Objective Analyis of the top TNA Storylines

[Next Big Thing]

Basically I've identified the top four storylines I feel that TNA is focusing on right now.

I want to get your opinions on each, but I don't want to hear shit like Russo sucks, everyone's old, TNA's gay, Dixie's hot/ a bitch... Give reasons why you do or don't like the direction of the company with these storylines. This may contain spoilers if guys talk about stuff from the tapings.

1) Hardy vs. Angle vs. Kennedy for the world title

2) Fourtune vs. EV 2.0

3) Abyss 10-10-10

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.

5) Mick Foley vs. Ric Flair

[Schlomey]

1. Hardy vs Angle amazingly put on a "match of the year" showdown even with horrible booking. That takes talent. Putting Anderson/Pope last was the worst booking decision TNA could have done. Nobody cared. Honestly I would much rather see Hardy vs Angle part 2 for the title and leave Anderson out of it. However, they have a month to make me believe he deserves to be there. We'll see how it plays out but I really really liked that match and HOPEFULLY they won't fuck it up this month in the build.



2. Fourtune & EV 2.0 - I missed a month of TNA recently so I really have no clue what's giong on here other than the vignette we saw at the last PPV. It's a ripoff group vs a ripoff group of old guys. Doesn't mean it will suck but it should def. be considered undercard material.


3. Abyss 10-10-10 ---This build has been insanely drawn out. How long has he been talking about people coming? Like all summer? Feels like it. I hate Abyss but it's cool to have mystery and it's cool that we FINALLY will get answers so we can put this one to rest. I just hope it isn't as underwhelming as I assume it will be.



4. I really like the Nash/Sting/Jarrett/Joe stuff. I really was amped for their match at the PPV which is shocking...however it sucked ass. It was like 5 minutes and the only cool thing that happened was Joe cleared house. The promos and build has been really good on screen I just hope the PPV payoff doesn't suck like the last time.

[Swiss Ultimate]

1) Hardy vs. Angle vs. Kennedy for the world title
Pope should have lost more controversially so that he could have been in this match. Have a feeling RVD is going to show up or something.

2) Fourtune vs. EV 2.0
Not really into it.

3) Abyss 10-10-10
Abyss lost to Stevie...

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.
Why isn't Jarrett one of those needing to step aside? I'm confused. Haven't been following this angle.

[Next Big Thing]

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.
Why isn't Jarrett one of those needing to step aside? I'm confused. Haven't been following this angle.

Basically Jarrett and Hogan cut a promo talking about how they've stepped back and let the young guys shine and Nash and Sting should do the same. Hogan's old and decrepit so Jarrett ended up taking over most of the angle and was getting beat up by Sting and Nash until Joe made the save.

[Xero]

1) Hardy vs. Angle vs. Kennedy for the world title
Gonna be a good match that will be ruined by overbooking.

2) Fourtune vs. EV 2.0
Fourtune's fine, EV2.0 has to go.

3) Abyss 10-10-10
I couldn't care less, because I know that no matter how low I set my expectations TNA will disappoint me.

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.
Meh. As DTTS said, Jarrett should be stepping aside.

[Londoner]

3 of those storylines show what is wrong with TNA.

[Xero]

Meh. As DTTS said, Jarrett should be stepping aside.

To put this in perspective, Nash started wrestling in 1990. Jarrett started wrestling in 1986.

[Next Big Thing]

4. I really like the Nash/Sting/Jarrett/Joe stuff. I really was amped for their match at the PPV which is shocking...however it sucked ass. It was like 5 minutes and the only cool thing that happened was Joe cleared house. The promos and build has been really good on screen I just hope the PPV payoff doesn't suck like the last time.

I agree 100% with your thoughts on this angle. It was actually may favorite thing on TNA promo wise and that's what's so frustrating. Nash and Jarrett in particular were so good on the mic building it up but the match blew.

TNA needs to make these guys managers and mouthpieces. They're too far gone in their career to give anyone a meaningful rub by putting them over, but Kevin Nash on the mic could have a huge impact for some of the young guys who struggle with that.

[Schlomey]

Hey Next Big Thing,


You should add Foley and Flair to the feuds to talk about because it is a lot about what is wrong with TNA (in my opinion).


Big fan of good wrestling. Not just TNA. Not just WWE. As I've said dozens of times before when I have felt necessary to defend liking some of the TNA product. THIS particular feud (flair/foley) is just a miserable idea. They are wasting TV time and focusing on all the wrong things. To me, it's going to hurt the all around show as well as the EV/Fourtune feud.

[erickman]

I agree 100% with your thoughts on this angle. It was actually may favorite thing on TNA promo wise and that's what's so frustrating. Nash and Jarrett in particular were so good on the mic building it up but the match blew.

TNA needs to make these guys managers and mouthpieces. They're too far gone in their career to give anyone a meaningful rub by putting them over, but Kevin Nash on the mic could have a huge impact for some of the young guys who struggle with that.

yeah too bad wrestling does not have managers like they used too. nash is good steiner flair even hogan let them talk while the young guys wrestle.

[Innovator]

1) Hardy vs. Angle vs. Kennedy for the world title
Angle has to win for this storyline to even make sense, but as everyone said (and TNAs been doing this since 03 with Raven/Jarrett) there will be a great match and will be overshadowed by overbooked finish where no one will get over or get hurt.

2) Fourtune vs. EV 2.0
A bunch of guys in their 40s against a group led by Flair. If the emphasis ends up on AJ or Beer Money, then ok. But we know it won't. The emphasis is on Foley and Flair. Cmon.

3) Abyss 10-10-10
A new group coming in to take over TNA, meanwhile two groups just started within the last couple months and Hogan and Bischoff brought in a whole bunch in January, just stop with these fucking storylines.

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.
I feel bad for Joe, and Sting doesn't give a shit anymore. He hasn't for 3 years.

[Ultra Mantis]

1) Hardy vs. Angle vs. Kennedy for the world title
While these guys are all great at what they do and will no doubt put on a good series of matches, they're all ex WWE world title contenders and going for a vacant belt at the biggest TNA show of the year. Plus they fucked up Angle's hot storyline for NOTHING. What was the point in the tournament in the first place if they're going with a triple theat? Bullshit booking 101.

2) Fourtune vs. EV 2.0
While it gives Fourtune somebody to feud with, washed up ECW guys aren't exactly a hot stable. Let Fourtune destroy EV2 then feud with TNA guys.

3) Abyss 10-10-10
Why is this guy still kayfabe employed after attempted murder? Not even a suspension? They just let him rape people or threaten bringing in ANOTHER STABLE to fuck up TNA and nobodys doing shit about it? What? There's at least four on air authority figures so this is just ridiculous.

4) Nash and Sting not ready to give up the limelight vs. Jarrett and Samoa Joe who want them to step aside.
Jarrett should not be the voice of reason here, he should be on the other side where he can put over more young guys since he's the only veteran in this angle who can still go. Let Joe, Pope and Hernandez or someone go over clean and "take" the limelight.

[The Pope]

I hate the EV2 storyline, it's just awful. I like how AJ Styles beat Dreamer in the I quit match though.

[St. Jimmy]

Anderson will pin hardy, Angle will claim "I DIDN'T LOSE" and then challenge anderson or continue his quest through the contenders or some lame ass shit.

[VSG]

Wait, why is it called "Four"tune and not Fortune? Flair, AJ, Kaz and Beer Money are 5 people :shifty:

[DLVH84]

To put this in perspective, Nash started wrestling in 1990. Jarrett started wrestling in 1986.

Yeah, but age can play a difference in there as well. Nash was 31 when he started wrestling, while Jarrett was 18 when he started. Now at 51 and 43 respectively, I think Jarrett more to the table than Nash would.

[DLVH84]

Wait, why is it called "Four"tune and not Fortune? Flair, AJ, Kaz and Beer Money are 5 people :shifty:

AJ, Kaz, and Beer Money are THE FOUR. Flair is more or less a mentor, ala J.J. Dillon.

[Next Big Thing]

AJ, Kaz, and Beer Money are THE FOUR. Flair is more or less a mentor, ala J.J. Dillon.

So where do Morgan and Douglas Williams fit into that?

[DLVH84]

So where do Morgan and Douglas Williams fit into that?

More like their bodyguards.

[Next Big Thing]

More like their bodyguards.
Hell I counted five plus Flair when they were first introduced.

Or perhaps TNA has retarded writers who initally tried to create a rip off of the Four Horsemen and then realized they had two young heels they had no direction for so in an ode to the N.W.O. from 1998 onward figured they may as well put them in too.

"Making their way to the ring: Fourtune + 2 featuring Ric Flair." What a joke.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Chk7uQbHbs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Chk7uQbHbs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
This was awesome though. Watch the full thing.

[The Pope]

It's a good team.

[Mr. Nerfect]

World Title storyline
I like this better in theory than it is playing out. Angle and Hardy worked an amazing match at No Surrender, that was booked just horribly. While I would prefer a one-on-one match to headline BFG, there is a lot of existent heat to run this match on. Angle and Anderson had a vicious feud earlier this year, and there's that stuff between Anderson and Hardy. It's got the potential to be a good storyline, and given the chemistry between Angle and the other two guys respectively, I think TNA is figuring "Angle and Hardy had a MOTY candidate; Angle and Anderson had a MOTY candidate -- obviously all of them together will have a MOTY candidate." Maybe, but I think I would prefer Angle vs. Anderson and Pope vs. Hardy separately.

Fourtune vs. EV2.0
I understand what TNA is trying to do with this, but I think it needs to end and end at Bound For Glory. Tommy Dreamer can still work when needed, and can still talk -- but it's time for him to step behind the scenes, I think. I still like Rhino and Stevie Richards, but they were booked to shit before EV2.0, and you just can't magically have them appear credible again. I appreciate that TNA are trying, but it's going to take some work. I like that Brian Kendrick is hanging with the ECW guys, and that TNA are trying to get him over by association, but it just doesn't feel completely right.

The concept of Fourtune is great, and it's probably the best role Ric Flair can play at this stage, but it's sort of like the Three Stooges syndrome where TNA are trying to put over too many heels at one time. A lot of the guys are taking random losses, too, which is probably not the best way to put them over as a force. It'd be more interesting to see them when EV2.0 are gone. I guess AJ Styles is meant to be the star of the group, but I don't get why he is then holding the mid-card title. It should be either Kazarian or Morgan holding it. Whatever.

10-10-10
It's the boy who cried wolf. TNA keeps promising stuff, and they never deliver. Maybe TNA will surprise, but I doubt it. Also, I find myself not caring about Abyss. The guy is a good talent and a good company man, but if TNA cut him from their active storylines, I sadly wouldn't miss him. As a face he was annoying, and as a heel he is just...there. The guy is like 36, too. If TNA had him take a backstage role, or something, it really wouldn't upset me. I think he should just put over Rob Van Dam, so they can build to Angle vs. RVD, have Abyss introduce "They," and then fade away.

Mick Foley vs. Ric Flair
Both guys can still talk, and I will always love Mick Foley, but I really don't know why TNA still has him. He's essentially just there because of his name, and not really contributing to the product. I respect Foley, but he's one of the older guys that I think should take a step back. He can keep his relationship with TNA up, or he can go back to the WWE, or whatever. Right now he's just taking up TV time that goes to other guys.

The same can be said for Jeff Jarrett and Kevin Nash. At least Nash can be entertaining. I wouldn't mind it if he became a mouthpiece for somebody. Jarrett is another guy that I think should perhaps retreat to behind the scenes. He can still go in the ring, but the guy is just not a money draw and could really help clear TNA up by taking a step back and just focusing on his other roles within the company. The guy can still show up to make announcements from time-to-time, or even work house shows. But other than that, I think the creative decision should be to scrap the character.

[The Pope]

I'm still hoping "They" are these guys:
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zmxX2MZGbE0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zmxX2MZGbE0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>