iMPACT vs RAW

More Wrestling than angles? Logical Plots? Interesting Surpises? Can it be true TNA?

Meanwhile, RAW isn't over yet, but the first hour kinda bombed. The opening promo was ok if you like that kind of thing but it seemed everyone hated the McGruber stuff. Then Taker kill Swagger, which doesn't say much for the new champ.

Quite shocking, it looks like TNA have done a really good show on a night that mattered, and hell I wouldn't be surpised if they picked up some ratings from people flicking over from RAW bored.

I think TNA helped their cause by putting the belt on the most over guy on their roster.

Rob Van Dam as champion has me marking all kinds of hard, and I actually enjoyed most of iMPACT tonight.

The Hogan Confetti sucked, but everything else was bomb.

Let's also remember the Raw roster was marooned over in Europe.

Yeah, but they had the smackdown crew in place and really didn't use them that well. Certainly the different styles of RAW and Smackdown booking were apparent from that RAW. I mean the only things really worth your time on RAW was Swagger vs Taker and the Main Event.

Meanwhile iMPACT gave a show which was a logical follow up to their PPV, gave decent matches and setup another three matches for the next episode. It also had the surpise return of Joe (who'd been missing for a while, leaving TNA fans scared he might end up like Daniels) and cut to commerical just at the right time to leave us wondering WHOSE SIDE IS HE ON?! as he made for the ring.

Easier wrote:

Let's also remember the Raw roster was marooned over in Europe.

Even if they hadn't have been with the amount of in-ring action TNA had last night RAW didn't stand a chance.

Yeah I'll admit it I've hardly watched any WWE in the last 3-4 months and am now a firm follower of TNA, but it's obvious from all the reviews I've read that WWE are just constantly rehashing the same matches and angles over and over and over again. Seriously how many times can you watch Cena getting the title in one year? Do WWE only have the same few guys on their rosters so they HAVE to constantly push them? NO! They have got some amazingly talent guys on their books and yet they are just used as jobbers to make their "Big names" look good. It's fucking pathetic.

At least TNA are pushing ALL of their talent (although I will admit I wish Hall, Nash and Waltman would disappear into a blackhole sometime very soon). Even the Knockouts get more airtime than guys like Evan Bourne.


Sorry for the rant but I just felt like I had to open my mouth just this once.

Easier wrote:

Let's also remember the Raw roster was marooned over in Europe.

Let's also remember that this meant the entire Raw show was booked on the fly or at the very least in less time then they normally are given. Meanwhile, TNA followed the WCW method of booking by giving away not one but TWO huge PPV quality matches on free TV. Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam and Rob Van Dam vs. AJ Styles could have main evented any TNA PPV and TNA gave them away for free with NO PRIOR HYPE. That is bad for business people but par for course for TNA.

Yeah, it was for free, but despite what some might say, TNA is totally financially sable thanks to Panda Energy, so it's not like despite for money.

So personnally i don't think "giving away" PPV quality was a bad move because of the benefits it'd bring in. Another flicking over from WWE would see RVD and Jeff or RVD and Styles fighting it out and possibly become interested in watching. That could lead them into becoming TNA fans.

Also, there was some hype Drew. I think on the PPV they stated Styles would be defending his belt, their press releases stated it, their youtube stated, and I'm hoping their tv ads stated it. They didn't say exactly who, but they did state "a former world champion"...leading to the 411 comment boys to yell "Hulk Hogan "

I think the pro of bringing in viewers to iMPACT far outweights the con of lossing a few buys on the next PPV.

I have to agree with both of you on this.

Drew has a point from the waning years of WCW. They had a habit of putting PPV matches on free TV just to generate ratings to beat WWE/F. Goldberg's two title wins are a great example. Say what you will about Scott Levy but he knew how to be a good heel character. The build up for that match would have been great with something like Goldberg running roughshod through the Raven's Nest to get to him at the PPV. His title win over Hogan is another example.

Having said that, Celt makes a valid point as well. I think that TNA has the potential (with the talent that they have grown) to become a legitimate second company. Problem is, you have too many people who still want the business to be about them, namely Hogan and Flair. Their time is done and over with. It's time for the next group. A better booker and writing crew could do wonders for the product. And keep Dixie Carter off of TV. She doesn't really add to the product in any way. In fact she takes away from the product. Kind of like seeing Vince in the ring now. It was cool when he was in his late forties, early fifties. Now it's just embarrassing.

I'm not so sure Hogan wants things to be all about him. Flair, maybe a bit. I mean, thing of this way; You have Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, two of the biggest names there ever was. They both want to still be doing wrestling related stuff. TNA has done the GM/Owner of the company thing TO DEATH. How else could you use them other by having them manage some of your guys. I mean how is Flair treating Styles different to Orton? He's not. In fact he's treating Styles better; he's calling Styles the new modern version of him. Hogan is totally behind Abyss as a worker. He's goes out and does everything he knows to put over Abyss without wrestling, which is what we don't want to see.

Also; considering Bisch and Hogan only got in around January, is it really time to ship 'em out? Surely you'd give them six months to have a run at things? And if every episode of iMPACT was as well done as this one, I think they'd be getting somewhere.

I don't hate on Hogan and Flair and Bisch as much as others, I think Abyss and Styles are getting viable overness from the rubs, but the whole BAND thing, the oldies thing needs to stop like now. I think TNA needs to sort its priorities out, starting with the god damn Pay per views, if they could just finish one decently, it'd do wonders. The last two ended poorly, leaving sour tastes.

And RVD winning the title, I dont know what to think. It's totally out of nowhere, what does that acheive? Couldn't a match like that get some real build-up? What was the point of pushing Pope for the last month if you go and do that? I certainly think Styles/RVD would have held more draws than Styles/Pope two nights ago. Priorities need to be sorted. Personally I'd lol if RVD got done in for drugs again, for my amusement if nothing else. (side note: Is RVD first ever WWE+TNA+ECW world champ?)

That said, TNA may be more looking for the fans first, if that is their priority. For me, I don't know if it should, but it could easily be theres. The bottom line is if TNA don't get past 1.3 in the ratings after this, then what else can they do? This is as good a chance as they'll get for a long while.

As for next week, do I want to see Ric Flair vs Abyss? Not Really. Matt Morgan vs 3D? Eh. Kaz vs Shannon? decent. I have more faith in getting something good out of RAW next week.

I can see where your coming from Celt and to be honest, I don't have too much of an issue with Bischoff being there or even Hogan. My issue has been and continues to be Vince Russo. Can't stand the way he books things. Don't know him as a person, so I refrain from character assassination but as far as the in-ring product is concerned, he is severely lacking.

And that's my opinion. Obviously there are people who don't mind the booking of the show and that's alright by them. But for me as a viewer, until the day comes where they realize that Russo is coasting on the "laurels" of his past (which I believe to be horribly over-inflated), I don't care to watch the show.

I like some of the guys on the roster. I've been a Sting mark since I was a kid, back when it was blond Sting with only half-face makeup. A.J. Styles, the recently-departed Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe are some of the best workers in the business today, IMHO. Tag team wrestling is actually present on TNA but they don't use some of the teams to full advantage, like the Motor City Machine Guns. Those two kind of remind me of having the potential of the Hollywood Blondes, a good heel tag team who aren't the biggest but will put on a good show.

PX, we don't count RVD holding the WWECW championship when they "relaunched the brand". At least I don't count it. ECW is dead and gone but the spirit remains.

I stand by that Russo will never ever surpass McMahon's WWE. The only thing in his advantage is he's a fair bit younger than Vinny Mac

I don't 't know who this "we" is, but I know that I and others do the lingage of the ECW World title in WWECW as being the same on as the one in ECW. Yes, the belt was mistreated badly at times (Big Zeke last ECW Champ and it's not even a big deal, fucking yikes) but RVD is a legit ECW World Champion and yes, I think he is now the only man to ever do all three.

Also, I not a fan of Russo's booking at all either. I was just pointing out the current regime are getting shit together.

Also; Ratings are in: iMPACT is thought to have done around about a 1.0, which is up from before a bit.

TNA has Goldberg'd themselves.

That is all.

The most lauded fuck-up in WCW history...cleanly repeated. RVD/AJ and RVD/Hardy were the biggest matchups they had. And they gave both away for the sake of ratings.

they did a 1.0 against RAW without any RAW talent? That's quite poor. their fan stealing abilities are failing miserably.

So what you're saying is RVD is their biggest draw. And they gave him the championship.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Good work, TNA.

Hey, but there's gonna be a ring vs. ring match next week between Abyss and Ric Flair.

whoooa.

Another thing you've got to take into consideration is age demographic.

WWE draws in several female viewers on the basis that they think a certain wrestler is "sexy", it also draws several younger viewers because it is more fan friendly.

We can all admit up until last night TNA's booking has been god awful. But WWE's hasn't been exactly peachy either. I think the biggest picture to look at is marketing. You look at the WWE and on any given day they have t-shirts featured in department stores, they have several action figures in tons of stores. This includes dollar stores who carry older figures, to the main stores in all areas of the United States (and quite possibly Canada). Add in the fact that WWE has a decent video game on a yearly basis, tons of DVDs carried in these so called casual everything stores (Wal*Mart, K-Mart, etc.) and their image is everywhere. They make huge hype about house shows anytime once comes near you, while TNA is lucky to draw RoH numbers at house shows.

Maybe we can blame Hogan. Maybe we can blame Russo. Or maybe we can blame lack of advertising, marketing, and the overall picture TNA paints. Overall TNA is not a bad product. If TNA did add an X-Division themed second brand on Thursdays I think one would have to consider them a serious threat to the WWE. I'd go as far as saying the product is an equal to the WWE. I mean you look at the stars and I think TNA has almost the same star recognition as the WWE, but I think the workers there are a shitload better. They have so many former RoH and so many workers that can really go but were shunned by the WWE.

One could even make the argument that TNA has some of the most over wrestlers of all time. Hulk Hogan? Ric Flair? Jeff Hardy? Rob Van Dam?

I say bring in a marketing genius TNA, maybe even push for another show to do your own brand extension, then carry on with what you do.

stl311 wrote:

We can all admit up until last night TNA's booking has been god awful. But WWE's hasn't been exactly peachy either. I think the biggest picture to look at is marketing. You look at the WWE and on any given day they have t-shirts featured in department stores, they have several action figures in tons of stores. This includes dollar stores who carry older figures, to the main stores in all areas of the United States (and quite possibly Canada). Add in the fact that WWE has a decent video game on a yearly basis, tons of DVDs carried in these so called casual everything stores (Wal*Mart, K-Mart, etc.) and their image is everywhere. They make huge hype about house shows anytime once comes near you, while TNA is lucky to draw RoH numbers at house shows.

...that sounds almost like the speeches I heard when Russo first came in and Abyss won the world title on iMPACT.

Clearly THAT worked out well.

I rarely watch wrestling anymore but i do happen to catch a bit of TNA when it comes on at work because for some reason TNA is on our sports dedicated channel.

The thing is TNA doesn't know how to script a mtach, its ridiculous! Pin Fall attempts in the second move, illogical tags, like 4 attempts at a dusty finish. From simply viewing a match i should know who the heel is but i had no idea what was going on.

TNA isnt a threat to WWE because if they were then WWE would be trying to lift their game in competition.

Ohh and having the greatest wrestlers of all time means shit. You want the best wrestlers of today, not the 80's and 90's.

Until we find out what happens next Monday, I will consider Impact's victory a fluke, thanks to Iceland and their volcanoes.

2 in a row for TNA it looks like, 3 if you count Lockdown (which, to be honest, I do, because I feel it set alot of things up plotwise or at least advanced some things). Tonight TNA had good plot, character advancement, logic and as much surpise as you can really get on just a regular night of wrestling in the internet age.

RAW seemed pretty interesting too; you had

Spoiler:

as well as a nice Main Event triple threat. The rest was good enough; not mindblowing but it served the logic purpose of the draft.

Overall a nice treat for fans of both promotions