school-of-hard-knocks
Occasional Pre-Show
To be honest I haven't been a big TNA fan ever since Russo took over the book. For a while TNA was an attractive alternative to WWE featuring great matches with the likes of AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle (early), Petey Williams, Jay Lethal, Austin Aries, etc. And they had a very solid tag division as well as a great knockouts' division. Then they started trying to be like WWE a little bit too much and it has led to me watching WWE rather than a cheap rip off of WWE which TNA has turned into.
However, I want TNA to succeed. Competition is good for professional wrestling. When 2 companies are going at full force we get to see a better TV show no matter who we are watching. Hogan to TNA is big. But the way TNA has played it out has failed. There was no drama, no conflict, no angle, no storyline to it. Hogan and Bischoff pretty much came in and cut an hour worth of promos about how things are gonna chance and how TNA is going to be bigger and better than WWE. The way I see it, why spend your 3 hour show talking about what you are going to do. Why not just go out there, do it and make everyone happy?
But something good could come out of this. TNA needs a spark, something to make the fans want to tune into their show every week. Redoing the nWo storyline will not do that. The fans have already seen this play out 15 years ago. What TNA in my opinion needs to do is run with the little momentum that the last show has created. Put Hulk Hogan in the middle with Eric Bischoff. Then look at the roster and think about who would like to see these 2 with the ball in their hand and who would absolutely despise it.
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LIKE:
AJ Styles - Gets his push, continues to be in the main event and put on great matches.
Kurt Angle - Despises Jeff Jarrett from a real life perspective and would rather see Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in charge.
Sting - is a big supporter of AJ Styles and wants whats best for TNA, a huge fan favorite.
Matt Morgan - Is an up and coming superstar. Hogan said TNA is gonna be all about the young guys and he is one of them.
Nasty Boys - Hulk's trucker-looking buddies.
HATE:
Jeff Jarrett - He is not in charge anymore.
Vince Russo - Despises Hogan and Bischoff.
Mick Foley - Doesn't feel like he is being shown the respect he deserves.
Daniels - Thinks that TNA has sold out by putting Hogan in charge and straying away from its' roots.
Team 3D - Feel threatened that the young guys will take their spot and think that they deserve more respect.
Rhino - He is with Team 3D and has already expressed his displeasure with TNA management on TV.
Bobby Lashley - Pretty obvious after the promo his wife cut on Impact.
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So with this in mind we have a realistic angle forming. On one side we have people that are happy with Hulk Hogan and feel like he is going to take TNA to the top. And on the other we have people who either despise Hogan for personal reasons, are jealous of his power, or feel that TNA is selling out. So this is how I build the feud from this moment on:
Week 1: Impact
Jeff Jarrett comes out to the ring and berets Hogan. He pretty much talks about how TNA is turning for the worse with Hogan in charge and that he will kill the company that he has started 7 years ago before watching Hulk Hogan run it into the ground. Vince Russo then comes out and tells Jarrett how he absolutely agrees with him and that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have no business running a wrestling company and as far as he is concerned that he quits as a booker (drawing a pop from the crowd) and will support Jarrett in any way he can. At this point Hulk Hogan comes out and pretty much tells them both that if they don't like it here they can get out and has the security escort them.
Later that night we see Mick Foley trying to get in the arena but the security isn't letting him do so.
A backstage segment of the beaten down Nasty Boys is shown up. Everyone still wonders who is doing all of this.
In the main event we have Kurt Angle and AJ Styles teaming up against Daniels and Desmond Wolfe. The match ends with Angle/Styles winning after Daniels walks out on Wolfe. After the match Daniels cuts a promo at the top of the ramp about how he is sick of being in TNA and how he is disgusted at what the company has turned into. He quits as well. At this point Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley make their way through the crowd and into the ring. They start fighting with Angle and Styles. Daniels joins in overwhelming the faces. Russo comes down as well and the 4 of them raise hands in the middle of the ring. Hulk Hogan comes out to the stage and announces that at the bragging rights there will be a 6 man tag match: Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Desmond Wolfe Vs Daniels, Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett.
Week 2: TNA Genesis PPV
Vince Russo comes out during the first match of the night interrupting joining the announce team. He says that he will be calling the matches with them tonight and asks Hogan to dare and stop him.
There is a tag team championship match going on. British Invasion Vs Beer Money. The match ends in no contest once the Team 3D/Rhino show up and take both teams out. They bring the tables out Rhyno gores British Invasion through the 2 tables set up at the opposite ends of the ring. Team 3D hit 3D through the table on James Storm and toprope double team powerbomb Rhoode through the 4th table. Then they reveal how they have been the ones taking out all the tag teams during the last several weeks and how Rhino played possum to make the others think it wasn't them. Then they cut a promo about how TNA is not giving them any respect and how they will destroy anyone who gets in their way including Hulk Hogan. Vince Russo praises them from the announcer position.
Hogan, Nash, Hall and Waltman are seen discussing the main event backstage. Hogan asks the other 3 if they have his back and they nod.
Main Event is Jarrett/Foley/Daniels Vs Styles/Angle/Wolfe. Hulk Hogan comes out and announces that match is going to be no disqualifications. Team Styles is dominating the match until Team 3D and Rhyno interfere. It becomes a 6 on 3 beat down. Vince Russo joins in as well making it 7 on 3. Hogan, Nash, Hall and Waltman make their way down the ramp. They get in the ring and a big stare down ensues. Hogan then turns around into a big right hand from Nash. Everyone in the ring starts beating Hogan down as AJ/Angle/Wolfe are laid out. Hogan does a blade job selling it. Nash then cuts a promo telling Hogan how his time has passed and that he is not welcome in TNA. Jarrett takes the mic as Hall/Nash sit Hogan up and hold him back that soon TNA, just like the Hulkomania, will be dead. Then he spits in Hogan's face. The crowd at this point should be going crazy with boos.
Week 3: Impact
Eric Bischoff is backstage with TNA roster telling them how this is their company and that they are not going to allow a bunch of has beens, bullies and degenerates to take it away from them. Pretty much a motivational speech trying to rally the roster behind himself and Hogan.
Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo, Mick Foley, Nash, Hall, Waltman, Daniels, Team 3D and Rhino all come out to the ring. They are pretty much trying to get across that after what they did to Hogan he is never going to be seen again and how they are the ones running the things now. And if anyone tries to stop them they will do to them what they did to Hogan. Then they announce their newest addition and according to them the next TNA World Champion, Samoa Joe.
During the night this new clique is bullying pretty much everyone from announcers, to wrestlers to people working backstage.
Bobby Lashley comes out with his wife once again saying how TNA hasn't granted him his release yet and that he not happy about it. Vince Russo comes out and tries to negotiate with Lashley by kissing his ass. He offers him more money. Lashley doesn't seem too interested. Russo offers him to pick his own work schedule. Still not interested. Then he offers him a guarantee that he will never have to see Hulk Hogan again. Lashley nods and walks away.
Sean Waltman wins the TNA X-Division championship in a 4 way match after Nash and Hall take out everyone else in the match.
In the main event we have AJ Styles going 1 on 1 with Chris Daniels. Styles wins in a 15 minute match after hitting the Styles clash. Samoa Joe makes his way out and attacks AJ. Daniels regains his composure and it becomes a 2 on 1 beat down. Kurt Angle runs out making the save. Hall, Nash, Waltman, Team 3D and Rhino make their way out and turn this into a 8 on 2 beatdown. Hernandez, Morgan, Wolfe, and Beer/Money come out evening up the odds. Lashley hits the ring and and starts hitting all the good guys drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd. And then Hulk Hogan makes his way out helping the good guys prevail. All of the bad guys get knocked out of the ring. We see a shot of Jarrett, Foley and Russo pissed off backstage. And then we see a shot of Sting looking down from the rafters.
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Anyway, if you have patience of an angel and have read all of this you know where this one would be going. And in my opinion it would be a great, realistic way to pull the TNA fans back into watching the show. And it would result in some interesting match-ups on PPV.
However, I want TNA to succeed. Competition is good for professional wrestling. When 2 companies are going at full force we get to see a better TV show no matter who we are watching. Hogan to TNA is big. But the way TNA has played it out has failed. There was no drama, no conflict, no angle, no storyline to it. Hogan and Bischoff pretty much came in and cut an hour worth of promos about how things are gonna chance and how TNA is going to be bigger and better than WWE. The way I see it, why spend your 3 hour show talking about what you are going to do. Why not just go out there, do it and make everyone happy?
But something good could come out of this. TNA needs a spark, something to make the fans want to tune into their show every week. Redoing the nWo storyline will not do that. The fans have already seen this play out 15 years ago. What TNA in my opinion needs to do is run with the little momentum that the last show has created. Put Hulk Hogan in the middle with Eric Bischoff. Then look at the roster and think about who would like to see these 2 with the ball in their hand and who would absolutely despise it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIKE:
AJ Styles - Gets his push, continues to be in the main event and put on great matches.
Kurt Angle - Despises Jeff Jarrett from a real life perspective and would rather see Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in charge.
Sting - is a big supporter of AJ Styles and wants whats best for TNA, a huge fan favorite.
Matt Morgan - Is an up and coming superstar. Hogan said TNA is gonna be all about the young guys and he is one of them.
Nasty Boys - Hulk's trucker-looking buddies.
HATE:
Jeff Jarrett - He is not in charge anymore.
Vince Russo - Despises Hogan and Bischoff.
Mick Foley - Doesn't feel like he is being shown the respect he deserves.
Daniels - Thinks that TNA has sold out by putting Hogan in charge and straying away from its' roots.
Team 3D - Feel threatened that the young guys will take their spot and think that they deserve more respect.
Rhino - He is with Team 3D and has already expressed his displeasure with TNA management on TV.
Bobby Lashley - Pretty obvious after the promo his wife cut on Impact.
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So with this in mind we have a realistic angle forming. On one side we have people that are happy with Hulk Hogan and feel like he is going to take TNA to the top. And on the other we have people who either despise Hogan for personal reasons, are jealous of his power, or feel that TNA is selling out. So this is how I build the feud from this moment on:
Week 1: Impact
Jeff Jarrett comes out to the ring and berets Hogan. He pretty much talks about how TNA is turning for the worse with Hogan in charge and that he will kill the company that he has started 7 years ago before watching Hulk Hogan run it into the ground. Vince Russo then comes out and tells Jarrett how he absolutely agrees with him and that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have no business running a wrestling company and as far as he is concerned that he quits as a booker (drawing a pop from the crowd) and will support Jarrett in any way he can. At this point Hulk Hogan comes out and pretty much tells them both that if they don't like it here they can get out and has the security escort them.
Later that night we see Mick Foley trying to get in the arena but the security isn't letting him do so.
A backstage segment of the beaten down Nasty Boys is shown up. Everyone still wonders who is doing all of this.
In the main event we have Kurt Angle and AJ Styles teaming up against Daniels and Desmond Wolfe. The match ends with Angle/Styles winning after Daniels walks out on Wolfe. After the match Daniels cuts a promo at the top of the ramp about how he is sick of being in TNA and how he is disgusted at what the company has turned into. He quits as well. At this point Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley make their way through the crowd and into the ring. They start fighting with Angle and Styles. Daniels joins in overwhelming the faces. Russo comes down as well and the 4 of them raise hands in the middle of the ring. Hulk Hogan comes out to the stage and announces that at the bragging rights there will be a 6 man tag match: Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Desmond Wolfe Vs Daniels, Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett.
Week 2: TNA Genesis PPV
Vince Russo comes out during the first match of the night interrupting joining the announce team. He says that he will be calling the matches with them tonight and asks Hogan to dare and stop him.
There is a tag team championship match going on. British Invasion Vs Beer Money. The match ends in no contest once the Team 3D/Rhino show up and take both teams out. They bring the tables out Rhyno gores British Invasion through the 2 tables set up at the opposite ends of the ring. Team 3D hit 3D through the table on James Storm and toprope double team powerbomb Rhoode through the 4th table. Then they reveal how they have been the ones taking out all the tag teams during the last several weeks and how Rhino played possum to make the others think it wasn't them. Then they cut a promo about how TNA is not giving them any respect and how they will destroy anyone who gets in their way including Hulk Hogan. Vince Russo praises them from the announcer position.
Hogan, Nash, Hall and Waltman are seen discussing the main event backstage. Hogan asks the other 3 if they have his back and they nod.
Main Event is Jarrett/Foley/Daniels Vs Styles/Angle/Wolfe. Hulk Hogan comes out and announces that match is going to be no disqualifications. Team Styles is dominating the match until Team 3D and Rhyno interfere. It becomes a 6 on 3 beat down. Vince Russo joins in as well making it 7 on 3. Hogan, Nash, Hall and Waltman make their way down the ramp. They get in the ring and a big stare down ensues. Hogan then turns around into a big right hand from Nash. Everyone in the ring starts beating Hogan down as AJ/Angle/Wolfe are laid out. Hogan does a blade job selling it. Nash then cuts a promo telling Hogan how his time has passed and that he is not welcome in TNA. Jarrett takes the mic as Hall/Nash sit Hogan up and hold him back that soon TNA, just like the Hulkomania, will be dead. Then he spits in Hogan's face. The crowd at this point should be going crazy with boos.
Week 3: Impact
Eric Bischoff is backstage with TNA roster telling them how this is their company and that they are not going to allow a bunch of has beens, bullies and degenerates to take it away from them. Pretty much a motivational speech trying to rally the roster behind himself and Hogan.
Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo, Mick Foley, Nash, Hall, Waltman, Daniels, Team 3D and Rhino all come out to the ring. They are pretty much trying to get across that after what they did to Hogan he is never going to be seen again and how they are the ones running the things now. And if anyone tries to stop them they will do to them what they did to Hogan. Then they announce their newest addition and according to them the next TNA World Champion, Samoa Joe.
During the night this new clique is bullying pretty much everyone from announcers, to wrestlers to people working backstage.
Bobby Lashley comes out with his wife once again saying how TNA hasn't granted him his release yet and that he not happy about it. Vince Russo comes out and tries to negotiate with Lashley by kissing his ass. He offers him more money. Lashley doesn't seem too interested. Russo offers him to pick his own work schedule. Still not interested. Then he offers him a guarantee that he will never have to see Hulk Hogan again. Lashley nods and walks away.
Sean Waltman wins the TNA X-Division championship in a 4 way match after Nash and Hall take out everyone else in the match.
In the main event we have AJ Styles going 1 on 1 with Chris Daniels. Styles wins in a 15 minute match after hitting the Styles clash. Samoa Joe makes his way out and attacks AJ. Daniels regains his composure and it becomes a 2 on 1 beat down. Kurt Angle runs out making the save. Hall, Nash, Waltman, Team 3D and Rhino make their way out and turn this into a 8 on 2 beatdown. Hernandez, Morgan, Wolfe, and Beer/Money come out evening up the odds. Lashley hits the ring and and starts hitting all the good guys drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd. And then Hulk Hogan makes his way out helping the good guys prevail. All of the bad guys get knocked out of the ring. We see a shot of Jarrett, Foley and Russo pissed off backstage. And then we see a shot of Sting looking down from the rafters.
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Anyway, if you have patience of an angel and have read all of this you know where this one would be going. And in my opinion it would be a great, realistic way to pull the TNA fans back into watching the show. And it would result in some interesting match-ups on PPV.
