This Week’s Review:
“Hey Joe” ~Or~ “It’s Brittany Bi+%#!”
Greetings, “True-Believers.” I hope everyone’s had a great week! Happy belated Memorial Day to all of the men & women that have given their lives so that we can enjoy the freedom that comes with being American. I also want to send a shout-out to everyone here at PTBN.com for a great 1st year. It’s been an honor & a privilege to be a part of the site’s growth not only through my TNA recaps, but through PTBN’s partnership with The Kings Of Sport. So happy birthday guys! Looking forward to the next 365 days! And my gift to the site, I present the greatest TNA Impact review in history… or at least the best Impact review this week! So without any further ado… let’s get to the show!
Where We’ve Been:
Eric Young continues to fight off the oncoming onslaught of MVP & The Crew. Young’s finally got some backup in the form of Austin Aries, Bully Ray, The Wolves and the returning Samoa Joe.
Also, The Queen of Dixieland continues her feud with Bully Ray and now it looks like ECIII will be her surrogate for the match at Slammiversary. The Gail Kim/BP feud rages on and Gunner attempts to teach Samuel Shaw the meaning of friendship.
Where We’re Going:
We’re a few weeks away from Slammiversary XII and the main event could be in jeopardy (more on that later). MVP continues to be the company’s standout performer, Willow is still Willow and Madison Rayne has a new frenemy.
The Good:
– The Crew/Negrolution/MLK (Shout-Out to Live Audio Wrestling’s John Pollock)
I’m still pretty high on the MVP/Kenny King/Bobby Lashley triumvirate. Everyone has a fine role that fits them. MVP is the confident, seasoned veteran that cuts great promos and can still go in the ring. King is the cocky young upstart that wants to be a star and prove himself to his bigger brothers. Finally, Lashley is the silent enforcer of the group. I’m pleasantly surprised that TNA has avoided the racial route as this group doesn’t need cheap heat like that to get over. I do think they need one more member to sort of even the odds against the good guys (ECII perhaps?), but that’s my only complaint with the group so far.
– “Baby-Ray”
Bully Ray is always a great talker, but his babyface character has seems to be lost until now. The gimmick with the named tables was clever (especially the misspelled “Lashly” table). It not only gives Ray motivation, but provides anticipation for the fans leading up to the big moment when Miss Dixie gets put through a table.
– Faces Fight On
It’s good to see that TNA has ditched their tried and true formula of stacking the odds against the babyfaces. EY has a handful of top faces (and soon-to-be faces, Brother Roode) that are willing to fight with him. And even if EY loses the title at the PPV, they are creating the next crop of challengers for MVP & The Crew. Like I mentioned earlier, I’d like for MVP’s group to add one more member, but that’s an easily fixable issue.
The Bad:
– Brittany
Wow… Just… Wow. I can’t tell if this is TNA’s spin on the old Mickie/Trish angle, or are they just gender-swapping the Sam Shaw/Christy Hemme story (because it was such a success the first time)? Brittany’s an interesting character. She’s athletic and attractive (in a generic sort of way), but she just hasn’t connected with the TNA audience yet. This “fatal attraction” angle with Madison could turn out great… but I doubt it. Both women deserve better. When you can’t get a crowd to pop for faux-lesbian action, it’s a problem. And that leads us to…
– The Impact Zone Crowd
I know the IWC used to hate on the Impact Zone audience for being “chant monkeys.” But I’d much rather have those fans back than the current crowd. They suck all of the energy out of the room. They sit on their hands, detract from the show and generally add nothing to the broadcast. Pennsylvania & New York can’t come fast enough!
– Magnus, Lois Willow, & Bram
I can’t. Not anymore. Willow and Bram are dragging down a guy that was a main-eventer a few months ago.
The Russo-Riffic:
– The Menagerie
TNA couldn’t afford AJ Styles, Sting, Bad Influence, Chris Sabin or Hernandez, but they have money for these (literal) clowns?!? I was willing to give them a chance, but my patience is running thin. Unless they embrace their dark-sides and go heel (ala Doink back in the day), I see nothing good coming from this stable.
Final Thoughts: TNA comes into Slammiversary with uneven ratings and a main event in danger. This past weekend, MVP apparently injured his knee while wrestling in Europe. There’s a chance this could cause him to be pulled from the card, but I think if he’s well enough to work in a limited capacity, he should. The title needs to be on MVP and allowing EY to retain (or putting the title on Lashley), is not a good move in my opinion. Also, I’m intrigued by Samoa Joe’s return. TNA’s missed the big man. He adds further interest to the main event angle and makes a great potential opponent for MVP.
Well, that’s it for the recap this week. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As always, any feedback is welcome. Have a great week and to paraphrase LeVar Burton… I’ll see you next time!!
