Welcome back to ringside folks. Feels like forever since I’ve been gone (shout out to Kelly Clarkson) but I’m back and ready to roll. Yes, I know this is up late as well but with college starting, it’s tough to put together a schedule because of so much shit.
News & Shit
As I look through various news sites, I really see no important news. There is of course one man who was released from WWE and could join TNA:
*Kurt Angle released
You would think this would be the talk of InsidePulse but it has seemly taken a backseat to other things. I on the other hand am here to deliver the goods but not about his release from WWE, about the possible future in TNA.
So I’m sure I’m the majority here but I was completely shocked when I heard that Kurt Angle was released. What shocked me even more was the fact that it was announced on SHADE45 on SIRIUS Radio around midnight last Friday. TNA quickly jumped to mind but I of course had not heard the whole story. So over the next few days I read up on the story and came to the conclusion that Angle didn’t want to be released but it was for his own good.
Now the question becomes, does he go back? WWE has treated him great over the years. He’s held pretty much every belt in the company and he’s put on great match after great match. Yet over the past few months, things have seemingly gone downhill. He was moved to ECW, a decision he was not happy about and he was removed from the 3 Way Ladder Match, another decision he was not happy about. Then, the company released him in what was reported to be mutual but according to reports, it was one sided. We all know Angle is completely beat up physically and emotionally. He’s done nothing but put his body on the line match after match and he’s been going through personal problems. You would think wrestling would be his sanctuary (not saying he has to wrestle, just the surrounding of his peers) but I guess WWE thinks differently. Maybe they released him because they know that he has to take 90 days off from wrestling and they hope that those 90 days do him some good.
But what does he have to go back to in WWE? The exact same travel schedule and constantly working house shows and even TV shows (something that is a mistake, as pointed out by Ken Anderson). It would be the exact opposite in TNA. There is no real travel, he never has to work the UWF House Shows, and he should never work the TV shows in a wrestling manner. So where is the problem with Kurt going to TNA? You know he is very good friends with plenty of guys in the locker room. I’m sure that guys like Christian, Rhino, Brother Ray, and others have already called him and I know that Brother Devon has already called him (as he stated on BTR). Hell, I’m willing to bet that Jeff Jarrett has already made a phone call to make small talk with Angle.
So is this a reality? Sure, anything is possible in wrestling but will it happen? If I was a betting man (and I am when it comes to sports) I would be willing to say the odds are around 15% of Angle showing up in TNA. As the compete clause comes closer to the end, I’m sure more will be reported on this story.
A Lot of Shit Happens in 2 Weeks
Where to begin? Do I talk about the New Tag Champions, Sting/Jarrett, Brown/Killings, how about Rhino/Christian? Nope, I think I’ll start with something out of the blue.
So the Abyss/Spike feud has finally come to an end and now we can replace Spike with Raven. I don’t mind this feud one bit as I have always been a fan of Raven when it comes to his mic work. You throw him on the mic against Jim Mitchell and it’s an instant mic classic. The match will be a bunch of hardcore shit that we have all grown accustom to in TNA. I honestly have a gripe with the use of tacks in TNA though. Tacks are something that should only be used on PPV and nowhere else. Tease them all you want on TV, but never deliver. Make me want to see tacks on PPV, make me care about tacks as a weapon. It goes back to what Ken was saying, why pay for something I can see for free? Tacks are something special much like fire or barbed wire. Those are weapons that should only be used on PPV while you can break as many tables and chairs you want on TV. I will say that the 10,000 Tack Match on Impact forced my friends to earn a new respect for wrestlers (and how could they not after seeing two men fall into a pit of legit tacks) but as a person who knows all about the business, I don’t want to see tacks used on TV. So is Spike now taking time off while Raven does his bidding or will he just play the lackey for Raven? I say keep him off TV. He’s no threat to Abyss and he really doesn’t add anything to the feud (doesn’t take away, but doesn’t add either). So keep him off TV and bring him back around Bound For Glory along with Team 3-D. Either way, it’s Raven vs. Abyss in the ring and Raven vs. Mitchell on the mic, I see no losers here.
So LAX won the Tag Belts in a match that I enjoyed for the most part. I don’t know why Daniels was dressed for dinner and not for a fight but that’s between him I guess. As mentioned, the match itself was good and it was booked properly. The match was a Border Brawl which, according to Konnan, is their specialty match. Them winning it (rightfully so by the way, I can’t tell you how angry I get when a team constantly loses “their specialty match”) sets up AJ and Daniels getting a re-match in their specialty match, Ultimate X. The reports even indicate that the Ultimate X match will close the No Surrender show, something I’m all for. If I remember correctly there have only been 2 matches that didn’t feature the World Title or the “Built Main Event” as the Main Event since the Monthly PPVs. Those two matches were America’s Most Wanted vs. Triple X at Turning Point and AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe at Unbreakable. I don’t really need to tell you how great those two matches were now do I?
So unless things change drastically over the next few weeks, it seems as if Jarrett vs. Sting will close the Bound For Glory show and it seems as if Sting will be taking the belt (only to drop it to Joe or Christian just months later I’m sure). I honestly HATE this feud. Sure it’s been brewing since Sting joined TNA and it’s the so called “money feud” but it should have died at Hard Justice. Sting lost, end of story. If Christian cost him the belt then he should be going after Christian because it’s as he stated “Sting wasn’t good enough to win”. Christian should be feuding with Sting heading into BFG and Joe should be feuding with Jarrett. Pretty simple right? Instead we get Jarrett vs. Sting one more time and it will no doubt suck just as bad as the first time.
Did you see the promo by Christian the other week? That my loyal readers was Christian Cage. It wasn’t Captain Charisma, it wasn’t Christian, it was Christian Cage. Kudos most go out to Rhino as well for allowing Christian to bring up all that personal shit. While I don’t think that this feud is right (as stated above), I already know that I’m going to enjoy it. Christian seems like a new man on the mic and Rhino always has passion in his voice when he’s on the mic. The match shouldn’t be so bad as both men can carry their own in the ring and considering they’re good friends, they could bring out the best in each other. It won’t be MOTN because that honor will no doubt go to Tag Ultimate X but I still have high hopes for the match.
I don’t know what to think of Low Ki vs. Sabin. While I’m sure it will be a good match, it seems like the wrong time. Petey Williams won the #1 contenders match heading into Hard Justice to get the shot at Low Ki. Well Lethal was added to that match and Lethal, not Williams, was pinned. So shouldn’t that mean Petey should get another shot? I’m thinking they’ll give him a shot on an upcoming Impact episode but I still feel he should be added to Sabin/Low Ki at No Surrender or it should be Low Ki vs. Petey at No Surrender with the winner facing Sabin at Bound For Glory. I wish TNA would give Lethal a better role than just a lackey at this point but what can you do?
So Monty Brown and Ron Killings are all but gone from TNA. Brown hasn’t been used since the Impact after Hard Justice where he was involved in that multi-man brawl and it looks as if Killings will be jobbing to Christian on his way out. I’m actually looking forward to this match if Killings decides to show up to work. I’m not saying he’ll do this but it’s reasonable to think that he’ll tank this match to make Christian and the company look bad on his way out. He owes it to TNA not to do this but I wouldn’t put it past him. As for Brown, see you on Smackdown.
Plugs
Gardner speaks on Angle going to TNA.
Botter also talks about Kurt Angle with mentions of TNA.
Daniels attempts to make the Tag Titles (in WWE) seem important.
The End
Drop me a line at AMPLine4Life@aol.com and join me next time At Ringside.
