Dear Dixie

Trance-Formation of TNA

What a great surprise – the Bound 4 Glory Series, a points based round robin series, so long overdue. Exactly the right move – proves that a title shot matters! Only thing I would do is have an actual round robin final (much like wcw Starrcade ’89 if you remember that?), probably top 4 at Bound4Glory, winner gets the title – obviously we’d have to have a vacant title. This ‘series’ should be an annual event bound4glory.

Destination X is to be an X-Division event! Again right on the money. With so many PPVs around, not just TNA, each PPV should really have its own branding – X-Div, Hardcore, Cage, tournament etc – this makes each event special.

In this respect then, TNA is bound for glory. Let’s see more of this.

Was Heyman right when he said there are too many ‘legends’? Yes he was. It certainly detracts from them. Was he right when he called for ‘just one legend’, no he wasn’t, while I agree we shouldn’t see the legends calling the shots and taking all the spots a couple or three legends would seem feasible providing their storylines where pretty different. I also like legends in non wrestling capacity – you’re not going to train charisma – personally I would see Flair in wrestling management, he can sell an angle or star on his own, everyone around him would benefit too. Steiner has a role to play for me, his airtime is gold, Desmond Wolfe is an asset also but possibly a bit lost in Xplosion – but there’s lots of scope for a global angle bringing him to iMPACT!

One gimmick away for stardom – Rob Terry. Contact for more info.

While I do think Gunner has potential, his intensity is addictive, his packaging is not good – with his background as a marine this image could be a massive heat and merchandise plus. Not sure why he’s being pushed at the moment, does anybody ‘care about him’… yet?

Save for the Jarrett/Angle angle there’s not much to make you want to follow the soap. Wrestling can still matter if storylines are running through the great matches – don’t forsake the storylines as people watch wrestling for different reasons – wrestling matters for sure but you also want to know where your favourite star is going, how is he going to get there, what will he decide to do. You must leave the viewer wanted to know something…

Stings intensity is immense – he almost made Hogan relevant when he painted him. On the subject of Hogan he adds nothing to TNA and takes quite a bit in return – it’s time he went, let Sting retire him and his tired old ideas with him.

Bischoffs character doesn’t make sense for TNA, he’s the bad guy yet he’s being pushed in ring as a face – it’s not working at all. The ‘network’ angle doesn’t really make sense, doesn’t matter, either. The nearer you get to Bischoff and Hogan and less things work. The remedy then is obvious. I try to be fair and for Bischoffs he actually came across as quite charismatic (in his discussion with Anderson) – vocally (not sure if it was by design) he sounded like agent Smith from the Matrix! He might be useful then, but his gimmick/storyline? would have to be better defined to work.

Wrestling and storylines matter!

Trance-Formation of TNA: Slammiversary

These are my post PPV thoughts, this is not meant to be a card report but just comments on creative, or lack of it, and the direction(s) of TNA.

We want TNA to prosper not be devoured and spat out by Vince (like he did to wcw)...

If you've got HDHD I've highlighted important bit in bold.

James Storm/Alex Shelley vs. British Invasion (Magnus/Doug Williams)

Tne British Invasions entrance kind of highlighted where TNA is with their creative dept. or should we call it 'lack of' creative - maybe it's 'cause I'm a Brit but the gimmick just looked like somebody realised before the match the British Invasion were wrestling - where was the Union Jack attire? Why were they given the title match anyway, when did they last wrestle again?

If wrestling matters then why was Magnus in the match at all? Where is Rob Terry - a future TNA MVP - potentially a monster heel ala Scott Norton.

Doug Williams looked good in ring but its difficult to understand why he was previously given so much mic time?

Scott Steiner vs. Matt Morgan

Two guys with solid characters and gimmicks, save for Morgan’s stupidly named finisher “the Carbon Footprint” – global warming’s running wild on you brother!

TNA X-Division (X-treme) Title Belt: Abyss vs. Kendrick??? vs. Kazarian

Anyone got an idea why Kendrick is here, not in the title bout but in TNA really – future star Jay Lethal gets pushed and Kendrick gets pushed, in a different way of course, go figure!

Remember Fortune? That worked didn’t it, there is goes then. Btw, need to rename them Fourtune and please please the same fingers!

This reminded me about the TNA title picture – devalued is a good word – in the last while we’ve had Global title, Legends title, two world titles, X Division/X-Treme, TV title – the point of titles in that they mean something, if they don’t then the matches don’t either, then neither does the organisation – TNA fail.

Crimson vs. Samoa Joe

Super strong style, wrestling really mattered here for sure, awesome. Only issue here was the finish, Joe might as well have KO’d Crimson and pulled him on top of him to lose it. What’s happens to Joe’s stock, are wwe after him? How many future starts have to go until TNA smells the coffee, or is it the fowl stench of Vince’s aftershave?

Mickie James vs. Angela Love

Apparently Mickie James can sing, why haven’t we heard from this from TNA? Fail. While I quite like the weird Winter thing, and esp her theme music – the best in TNA I am still trying to find the Beautiful People – silly me, they were one of TNA’s biggest selling points – better shelve that then! On that subject I would bring back the Von Erich girl as Love fits better in the zombie role.

Bully Ray vs. A J Styles

Superb match, no complaints at all here. Would like to see A J as a in ring performer only and limited on the mic though that’s unlikely to happen with better mic performers being limited by pushed A J.

World title: Sting vs. Mr Anderson

Reminded me how much I liked the old Sting gimmick. It’s a bit controversial, but I’d like to see Sting having a permanent gimmick change or at least a haircut. The A$$hole is superb but not really a TNA creation; he is what he is… an asshole.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle

This is a blueprint, not Matt Morgan but a blueprint for a good old fashioned feud – whatever happened to them? Jeff Jarrett is keeping TNA relevant but the company needs more than JJ.

Overview:

Some superb matches (you know which they are), it’s really not all doom and gloom, this was a great PPV, problem is TV builds PPV heat and buys and TNA TV rarely builds anything except apathy.

TV studio PPV feels really unspecial (it that a word?), not sure why we aren’t booking a decent venue – surly it could be sold out?

Still massive concerns over where the talent sits, is Joe getting fazed out, when will Kendrick be fazed out, you can take Magnus too! BP – holla if you want them!

>phew< No Hogan, only thing worse than having him as a heel is having him as a face – looks like it could be on the cards to hurt TNA further. >Whoooooorried look< where is Flair?

Jason Smith
Director: Trance-Form Business