Ten Things TNA is Doing Correctly (I watched and did a live coverage/review of the show that you should read before this right here.
1. TNA is pushing Samoa Joe. The character has long been booked as an idiot- he falls for every trick the heels try- but it’s probably too late to change that, so now he’s a killer upper-card face who can work with the young heels and make them look good. He’s doing that with Pope, who really needs to learn from Joe.
2. The belt going back on Jeff Hardy is a good thing. Anderson showed that simply is not World Title material, but his brush with the belt gives him credibility. Yes, Jeff will go to jail, but with They as Fortune, he needs the belt so AJ Styles, TNA’s best worker, can chase and dethrone him.
3. There aren’t nearly as many old guys as there were. Before it seemed like every segment had a past-his-prime worker. Now? It’s really just Steiner and 3-D. Not a bad turnaround.
4. They’re making it really easy for me to skip what I don’t want to see. Angle and Jarrett? No interest in either, skip. Same for 3-D battling one another and whatever mess they’ve made of the X-Divison. Matt Hardy vs. RVD will make some prior era fans happy, but it just means I can change the channel.
5. Robert Roode has been a main event ready star for a few years now and he’s finally getting to show it. Letting him blossom into a top face is the best move TNA can make, as he’s the only one they haven’t ruined in any way yet. If I’m TNA, AJ and Jeff go to the limit a ton, then Roode takes the belt off Jeff and becomes face of the company.
6. Matt Morgan’s character is a breath of fresh air. Sure he’s not the best worker, but he’s solid has good presence and is the rare logical, intelligent face. I mean, Orton and Edge are similar, but they’re heels the fans cheer. Morgan is just portrayed as a smart man.
7. Eric Bischoff wasn’t at the PPV last night! I know he’s a great mouthpiece, but there’s never any payoff for his smarminess and so it makes me want to not watch rather than see him get comeuppance. Keeping him off a PPV that’s supposed to be about resolution when he offers none is smart.
8. They want to push the X-Division again and started with talking to Generico and TJ Perkins. I hear Generico ended up re-upping with ROH thanks to TNA sitting on their hands, but still, looking at good talent is a great start. Also, when the push commences, Desmond Wolf and Doug Williams are awaiting with a ton of credibility.
9. AJ Styles feels the freshest as a face he has in years in that they’ve finally given him something to fight for, not being second best and having TNA taken over by WWE rejects. Add in his best promo work ever and AJ might actually manage to be the face of TNA this time until they screw it up again. I’d go Roode, but two guys in great position to be #1 face isn’t a bad thing.
10. Impact ratings have hit a plateau again. That no more than this many fans can take the current direction is a good idea. They’re safely in business, a good thing since I want these guys to be able to make livings, but without growth, any business-person, even a mark like Dixie Carter, has to realize a new direction would really help.
