The John Report: TNA Diary for Impact on 10/09/08 & Bound for Glory IV Preview

I didn’t read the spoilers for this show, so I really had no idea what was going to happen. If I do this for Smackdown in the future the same rule will apply. I like it more when I don’t know what’s coming. The reason I chose this show to start the running diary is because I thought it would be a good edition of Impact to pick considering that it’s the week before their biggest PPV of the year, which is Bound for Glory IV.

I didn’t do this to rip on TNA. Like I said, I generally like them and I want them to succeed. I definitely think there’s room for an alternative in the North American wrestling market especially. I’ll probably be writing a “20 Ideas for TNA to Consider” type of column that I did for WWE a couple weeks back. I just wanted to wait until after Bound For Glory to see what the direction of the company was going to be after their biggest show. There might be more running diaries after this. Maybe I’ll do Raw or Smackdown or TNA again. It depends on you, the reader, letting me know if you like it. When you’re done reading it send me an email to let me know your thoughts. All the info will be at the end of the column.

Remember, immediately following the running diary is a preview of Bound For Glory, so be sure to check that out too. With all that out of the way, let’s get to it.

We start with Jeff Jarrett getting interviewed by Jeremy Borash in his lavish office. Jarrett says that he hasn’t wrestled in two years (true as far as we know) while Angle wrestles on a nightly basis. Um, what? Nightly? I love Kurt Angle as much as the next guy, but that’s stretching it just a bit. He wrestles twice a month maybe, which is just fine with me considering his health. It took them less than a minute to assume that the average fan watching the show is a moron. Good work. The segment ends with Borash noticing that Jarrett has Angle’s gold medal. More to come, apparently.

Voiceover guy with the killer voice tells us that things will happen at Bound for Glory using some ridiculous hyperbole that I don’t feel like going over. Needless to say the angle they’re really pushing for is the older guys versus the younger stars of TNA, which is basically the same Millionaire’s Club angle that WCW did eight years ago. And how did that turn out for them with the same guy (Vince Russo) writing it?

Mike Tenay and “The Yeller” Don West mention the big matches at Bound for Glory, which I’ll just call BFG for short from now on.

Opening promo is my boy Christian Cage, who apparently has to decide if he’s on the side of the “veteran players” and the “young up and coming superstars.” How are they up and coming when Joe’s the current champion and Styles is a multi-time champion? I guess it’s the age thing, but it’s never a good thing calling your wrestlers old even if they are. Oh well, that’s TNA for ya. He doesn’t need to pick a side he says. Here’s Booker T.’s music as he comes out with his wife Sharmell. Even Tenay makes a crack about what accent he might use. Is it the British one? I don’t even know. I guess he misses his King Booker gimmick. Sharmell has a briefcase by the way and we have no idea what’s in it. A good storyline idea? Probably not. He wants Christian to be on his side, whatever that is. He says AJ Styles wants to push him away and take the spotlight for himself. Yes folks, the same Styles that is a multi-time world champion in this company. Oops, my fault for having a brain. Of course Styles comes out and he cuts a promo about how Booker is pulling his strings like a puppet. I miss dumb Styles. He made me laugh. Why do people suddenly get brains after they get screwed over by allies? More mocking of the accent. He calls Booker a washed up has been that better get out of his face. Here comes TNA management’s Jim Cornette. He wants to give them the opportunity to back their words up, so tonight it’s going to be Booker against AJ Styles. He mocks Booker’s accent now too. I bet they get a big kick out of it. He wants to know where Christian’s allegiance is, so he’s going to be the special ref tonight.

Earlier today, Borash talked with Sting without the makeup. I guess that means he’s more serious. His match against Joe is his biggest match ever. It’s not just about the title or the applause, but his reputation. He’s representing people everywhere who have been disrespected. People like you!

Then for some reason they show an outside shot of the Sears Center in Chicago where BFG IV will be held. Wow, they’re able to have a camera outside a building. Impressive!

(Commercial Break – The new DVD “Knocked Out” about the Knockouts in TNA is available now. I don’t buy DVDs anymore, but I think it’s a wise move by TNA because the girls of this company have proven to be pretty good in terms of bringing in viewers.)

Speaking of girls, it’s Beautiful People time with Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. They just bent over. Best part of the show so far and I don’t know if it will be topped. Oh wait, Cute Kip is in a match. Yes, that’s Billy Gunn. I’ll be calling him just Kip or maybe Crap, who knows.

No Disqualification: Rhino vs. Cute Kip
How old is Kip now? Gotta be in his 40s. I looked it up on Wiki and it turns out he’s 45. That’s even older than I would have thought. More shots of Love and Sky, please. Oh, this is a no DQ match by the way. If that’s the case why haven’t there been any weapons used in the first three or four minutes? I never understood that in these matches. If you could grab a chair and use it legally why would you ever sink in a chinlock like Kip’s doing? Oh wait, there’s a weapon. A brown paper bag with his face on it. Powerful! Remember, this guy is 45 years old as you read this. Rhino counters the bag with a punch somehow. What a counter. He hits a clothesline and Kip jumps in the air and spins even though he barely got touched. Rhino gets a table and he’s still out. The table’s set up in the corner, Rhino hits a belly to belly and his charge is avoided. Angelina grabs his leg while Velvet sprays something out of a bottle into his hair…oh I guess it reached his eyes but it looked like she was applying hairspray more than blinding him. Kip tackles him through the table for the pin. That was awful. One of the worst No DQ matches I’ve ever seen reminding me of the horrible days of the WWF Hardcore belt. Oh, there’s Angelina and Velvet jumping…that’s not so awful. And hugging. That’s not awful either.
Winner: Kippy Gunn

The girls go into the ring to put the boots to Rhino. Sky’s got on those boots that have those six inch heels, so I guess that might hurt. Here comes ODB and Rakha Khan yielding chairs. Kip just walks out of the ring while West tries to tell us that they’re intimidating with chairs. Last week’s Khan match was so bad even after editing that it made Kip James look like Shawn Michaels in the ring. In other words, one of the worst matches I’ve ever seen. And they had days to edit it.

(Commercial Break)

Backstage, Borash and his facial expressions greet Kurt Angle to tell him that Jarrett’s got his gold medal. Angle’s going to sit back and let Jeff make the first move.

X-Division Number One Contender’s Match: Petey Williams vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Jay Lethal vs. Consequences Creed
Lots of high flying action here so it’s hard to comment on everything. There’s a focus on the Lethal/Dutt rivalry, which is good because it’s actually a rivalry. They brawl a lot while Creed does his flamboyant punches because he’s playing the role of Apollo Creed. I love Jay Lethal when he’s on offense and given a chance to show his stuff. Remember when he beat Kurt Angle clean on PPV? Probably not since they never capitalized on it. One of my favorite matches of the year. Dutt got a nearfall with a nice springboard moonsault and then it’s a counter fest involving Dutt, Creed and Williams that ends up with Lethal hitting the Lethal Combination (back breaker into a facebuster) and Creed hits a Death Valley Driver on Lethal who lands on Williams. Then Dutt goes after Creed, who counters with a backslide for the three. So they hit all those big moves, then the match ends on a backslide? Fine with me. You don’t see many matches ending with the backslide. This was fun even though it was less than ten minutes.
Winner: Consequences Creed

Now we go backstage to Lauren (pretty blonde girl) who’s interviewing the “Middle Eastern Nightmare” Sheik Abdul Bashir who is the X Division champ. I think he needs more names. How about “Overdone Tired Gimmick” or maybe “Enough Racist Angles Already?” Yeah, those work for me. Lady America tortures him with her lies and propaganda. Then he yells some more. This is Daivari from WWE by the way and he’s a very good promo guy, but this gimmick is really tiresome. The division that has no limits is now about the very limited America vs. Middle East feud. Weak.

(Commercial Break)

Time for Karen’s Angle segment hosted by Kurt’s soon to be ex-wife Karen Angle, who I have to say is one of the hottest women I’ve ever seen in wrestling. Kurt, why the hell did you cheat on this woman? Whoever is the lucky bastard that is with her now (she’s too hot to be alone) better be thanking Kurt for cheating on her. She’s talking with Mick Foley. He says his first time on Impact was the first day of the rest of his life. He wants to make a difference in TNA. He mentions the old guys vs. young guys feud and credits Jarrett for acknowledging that he’s the founder of TNA. Says that Angle might be the greatest wrestler ever and he admires the way he goes out there for his matches. Hopes that Jeff doesn’t let his emotions get the best of them. Maybe they can both learn from past mistakes. That was alright. See WWE, you need to bring back the sit-down interviews although it’ll be hard to beat somebody that looks like Karen.

The talking heads run down the BFG card again. I’ll do a preview at the end of this running diary.

There’s Borash backstage again with Rhino. He says you should get BFG because he’s going to put one table on one side of the ring and another on the other side so that he can play a vicious game called Gore the Whore. Ah yes, promoting man on woman violence. Way to sell a show!

(Commercial Break – Brian Urlacher’s acting in the Old Spice commercial is awful. In other words, he’d be one of the better actors in TNA.)

Steve McMichael is the guest ref for the Monster’s Ball match at BFG. The show’s in Chicago and he was a popular player on the Chicago Bears 20 years ago, so that’s being done for local reasons. He was a horrible wrestler that WCW grossly overpaid. In other words, he was like a lot of people in WCW. No more “In other words” jokes, I swear.

Beer Money vs. Matt Morgan and Abyss in a Non-Title Match
These guys are in the Monster’s Ball match, which is basically a weapons match. Holy shit Matt Morgan, ease up on the body wax or shine or whatever the hell it’s called. Dude looks like he’s perpetually drenched in that stuff. Team 3D are out at ringside with their weapons in their hands. Man, I never noticed how bad D-Von’s forehead looks. He’s been cut so many times I bet you could cut his head open with a toothpick. Reminds me of Abdullah the Butcher although maybe not that bad. Nobody is that bad. I’d link you to a picture of Butcher, but I just ate and don’t feel like throwing up.

I like Roode and Storm enough, they work well as a team. At least they dress the same and have a team name, so that’s more than you can say for some of WWE’s teams. Bubba would make a good heel announcer when he’s done wrestling, which is probably soon. Great roll through into a half crab by Roode. Of course it was great, he’s another Canadian on the TNA roster. Morgan looks dry now. Maybe he should run backstage to lather up again. Double clothesline by Morgan leads to the hot tag. Abyss the friendly, crazy, psychotic, masked monster cleans house very effectively. Storm tries to hit Abyss with the weakest beer bottle shot ever, Morgan boots him into a Black Hole Slam leading to the pin for Abyss. What percentage of the time do champions win in non-title matches? 10% maybe.
Winners: Morgan and Abyss

Earlier tonight the hot blonde chick (I forget her name already) talked to LAX. Homicide’s such a great, underused promo guy. They’re going to make sure that Beer Money bleeds at BFG. No man on woman violence being promoted? What a shame.

Another outside shot of the Sears Center in Chicago showing a billboard promoting BFG. They’re in Chicago already waiting for you fans! Seriously, plenty of tickets available.

(Commercial Break – That commercial for the George Bush movie by Oliver Stone called “W” looks okay I guess. I love any movie’s mocking the disaster that is George Bush.)

Video promo highlighting the Angle/Jarrett feud as we head to the top of hour two. I think the build has been pretty good although mentioning Jarrett’s deceased wife probably was in bad taste. Obviously it’s Jarrett’s call, but I feel it’s unnecessary.

Here’s Mick Foley sans flannel shirt, but with a brown corduroy sports jacket. He says Brother Ray has killed the style of his vests of the past, so he’s working on an entirely new wardrobe. Thanks for the welcome last week, he says. He says Kurt Angle is possibly the greatest wrestler of all-time again and Jarrett’s trying to carve a space for himself as an all-time great. He’ll deal with anybody that tries to interfere in the match because he’ll be outside the ring. Here’s Angle out first, then Jarrett, who welcomes us to “Planet Jarrett” in his video. I miss when he says Slapnuts, personally.

Jarrett tells Kurt that they made a mistake in hiring Angle. So why don’t they fire him? Nobody ever answers this. He gives Angle his gold medal back. It’s the real one, not the $2 ones that WWE used to claim was his gold medal. Angle says nothing while he holds his medal. They shake hands and have one last staredown. See, that was effective. Oh wait, Kurt’s talking now. He thanks him for giving back his medal (AJ Styles won it in a match that has now been rendered meaningless). He tells Jeff to tell his three little girls (he even names them) that he apologizes for…oh wait…long pause…because daddy’s not coming home after Bound for Glory. Then he walks out smiling. They’ve really done a good job of making this feud personal. The thing is it shouldn’t be that hard to tell other stories on the show. Some of the stuff that goes on is just so ridiculous while this is straight to the point. It’s not that hard.

(Commercial Break)

Another BFG card rundown. I’ll get to that after the show. I keep mentioning that, don’t I? I’ve become quite the shill.

The awesome voice guy leads us through a video promo telling us about Booker T. and how he crosses that line, whatever that line is.

There’s Borash now in Booker T’s ridiculously over the top dressing room that matches his accent. As much as I do like Booker, it’s hard to understand what he’s saying, which I guess is the point. Basically he’s a living legend and Styles is not. When Borash asks about the briefcase contents we’re told that it will be revealed when Booker is ready to ready to reveal it. In other words, it’s probably something stupid.

There’s another shot of Chicago, this time showing the Sears Tower. They’re there on Sunday? Really? I hadn’t heard.

(Commercial Break – Lots of UFC ads. All I can say is I hope Lesnar beats Couture although I like both guys. I just like Lesnar more. I don’t think he could have beat the Couture of five or six years ago, but now at age 45 I think he’s beatable.)

The Rough Cut segment let’s us hear from Knockout Champ Taylor Wilde and Roxxi, who are a part of the triple threat at Bound for Glory that also includes Awesome Kong. Remember when Roxxi was the voodoo queen who never spoke less than a year ago? Amazingly she speaks perfectly now because getting your head shaved apparently makes you less shy. I guess that’s called character development.

Raesha Saeed and Awesome Kong vs. Roxxi and Taylor Wilde
The match goes as expected with Kong and Saeed dominating one of the faces, in this case it’s Wilde. We’re told that there will be a clause announced in the Joe vs. Sting match at Bound For Glory and it will be done tonight. After beating on Wilde for about two minutes, Roxxi gets the tag and she eventually gets a two count. Wilde sends Kong to the floor, then some miscommunication sees Wilde accidentally hit Roxxi in what was a very predictable spot. Kong pulls her out and Saeed misses the slowest moonsault attempt ever. Roxxi’s about to finish off Saeed when Kong chops Roxxi in the back, then hits the Implant Buster (love the move and the name of it) on Roxxi for the pin even though I’m pretty sure Saeed was the legal person in the match. If you think I’m going to rewind to see if I’m right then you’re dead wrong. Match was pretty basic and predictable in pretty much every spot.
Winners: Awesome Kong and Raesha Saeed

(Commercial Break)

The last half hour kicks off with what I assume is the last match of the night.

Booker T. with his accent, briefcase and Sharmell vs. AJ Styles – Ref is Christian Cage
Styles and Christian are two of my five favorite wrestlers in TNA (along with Joe, Angle and Lethal) and I used to like Booker a lot, so this should be alright. Christian blocks a Booker punch attempt because apparently closed fists are illegal in wrestling. I love how they pretend to enforce that rule. Styles gets control, slaps on a chinlock and we go to break again.

(Commercial Break – Coming up after Impact: “Do midget hookers charge half price? Find out on Manswers only on Spike.” I swear to God that was the ad. I’m not making it up. I’m sure other networks are jealous. If you’re one of the three people that might have watched that show, I’m curious about the answer.)

We come back with Styles decking Booker with a hard punch to the head. Oh no, better DQ him for throwing a punch. Side kick by Booker gives him control and a spinebuster gets him two. This match is pretty slow. They mention TNA Impact being live from Las Vegas on October 23 for their debut in HD. Good, show more Karen Angle and some of “Boobzilla” Traci Brooks would be nice too. That should be interesting. Styles just hit the Pele kick, which is one of the coolest moves in wrestling. He gets a two count after a suplex. Flying armbar is applied, but Booker gets to the ropes as it feels like we’re nearing the finish here. Here it comes with Booker applying a weak looking bridging German suplex, both guys look to have their shoulder down and Christian counts the pinfall. And the winner is…AJ Styles for getting his shoulder up at the end. This was the only match on the show that got a decent amount of time and I’d barely put it at ** because it was pretty lethargic.
Winner: AJ Styles

Booker attacks Christian post match and Christian clotheslines him out of the ring. Then AJ goes to shake Christian’s hand, but CC decks him hard with a clothesline while they play the “whose side is he on?” storyline with Cage. Two security guys come out as well as Jim Cornette, who makes the obvious match at Bound for Glory with Booker vs. Styles vs. Christian. Tenay didn’t think there was any way this could happen. Really? You thought three of your top guys wouldn’t be on the biggest show of the year? I really hate when the announcers are stupid especially because Tenay is actually one of the most knowledgeable people in the history of wrestling.

(Commercial Break – Buy Indiana Jones on DVD. No. Please don’t do another one. Want to watch a good Harrison Ford movie? Go buy the Fugitive.)

We get the video package featuring the Samoa Joe vs. Sting match, which is about Samoa Joe not respecting Sting.

Cornette’s in the ring for the final ten minutes calling Joe vs. Sting the most anticipated match in company history. That’s not true. Joe vs. Angle the first time was easily the most anticipated match in company history and it will be very hard for them to have something else that’s even close to that. I guess they have to try to sell this show to viewers, though. Is Sting the heel in this scenario? Maybe, but he’s not really trying to be one. He put on his facepaint now because could YOU sign a contract without facepaint? I don’t think so. Joe’s my favorite wrestler in the company although I really wish they had him wrestle on TV more because I think his wrestling style could get them some new viewers.

Cornette announces that the clause they both wanted in their contract for the match is that win, lose or draw there will be no rematch. I like that. Sting signs the contract first. Joe goes next with some in the crowd booing although I don’t think they really want Joe to be a heel in this scenario. It will be interesting to see how the Chicago crowd reacts to him.

Sting tells him it didn’t have to be this way, but it is what it is so he’ll see him at BFG. Joe tells him the reason he’s not attacking him now is because Kevin Nash told him to be professional and professionally speaking Sting’s wrong about him because he does respect him. Joe extends his hand, Sting shakes it and Joe leans in with a headbutt! Nice. Sting fights back with punches and then the big brawl happens with a lot of security people coming into the ring.

Tenay tries to tell us that the intensity, emotion and drama in this feud over the past several months has been unparalleled. Wrong again. Angle vs. Jarrett has had a much better build and the Angle vs. Joe matches have carried the company for the past two years. Tenay tells us that this Sunday at Bound for Glory will change the face of TNA forever. Again, what? Either Joe, the guy who has been and should be champion, retains his title to make TNA exactly the same as it was this week or Sting wins just like he has at the last two years at BFG. What change do you speak of? That’s my problem with this. They talk about this feud like it’s supposed to change the direction of the company when in actuality you’re putting the same nearly 50 year old guy in as the title challenger for the third straight year despite the fact that he’s a part timer at best. Sting’s the same guy that dropped the belt within a month or two each time, which basically rendered the BFG title match both years as useless. It’s very frustrating as a viewer.

The show ends with a Bound for Glory video package to the song of Tarantula by the Smashing Pumpkins. “I’m Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins.” “I’m Homer Simpson, Smiling Politely.” Classic moment. Apparently the Booker vs. Styles vs. Cage thing isn’t just a match, it’s called a “Three Way War.” Do they really think calling it that instead of a “Three Way Dance” or “Triple Threat Match” is going to entice people to buy the PPV if they were on the fence? Little things like that are my problem with TNA. There’s no need to do silly things like that when the basics work just fine.

Final Thoughts on Impact: I understand not having any huge matches on Impact this week. You want to build to the PPV, which is fine. In terms of build, I really like how Angle vs. Jarrett has been built up and the Cage/Booker/Styles thing is okay too because they’re three top level guys who will probably have a good match. I’ll touch more on the Joe/Sting match in the BFG preview. I think their build to that was just okay with the pull apart ending the show doing more good than bad, so that’s alright with me.

The rest of the show was alright although somebody needs to send Kippy Rockabilly Gunn out to pasture. He was never that good even ten years ago and he’s even worse now looking like the perverted uncle of two extremely hot women. Oh, and more shots of Karen Angle doing anything would be welcome.

Rating: 4 (out of 10)

Now time for a quick Bound For Glory IV preview.

KNOCKOUTS BIMBO BRAWL
Rhino, ODB & Rhaka Khan vs. The Beautiful People & Cute Kip
I think it’s fair that Kip’s being called a Bimbo. Finally a nickname that fits the guy. I think The Beautiful People are a great act, ODB’s fine for what she’s supposed to be, Rhino has really fallen over the last year for reasons I don’t understand and Kip as well as Khan are people I never want to see in the ring again. With that said, I guess I’ll go with Rhino, ODB and Khan for the win even though Love and Sky deserve it more considering how well they’ve done in getting their act over. Don’t forget Rhino wants to Gore a Whore! Bring the kids! Oh wait, they don’t promote to kids like the other guys. I guess it’s okay.
My Pick: Rhino, ODB and Rock The Khan

THE RETURN OF THE STEEL ASYLUM MATCH
The X Division superstars battle inside the steel dome to try to escape
And who’s in the match? We have no idea. I assume it’ll be people like Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Eric Young, Shark Boy and others of that ilk. The first one of these matches is actually pretty good and they’ve posted it free to view and I have to say it was pretty damn enjoyable. I just wish it had some kind of build this year.
My Pick: Jay Lethal

TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Taylor Wilde (c) vs. Awesome Kong vs. Roxxi
This division is really missing Gail Kim in my opinion. I know that they’ve tried to make Taylor a star and I’ll give her credit for performing well most of the time. Despite being Canadian like her (and me), she’s no Gail. Those Kim/Kong matches were as good as any women’s matches we’ve seen in North America. For this match the build seems to be leading to Roxxi winning the belt for the first time, so that’s who I’m going with.
My Pick: Roxxi

TNA X DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Sheik Abdul Bashir (c) vs. Consequences Creed
I like Creed. He’s got spunk, energy, pizzazz (that’s a fun word) and he reminds of that guy from that Rocky movie. No, not the horrible Rocky Balboa aka Rocky HGH Viagra. I’m talking about the first Rocky. What’s his name? Oh yeah. Creed. That’s my way of saying he’s a talented wrestler, but the gimmick is very unoriginal. Bashir/Daivari is a very good talker who’s solid in the ring too, so match wise it should be alright. It’s just that the gimmicks are so over the top and amateurish that it hurts the match for me. Maybe it’s just me. I’ll go with Creed for the win although I can see it going either way.
My Pick: Consequences Creed

MONSTER’S BALL WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH:
Beer Money Inc. (c) vs. Team 3D vs. The Latin American Xchange vs. Abyss & Matt Morgan
Special Referee: Steve “Mongo” McMichael
The only thing I ever liked about Steve McMichael was his ex-wife Debra. Tremendous body even for a woman in her late 30s at the time. Ah, memories. This match will be a mess with weapons all over the place, probably some tables being used and maybe a little blood too. The main angle here involves Beer Money against LAX, so hopefully they are featured a lot because I really like both of those teams. I’m going to go with Beer Money retaining somehow even though James Storm will be the bloodiest of all the people in the match because that guy knows how to bleed during a PPV.
My Pick: Beer Money Inc.

THREE WAY MATCH
Booker T (w/ Sharmell) vs. “The Instant Classic” Christian Cage vs. “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles
This one’s interesting because you’ve got the heel in Booker, the face in Styles and then the tweener in Christian although he’s been more face like this year despite the fact that he’s much better as the bad guy. Booker’s really showing his age in the ring although he’s not bad. He just isn’t the Booker that was my favorite guy in WCW about a decade ago. People get old, what can you do? Styles and Christian are two of my favorites in the entire company, so I know they’ll deliver the goods in the ring. The obvious choice for a winner here is Styles. There’s no reason for either of the other guys to win. Hopefully they give Styles the win as a reward for the awesome work he does every single week.
My Pick: AJ Styles

TNA GRUDGE MATCH
“King Of The Mountain” Jeff Jarrett vs. Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle
Special Enforcer: Mick Foley
This match has the best build on the show because it’s a fresh matchup that’s been built on genuine hate. As I touched on earlier I’m not a huge fan of them mentioning Jarrett’s deceased wife for use in a wrestling angle, but clearly it added to the heat of this match. The factor of Mick Foley being the special enforcer at ringside also adds some interest. I think that will guarantee a ref bump because they have to get Foley in the ring somehow for the pinfall. I’d be fine with either guy winning although a lot will depend on if Jarrett will regularly wrestle after this. If he doesn’t then Angle should win because they are going to need some heels going over. If he does wrestle regularly then I’d be fine with Jarrett winning because that’s what the story calls for, or they could do it next month.
My Pick: Kurt Angle

TNA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Samoa Joe (c) vs. “The Icon” Sting
I’m still confused about this whole thing because to me Sting’s a part timer who shouldn’t be in the World Title match. How can you talk about the future of the company when a part timer whose best days are behind him (even though he’s okay still) is wrestling in the main event of your biggest show? Joe’s your biggest star, which is fine by me, but they really could have done this whole thing without involving the title. I’m not even convinced Sting WANTS the title, which is the whole point of a title match. I like Sting and I think there’s a place for him on the card. I just feel like it’s not in a World Title match on the biggest show of the year. Obviously I’m not the only one that thinks this because when I visited the TNA website there was a link for Bound for Glory tickets. I put in that I wanted two and guess what? Ringside seats are still available. That’s not a good sign two days before the show. (No, I didn’t buy any tickets.) The match should be alright because Joe’s arguably the best worker in the company while Sting’s still alright even at his age. If Joe loses this match, though, this company would be making a huge mistake. I think they’re smart enough to realize that.
My Pick: Samoa Joe

Good show? Maybe. I hope they deliver on giving us some clean matches and decisive wins for the people that really deserve them the most like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles in particular.

I’ll be back next week with something WWE related because I feel bad for not writing about the awesome No Mercy PPV from this past Sunday. Hell of a good show. I’ll get to it next week at some point I’m sure.

Please email me or hit me up on MSN (I’m on there regularly now) with your thoughts on this running diary and if you’d like to see something else like this in the future whether it’s Raw or Smackdown. It definitely won’t be PPV since I stopped watching those live or ECW because, well, it’s ECW. If the response is good I’ll do a running diary once a month and rotate between the three shows. Up to you guys so let me know. I think I need a blog in order to cover some of this stuff too. It would allow me to do short pieces about each show without doing a full column about it.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I possibly can. I’m still replying to your emails about the Twenty Ideas for WWE to Consider column from a couple weeks back. I should be caught up by Monday…I hope. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving this Monday to my fellow Mother Canuckers!

Smell ya later,
John C. – [email protected]
MSN: [email protected] – Do not email me here! Will not be read!

John C. has been writing about professional wrestling on and off for nearly ten years. He’s proud of the fact that he’s written columns for four straight weeks and hopes the streak continues. Visit the archives to view nine years of columns from over the years.