TNA: In the Zone for 4/27/06
What’s up, all you TNAtheists? Welcome to another edition of In the Zone. I’m Dougie, and I find myself writing this in a fairly pissy mood. I don’t have any justification for this, other than being sick of the nine to five grind that nearly all of us have to deal with. Oh well, no need to be a whiny little bitch about it, so on with the show!
I’d like to start off by saying a few words about Lockdown. Bad Fucking Ass. Those are my few words. Each and every match was planned and performed brilliantly. The X-Div guys showed their shit, and the other matches were every bit as good. Seriously, after a PPV, I am used to hearing the announcers cry and scream over the quality of the show. I can honestly say that the hyperbole exhibited by West and Tenay was kept to a serious minimum. Lockdown was a hell of a show, and included the return of one of my favorite ever TNA workers, Low Ki, who has redefined himself as Senshi. There was quite a bit of blood, as well. All in all, I’d have to say the show was fantastic.
IMPACT begins this week with James Mitchell filling Abyss’ mind with lies about his stolen belt. I like the way that TNA is using Mitchell here. He’s kinda like the evil little devil that sits on your shoulder demanding that you do evil. They need to have a new character that plays the angel on Abyss’ other shoulder. It could be a role for Christie Hemme! Mitchell could seethe and hate her, but Abyss won’t let him get rid of her! This idea could work!
Anyway, the stolen belt bit hasn’t been done for a while, and letting Abyss defend the thing is a pretty cool twist. It takes the angle to another level.
Till we get to the actual match. Who decided that Rhino needed to job to Abyss here? They build the guy up as the War Machine, and then put the guy in a match where he gets almost no offense. What gives? Of course, Abyss “retains” the title here. I don’t understand the run in by Bobby Roode, except to set up a program between him and Rhino, which is evidence of a further de-push of Rhino. He I better than this. I was really enjoying the direction they were going with Rhino a few months ago, but now I fear that he’s going to be run off.
After the match, Christian Cage comes out, but Mitchell scurries away with the belt. This leads to Cage challenging Abyss to a Full Metal Mayhem match at the next PPV Sacrifice.
Next we get “treated” to an interview with Jarrett and Steiner. I honestly find myself wondering if they only put these guys on TV to make me appreciate the rest of the crew even more.
I’m sure that they said something here about wanting a tag match with Sting and a partner of his choice at Sacrifice. Do I smell a partner swerve? I don’t even care. I love the return of Sting, but why, f*ck me WHY, can’t he work a program with someone worthwhile?
Then al is right with the world again. Alex Shelley shows up with the Paparazzi Cam, and calls himself TNA. Total Nonstop Alex! IS this guy the second coming of Jericho, or what? So it turns out that next week we are going to get a Paparazzi Productions interview with Kevin Nash. Go easy on him, Alex. I love the old man, but he I a bit brittle.
Team USA sends Alex Shelley & Sonjay Dutt to take on Team Japan’s Hiroki Goto & Minoru Tanaka in the first round of the world X cup. I expect that this will be a pretty sweet match, if they just let these four go. I would like to see this tournament run honorably, but I know that I have to expect a lot of outside interference and run-ins.
I also figured out the difference between Heel Alex Shelley and Face Alex Shelley. As a heel, Shelley wastes everyone’s time setting up his tripod. Face Shelley finds a “friend” to hold the Shelley Cam. Priceless. During this match, the crowd is solidly behind AS, especially when he hits the Kryptonite Crunch and Sliced Bread Number Two. He and Dutt hit a few sweet tandem moves here as well. They go on to win, and earn Team USA 2 points. Great start to what should be a great tourney!
Backstage, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels seem to have made their peace. At least in the sense that they have decided that AMW are awful champions. I hope to see a title change soon.
Joe is out next to defend the X-Division title against Jay Lethal. First, though, we get a promo for Senshi. I don’t know why he decided on the change, but I dig this guy. They delay even more to allow Raven a chance to chase Larry Z out of the building. Okay, that shit was contrived. Has the Championship Committee EVER come out to help announce a match? While I’m at it, Tenay keeps saying that there is a “New public face of TNA management, whoever he is…” If you have to end the statement with “Whoever he is,” then he’s sure not the public face!
Back to the match, they are building Jay Lethal up hard. I don’t believe that he is the guy to dethrone Joe. At least not tonight, as the match plays out. Jay Lethal has been on quite a push lately, nut he is just fed to a hungry Joe here. You coulda dipped him in funnel cake batter and deep fried him.
Next up we have the segment that I have been dreading all night. Sting re-introduces the world to Lex Lugar and Buff Bagwell. I wanted to hate this whole thing. Without going into all the details, I’ll just say this:
I marked out like bitch, and that’s a shoot.
Buff and Lex got GREAT reactions from the crowd. The fans seem to have forgiven all past hatreds. I never cease to be amazed by what wrestling fans will go for. Myself included.
All in all, pretty good show. Two of the matches were total squashes, but they were intended to set up what’s coming next, so I can forgive that.
Anyway, though I fear that I’m going to sound like a broken record, Alex Shelley is once again In The Zone.
Later,
Dougie
icarusfallz@yahoo.com
