Welcome to this week’s edition of H&S, where despite Bound for Glory not taking place this month, the company’s every move still seems to be predicated on it. Today a preview of tonight’s show, review of last Wednesday’s much-debated Lex Luger appearance as well as a look at that situation and the news of the week, which never stops coming.
TONIGHT’S LINEUP:
–AJ Styles vs. Abyss. Abyss works on behalf of Don Callis, who oddly enough said this, “My monster, Abyss, will steamroll over you tonight, AJ. Remember, I have an MBA. I’m looking at formulas right now (which I am indeed qualified to look at) which prove that Abyss quite simply cannot lose.”
–Raven & Sandman & Erik Watts vs. Joe Legend & Kevin Northcutt & Ryan Wilson in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match
–Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger vs. 3 Live Kru (tag titles)
–X vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Christopher Daniels (X Division #1 contender)
–Sonny Siaki & Ekmo vs. Julio Dinero & CM Punk
–Jeff Jarrett/Jimmy Hart angle. This was taped this week as Jimmy Hart was doing a radio show and Jarrett physically attacked him.
This was a useless show, entirely. It may or may not be the case, but it seems like they put things on cruise control and hope to just breeze right through the new year without the slightest bit of creativity. Sorry, Dutch, but that isn’t the case.
The main point of last week’s show seemed to be AJ Styles stepping up to the plate and casting him in the position of an underdog. Opinions have varied on how beneficial that is for the show and for Styles, who has recently been removed as world champion. My position that overall, in the manner that they did it, was not beneficial to Styles. There was too much teasing of Styles (from Luger, Jarrett, Callas, etc.) without the payoff. In the end, Jarrett was overused, Styles was underused, Sting was seldom used, and Luger was used in the first place. Luger was old and useless and moral issues aside, they were totally wrong to bring him in, especially if they paid him. Jarrett is a tired act in and out of the ring, while at least Sting has the charisma to make money promos without being a great detriment to anything or anyone. The unsung highlight of the night was the relationship between Jimmy Hart and AJ Styles which is more magic than anything Jimmy Hart has been of as a part of this promotion for whatever reason.
Raven trying to be his own man is still going on. They tried something interesting on Wednesday, cinematographically speaking, where he cut his promo and the Gathering stood in the background expecting him to beckon them, when instead he called on Sandman. If Punk-Raven is the way things look to be going than they need at least a month to build it up to the pinnacle, and (this may surprise you) another month to build to the PPV. With the structure of TNA, this is the way it has to be. If they really want to put all their money on the horse no one thinks will make it, they can do an extremely long build to the Bound for Glory PPV, which they seem to be doing.
Quote of the night was Goldylocks on Scott Hudson, “great dresser, job stealer.”
News: Russo is not apparently part of the promotion, and based on who has been writing the scripts, at least from what we know, he was phased out over the period of about three weeks. However, this promotion has worked Russo leaving the company twice before (yes, with the wrestlers too). Dutch Mantell is the lead booker of the promotion with Scott D’Amore now also having the role of assistant writer (in addition to being an agent). Jeff Jarrett still has the final say on everything… WWE wrestling Rhyno (Terry Gerin, 28) has met with NWA:TNA officials, according the the Wrestling 365 online newsletter. He met with the TNA representatives in Detroit last week about possible use in the company, presumably. Gerin’s deal with WWE, where he wrestles for the company’s SmackDown brand, known for it’s low morale with talent, expires sometime next year. Earlier this year, Rhyno and Vince McMahon had heat stemming from a house show match he was working that Vince came out and stopped without prior notice, saying that it was boring… According to Mike Johnson, Amazing Red’s knee surgery, certainly the result of a lot of the things he’s consciously done in the ring, was completed successfully. He is going through physical therapy right now and hopes to be back in a month, although he is supposed to be out for a year. He and his cousins, the Maximos, will open a new wrestling school in Brooklyn… Wrestlers seem to have reacted favorably to Lex Luger being brought in. A Pro Wrestling Torch source with the company said that “(w)hen it was announced on TV, even the boys in the back popped.”… The wrestlers have been given no schedule or details of the Bound for Glory PPV yet… The 2004 TNA Girl (no Diva?) calendar is in the works. Included is Tracy Brookes (Francine II), Goldylocks, and Trinity.
Matchmaker: Trevor Hunnicutt
trevor@thebalrogslair.com
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