No Surrender 2013 review

Remember Chris Sabin? He's the man who has worked for TNA for a decade, routinely being relied upon to provide exciting matches. He's the man who was chosen to unseat TNA's lead heel as world champion. He's the man that, with a little bit of work, could have been a perfectly satisfactory addition to the company's rather drab main event scene.

You and I may remember who Mr Sabin is but TNA's writing team apparently do not. Just four weeks after his world title reign (which also lasted just four weeks) was unceremoniously halted Sabin has already slipped down the card enough to be omitted from what is allegedly a pay-per-view quality edition of Impact Wrestling. The treatment obviously does Sabin no good and it's not a positive for the TNA world championship either. That now looks like something that anyone can get a shot at and win. That's not how any promotion should present what is supposed to be their top prize.

Thankfully this was the only major complaint I have about No Surrender. Sabin's absence aside it was a perfectly fine show.

The evening kicked off with the standard video package. It was well produced. First it showed us the four men who would compete in the BFG semi-finals and finals, each man doing his utmost to stress the importance of the BFG series and the title shot the winner would receive. Following an F Scott Fitzgerald quote (I like the idea of TNA doing more literary quotes, partly because it's such a clichéd thing to do that it suits them perfectly) we were shown how the Mr Anderson and Bully Ray, the Vice President and President of Aces and Eights respectively, issue came about.

Bully Ray opened with a promo. That wouldn’t have happened were No Surrender a real pay-per-view. He said the problems between Anderson and him were because of General Manager Hulk Hogan. That brought out 'The Hulkster' who said that Bully should be focused on Anderson, cracking the same "You should be worried about facing one of your brothers, brother!" gag twice. Hey, no one can accuse Hulk of not reusing things that work.

Bully called Anderson out to the ring. His music hit immediately, almost as if he'd been waiting at the gorilla position. The Vice President of Aces and Eights refused a handshake from Hogan and joined Bully in the ring. He was told that if he just apologised it would all be over. After very briefly teasing giving that apology he decked the Pres. After that he shouted his own name and Hogan got back on the stick to say that the world title match would be a Last Man Standing match.

Match one saw Austin Aries meet AJ Styles. They had the sort of smooth and enjoyable match you'd expect. There was nothing wrong with what they have us at all. The finish came when 'A Double' went for a splash in the corner but got hung up on the top rope. Styles then hit a Pele kick and followed up with a middle rope Styles Clash for the win.

 

Finish ahoy!

 

Backstage Sting tried to give Magnus a pep talk. Magnus told him he's tired of being the future and declared he was going to be the champion. Samoa Joe was slouched on a sofa throughout.

After a break Bobby Roode was shown screaming at Taz, Mike Tenay and the referee whose surname isn't Hebner, demanding Magnus be brought out so he could beat him and then go on to beat Styles in the finals. We also got a shot of a handful of the St Louis Rams. Which was... well, it was something. Their support would mean a lot more if they were shown to support TNA on non-TNA programming. But obviously that's not going to happen.

'The It Factor' got the match off to a quick pace when he jumped Magnus and instigated some fiery brawling. When they got underway in the ring the intensity remained and they produced a very lively match. Magnus reversed a fisherman suplex into a double leg takedown, floating over for a victory from nowhere. Presumably he didn't get a more convincing result because TNA want to keep the Extraordinary Gentlemen's Club member strong.

Backstage Roode jobbed out a table before being joined by fellow EGO boys Daniels and Kazarian. Roode said it was Hogan's fault they weren't in the finals and said if they couldn't be there nobody would be. That so many heels blame Hogan for their woes is distressing. He's had his TV time cut as a way of saving money and isn't going to be working a match any time soon, yet he's essentially positioned as the company's top face, the man all the bad guys are gunning for.

Talking of Hogan, he was shown talking to TJ Perkins backstage. Apparently the Manik gimmick reminds Hogan of his Hulk Up routine. I think he may have taken one too many chair shots. Dixie Carter came in and told Hogan that Bellator has pulled Tito and Rampage until after they've had their MMA match on November 3. That's not a loss. If anything it's a good thing for TNA. It will force them to concentrate on their wrestlers for a while.

Elsewhere in the arena Bully Ray ranted at Knuxx, Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco. His feeling was that they wanted Anderson as the world champ and club President over him. The three didn't get to address these accusations. They're not important enough to have speaking parts. Bully said he knew they'd do the right thing and walked off. We were left to presume "the right thing" was interfering in the world championship match on his behalf as opposed to not getting involved and seeing who could win on their own merits.

Following a recap of the tensions between Anderson and Ray we got the TNA would title match. As gimmick brawls go it wasn't a bad one. The only minor niggle I have is that Anderson wrestled in his Aces vest and jeans. Surely the storyline would've lent itself to Anderson busting out his more traditional wrestling trunks. Perhaps they want to save that for later, to signify he's finally done with the group.

Anderson had the match won from a Mic Check onto a chair but Bully had floored Hebner with a manly shove into a turnbuckle. Hebner had stood up to him, y'see, and the champ didn't like that. Anderson dragged Ray to his feet, presumably to hit another move and keep him dazed, this earning himself the gold. Instead he was floored with a Bully Cutter. This was the signal for the rest of Aces and Eights to mosey on out. Anderson staggered to his feet only to be low blowed by Brooke (Tessmacher, not Hogan) and triple power bombed (Shield style) by A&E.

Hebner recovered to make the count and Anderson managed to make his way back up by nine. A chain-assisted punch put him down for another count of nine. He finally went down for ten after he was tackled through a table by Bully.

Anderson was put on a gurney and wheeled up to the entrance ramp to be slapped about some more by Bully. The champ whipped Anderson with the leather vest and then gave him a piledriver on the steel. It's nothing we've not seen before from the character but it did earn some heavy boos, so it was obviously the right thing to do (from a booking standpoint, of course).

 

Nothing gets heat like an exposed piledriver

 

ODB was shown in a bar talking up a Knockout title match had scheduled for the next able. It was effective as a thirty second promo.

James Storm and Gunner came to the ring for a dire segment. Gunner just stood around as Storm shouted nonsensically. It was easy to believe in his gimmick of drinking heavily. Chavo and Hernandez interrupted and acted in a decidedly heelish fashion. Gunner granted them a title match for the next episode of Impact. Everyone involved seemed stilted and ill-prepared for the exchange. It highlighted how much TNA needs fresh teams.

In the main event AJ Styles defeated Magnus in a match that was fitting of being the final instalment of a lengthy series. EGO interfered at one point, attacking both competitors before being dealt with by officials. When the show returned from a break they were gone and weren't seen again. It was odd booking.

'The Phenomenal One' won with a Spiral Tap. There were more shots of Magnus immediately after the bout finished than there were if Styles celebrating. He looked glum. Perhaps a heel turn could be coming. That wouldn't be the worst thing TNA could do.

 

The next TNA world champion?

 

Styles cut a promo about not getting a response from Dixie Carter about the mistakes he pointed out a week or two ago. He asked for Dixie to show up next week, so that he can point out more mistakes presumably. It wasn't the greatest thing AJ's ever done, but I've seen far worse from him.

While this show didn't do anything wrong it didn't do anything to show that TNA understands they need to do something new and different. Some interesting possibilities were presented (potential Anderson and Magnus turns, EGO being used as a strong faction beyond the BFG series, something involving Styles and Carter) but none of them are things that will turn TNA's misfortune around.

The final words of the show? "Stay tuned, Bellator is now!" I think that says it all about TNA's standing.

Back on Form

Last night's Bound For Glory pay-per-view presented its audience with no less than five championship matches. Four of those saw titles change hands. While some of the switches were good moves (Tara dethroning former tag partner Miss Tessmacher and Guerrero and Hernandez capturing the doubles straps) it was still far too much for one show.
 
The approach is worryingly similar to the TNA of three or four years ago. Back then matches took place with little rhyme or reason and championships changed hands so frequently that their importance was severely diluted. TNA has done if good job of restoring some lustre to those battered prizes over the last year. Bound For Glory 2012 felt more like a step back than a step forward.
 
If the company felt the need to have so many prizes change hands then they should have planned things out better and had some changes take place on different dates. Rob Van Dam's X Division title win is a perfect example of a switch which didn't have to take place at BFG. Defending champ Zema Ion could have wrestled RVD to a time limit draw, setting up a rematch on IMPACT or at November's Turning Point show. Even a deliberate DQ to set up a return encounter would have been better than a cluttered card.

The man who replaces Austin Aries at the top of TNA

 
The multitude of new champs crowned on the undercard diluted the importance of Jeff Hardy's TNA title win in the main event slot. 'The Charismatic Enigma's' victory over Austin Aries would have meant more had it not had to share the night with Tara, Guerrero, Hernandez, and Van Dam's wins.
 
The show itself was mostly enjoyable. The main event was a fittingly well-crafted encounter and while I wish 'A Double' had remained the world champion for a while longer I can't fault the decision to move the belt on to Jeff Hardy considering the reaction his win got.

The interaction between Hardy and Aries should prove a highlight of Thursday’s IMPACT and I imagine we’ll see them clash for the title over the course of the next few PPVs. I hope their inevitable match at Turning Point is of the same standard. Hopefully the rest of the card will be too, but with a few less title changes. Remember, TNA: less is more.

Knocked Out

Over the last ten years TNA has managed to do a few things better than their chief rival WWE. One was the innovative X Division. While the X athletes have had some rocky spells over the years they are currently on the way back to becoming an important part of the company’s programming again. New signings are swelling the ranks and the booking team seem determined to make us care about the belt with the X again.

Another area TNA used to outperform WWE in was the booking of their female talent. In 2007 the company became serious about featuring women as wrestlers and established the Knockouts division. Performers such as Awesome Kong, Gail Kim and the Beautiful People were hired to fill the ranks. They did everything the company could have hoped for: they produced excellent matches and got over.

While the TNA Knockouts division is still superior to WWE’s Divas league it is has seen far better days. The recent departures of both Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, two of the promotion’s most over wrestlers and stalwarts of the women’s division since it was introduced, indicates that TNA is no longer serious about promoting the Knockouts.

Mickie James, shown here as Knockouts champion, could still attract viewers if TNA booked their female wrestlers better

Part of the problem is the signing of Brooke Hogan. She has been brought in as the authority figure of the Knockouts division, a move that has predictably lessened the amount of airtime the existing roster receives while also making Hogan’s daughter the focal point of the division, rather than the wrestlers. It’s a pointless role created to give Hogan’s firstborn something to do.

TNA still has some excellent Knockouts on board. Gail Kim, Mickie James, ODB, Tara, Madison Rayne and Sarita are all solid workers and make a great foundation to build a division around. Brooke Tessmacher and Taeler Hendrix are both still rough around the edges but could and should improve if they’re allowed to keep working with such a talented locker room. Meanwhile the creative freedom TNA grants its employees should ensure that the women continue to have their own voices.

Perhaps the best news for fans of the once mighty Knockouts division is that Kharma, formerly TNA’s Awesome Kong, has been released from her WWE contract. If TNA want to get serious about their women’s branch again she is the ideal person to sign.

The question is whether or not that’s actually what TNA wants. Letting talented performers walk away makes it seem as though the women aren’t a priority for the company right now, and the slapdash booking and decreased time backs that up. If that is the case then things need to be reconsidered down in the IMPACT Zone because promoting the Knockouts as competitive athletes and relatable characters is a very simple way of attracting a new audience and differentiating themselves from WWE.