What Did You Think About Slammiversary X?

What Did You Think About Slammiversary X?
Added on Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at 11:27 pm to Opinion Columns by Joe Vincent

Hey everyone – what did you think about tonight’s TNA Slammiversary X pay-per-view?

First and foremost, I think that Sting was the best choice as the first inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame. He’s not a controversial choice because he’s so well-loved by both the old and new wrestling public and I think he makes a strong “first ever inductee” for the promotion. Very good job by Dixie Carter and her team.

I’m waiting to see some crowd shots because I want to see what the largest crowd in iMPACT Wrestling’s United States history looks like – very exciting! And according to reports, Christian Cage was uncontroversial which was to be expected (and respected, by the way). All in all, the results that I’ve been reading seem to suggest that this was a well-received show with an enthusiastic crowd on hand. What an exciting event for the wrestlers and knockouts, right?!

Now, after those few items above I really don’t have many good takeaway points from tonight’s show. When I look at the performers who walked away with victories tonight, I really only understand why a few of them won their matches. But please, before you roll out reams of silly criticism understand that I’m only reviewing the results and viewing the show from a booker’s perspective – I didn’t see the show and can’t comment on the excitement of the event (though by all accounts it seemed to be very exciting).

For example, one of the outcomes that I just don’t understand from tonight’s show is putting Joseph Park over Bully Ray. Yeah, it seems like there was a bait and switch thing going on, but it just doesn’t make sense in terms of a logical booking flow. Again, I’m sure that the writing team over at iMPACT Wrestling has something bigger and better in mind, but I just don’t see it yet. Same thing with the TNA World Tag Team Championships – why give Kurt Angle and AJ Styles the straps when Daniels and Kazarian are trying to come into their own as a heel tag team? Better yet, why ever take the titles off of Samoa Joe and Magnus in the first place – and then stick Samoa Joe is the same old, “I’m a big, mean, angry Samoan” storyline? It’s just weird. It feels weird.

Speaking of feeling weird, if I were in the Knockouts Division I’d feel very odd right now. Not only did Gail Kim defeat all of the best women wrestlers in the promotion, but she re-established the Knockouts Championship as a premiere title in the sport… and then she gets beaten by a Hooters bikini contest girl? Really? Not Mickie James, not Velvet Sky, not Winter, not Angelina Love, not Tara, not ODB, and no – not even Madison Rayne could beat Gail Kim. Nope. Gail Kim’s amazing Knockouts Championship title reign was ended by Brooke Tessmacher. Amazing. I’ll be very interested to see how this plays out over the coming weeks.

I thought that Bobby Roode had no choice to retain and Mr. Anderson had no choice but to become the #1 Contender. This event was the second one where we’ve seen Roode defeat Sting and I don’t think the fans want another rehash of Roode vs. Jeff Hardy or Roode vs. Rob Van Dam. It’ll be nice to get Mr. Anderson back in the main event picture for a little while.

Don’t get me wrong – I understand that the above reaction reads as though I didn’t like the show. Remember, I didn’t see the show so I’m not commenting on its entertainment value. What I hope my reaction above shows is that there is some explaining to do from the writing team at iMPACT Wrestling. And this isn’t an accusatory type of comment (i.e. not “You have some explaining to do, mister!”). Instead, this is the response of an avid iMPACT Wrestling fan who wants to see the logical connections for these actions in an effort to better understand the promotion that I enjoy watching. So I’m looking forward to iMPACT Wrestling on Thursday night – are you?!

Use the comments section below and remember to put your best foot forward and be respectful. The team at TNAStars.com and I can’t wait to hear from you about tonight’s show. Enjoy!

Terrance Sullivan

It was a great show, BTW if ya didnt see the show why are you commenting on it. lame.
Angelwolf

Prob best TNA show in quite awhile, if not the best wrestling ppv in awhile! Matches flowed really well with only a few minor missteps! The Tag match was AWESOME, as was the #1 contenders match. Sting was definately the right choice for the 1st inductee. My only criticism of the night was the main event ending. TNA had a very successful evening going, only to blow it with another shady finish. That seems to be an Achilles heel for TNA. A decisive ending, with the Scorpions Retribution afterward would have been ALOT more impactful and meaningful! But all in all GREAT JOB to everybody with TNA. As the crowd showed all night, DFW LOVES WRESTLING, and TNA def delivered!
http://www.tnastars.com/ Joe Vincent

You clearly didn’t read any of the copious disclaimers about my comments relating to the storyline continuity, not the live show itself. Or you read it and didn’t comprehend it. Now that’s lame.
http://www.tnastars.com/ Joe Vincent

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like you enjoyed the show!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000161178209 Dylan Standlea

I think you’re right on the money with the results, in terms of what it looks like on paper. The execution, however, was excellent, and I wish you had seen it (and hope you do!)

There were two matches on the card which to me shone above the rest, and I’m not sure which was better. The first was Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe. Hulk came out beforehand and announced he was going “old school” and putting the championship up for the grabs, which I thought was very cool and really upped the ante. It made it seem like Samoa Joe really had something to gain, besides being mad at AA for spilling water on him backstage.

The point is though it was an X Division daredevil, hardhitting extravaganza that wowed the crowd. It was like the old days of Samoa Joe, except we got to see something new with that because he was facing Austin Aries (and not another old school X Division wrestler like AJ or Daniels).

Later on in the PPV Austin Aries announced he would be going after the “main event”, which I assume means the “TNA Heavyweight Championship”. I think this is why they pitted him against Samoa Joe: it’s a transition match for him .. although I agree completely that Joe should either still be in a team with Magnus or doing something more as a singles wrestler, and Aries needs to wrestle his own division more often than not.

The other standout match, which I knew it would be, was Styles and Angle vs. Daniels and Kaz. I actually hope both these teams remain teams and get proper Tag Team names. I’m big on that, although they did display awesome tag-team moves and Kaz & Daniels had matching tights (I’m big on that too).

This was just insane, and had the crowd crapping their pants more than once. And it really art. I mean, the four of them working together with such exquisite timing and athleticism to put on a show was wonderful to watch. These are four of the greatest pro wrestlers in the world. I’m not sure why Angle and Styles won either, but I hope now that they have the titles they keep them for a while, stay out of singles matches, and bring life back to the division. I hope Daniels and Kaz stay a team too. I hope Joe goes right back to teaming with Magnus. And I hope Robbie T. and Robbie E. form a proper tag-team as well (I noticed they were sporting matching fist pump tights, which is ludicrous and awesome).

One thing I noticed about a PPV with a pumped up crowd that ISN’T in Orlando: you find out what the fans really think about these wrestlers. It’s not the tourists and it’s not the internet, it’s the majority. And interesting things happen. They chant for Samoa Joe. They LOVE Hernandez. They cheer when Robbie E. beats up Garret Bischoff, but still go crazy for Devon. It’s interesting.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000161178209 Dylan Standlea

The endings to these PPVs with Bobby Roode going over by cheating and finding loop holes actually don’t bother me at all. I think on the internet we get a little miffed about it because we want a genuine ending, from a sort of breaking-the-fourth-wall point of view. We want an ending to our story, ya know? But it works.

It works because it pisses of the fans in the audience and watching at home in a different, special way. I think a lot of them are more mad at Roode than they are with the booking. They don’t think about the fact that it was booked, they just hate Roode for beating Sting with a stupid beer bottle. They hate him because he continues to win, and he doesn’t deserve to win a cruel person, and a guy who cheats and lies and abuses his power. They’re into it. And you know what? I am too. The more he steals the win, the more everybody wants him to lose, and it just keeps perpetuating itself, giving him heat and driving the stories forward. It’s a brilliant formula.

I also, for similar reasons, wouldn’t want Sting to win. I love Sting, he’s fantastic in so many ways, one of the best of all time, but that championship belongs on someone who became a star in TNA, if they have anybody who can be the fact of the company, and Roode is one of those guys.
Angelwolf

I really did! Ive been a huge wrestling fan my whole life, going back to the WCCW days. I watch all promotions, and TNA really pulled off something special. Sting said it perfectly in his after show video, “It felt like the old days!” Ive posted in other areas that this was the 1st show by ANY promotion that had that old school Sportatorium feel to it! Just saying it was AWESOME doesnt really do it justice. My biggest wish for TNA is they realize what they accomplished last night, and keep moving forward in that direction. 2 yrs from now I want everybody to say that Slammiversary in Arlington TX was the night TNA turned everything around!!!
http://twitter.com/KellStraDamuS Kellz Elite

5 star payperview…top to bottom…slowest moment was when C.Cage came out.
On the Tag Div.
I guess they’re trying to build the tag div…& that’s their way of telling the fans “look we have some tag teams we’ve just put 2gether but u should take them seriously”

Tags: Slammiversary

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