TNA and Impact Wrestling gets a lot of criticism by many wrestling fans, including myself, that feel they have a phenomenal roster, but are misusing the vast majority of their talent. The goal of this BT! thread is to present a realistic, up-to-date take on Impact Wrestling using the talent they have under contract, and playing off real and ongoing storylines, while expanding in ways I think would make the product better.
TNA Impact Wrestling
Male Roster
Abyss/Joseph Park
AJ Styles [TNA World Champion]
Austin Aries
Bobby Roode
Bully Ray
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Sabin [X-Division Champion]
Christopher Daniels
Eric Young
Ethan Carter III
Garrett Bischoff
Gunner
Hernandez
James Storm
Jeff Hardy
Jessie Godderz [Tag Team Champion]
Kazarian
Kenny King
Knux
Kurt Angle
Magnus
Manik
Robbie E [Tag Team Champion]
Samoe Joe
Sting
Zema Ion
Female Roster
Brooke Tessmacher
Gail Kim [Knockouts Champion]
Lei'd Tapa
ODB
Taryn Terrell
Velvet Sky
What's happened recently...?
At TNA Bound for Glory, AJ Styles defeated Bully Ray to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Four days later on Impact Wrestling, Styles walked out on TNA in an effort to make Dixie Carter pay, taking the title with him. Dixie then announced a world championship tournament to crown a new champion.
Robbie E and Jessie Godderz defeated Gunner and James Storm to win the TNA Tag Titles at Bound for Glory. Gail Kim and Lei'd Tapa joined forces, giving Gail the Knockouts Championship. And Chris Sabin won the X-Division title in an Ultimate X match.
Kurt Angle returned at Bound for Glory in a losing effort to Bobby Roode, after knocking himself out with a high impact move from the top rope. He did this again two weeks later on Impact Wrestling.
In the BFG pre-show, Bad Influence assaulted Eric Young and Joseph Park, bringing out the monster Abyss. And finally, Magnus has started to separate himself from Main Event Mafia members, after defeating "The Icon" Sting in a cocky affair on pay-per-view. Two weeks later, Magnus won a battle royal, eliminating Sting. Both Magnus and Samoa Joe will be participants in the upcoming world title tournament.
Last week on Impact Wrestling: TNA President Dixie Carter announces a tournament to crown a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, with AJ Styles nowhere to be seen. And tensions rise within the Main Event Mafia, as Magnus eliminates "The Icon" Sting in a Main Event Battle Royal. Have the family hit a rough patch they can't overcome? Find out now, on TNA Impact Wrestling.
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TNA Impact Wrestling
Nov. 7, 2013 - Cincinnati, OH
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TNA President Dixie Carter makes her way down to the ring, as the Cincinnati Gardens erupts into a shower of boos.
Tenay: Welcome ladies and gentleman to Impact Wrestling, live on Spike TV from the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, OH. President Dixie Carter has made it very clear that she plans to move forward in the wake of AJ Styles, last week announces a blockbuster touranment to crown a new world heavyweight champion. Taz: Yeah, and this crowd is uh...none to pleased to see her, if ya know what I'm saying.
Dixie Carter: Two weeks ago I gave AJ Styles the chance to do the ring thing. I gave AJ Styles the chance to do what is best for him, and what is best for this company that he claims to love so much. I offered him a brand new car - a car that he stole from me - and more money than he had ever seen in his lifetime. But AJ Styles doesn't care about TNA, just like AJ Styles doesn't care about any of you people. So I decided, being that I do care about this business, and I do care about all the great TNA fans ... [pauses to draw heat from the crowd] ... We will move on from this without AJ, into a new era for the fans, and for Dixie Carter. An era without AJ Styles.
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Bully Ray makes his way down and comes face to face with Dixie Carter.
Bully Ray: Are you freaking...kidding me? A tournament? You're actually gonna let a bunch of nobodies get in this ring and...and, what? Compete for a shot at MY title? The world heavyweight championship belongs to me. It is my title. And as far as I'm concerned, since AJ Styles doesn't feel like coming back to work and defending that title like a man, you need to do the right thing for him.
Dixie: What's the right thing, Bully? I gave you your chance to get rid of AJ Styles. I gave you AJ at Bound for Glory, in a no disqualification match. I gave you a steel chair, let you rip apart MY ring, and you still couldn't get the job done. So please Bully, tell me what the 'right' thing to do is?
Bully: Listen to me, very carefully sweet heart. You may be the president of this company, but I am the president of Aces & Eights. I am the greatest world heavyweight champion in this company's - no, in the history of professional wrestling. And what you need to do is pick up that title of its little pedestal, and put it in my hands. I am not going to warn you again. Bad things happen to people who cross me. Do you know...who -
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Samoa Joe comes out and gets in Bully Ray's face. Before he can say anything, Magnus cuts them off, without music, from the entrance ramp. As he's making his way down...
Magnus: I was sitting in the back, preparing for my match tonight, and I couldn't help but hear the two of you arguing over what to do with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. And I was going to let that fly, but then my good friend Joe here decided to get involved, and you see, I just couldn't sit back there anymore. I am absolutely sick of seeing the same thing, week after week. These people are sick of the same thing, week...after week. [mixed reaction] Bully Ray, you're a great fighter, and you WERE a great champion. Emphasis on the past tense of that statement. You were a great champion. Samoe Joe, you're one of the toughest people I've ever been in the ring with, but you were a big deal once upon a time. And let's look at all the other people in this so called 'tournament' [does air quotes]. Austin Aries. Jeff Hardy ... [crowd cheers] ... Bobby Roode. Ken Anderson. Ken Anderson, a guy who doesn't even have a contract in this business right now, and he gets to fight for the world championship. And then there's my opponent tonight. "The Cowboy" James Storm. James Storm held the world title for two weeks, but was too blinded by intoxication to see his best friend smash him upside the head with a beer bottle. That's how business is done in this company. Seven people who have held the TNA World Championship...and me. So the way I look at it is, seven people who have held and lost the TNA World Championship, and one guy with everything to prove. You want to talk about a new era for this business? The new era is going to be me, revolutionizing Impact Wrestling as the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
***commercial break***
TOURNAMENT MATCH
JAMES STORM vs. MAGNUS
During the break, as Bully, Dixie and Joe were leaving, James Storm came out and cut a promo about Magnus needing to be taught respect. Magnus shook his head, and Storm decked him. The match was already in progress as Impact came back, with Storm hammering away with mounted punches in the corner ... [crowd chants: 8...9...10] ... The referee backs Storm away from the ropes, and The Cowboy plays to the crowd, motioning them off their feet, but turns around into a big clothesline from Magnus.
The Brit works several minutes with a side headlock rest hold, with Storm breaking out a few times and getting in a few shots, only to get caught in the hold. The crowd wills Storm back into the match and he fires off a few elbows into the gut of Magnus, before breaking the hold taking his opponent down with a running shoulder block. Storm with an atomic drop, followed by three right hands and Irish whip into a big back body drop. He sets up for Eye of the Storm and nails it, but only gets a close two-count.
Storm charges up for the Last Call Superkick, but Magnus side-steps him and clips the knee from behind. The King's Lynn Cloverleaf is locked in, and Storm writhes in pain for a moment, before slowly crawling to the bottom rope. Magnus lets the hold go and climbs up to the top turnbuckle, but Storm meets him in mid-air with Closing Time. 1...2....Magnus kicks out. Storm argues with the ref about the decision, and Magnus rolls him up from behind with a handful of tights. 1...2...3.
Backstage, Eric Young is standing outside a door, looking part worried, part amused. Somebody is obviously inside the room, streaming and throwing things around. Young says "I uh...I wouldn't go in there right now."
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Bad Influence makes their way to the ring, dressed in jeans and Bad Influence shirts. No crazy outfits.
Kazarian: Unfortunately for glue-sniffers here in Cincinnati, this is not Throwback Thursday. Tonight, we have a more serious matter to attend to.
Daniels: Woah, woah, woah. First of all, Throwback Thursday is a serious matter. There is nothing more serious than being the best tag team in professional wrestling today, and looking damn good while doing it. But tonight we have a bone to pick with Dixie Carter and TNA Wrestling.
Kazarian: You may have noticed that we're not on the list of people invited to participate in the TNA World Championship tournament. Once again, the two greatest men in the history of this company are overlooked. It's disgraceful. The idea that you can even have a tournament featuring your best talent, without us?
Daniels: You can't! You cannot showcase the best of TNA, without the face of Impact Wrestling Christopher Daniels, and the future of this business Francois Kazarian.
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Eric Young comes out to the entrance ramp.
EY: Guys, I hate to interrupt this wonderful love-making session you've got going on here. I mean hey, it's 2013. Who am I to judge what two men do in the comfort of their own hotel room, to comfort each other after a loss at Bound for Glory. I just came out here to warn you that my good friend and tag team partner, Joseph Park... Well, he had a little accident in the dressing room earlier tonight. While trying to put on his sneakers, Joe tripped and fell and well, uh...he busted his head open. [crowd pops]
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Abyss comes down to the ring, running past EY and immediately goes after Bad Influence. For a few seconds, the double team is too much for Abyss, but he comes back with a big Black Hole Slam on Daniels. Kazarian gets caught by the neck, but kicks Abyss in the mid-section and rolls out of the ring to safety. He drags Daniels out of the ring and the two crawl up the ramp looking terrified, as Abyss poses in the ring.
***commercial break***
GAIL KIM & LEI'D TAPA vs. ODB & VELVET SKY
Tapa worked most of the match against ODB, with the two bigger ladies trading power moves; Tapa got the better of the exchange to make her look stronger as the new dominant heel manager. ODB comes back after a couple minutes of being caught in a nerve hold, and dropkicks Tapa off her feet for the first time. Velvet and Gail made the hot tags for their team, with Sky getting the upper hand briefly, knocking down the champ with stiff clotheslines. A Thesz Press connects, but Tapa hits the ring and kicks Velvet in the back of the head. ODB tries to break it up, but eats a big boot. Gail with Eat Da'Feet on Velvet for the 1-2-3.
After the match, Lei'D Tapa powerbombs ODB for good measure, and Gail Kim stands over her with the Knockouts Championship.
Backstage, Samoa Joe is tapping up his wrists and getting ready for his match. Magnus walks into his dressing room.
Magnus: Look, before you say anything... I know you and I have a lot of history. We were tag team partners, then tag team champions. Then we bacame more than that. We became family, as members of the Main Event Mafia. And I just want you to know, I'm rooting for you tonight. See, at Bound for Glory, I beat a legend. I beat "The Icon" Sting. My mentor, your mentor, and one of the greatest legends in this business. I'm cheering you on tonight, so that there's no question about my legacy. When you win tonight, and I know you will, I get the chance to take out another one of my mentors. Good luck out there Joe.
TOURNAMENT MATCH
BOBBY ROODE vs. SAMOA JOE
Joe attacks Roode from behind as he's posing on the turnbuckle, and goes right to work with a dozen jabs in the corner. Roode pokes Joe in the eyes to get him off, but Joe comes back with knife-edge chops right back into the corner until the ref breaks it up. Bobby rolls to the outside to take off his robe, but Joe suicide dives to the outside right on top of him. He tares the robe off Roode and screams into the air, popping the crowd as TNA cuts to a commercial break.
When they come back, Roode has a side headlock in the middle of the ring. They show clips of what happened during the break, where Roode took a cheap shot from behind and threw his opponent into the announcer's desk, followed by bouncing him off a ring post. Joe battles back with some elbows to the stomach, forcing a break, but Roode knocks him down with a shoulder tackle and goes right back into the hold. Roode controls most of the rest of the match, until he tries for the crossface, and Joe counters into a rear naked choke. Bobby gets to the ropes, and Joe takes his sweet time letting the hold go.
Roode fights back with stiff right hands, and the two trade chops around the ring. Joe nails a running splash in the corner, followed by the pele kick, and heads up to the top rope. Roode forces his weight down on the ropes and crotching Samoa Joe, before hitting him with a massive superplex. Kurt Angle slowly makes his way down to the entrance ramp, and Roode freaks out on him. Joe locks in the rear naked choke from behind, and gets the submission victory.
After the match, Joe celebrates his victory and walks up the entrance ramp, briefly exchanging glances with Angle. The two shake hands and Angle taunts Roode as he crawls his way up the ropes, foaming at the mouth in anger.
***commercial break***
Ethan Carter III vs. Local Jobber
Minute long squash match. The jobber gets in a couple shots, and EC3 wins the match with the front facelock driver.
Backstage, Bully Ray is pacing around, while JB holds a mic up for him to talk.
Bully Ray: Next week, I gotta compete in a tournament to take back what is rightfully been mine to begin with. It's a travesty. It's a joke. But if I have to prove myself for the umpteenth time around here, at least I get the chance to get my hands around Ken Anderson in the process. Ken, I want you to listen up real close. You were nothing without the Aces & Eights, and you'll be nothing after I get through with you next week. I'm going to do to you what I shoulda done a long time ago. When I get done giving you the beating of your life, you're gonna go back to the hole in the ground you call Green Bay, WI and wish to god that stayed gone.
X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Chris Sabin (c) vs. Manik
This is the main event of the night, and they do official ring introductions for this championship match. Velvet Sky is ringside, and doesn't look incredibly happy.
They lock up, and Manik gets the better of the exchange, rolling from a side headlock into a standing headscissors takedown. Sabin shakes it off, and they lock up again, and again the challenger wins the exchange, dropkicking Sabin to the outside. The champ is frustrated, and wants a kiss from Velvet, but settles for stealing one on the cheek. Manik with a baseball slide, knocking Sabin into the announce table. He goes for a springboard splash, but Chris moves out of the way.
They roll back into the ring and the champ takes it to Manik with right hands into the corner, before nailing him with a running elbow. He tries for it again, but Manik catches him and applies a rope tarantula until the referee breaks it up. Manik springboards over the top rope and comes down with a crossbody for a two-count. Sabin kicks him in the face and again rolls to the outside, getting heated by the challenger. Manik follows and the two brawl around, throwing each other off the ring apron, the ramp and into the barricade. Manik runs the apron and flies off, sending Sabin crashing into the barricade with a headscissors toss; the crowd starts a "holy shit!" chant as they cut to the last commercial break of the night.
Manik is still in control when the commercial comes back. During the break, Sabin kicked out of a few pin attempts and nailed Manik with a knee in the corner, but the challenger came back from a rest hold with a big lariat. Manik tries for the Figure Four Deathlock, but Sabin rolls it over and he's forced to break it. Sabin hits a neckbreaker and screams to Velvet to grab his title. She looks worried, and doesn't want to do it. She grabs the belt, but starts to walk away. Sabin goes after her and grabs the belt, heading back into the ring. The referee takes the belt away from him, and the champ argues with his girlfriend on the apron. Manik goes for a dropkick, but accidentally hits Velvet as Manik rolls out of the way. He checks on Velvet through the ropes, and Manik rolls him up from behind with a handful of tights for the 1-2-3.
After the match, Manik, the referee and another official checks on Velvet Sky on the apron. Chris Sabin celebrates with his title, completely oblivious of what's going on with his girlfriend, as Impact goes off the air.
Yeah, and the final lines of your main event as you referred to Sabin as Manik a few times, leading to Manik missing a dropkick to himself, before rolling himself up to give Chris Sabin the victory.
Apart from that, and the picture gaffe (although that's more allowable) though, there was very little wrong with this show. Bully Ray and Magnus' promos were brilliant and I especially enjoyed Abyss going mad in the locker room as Eric Young sat outside. The matches were well-written with a lot of detail, but they weren't so long that I got bored of reading them halfway through. I definitely see Magnus as one for the future.
The only criticism I have, and it's nothing to do with you, is I find it hard to get excited about TNA at all. They have a great roster, who can pull out technically brilliant matches, but none of it means anything in the long-run. Nothing happens bar people wrestling match after match against the same opponents. All the stars do is just trade signature moves and nearfalls for 10/15 minutes. To get me interested in TNA again, you need to look at the match engine and rip it out. TV matches don't need to be long all the time. Obviously PPV matches should be clean and competitive and give the audience what they want, but use TV to make them want to see it. Ulitise Dusty finishes, bait-and-switches and no contests to your advantage. Ideally, you should be keeping guys apart from each other until the PPV. Make me want to see the PPV match. Don't give me a facsimile the week before on Impact. Get creative when writing matches, give them little stories, even if it's daft things like Bully Ray bickers with a child in the front row and gets blinded when the kid throws a drink in his face. Just write matches with a unique selling point, something I can pick out months later that reminds of that match. A spot, a new move, an odd finish, anything at all, no matter how silly.
The other thing is that if you're going to rebuild TNA, you won't be able to do it with the current roster. They've burned every match possibility with the BFG series and random matches on Impact. You need to bring in new talent. That doesn't mean WWE guys or ROH guys and trying to use their star power. That means finding guys who aren't defined by a previous role and making them "TNA guys". Repackage them, if you have to. Look at EC3. Never once have they mentioned he was in WWE as Derrick Bateman. He's becoming a TNA guy. Don't just bring in Davey Richards being Davey Richards, find me guys from around the world. (Zema Ion's from the Philippines, Justin Gabriel's from South Africa). Find some luchadors and puro stars and make me believe that these guys are leaving their homes purely to get a shot in TNA. This is how the X-Division should be booked for me. The world's cruiserweights descending on TNA to try and claim the most prestigeous title in cruiser wrestling. Chris Sabin and Manik can't do this (even if I did enjoy their triangle feud with Aries). Bringing back Petey Williams and Sonjay Dutt can't do this. Bringing in Johnny Kickpads from ROH won't do it. You need to make it international. Also, on the subject of match structure, you should be keeping TV X-Division matches as short as possible. These matches should be lightning sprints, non-stop, spot-driven TV matches to stop you changing the channels.
Similarly, start using jobbers again in a big way. Not every match Bobby Roode is in has to be against upper card talent. Why not bring in somebody notable for a one-off match? It could be someone from the Indies, it could be a grizzled veteran, just someone who could give him, say, a 7/8 minute match with the sole aim of putting Roode over. If you're bringing in names for one-shots or limited runs, it adds more variety and unpredictability. Not everyone needs to be put over all the time. People like Robbie E are perfect, because he's a credible challenger for the Tag, TV or X-Div titles despite never needing a victory and you can also feed him to main eventers in a squash by giving him time to dick about on the mic. People like him are always going to be over, because they work a character that is permanently over. People like monster heels, patriotic or dancing babyfaces are invaluable because they can work their own matches in their own little universe and put people over without ever having to win a belt or go over people who are a draw.
I'm sorry, I've really rambled here, but this is what I want from TNA personally. I'm sure there'll be lots of people who disagree with me, and feel free to disregard all this, but this is what would make me want to watch Impact again. In short, my advice is just to be creative in your booking. Don't try and rebuild TNA by having Samoa Joe smash people as Christopher Daniels wins the title, only for AJ to come back and end up with ANOTHER Styles/Daniels/Joe triple threat. Make it colourful and give your booking a bit of character.
First of all, sorry for all the spelling and grammar mistakes. I finished that post in the middle of the night, and was too tired to check it all. It's pretty bad.
Secondly, thanks for the feedback. Writing up this week's show as we speak.
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