Pro Bro

Want an example of something done right in TNA? The BroMans.

Jessie Godderz and Robbie E were originally put together because nothing else could be thought of for either man as a singles act. They turned what could have been a quick way to get released, treading water as a thrown together pairing, into a success. They got matching outfits, worked on their promo patter, and implemented some double team moves more complex than double suplexes and wishbone leg splits.

The addition of Zema Ion as DJ Z helped. He works surprisingly well as a hype man and the idea of the team having their own personal DJ fits perfectly. Most importantly it gives them an entrance that no other promotion would do. A DJ playing guys to the ring is something WWE wouldn’t touch, and while I can imagine ROH and similarly sized promotions would they don’t have the budget or setup to pull it off as well.

Okay, so The BroMans aren’t the best wrestlers in TNA. In fairness they’re not meant to be. They’re supposed to be a gimmick team that gets heat, which is precisely what they are. Given that role and the way they’re booked I think they turn out better quality matches than they need to.

Note the shades, bro.

TNA should make the most of The BroMans’ relative success and work on getting a good tag division going. Not only would it make use of an entertaining team but it would also allow for some fresh matches, something the company’s crying out for with all the established names it has under contract. As good as the formerly American Wolves are we can only see them tangle with Jessie and Robbie so many times before the match becomes a chore to sit through.

EC3 and Rockstar Spud could work as a team, as could Kurt Angle and ‘Willow’ Jeff Hardy. TNA’s already set these four up for a tag encounter. It would be easy enough to turn it into a series instead of a one off, and for storyline reasons to be given to explain each duo remaining together after said series. Dixie Carter could decree she wants EC3 and Spud to remain together while Hardy and Angle could say they want a fresh challenge. This would have the added bonus of helping to protect ‘The Olympic Hero’s’ increasingly frail frame.

Tigre Uno and Seiya Sanada could become a team after their best of three series wraps up. It’s a bit of a cliché at this point but that doesn’t mean it would be bad. They could have great matches with The Wolves and The BroMans.

There’s Beer Money too, of course. They’re already back together in an unofficial capacity. They could be reunited on a permanent basis by their dislike of another team, The Wolves for example, describing themselves as the best team in TNA history. A smart writing team (unfortunately that’s not a description that seems to fit the current one) could use a Beer Money reunion to redo the team’s split and segue Storm and Roode back into the world title’s orbit.

If Bad Influence were re-signed TNA could have a very good doubles division. The BroMans wouldn’t need to be the centrepiece but they could be an entertaining part of it.

Total Nonstop Alterations

Recent developments in TNA have made me wonder about the company's creative direction. There's clearly a long term plan in place. Several months' worth of storylines involving Bully Ray fooling everyone into thinking he's a reformed character while secretly being the President of Aces and Eights can attest to that. But are feuds pitting Ray against 'The Hulkster' and Sting really what TNA fans want to see? I know I'm not interested, and I find it difficult to believe I'm the only one. TNA's improved over the last two years but it's still a promotion awash with nonsense and performers who aren't pulling their weight.

Things aren’t beyond saving though. There are numerous things that could be done to make TNA a more enjoyable viewing experience. I've come up with a list of suggestions that I think could improve the TNA product. They’re listed below, and anyone at TNA who happens to be reading this is welcome to use them.
 
Go all the way with Christopher Daniels: 'The Ring General' has been one of the most entertaining things on Impact for almost a year now. What started as a seemingly throwaway pairing with Frankie Kazarian has had staying power and has shown that the twenty year veteran is still capable of reinventing himself and staying relevant. Effective heels tend to end up receiving cheers from crowds who appreciate how good they are at their job so it says something about how good Daniels is that he remains capable of getting the desired reaction.
 
Daniels could have made a very effective top heel. The focus on the Aces and Eights group, and his incompatibility with it, made that impossible. That shouldn't stop TNA continuing to give him things to do. Nor should it preclude him from consideration as a future world champion. 'The Fallen Angel' is one of TNA's greatest assets. He should be the star of the company's next long term booking cycle.

Lead heel material

 
Make Magnus and Samoa Joe a tag team: They've already been reunited through the magic of battling Aces and Eights. Have them announce on Impact that they've decided to reform their tag team because they realise they can succeed together. If and when they do split, don't rush it. That's a scenario that could be used to bring Magnus into main events.
 
Make Robbie E and Jesse Godderz a tag team: It's been acknowledged that they have similar gimmicks. Why not embrace that and have them work as a unit? It's not like either man is anything special alone.
 
Should the writers be inclined they could even grant the combo an ECW-style entourage, perhaps installed to protect them from the monstrous Rob Terry (who can be downed with a… erm… framed picture). They'd already have Tara, a great character who I think excels when placed in a group setting. They could bring back Cookie. They could give them a bodyguard, maybe some plucked from the list of cuts suggested below.

Gunner could be put with them to run interference. Give him a bizarre costume (as was done with the Musketeer and Mitch in the Simon and Swinger group) and you could get some laughs (and some incredulous looks). Is getting laughs a bad thing? Not with these guys. Robbie E, Jesse and Tara are all well established as comedy performers in TNA.
 
Once they've feuded with Rob Terry they could move on to Eric Young. A programme between comedy performers would be a nice change of pace, and there'd be lots of matches to book if EY were still hooked up with ODB.
 
Finish the Aces and Eights angle: It's been running for a year now. It took months for the group's members to be revealed. The final line-up is uninspiring or detrimental to the product. It could have been used as a tool to make bigger stars of the likes of Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco. They've found themselves playing even less important roles than they were when they were Team Angle 2.0. Instead it’s just been an excuse to hire a truckload of former WWE guys.
 
It's a boring, uninspiring plot that's outstayed its welcome and has nothing left to offer. If the goal was to make Bully Ray the heel champion then the objective has been achieved. 'Calfzilla' is good enough to go it alone from here, perhaps retaining Devon for their history together and to play up the Team 3D reunion.
 
The writers need to come up with something new. Something that's not a knockoff of the nWo. We've seen plenty of those. Put wrestling at the centre of stories and make wins and losses matter instead.
 
Get rid of the TV title: Let it go with Devon or, if he sticks around, stop him wearing it. Seriously, it's worthless.
 
Make Taryn Terrell a wrestler: Having a gimmick referee for the Knockouts division seemed like a peculiar idea to begin with. I assumed it was going to lead somewhere. It hasn't. The most notable thing Taryn's been involved in has been an accusation of iffy officiating. Not exactly thrilling, is it?
 
Why not have Gail Kim reveal that she's lodged a complaint against Terrell that will prohibit her from officiating matches for the foreseeable future? That would excuse Taryn from ref duty and allow her to enter into a feud with Kim, using the excuse that she remains a TNA contracted performer and a trained wrestler. She's not on par with the rest of the Knockout crew but she might learn by association. Failing that she could always be put in a tag team.

She learnt that move from Mae Young, you know

 
Improve the Knockouts division: Fairly broad point? Yeah, but I've got several suggestions that don't fall neatly under their own headers.
 
First of all, hire Ivalice Velez. She was far more impressive than Lei'D Tapa in their match on the February 28^th Impact. The audience connected with her too. That's a very good indication that someone warrants a contract.
 
Lei'D Tapa, who was signed in Velez's place, could be built up as a monster heel. Treat her like a modern day Awesome Kong. Have her stand in the aisle to watch KO matches for several weeks before attacking someone like Mickie James or Velvet Sky to setup her first programme. Maybe even allow her to beat the champion for the title in her first official match as a Knockout. That could make her a star immediately.
 
Of course for that to work fans would have to care about the division and its performers. That's not a tough thing to achieve. Viewers want to care about the Knockouts, they're just not given much of a chance to do so. Give them all their own characters again, along with something to do. That could include bringing up some of the ladies assigned to OVW to help flesh out the ranks (so to speak) and reactivating the Knockout tag belts.
 
Release some wrestlers from their contracts: I know Matt Morgan only re-signed last summer but what's he done since returning? Nothing. He's been with the company since 2007, which is more than enough time to carve a niche for himself. That he hasn't means he probably never will. The story of Morgan becoming frustrated with his lack of opportunities before becoming serious and targeting the champ had been done to death too.
 
Joey Ryan has transformed into a spectacularly banal character since getting a regular gig with the league. He could be released and not be missed.
 
RVD is another guy that has nothing to do in the current TNA. He's a man trading on past glories. He's still fine in the ring and better on the mic than he was in his prime but he's faced everyone of worth and done everything of interest. Give someone else a chance to reinvigorate the X Division.

Contract expirations are underrated

 
The entire A&E roster is ripe for a firing too. That includes Mr Anderson. TNA have floundered about with him for so long, switching him rapidly between heel and face, that he can't be cared about anymore. As I mentioned above, perhaps keep Devon around if there's a purpose behind it.
 
Finally, get rid of Hogan and Bischoff. The latter's not an on-screen performer but he's just as useless as 'Thunderlips'. Neither man has done anything to make TNA a more known brand or a more profitable company. There has been a distinct lack of fresh and entertaining programming too. The company has simply kept churning out the same WWE-inspired weirdness it has for years. If they knew how to improve things they'd have done it by now.
 
Make better use of Sting and Kurt Angle: By which I mean make both men part time. Use them as special attractions. Have Sting appear on Impact only to build up pay-per-view programmes. Have Angle replace Hulk as the General Manger and keep any wrestling matches he has either for PPV or for specially hyped episodes of Impact.
 
Restock the roster with young talent: Recruit fresh blood. The X Division in particular is bare. Why not make an offer to John Morrison. I'm sure one's been extended before but try again. He could attract fresh eyes to the X league. Longer term he could progress to wrestling for the world championship.
 
Kenny Omega and Sonjay Dutt should be natural choices to bring in. Both men would improve the booking options of the roster and make good challengers for Kenny King. How about the Young Bucks (or Generation Me as they were called in TNA) and BLKOUT? Those are four guys who could work in both the X Division and the tag division, another area of TNA programming that could do with some work.
 
Closing statement: The TNA roster is need of a shakeup. The product has been the same for so long that nothing feels fresh, no matter how it’s dressed up. The only way TNA is going to improve is with a refresh of the roster and a different tack being taken when it comes to concocting long term booking plans. Bully Ray having the title isn’t a problem, but pretty much everything else is.

From Masks to Glasses

I want to commend TNA on the good work they've done with Chris Park over the last year. Under his previous persona of Abyss Park had done everything of note in TNA, making himself stand out in dangerous and bloody brawls in particular. He was, in a way, a Mick Foley for the 2000s, albeit without the vaunted promo ability or technical prowess in non-stunt environments.
 
His transformation into Joseph over the last year has allowed us to see another of Chris Park. It was clear as soon as the character was introduced that he was designed as a more promo-friendly guy than Abyss ever was. Over time he has transitioned into a comedic role, losing the steely edge displayed when he was first seen a year ago.

When he first appeared Joseph was looking for his “brother” Abyss. He hadn’t been seen in months, the result of a feud with Bully Ray, which had involved a backstage segment which strongly (not to mention disturbingly) hinted that ‘Calfzilla’ had caved in the masked man’s skull. In a metafictional and mildly confusing twist it was acknowledged that Abyss was a TV character played by Chris Park and that his brother Joseph was a lawyer investigating his disappearance.

The confusion, of course, arises from the fact that both characters are played by the same man.
 
Joseph was involved in some gimmick matches last year in which he was booked as a non-wrestler. While he didn't get as violent as Abyss used to in such bouts it was still very much the performer's comfort zone. The spot in which Joseph "surprised himself" by managing to hit a Black Hole Slam (Abyss's signature move) aside nothing noteworthy happened for the character from an in-ring standpoint in 2012.

The waters were further muddied by the bizarre decision to have Abyss interfere in the match between Joseph and Ray at Slammiversary. At that point it seemed set to become the most schizophrenic plot in TNA history. Thankfully Abyss hasn’t been seen since and the focus has been exclusively on Joseph.
 
We saw a different side of Chris Park as a performer on the January 31^st IMPACT. Joseph Park had his first official match as a member of the TNA roster, defeating Robbie E. In a match that was a world away from the average Abyss outing the emphasis was firmly on comedy and basic wrestling exchanges. That Park (whichever first name you want to attribute to him) was able to work this style so well when you consider what he's become known for speaks well of his versatility as a performer.

It looks as though Joseph is going to stay a regular on our screens for a while yet. That’s good news. He’s proven a likeable character popular with the promotion’s viewers. As he’s only just become an active member of the roster (despite being a regular for a year) there’s still plenty of mileage left. It’s easy to imagine Joseph working against many of TNA’s top bad guys.

Joseph is a fan of the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy

There’s also the long-standing Abyss mystery to be wrapped up. I’ve been convinced since he was written out of plots that Abyss will return sooner or later. Nothing that’s happened in the last twelve months has made me think otherwise. TNA’s longest standing gimmick will return sooner or later.

That Joseph Park has been fleshed out to such an extent means that the inevitable return won’t be as predictable as I originally expected. Had the lawyer disappeared after a couple of months then the return of Abyss would have been just another event. That so much time has been spent establishing him as a character in his own right means there’s a greater payoff to be had when Abyss finally returns.

Of course it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where this saga doesn’t end in disappointment. Before he comes back we can speculate on what TNA will do, how Abyss’s absence will be explained, and whether Joseph’s intentions have remained honourable all along. We can guess at what the lawyer instinctively hitting a Black Hole Slam means. Once Abyss is back on TV, confronting his brother or revealing that they’ve been the same person all along all the mystery will be gone and we’ll be left with just another wrestling angle.

The best thing about Joseph Park is the sense of mystery he’s introduced to TNA. Sooner or later that will be gone. We should enjoy him while we can.

The New Faces of Impact Wrestling

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian are the former TNA world tag team champions. They are also the World Tag Team Champions of the World. The first is an accolade and the second is their team name. It’s also an example of the sort touch the two have added to their act since being paired together as a duo.

Earlier this year TNA’s tag team division was like those of WWE and Ring of Honor, undernourished and almost completely bereft of interesting and entertaining acts. Unlike those companies TNA decided to do something about it. Kazarian and Daniels were first placed together in a feud with AJ Styles which centred on an alleged sordidness in Styles’ personal life, first with TNA boss Dixie Carter and second with a woman named Claire Lynch.

To cut a long story short it was not an enjoyable programme. The three guys produced some good matches but the story background to them did more harm than good.

Things improved significantly when Kurt Angle was added to the mix. He formed a tag team with ‘The Phenomenal One’ to oppose the villainous tandem. Dropping the Lynch silliness and shifting the focus to athletic competition between four of the best wrestlers on the roster was the right decision and led to great singles and tag team matches.

Daniels and Kazarian have held the titles together twice since May, debuting matching tights and dubbing themselves The World Tag Team Champions of the World during their second reign. Although they lost the straps to Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero (Junior) at Bound For Glory last month they remain one of TNA’s few regular combos. They are also its most entertaining.

 

No appletini in sight

 

Despite no longer having Angle and Styles to oppose the WTTCOTW can still play an incredibly important role in TNA. As mentioned above they are two of the finest wrestlers on the roster and a very polished act. The appletinis, scarves, and smarmy grins set them apart from the standard scowling heels. They understand their role and how to get themselves and others over.

What TNA should do now is stick a few more units together to try and get a decent division going. Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan and current champs Hernandez and Guerrero are a nice start but things are still a little light on the ground. Robbie E and Robbie T would be a natural choice. They’re not used anywhere near enough as a tag team. Sam Shaw and Crimson look surprisingly similar. Given matching outfits they would at least look the part as a combo. It’s a shame that Samoa Joe and Magnus were split as a team. There was a lot more that could have been done with them.

Daniels and Kazarian deserve praise for bringing life to a fairly dreary division and for getting themselves over with hard work, both between the ropes and with their characters. They have the talent to keep the division relevant for a long time and continue to grow as a pairing. Let’s hope that TNA bosses realise that and don’t split them prematurely. They’re worth far more together than separately.

The Art of the Fist Pump

Over the years TNA has earned itself a reputation for emulating WWE. Rightfully so. They routinely follow WWE’s lead in terms of characters, storylines, and production decisions. They also famously enjoy signing up almost anyone released from a WWE contract, presumably because they believe they can wring some exposure from said signings. That has never been the case. If anything they tend to decrease the star power of former WWE wrestlers appearing for them.

Unsurprisingly, it’s when TNA tries something different to their rival that they usually find their greatest success. One of best current examples of this is Robbie E’s Jersey Shore inspired character, which is ironic considering the similarity it holds to Zack Ryder in WWE.

They may work on different sides of the face-heel divide but Ryder and E are essentially doing the same thing. It’s clear both are modelled on characters from the “reality” TV show. Both enjoy a good fist pump (not like that), slather themselves in fake tan, and (take care to) spike their hair. While the WWE Merchandising Machine and exposure on higher rated shows has ensured that Ryder is the more widely known and over of the two it’s actually Robbie E that has the more rounded act, unique flourishes and who performs with the most conviction.

Robbie E has made Rob Terry relevant. That's an accomplishment in itself!

Robbie E has done far more than simply emulate a reality TV star. He has far more fitting entrance music, an imposing ringside enforcer in Robbie T (who looks far more comfortable as a Jersey Shore reject than a Welshman has any right being), and he has The List: purportedly a record of the only people permitted to be near Robbie E. He carries himself like a Jersey Shore character. Ryder carries himself like a reject from X Factor. There’s a difference and it favours Robbie E.

Robbie E has enough going on with his act to ensure that he stands out. He deserves credit for getting all of these disparate gimmicks to work in one package.

That he’s a mid-card act that’s managed to carve himself a spot in the schizophrenic TNA is just as much of an accomplishment as Zack Ryder using YouTube to promote himself from Superstars to RAW. All too often TNA forgets about its mid-card wrestlers altogether (probably because WWE does the same) so it’s nice that ‘The Platinum Poppa’ is on TV most weeks provoking the desired reaction and wrestling in enjoyable matches.

With Dave Lagana now on the TNA writing team it’s not impossible to think we may see the return of Cookie at some point in the not too distant future (the two are good friends). Adding another second to his entourage would only enhance the Robbie E package. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking on my part but it would be nice to see. I always thought Cookie was a good fit with E. She could be again.

Either way, Robbie E has found a way to stand out in an often dull and unappreciative promotion. I hope this continues and Robbie E keeps growing as a performer.