Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling Live – 04/01

Posted on January 6, 2010

Last night saw the return of the Monday Night Wars since 2001 when World Championship Wrestling was in business. TNA held a three-hour show while WWE stayed with their traditional two hour show. Read on to get my views and thoughts on the shows.

One thing I think that TNA did wrong right off the bat was continuously promoting WWE by allowing their fans to trash the company for what felt like three to five minutes. This is something that, as you try to build steam, is not needed. If you had watched the WWE program, if memory serves, they did not make any mention of the TNA during the show.

First match of the night featured eight X-Division wrestlers in a Steel Asylum match. Lots of spots throughout the match with the wrestlers utilizing the cage for what it is essentially there for. One problem I had with the cage was the bars being too thick and that made watching the match somewhat non-enjoyable. The real killer for me however, was when Homicide had a steel pipe (I believe) and laid everyone out. This prompted the referee to cancel the match and end it in disqualification.

There has only been maybe a handful of steel cage matches that have ended in disqualification, which already makes no sense. But to end this match, of all matches, on a DQ just really started the show off on a wrong foot. Clearly by the fans reactions, the match did not come off well-receptive. Another problem I had was then Homicide climbing the cage, and then getting stuck near the top after struggling to exit the cage, therefore falling to the mat. Useless.

One of several surprise attendants was Jeff Hardy. As you listen, Hardy has new music as he comes out which also seemed to prompt little to almost non-existent acknowledgment from the crowd. As he stands next to the cage, Homicide jumps and assaults Hardy before Hardy gets the upper hand. Pretty useless entrance to TNA don’t you think? Capping off this rather useless arrival, we see Shannon Moore greet Hardy afterwards backstage and the two leave together.

One of the big arrivals scheduled for the night was the arrival of Hulk Hogan. Throughout the first hour they would continue to show the white limo as it makes its way to the arena.

Up next was a Womens title match between ODB and Tara. I am not big into these matches and it is what it is. ODB with the pinfall and the new Champion. Next another arrival as Ric Flair shows up and makes his way into the building. This could have potentially been bigger than it was, had they planned out the camera angles better because after following Flair through the door, he enters another door and before you can even see who’s name was on it, they faded out to a commercial. Lol? Terrible spot.

As TNA is clearly trying to build themselves here, I don’t think having a potential top star come out on live television and announce through his wife that he wants to quit. Lol. Also, what is the need for strip poker. Shock value wore off in 1999, so why bother to throw it in now? You won’t gain any more viewership by doing it than by not.

Another large issue I had with last nights episode was the continuous amount of commercials aired. It seemed like the show would return and then would go right back to commercial. What is the deal with that?

A promo next by Hogan as he makes his way to the ring. The big fuck-up by Hogan was hilarious as the moron says, you know what brothers, I’ve been in the back all night talking this group of wrestlers up and down. Really Hogan? You were backstage all night? Then what the fuck were we doing watching a white limo drive around for an hour before your supposed arrival? Nice job idiot.

A random three-way with former nWo members ensues which leads Hogan to tell them that this is no longer like the older days and they’ve all grown up. This then leads to Nash coming out and asks when Hogan became so corporate. Now Bishoff comes out and it’s a giant circle jerk in the ring which leads to random talking and script changing. By now everyone has tuned in to see Bret Hart make his return to the WWE which byfar outweighs the first hour and fifteen minutes of TNA.

Tag team Women’s match which saw the titles change hands. Don’t really care for this match either and will just skip ahead. Foley for the last 90 minutes have been trying to get into the building, only to be denied by security over and over. Somehow the Nasty boyz get in though.

Tag match with Raven & Dr. Stevie vs. Matt Morgan & Hernandez. Quick finish which sees Raven somehow “trip” on the ropes and can’t save the pinfall. Lol just bad. Jeff Jarret comes out to the ring and cuts a promo on how he let wrestlers get their chance at some fame and fortune. Hogan comes out and starts ripping on him in heel fashion. Throughout the show Bishoff and Hogan were real clear to let everyone know that they all must stand in line and earn their shot with the company. So, overhaul coming?

Mick Foley finally makes his way into the arena and wants to track Hogan down. This should be for some epic times. Bishoff interrupts AJ Styles backstage interview to tell him he will face Angle in the main event tonight for the World Championship. This match is also set for Genesis and pretty much secured that Aj was not going to lose and that the only thing this match was going to do, was deliver a top-notch match, which both competitors succeed at doing.

The show ends with a beat down on Mick Foley. pretty pointless. Now, my initial reaction during the first hour was, this is just completely fucked up. But then Hogan and Bishoff show up and Bishoff takes away the script. Oh so that means they meant to make the first hour look like shit so that the last two hours will be great against WWE and we can expect quality programming right? Wrong. They continued the show with shitty action and useless airtime wasted with Foley crying, and nWo.

The only thing that really had me into the show was the main event. Otherwise, I would have been happier with just skipping the other two hours and 45 minutes. I would have to rate the show somewhere around 3/5. The main event gives them huge bonus points, otherwise I just think they were way to disorganized and they tried to bring in too many people at once and some were just unneeded.

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