems so over the top bad right now that I think it's intentional. If this is a storyline, I just hope it starts to swing before TNA loses too many viewers.

If this isn't a storyline, wow....God help TNA.

When have the Nasty Boys ever been in shape? I found their match enjoyable. I think TNA has a good mix of young, old, and prime time wrestlers.

I'm not fully behind the Band gimmick yet, but I don't hate it either. I'm interested in seeing what they do with it.

The Montreal Screwjob rip off had me laughing since I think it's obvious they were making fun of WWE for bringing Bret in to rehash it.

Also, I don't understand why you hate Orlando Jordan so much... because Vince McMahon didn't like him?

There's too much going on right now to do a good job pushing Matt Morgan and Supermex as a singles wrestlers. TNA is doing the right thing by putting them together and making them an instoppable tag team. In a few months, they'll probably implode and have a good PPV match between them. After that, they'll probably be pushed as singles wrestlers -- with one being a face and the other a heel.

Before Hogan, TNA was getting a little stale. Now there is a bunch to talk about, a lot of promising wrestlers have been brought in, and a few old timers as well. I know that wrestling fans love to complain, but calm down people -- TNA is headed in the right direction.

Kevin , the program may not have been very entertaining , but your review of it sure was .

I couldn't agree more with John.......TNA is a trainwreck. I started watching it because of the young, new talent, the "total non-stop action", and the 6-sided ring added a new concept and interest in watching. Now, the only thing lacking is a Tony Schiavone resurrection.

All of those "minds" at TNA and none of them can come up with any new ideas! Dixie Carter, whatever you paid for it, you got ripped off.

As one who has been hoping TNA would provide an alternative to the stale WWE product, even I am disappointed with the direction they are taking.
Hogan is trying to play the role of a face, but is drawing the most heat from the fans for his bone-headed decisions. They hate the guy already and would likely cheer if Flair would kick his butt around the ring. I'm sure his ego won't allow him to switch gears at this point, and his leadership and Russo's lame angles will sink TNA in a hurry.
I honestly thought Hogan was throwing the Nasty Boyz a bone bringing them in for one last hurrah, maybe to job to the Dudleys.
One must somewhat suspend reality to totally enjoy pro wrestling, but there still needs to be some degree of believability for it to succeed. No one believes that the Nasty Boyz could actually beat anyone, except maybe the Buschwackers if they are still active. After all their years in wrestling, I can't fathom that Hogan and Russo don't understand that simple premise. Putting the Nasty Boyz over is an insult to wrestling fans.
Meanwhile, the guys who can really entertain in the ring like the Motor City Machine Guns, Generation Me, Amazing Red, Daniels, Brian Kendrick are all being buried.
As for your Cactus Jack question, Kevin, I believe it was a reference to Tony Schiavone's on-air comments on WCW the night Foley won the WWE championship. Since WWE had been taped, Bischoff knew about the title change and tried to steal their thunder by telling his announcers to talk about it live on WCW. Schiavone went beyond stealing WWE's thunder, he made fun of it by saying that there was no use changing the channel to see the nobody who wrestled in WCW as Cactus Jack (his pre-Mankind persona) win a championship, belittling Foley in the process. I don't think Foley thought highly of Schiavonne or Bischoff after that low blow.
Anyway, curiousity may keep me tuning in to TNA, as it did with WCW, but it is no longer excitement or interest drawing me to watch.

OOOh..Kev..that was nasty..and I don't mean Nasty Boys...I thought Sags had one of his vertabrae crushed during a match and was actually incapable of wrestling anymore - that was the only bright spot for me that he was ok - the part of them being a legit tag - um no way - when they were in WCW against Harlem Heat 15 years ago they were considered an "old tag team" but this is ridiculous - I could see them as a role backstage teaching like Finley did within the WWE - but not like this...
Angle & Styles work well together so there is no need for a screwjob..Styles beat Angle on the big Monday show as it was, he didn't need to do that...no motivation.. I think they need to use the old vets sparingly..use them like how the WWe uses the younger talent..as undercards ..not main eventers ..Jeff Hardy should be challening Daniels & Suicide / Mr Anderson should be wrestling guys like Sting or he should be aligned with Flair & Styles as a new horsemen stable ..it was painful to watch this go down last night...Kev..as someone who was there in WCW ..and I value your opinion because of that ..please I'm beggin ya' ..what suggestions would you have for this TNA ?

Orlando Jordan? Who the bloody hell is Orlando Jordan?

Who did Brutus Beefcake screw over to not be a part of the friends of Hogan gravy train at TNA?

Kev,
On many occasions i would condone TNA's PITIFUL excuse of a wrestling program because i like the company. But its over. I am absolutley LIVID after that. First of all, i heard Angle say "i will go back to the WWE i f***in swear," and i hope he does because hes the only thing i like about TNA. I need a reason to stop tuning into the Thursday Night Frights for Christ Sake!. I was sickened by "The Band", the Nasty Fata$$ Boys and the waste of guys like Morgan and Hernandez and Pope. The only way i will watch is if Hogan goes. I mean, a show without Wolfe, or Daniels or the Young Bucks some of the best assets in your company? And your replacing them with Orlando Jordan and Bubba the Love Sponge? C'maahhn Russo. Long ago i gave up on the WWE because i was tired of the predictability, but i feel like i can see where TNA is already going, THE CRAPPER! Tonight, for the first time in 5 years, Ace Andrews returns to watching the WWE. Lets hope im entertained, because if this hell is what im givin Hulk, Dixie, And Russo, I will give Vince McMhahon WORSE then hell.

This was the first time I actually cringe watching wrestling. Hogan is a bad idea. BIshoff makes it worst. And I am already missing the six-sided ring. I think that idea was from Jakks Pacific so they wouldn't thave to make a new rings. now they can just repackage all their old WWE ones.

Everything I hoped I wouldn't see is coming to pass in TNA since Hogan's arrival.

You pretty much covered it. We got:

* stupid clips from the BTLS show of him harassing Jarrett, storyline or not. Great thing to play so soon after his Haiti comments, and along with Kia Stevens reportedly leaving the company I think we can see who TNA is casting their lot with.

* Orlando Jordan defeating the Pope, someone who was coming off a couple great matches with Desmond "Roofie." Oh, they sold Pope's knee being weak but still.

* The Nasty Boys beating Young and Nash, and like you said, Young doing the job. The Nasty Boys can barely move and maybe the win was just to set up them being overconfident backstage before the Dudley attack, but still (again).

* More stuff with Hall and Waltman, though Hogan is playing up the "get out of here" stuff right now. I don't expect that to last.

* Maybe worst of all, the completely ridiculous rehash of the Montreal Screwjob, complete with having Angle reference going back to Vince and the WWE. Come ON. Do they really have nothing better to do?

Add in Morley beating Daniels at the PPV, too.

For people who have watched wrestling for a long time, this is old and tired crap. What makes it even worse is the majority of the talent TNA that had been there got pretty much no airtime whatsoever and many of those who did came out on the short end of things.

The worst part of all might just be TNA's ridiculous trend toward not just five-minute segments (if that) with no more than an interview or a recap of some prior situation between commercial breaks, but on top of that 5-10 second teasers of people backstage or matches between yet more commercial breaks. I hated when WCW would do segments without wrestling but this teaser stuff is the worst. I didn't track how much actual wrestling there was last night but the percentage is closing in on how much action there really is in a normal NFL game when you factor in all the time between each play.

I'm not liking TNA's new direction one bit and I'm giving them until the end of February to show me this is either just an initial set of angles leading into more sensible stuff down the line or the way things are really going to go. If it's the latter, they're losing me, and I wanted them to succeed.

This may be what a lot of viewers want, but it's not what this viewer wants. Thanks, Dixie Carter. Thanks for selling out to Hogan. At this rate they'll be done before the end of the year.

Elevation:

If Brother Brutai stops wearing those Ed Hardy shirts, maybe they'll give him a call.

Well, I thought the opening with Flair showed some promise, but not for long. Remaking AJ into "Flair 2.0" isn't resonating with me. But the great talent TNA has (which made me watch it in the first place, and for which I think it's the superior product on TV today, is jobbing to has bens and never weres? I don't care if it is storyline, IT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG! And Angle saying "I'm going back to the WWE!" Sheesh, man, I don't blame you, and I don't even like WWE.

I was one of the people giving Hogan a chance. He pretty much destroyed my expectations. The only good he has done is bring in Flair and Jeff Hardy. That's it. Hogan said that he will pack his bags and leave if the crowd booed him out of the building. They did and he DIDN'T. I am glad the fans let him have it, really glad. These story lines are so sad. I was a fan of WCW but these rehashing is horrible. Dixie Carter seriously is just letting Hogan do whatever he wants for the year of his contract. That's it. I think she may think some things should change but the fact is that she won't due to the contract. So let's not watch TNA until next year lol

"When have the Nasty Boys ever been in shape? I found their match enjoyable. I think TNA has a good mix of young, old, and prime time wrestlers.

I'm not fully behind the Band gimmick yet, but I don't hate it either. I'm interested in seeing what they do with it.

The Montreal Screwjob rip off had me laughing since I think it's obvious they were making fun of WWE for bringing Bret in to rehash it.

Also, I don't understand why you hate Orlando Jordan so much... because Vince McMahon didn't like him?

There's too much going on right now to do a good job pushing Matt Morgan and Supermex as a singles wrestlers. TNA is doing the right thing by putting them together and making them an instoppable tag team. In a few months, they'll probably implode and have a good PPV match between them. After that, they'll probably be pushed as singles wrestlers -- with one being a face and the other a heel.

Before Hogan, TNA was getting a little stale. Now there is a bunch to talk about, a lot of promising wrestlers have been brought in, and a few old timers as well. I know that wrestling fans love to complain, but calm down people -- TNA is headed in the right direction.

Posted by: Ondi Lundgren | January 22, 2010 8:26 PM"

... DIXIE CARTER is that you? It has to be, there's no way it can't be ...

And yet despite all those problems you listed TNA is still delivering a more entertaining product than wwe. All the nightmares maybe coming true about Hogan's involvement in TNA but I'm enjoying it. It's shame that nobody from either company has a creative bone in their body but this TNA trainwreck is worth watching.

Kevin, you're totally right about Styles' motivation for the heel turn. It would have been better had he come out and said, he's been the face of TNA for 7 years and he's BETTER than TNA and all the fans and "it's not about the fans, it's about me!" acknowledging that he has received success in TNA with the fans on his side, but his success is so great now that he doesn't need the fans anymore. Far more effective heel turn then in my opinion.

This "disrespect card" played by Styles combined with him using the "limousine riding'..." catch phrase has made him look a little second rate and has certainly watered down the interest I had in the heel Styles coming out of Genesis.

"how do people who've never drawn a dime (like Jarrett) get into positions of power?"

They co-start a company and become a vice president with partial ownership.

Okay, so Hogan keeps saying that everyone has to step up and earn their spot in the new TNA. Which, apparently, applies to everyone except his cronies.

There were so many disappointing things about Thursday night, but I'll stick to one that hasn't been mentioned much yet. Most of TNA's young stars were conspicuous by their absence -- presumably crowded out of the program to give time to BTLS and the rest of the Hogan cronies. The MCMG's, Generation Me, just about the entire X-Division, Daniels, Beer Money, Desmond Wolfe, Samoa Joe, and every Knockout not involved in the BP angle.

TNA did a lot wrong in the pre-Hogan era, but it did some things right -- and the Hulkster seems intent on abandoning all of it. Things look very bleak for TNA.

Why does Hogan keep saying that the company is in shambles or some trash like that? He buries the company that he is trying to sell to the fans......or Vince McMahon.

So when is Billy Gunn going to have a singles match against the Red Rooster? That would be the icing on the porta potty that TNA has become.

And if they are going to bring in someone from WWE that has not wrestled in awhile, why not Mark Copani. At least he had talent. More than Morely, Nastys, and Orlando Jordan combined.

What happened to Jeff Hardy and Homicide angle that was started......oh yeah.....forgot....that would be a good angle. Forgive me.....brother.

I thought things were bad when we just had to put up with the Nasty Boys backstage idiocy but now we're supposed to watch them wrestle? What an insult, both to the fans and the rest of the roster. Sadly I think it's only a matter of time before Hogan manages to make them tag champs.

enough with the 6 sided ring gripes, if you honestly liked TNA because their ring had 6 sides you don't need to even watch wrestling on TV to entertain yourself. You can just flip the light switch on & off for 2 hours.

I think TNA has kinda painted itself into a corner. Half the fans are fed up with what they feel is a terrible new direction Hogan is taking the company. The other half have figured out this is all a storyline, and are bored already. What made the NWO storyline work so well was the total shock in Hogan turning heel. He had become the biggest face the business had EVER seen, and his turn made the audience buy into it emotionally. Its evident by the response in the Impact Zone that the fans don't like the new TNA. It would take a swerve like no other to get the fans excited again. If they have Sting repel down and save the day, I will be greatly disappointed. The thing is, so many people in TNA have turned so many times, it wouldn't shock anyone if someone did at this point. Seems like they went all in with this idea, and they may not be able to recover from it. Unfortunately, the end of TNA as a viable option to WWE may be closer than we think!

Having heard Desmond Wolfe's promos and read about his awesome pay-per-view matches, I thought to myself: "WWE must wish that they hadn't let him get away." Now, I wonder if Wolfe wishes that he had passed their physical. He wasn't even on the show? I don't care to watch Impact again until the right people are back in the spotlight.

Kev,

I think I just crossed the line back to WWE. That had to be the worst Impact I have seen. I can only hope I was Bobby Ewing and I will wake up from my dream.... Keep up the great work.

This was a horrible episode. The thought did cross my mind that all of this is an elaborate storyline to enhance the young guys when they force everything back the way it was, six-sided ring and all. I think Hogan's ego is too big for that, though.

The funniest thing about the new setup us the "ramp" (or lack thereof) to the ring. They must have realized that all these old guys can't keep going up and down the stairs. They need to be able to roll their wheelchairs right up to the ropes and fall into the ring. The next thing you know, there will be a set of removable ropes so the "legends" don't need to step through the ropes at all.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! How and the hell do you take a company that was starting to REALLY bring it with Morgan,Styles,Daniels,Hernandez,Young, et al and do this to us. Damn Kev it seems you are right I wanted sooo much for some kind of small return to the days when we had GA,FLA,TX,AWA, all kinds of shows. Sure most of it sucked but when it hit it hit big,but mainly it was choice. Cripes,these guys better have one hell of a comeuppance show for these ridiculous angles or Dixie better find a way to sell her utilities for a hell of a lot higher price. I think I'm going to puke. Flair,Styles has promise,the F' N fat a---- geezer crews of Knobbs,Hall,and Drugpak,RIP,these a-----!,need to disappear or grow a pair. DAMN,DAMN,DAMN! This so blows.

I thought the same thing when I saw this. When Holgan and the others got involved it was the beginning of the end. It is a shame at the WWE is so predictable as you know how each match is going to turn out. They need competition and they won't have it for much longer now.

An Ode to Dixie Carter:

I was gonna make money,
but then I got Hulk.
I was gonna be successful and rich,
but then I got Hulk.
Now my company's all f'ed up and I know why... because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk.

I was gonna challenge Vince,
but then I got Hulk.
I was gonna give viewers a choice,
but then I got Hulk.
Now my ratings suck a fatty and I know why... because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk.

I was gonna give talent a chance,
but then I got Hulk.
I was gonna reward hard work and effort,
but then I got Hulk.
Now the Nasty Boys are going over and I know why... because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk.

I was gonna last the decade,
but then I got Hulk.
I was gonna make it all the way,
but then I got Hulk,
Now my fed is going to end like Turner's and I know why... because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk, because I got Hulk.

A few years ago, when they had the ECW One Night Stand, a fan had a sign that said, "If Cena Wins, We Riot!".

There needs to be a few fans with signs saying, "If Hogan/Bubba/etc. stay, we don't watch TNA!" If Kong is leaving, I hope she goes to ROH and turns that company into the number 2 company. TNA has become a sinking ship and ROH can only get better with time and talent.

I was thinking the same thing as JD. I watched Genesis and right off the bat was pissed to see the 4 sided ring. I could hear from the chants from the fans in the audience that I wasn't alone. worst TNA PPV ever.

Impact wasn't much better but as the night progressed I started to feel like maybe there was another plot. First with Mick Foley forcing his way back in, then with team 3D cracking those 2 fat has-beans over the head with chairs. Also the Jeff Jarrett phone calls and his hate for Hogan and talking about the fans and how they feel.

Yes the screw job was nothing new but it did put Angle against Hogan. I'd much rather see Angle vs. Hogan(in or out of the ring) then have Angle go back to WWE.

I can only hope that this is the new angle, having all the good TNA wrestlers band up against Hogan and the "band" of washed up has-beans.

As a Florida resident with a Universal pass, it was fun to drop in on a taping or even pay per view for the "old" TNA, it has overnight become a BAD CARTOON...

What it the heck are they doing? Like the one poster said, I hope this is a storyline of some sorts? Orlando Jordan? Nasty Boys? What the hell?

Thursday's show was missing Joe, Wolfe, Beer Money, Machine Guns, Daniels, The entire X-Division, and all the Knockout Gold.

I really feel bad for Eric Young. I think he has unlimited potential. To me he gives the best promo of all the TNA "originals" and is entertaining in the ring. Thursday was the 1st night he had been in the ring since Hogan takes over and he has to job to the Nasty Boys. Terrible.

On another note, I was hoping the AJ Styles story would go more like he was conflicted to take Flairs help. Spend a few weeks where Flair helps him win. FInally when AJ gives in and buys into the cheat to win attitude, Flair turns on him and aligns with Mr. Anderson. To me that is a more natural combination.

Either way TNA needs to do something quickly. The impact zone had changed. The usual guys in the front row were gone. Replaced by people who I am sure were given free Nasty Boy shirts to wear. Pitiful. I guess I am back to watching the office on thursdays.

Flashback I had was Bollea's failed "Wrestling Reality" show.
Same cast of characters now with a faux "edginess" that is straight out of 1980s soap ops. I see them defining the characters now.

Ya know, I wouldnt be surprised if they asked Kong to feud with Bubba as part of some bizarre "reality" storyline.

There are too many wrestling sheep who are used to the WWE's wrestling pablum for it to financially fail.

TNA cannot say the same. When the NWA/WCW rose up against WWE(F) it was because they featured "real" wrestling. Tough, gritty action... not staged punch and kick fests. When you start having women beat men, celebs winning titles, and 50+ YO men beating 25 year olds, you have a problem.

If TNA keeps up the Hogan/Bischoff involvement, I predict they will be bankrupt or operating on a very reduced profile within 5 years. TNA thinks bringing these guys in will lead to success; but in actuality, it will lead to their downfall. You don't WANT to be like the current WWE product.

I don't think I've ever been more frustrated as a wrestling fan. TNA just doesn't get it. They are not an alternative to the WWE. They are merely a watered down retread of it and the fans realize this. For a while last year it seemed like they were finally on the right track: Styles was champ again, guys like Matt Morgan and Hernandez were getting pushed, Eric Young was becoming a big deal with World Elite...but then that came crashing down when they got Hogan. These last few weeks have completely undone everything TNA did right last year.

I'm not sure if TNA will ever recover from this.

It's amazing how quickly this has fallen apart. It's been, what, three Impacts and a PPV? I think the saddest thing is that TNA had seemingly turned the corner creatively right before the Hogan debacle began. It's like all that hard work and good will has been thrown away overnight. That's the real screwjob.

How long until WWE buys WC..uh..TNA, and for how much??

I guess we all can get ready for the botched TNA invasion angle on Raw, Smackdown, and ECW.

What is happening here? TNA was delivering old school type wrestling and angles, and now is showing this crap?

If TNA wants to expand its televison and marketing opportunities through Hogan/Bischoff, they need to work behined the scenes to do it. Let Flair be a GM or something since he is a known commodity and has an ability to draw viewers.

Anderson, Nasty's, Jordan, etc need to go. They are not a good fit with the current talent roster, unless they are going to fire most of the roster. Heaven forbid.

Rumor has it Alyssa Flash has been released. Dumb move there. And no Steiner or Daffney?

i dont give a damn about wrestling i just wanna see Kevin Nash and The nWo back together. Wrestling is dead now people get used to it. the new talent sucks the old guys are fading away. I just wanna see the band go for one more run then just end.
RIP WWE and TNA

God helps Ondi Lundgren coz he thinks TNA is headed to the right direction.

Just when you think WWE is getting crappier, TNA is 10 times more crappier

What a shock, no one here, except for one exception, likes TNA, even you, Kevin. Why does it seem like you save up all of your venom for knocking TNA? Wwe has six hours of programming each week that has been so terrible and predictable for months and, yet, you keep watching that looking for a minor bright spot in all of that horrendous tv. Dx breaking up! Really? That hasn't happened numerous times. Hhh vs. Michaels, maybe! Been there before, right? Bret Hart returns! For all of the talk about TNA rehashing storylines, what about this travesty? Considering how long ago it was and the age of the audience in Wwe, I find it hard to believe that there are that many people who even remember. I kind of doubt any of the little kids screaming for Cena were even born in '97. Yeah, Vince is really on a role. Enjoy the groan inducing skits with Koslov. Now that's a waste of time.
Impact isn't flawless, but it's a heck of a lot more entertaining than anything Wwe produces. Also, you seem to forget that Tna does do house shows and has a pretty sizable roster and only two hours of tv every week. Do you honestly think you're going to see every one of these wrestlers make an appearance each and every week? You didn't before Hogan arrived, and you won't now. Nothing has changed, and considering the amount of screen time the "Band" had, it hardly as overblown as you make it out to seem. They haven't taken over the show. Maybe it's a massive swerve, and I think it would be great if it were, but I know I'm entertained, and it seems like the crowd is into it as well. I like your blog because you cover it all on a regular schedule, but this anti-Tna stance is really off-putting. Give it a chance.

After watching TNA Thursday night, are we sure McMahon didn't send Hogan to Orlando to secretly sabotage TNA?

I don't think it was as bad as all that. I disliked some of the bookings, like Orlando Jones over D’Angelo Dinero. And I think Knobbs, Sags, Hall, and Waltman have no business anywhere near a ring. They're worthless as talent and should never be hired by any organization.

But overall, I found the show more entertaining than this week's RAW.

I bet next week Hogan spits gum at Angle at a steak house.

Well, one good thing came from this episode, I think this may have been your best blog to date.

Good article Kevin

Watching from the UK and just seen Impact! personally i prefer WWE myself but i do make an effort to see alot of TNA because i like some of the talent i.e. Styles, Angle, Morgan, Dinero, Hernandez but over the last few weeks Hogan and his 'cronies' as someone perfectly put are ruining it and i would love to see those names mentioned given WWE contracts to freshen things up. Bischoff and Hogan are back and its worse than ever

"Do not fret. James Roday and Dule Hill will be hosting Raw next week!

Now that's entertainment!'"

Actually, both are very funny. Especially Roday. Plus Roday is a huge wrestling fan so i think this upcoming episode of RAW will be comparable to the Seth Green episode.

Is it possible VKM sent the Hulkster (brother) down South to destroy the competition? Brother?

So everyone thinks that Hogan isn't taking TNA into a new direction? With the addition of Rick Flair, an elderly man who once was a great wresler... and Scott Hall, a drunk who will probably blow off several events due to intoxication, Sean Waltman, who's last fame was a home video of him having sex with someone many of us still think was born a male... and lets not forget knobs and sags... it's pretty obvious that Hogan is indeed taking TNA into another direction, it's just a shame that direction is backwards.

Mike,

Hogan wants to do away with house shows for the time being:

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2010/0121/478484/hulk-hogan/index.shtml

"Hogan wants to kill all house shows in TNA until the TV comes together and then in no time they will become a force that people will pay attention to. Seriously."

As for people who are and aren't appearing, it's about how many of those people are appearing compared to who's not. Think about it for two seconds and you'll see why it's a problem.

Why doesn't someone create "Wrestling Promoter Tycoon" game and give it to Mr Bischoff and Hogan. They can ruin a company in that game and I don't have to look at Hogan's OLD mug.
It's not the old wrestlers that get me, its the abandonment of the storylines. One day Lashley was the number one contender after beating Robert Roode and now his wife is his mouthpiece? And Kurt Angle is STILL the number one contender? I like Angle and all, but this series is old like HHH vs HBK.
Instead of bringing back WCW "stars" from 1996, why don't they bring in Mark Copani or Adam Copeland? Now that is a dream match Copani vs Styles. Or Copeland (edge for those who don't really know) with Christian against Beer Money Inc. Good matches instead of bad.
Speaking of bad, the Band. Where do I start. I have never been a fan of the NWO. Nash for months was driving Foley crazy on who he was bringing with him and its "the band"? More story line holes. Mes does not like storyline holes that I could drive a cement mixer through. But bringing in drug addicts to sell your product......that's horrid.
And lastly.....montreal 97 references. Coming from someone who remembers all that crap.....first, the whole PAY PER VIEW was udder crap. With exception for the Kane vs Mankind match which was a total squash. But the whole situation between HBK, Bret, and Vince......news flash...ITS OVER!!! Stop making references to it even though its going to lead to the main event at wrestlemania. Probably HBK (with Hart in his corner because he can't wrestle) against HHH with Vince in his because daddy told him to. And Raw is HORRID with more skits and NON WRESTLERS hosting. By the way, when are you hosting raw?

This all has to be an angle. Russo loves playing off smark rumours etc. I imagine in a few weeks Hogan will turn around and 'fire' the chumps that came along with him and declare that the new TNA has begun.
I just hope I can stand to tune in long enough to see that.

And it has to be asked why they even bothered doing this angle, it must turn more people off. BFG, Turning Point and FInal Resolution were very good PPVS. Now all that momentum has been lost because Russo, Bischoff and Hogan wanted to mess around and make themselves look clever.

This all has a thrown together quality about it -- not surprising when one of the main protagonists was off the continent, running his own cards, only shortly before assuming his new position.

I thought TNA wrestling was about young talent and athletic matches.

They risk alienating their core audience with this off brand
product. Based on some of the comments here, they have already lost some people.

Vince must find all of this rather amusing.

LOL @Jon. Good comment.

Horrible show. Everything's been said in the comments already.

Kev, do you know, how long of a contract did Hogan sign ?!

My biggest fear is that this agony will last for the next 3-4 years or maybe more.

I wish I could go back to the days before January 4th, when I was excited to see what type of changes TNA would be taking so they could finally get to that next step and re create a true rivalry for WWE. Now I just wait to see what can be saved from all the rubbish that's been thrown at us and hope some of the true talent at TNA will be able to work for WWE if need be down the road.

TNA Thursday Night show. Give me a break what a lame ending. Kurt spitting on Hogan yelling he was screwed. Keven I have to say that TNA has gone from bad to worst. Maybe Vince paid off Hogan to destroy TNA. And a bloody Easy E yelling Foley YOU ARE FIRED. I bet ole Vince is watching that garbage and laughing his a-- off. PUT A FORK INTO TNA ... it is DONE! WOOOO

Is there anything less funny than Hall and Syxx-Pac making jokes about drug use?

Bubba The Love Sponge! But that doesn't really help put TNA in a better light.

"Ric Flair said there are three reasons why he’s in TNA. Yeah, ex-wife No. 1, ex-wife No. 2 and ex-wife No. 3."

Yeah, the same three reasons why Hogan's there, because a toilet seat doesn't pay the bills.

To TNA's credit, they have got one thing right. They allowed Nasty Boys to retain the only thing that makes any sense about them: their tag team name.

Something definitely stinks in TNA right now, and it's not just Brian Knobbs' ring work. Hogan screwing Angle out of the title made me groan. The only way TNA is going to compete with WWE is to come up with fresh new ideas; stuff which separates them from WWE. At the moment, it's just not working. It's all the same stuff we saw ten or fifteen years ago in WWE.

As sad as it sounds, the outcomes of the Pope/Jordan and Nasty Boys/Nash & Young matches were kind of predictable when they were announced at the top of the show. It's just so depressing that Hogan's mates are being made to look like winners over guys like Pope and Young. I suppose I don't really mind Orlando Jordan, but I just think the Nasty Boys have absolutely no business being anywhere near a wrestling ring in any company. It was bad enough when they beat the Hart Foundation at Wrestlemania 7 for the tag titles in WWE. And that was nearly twenty years ago. I really hope Team 3D come out of their programme with them looking strong.

You'd think that after quite a few years of watching pro wrestling that I'd be used to looking at a four sided ring on any particular show, but I just can't get to grips with it in TNA. The Impact Zone just doesn't look the same without the six sided ring.

I can't tell the difference between work and shoot anymore. Was the stuff Jeff Jarrett said on Bubba's radio show a work or a shoot? Or both? It's the same with the backstage segments. There's too many "insider references" that would leave any casual viewer totally confused about what's going on.

TNA is slowly turning into WCW. I just hope that this story has a happier ending.

I'm convinced this is all a work. Bischoff and Hogan are getting insane heat from TNA fans in a way that nobody's really tried before. They are playing on the downfall of the WCW. Does anyone really think that this organization isn't reading the thousands of wrestling blogs and forums and salivating over the heat?

I'm sure the Nasty Boys, Orlando Jordan, and the Band are on short term contracts and this work is going to culminate is some younger guys ejecting them from TNA in a spectacular fashion. The only thing I'm not sure about is how they will finish this story with TV tapings. There's no way they can set it up at Impact tapings because the smarks read spoilers and catch on without being surprised. It would be nice to see this culminate on another live Monday night show.

I like TNA. I like the Ric Flair and AJ Styles thing. Although it looks like they don't make a nice suit small enough for AJ. I was sick at first see old flair with those young girls good thing AJ was also there. I thought the Nasty Boys were funny as hell and I thought that that fatso Knobbs was gonna die his head turned so red at the end it was scary. But this is not the Olympics and I think he really wants to give it all he can hope he lives through it. I do not like Eric Bischoff. Not sure what the hell the angle is between him foley the band and Hogan. Get some strange feeling that him and hogan are not really on the same page. I new Angle was not beating AJ. They do what WCW always did and replay the title match from the ppv on the free show. Hogan I believe is trying to show stuff that occurred in WCW and WWE and then show what happens when that same thing takes place in TNA and how it is handled and that change is here? I think. It looks to me like hogan is setting it up so that all angles fall on him. I agree who is Orlando Jordan? I disagree when does Wrestling not repeat itself over and over. Old Vince has been doing it for years and he keeps doing it in Cycles because it keeps working. He has publicly said it himself about running the same story lines over and over. Hell I thought it was funny as hell doing a screw job like match and spitting in Hogan's face. Your starting to take yourself and wrestling too serious. You might have seen it all but I never want to forget the way wrestling appear to me when I was younger man. Your letting your self get too old. Basically I hate the Bubba guy and that radio crap. They need to get all of these story lines together and get these people to wrestling and cut out the Bull. Get Hulkamania running wild and stop sitting there scratching your chin and your a--.

Wow, 80+ comments for a Thursday edition of Impact. Like it or not, the changes have people buzzing. Personally, I'm entertained by the new stuff and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. It's good to see some of the old guys and I couldn't care less about who's being pushed back in the process. If the young guys were so great then there wouldn't be a need for all of this change. I love the way the fans respond to Hogan. He gets a great pop for his intro and then they let him have it when he says something they disagree with. It's kind of like the people respect Hogan the wrestler but they don't care much for Hogan the person.

Why is there so many old out-of-shape guys in TNA! I mean this is whats making their ratings plummet, like whos next, Lita JBL, i mean c'mon Orlando Jordan!?!? Who remembers Orlando Jordan? I think TNA is heading straight into Vince's palm and being made into a fist and put into his poket to tlet the cash flow in.

Dixie Carter is a babe

Folks, they're playing you like a harp. What better "revolution" in wrestling than to directly involve the fans in the angle? They're p----ng off fans by playing this "Hogan recreating WCW" angle.

@Frank
I hope you're right. If they're really playing us, that would make an awesome storyline. If that's the case, then in my opinion, they should push this really far and bury the talent for a couple of months, and even maybe fire some more tna originals. Then, when they get unbelievable and never-before-seen heat from the fans and everybody, there should be a huge payoff- storyline at another live Impact so that the fans cannot read the spoilers, just as Brent W said, couple of comments above.

But if it's not a work, then Hogan and Bishoff are even bigger morons than everybody thought, and Dixie also for hiring them.

Let's wait to see.

RESPONSE FROM KE: The problem with your scenario is this: Will viewers tolerate this direction for months before getting to the payoff or will they give up on the product?

P.S. Oh by the way Kev, I just noticed that you changed your picture. Nice haircut, bro.

"RESPONSE FROM KE: The problem with your scenario is this: Will viewers tolerate this direction for months before getting to the payoff or will they give up on the product?"

I know. That's the catch.
A possible solution to that problem would be, that TNA keeps pushing these old farts and burying young talent, BUT (!) that they involve them in storylines compelling enough for us to tune in to next week.
For example, even though last week's Impact was screwed-up, I will however watch tonight's episode just to see how they're gonna resolve this screwjob situation between Hogan and Angle, and to see what happens next to AJ.

But maybe, I'm expecting too much from them.

Let's hope they don't bring back the N.W.O. angle, because if they do, I won't watch T.N.A. anymore (New World Order is synomonous with Nazism!). At least I agree with Flair on one thing: I don't like Hogan!!

Eck, do you know anything about the reason TNA switched from 6 to 4 sides is because Hogan couldn't do his running leg drop w/ the 6 sides?

I didnt read every post, but it seems to me that if you said jump off a building all these guys would be dead. To even try to compete with the aol time warner forced monopoly you have to have a 4 sided ring.Lets just give them a chance Hogan's only been their a month... I mean heck Conan had at least seven months.