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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 13, 2008 3:04:19 GMT -5
Based on that list, I assume Dale Oliver is a big Tool fan. I still shake my head every time I see that Scott Hall's theme was based on "Sober." That's Wiki-vandalism, right? Scott Hall's TNA theme was based on "Those Shoes" by The Eagles, complete with a decent Don Henley impersonator. Scott Hall's TNA theme: youtube.com/watch?v=-sYbqYRTLLEThat Eagles song set to an Anime cartoon (or something) youtube.com/watch?v=-sYbqYRTLLEBut yeah, MCMG's new theme is freaking brutal. On the bright side, I'd have to hear it again, but Consequences Creed's TNA theme music seemed pretty cool. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 13, 2008 2:32:10 GMT -5
It's too bad it feels like (to me anyway) they're setting Morgan up to turn on Team Cage and help the heels win Lethal Lockdown as a pointless swerve...since there's pretty much no kayfabe way that Team Tomko could beat Team Cage without that sort of thing. TNA had Tomko ready to break out as a babyface big guy in the upper card, and cut that off pointlessly too, just to SWERVE people.
I could care less if Morgan's a face or a heel, but if they turn him again this soon, people are just gonna stop caring about him sooner or later...before they were ever really given a chance to see what he can do (aside from make apparently terrible decisions running Impact when Jim Cornette takes those "vacations" once every three or four episodes).
The crowd was really behind Morgan months ago when he ran-in and fought off some heels, then he started acting heelish, then turned face two weeks ago. If he turns heel at Lockdown, that'll be the third time he's turned after only one match with the company. I just don't want to see TNA screw it up, because Morgan has a very high ceiling as a giant that can talk, and hit big-time offensive moves.
Guys with that much potential, and a WWE WrestleMania main-eventing look don't just fall into TNA's laps every day...it's important that they don't botch how they use Morgan, it should be an easy lay-up/slam dunk for the company. They should protect him like WCW did with Goldberg early-on, and WWE did with Lesnar early-on for at least the first year as a regular in-ring performer. As boring as an unstoppable asskicker winning-streak angle can be, it works...and Morgan should be a main-eventer for TNA in a year (more importantly, a PPV draw against Joe, Angle, etc.) if he's booked right.
But yeah, I'm a Morgan mark. I would've had him as a heel from the get-go, and destroying jobbers with Cornette as his manager. Didn't he do a gimmick on the indies where he crushed jobbers while holding a mic, trash-talking them the entire time? I saw a clip of something like that, and thought it was pretty cool and different.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 13, 2008 1:45:49 GMT -5
Meltzer's always been a big-time mark for the in-ring work of both Flair and Michaels, it seems like he rated it lower than he normally would've, so he could look like a super serious, super objective journalist, and not a mark for HBK and The Nature Boy (which he is). The emotion was five-stars, the spectacle was five-stars, the action was as good as you could expect out of those two when one guy is 60, and the other guy is early 40s with a bad back...and damn near crushed his sternum five or six minutes into the match.
Personally, I have that Flair/Michaels match way ahead of everything else on the card, because after the "I'm Sorry...I Love You" superkick ending...one of the coolest endings to a wrestling match I've ever seen, I was kind of zoned out for the rest of the card. Triple Threat and Edge/Taker were anti-climactic to me, though Big Show/Mayweather was a nice surprise considering my low expectations. I watched WM with a bunch of casual fans, and Flair/Michaels was all they kept talking about after it was over, even they thought it was awesome.
And Ric Flair winning that match as a swerve was FAR more likely than WrestleMania 24 ending with Edge standing in the middle of the ring holding the belt with fireworks going off to end the show...so I don't know why anyone would rank Edge/Taker higher just on the basis of the outcome of the HBK/Flair match being expected. Did anyone really expect Edge to win?
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 12, 2008 23:46:38 GMT -5
I like the presentation of it. I would've blocked the Kip/BG feud out of my mind completely if they would have done this with the typical screaming wrestling interviews. I'm looking forward to see which feuds/characters they use "Rough Cuts" for after Lockdown.
I also like how recently on IMPACT!, they've changed the way they shoot the Mike Tenay sitdown interviews, face-to-face with more closeups, making them look like something from "60 Minutes". That's a 1,000% improvement over the way they used to shoot Tenay sitdowns, which looked like those old "Chris Farley Show" sketches on SNL.
I know it's wrestling, so it's always going to be corny to the people that think it's "fake" or "don't get it", but I like TNA adding more "serious businezz" touches like these to the show, it helps make it look less corny.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 5, 2008 22:51:12 GMT -5
I hope they don't push him really hard for the first two weeks then relegate him to doing stupid crap with Eric Young, ala Kaz. I like how they're portraying Creed as this super serious fighter that's coming to kick ass. When they signed him, I figured they'd just give him a comedy gimmick considering his Apollo Creed stars and stripes gear (which I kind of hope he keeps). Plus, a blue-chip, cocky heel-type character could really help the stagnant X-Division.
If they book him right, Creed has the potential to be huge for TNA. He's a new guy with no ex-WWE stigma, but still looks like a major league star. I say that remembering BFG '07, when most of us on here were blown away by the guy, not having a clue who he was or where he came from. I've only seen the BFG match and some short clips on YouTube, but I'm convinced the guy's got somethin', "the 'it' factor", etc., plus he's really athletic and bumps like a superball. Can't believe that WWE didn't get that guy in their developmental system, unless they're scared off by his lack of height.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Apr 3, 2008 2:11:02 GMT -5
If you did a poll and asked 50,000 wrestling fans what their favorite match or the most memorable match is, I'd bet everything I own that Foley/Taker HIAC will come up more than everything Flair has been in COMBINED. I'll take that bet. Do you do PayPal? |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Mar 29, 2008 16:25:42 GMT -5
TNA... We Wanna Be Like The Big Guys So We'll Piggyback On Them In Hopes Of Getting People To See Us. Please? No, that's ROH for the past few years. TNA is actually on national television...so it would be an incredible waste of money to fly a blimp over WM, and advertise a product that 99.9% of 70,000-people WATCHING WRESTLING in Orlando, FL are already aware of, and have the blimp NOT be shown on TV, and only seen by die-hard wrestling fans live, people sitting in the Citrus Bowl that all made the trek to WM (who are all likely to be aware of TNA already). If you want to make headlines, have AJ Styles parachute into the ring during the main event, like the Holyfield-Bowe outdoor boxing fight in the 1990s...but don't. Nobody's ever going to overtake WWE again like in the WCW/WWF Monday Night days doing stupid stunts and blimp ads, there's no use in getting stupid attention and wasting money. 1996 was a cool time for the wrestling business, but it's sad that Jeff Jarrett still lives there. All week, TNA has been acting bush league with WWE in their territory. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Mar 8, 2008 17:10:43 GMT -5
Bahahahah. They spent how long hyping him up, and he's done NOTHING! In all honesty, there really isn't much you can do with a 5-foot-6 "monster". If you watch AAA, the guy's a few inches shorter than Konnan, who's listed at "5-10". Like many of Banderas' supporters, TNA saw him on WSX and thought he was neato. He isn't. He sucks. And on top of that, he's short. If he wants to make a career out of being 2008 Kevin Sullivan (figuratively and physically), that's his deal, but I don't think there's money in that in modern times. They were paying him $1,000 a match? I was convinced that TNA wasn't necessarily pissing money away after not paying for the non-main eventers hotel rooms during the tapings, but wow, that's a waste of money. At that price, they'd have to assume at least 33 people (1,000 divided by 29.99) were willing to watch Mesias wrestle on PPV after every one of his matches, and I'm not sure he's worth that. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Mar 7, 2008 1:02:01 GMT -5
He started wearing shoes back when he was a complete injury wreck during his WWE run, before he went over to WWECW, and then got fired.
Back then, pretty sure Meltzer reported Angle was suffering from "drop foot", which can be temporary or permanent, but is usually caused by nerve damage in the neck and back, and you usually need special orthopedic shoes for it. That might be a reason for why he ditched the boots, which stinks, because I liked his old-school, blue Harley Race-looking boots he had there toward the end. Or maybe that foot stuff was newz.
Where in the hell have his kneepads been for the past couple months?
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Mar 8, 2008 17:27:50 GMT -5
Thumbs up.
Aside from D'Amore (who isn't on TV enough), I thought that Roode was the money guy coming out of Team Canada. Petey had a great finisher, above average matches, but he was boring. Eric Young was showing flashes of not being boring, but he sucked in an X-Division role, and I didn't know he'd turn into the annoying TNA character for kids/Drinking Champion. Johnny Devine and A-1 were TEH SUCK, even though Devine's finally working his way out of 2004-07 jobberdom.
I thought the start of the Roode-Booker angle was pretty brilliant and well played, but damn if it didn't get lame pretty quick. Roode has cut some REALLY good promos, but his storyline progression...like his one with Eric Young makes little-to-no f***ing sense. When you look at his character on the surface, I sort of dig how he basically exists in TNA just to be a jerk to everybody (because he's the only "non-monster" guy in the company playing the true, old school heel), but there isn't too much rhyme or reason behind it.
I like Roode because he's an above-average younger heavyweight worker, and he constantly has to figure out how to make chicken salad out of chicken poop creatively. Plus, he wrestles like Curt Hennig, and I always liked Hennig.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Feb 14, 2008 3:59:44 GMT -5
Russo and TNA have jobbed Joe to the point where no one cares about him. Russo's "magic" works again. Joe should just leave what is a second-rate (and that's being generous) promotion. Russo didn't ruin him. If Joe is "ruined", then Jeff Jarrett (as a booker/promoter) ruined him. Or Kurt Angle, by accident. In TNA, Joe was never a bigger deal or more over than when he was set-up as the handpicked opponent to beat Jarrett clean in that PPV non-title lumberjack strap match at TNA's Whatever It Was 2006. That was before Russo started writing again, and before Angle officially debuted (Angle and Russo were hired that week, and started working the next night at TV tapings). Joe went over Jarrett on PPV, but didn't win the title. That was the right time for Joe winning his first (non-ROH) world strap. Two months later, Angle fought him at the PPV in a babyface vs. babyface dream match, split Joe's TNA fanbase 50/50, jobbed him, and Joe stayed pretty much out of the title picture for what, 16 months? Even then, Joe's been dominant and unbeatable, and the only times he's lost (Angle, Christian, Tomko) he's been completely screwed. That's not jobbed out or ruined. But about Joe staying in TNA or leaving....I'm a big Joe fan, and I'd love to see him breakout huge as a top guy in WWE (or even TNA again), but if he went to WWE...he'd probably have the exact same tenure as Tazz and Rhino coming out of ECW. Vince has never understood how to get the most out of those types of unconventional, thicker, 5-foot-11 (and under) guys booked as bruisers and wrestling machines, because in any given era, he's got too many sucky 6-foot-5 juiced-up clods as pet projects on the midcard (Billy Gunn/Palumbo/Masters-types) to push in that same spot, too. Benoit's the best example of that unconventional non-WWE-style of wrestler working in the modern era, but he didn't look like Tazz, Rhino, or Samoa Joe. Benoit was so roided up and fat-free that Vince bought into his wrestling, probably because Vince liked staring at his muscles. But, if Joe has political allies in WWE (John Cena), he could work there too. If Kevin Nash wasn't working the 'net in his last shoot interview, apparently he and Joe have become good pals backstage since their fight over Joe's Scott Hall-no show shoot. Nash even said he had a long talk with Jarrett about "doing what's right for Joe in TNA". Nash could also put a good word in with HHH and HBK, too. That could help a little in WWE, you'd think. I say Joe needs to go where he can make the most money without beating his body up too much. That's what any of us would do, and that option will probably be WWE or TNA, and I don't think it'll be the "ROH/indies/Japan" dream option thrown out by some here. Even Bryan "Wrestling Jesus H." Danielson would probably love to be debating dueling feelers for $100,000+ per year, secure, guaranteed jobs in either company to work relatively safe schedules like Joe is/will, and we would too in Joe's spot. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Feb 5, 2008 5:19:09 GMT -5
AJ's starting to look like a younger Jack Nicholson. That picture looks like a funny version of Jack in The Shining.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Feb 3, 2008 4:50:00 GMT -5
For all intents and purposes, Lance Storm was practically a world-beater in WCW, and a leader of a semi-important faction. Don't know how he'd be "retarded".
BTW, AJ Styles in 2004 as "generic flippy guy" and 2008 as "wasted away, crown-wearing, Karen Angle chasing tard" is better in every aspect than Lance Storm ever was.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Feb 5, 2008 5:04:23 GMT -5
i'd actually really like to see Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero, Larry Sweeney, Daniel Puder, and Sara Del Ray in TNA. Hero and Claudio make up my favorite tag team, Larry Sweeney is just to great a promo guy to not be on TV talking it up, Daniel Puder is just a great smarmy egocentric prick who does MMA and since Spike is all about UFC seems like he'd be a great pick up for TNA (of course the I HURT KURT stuff aswell), and Sara Del Ray because the Knockouts seem to be able to work Shimmer and other places. Plus I want to see Gail Kim vs. Sara Del Ray. 1. You're really smart, and I agree with every single word you wrote in your post. 2. Human Tornado. IMO, he's the most unique all-around talent on the U.S. Indy scene, and if anyone let him do his thing in small doses, that guy would get over like crazy on national TV, be it in TNA or WWE. In WWE's infinite wisdom, I assume they wouldn't sign him unless he gained 30 pounds, and then send him to FCW so Steve Keirn could re-train him the fine arts of being a sports entertainer  . But TNA could sign HT this morning, and the guy'd be more over than 90% of the company after the next two TV tapings if they let him do his thing. To me, Human Tornado doesn't really fit with ROH, but if this were 1996, Paul Heyman would've gotten this guy for ECW because he's talented, unique, and underutilized. He's money on the undercard, and you can shoot him up the card when the fans get behind him (and they will). Tornado's got room for improvement, 'cause he's young, but the guy's a heck of a talent, and ready to be seen by the masses. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 30, 2008 2:38:27 GMT -5
Jarrett was a face in WCW for a while. He was horrible in the role. Yeah, that's what I mean. Even in the rare cases he goes face, he ALWAYS ends up going heel again at some point because he just can't do the face thing at all. Yeah, he can. Jarrett was a face from his debut in 1986 straight through 1993, and he was way over in Memphis, second only to Lawler. His first ever run as a heel was actually when he debuted in WWF as "Double J" in 1993-94-ish. He definitely knows how to play what Cornette calls a "classic Southern babyface", it's just sort of annoying to some if/when he's portrayed like that now, since everyone knows he owns the company. His WCW face run in 1996-97-ish was doomed, because you couldn't get over as a face during the NWO era as a geeky Tennessee dude with a bad accent, a bad Farrah Fawcett haircut, a silver outfit with suspenders, and coupled with the annoying Debra McMichael. His TNA face runs have been doomed because everyone knows he's pushing himself. But once upon a time, he was a solid babyface. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 26, 2008 5:36:23 GMT -5
Can't wait for the "haha, TNA got a 1.2" jokes seven months from now.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 21, 2008 16:50:19 GMT -5
The interview segments and editing of them were good. The only bad part was the commentary. the Camera work and production values were SO GOOD because it was New Japan doing all the production/camera work... really good show wrestling wise too.. This probably answers Lance's question about how Global Impact could be so great while the regular weekly episode could be so terrible. No, it probably doesn't. Global Impact was presented more along the lines of those Mayweather 24/7 HBO shows that Meltzer and Alvarez always rave about, with the second half being the Nagata v. Angle match. That's what was good about it. NJPW didn't shoot the non-wrestling part of the special, which is the part that stood out as being far and away better than anything TNA usually does as far as backstage stuff. The camera work for the non-wrestling stuff was no different than anything else TNA shoots handheld with 24p digital cameras (the old PCS bits, entrance vids, etc.). It just didn't look all cheesy and sitcom-y like most backstage stuff on Impact. |
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 20, 2008 20:38:03 GMT -5
To TNA, you'd think that whatever potential Creed had would transcend the fact that Killings is no longer with the company.
That guy had a look and charisma that a lot of us loved, having only ever seen him work that one match. He should absolutely be capable of working as a singles, especially as a lower card act, bumping and jobbing for people. Plus, he was over with the live crowd at BFG, with absolutely no hype, and nobody knowing him from Adam. He's money.
If TNA threw away all plans to use him if they can't use him with Killings, they're morons.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 11, 2008 5:30:58 GMT -5
Ross Forman was responsible for that article in the Chicago paper...former WCW magazine writer, and friend of Jeremy Borash, friend of Jeff Jarrett, friend of Bob Ryder, and friend of Vince Russo.
EDIT: Gail and Kong DO deserve mainstream pub, because they're doing solid work that pretty much any wrestling fan from any era could appreciate.
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Post by "Nature Boy" Ric Moranis on Jan 10, 2008 0:03:08 GMT -5
Great match. Don't know if this sounds completely off base, but it was kinda like watching a monster movie where a heroine's trying to flee and/or fight off a beast, can't kill it, but finally does in the end in the happy ending. Except in the movies, there isn't an extra pull-apart brawl.
Gail/Kong have such great chemistry together as opponents, you could show that match to a non-wrestling fan, and I think they'd not only get it, but kind of dig it.
Back when I heard TNA was starting a women's division, I rolled my eyes. I was a moron. This Gail-Kong feud is some of the best mainstream wrestling stuff I've seen in a while.
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. But TNA could sign HT this morning, and the guy'd be more over than 90% of the company after the next two TV tapings if they let him do his thing.