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Truths And Lies 12.03.13: WWE/TNA Week In Review

December 3, 2013 | Posted by Justin Watry

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here in Wisconsin, it was quite enjoyable. Yeah, it was snowing out and freezing weather. Big deal; it always is. My Green Bay Packers had a tough road game against the Detroit Lions, but the outcome was never really in doubt. I assume everyone just wants Aaron Rodgers back out on the field.

As for the current wrestling scene, it may not be the greatest right now, BUT I am looking forward to early 2014. The Road to WrestleMania is always fun. TNA Impact Wrestling will look completely different, their product should also be shaken up at that point. Even in a lull, there is usually promise on the horizon. Yay for wrestling! Now, bring on the social media plugs…

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Comments

At last check, I read 36 comments last week. Not a single one was worth responding to or had clean language. Must be difficult to form a sentence without insulting anybody or using cuss words. Oh well, maybe next week?

I suppose it is also time for the monthly reminder: I do not upvote any comments. I do not downvote any comments. I do not comment on any articles, news stories, columns, etc. This column is my platform, not the comment section. Also, I have been doing this for over five years now. The negative comments/tweets/messages/emails/etc. did not bother me in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and certainly do not in 2013. Now, let’s begin…

Truths: TNA Impact Wrestling (11/28/13)

1. We have a late contender for worst opening segment of the year! – Congrats Dixie Carter! You never cease to amaze me. If anybody wonders why people tune into TNA Impact Wrestling, see the opening segment, and leave immediately, here is your answer. Just read the weekly quarter hour ratings for more information. Beyond bad. Also congrats to Rockstar “Brad Maddox” Spud…all we need to now is Dixie’s father and husband to get involved to have Monday night Raw!

2. There is comedy. Then there is the TNA tag division. – The Bro Mans are not funny, credible, or anything in between. Too bad Zema Ion is now wasted as a “DJ.” Eric Young is not entertaining in 2013 and has not been for at least two years. Neither is ODB. The other two guys in a turkey suit? Just pointless. Again, if anybody wonders why people are not watching TNA right now, look no further than this nonsense. Even guys like Bad Influence can’t save this division, as they are officially “comedy guys” in my book too. Oh well! Having a 3MB like comedy team is fine in small doses. Having your entire division surrounded with this stuff is just ridiculous.

3. Even for a Thanksgiving show, there was too much filler. – I get it. In wrestling, you take a week off due to the holiday. That seems to usually be the case, no matter the company. On Thursday, it became too much. Opening? Usual DixieLand rambling. Next up was the weekly Ethan Carter III match. After that? Tapa defeats Velvet Sky in a short match with no story. Then we see the Bro Mans vs. whoever in the biggest waste of five minutes I have ever seen. That was your first hour folks! Welcome to TNA.

4. I wanted to like the Aces and Eights funeral but couldn’t. – Years ago, TNA had a funeral for Team 3D. It was great television and was a nice time period for the company. I really tried to enjoy the same deal for Aces and Eights. I really did. However, a few SMALL portions made this a BIG miss. First, there was no Sting. The other Main Event Mafia members were there (no Rampage Jackson) but no Sting. Why was MEM reformed again? Samoa Joe eating during the whole segment does not even need an explanation. With his reputation the past few years, he should not be eating on camera. Offering Kurt Angle a beer was meant to be a joke – I didn’t laugh. The man is one DUI and another rehab stint away from being fired by TNA. Mr. Anderson does nothing for me anymore. The whole ending with Bully Ray was good but not enough to save this segment. In the end, the company spent 18 months on this, saw business plummet, and now seem to enjoy “burying” their own mega-stable. Whatever.

5. Thanksgiving is not the whole reason for whatever TV rating they receive. – Trust me, holidays do tend to take away a segment of the audience. No doubt. However, that excuse will only go so far. In 2011, Impact drew over 1.4 million viewers on Thanksgiving. In 2010, the show grabbed 1.26 million viewers on Thanksgiving. A few weeks ago (non-Thanksgiving of course), on November 7th, 2013 – Impact drew a near record low 1.01 million viewers for a 0.87 rating. That says it all folks! Don’t tell me Thanksgiving is some huge factor. Yes, it hurts…but if people were interested, the numbers would be much higher. The rating should be released soon, probably on Tuesday. Regardless of the result, good or bad – it falls on TNA. Not the holiday.

Lie: I will continue watching this show past December 2013. – I have committed to the end of the year. That’s it! Honestly, I don’t think I can make it past January 2014. Just a few more weeks of Impact coverage…

*Maybe the least interesting first hour of any wrestling show this year. That is saying a lot considering all the filler shown each Monday night. The rest was a Survivor Series knock off tag match, and a feast ending in a food fight. Not exactly new and innovative stuff in 2013.*

Truths: WWE Smackdown (11/29/13)

1. Less is more. – The opening segment with Randy Orton was very well done. In some cases, less is more. This was one of those cases. Randy Orton did not need to give some lengthy speech about John Cena or The Authority. He responded to a few questions from Renee Young before walking out…

2. Comedy or not, Titus O’Neil delivered. – Now, THIS was your classic Thanksgiving fun. Anything that gets JBL on screen more is fine by me. That man is great. Titus defeating The Great Khali in an eating contest and puking everywhere was just your stupid holiday nonsense. Deal with it, laugh and move on. Make it a win, Titus! Make it a win.

3. Brodus Clay could use a character change. – It is long overdue. Brodus Clay as a dancing dinosaur was entertaining for awhile. In late 2013, I think a heel turn or some kind of new direction is needed. The big man can play a viscous monster. Going into WrestleMania season may not be ideal, but you never know what the future holds.

4. Mark Henry is worth more than Curtis Axel right now. – Anything that pushes Axel down the card or off television is okay in my opinion. Even if that means an older and injury prone Mark Henry has to be the one to do it. While a tag team with Big E Langston does not excite, a feud against the IC Champ could work.

5. Taking away all the interference, we had an hour long main event. – One tag match was turned into a bigger tag match which was then turned into an even bigger tag match. Counting all of that nonsense together, the final 60 minutes of the show was dedicated to the in-ring contest. Props to everybody for their effort! No story was advanced or anything major, but that was to expected going in.

Lie: I want to see 3MB vs. Los Matadores (and El Torito) again. – No more. Please! Pretty please. With a cherry on top?

*Meh. As I mentioned on The Layfield Report, if you were looking for some epic night of TV, this was not for you. If you sat through the first hour to see Los Matadores wrestling and Titus O’Neil puking for a near 60 minute tag team main event, then that is your show. All in perception, I guess.*

Truths: WWE Raw (12/02/13)

1. The TLC card is actually fairly intriguing. – Too bad the pay-per-view is in a few weeks. Too bad. The matches set are pretty interesting and may “pop” a good buy rate. Just think if there was another month or so to hype it up. The Shield vs. CM Punk will be fun. The Wyatt Family vs. Daniel Bryan will likely be more story line driven. Even the IC and Diva Title matches could deliver. There just is not enough to properly build them up. I can’t wait for the Royal Rumble. It can’t get here soon enough.

2. There were too many roll-up finishes on Raw. – My count was three. Three matches ended with a roll-up or variation of the move on Monday. Could have been another one – may have lost count. Even ONE roll-up finish per night is not always fitting. Three? Or more? No thank you. Finishes are meant to end matches.

3. WWE is unifying the top two titles. – After a week of confusion, it seems the speculation can stop. WWE beat us over the head with the notion that there will be ONE CHAMPION come TLC. Whether you actually believe them or not is your prerogative. However, the message is clear. John Cena or Randy Orton will be a unified title holder after the PPV event.

4. The jury is still out on Bad News Barrett. – Confession time: I only watch one Youtube show each week. Just one. That is the JBL and Cole Show. Bad News Barrett has been a regular character for months now. It is usually entertaining and gives me a chuckle. Sadly, I am just not sure it will translate well to a live television audience. It has only been one night, so patience will be key. Just giving a fair warning. Wade Barrett is talented, so if anybody can make it work – it’s him.

5. Contract signings can be done correctly. – Yeah, it is an unoriginal concept that is predictable. Yeah, they have been done so many times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand. Even with that, contract signings can set the right tone for a big match and get fans excited. Even if you are on the fence of the whole ‘unification’ idea at TLC, Cena and Orton are the two guys to get you invested. Name me two other stars from the 2002-2013 era at the top made for this occasion. Like it or not, the answer is these two.

Lie: A Slammy Award is worth something. – The awards show is usually fun. Superstars return. Legends come out for a cameo. Everybody has a nice laugh, and WWE is able to have a year end type of Raw episode. At the end of the day though, these things mean nothing. Zip. Nada. ZERO! Please do not spend the next week (and afterwards) whining and complaining over the winners. Seriously, the voting/scripting of the Slammy Awards is not something to waste energy on.

*Fine episode. Nothing I will remember in a few weeks but passed three hours. The Shield are great. The Wyatt Familt and Daniel Bryan are up to…something. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon did not overstay their welcome. The commentators got off topic a lot, but that is almost normal these days. Raw should be good next week with the Slammy Awards!*

Ask Yourself

The next time you read an online report, ask yourself if the story actually makes sense…or is your typical gossip with no truth whatsoever. Just from the past week or so, let’s take a look:

More rumors about Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards! – Why don’t we just admit that nothing is set? Making up rumors every other day does nobody any good. Either they will sign with WWE or they won’t. There! I saved you the 50 “updates” online.

WWE is not expecting a good pay-per-view buy rate for Survivor Series. – How in the world would anybody knows this? Also, is “WWE” just one big collective person? There aren’t different folks with different opinions? Save the jokes please. This report was beyond ridiculous to even post. No surprise everybody gobbled it up with a spoon in a heartbeat…

A tag team match with John Cena and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XXX was discussed. – No. No, it wasn’t. John Cena is not teaming up with Hulk Hogan at the biggest event of the year. Just stop.

Royal Rumble plans for Roman Reigns? – This is your weekly “guessing = news” click. Reigns is looking like a beast. The Rumble is in two months. Boom – put the two together. WWE wants him to eliminate a bunch of guys. Instant headlines without any actual factual information!

Chris Hero update – Everything reported about him in the past was wrong. Yet, now others are saying something else. However, different folks stand by their original stories about his NXT release. Around and around we go…

News on a giant Indian wrestler trying to be the next Great Khali – WWE has no association with him, apparently. Who is lying here? The big wrestler? WWE? Or…ah, who cares?

Bill Goldberg returning at WrestleMania XXX? – The merry go round spins again. Next week will be Batista? Chris Jericho? Edge? Stone Cold? Never ending rotation of legends”reportedly” coming back!

WWE copied the open challenge idea from Gail Kim on TNA Impact Wrestling television. – This is about as absurd as anything I have read all week. Really, copying OPEN CHALLENGES that have been around for decades? Yeah, WWE stole it. Shame on any website who published that little tidbit. I feel dirty just writing about it…

Big E Langston and Mark Henry to feud? – Before, it was Langston and Ryback. Then it was Big E and John Cena! NOW we have moved on to Henry. Let’s just keep guessing…hey, more clicks! Oh yeah, and apparently WWE was going to turn Big E face only to turn him back heel. Yeah, sure they were. Whatever you say!

WWE reportedly ‘forgot’ about The Miz’s movie coming up. – Surely, I will believe that. It is not like their website has been hyping it forever and commercials have been all over the place. Yep. The writing team just forgot all about it.

More nonsense about Ryback – It just never ends, does it? Move on guys. Nobody believed your last 50 reports on Ryback. The story is over. Keep it moving…

There are NO plans for CM Punk and Daniel Bryan to feud, especially at WrestleMania XXX. – In other words, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan will feud at WrestleMania XXX.

TNA is holding live events at high schools. – Yep, it’s true.

Have any more examples? Please share them below in the comment section. Until then, just remember the next time you click on an article to ask yourself first how much will be truth and how much will be fiction.

Self-Promoting Finale

Finally, let’s get some “ME!” plugs out there for all of you…

I participated in last week’s Fact or Fiction column. Tons of fun.

Just Google my name.

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