IMPACT "Championship Series" Starts Thursday

[It's Damn Real!]

http://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/3742-Championship-Thursday-Debuts-On-IMPACT-WRESTLING

Starting Thursday night and happening once a month, “Championship Thursday” will break out into its own episode of IMPACT WRESTLING on Spike TV - Hulk Hogan announced to ImpactWrestling.com today.

On “Championship Thursday”, an IMPACT WRESTLING champion will walk to the ring not knowing whom they will face. During this monthly episode, four challengers will meet with Hulk Hogan and plead their case why they deserve the shot at the champion. One by one, the challengers will be eliminated until bell time when two challengers remain. As the champion stands in the ring ready to defend, Hogan makes the final decision and the title match starts right then!

On Thursday, the World Tag Team Champions – Kazarian and Christopher Daniels -walk to the ring not knowing their foes. Hulk Hogan will sit down with four sets of challengers and hear their case during the broadcast! The challengers will be AJ Styles and a partner of his choosing, Robbie E & Robbie T, Gunner and Kid Kash, and Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez!

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The premise seems simple enough, and we've seen how this worked in earlier segments that actually polled pretty well based off the reception they got in the LD's (small sample size, I know), so I don't see why or how this would be a bad thing.

At the very least, this gives the tag division a reason to exist again, and at best gives TNA another small gimmick to add once a month to try and get some new tag team chemistry going.

Thoughts?

 

[Thriller Ant]

I'm not a huge fan of the four (or eight) potential challengers arguing with Hogan throughout the show for the title shot. I've seen them do this a couple times and it often comes off as melodramatic to me. With that said, it is a nice change from the usual #1 Contender's Match formula that seems to be ingrained in WWE at the moment and is an easy, painless way to get four (or eight) people some mic time on Impact.

 

[MrHashasheen]

http://www.impactwrestling.com/news/item/3742-Championship-Thursday-Debuts-On-IMPACT-WRESTLING

--

The premise seems simple enough, and we've seen how this worked in earlier segments that actually polled pretty well based off the reception they got in the LD's (small sample size, I know), so I don't see why or how this would be a bad thing.

At the very least, this gives the tag division a reason to exist again, and at best gives TNA another small gimmick to add once a month to try and get some new tag team chemistry going.

Thoughts?

Open Fight Night turned Championship Series, featuring Hulk Hogan talking with competitors for an hour before we get a match? Not sure how much that'll draw, but TNA always tries to be innovative, I suppose.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'm not wild on this but it's not a bad thing. The idea of having everything set in advance is something I'm not a fan of in wrestling. I like there to be a conflict that needs resolution in a match. Instead of having someone be the most qualified or whatever, have a story where the people want to fight each other over a title. This isn't a horrible idea or anything, but much like with everything else TNA does once a month, overdoing them takes away the specialness of them after a few editions. Also, didn't they do this every month on Open Fight Night anyway?

 

[MINISTRYrising]

not to sure how well this will work, but if it takes off then you will hopefully see more of the x division,tag team and tv titles. like ITS DAMN REAL! said it could lead to some new and interesting tag teams.

 

[JJYanks121]

So now we have Open Fight Night, Gut Check, and the Championship series? Seems like a lot of gimmicks, no?

Truth is, I might like this if there wasn't all this other stuff going on, but now you have three shows out of 4 a month with built in gimmicks. That doesn't give you a lot of room to just put together a show. It's like people have said about the gimmick pay per views. Now you have to book to the gimmick rather than just book and let things happen organically. For that reason, I don't like this kind of stuff very much.

I also haven't been a fan of this "tell me why you deserve this" stuff. TNA has done this for a while now and all they are doing here is making it an official thing. The reason I don't like it though is that it doesn't give any merit to challenges. You don't earn a title shot by being good or having a conflict with the champion, you have to convince a GM to give you a shot. This reality stuff has become too much for me and it's so counterproductive to something like the BFG series where you have to keep wrestling to get your shot.

Look at it like this: the TNA World Title will likely be defended for this thing at some point. Four guys will be chosen at random and they will plead their case. One will get a title shot that night. Those same 4 guys likely fought their asses off for 3 months to get a title shot. Why should they care about winning the BFG series when they can just talk to Hogan and earn the same thing? That's why this idea doesn't sit well with me.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

So now we have Open Fight Night, Gut Check, and the Championship series? Seems like a lot of gimmicks, no?

Truth is, I might like this if there wasn't all this other stuff going on, but now you have three shows out of 4 a month with built in gimmicks. That doesn't give you a lot of room to just put together a show. It's like people have said about the gimmick pay per views. Now you have to book to the gimmick rather than just book and let things happen organically. For that reason, I don't like this kind of stuff very much.

I also haven't been a fan of this "tell me why you deserve this" stuff. TNA has done this for a while now and all they are doing here is making it an official thing. The reason I don't like it though is that it doesn't give any merit to challenges. You don't earn a title shot by being good or having a conflict with the champion, you have to convince a GM to give you a shot. This reality stuff has become too much for me and it's so counterproductive to something like the BFG series where you have to keep wrestling to get your shot.

Look at it like this: the TNA World Title will likely be defended for this thing at some point. Four guys will be chosen at random and they will plead their case. One will get a title shot that night. Those same 4 guys likely fought their asses off for 3 months to get a title shot. Why should they care about winning the BFG series when they can just talk to Hogan and earn the same thing? That's why this idea doesn't sit well with me.

You do realize that the BFG Series award the winner a Main Event (unless Hogan is doing something) match at Bound for Glory for the World Heavyweight Championship, which in kayfab (hi, Joseph) terms is far more important than Main Eventing a weekly iMPACT for the World Title, right? Plus, TNA has about 4 belts. World, X-Division, Tag, TV (unless they scrap it). So at most we'll get one World Title Main Event every 3-4 months. OH NOES! [/sarcasm]

In that sense, why have a Royal Rumble if some random douche is going to get a World Title match next month due to attacking or insulting the Champion? Because usually that's all it takes. Heck, the WWE does an Elimination Chamber PPV where 'bout 3-4 dudes get a title shot BEFORE the Royal Rumble winner. It's not about "when" it's about "how" and "where".

Not every title match comes after a tournament of some kind. Only one does. The one that earns you a Main Event at a company's biggest Pay-Per-View. That's what makes the tournament worthed.

As far as TNA stuffing too many gimmicks, you are right on paper. However, if the Championship Doodley-doo (I forgot its name already and I'm too lazy to scroll up) takes place only once a month and it's the ONLY open fight night-esque event that night, you can still build a show just as you always do. And why is that children? Because the rest of the show is not about convincing Hogan, it's just a normal show, it's just one match, no biggie, it's all cool.

So once a month we get a normal show with something added to it; the Championship Doodley-Doo, which can be a good concept provided the segments leading up to the match are fun and the match itself doesn't suck butterfly vag.

It's just one match pally-o. It's just like hyping up some random match all night long. Except with lots more Hogan doing duck lips in it. And I'm assuming they'll give those fellers the Main Event which can be great for the X-Division, the Tag-Division, the Kitchen Division and occasionally the World Title people. S'wrong with that?

Stop hatin'. You've been watching too many hug offs.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I think the idea here is threefold - to give air time economically (no walking to the ring, waiting for chants to subside etc), to allow screen time with the Hulkster that guys like the Robbies might not get otherwise and to give them a chance to speak without the additional pressure of getting a crowd response.

The first time they ran this (Hulk tried to end Roode's reign just shy of the record then held by AJ by using this method with Bully, Jeff Hardy, Kurt & AJ) I did enjoy it, so that does fill me with hope. That is somewhat tempered by two things - will familiarity breed contempt and, while this weeks 4 selections sound quite good, what about the month that the XDivision is on the line? or the TV Belt (which should be exempt as it's due defending every week)? or, perish the thought, the KO Tag Belts?

I quite like the idea but, as always, time will tell if it has the legs to run.

 

[IHW]

I think we can't knock it till we try it.

It seems like it can be a good idea. The times it has been done on Open Fight Night worked. It makes me wonder if they are going to cut the OFN. We have seen Gut Check, which started on OFN, be on just a normal IMPACT. I have to say, I like the idea of having one gimmick show a month. Not 2 or 3.

Guess we will have to see where it goes.

 

[JJYanks121]

You do realize that the BFG Series award the winner a Main Event (unless Hogan is doing something) match at Bound for Glory for the World Heavyweight Championship, which in kayfab (hi, Joseph) terms is far more important than Main Eventing a weekly iMPACT for the World Title, right? Plus, TNA has about 4 belts. World, X-Division, Tag, TV (unless they scrap it). So at most we'll get one World Title Main Event every 3-4 months. OH NOES! [/sarcasm]

In that sense, why have a Royal Rumble if some random douche is going to get a World Title match next month due to attacking or insulting the Champion? Because usually that's all it takes. Heck, the WWE does an Elimination Chamber PPV where 'bout 3-4 dudes get a title shot BEFORE the Royal Rumble winner. It's not about "when" it's about "how" and "where".

Not every title match comes after a tournament of some kind. Only one does. The one that earns you a Main Event at a company's biggest Pay-Per-View. That's what makes the tournament worthed.

As far as TNA stuffing too many gimmicks, you are right on paper. However, if the Championship Doodley-doo (I forgot its name already and I'm too lazy to scroll up) takes place only once a month and it's the ONLY open fight night-esque event that night, you can still build a show just as you always do. And why is that children? Because the rest of the show is not about convincing Hogan, it's just a normal show, it's just one match, no biggie, it's all cool.

So once a month we get a normal show with something added to it; the Championship Doodley-Doo, which can be a good concept provided the segments leading up to the match are fun and the match itself doesn't suck butterfly vag.

It's just one match pally-o. It's just like hyping up some random match all night long. Except with lots more Hogan doing duck lips in it. And I'm assuming they'll give those fellers the Main Event which can be great for the X-Division, the Tag-Division, the Kitchen Division and occasionally the World Title people. S'wrong with that?

Stop hatin'. You've been watching too many hug offs.

Seems someone is cheating on TNA.......

I love how you jumped to "defend" TNA though even though I wasn't taken a shot or anything like that. I was being real and in reality you do have 3 shows with built in gimmicks out of 4 in a given month. Yes, you can still have the "rest of the show", but it is built in and that leaves only one show a month where you have total free reign to create. On top of that, this concept requires at minimum 4 segments. It's not just a "tiny part of the show", it's a major part of the show with that much going into it.

It is valid to think that 3 times a month out of 4, shows already have something built into them. It is also valid to think that the idea of talking for title shots rather than fighting for them in a company where "wrestling matters" seems a step in the opposite direction. I've said that since they started this unofficially. In my opinion, it's always been ridiculous for there to be a "talk off" for a title shot.

I'll credit TNA for trying to be innovative, but I think there's just too much innovation at this point. Three "innovative" ideas every given month is too much and it's not "hatin" to think so. It's how I feel but if we have to agree to disagree, I'm more than willing to hug it out with you anyways.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Seems someone is cheating on TNA.......

I love how you jumped to "defend" TNA though even though I wasn't taken a shot or anything like that. I was being real and in reality you do have 3 shows with built in gimmicks out of 4 in a given month. Yes, you can still have the "rest of the show", but it is built in and that leaves only one show a month where you have total free reign to create. On top of that, this concept requires at minimum 4 segments. It's not just a "tiny part of the show", it's a major part of the show with that much going into it.

It is valid to think that 3 times a month out of 4, shows already have something built into them. It is also valid to think that the idea of talking for title shots rather than fighting for them in a company where "wrestling matters" seems a step in the opposite direction. I've said that since they started this unofficially. In my opinion, it's always been ridiculous for there to be a "talk off" for a title shot.

I'll credit TNA for trying to be innovative, but I think there's just too much innovation at this point. Three "innovative" ideas every given month is too much and it's not "hatin" to think so. It's how I feel but if we have to agree to disagree, I'm more than willing to hug it out with you anyways.

Look at you being all paranoid. I didn't defend anything, I provided my views on the topic which clashed yours. And TNA is better than the WWE. Just sayin'.

With that being said, you have Open Fight Night, Gutcheck and Championship Doodle-doo.

- Open Fight Night I'll agree. Shit takes too much time and it's literally the whole show. Not a big fan of that, but I like the concept as a ... concept.

- Gutcheck? Come on dude, Gutcheck is one five minute segment a month where they evaluate some broke wrestler and then Joey Ryan Assassin Creed's his way into the crowd and yells a lot. They don't announce it as "The Gutcheck Episode". It's just a follow up of OFN, it's hardly its own gimmick. If that's its own gimmick then having Christopher Daniels on the show is also a gimmick. Call it "Appletini Night" or something. Nah, not a gimmick.

- Championship Doodle-Doo ... we don't really know how that'll go but I'm assuming it'll be like Open Fight Night. Meaning it'll have its own name and it'll be announced that this is THAT episode and not a regular show.

Still, you're left with 2 gimmick shows a month (not three), you still have two shows where you can do whatever the hell you want to and 90% of the Championship Doodle-Doo one is free as well. So almost three shows. Yes, they have a bunch of segments but these segments are barely 20 minutes long combined. You have four guys, four segments. They've been able to fit everything within OFN let alone this.

But whatever. We'll just have to agree that I'm right and that's it. It just how it gots to be! And please, don't hug me. Those hands have touched WWE DVDs, I don't want them anywhere near me. I'm alergic to WWE stuff. Saw a bit of RAW last Monday and my eyes were swollen shut for a day.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I don't see anything wrong with this at all. even if at some point it's 4 guys trying to convince Hogan for a heavyweight title match. it makes for good TV, which is the most important thing.

 

[HBsam31]

I was not a fan of the challenges sitting with Hogan and pleading their case, but other than that I like this idea. It will at least make the tag belts have a reason to exist. I like the random challenger type deal. It is fresh, and at the very least TNA tries to do things outside the box. Whether it works or not I have to give them credit for trying.

 

[Cereal Killer]

Agree. This is a great thing for other divisions to shine. I don't think it will happen with the heavyweight championship that much. Maybe a lot with the tag, X and KO titles.

People say that Impact has too much off gimmick but we have to see where this is going. Also, there is a lot more gimmicks coming to Impact...Bischoff has said in an interview he has a lot of innovative plans with a specific format, for every Impact.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't expect this to be any sort of epic happening for TNA but I don't think it'll hurt anything either. If nothing else, it gives TNA an opportunity to put some emphasis on a title and to hype a title match on television once a month. Over the course of the summer, TNA has usually advertised matches for the next episode of IW either on the show or via the internet and I think it's something WWE needs to do more often. With Raw being 3 hours especially now, I don't know why you wouldn't give fans as much incentive as possible to tune in and hyping big matches is a way of doing that.

At the same time, this concept has a fairly dull ring to it. We've seen it in action a couple of times in the past and it didn't really wow me. While it's true that #1 contender matches are pretty routine, I personally would rather see guys get in the ring to have it out both on the mic & inside the ring instead of whining about it to some on air authority figure.

 

[Lowdown]

I see potential in the idea, so we won't know what happens until it starts. The tag team division needs a shot in the arm. While I'm not a huge fan of two of thempotential choices, I could see a team like Kash & Gunner competing for the straps on a regular basis.

 

[SpecialFNK]

AJ Styles could face Daniels and Kazarian tonight with a partner of his choice. I was thinking either Kurt Angle or Mr Anderson. but I read they are both at house shows tonight, so I would assume that makes them unavailable.
interesting. not many options left.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

It may not be a popular opinion, but I really do like Hulk Hogan in this type of role. If he's going to be involved in the on-air product at all - and that's a give in as long as he's employed by TNA - he fits well into a management position. After all, he's the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan; from a kayfabe perspective, very few people in wrestling should draw as much respect or authority as the man who put the company on the map in the first place.

As has been stated, this concept could easily be over-done, much like "Gut Check", which is now just getting ridiculous with the amount of talent I don't care about getting added (or not added) to the roster. That's a different topic, but it's hard enough to get invested in the roster they do have, let alone be continually adding to that with Al Snow and Tazz as the catalyst for my attention? I don't like "Gut Check", if you couldn't tell. But "Championship Series" has an advantage over the other monthly gimmicks, in that it could target any of the six Championships currently in TNA. So really, you may only get each of the belts put up twice in a given year (and that's IF it lasts that long).

I thought the first episode worked well enough. I went in thinking "are there really any teams in TNA?" and left thinking we have a few viable contenders. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to have AJ Styles and Kurt Angle - a team that was never in the running - end up being the guys to get the PPV shot, but whatever. For its purposes as a test run tonight, we got to see all the teams get some on-screen time (which is desperately needed), Hulk Hogan in a role he can actually do without making me want to change the channel, and what I thought was a really good title match! I'd say it was a success.

Next month I hope they target the TV Title, if they don't get rid of it. Ideally I'd like to see Magnus, Gunner, Robbie E and Robbie T all debating over who should get a shot. That would make for an interesting dynamic between the Robbie's, but ultimately I'd like Magnus to be selected and actually WIN the TV Championship. Assuming that he and Samoa Joe will be facing off at Bound for Glory, this could be a nice little prize to add to their scrap. So yes, I think the concept can work, it just needs to be done in moderation and hopefully for the point of building some storylines.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I can't say I was overly impressed with last night's Championship Series. It's just more of the same of what we've seen several times before already.

Part of the problem, I think, was that the tag team scene is so weak right now. Maybe things will improve next time around for the next title that comes up. It's just hard to take guys like Gunner & Kash and The Robbies as serious threats for anything. Listening to them sort of plead their cases to Hogan while putting down Chavo just didn't work in my eyes. While Chavo isn't exactly The Rock in terms of star power, he is compared to those guys. I kind of thought Hogan's reasons for ultimately eliminated Gunner & Kash were a little stupid. He said something along the lines that they were taking the debate too personally, but I thought that was half the point of these segments. They're supposed to be heated as they're in there trying to convince one of the company honchos as to why they should be next in line for title shots. From the beginning, Chavo & Hernandez were the only real choice and they're not exactly the hottest team in the world right now themselves.

I dunno, I'd have just rather seen the four teams go at it in some #1 contender main event match. I'd have just had each of them make their case via brief promo segments throughout the show backstage, sort of telling everyone in the world reasons why they should be next in line. Then, just have a competetive match with the winners taking on the tag champs at No Surrender. It's not an original concept of course, but it's one that works. I'd rather have championship challengers kind of show me why they should be up next rather debating it with on air authority figures.

 

[SpecialFNK]

does TNA script what the wrestlers have to say during this? might be better if they had wrestlers who could talk better to make their case better. I didn't really buy Kid Kash last night. at one point he even called it a tag team tournament.

they tease for AJ and a mystery partner, but then when he shows up he is the 1st one eliminated. at least AJ gets a shot at the PPV with Kurt Angle as his partner.