TNA's Highs and Lows

[hb2k]

So, with the recent news of Spike choosing not to renew TNA's TV deal, it seems like a good time to do a podcast looking at the story of TNA thus far - the good points and the bad. The direction of the show will be balanced purely based on the feedback given.

So what I'd like to ask is, to you personally, what is your one high point and one low point in TNA history. A moment, a match, an angle, a character, a point in time, whatever. Feel free to elaborate on your chosen points, and feel free to add any additional comments about the Spike TV news and TNA's situation itself (I know there are some in the other thread, but I really didn't want to mooch off them without permission)

I'll be reading the comments on the show, and it should be pretty entertaining due to some of the absurdity of the past twelve years. So yeh, in your opinion, highest high and lowest low? Was there ever any hope?

[#1-norm-fan]

Off the top of my head...

High: The Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle feud/The booking of Joe during that period

Low: TNA World Champion Chris Sabin

[whiteyford]

High : AMW vs Skipper/Daniels cage match from years ago.

Low : Russo swerve bonanza

[screech]

High: AJ vs Joe vs Daniels, Unbreakable 2005 (every match these three had was aces for me, though)

Low: Using PPV to set up TV more often than not, instead of the inverse.

[screech]

High: Kurt Angle vs Mr. Anderson, ladder match on impact before Lockdown 2009, maybe 2010

Low: Ultimate X matches not for the title, but for that dumb red X. Why go through all that?

[screech]

High: Victory Road 2008, the birth of the Main Event Mafia

Low: Elevation X match. To quote The Gold Standard: "someone could have DIED on that"

[screech]

High: When MEM took over: Chet Lemon, Black Snow, Steiner ring announcing

Low: Cage matches on free TV when a whole PPV is dedicated to cage matches

[Ruien]

Off the top of my head...

High: The Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle feud/The booking of Joe during that period


Low: Everything done with Joe since.

[Mr. Nerfect]

High: When they managed to get Christian Cage, Kurt Angle and announced Hulk Hogan would be coming in (those three on equal measures, despite them being distanced apart). It just had this feeling that the company might build to something and pull itself up. And Joe/Styles/Daniels and that whole era of awesome.

Low: Oddly enough, it was probably when they did the swerve and had Monty Brown turn heel instead of beating Jeff Jarrett and becoming the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. It seemed like they missed their chance to make a "TNA Guy." There were also periods of time during the Hogan/Bischoff era that just played inverse to how I would have loved my professional wrestling to go.

It's like TNA often had the markers all lined up, but instead of knocking them over, they swerved completely to the side, drunk.

[slik]

http://orlando.craigslist.org/spo/4591854820.html

[drave]

http://orlando.craigslist.org/spo/4591854820.html

No way this is legit.... but funny if her twitter explodes because of it.

[Innovator]

High: Joe finally winning TNA World Title

Low: Nash costing Joe the Title to Sting, Main Event Mafia forms

[Innovator]

High: AJ vs. Daniels for the World Title, Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe in the co-main spot

Low: 1 months later Daniels is losing clean to Val Venis in two minutes

[Innovator]

High: Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim

Low: Bubba the Love Sponge

[Innovator]

High: TNA gets HULK HOGAN

Low: Hogan never promotes TNA on media appearances

[Innovator]

High: Raven wins NWA Title, completing his destiny

Low: Midget beating off in a trash can

[Lock Jaw]

High: Christian Cage as champion and his Christian Coalition

Low: I feel it is unfair to say anything from before they had a televised show... So I'll say... Their attempt at a Monday Night War.

[Innovator]

High: PCS

Low: Opening IMPACT with Bischoff playing the guitar

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, PCS was great. Kevin Nash x-division stuff definitely a high point.

Also,

Austin Starr > Austin Aries

[Innovator]

Vintage push up handles - Bob Backlund authorized

[screech]

High: World X Cup

Low: TNA Turkey Bowl

[hb2k]

Vintage push up handles - Bob Backlund authorized

I believe this also featured the following absurd exchange:

Nash: "Jay Lethal, you're up first"
Lethal: "Why do I have have to go first?"
Nash: "Because you're black"

[Vastardikai]

High: AJ vs. Daniels vs. Joe

Low: THAT Sting vs. Jeff Hardy match. (though technically, it could also be considered a "High" point.)

[Innovator]

High: The Beer Money vs. MCMG feud

Low: AJ Styles going from face and future of the company to Christian and Angle's goofy lackey

[Innovator]

High: Bad Influence

Low: Claire Lynch

[whiteyford]

The Claire Lynch thing was just embarrassing on every level.

[screech]

High: The Beer Money vs. MCMG feud

Low: AJ Styles going from face and future of the company to Christian and Angle's goofy lackey

Didn't they release a Beer Money/MCMG DVD?

[Innovator]

The Claire Lynch thing was just embarrassing on every level.

Including Dixie's wife Serge flooring AJ with one punch

[CSL]

high: PCS

the rest is irrelevant

[Innovator]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4i8-CylpzTY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FM1mh3qf3Y4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5PyE7Nb83Fw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/y9l2WT_xK6w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/016pGfgdI6o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Emperor Smeat]

High - Austin Aries winning the TNA title and idea about the X Division champion being allowed to trade in the X title for a shot at the bigger belt.

Low - Hardy vs Sting at Victory Road 2011

[Innovator]

High: Joe vs. Angle at Lockdown

Low: Nation of Violence Joe, who feuds with and then joins the MEM

[Innovator]

High: Maple Leaf Muscle Petey Williams

Low:

http://taimapedia.org/images/2/2b/3311.jpg

[Dukelorange]

Good: TNA when they were exclusively on PPV.

Bad: When they had the influx of WWE has been stars.

[Innovator]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Dn_VUKys504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[screech]

Maple Leaf Muscle was the shit

[screech]

Low: Nation of Violence Joe, who feuds with and then joins the MEM

Piggybacking this: Taz' debut. So dumb.

[Fignuts]

High: AMW vs Triple X cage matches

Low: Way too many non-finishes. Felt like 80's All Japan at times.

[Malfeitor]

Holy shit those PCS videos are amazing.

[Droford]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iNnBTZxnCw/U9cvXYX4gGI/AAAAAAAAXgo/f67IjWaNdbE/s1600/The+Fall+and+Fall+of+TNA+iMPACT+Wrestling.jpg

[McLegend]

High: Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels Unbreakable 2005... That was right before before they went to Spike if I am remembering correctly.

After that match TNA was getting a lot of buzz, and you were thinking they have a chance.

Low: I want to say bringing Russo back the first time... Pretty sure that was in the arrival of Sting timeframe. That summer before Sting came they were putting on a quality show. LAX with Konann as the mouthpiece was really doing well, and Samoa Joe was on fire. Russo I feel just negatively impacted everything forever.

[Innovator]

Yeah Russo came in, Angle came in, and Joe immediately took a backseat after beating Jarrett clean a month before

[dronepool]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3iNnBTZxnCw/U9cvXYX4gGI/AAAAAAAAXgo/f67IjWaNdbE/s1600/The+Fall+and+Fall+of+TNA+iMPACT+Wrestling.jpg

Looks legit, TNA style.

[Savio]

Low: Opening IMPACT with Bischoff playing the guitar
Yeah wtf was that? wasnt that the first ep of the monday night "war"?

[Hanso Amore]

I tried many times to watch a few episodes in a row over the years.

Never found a single thing I liked. No trolling.

Somoa Joe vs AJ vs Daniels was good and they had lots of good spots and great matches but nothing booking wise that stuck with me.

ANGLE VS JOE

Might as well been

A1 vs Mikley Batts

[Heisenberg]

High: Shark Boy and Curry Man Era

Low: Releasing Christopher Daniels and keeping fuckboy Rockstar Spud

[Fignuts]

Saw Curry Man live. He was awesome.

[hb2k]

I really think, in hindsight, that one week in September 2006 might have been the best and worst at the same time - they hire Kurt Angle, fresh of WWE TV, a genuine, relevant top star. And that week, they hire Vince Russo back.

One of those could have made a positive difference.

[hb2k]

Just to update: the show is now up, taking all your feedback and discussing the Highs and Lows of TNA's 12 Year History. Featuring discussion on Angle Vs. Joe, Hogan & Bischoff, Vince Russo, Austin Aries, LAX, Christian Cage, Claire Lynch, Jeff Hardy being fucked up on live PPV and tons more. Check it out and let us know what you think.

http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/mz6g9q/SCGRadio9-TheHighsAndLowsOfTNA.mp3

[Mr. Nerfect]

The Motor City Machine Guns in TNA right now would be glorious. :(