Yesterday, I reported on how TNA’s last Thursday episode of iMPACT! scored pretty low in the ratings, even though it brought in a very respectable 1.5 million viewers. I spent some time last night watching my DVR copy of the March 4, 2010 edition of iMPACT! and I know why they scored low in the ratings. In fact, it’s pretty simple.
The March 4th episode of iMPACT! wasn’t a good show. Period.
Before some of you roll your eyes, remember that I’m an admitted mark for TNA Wrestling. I don’t even watch WWE’s crap any more – I’m all about TNA and have been for a few years. In fact, I even started this website hoping that it helped to generate more interest in TNA’s product! But with all of that said, I can safely say the last episode of iMPACT! wasn’t that good. It just wasn’t.
They kept going back to this out-of-no-where storyline about Hulk Hogan not being able to wrestle any more and how he shouldn’t be getting into the ring because his body is broken, etc. Okay. That’s great and all, but where did it come from? Sure, those of us who might be engaged in following pop culture understand that the man’s body is absolutely destroyed, but how do the little kids out there know that information? Better yet, how do the older guys and girls who are wrestling fans but not internet marks know that Hogan’s body is broken?
Frankly, the only two parts of the “Please Don’t Do It Hogan!” storyline that made for compelling television were when Bubba the Love Sponge laid it out to Hogan in his office and when Eric Bischoff talked to Hogan about their history and how he should reconsider. The rest of it was just garbage. Abyss stopping Hogan in the hallway and hugging him? Hogan saying that he and Abyss are family and that they have the same blood running through their veins? What? Are you kidding me?
Bubba the Love Sponge proved, once again, that he is a hype machine and while I don’t know if the promo that he cut on Hogan was groundbreaking, I can tell you that it was one of the better quick promos that I’ve seen on TNA television in some time. You see, part of the problem with the last episode of iMPACT! was that there were a lot of noticeable errors. Mike Tenay said a few things that came off incorrectly, Ric Flair wasn’t as spectacular on the microphone as he can be, and the interruptions between Ric Flair and AJ Styles didn’t come off well at the beginning of the show. Something wasn’t right – almost like people were trying to figure out who was in the driver’s seat and who was in the passenger’s seat.
On top of the verbal miscues and mistakes, it seems that the cameramen in TNA continue to take the worst shots in professional wrestling history. And why is some of the backstage stuff still being shot with that “all over the place, shaky zoom in and zoom out” camera? Stop that already. It’s annoying.
Speaking of the cameramen and the view that they’re giving us, I should also comment that the edits being made to the taped shows are becoming much more apparent. They need to figure something out so that Ric Flair and AJ Styles aren’t stepping out of the ring in moment and five feet up the walkway in the next moment. It’s weird. I don’t mind that they pipe in certain chants and that they mute out certain negative chants in the audio, but at least make the video flow normally without it coming off as awkward.
And where was the actual wrestling? I’m not one of these moron purists out there who forget that in 2010 professional wrestling is about entertainment and a good wrestling show will be a soap opera for men. However, you have to put some good wrestling out there in order to stick with the genre. The Motor City Machine Guns and Generation Me interaction was good during the four way match, but we need more than that each week.
And more Knockouts in real matches please. Thanks.
The good news, though, is that none of this is unrecoverable from for TNA. In other words, this past Thursday’s episode of iMPACT! is gone and over with and we don’t have to worry about it any more. From here on out, iMPACT! is going live every other Monday night so they constantly have a chance to fix any mistakes that might come up during the previous week’s show.
I’m looking forward to this Monday’s live edition of iMPACT! I expect that we’ll see Rob Van Dam and we might even see some of the newer TNA guys like Jeff Hardy and Shannon Moore. However, in order for TNA to really gain some momentum against Monday Night RAW, they need to get back to the business of making people want to cross the line.
– Joe
joe1897 [at] gmail [dot] com
If you’d like to contact Joe, please consider using our Feedback Form.
Visit the Major Impact Archive.
The camera angles have improved dramatically since Hogan/Bischoff have taken off. The show looks extremely amateur pre-Jan 4.
Nick,
I think you’re correct. However, sometimes they throw in a camera angle that makes me scratch my head. All I remember from the show the other night was that they were extremely zoomed in on Hogan at some point and someone else was talking, but you couldn’t tell. I’ll have to see if the show is still in my DVR to see if I can find that shot. It was horrible.
TNA can’t have that type of stuff going on during their live shows.
Thanks for the comment!
Joe
Joe I think you hit the nail on the head with your thoughts on the “Hogan can’t wrestle anymore” storyline. TNA makes too many assumptions that A) the fan is an internet mark and knows all the history and or/rumors, or B) that they are a long time fan of TNA or wrestling and understand the story lines as they currently are.
They are never going to be able to build a new audience if they do not keep bringing new viewers up to speed on what is going on. My biggest fault with Vince Russo’s writing is that he assumes everyone knows the same things about the story that he does. That’s fine if you are writing a top rated show(everyone has seen it), if your are building an audience it is poor writing.
Hey William, what’s up?
I think that your comment is on the mark. I was upset with the way that they handled the Hogan storyline on Thursday – it was poorly planned and it makes me wonder who the final “check” is on all of this stuff.
And the more I watch TNA Wrestling, the more I wonder if Vince Russo should be the head writer or just a member of the writing staff (which he will never accept). Russo needs a McMahon-like check on his writing or it’s too overboard.
Thanks for the comment, William!
tna has low rating one because nothing new nothing to get fans excited about. and if i have to hear one more person tell hogan he shouldn’t be in the ring wrestling, I THINK I”M GOING TO PUKE. wwe program is just put together better. ask youselves why vince got rid of bishoff why did ccw fail and why did wcw fail?three words hogan, bishoff, russo?