TNA Impact: A new ‘They are coming’ angle
During Thursday night’s TNA Impact, Amazing Red’s “little” brother (who we learned is named Crimson) put a chokehold on Abyss backstage and delivered a cryptic but familiar message to him: “They are coming.”
So it appears that a babyface contingent will be arriving shortly in TNA to do battle with the Immortal/Fortune heel faction – and I have a pretty good idea of just who “they” are.
I don’t seek out spoilers, but sometimes they find me, and I have been made aware that a former TNA star returned at the Impact tapings this past week. His presence basically gives away who else will be showing up to join him.
I’m going to take a wait-and-see approach with this story line. If – and it’s a big if – younger guys such as Matt Morgan and Crimson get a rub from it, then I’m all for it.
Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:
I’m surprised that TNA didn’t do a better job of building up Jeff and Matt Hardy teaming together for the first time in quite a while (three years, according to Mike Tenay). Instead of throwing it together on this show, I would have promoted it for next week’s show or perhaps even the next pay-per-view. ...
Speaking of the Hardys, I thought their win over Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam in the main event was a decent match. It was cool seeing the brothers back together. ...
I wasn’t crazy about new TNA world champion Mr. Anderson’s promo at the top of the show. It came off like a shoot promo, as he talked about Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo bringing him into TNA after someone (he did a Triple H impersonation) got in the boss’ ear “over there” and derailed his big push. He said he was on his way to becoming world champion in the other company when he suddenly was told how to walk and talk. In TNA, Anderson said he is allowed to be himself. OK, isn’t Anderson supposed to be feuding with Hogan and Bischoff? And why is Russo – who doesn’t ever appear on camera – being mentioned? Heck, why not just come right out and say that wrestling is all predetermined and world champions are hand-picked by the boss? By the way, after all that TV time over the past several weeks was devoted to the story line of Anderson coming back from a concussion, I don’t think he mentioned the word “concussion” one time. ...
It looks as if TNA is loading up on the Feb. 3 episode of Impact, as it was announced that Anderson would defend the TNA world title against Jeff Hardy, and Hogan would make his return to TV. ...
Karen Angle, er, I mean Karen Jarrett, made her first appearance on the show in some time, but it was basically just a cameo to set up her appearance on next week’s show, when she said she would tell her side of the story as it relates to her ex-husband, Kurt Angle, and new husband, Jeff Jarrett. I’m looking forward to that. ...
The return match from Sunday’s Genesis pay-per-view between TNA world tag team champions Beer Money and The Motor City Machine Guns was good, although it didn’t compare to their previous encounters. ...
Please tell me that TNA isn’t stupid enough to split up The Guns. Prior to their match against Beer Money, Alex Shelley said under his breath and behind Chris Sabin’s back, “I’d like to not get kicked in the face,” which was a reference to Sabin accidentally nailing him with a kick at Genesis, which led to them losing the title. There also were a couple miscues between Shelley and Sabin during the match on Impact. Message to Russo: Don’t do it. ...
“The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero was very good on the mic when he was making fun of Samoa Joe. The visuals with the pigs were pretty funny. ...
OK, so the TNA TV title was defended on the pay-per-view, but when TNA TV champion Abyss wrestled Morgan on Impact, the title was not on the line. Whatever. At least Morgan got a convincing win after losing his third consecutive pay-per-view main event Sunday. ...
Whenever Jeff Hardy does one of his “I’m the Anti-Christ” heel promos, it just makes me laugh because they’re so corny. ...
So Madison Rayne – who teamed with Tara and lost to TNA Knockouts tag team champions Angelina Love and Winter – is doing a loaded glove gimmick. That one’s been around forever, but I don’t recall a woman ever doing it before. ...
Winter was put over strong, as she choked out Tara to win the match. ...
I don’t know what was up with Ric Flair doing that tongue-wagging thing after he, Abyss and Rob Terry attacked Morgan following the Morgan-Abyss match, but it was disturbing. So sad to see the kiss-stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ son of a gun become a creepy old man.
Comments
kev, overall I thought this was a pretty good episode of Impact. Great job plugging the feb 3rd show.
Just to reiterate what you were saying about Matt Hardy, I was thoroughly disappointed there was no promo cut with only Matt. Build-up to the Hardy's tag match would have been nice but, oh well.
I want to see the continuation of TNA pushing tag-teams and get some more rivalries in the ring. Can the Hardy's make an effective run for the tag belts? I don't mind seeing them fall short as long as they can hang. Too bad they're in the same faction with Beer Money because, I'd love to see them go @ it.
I'm miising the wide array of Knockouts that we still had @ this time last, what a difference a year makes.
Can't wait to see what they have in store with Crimson and "they"... I do like "the boy who cried wolf" angle and I hope they play it out til the third.
can't wait to hear karen's story which is significant because I missed the real life portion of the story as I hadn't tuned in yet… kudos, TNA for peaking my interest
Posted by: josh | January 15, 2011 2:45 AM
Decent show this week. Beer Money and Gunns can wrestle every week and it never gets old.Looks like the Feb.3rd show will be the night The great Hulk Hogan comes back and takes over his company.I feel this will be TNAs best year ever. For you to call the legendary Ric Flair a creepy old man Kev was uncalled for.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Flair wagging his tongue like that was uncalled for, too. Creeped me out.
Posted by: sean lang | January 15, 2011 10:16 AM
Holy cow, the main event mafia is returning?
Posted by: AIRA | January 15, 2011 10:40 AM
I don't know what people see in Anderson; he seems average at best. Morgan would make a better champ right now, unless Anderson will be going heel when "they" return, keeping Morgan face.
I wouldn't break up the Guns either. They should stay together for a while. They do need a new feud though.
Hopefully RVD gets the belt back soon. I would love to see him do an X Division match if he still has that kind of ability in him.
Posted by: Flair | January 15, 2011 11:36 AM
I am like you kev i really hope that the guns are not broken up
Posted by: frank from dundalk | January 15, 2011 11:39 AM
Hey Kev,
While I read your blog regularly, I haven't commented for some time. I feel compelled to after watching Impact, but I see some of your other readers beat me to the punch. Why would TNA be stupid enough to break up the Guns? They are a phenomenal tagteam. I, too, caught Alex Shelley's comment and wondered what was up. Then, when I saw the match, I was sure. Why in the world would TNA do that? I think the 3 out of 5 falls matches the Guns had with Beer Money were some of the best matches of last year in any wrestling organization. Interestingly enough, I can see Robert Roode or James Storm being successful as singles wrestlers, but I can only see Shelley and Sabin getting lost in TNA's already bloated roster. I hope I'm wrong, but it sure looks like the Guns are done. Can you explain why this might be, Kevin?
Holden
RESPONSE FROM KE: I have no idea why TNA would be that stupid.
Posted by: Holden | January 15, 2011 4:33 PM
For me the Matt Hardy debut really hammered home the biggest problem with TNA. TNA just assumes that the only people watching Impact are WWE fans. And maybe that's true but if TNA were really serious about growing as a company then they would try to build an audience of TNA fans. They did nothing to make Matt Hardy seem like a big deal to the TNA audience. They didn't even say who he was. I know they called him Jeff Hardy's brother but for a TNA fan who had never heard anybody mention anything about Jeff's brother on Impact before, this wasn't nearly enough information. They didn't advertise Matt's debut, they didn't hype Matt's debut before or after. And anyone who was excited to see Matt (there must have been at least a couple of people) didn't even get one promo or one match or even one interview or anything where Matt's debut was a big deal before he became just another guy on the roster. Matt didn't even have a chance to get a personality in TNA before he was used in a pointless tag match to give Jeff something to do. Just imagine that Shannon Moore or The Brian Kendrick had taken Matt's place at Genesis and Impact. Would it have changed anything that happened? No. Matt is not a nobody before he even got started.The only reason anyone watching the last Impact would have cared about Matt even a little bit is if they had watched him earlier in the year on Smackdown. TNA needs to really come to grips with the fact that they are NOT the 4th WWE brand. They need to stop referencing the WWE for any reason and they need to stop relying on WWE history and WWE creative to make people care about TNA wrestlers.
Posted by: Katie Morgan | January 15, 2011 5:01 PM
Ack splitting up the Guns would be stupid it wouldn't get either of them anywhere! The main event scene already has a lot of people.. and TNA has a tag team division WWE don't have.. they should play that to their strength!
And I did not like the Dinero promo with the pictures at all. Made me think of something John Cena would do. It was just cheesy.. that whole fued is cheesy haha I don't even know is Dinero supposed to be the heel? Or the guy who is stalking him is supposed to be the face?
Posted by: cowboysmb3dw28 | January 15, 2011 5:25 PM
Is it too much to hope that Christopher Daniels is returning? How about Desmond Wolfe? How about anyone who got buried prior to 1/4/10? Ratings or no, I miss TNA from 13 months ago! How about Gail Kim, too?
Posted by: jon in bradenton | January 15, 2011 6:16 PM
I seriously hope they don't go as far as to split up the MCMG.
The main reason I started watching TNA is the extremely healthy tag team division there, with MCMG, Generation Me, and Beer Money always putting on great matches.
Breaking one of those teams up would definitely be a step in the wrong direction. At least if they want to keep me interested.
Old WWE has-beens in the singles division don't really do it for me.. and while Jeff Hardy was one of my favorite performers during his last few years at WWE, his matches in TNA haven't had much of the same extremity that made me want to watch him then.
Posted by: Are | January 16, 2011 2:29 AM
Before, the only reason I watch TNA was because of the "Guns". Now I have found another reason ..... The 2 hotties on the front roll seats :-)
Posted by: Adriam | January 16, 2011 7:32 AM
Anderson's impersonation of HHH was pretty damn good.
Posted by: Jack Windham | January 16, 2011 1:55 PM
Matt Hardy is obese. If TNA wanted a rotund drug addict they should have just hired Jim Neidhart. Probably cheaper and would have meant the same for business.
Posted by: Elevation | January 16, 2011 2:21 PM
Sorry, but what is a loaded glove gimmick?
RESPONSE FROM KE: A glove loaded with a foreign object.
Posted by: XDreamItchy | January 17, 2011 3:03 AM
Matt Hardy looks cartoonish in the ring. His reactions and the way he moves cracks me up. I couldn't even take the match seriously
Posted by: Randy | January 17, 2011 8:34 AM
Come on people, the Guns are HISTORY, it's Russo's MO, and just more proof how the man has no clue.
...
How did RVD go from the top of the hill to the bottom so fast and what does Joe have to do to get a decent story line?
RESPONSE FROM KE: Had to edit part of your comment so as to not give away spoilers to those who don't want to know.
Posted by: D. Nelson | January 17, 2011 11:32 AM
I hope the faction you mentioned that could be returning is of MAIN EVENT caliber! That would be awesome!
Posted by: Blippitt | January 17, 2011 12:31 PM
I've been down on Flair since he came back from retirement and it keeps getting worse. Your right he just comes across as creepy and pathetic.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 19, 2011 2:56 AM