My TNA Monthly Catch-up, Oct - Nov 07

As per usual, the views contained within are my own, I call it how I see it. I talk about stuff I feel is relevant to TNA (so you might find I don't even mention certain sections of the show) and if I hate something I'll say so. I do use some colourful idioms and have been known to swear so if that offends you or you don't like my views then don't read this. On to this months catch-up.

Impact 18th Oct 07 - Show starts with Kurt Angle coming down to bore us on the mic.

Fight For The Right Tournament (FFTRT) - Chris Sabin vs Alex Shelley. This was going to go 1 of 2 ways. As hard as they could against each other or 1 guy laying down for the other. Thankfully it was the former until Brother Ray came out after less than 2 mins to call the match c**p and they pull a b**ls**t beatdown and we have both men out. 3d aren't cut out to be heels and this gimmick sucks big donkey c**ks.

Womens Match - Talia Madison vs Awesome Kong. Well this was only ever going to be short. Kong learnt her lesson from the PPV and was wearing a bra in this match. A predictable win for Awesome Kong in a crap match where neither women got over.

Tag Match - James Storm (who seriously needs a new gimmick) & Robert Roode vs Chris Harris & Rhyno. Another weak match where Storm took the win from his team after a c**p distraction of the ref.

FFTRT - Kaz vs Lance Hoyt. Kaz got the better of this match and took the win.

The Disco Inferno vs Abyss. I thought Disco was going to job here & he did, with Abyss getting a very quick win.

FFTRT wildcard match - Samoa Joe vs Christian Cage. Taking the spots of Shelley & Sabin, neither of these guys deserve this shot and the bracket should have been left empty for someone to get a by. Cage took the win with help from Roode.

Impact 25th Oct 07 - 8 Man Tag Match - VKM & AJ Styles & Tomko vs LAX & The Steiners.- LAX took the win for their team.

FFTRT - James Storm vs Eric Young. Young is still carrying on a gimmick that Norman Smiley worked to death in WCW, can he PLEASE stop?. This was a decent enough match with Storm getting a pretty easy win.

4 way X Division match - Sonjay Dutt vs Sharkboy vs Petey Williams vs Havok. I expected 3d to interfere in this as the match followed their interview. Which is exactly what happened. More s**t ideas & this is not what TNA needs.

TNA Heavyweight Championship - Sting vs Kurt Angle. Very poor for a title match. Angle gets a c***py win.

Womens Match - Angel Williams vs Awesome Kong. Another squash match, Williams jobbing to Kong. I don't know why they bother with her as no-one is getting put over by working with her.

FFTRT - Robert Roode vs Junior Fatu. Fatu gets the win after help from Samoa Joe.

Impact 1st Nov 07 - Show starts with Kurt Angle coming down to bore us on the mic.

FFTRT - James Storm vs Kaz with Kaz getting quite a fast win. Team 3d bore us on the mic in their continued heel turn that's still s**t. Finally the X Division fight back & 3d gets theirs.

Womens Match - Awesome Kong vs Christy Hemme with Lance Hoyt & Jimmy Rave. This is Hemme back against Kong for the 1st time since Kong injured her in the womens gauntlet @ the last ppv. Kong takes yet another predictable win.

Mixed Tag Match - Robert Roode & Miss Brooks vs Samoa Joe & Gail Kim. I must admit I half expected a run-in from Awesome Kong here. Brooks is still improving, at her best to date in this match but Kim was selling like crazy for her. Joe worked the better of the 2 men and Kim got the win for her team.

FFTRT - For some reason Junior Fatu wasn't taking part (I believe someone said he'd been fired?). Christian Cage vs Chris Harris. Despite Cage bringing the ladder down with him it only came into play once and Cage took the win with the help of the ropes.

Tag Title Match - Tomko & AJ Styles vx LAX. This was a reasonable enough match with Tomko & Styles retaining the titles.

Impact 8th Nov 07 - FFTRT Finals - Christian Cage vs Kaz. The only real advantage Cage has over Kaz is his experience. Cage takes the undeserved win in a match he shouldn't have even been taking part in. Matt Morgan subbing for Jim Cornette declares this a no-contest and rematches Kaz & Cage at Genesis in a ladder match.

Tag Match - Team 3d vs Jay Lethal & Abyss. After their little exchange tonight, I can see there might be something in So Cal Val becoming Lethal's valet filling a "Miss Elizabeth" role. Despite being the lightest guy by a country mile, Lethal gave a very good acount of himself against Team 3d. With Black Reign distracting Abyss from the match this looked bad for Lethal left on his own against 3d with Devon taking the win. Shelley & Sabin made the save on Lethal. Angle comes out to bore us on the mic.

Takedown Challenge - The person who gets the most takedowns in 5 mins is the winner. AJ Styles vs Scott Steiner. The ropes were down for this one. 1st, 2nd & 3rd takedowns came after AJ used powder in the face of Steiner. Steiner took 4 back quickly before the match was thrown out when Tomko intefered with Rick making the save.

6 man Tag contest - James Storm, Robert Roode & Kurt Angle vs Eric Young, Samoa Joe & Sting. With a good line up this was a pretty decent and even match. Sting took the eventual win using the Scorpion Leg Lock for his team. Kevin Nash calls out that old drunken lush Scott Hall. We haven't seen Hall in TNA for about 3 yrs since he fell off the wagon and he looks like shit. We get them both chatting and Hall says he's not Stings partner.

TNA Genesis PPV 07 - Shop Of Horrors No DQ Match - Black Reign vs Abyss. Abyss took the eventual win.

Tag Match - Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley vs Team 3d in what will hopefully be the end of 3d's heel turn as it's an awful idea. This one started on the ramp before 3d had a chance to catch their breath. Ray & Devon sold well and Shelley & Sabin were being put over very well. Sabin took an excellent win and both teams looked very good here.

Womens Knockout Championship 4-way Match - Roxxi Laveaux vs Angel Williams vs ODB vs Gail Kim. Kim retained the belt in a decent enough match that showcased the other 3 pretty well too.

X Division Title Match - The 2 worst gimmicks in TNA go head to head with Sonjay Dutt (getting a long overdue push) vs Jay Lethal and the "So Cal Val as his valet" angle is looking even more likely. I am happy that Dutt's Guru persona is starting to go now and we're seeing him working without a c***py gimmick that he never needed in the 1st place. This was a decent showcase for Dutt to show the fans how good I've been telling you he actually is for quite a long time now. Both guys worked well and both of them were over. Lethal got the win but I'd have preferred to have seen Dutt get the win. The run-in by 3d was utterly pointless as I thought their heel run was done with after their loss to Shelley & Sabin.

Tag Championship Title Match - AJ Styles & Tomko vs The Steiners. I didn't expect much from this as it featured mainly power wrestlers. Styles took the win for his team with the help of a chair.

Grudge Match - Robert Roode vs Samoa Joe. Miss Brooks is yet another gimmick that has long since run it's course and is being flogged to death. Why they don't just bring in the "fan" who keeps appearing at ringside with her signs so Brooks can permanently join the womens division as a solo worker, I don't know. Joe got a good win from the muscle buster.

Fight For The Right Final, Ladder match - Kaz vs Christian Cage. This was yet another chance for Kaz to show his skills and get himself further in this current push he's getting that he does deserve. I would like to see him tag with Petey Williams though. Cage actually had a good match for a change and was over for the 1st time in a very long time since he was a face. Cage had to talk Kaz through the inverted ddt off the top of the 2 ladders as he clearly wasn't sure about it.
When the contract fell it was VERY quick thinking on the ref's part to then make the clipboard the important thing. Kaz gets himself a title shot at the next ppv in an excellent match.

TNA Heavyweight Championship - The belt is being placed on the line in this very weird tag match. Kevin Nash & Kurt Angle vs Sting & Booker T as Sting's mystery partner and he is very welcome to TNA in my opinion. Booker landed himself not only a main event but a title shot in his very 1st match so he can't be unhappy at that. Nash can't be unhappy either at also getting a title shot & main event as his 1st match back in as an active wrestler. Booker looked good, worked well & clearly enjoyed himself. Nash gave a decent account of himself as well. We also have Sharmel with Booker (so you can add her to the womens division as well) and Angle took the eventual but very scrappy win after interference from Tomko, Styles & Karen Angle.

This last months Impacts have been some of the worst I've seen since I started watching TNA. The PPV wasn't brilliant but it was rescued from sheer c**pness by the X Division matches yet again.