wrestling / Columns
411 Fact or Fiction 9.04.08: HBK vs. Y2J, TNA Contract Issues, an Extreme Scramble and More!
1. TNA is taking a big step back by holding both the November and December PPV’s in the Impact Zone.
Andrew Critchell: FICTION. While it is a step back, it is not a “big” step back. Even though TNA is holding more PPVs and house shows outside of Orlando, I don’t think they are at the point where they should be holding every PPV outside of the Impact Zone and really they should just do “special” PPVs on the road and I guess these two shows aren’t special enough. Besides, November and December are the months where WWE starts to hit its stride toward the big Wrestlemania push. Why would they want to try and compete with that right now?
Chris Connolly : FACT. While it may make financial sense for them to try and save some money by holding them there, from a visual point of view it’s a horrible decision. We have seen that there is a big difference in the atmosphere at their PPV’s when they’re held outside of Orlando. Not being on the road takes some of the specialness away from them, and they end up feeling like a regular Impact taping with more gimmick matches.
Score: 0 for 1
2. Team 3-D, Christian Cage, Awesome Kong and Kevin Nash’s contracts will all end in the next few months. It would be in TNA’s best interests to re-sign Christian Cage and Awesome Kong, and let Team 3D and Kevin Nash move on.
Andrew Critchell : FACT. I tried to talk myself out of this because I hate to say that someone SHOULDN’T have a job but really, there is no role for Team 3D and Nash to play. They haven’t had any impact on the ratings and they can’t really put anyone over because a win against any of them doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot these days. So what’s left? Not much.
Chris Connolly : FICTION. Kong should most certainly be resigned. While most people would say “of course you have to resign Christian!”, with the way they have turned him into an afterthought over the past few months, unless they are going to start caring about him again, why waste the money? If this question were asked around June of last year, I’d say there would be no way you’d resign 3D, but since the heel turn they have been great, and they have been unselfish about building the tag division. You need a team like that around, and as long as they don’t want too much money, it’s smart to keep them. With Nash, I think it is best if they let him go, since he costs too much.
Score: 0 for 2
3. While he may sign with the promotion, Mick Foley will never wrestle a match for TNA.
Andrew Critchell : FICTION. I think that it is almost a certainty that Foley will wrestle for TNA and (unless he gets into a shape other than round) will embarrass himself in the process. Foley has shown in the past that he just can’t stay out of the business, much less stay out of the ring. It’s like a compulsion and TNA would never refuse Foley’s request to wrestle, which I’m sure will happen eventually. But hey, Foley is Foley and he’ll probably be all right overall, whatever they have him do.
Chris Connolly : FICTION. It is no secret that Mick idolizes Terry Funk. Has Terry ever said no to “one final match”? No? Neither will Mick.
Score: 1 for 3
4. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels are working together on the current angle they are involved in, which comes across much differently than the usual WWE angle. This is proof that veteran workers like Michaels and Jericho need to have more creative input in their programs.
Chris Connolly : FACT. It is amazing what happens when you send talented guys out there with bullet points and let them do their thing, instead of making them memorize a script. Also, these two have forgotten more about wrestling storytelling than the current writers will ever know. These things have combined to make for the best angle we’ve seen in a long, long time. While I can see them continuing to guide the younger guys through their angles, if they’d give the veterans more input we could see a vast improvement of the product.
Andrew Critchell : FACT. But really, how many veteran workers the level of Michaels and Jericho could there possibly be? Not too many. So while I think that there is value in the worker’s input that should be tempered by the creative team. WCW let the workers control their own characters toward the end, how did that work out??
Score: 2 for 4
5. With the poor debuts of Colt Cabana (Scotty Goldman), Jay Bradley (Ryan Braddock) and Shawn Spears (Gavin Spears); and the fact that the creative team is not behind them at all, you expect all three men will be released by the end of 2008.
Chris Connolly : FICTION. Only because I think that Colt has too much charisma for them to give up on. They will find a way to use that goofy bastard. The other two are jobberific.
Andrew Critchell : FICTION. This is completely asinine. Just because these guys haven’t been pushed to the moon right out of the gate that doesn’t mean that they can’t be pushed eventually and for creative to find a role for them on the roster. John Cena and Batista weren’t made to look like stars right off the bat but they are doing OK today. I would like to see these guys on ECW though, it seems like there is more room to grow on that show rather than the other brands.
Score: 3 for 5
6. At Unforgiven, WWE should hold the ECW Scramble Match under “EXTREME RULES” as a way to help make all three scramble matches different.
Chris Connolly: FACT. With the guys in that match, making it Extreme Rules could really give the crowd a nice spot-fest. Not to mention that if they did take the belt off Henry, he wouldn’t look as weak if it happened because everyone decided to cream him with chair or cane shots the entire match.
Andrew Critchell : FICTION. Add another gimmick on a brand new gimmick match? A gimmick match that will probably be the first or second match on the show? With a gimmick that would make the other scramble matches look tame? I’m trying to see where this would be a good idea but it’s just not coming to me. I understand the need to make each of the scramble matches distinct but the variety of different opponents and match-ups in each match is what will make them unique.
Score: 3 for 6
