Two years ago, Talon had asked me to join the TNAsylum team. He and I had become friendly some time before that - during his time at Pro Wrestling Dot Net to be precise - so I was quite familiar with his work. I accepted his offer, without hesitation, and began the process of creating what is currently the best TNA/Impact Wrestling website on the net. I don't make such assertions often but I can do so in this instance knowing full well that it's the truth. When I recently made the difficult decision to shut down TNAswerve, I had no intention of returning to blogging simply because I had become weary of the entire process. This week, however, Talon asked me to return to the site that I once helped mold into the splendid operation that it is today and quite frankly, I couldn't resist. My views on blogging and the Internet Wrestling Community haven't changed but I think it's imperative that pro wrestling fans, particularly those who watch TNA, are presented with unbiased, agenda-free opinions. This is something that I have always strived for. This is something that we, here at TNAsylum, will continue to strive for. It is a vow I made when I created TNAswerve and it is a vow that I will make one more time - my objective is one that encompasses the extensive and unbiased
coverage of TNA and Impact Wrestling but doesn't compromise my one true
principle: I am a pro wrestling fan, first and foremost. Happy
Anniversary, TNAsylum!
As much as I enjoy praising this wonderful site, it is not my first priority - that would be to share with you my thoughts on the Impact Wrestling product. So let's proceed with my commentary on this week's episode of Impact: Open Fight Night.
As much as I enjoy praising this wonderful site, it is not my first priority - that would be to share with you my thoughts on the Impact Wrestling product. So let's proceed with my commentary on this week's episode of Impact: Open Fight Night.
Hulk Hogan spent the entire show, practically, evaluating which of the four candidates would be best suited to defeat the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode in order to prevent him from becoming the company's longest reigning world champion. Although he made good points and his eliminations made sense, he failed to make the one point that pretty much overrides all other points: AJ Styles held the record for longest world champion going into this week's show. I would have liked to see Hogan use that logic when he chose Styles to wrestle Roode as opposed to the rather uninspiring familiarity theory. Although the main event was interrupted twice by commercials, I thought
the match was exceptional. I, particularly, enjoyed the way Christopher
Daniels and Kazarian were a factor in the outcome without blatant
interference by the duo. AJ Styles, who battled despite a potential
shoulder injury, was visibly distracted by the possibility that his
rivals could at any point interfere, costing him the match. This week,
we witnessed an AJ Styles who's clearly shaken by the recent
developments involving Dixie Carter. Conversely, Bobby Roode is now officially the longest reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion and I, for one, am very happy for him. Roode, along with Bully Ray and Austin Aries, has been Impact Wrestling's MVP since last November and it doesn't appear that his reign will end any time soon, and rightfully so.
The opening segment of this week's show featured the aforementioned evaluation process in which Hulk Hogan, in a relaxed backstage setting, proceeded to discuss the show with Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Bully Ray. Much of the discussion involved pro wrestling insider terms that many were critical of simply because they feel that casual fans don't understand them. I'm a huge proponent of wrestling companies producing stimulating and thought-provoking television so I'm not at all in agreement with this. To those who didn't understand some of the terminology, I suggest this to you: enlighten yourself. If you're enough of a pro wrestling fan, I would think you'd be interested in getting to know the sport better.
Joseph Park is the most fascinating character in pro wrestling right now. I had hoped that the writers would find a way to make Abyss interesting again, and they certainly have succeeded. This was no small feat too. Abyss had simply become as stale as any character in the business, mostly due to the horrific gimmicks imposed on him in recent years. Abyssamania, for example, could very well be the most embarrassing time in TNA history but I digress. Add, to the most fascinating character, the best heel in pro wrestling and you essentially have one of the most enjoyable storylines. Bully Ray and Joseph Park, interestingly enough, have the sort of chemistry that Bully Ray and Abyss never had. Their confrontations have been pure brilliance and this week's face-off was no exception.
I've been a huge fan of Joey Ryan's for a while so I won't bore you with the details of my elation at the news that he was this month's GutCheck challenger. Although I would sign him, I realize that his gimmick isn't one that all fans will find appropriate. He's, simply put, an advocate of sleaze in pro wrestling and quite frankly, he brings the sleaze as good as anyone. A few months ago, I wrote a short piece on TNAswerve about him and why TNA should sign him:
I'm still not quite sure why Ryan isn't under contract with one of the three top promotions right now, unless his current deal with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla prohibits him from doing so. He's a tremendous wrestler whose talent is unfortunately wasted in the indies. Ryan's charisma is perfectly ideal for a mainstream audience but more importantly, I truly believe that he is one of two current wrestlers who can portray a homosexual character in TNA and do it in a way that the fans will fully embrace - the other being OVW's Paredyse.
It was good to see that Rob Van Dam hadn't forgotten what Gunner had done to him at Genesis. Although I wasn't a fan of RVD pinning Gunner in a short match, I thought it was a decent match. I'm starting to think that Gunner could be a main eventer at some point in his career. While there are still many fans who don't like him, you can not deny the fact that he's a talented wrestler with a good look. It remains to be seen, however, if he's a star. Incidentally, this match is another reason why I feel that Open Fight Night is a brilliant concept - it affords the writers the opportunity to wrap up loose ends without disrupting the flow of other storylines.
Overall, I thought Impact was a fun show that included an excellent main event title match, the return of Sting, another good confrontation between Bully Ray and Joseph Park, a GutCheck challenge featuring indie darling Joey Ryan vs Austin Aries, and a much deserved celebration by Bobby Roode for becoming the company's longest reigning world champion. However, there were segments that weren't as successful: Devon vs Garett Bischoff was quite pedestrian with a horrific post-match scrum that included the Robbies, and the match between Eric Young/ODB and Gail Kim/Madison Rayne was amusing at best but rather unnecessary. I will say this, however: it's much more fun watching Eric Young actually wrestling with the women as opposed to spending the entire match running around the ring like a fool. In any case, the second edition of Open Fight Night was an overall success. My score: 6.0 (...out of 10)
Make sure you follow me on Twitter for more TNA news and commentary at @ShelbinSlant
