Trance-Formation of TNA: Hardcore Justice (2011)

Dear Dixie,

Again this is meant to be constructive critisism, while the company is driving in totally the wrong direction it is very easy to turn around the bus - I am just here to try help you with the navigation. Of course sometimes you also need to change drivers, they might just be too tired, though it seems they are on the wrong road - whether by mistake or by design.

TNA Hardcore Justice

Knockouts tag title: Tara & Tessmacher vs. Sarita & Rosita

Not really much point in this one.  There should be a reason for bringing a team together, can’t see one for the prior team.  The Mexican girls are hard to care about, surly more could be done with their gimmick – I’m thinking a Shakira type look, The Mexican America thing just isn’t working, it’s proving useful to make one of TNA’s top prospects in Hernandez irrelevant – he doesn’t make a good heel.

Bound 4 Glory scoring (leader board) is shown.

All you need to know if that Devon (doesn’t even have a proper gimmick!), Gunner is joint 5^th, Scott Steiner is 8^th and Samoa Joe is last with it looks like minus (?) 10 points.  This series could have been used to promote the top technical wrestlers but instead they’re being killed for the prelim talent – again this delavues all TNA talent.  This could have been the precursor to TNA’s version of King of the Ring.  It looks to me as though this ‘series’ does not have any proper format the the matches/stips are randon, again devaluing the whole concept which is essentially a good idea.

Bound 4 Glory match: Pope vs. Devon

Devon has what i would call negative charisma.  On the oposite side of the charisometer Pope is so over, amazing behind the mic.  Devon got a little heat from the “studio” audience.  Pope rightfully got the win.

Knockouts title: Mickey James (c) vs. Winter

Mickeys attire looked real good here, much more marketable.  Winter has got to be the most interesting women in TNA, her theme has/will become legend.  Good decision to give Winter the title, might generate some interest in the women’s division.  Winter could easily be utilised as a manager/valet going forward, lots of potential there for angles etc.

Thank goodness Austin Aries interrupted Kendricks interview.  Aries has it all.

Bound 4 Glory match: Crimson vs.  Rob Van Dam

Having qualifying matches for an upcoming PPV – does that not devalue this PPV?  I would have put Crimson in a squash match ala Sid Vicous.

Fortune vs. Immortal – six man tag

Wish they’d change the spelling of Fortune to Fourtune, even the fingers looks silly – looks like they’ve got arthritis in their fingers J, I’d like to see a reverse 4 horsemen fingers.  After a good start to the faction, Fortune have regressed  - they don’t seem to have a mission, they are struggling also because they don’t really possess mic skills now Flair is gone. 

6 man tag made it feel even more like a TV show – who is booking this?  You get wasters like Devon and Kendrick in singles action  and real talent like Styles and Kaz get lost in 6 man tag.

Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray

Both of these guys have been pushed as heels, strange booking again.

Tag Team title: Beer Money vs. Mexican America

Welcome one of the brightest lights in the creative darkness that is TNA – Beer Money!!  I’d like to repackage Roode as Fourtune’s enforcer – Double R.  Hernandez needs to be in a singles star, being in a team dilutes his talent – the first Mexican Heavyweight champion could be a nice storyline and I think he would come out of it bigger than wrestling – a good squash feud with Anarchia, who actually comes across as a decent heel, would be good start. BEER MONEY – this could also be merchandise heaven, the potential is limitless.

TNA World title: Sting vs. Kurt Angle

Why would you turn Angle heel when there is talk of him trying out for 2012 Olympics? – another desition which raises suspiction, it isn’t really possible that this could have not been considered by TNA management.  This is a golden oportunity that should be grabbed with both hands by TNA – this one ‘angle’ could raise the profile of TNA more than everything that has gone before.  Just in case you liked the match Hogan arrived to remind us all where TNA currently is.

Summary

Considering this was ‘hardcore’ justice where were the hardcore matches and hardcore stips?

Having qualifying matches for an upcoming PPV is such a poor idea, makes this PPV seem inferior, felt like a TV Special.

 Studio audience is really annoying, it feels cheap and you can tell the crowd don’t care.  Gunner and Daniels ‘fell’ on to a table, no move was executed, and the audience said ‘holly shit’??

Booking was shocking.  Was somebody in TNA doing an exercise to see how few buys they could generate?

More oportunities lost, or I would suggest delibratly ignored.

I’m afraid there was little to take from this PPV offering, other than it being a blueprint or how not to market and book a event.

Jason Smith

Trance-Form Creative

0775 882 4649

Trance-Formation of TNA: Destination X

Looking at the TNA brand and how it is and isn’t working...

TNA Destination X

Really like the PPV “X Division” branding. It makes it special with just X stars, 6 sided ring etc. Lets hope we’ve got this branded PPV because TNA thinks it’s a good idea and not because TNA are trialling the idea. The whole concept/ brand looks polished and makes sense – a blueprint for other TNA PPV.
The heat and feel of the event was hurt by being at Universal Studios rather than a real arena, it feels better to have a proper crowd with real wrestling fans rather than people who chant the same things repeatedly – I don’t understand why you can’t sell out an arena for a PPV?

Kazarian vs. Samoa Joe

Makes me wonder if the wwe is after Joe and somebody in TNA is preparing Joe to go, much like they did for Jay Lethal? How far do you have to denigrate a great before he decides he wants out? Didn’t Joe used to be ones of the faces of TNA? People say the people who pull the strings at TNA don’t have a plan, I think they do, but it certainly isn’t a plan in TNA’s interests a lot of the time, but there are enough things happening to keep them around.

Doug Williams vs. Mark Haskins

I’m big on pushing young talent, but not debuting them on PPV as a rule. PPV debuts should be saved for defections and returns of big stars. British Invasion gimmick needs a overhaul but like the stable.

Generation Me vs. Eric Young & Shark Boy

Can anybody define what Generation Me are? When they debuted the Christian babyface image was good but since then the whole gimmick has been utterly confused. Only one question you need to ask, does anybody ‘care about them’ – answer, probably not because to care you have to associate and to associate you have to know who they are. Eric Young is just another gimmick gone wrong. On the plus side great to see Shark Boy back, a throwback to when TNA actually understood what a gimmick was, not every star can be an icon or a main eventer but every wrestler must have something – Shark Boy does have a solid gimmick but then I’m a bit of a parody nut. I could have a field day with the SharkBoy gimmick! Gen Me could be the new ‘rockers’, they are supremely talented. Why would a makeshift team go over Gen Me? Answers on a postcard to ‘I don’t understand Creative’...

Ultimate X: Shannon Moore vs. Robbie E vs. Amazing Red vs. Alex Shelley

Love the concept.
Shannon Moore – good gimmick but believe it’s him, Mooregasm – dynamite. Even like the team ‘Ink Inc’ – nice midcard team
Robbie E – Decent gimmick but unsure why he had a monster push, should only even be mid card, at best
Amazing Red – he’s amazing, great underdog gimmick, like him as short reign champion
Alex Shelley – the best until last, think Stunning Steve in WCW, think Chris Jericho on Nitro – Shelley should be the next, he needs mic time! Will he get pushed or be dealt, pushed to wwe for them to use him?
So Alex wins! – Right then, time for a huge push – right to the top!

Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

More evidence that if you’re only going to keep a few legends then RVD must be one of them. Got me thinking though regarding feuds, save for the main eventers there don’t seem to be many meaningful feuds with different stipulated matches – not only does this build the characters but it saves great matches so you always have dream matches in reserve.

Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion vs. Low-Ki vs. Jack Evans

Which match graves the most interest tonight? Well this is it. Why? Because it’s new, it’s different. Your product most always be new, be fresh, be evolving. With a contract on the line this match really meant something.

What did we learn? (1) more than one athlete deserves a contract, certainly Aries and Evans. (2) gimmicks aren’t as important for lightweight wrestlers as their ability is often their appeal – that’s not to say they shouldn’t have decent gimmicks which could elevate them further (3) the crowd tells you when a match is good (4) Austin Aries is a wrestling god much like a Malenko or Benoit, it is right that he got the contract. If TNA don’t sign Jack Evans then they are lunatics.

X Division title: Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick

Wonder if Abyss is also confused with his 100 character changes, he should be a monster heel, simple. This is no reason for Kendrick to be in TNA let along a title match, virtually everyone on this card brings more than Kendrick – to be a main eventer you either have to be ultra over or ultra talented, Kendrick is and never will be either. Notice crowd response – it was dead. Liked it that Abyss didn’t sell any of Kendrik’s shots. Kenrick wins title, didn’t you know that was going to happen – what an absolute disaster for TNA, massive huge fail – TNA have elevated the most meaningless person to the top of the X Division – the perfect way to keep TNA down.

AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

While this is a good match, how did CD get here? Who has he beaten to attain main event status. For this reason the match doesn’t make sense, at least build the man up. Good match but didn’t mean anything apart from the fact that main events don’t mean anything in TNA.

Conclusion:

Highlights: X Divison band really worked, 6 sides ring. New X stars. No Hogan. Jack Evans.
Lowlights: Anything involved Kendrick. Joe gets jobbed again.

Jason Smith
Trance-Form Creative
e-mail: trance-form@blueyonder.co.uk, Tel: 0775 882 4649

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

WTF: Drugged up

I was watching some US TV and the following advert caught my attention - thought what a great spoof!... and the US doesn't really do spoof that well save for the late Leslie Neilson...

Actually it was deadly, and I emphasise the word deadly... serious!

Ok, so this advert is aledgedly for a anti-smoking drug which apparantly targets the brain, alarm bells... code yellow

Hang on, might have been a bit quick to jump, they're actually giving us safety information! Some people had changes in behaviour, agitation or hostility??!! Depressed mood and suicidal thoughts (!!!) while taking this. Two question really. Is it really worth taking this drug given the fact that you might very well become hostile towards your family, then get depressed and finally kill yourself - although the drug would actully achieve it's objective as you'd be unlikely to smoke again unless you fancied cremation! Question 2 would be, how the fuck did this sh!t get on the market? Answer to 2 is, doesn't matter because you cannot by law sue pharmaceutical companies.
I jumped at the right time.

Comment: You don't say!
Yeah better check in with your dealer.. sorry Dr for their thoughts - which might be tricky considering they have probably never obtained their Phd in Drugs.

Again another plus point for the product, mouth swelling might make smoking more of a problem!... severe swelling of the throat again might sort out your smoking addiction for ever!

Do people really "buy" this stuff? or is it just me?