Its sad that now, you have to give TNA credit for doing something logical since it is rare for them to do so (Angelina pinning Mickie).

No love from Kevin. I am only one reader. I am hurt. No mention on the Tenay and Taz about ODB.

I usually have better things to do on Thursday nights, but for the past couple weeks, I've been watching Impact. Wow.

I don't understand the people who claim that TNA is better than WWE. I definitely think that TNA has the potential to be as good, but the people in charge seem determined to keep the business a distant second.

I have to say, the last two weeks have made me interested for the Jarrett v Angle match and the Bully Ray v AJ Styles match. I suspect that's more due to the participants themselves than the booking for the match.

That main event was an abomination and shouldn't have ever made it past rough draft, let alone onto TV. There's a place for comedic wrestlers, but the main event should never, ever be that place. I'm quickly approaching being sick of Anderson's character, I think Sting is in a place in his career where being the champion is a waste, and I haven't been watching long enough to know who Gunner is.

I just can't bring myself to care about the Knockouts division. The women are sexy, in a trashy, failed pornstar kind of way (with the exception of Mickie James, who I've always liked), and that's just not entertaining to me. I do think the idea that ODB isn't allowed entrance music because she's not on the roster, but is allowed to perform in a sanctioned match would be laughable if they weren't serious.

My biggest problem with TNA has, for a long time, been that they build their promotion on being adult-oriented but they don't use that to take their product in a compelling direction. Instead of building storylines that push what professional wrestling can be forward, they choose to use salty language and call it a day. That could be acceptable, but every time someone curses, they do so like children who are just discovering bad words and are trying to impress their friends. There's always a feeling of "Oh my God, can you believe what I just said? They can't say that on the other show." Yawn. I'm a grown man; bad language doesn't impress me. It has its place, and it can really enhance a storyline by giving it gravitas. But instead they use it like they have a dart board with bad language, and every 45 seconds, they toss a dart and throw whatever the word the dart lands on into the script. They somehow end up being more juvenile than WWE.

Wrestling might matter, but it's far outweighed by Bischoff, Hogan and Russo.

I think WWE is content to let Impact Wrestling self-destruct, instead of going for the jugular. With the mind-numbingly stupid booking they are doing, they will self-destruct sooner rather than later. If only WWE would start taking more risks.

I agree with almost all your points except on Eric Young. In no way should anyone take it as a slight towards handicapped people, but the guy is harkening back to slapstick comedy and helps guys get over in matches, including TNA's favorite new young buck Gunner.

I also wrote about the potential Hogan face turn and can see the writing on the wall after being called a racist by MA. This will probably happen later down the line, but I think Sting turns and fronts Immortal for the summer.

Great blog, Kevin!

All is apparent at this point. Hogan and Bischoff, (and Russo like a poisonous mushroom in the dark) have become so deluded that their kayfabe story of "Immortal", which is basically Hogan and Bischoff at its core has bled through into reality.
They have long attempted to play off the hatred that fans feel for them for their destruction of WCW. The trick is that these three, (four including Jarrett), believe that the fans are mistaken--it was corporate interests interfering that led to WCW's demise, not them, so they thought to display their true brilliance by fully accepting the heat for what they do not believe was their fault anyway, in a storyline that I'm sure they thought was a winner...
BUT...in running another company into the ground--they have not only proven that it WAS their stupidity and incompetence in story-telling, character development and management and booking which killed WCW, because now they are killing TNA in the same manner----but that they have ceased to be able to differentiate work from reality.
The story has become real. The heat from the fans is not for Hogan and "Easy-E", the characters, but for Bollea and Bischoff, the men, and the main "creative" force that through bad booking, horrible storyline, inconsistent characters--decisions based on politics and friendships rather than objective factors, are destroying the company out of storyline at the same time that they believe that they are only pretending to within it.
That is insanity. It appears that they are all insane. Perhaps it is extended steroid use. Perhaps it is cocaine--not unknown within wrestling---they are all old enough that they don't even have to be using now--they may just by displaying the brain damage that comes with periods of irresponsible and extended use of these and other drugs earlier in life. Who knows?
The main point is that these men seem oblivious to the fact that the kayfabe has bled into reality---and the best thing that could happen to TNA is if some force, (which obviously won't be Sting as he is a long-time collaborator and enabler of their nonsense)--did in fact remove them completely from the company like an excised infection.
Lethal apparently really is gone. Anderson has been mutated so that none of his prodigious charisma can be found anywhere in his performances. Jarrett still clings to making himself again and again a focal point of the company, as if he has never learned the lessons of literally decades now that nobody ever came to see him anywhere--he is an occasionally entertaining mid-carder convinced that he is one of the all-time greats and that people want to see him in the spotlight.
I think I'm ready to pull the plug on TNA as well as on WWE, and wait to see if ROH will have the performance and creative talent to make the right sort of waves that will force the two established companies to shape up again.
I've suffered a lot with TNA, and this is the most wretched I've ever seen it. That's saying a lot. And in regards to Mr. Eck's observation about the piped-in boos for Anderson---yeah--I think some fans are still confused about his inexplicable appearance as an uncharismatic heel a couple of weeks ago after months of build-up of him as a positively developing tweener. Another question is, can Ken Anderson ever catch a break to be allowed the space and given the creative push and direction to become as great as it is obvious at times that he could be? Yes, fire Lethal, hold back Morgan, and while you're at it, ruin Ken Anderson's career. Bollea and Bischoff ride again.

Why doesn't www sign Roode?

Instead of the phrase "things went from bad to worse", a few years back my friends and I coined the new phrase "things went from bad to Adamle".

New TNA tagline: This s**t sucks!

But Kevin, Impact is #1 in their demo for the network. Spike loves everything about Impact. So says textbook denial sufferer Bischoff. Some people like watching snuff films, but it doesn't mean you should still go on producing them.

Where is Bill Busch to the rescue when you need him?

I was able to find some amusement in this show. For some reason, I'm getting a kick out of Eric Young's antics. Did he really mention the "winner's share of the purse" -- there must have been a ton of dust on that old gem!! I also liked the picture of him they used hyping the main event -- an homage to Hacksaw Jim Duggan, perhaps?

Why, oh why would RVD turn his back on Big Bubba? Could his character be morphing into a pot-head? (I'll let someone else make the obligatory "art imitating life" crack -- oops!)

Whichever of the Brits was doing the commentary did a nice job -- the snooty, "better than you," Lord Steven Regal / Alfred Hayes-type character. For a good lomg time (maybe since Russians were common "villains") and with few exceptions, wrestling tiptoed around the whole issue of ethnicity and stereotypes. Between the Brits and the Mexicans, maybe the PC pendulum is swinging back. (Vince found himself in the middle of the Civil War in his very ring this week, for cryin' out loud.)

I'm still curious about where they're trying to go with the "Wrestling Matters" philosophy, when the implementer of the strategy has been removed from the cast. Here's hoping the valiant Sting can vanquish Misterrrr Big and Boris Badenov, but suffer career-ending injuries in this Fractured Fairy Tale.

Oh, TNA... What are we gonna do with you?... I agree with you on all points, Kev...

Is there an Immortal still? I feel like Abyss and Gunner are doing their own thing, Double J is too involved with Kurt Angle,Bully Ray is too busy with A.J. Ric Flair and Matt Hardy is nowhere to be found. Hogan and Eric are.. well, Hogan and Eric... not to mention I don't think any of them uttered the word "Immortal" once in the whole progam.. I almost thought they just dropped the whole angle.. kind of like how the MEM fizzled out...

Why was Kaz hanging out with Brian all night? I suppose it was to set up for the three way on Sunday, but still. It just felt little out of place. Just sayin... By the way, is Fourtune still Fourtune??

Okay, so I don't know WHY they would put Gunner in a match with Anderson.. being that Anderson pretty much have no affiliation with anyone... I am going to TRY and make sense of this booking fiasco: I'm sure they are trying put Gunner over (which I feel that should spend that creative energy on Morgan, but that's an argument for another day) having an upset victory over Sting not only accomplishes that, but it also hurts Stings confidence going into the PPV. I'm definitely with you on the fact that Sting should not have lost (and if he did, it should've been against Anderson or just thrown out all together) But he did. I feel that was the logic behind it. It also set the stage for ending segment with Sting/Anderson.

As for EY, he definitely didn't need to be in the Main Event, but I was thinking when watching "Cool, maybe this is a way to slap some sense back into Eric and make him at least a serious mid-carder" until I saw the fallout from the match... I still have hope that maybe they are trying to turn him into a sane person again so we can finally see him shine.. Buuuut it's TNA, Who knows..

Heel or Face, Roode needs to be in the title picture like last year. C'mon TNA. Don't screw it up. Let's make it happen.

What in the hell is going on with TNA? It seems to me that Hogan and Bischoff came off as faces in the opening promo. Touting the X-Division, which is a complete reversal of previous weeks. There was no mention of Immortal, no Matt Hardy, no Gunner and Big Rob in tow. It's as if they basically took up saying the things that Foley was saying and it's not clear if Immortal even exists any more.

And the logic of Sting addressing his promo more to Hogan and Bichoff than to Anderson was rediculous. Anderson was just kind of left there and Sting barely even acknowledged him. And Sting believes he's the only thing saving TNA from being destroyed by Hogan and Bischoff, but Sting you yourself are part of the problem. Guys in their 50's should never be a World Champion in a major wrestling promotion in this day and age. It's simply not believable even for a legend like Sting.

And Sting telling Eric Young to drop the comedy act is funny in itself, considering that why he's there, to be TNA's version of Santino Marella. When Young was introduced as "The World TV Champion", it was absolutely rediculous how much of a joke that title is. And I like Gunner too, but why put him in the main event? Why give him a victory of your World Champion? How can a rookie be higher on the pecking order than a Matt Morgan or a Bobby Roode? Why not put Matt Morgan and Scott Steiner in that Main Event instead of not even really being featured on the show? Total incompetence in booking.

And It's amazing how Anderson's character has basically been destroyed in a matter of weeks. He's gone from being a poor man's Stone Cold / Anti-Hero, to a weak and cowering heel. No way his character is strong enough to be World Champion right now. It seems they've changed course with him and are trying to turn him into TNA's version of The Miz, but Anderson was better off with the poor man's Stone Cold gimmick.

I think Beer Money or "Gun Money" will retain the titles, but will continue to defend them with Sabin and Storm, and Bobby Roode will then begin his long awaited, much anticipated singles run.

Magnus' commentary was funny in that Taz kept asking him why The British Invasion deserved a title shot since they haven't been on TV lately, and Magnus basically said he doesn't know how they got the title shot, because he had no idea why they haven't been on TV, or how Hogan and Bischoff spend more time in the ring than they do in their office. Sometimes TNA is unintentionally funny because people go off message and say exactly what they really feel. The lack of continuity is so pathetic it's funny. And Anarchia would have more luck complaining to a brick wall as to why they don't have a title shot than to Hogan.

I'm not sure why they have Velvet Sky getting beat up by ODB every week. And yes Velvet got the victory, but why risk her being injured at this point, when she is clearly one of TNA's top rising stars. It makes no sense. No one needs to believe that Velvet is a brawler. It proves nothing. She still has no real credibility in the ring against the likes of Mickie James and would need to be carried, but hey this is pro wrestling, you create a story and find a logical reason why Velvet can beat people she's not supposed to, this isn't rocket science. As hot as Velvet's character is right now she should be involved in the Knockouts Title picture and pushed as far as she can go. And yes, Mickie James is the top face right now, but Velvet is the most popular. There are plenty of ways to keep them both over, TNA just needs to find it. And oh yea, Mickie James' neckbreaker / dropkick was an amazing move.

As for Jeff Jarrett's promo, I think it was real. He was spewing real emotion there. Considering what has transpired in real life between those two, it must be awkward working together, but this fued has been one of the best in TNA recently and it's been very entertaining.

Slammiversary must be very special for Jarrett. TNA has come a long way in nine years, but if it's to continue it's ascension then somebody has to step in and stop the bleeding and get that ship on course before it sinks. Booking is terrible, character development is horrible, major titles have no importance. ppv buy rates are in the toilet, ratings have peaked and are in danger of falling. I keep saying it. they have a chance to do something special, but right now they are wasting a prime opportunity due to mismanagement, incompetence, and ego stroking, which are the same things that killed WCW. When are they going to wake up!!!

Kevin, Havent you been paying attention? How can you be excited to see Angle vs Jarrett when we have seen it ten times in the last three months? We have seen it every way that it can possible be fought in the ring with mixed tag partners, in a cage, in the back, on the street... Please end this storyline. I like Angle alot and he shouldnt be still rolling around in this goofy storyline with the Jarretts

I thought Roode would turn heel for a while when he gets his push. It would play into his "Money" character and is an easy segue into Immortal.

The Knockout stories are really good with good wrestling. They have always done their part.

I wish EY would go back to the serious character. Mr. Anderson is like watching paint dry.

the bar brawl between Crimson and Samoa Joe was good but the fact that they were both just happening to be wearing their TNA shirts made it seem a little played out