Five-Star Conversation 04.13.10: Rethinking TNA – Anyone For Kool-Aid?

With respect to last week’s article, I should say in my defense, since there was a fair amount of criticism as a result of the remark made at the top, I did not write that. The byline in bold suggesting that there are a lot of people looking down on SmackDown! these days was exchanged for what I had originally submitted by whomever approved my article to go live, something to the effect of being suitably impressed with what I saw on the first post-WrestleMania edition of SmackDown!. My creativity in writing such bylines is, admittedly, quite low, so I don’t blame anyone for wanting to sub it out. This is common in journalism, for a writer to submit work and for an editor to make changes as s/he sees fit, thus the title of editor. Sorry it miffed so many of you, but ‘twas not I who penned it.

Before you start reading, TNA fan or not, Paul Heyman fan or not, for the uninitiated, yes, I still drink the Kool-Aid.

I know I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty much done with TNA, at least this current incarnation of the product, and, for the most part, I’ve kept with that. Now that iMPACT! is starting at 8pm on Mondays, it gives me something to have on in the next room as I make dinner. It was especially handy last week when I needed to be up on TNA so that I could knowledgably contribute to Fact or Fiction (I only had to hunt down on YouTube.com that atrocious show-closer where the Knock-Outs *ahem* opened their boxes). I also kinda want to keep an eye on what’s going on down in The Land of Dixie, because many has been the time in the five or so years I’ve been writing here at 411mania that someone’s brought up something that went down back in WCW that I was completely unable to comment upon because I was so adamantly against the company and so completely gung-ho for The WWF. I don’t want that to be the case again in TNA’s regard.

But, bloody hell, what a difficult show to watch, follow or care about. Actually, strike that last comment. See, that’s the point of this column today, because I DO care. As sick to my stomach as it makes me to see Jeff Hardy and (do the thumbs with me) Rob…Van…Dam palling around with The Botoxed Blowhard (say that five times fast!), as irritated as I am over seeing a midcard talent like Abyss, essentially running in what I would consider to have been Christopher Daniels spot on the roster, as needlessly over-the-top and outlandish as the booking is, I just can’t help but wanting to see the franchise succeed. Though I can’t speak for him, certainly, I think the same consideration is what keeps Lance Storm tuning in, despite having a rather pronounced and varied disgust with the product. Either that, or it’s the whole car wreck thing.

That said, I can’t help but think what could possibly be done to make the TNA product easier and more pleasant to watch, for those of us who seem to have the same issues with what we’re seeing right now. By the way, let me state here I recognize there are a number of you out there who appear to be quite pleased with what TNA is offering at the moment, and I say, more power to you, congratulations on finding a wrestling franchise that really speaks to you. I’m suggesting here that we do away with that which you’ve come to know and love, because I’m just one pimply virgin writing in his mother’s basement and my ideas will never be read by anyone who could make a difference in the product, much less find themselves implemented, so take it easy and don’t sprain anything valuable.

I’ll admit this was inspired a couple weeks ago when it was reported that Taz, Tommy Dreamer and Team 3D were having an extreme reunion with The Hare Krishna of Hardcore, Paul Heyman. It got me wondering, what if he finally got the itch to get back into the rasslin game? I know he was personally invited in to TNA quite awhile ago by Vince Russo, before Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff arrived to innovate the product with tactics that would have nearly as many performers as viewers running screaming from the company, but he turned it down, the reasoning behind his decision, I’m unclear on, though I’d imagine it has something to do with not wanting to get back into that particular rat race.

However, this seems like a dream fit for Heyman. Heyman is notoriously autocratic in his booking style, but he’s absolutely brilliant at and 100% passionate about his convictions when he’s allowed the reins. Stories are simple, compelling and consistent. Talent is listened to and worked with, such that the best of their ideas are utilized and the person responsible for creating the stories and matches they perform knows the talents’ flaws (the better to hide them) and strengths (so as to magnify them). I, for one, would be curious to see exactly how Heyman and Russo might work together as a team; after all, it was the team of Russo and Vince McMahon that were instrumental in booking The WWF to its point of greatest business after having ripped off Heyman’s business model back in The Attitude Era. Yes, Heyman pretty much likes to be a one-man booking team, but if Russo can get along with the likes of Jim Cornette and Hulk Hogan at the creative table, he must be willing to stand down quite a bit.

Besides, Heyman has to see how much leeway and power this failing team has been granted, alongside what seems to be Turner-like funds to back them up and think, Hmm…after all, it was Heyman’s difficulty keeping the books that sent ECW down the tubes, not the manner in which he wrote his shows. In TNA, Heyman wouldn’t have the concern of the company’s finances hanging over his head with which to concern himself, because there would actually be people already in place who actually know what they’re doing in that capacity. All Heyman would have to do is catch his own particular brand of lightning in a bottle one more time. It seems to me that if Dixie wants to take a fledgling franchise global, she’d spend more effort wooing Heyman, who has proven he has the know-how to do so, as opposed to Hogan and Bischoff, who proved they have what it takes to run a company into the ground. Hogan and Bischoff are doing it again in TNA, why couldn’t Heyman recreate the excitement of ECW (and WWE’s SmackDown! from when he was booking that show, too)?

Okay, so assuming we’ve got Heyman firmly ensconced as the head booker and Russo as his assistant, what, then, becomes of the current regime? Despising them as I do, I know you may be tempted to think I’d like to boot them out on their ear. That is not the case. Whether I like it or not, Hogan is an icon and Bischoff and he have a solid following among the older school wrestling fans. TNA’s ratings did spike in the beginning because of the big promises and big talk Hogan promised when Bischoff and he took power.

And so that leads into my plan for Hogan. Get him out of the creative meetings, get him out of Dixie’s ear, get him out of that sweet executive office. Let’s utilize him where he’s proven on this run to be the most effective – as a promotional mouthpiece for the company. Hogan, for better or worse, is still a slice of Americana and a pop icon. He can still get his foot in a door most places would otherwise slam for any other professional wrestler, hell, even Vince McMahon in some cases. Hogan has independent side projects going that find him out on the talk show circuit and it would be really easy for him to drop a heavy mention about an upcoming TNA PPV once he’s on the air. If it’s a TV show, he could bring a clip. He could host a monthly on-line press conference to promote the upcoming PPV with current TNA talent headlining said PPV. Bottom line, use Hogan’s name and face recognition factor, along with his charisma where they are best utilized. Make him the Billy Mays of TNA, if you will (Well, except, he’s alive, of course).

Likewise, get Bischoff away from the active product, as well. The guy has a hell of a lot more going on along the TV side of things, as opposed to the wrestling. Let him be a liaison between TNA and Spike-TV. Hell, if he wanted to take a job at the network, I don’t think anyone would be harmed or hurt. Quite frankly, I think the one common trait uniting Bischoff and Dixie anyway is much less “Let’s make the best promotion we can” as much as “Let’s do whatever it takes to put Vince McMahon out of business!” and it’s decisions such as moving iMPACT! to Monday nights at 9pm that display that assumption, as far as I’m concerned. That is not the voice you want in the ear of the person running the company. Sure everyone wants to have the #1 show and the #1 promotion under their proverbial belt, but when ambition supersedes common business sense, having that little grey-haired devil on your shoulder giving you bad advice as he tries to play stage mom with your company is going to do no one any good.

So what of the rest of the “old guard”? I’m writing this article under the assumption that TNA has, indeed, enough cash to maintain the gainful employment of all its’ current employees, and so am not going to opt to let anyone go; rather, I’ve endeavored here to simply use the players in a more useful, productive and structured manner upon the game board. That said…

Ric Flair – I know the notion of authority figures is kinda played out, and I’d agree, to an extent, but I think Flair could be an exceptional one (as long as we don’t dwell too long on that co-ownership stint he did on Raw with McMahon when he first signed with WWE), and I’ll tell you why. One thing that drives me absolutely nuts about the current on-air character Jerry Lawler plays is his over-emphasis on being the Mr. Nice Guy announcer whose ignorant benevolence is a slap in the face to anyone who has even an inkling as to what kind of a wrestler he was when he was active…hell, even anyone who heard his commentary when he first joined The WWF. Hearing Lawler stammer on Raw, “I…I just can’t imagine why _____ would pull such a lousy, deceitful stunt as that!” makes me want to scream at the TV, “because he probably saw one of your old Memphis tapes and got the idea from YOU!” I understand that he’s playing a role, but come on, be honest to the man you were when you made your name and offer up a little consistency!

So, then, let’s look at Flair. I know he loves to play the heel and rile up the fans, but he’s also not leading The Horsemen anymore. One of the reasons I think it’s so hard to be a solid heel in The iMPACT Zone is because, even after their prime, it’s tough for fans to be that close such marquee talent and not mark out, and Flair is a good example. Bless him, he really is drawing heat, but fans want to cheer him. So let them. Put Flair in a position of being a mostly utilitarian and unbiased authority figure who will make the fairest decision possible for all involved. However, let’s not ignore the fact that the moniker of “Dirtiest Player in the Game” wasn’t tacked on to him as a marketing ploy…he earned it. So when a heel makes a move that comes straight out of the Horseman’s playbook, let Flair smile and laugh and shake his head, as if he’s looking at what’s going down and seeing himself, Arn, Tully and Barry in their places. Let him commend the perpetrators for a job well done…before he sticks them in a situation that allows the beat-down party a measure of possible revenge. This way, unlike Lawler, Flair remains true to who he was while still remaining true to who he is.

Sting – I honestly think it would be in Sting’s best interest to retire. It’s easy for me to say, because I’ve never been a fan of his work, in the ring or (especially) on the mic. We’ve discussed this before here at 5SC, but my own opinions aside, I’m even seeing long-time hardcore Stingers here at 411mania suggesting the same thing. He’s slowing down, he’s already stayed active in TNA much longer than he originally had intended, he’s made a nice little chunk of change he wasn’t expecting to make, do a retirement angle and leave with the grace and dignity we’ve all come to associate with Sting.

Just so you Little Stingers don’t think I’m intending to simply cast aside this legend, depending upon when his contract expires (I have no idea when this is), he could conceivably sign a Legends deal with WWE, get a bunch of WWE-branded merchandise on the shelves, be included in the next video game, all that would lead to more cash in The Borden Family kitty, and be inducted into The WWE Hall of Fame next year when WrestleMania emanates from Atlanta. And then, depending upon where he is and where TNA is once that WWE contract expires, if he feels more akin to TNA than WWE, he can tell Vince, “Thanks for loot, see ya!” and work in some capacity with TNA.

Scott Hall – No, I’m not going to make any jokes about keeping the gold watch and handing him a bottle of Thunderbird as we kick him out the door. True, Hall doesn’t look anywhere near as good as he did in 1996, but neither do I, so I can’t say anything. I ragged on Lawler earlier, but he told a joke once that still makes me laugh because it’s the God’s honest truth – Time’s a great healer, but a lousy beautician. However, Hall doesn’t have to be pretty or buff to be useful and if he can manage to keep out of the bottle, or at least appropriate his time and priorities, I see no reason to get rid of him.

The fact is, Hall is known to have a shrewd mind for the business, so why eschew that from the equation? Why not let him stay on as a booking consultant (not quite what we’re seeing in my favorite Moo-gar in Vickie Guerrero)? I see him hanging out with the boys, being sort of Heyman’s ear, such that they shoot the shit and discuss possible directions for their characters, propose storylines, etc. and Hall then takes those ideas and notions to Heyman where such ideas and notions are discussed and weighed, fleshed out and expanded. Sort of a road agent with a hand in creative, you know?

I don’t know if such a thing already exists, or if I’m being creative in establishing a role for someone who could certainly prove to be valuable to the company. It just seems to me that the busier he stays doing something he loves the better off he’s liable to be personally, and if he can be an asset in another facet of the company besides being in the ring passed his prime, I say make it so.

Sean Waltman – Oddly enough, try as I might, I just couldn’t come up with a solid role for Waltman outside of the ring. I know he’s the youngest of The Wolfpac, but, let’s face it, he’s also the least liked (despite the fact that I’ve always liked him). I’ll admit to not having seen enough of his work now that he’s resurfaced on American TV to judge for myself how good he looks or not; I did, though manage to see him in a backstage promo where he came off as being so fucked up, even Scott friggin Hall was making fun of him for it. That’s not good.

Fact is, Waltman’s style was very physical and really relied on speed and agility, and if Waltman has any speed these days, he’s likely smoking it. His wasn’t a quality of style that he could really promulgate, either, as he pretty much worked out his own CrusierWeight niche and ran with it, so I don’t know how reliable or valuable a resource he’d be to The X-Division on a training level. If anyone has any ideas, let’s hear ‘em. I don’t want to throw him out, but I don’t know what else to do with him if he’s not in the ring.

Kevin Nash – On the other hand, Big Sexy has a great mind for the business and is gold on the mic. The guy is just such a smooth customer, he’s a ready-made heel. He always has this gleam in his eye and a hint of a smirk on his lips that suggests, yeah, he’s selling you a great story, but there’s just this one little caveat that he’s conveniently leaving out that’s going to be your undoing.

I’d love to see Nash retire from in-ring action to manage a stable full-time. The only problem is, he’d stand a full head-and-shoulders above anyone he managed, thus making them look less the attraction than is he, even though he’s the uniting force, the mouthpiece, the mastermind behind the talent. I’ve worked that out. The catalyst for Nash’s retirement is a career-ending knee injury, perpetrated by a younger, active member of the roster (a face, so the actual career-ending will be unintentional, but the result is the same). Nash is gone for awhile, reports surfacing that he will, indeed, be forced into retirement. But then he returns in a wheelchair and, one by one, the members of his faction are revealed, one man in each division, such that, eventually, he takes control of the franchise he was forced out of, by managing the champions of each division.

The wheelchair allows him to still be present and productive for his protégés while not towering over them and overshadowing them (and yes, I’ve had this idea long before Flair was stuck in one, yelling like the crazy old man from his porch rocker). I can even see SoCal Val as the stable’s hot valet, helping to push Nash’s chair to and from ringside. It only stands to reason The Silver Fox would have a hot chick doting on him in his infirmed state and Val sure isn’t up to shit else. If worse comes to worse, she could even be involved in some kind of situation where she manages to dumb her way into holding The Knock-Outs Title, although I think we need to focus on making that division matter again, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Elsewhere in Nash’s stable, I see Samoa Joe representing the TNA Title division, and likely being the one Nash decrees be his muscle to take out the person who retired him (Styles? Hardy?). In the mid-card, I like Matt Morgan. He makes a sensible choice for Nash, who appreciates the fact that Morgan is a big man, like himself, but that he’s getting the opportunities early on in his career that Nash spent stuck in dead-end gimmicks. Morgan has all the tools he requires at his disposal, he just needs a guiding force and an experienced hand, both of which Nash can provide. In The X-Division, Nash hand-selects Kazarian. Larger than the majority of the division, with enough agility and speed to beat the flippity-flyers at their own game, but with a strength and size they lack, Kazarian makes for a solid selection for someone looking to take over the division, and would help give Kazarian a certain amount of identity and poise, being associated with such a prestigious team. Finally, in the tag division, Nash takes Generation Me under his wing, admiring their cocky attitudes because they remind him of himself. He’s confident he can help take the kids to the top and so is happy to bring them into the fold. What are they called, collectively? Couldn’t tell ya, but I know both Heyman and Russo love a good stable, and this is a good start that has merit and promise.

As for the remainder of the roster, I’ve broken them down by division and expect things to remain so categorized, because it seems to me that one major characteristic that lacks in TNA as it is today is structure:

TNA World Title
The faces – Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam
The heels – Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe

The thing about taking all the oldsters out of the active picture is that we’re sacrificing a lot of name talent in so doing; however, I maintain that this is for the better of the overall product. Therefore, we need all of these names at the top, even if we are in danger of losing Hardy should his court case go sour and he ends up serving time and that Jarrett is no longer a spring chicken himself. However, this is still “his” company and none of this would be happening without him. He can still work the mic and he can still cause fans to cheer or boo him. Besides, just because he’s in the world title division, doesn’t mean he has to actually hold the belt.

Turn Styles back to being a face. Like Flair, ironically, fans just want to cheer him because he’s that kind of performer. It’s a good thing for him to be well-rounded such that he can play either denomination, but, as we said earlier, it’s the most important thing, especially at this stage of the franchise’s game, that everyone play to their strengths. Thus, we turn Angle heel. As elementary as it is that Angle play the American hero as a face, he’s too valuable as a heel, especially now that he’s being allowed to be a bad ass in TNA and not Vince’s “Jimmy Cracked Corn” gooftard dingus.

Besides, we all know how Heyman loves to book Angle. Heyman in control of a badass heel Angle would be a thing of rasslin beauty to behold. Along the same lines, Heyman helped to create and establish RVD. The two of them collaborating again on a main stage with a solid budget could finally send RVD and TNA to a place they both believe they belong (and I, for one, would agree). I also would love to see what Heyman would do with Hardy’s renegade artist character. Perhaps, with Sting retiring in this scenario, Hardy could pick up where Sting left off with that silent loner character, only tailor it for The 21st Century…?

TNA Global Title
The faces – Abyss (with Mick Foley), D’Angelo Dinero, Rob Terry, Eric Young
The heels – Ken Anderson, Orlando Jordan, Matt Morgan, Desmond Wolfe

Now, I think this division should be booked very carefully and with, perhaps even a special brand of care superseding even The TNA Title, because this division is going to spawn your next generation of main eventers…in some cases. As I said, considering we’re reducing the level of well-known names for a greater youth factor in the belief that will yield a better, more compelling in-ring product, it’s imperative to create shape the upwardly mobile members of this division with shrewd deliberateness.

Let’s first discuss those who are not upwardly-mobile, who are employed to be comfortable, functional fixtures here in the mid-card: Abyss – Bless him, I really like the guy, I do, but I just don’t see how he qualifies as a main event talent in any way, shape or form. Yes, he’s a longtime franchise player and I respect that, and, yes, he cuts a good promo and he’s capable of doing more than taking nosedives on thumbtacks. But I just don’t see him as being a dynamic enough personality, with or without some asinine ring gimmick, to warrant a run at the top. With Mick Foley in his corner, we could really have some off-the-wall fun with this unique character as he helps to build other talent by being the big, intimidating obstacle up the card.

So too, but to a lesser extent, Rob Terry. I’m not stoked on this guy at all and if I were to get rid of anyone, it’d be this HGH abusing freak. But, since I vowed not to off anyone, here’s another midcard hurdle to be overcome on the way up the ranks.

Again, I’m intrigued exactly how Heyman would book a bisexual Jordan, if they chose to go with that, and I’ll freely admit that OJ is nowhere near as bad as I thought he was when he first signed with the company, but I still wouldn’t allow him any forward progress up the card. The same holds true with Mr. Anderson, at least until he proves that he’s not the injury-prone (either to himself or to others) performer he’s been branded as being. But that’s fine, allow him to just shoot off his mouth and piss people off in the way only he can. If his heat and his performances bell-to-bell warrant, let’s elevate him. Otherwise, chill for a bit, there, Kenny.

And so the immediately upwardly mobile characters are Dinero (who is pretty much the best thing going in TNA today), Morgan (who we’ve already discussed), Wolfe and Young. I’ll say it again, I’d love to see what Heyman would do with The Pope character. Dinero already has things well-thought out and is coming on very strong, as he’s the best interview in the franchise and a damn good time in the ring, too. I’d see him being called up to the main event roster before anyone else and, if booked properly, his first world title win could and should be an EVENT.

I’d like to see a restructuring of The British Invasion, with Magnus taking over as a physical mouthpiece behind Desmond Wolfe and Doug Williams, with Chelsea as the silent beauty at their sides (that ratings-disaster promo between The Pope and her was HER fault, make no mistake…it went down during a Raw commercial break and I get the feeling a bunch of people tuned in, stuck around because it was The Pope, then couldn’t switch back to Raw fast enough because of how embarrassingly bad she was, and was dragging him down with her).

Finally, let’s give EY a chance. It seems every time the guy is on the threshold of making a breakthrough towards receiving a push he’s deserved for a good long time now, something goes down backstage or someone gets hurt or a roster change occurs to put him right back where a good little boy should sit and wait. EY should be booked with purpose and should be on his way up the card tomorrow. If Heyman could book Mikey Whipwreck to Triple-Crown winner status, he could make this happen for Young.

The X-Division
The faces – Tommy Dreamer, Kiyoshi, Jay Lethal, Red, Shark Boy
The heels – Kazarian, Brian Kendrick, Shannon Moore, Rhino, Doug Williams

Yes, Dreamer. I said it in Fact or Fiction last week:

There’s not many people I’d think should be added to the already overloaded TNA roster, but I think Tommy Dreamer is one who should. Admittedly, I am biased because I love Dreamer and I appreciate everything for which he stands, which is being a selfless, company man, dedicated to the good of the whole. I’d like to see Dreamer as an addition to the X-Division, just to give it a little tone, such that it’s not solely populated with the flippitty-floppitty guys against whom Doug Williams is currently crusading. Dreamer will never wear the title, he’ll never need, want or ask to be put over, he’s there to work with the kids and lend them the fruits his experience offers, basically, everything Hogan lied to us about when he initially informed us all he was taking over the company.

I’m not suggesting Dreamer be featured as a stand-out fixture of TXD, just be there to help give the division some old-school recognition factor, and, again, with Heyman at the helm, Dreamer will be booked the way he should be booked.

We discussed Kazarian already, so let’s move on to the other members of TXD I see as being championship candidates: I’m a big fan of Kendrick’s, so I’m biased, but I think if he ha a bodyguard here, much in the same function as Ezekiel Jackson performed in WWE, and if Tomko were such bodyguard, reprising his awesome role as when he backed Christian, I think good things could follow in that regard.

I’d also like to see a small stable form comprised of Raven, Stevie Richards, Daffney and Shannon Moore. Considering I have Raven and Stevie in a tag team, Moore is in TXD and Daffney is an active Knock-Out, the possibility for some cross-pollination comes about. The same could be true if we hooked up Kiyoshi and Hamada as partners who watched each other’s backs, although I see Moore benefitting from his associations more than Kiyoshi. The Amazing Red could be booked as TXD’s version of Rey Mysterio, being that he’s such a small guy, no one ever expects him to be as resilient or successful as he ends up being.

If anyone stands to climb from exclusive XD status into the midcard, it’s Jay Lethal, who finds himself now with something to prove now that he’s a solo performer, and the aforementioned Williams, who will end up in the midcard, regardless, because he’s simply, to borrow a phrase, that damn good.

I also see Rhino adding tone to TXD, something along the lines of Abyss in the midcard, an established, dangerous hunk of anger someone has to overcome to make it to the next step along the road to the title. Again, with Heyman booking Rhino, as the man who gave Rhino relevance in the first place, this could be a great place for The War Machine to find himself. Finally, Shark Boy is still employed by the company, he may as well be used. He’s a fun performer and, although never a serious contender, stands to be a functional member of the roster. Besides, those masks will sell at the merchandise stand.

TNA TAG TEAM TITLE DIVISION
The faces – Latin-American Xchange: Hernandez & Homicide with Sarita, The Motor City Machine Guns: Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley, Team 3D: Brother Devon & Brother Ray
The heels – Beer Money, Inc.: Robert Roode & James Storm with Lacey Von Erich, Generation Me: Jeremy & Max, Raven & Stevie Richards with Daffney

We already discussed Raven & Richards, but let me tell you this idea I had – All throughout his career and their partnerships, Richards has always played Raven’s lackey. What if, during a special attraction hardcore-style tag program against 3D, Richards finally comes into his own and stands up to Raven, gaining his own personal identity, and finding his own self-respect after almost two decades of degradation? Just a thought. These guys are all old school ECW boys, so for Heyman to tell this story with his old pals could be something fun, and, perhaps a fitting swan song for 3D and Raven…?

We’ve also already discussed GenMe, so let’s round out the heels with Beer Money. As you see, I’ve hooked them up with Lacey Von Erich, who, I think, given her Texas heritage, would fit right in with The Tennessee Cowboy following what I’m calling for below in The Knock-Outs Division as a mutual parting of the ways with The Beautiful People when Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky eventually welcome Angelina Love back into the fold after she turns on Tara, who becomes a little too possessive over The KOT currently held by Love. This way, Von Erich can be a little more true to her namesake without dragging that name though the mud with her awful wrestling. Besides, heel Beer Money was always best when they had a woman on the outside helping to keep the advantage for them.

On the face side of things, The MCMGs are cool no matter what their status. Again, people want to cheer them, turn them face and let them. Yes, I reunite LAX. Homicide has done absolutely nothing on his own recently and Hernandez’ solo career was going so well, he was stuck right back in another tag team, this time with someone even bigger and more accomplished than himself in Morgan. I’m not dogging Hernandez, the guy’s impressive, but I just don’t think he’s cut out for singles competition, not on the level TNA wants him to be, and, I’m afraid that, as long as Morgan is around, Hernandez will always be overshadowed by him, because Morgan is everything Hernandez is and more. I think he’d be more valuable tagging with Homicide in LAX. Also, again, with an active KnockOut in their corner, we can cross stories and cross-promote with ease.

The KnockOuts
The faces – Hamada, ODB, Sarita, Tara, Taylor Wilde
The heels – Daffney, Angelina Love, Madison Rayne, Velvet Sky

Not much really needs to change here in this respect, the booking just needs to pick up and treat this division like we should respect it for having such talented female athletes comprising it, or throw out the athletic pretense and just have a tittyfest, call a spade a spade. BTW, with only nine people, let’s ditch the KOTTTs. They are superfluous and require more care to book and maintain than they’re worth.

Elsewhere, I like the announce team, despite whatever heat I’ll get for that. I think Christie Hemme has actually finally found her niche as backstage correspondent. I like Jeremy Borasch in small doses, but I think he really excels at house shows when he gets in the ring to hype the live crowd. Get rid of Bubba. I mean, put that fucking douchebag in front of a firing squad. Am I forgetting anyone…?

Lastly, it seems to me that TNA could be better utilizing the TV time they’re allowed by Spike-TV. With such a huge roster, it strikes me that, rather than show old matches on Epics, why not devote that to some new undercard action? Focus on TXD and The KOD with heavy cross-promotion for the really major stuff going down on iMPACT? That way, not everything would have to be so jam-packed onto the flagship show, you’re just hitting the really prime stories and allowing some character and angle development to flourish in its own time on a secondary show? Just a thought.

Well, these are some ideas that went through my head in TNA’s regard these last few weeks, basically since I heard Taz, Dreamer and 3D were getting together with Heyman and my confidence in what I was seeing on Spike take a nosedive as a result of The Hogan-Bischoff Regime. I’m sure there’s a wealth of opinions on this, so let ‘er rip.

Oh, and next week, we look to The 2010 Draft!

Thanks for reading!
RESPEEEEECK!!