Torch Feedback Thursday Night TV Reax #1: "I thought TNA prided themselves on differentiating their product from WWE"
Jan 21, 2010 - 11:41:26 PM
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-- 1/21 TNA Impact Reax
Justin Shook, student (8.0): Best Match: A.J. Styles vs. Kurt Angle. Worst Match: The Pope vs. Orlando Jordan. This was a solid two hours of Impact. It started off perfect with the excellent A.J. Styles promo establishing why he cheated to win. It really helped set up the new kind of heel attitude we can expect to see from him. Flair and he together are gold. Angelina Love was fantastic in her return. I truly do believe she is the next Trish Stratus. The Nasty Boys weren't horrible, which was a nice surprise. I know a lot of people aren't going to like the ending of show, especially since the "Montreal Screwjob" has already been revisited by WWE within the last year. However, Angle was fantastic in this role. I believe if Impact were a live show, many people would be wondering if Angle was serious about his jump to WWE. He was very passionate and came off truly angry. I am really curious to see where he goes from here. Who does he feud with next? TNA is really doing a great job of encouraging viewers to come back week after week to get answers to questions people might actually care about. This is something Raw has been lacking for months. The image of Kurt Angle spitting in the face of Hulk Hogan was unbelievable to see.
Justin Kratz of Harleysville, Pa. (0.0) Best: Nothing. Worst: Screwjob. I turned on TNA when I got home tonight and couldn't help but wonder why The Nasty Boys were on my TV. I have negative interest in watching anything associated with these has-beens. Hogan said he wanted to bring in the older wrestlers to give a "rub" to the younger guys and help get them over. If this is the case, why would he put these old-timers in a program with Team 3-D, a tag team who does not need help getting over and is certainly not a young, up-and-coming tag team? I was surprised that the main event was going to be Angles vs. Styles again but knew it was going to be a good match. Boy, was I wrong. That finish was by far the worst finish in the history of bad finishes. Is that the best idea TNA's creative people - Bischoff and Hogan, I'm looking at you - could come up with? I don't watch TNA that often, but I was legitimately excited about wrestling for the first time in years due to the one night resurrection of the Monday Night Wars. I saw enough to give TNA a chance and tune in on Thursday nights when I could. But after what I saw tonight, I have no interest in tuning in again. I thought TNA was supposed to be something different; that they prided themselves on differentiating themselves from the evil empire known as the WWE. The re-creation of the Montreal Screwjob didn't work for WWE with Taker and Punk, and it certainly failed here. Even worse is TNA trying to imitate WWE and doing a miserable job of it. It proved TNA is in the minor leagues. Side-note: How can TNA say they want to do all they can to help with the tragedy in Haiti yet still have "Bubba-the-Talentless-Sponge" on their payroll after his heartless comments?
-- 1/21 WWE Superstars TV Reax
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (9.0): Best: Shelton vs. Vance; commentary on main event. Worst: Jillian vs. Kelly. This week, Raw did well, then ECW faltered. Superstars did very well building both the Rumble and the Divas title tourney. The Divas match was clumsy, but okay, and the same crowd that was hot for Raw helped elevate Kelly vs. Jillian. The Miz video was the usual "good package" fare to highlight one of the roster members. During the Archer-Benjamin match, Matthews checked off the list of Shelton Benjamin's title successes. Just hearing that list, and knowing one major is missing, seems to be a testament to "what could have been" with Shelton. Why won't WWE, even once, give Benjamin the ball to run with? Or should the question, "does he even want it?" need to be asked? Meanwhile, Vance Archer's vow to take his time making his "Masterpiece Of Agony" shouldn't kill his momentum. Lately, the "Did You Know?" blipverts have cued up factoids about the Royal Rumble, and tonight's was about Kane and Shawn Michaels being in the most. If I remember correctly, Kane's not only tied for most, but all of his are consecutive. True or not, why hasn't WWE taken more advantage of this feature? Instead of spinning a bragging tale about its ratings, why not give more fact clips about PPVs, wrestlers, and special matches (like the Rumble)? I want to know more about that, not questionable demographics numbers. The Kane-Jericho commentary kept relevant to both the match as it was going on, as well as its relevance to the Royal Rumble match (e.g., Jericho slipping under the bottom rope). The only slip was mentioning the Michaels-Taker confrontation and Grisham paraphrasing for Undertaker what Michaels vowed to do (win the Rumble to earn the right to gun for Undertaker's title). And is it just me, or did Jericho not look as buff in the ring as he did for the "Men's Fitness" cover? Had they shown the cover, fans might have been a little confused.
We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on these shows for a "TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Superstars and Impact, click here.
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