First of all, I would like to offer to my sincere condolences to the friends and family of Tony “Ludvig Borga” Halme, who passed away recently aged 47. Halme worked for WWE between 1993 and 1994 and made a lasting impression as an anti-American heel from Finland (he became the first man to end Tatanka’s undefeated streak and was part of a formidable team of “Foreign Fanatics” at the 1993 Survivor Series). Here’s hoping that we don’t see any more premature wrestling deaths in 2010 (or any year, for that matter).Obviously, a “hot topic” among wrestling fans at the moment is the “rebirth” of the old “Monday Night War”. For those who’ve been living under a rock for the past fortnight, on January 4, 2010, TNA Wrestling rather boldly went head-to-head with WWE when they aired a special 3-hour live edition of “IMPACT!” (against WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw). The man at the helm of the TNA ship? None other than “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan, the man who helped propel WCW (World Championship Wrestling) to the top spot back in the 1990’s, on the back of the hugely successful and innovative “New World Order” angle.
It was reported/ alleged that WWE weren’t too concerned about TNA’s attempt to “steal their thunder” on Monday nights. However, Vince McMahon must have been just a little a bit concerned (perhaps more than a little bit), as shortly after TNA President Dixie Carter announced her plans to “give fans a choice”, the WWE Chairman negotiated a deal with Hall Of Fame legend Bret “Hitman” Hart and brought him back in time for the (would you believe it) January 4, 2010 edition of Raw!
So now we had a “Hitman” and a “Hulk” and two pro wrestling companies battling it out for supremacy on Monday night (albeit for one week only). Who would emerge as the victor? Would TNA’s attempt to expand their audience backfire? And who would have the all-round better show, regardless of the ratings results the next day?
Now that both shows are relegated to the history books, I can say that TNA DID NOT beat WWE in the ratings. However, the ratings for TNA IMPACT! DID rise to the previously unseen heights (a company record), while Raw’s rating remained the same. Put simply, TNA had more success than WWE because instead of losing viewers, they gained a lot more. WWE didn’t lose viewers, but they didn’t gain any new ones, either, not even with the return of Bret Hart.
I’ll tell you who I thought had the better show later on, but for now, allow me to quickly rundown the main points of each one, starting with Raw.
WWE Raw:
Raw was built around the return of Bret “Hitman” Hart, a man who hadn’t appeared in a WWE ring since that infamous night in November 1997 when at the Survivor Series, he was double-crossed by Vince McMahon on his last night with the company.
Bret was brought in as Raw “Guest Host” and to their credit; WWE got on with it, introducing “The Hitman” at the start of the show.
I’m pleased to say that Bret looked great. Apart from a slight hobble, he generally looked like “The Hitman” of old. Considering the personal torment he’s gone through over the years (i.e. family problems, recovering from strokes and head problems related to the career-ending concussion he suffered in WCW back in 1999), Bret truly looked like he “belonged” out there (there were concerns from many fans that he would look old and awkward and that it would be sad to see WWE put him out there before an audience in a bad condition just to spike the ratings).
Bret was never renowned for his work on the microphone, but he spoke well and pardon the pun, from the heart. Of course, Montreal was brought up (to boos from the crowd) and Hart asked Shawn Michaels to come out to the ring so the two of them could get some “closure” on the whole thing.
Seeing Hart and Michaels face to face in the ring, talking openly about the events of 12 years ago was yet another surreal moment in pro wrestling history. Even though Bret and Shawn fondly recalled their classic “Iron Man Match” from WrestleMania 12 in 1996, shook hands and embraced, you still got the feeling that there was tension there (Bret looked particularly awkward during the hug). However, it was nice to see both men put the past behind them and move on. (Of course, Vince McMahon, at least from a story line perspective, couldn’t do this, but more on that later).
Raw wasn’t just about “The Hitman”, although his return was the selling point for most people. WWE announced a tournament for the vacant WWE Divas Championship after it was announced that the champion Melina had been forced to vacate the title due to injury. In a first round tournament match, former champion Maryse beat Brie Bella (accompanied by her twin sister Nikki) in a short and relatively sloppy bout that had some bizarre booking (Brie, the fan favourite cheated by swapping places with the other Bella, but Maryse, the heel, saw the switch and outwitted both babyfaces to win the match).
On the plus side, MVP’s fatal four-way victory over Mark Henry, Carltio and Jack Swagger (which earned Mr Porter a shot at WWE U.S. Champion The Miz) was enjoyable, as was DX’s Unified Tag-Team Title retention against Jericho & Big Show.
Randy Orton’s win over Kofi Kingston was also pretty good, although Sheamus’ non-title slaughter of Evan Bourne was a complete waste of time.
Of course, the conclusion of Raw was the 2nd-biggest story of the night (next to the aforementioned Hart/ Michaels promo). Vince McMahon came out to the ring, called out Bret Hart and after a standard “Bret Screwed Bret” speech, actually began praising “The Hitman”, calling him the “Excellence Of Execution” and raising his hand in the middle of the ring.
But then came the twist. McMahon callously turned on Hart, kicking him between the legs before leaving the ring with a look of disdain on his face. This concluded a better-than-usual Monday Night Raw. Granted, the main talking point was Bret’s return, but WWE also appeared to “step it up” in other areas as well, indicating that perhaps a “mini-war” with TNA will prove to be good for them as a company as well.
TNA IMPACT!:
TNA’s live 3-hour special of their flagship show was built around the company debut of Hulk Hogan, plus a number of surprises and “cameo appearances” from big name stars on the night.
Things got started with a chaotic cluster of a match known as “The Steel Asylum”. This was supposed to showcase the stars of the X-Division but it was too short and too crowded to mean a hell of a lot (Plus the finish was appalling; how the hell can you have a “DQ” or a “No Contest” in a “Steel Asylum” Match?).
The bigger story here was the surprise appearance of former WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy, who came out of the crowd and was immediately, jumped by Homicide (who climbed to the top of the “Asylum” even though the match was thrown out). Hardy recovered and drilled the former LAX member with a nasty steel chair shot to the head while TNA fans welcomed the “Enigma” back home. (Credit to TNA: They screwed up the first match, but recovered with the return of Jeff Hardy).
In TNA Knockout’s Championship action, ODB regained the division’s singles belt from Tara, thanks to a handful of tights. The match was short, but was better than their disappointing bout at Final Resolution. However, I don’t think the better woman won this one.
Post-match, Tara hit ODB with the “Widow’s Peak” and allowed her pet spider “Poison” to crawl all over the belly of the new champion. This looked like the actions of a heel to me, but in the topsy-turvy world of TNA, Tara was cheered for her “unsportswoman-like” conduct.
The next surprise appearance of the evening came when a limousine pulled up outside the arena and out came none other than “Nature Boy” Ric Flair! So far, TNA had really been living up to their promise of “big name surprises”.
After Mick Foley talked about not being allowed into the “IMPACT! Zone” (and then getting turned away by security), Bobby Lashley and his wife Kristal came out to the ring (to a huge cheer initially).
Speaking on behalf of her husband, Kristal announced (somewhat brilliantly, I might add) that Lashley wanted out of his TNA contract so that he could concentrate solely on his MMA career. Kristal’s delivery here was superb, it’s a shame that Lashley just stood there, smiling like a “nice guy” when he really should have been snarling like a beast and flipping off and insulting the fans.
Of course, the next big thing to happen on the show was the official TNA debut of Hulk Hogan. This was truly a landmark moment in the history of TNA, I kid you not.
Hogan came out dressed like “Hollywood” or “NWO Hulk” and received one of the biggest reactions I can recall hearing on a TNA (or even a WWE show) in a while. The fans were like putty in his hands and the “IMPACT! Zone” was a sea of yellow Hogan “Change” shirts (available on TNA Wrestling.Com).
Hogan talked about making a change, making TNA number 1 and helping out the young guys. He got security to allow Sean Waltman and Scott Hall (who were sat in the crowd and seen on camera) to get into the ring, which is what they did.
Hall and Waltman challenged Hogan on his views, but Hulk was adamant that this was a “different time”. Seeing former NWO members Hogan, Hall and Waltman reunited in the ring was like being transported back to the peak of WCW in the late 1990’s (and in a good way). And it seemed that the nostalgia trip was only just getting started.
Kevin Nash soon joined his former NWO buddies and asked Hogan, “When did you become so corporate?” As relations threatened to break down, out came Eric Bischoff to play peacemaker. (Bischoff received a healthy cheer, along with Hogan and the “NWO”).
Bischoff talked about change and actually ripped up the format for the night. At brief intervals during his speech, the camera cut away to TNA President Dixie Carter, who didn’t look happy a lot of the time (it’s not clear at this stage whether Dixie will be introduced as an on-screen character herself so perhaps this was an early indication of her story line “disdain” for Bischoff and his direction, although it could have been another TNA balls-up where she wasn’t aware she was on camera or wasn’t happy with something about the show). This took away from the segment for me, as it was confusing as to where her allegiance was meant to lie (plus she wasn’t initially acknowledged by Mike Tenay and Taz on commentary and no name graphic came up explaining she was the TNA President. How confusing must this have been for new or casual TNA fans watching the show?).
Overall, Bischoff said things were changing for the better, with Hogan adding that everyone would have to “earn their spot” from now on. This was a great segment, but it remains to be seen whether it’s the start of a truly new direction for the company, or yet more hot air.
I should also point out that this segment featured the return of Sting, who was spotted watching the promo from high above in the rafters of the arena. This was another nice homage to WCW.
In more TNA Knockout’s action, Hamada & Awesome Kong defeated Taylor Wilde and Sarita to become the new TNA World Tag-Team Champions in an exciting-while-it-lasted bout where Hamada unfortunately picked up a knee injury (however, she’s wrestled since then, so it doesn’t appear to be too serious). It’s not clear whether Kong is now a fan favourite, by virtue of teaming with Hamada. Yet another example of TNA’s bizarre attitude to the booking of faces and heels.
Another surprise debut came when former WWE Superstar Val Venis (Sean Morley) showed up for a spot of “Strip Poker” with The Beautiful People. I must say that although this segment was a good way of utilising Morley, in general, the whole “hot chicks threatening to strip” thing didn’t really portray TNA as much of an “alternative” or “cutting edge” product. It’s the sort of thing WWE used to do; plus it’s a waste of time because it’s obvious that TNA wouldn’t be allowed to show real “T&A” and might give some potential viewers the wrong impression (TNA would be better off saying “our girls wrestle” and just stick to the in-ring action, with a bit of sexiness thrown in, but nothing too smutty).
After “The Pope” beat Desmond Wolfe in another great but short bout, Jeff Jarrett returned to the “IMPACT! Zone” and said it was great to be back (again, another odd look from Dixie, although it could be the beginning of a “worked shoot” angle, who knows?). Jeff really put over the talent and the company and talked about the struggles he’d been through to get them there. The fans were on his side, so why did TNA have to shoot themselves in the foot by having Hogan (yes, him again) interrupt Jarrett’s speech and start ripping into him for no good reason?
This would have been a great promo from Hogan if Jarrett was a heel, but under the circumstances, Hogan came across as a jerk, drunk with power, shooting on Jarrett and bashing what he’d done for the company so far. The result? Fans started booing Hogan and siding with Jarrett. This was yet another example of TNA overcooking the goose. As a stand-alone segment with Jarrett, it would have worked fine, but by trying to do too much, too soon, the inclusion of Hogan in the segment ruined the whole thing.
Back to the action, Samoa Joe beat Abyss in a good match that was originally billed as being a “Barbed Wire Massacre” (actually, Rhino was scheduled to be Abyss’ opponent, but he was found laid out in the back. Thank God TNA didn’t run the barbed wire match; I can’t think of anything more off-putting for mainstream fans who may have been tuning in for the first time [these matches are for an certain taste. I personally don’t mind them in moderation, but I think if any wrestling company wants to go mainstream and appeal to a variety of fans, then putting a match such as this on free TV on your biggest night as a company isn’t really the best route to take]). It was a pleasant surprise to see TNA book a clean vision (Joe beat Abyss via submission).
After the Nasty Boys trashed Team 3D’s locker room, it was main event time: AJ Styles VS Kurt Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
This was a great match, no question about it. Apart from the pointless run-in from the “mystery man” (who was revealed to be Tomko this past week), this was a no-nonsense, classic wrestling bout that demonstrated why TNA has a strong case for being a viable “WWE alternative”.
In the end, Styles retained his title following a 450 splash from the ropes. Post-match, both men shook hands, before Hulk Hogan rejoined us (I should also point out that Ric Flair appeared on the stage to watch this match. However, he left halfway through. Perhaps Flair got bored with the action or needed a bathroom break?).
Hogan put over both men and talked about a new beginning for TNA. This would have been the best possible way to end the show (i.e. showcasing two of TNA’s top talents, with them getting the “thumbs up” from Hogan), but TNA had other ideas.
A stagehand whispered something in Hogan’s ear and Hulk left the stage. Backstage, Foley stormed in on Val Venis’ poker game with The Beautiful People (Val was miffed that Foley disrupted the game before the girls could lose their clothes, Foley must have been miffed that as a TNA employee he couldn’t get into the arena [but as an ex-WWE employee wearing nothing but a towel, Val apparently could]).
Foley challenged Bischoff but got jumped by Hall, Nash and Waltman, before Hogan apparently “called off” the attack. To be fair, this segment ensured that “IMPACT!” ended on a cliffhanger. However, I think it should have ended with TNA issuing a statement like “This is why we’re different: Our wrestlers wrestle, look at our main event”. Styles and Angle worked their arses off, only to have the moment stolen from them by Hogan, Hall, Nash, Waltman, Foley and Bischoff. I’m sorry, but the whole thing didn’t seem right to me.
Criticisms aside, TNA IMPACT! was superior to WWE Raw and provided many great moments. A few of the matches could have been a bit longer, but for pure entertainment, IMPACT! was a generally positive indication of where TNA could be headed under the new partnership of Hogan, Bischoff and Dixie Carter.
Unfortunately, neither WWE nor TNA could build on the success of these shows with their efforts this past week. Raw featuring Mike Tyson was generally dire. The decision to bring Jericho back to Raw yet again was lazy, as was the idea of having “Iron Mike” turn on Y2J in the main event and “rejoin” DX. Nothing of any real significance happened on the show (we DID get a new no 1 contender to the WWE Championship in Randy Orton, but considering both he and Sheamus are heels, how well received is match going to be at Royal Rumble?). Meanwhile, Bret Hart’s return was only touched upon, with a “Bret Screwed Bret” promo from Vince McMahon, where many fans bombarded him with chants of “Boring” (which summed up the whole Raw show, to be honest).
TNA IMPACT! was better, but did little to build on the momentum from the previous week. There was too much talking and not enough action for my liking, plus a few story line developments were rushed or botched entirely.
For starters, the “unmasking” of Tomko was poorly handled. They could have waited to the PPV instead of giving it away free on TV. Plus, don’t get me started on the fact that the TNA announcers acted surprised by Tomko’s return but then told us to watch some pre-taped videos where he talked openly about getting “pay back” on AJ Styles. How ridiculous did this make them look?
Angelina Love’s return was another rush-job. It was handled better than Tomko’s comeback (they didn’t air a video later on of Angelina saying how much she enjoyed attacking Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich, before she’d even attacked them), but you still felt that TNA could have shown a little patience and restraint and sat Love at ringside for a few weeks, asking if she would rejoin The Beautiful People or not (they then could have brought her back as a heel, turning on “weak link” Lacey Von Erich and kicking her out of the group).
The nonsense between Team 3D and The Nasty Boys was inadvertently hilarious. Knobs and Saggs trashed 3D’s locker room again. Bubba and D-Von had trouble getting into their locker room, so they WALKED OUT TO THE RING and then told The Nasty Boys that they were going back there to reclaim their dressing room, with the help of an axe (why didn’t they just save time by grabbing the axe sooner and just get on with breaking down the door?). Then, when they finally got in, The Nasty’s beat them up anyway!
The Sean Morley/ Daniels segment has been discussed in my Genesis “Predictamania” piece, while the “power struggle” between Jarrett and Hogan & Bischoff did little to shed any new light on the face/ heel set-up with TNA’s authority figures (Mick Foley was nowhere to be seen, which was at least one less authority figure to worry about).
Overall, TNA appeared to go back to their old ways with the 2nd edition of their “new era” IMPACT! There were some rays of hope thrown in there, but generally speaking; it was 2 hours of confusion, baffling decisions and at times, idiocy.
TNA Genesis is tonight, so it’ll be interesting to see what “big name” they have up their sleeve in regards to that. However, 2 weeks into the supposed “new era”, I hate to be a pessimist, but it seems that this company may already be suffering from the “too many cooks stirring the broth” syndrome (i.e. too much big name talent from the past, leaving less time for the new or home-grown guys etc). It’s early days yet, but it’s still a little disheartening to see TNA stumble like this just one week after their biggest and best TV show in a while.
Source: http://attitudesmash.blogspot.com/
