Sting... Crazy Gimmick Working?

[Zeven_Zion]

I'm not buying it. People are trying but I'm not buying. You really think Hogan and Sting would work? I don't fuckin think so. Would it sell? There's no question. I'm not dumb but should they? No, not Hogan anyway. But he'll do whatever the fuck he wants whether it's good or bad.

I thoroughly believe Hogan and Sting would work. If their most recent promo is any indication as to how good the feud will be, then it's going to work better than a lot of people think it would. Promo wise, I think we'll see some awesome stuff. Athleticism wise, I doubt we'll see anything grand.

You want one person to do all the bumping yet that's suppose to be a good match?

That's every Cena match. Especially against The Miz. If you take a good look at it, you'll realize that the only advantage a Cena and Miz feud has (why the fuck are we discussing them anyhow?), is that both participants are younger and quicker. That's just about it.

Hogan and Sting are both bigger legends and bigger names than Cena and Miz. Both Hogan and Sting can carry a better feud than Cena and Miz promo wise. Both Hogan and Sting can work the mic better than Cena or Miz, or both. Both Hogan and Sting can have better ring psychology than Cena or The Miz. Both Hogan and Sting can get the fans EMOTIONALLY INVESTED in their feud than Cena or The Miz.

In other words - Sting and Hogan, despite their age and physical limiations have the key factors to produce a great feud. Saying that this feud will be a dreck to watch just because Sting and Hogan are older now is the most moronic thing you could say. If wrestlers' quality as performers was determined by their age, young automatically being better and old automatically being worse, would mean that the nWo, which consisted of a bunch of people close or over 40, was by far the worst group of wrestlers on the planet.

If age and physical condition automatically made a match or a feud horrible, then Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker's two feuds were a huge waste of time and money. You can't tell me that The Undertaker's condition is much better than Hogan's, and Sting's condition is far worse than HBK's. Sting is older than Michaels, heavier and taller than Michaels, and he moves just fine. To me, Sting and Hogan are in the same position as Michaels and Undertaker. A little booking can do miracles.

Really?...Really?...REALLY?

The moment people start doing this, is the moment I stop caring for you as a wrestling fan and - honestly - a human being with any spark of common sense.

Yes, really.

I am no where near a huge Cena or Miz fan but they're entertaining. You say they can't but more people know they CAN fuckin wrestle. You have a problem with booking not those 2 wrestlers. They can put on a better match than Hogan and Sting because they BOTH can take bumps and feed off each other. I know the Miz is not as big of a name as Sting , Hogan, and even Cena. But there's nothing to suggest they can't have a better match. They may not draw mote but it'll be better in ring work.

So Cena-Miz is a better match because they can take bumps. You're a special type of blockhead if you think that a good wrestling match is all about "bumping". Yes, they can bump, but they're both incredibly boring in the ring. There's no psychology other than "Cena takes punishment, Cena ignores everything his body went through and wins in 2 minutes, or preferably 10 seconds". That's not a story. That's lazy booking.

Cena and Miz can have a better match in terms of pace, but if pace is all that mattered, if bumps were all that mattered, then go ahead and scratch any legendary classic match as a good contest. The greatest matches ever known to pro wrestling fans are the ones that got them emotionally invested and told a deep story, regardless of how quick or young the people in them were. Not saying that Sting and Hogan will 100% deliver that, but I've seen Sting-Hogan feuds and matches before, and I've seen Cena-Miz feuds before, and judging both feuds - Sting and Hogan's chances of having that are much bigger.

You could say that they had those in the past, but when it comes to telling a story, cutting promos, building an event up and making the match mean something, age is completely irrelevant. As a pro wrestling fan I am willing to ignore the lack of spectacular offense and selling by Hogan in particular if in return I get a great feud filled with passion and emotion, and a match that tells a fitting story. If I gave a shit about only what happens in the ring, I'd be a ROH fan. I care about the whole package, and Sting vs Hogan offers a lot of things that very few feuds out there do these days.

P.S: Please, for the love of whatever made us, don't ever compare Cena and The Miz with Sting and Hulk Hogan in any capacity.

 

[Brian in Austin]

ZZ: Agreed, but if Hogan v. Sting this time around has little wrestling at a PPV, given that TNA THEMSELVES have stated that "Wrestling Matters" then it will have all been for nothing. That's on TNA, not the IWC.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

ZZ: Agreed, but if Hogan v. Sting this time around has little wrestling at a PPV, given that TNA THEMSELVES have stated that "Wrestling Matters" then it will have all been for nothing. That's on TNA, not the IWC.

So just because TNA's marketing motto is "Wrestling Matters", they should never even think of booking this feud because it'll have "little wrestling"? TNA should ignore the magnititude of the feud, they should ignore the money it would make, they should ignore everything this feud means to the casual fans and the ones that actually care about it (which I believe are more than the rowdy "10%-ers"), because it won't have a lot of wrestling and a bunch of over-opinionated, know-it-all, zit-faced shmucks on the Interwebs said so? Who died and made you bookers?

Does "more wrestling" or "a whole lot of wrestling" automatically make a match legendary? I see more wrestling on RAW every week in terms of time, but if you walked into my basem-...room right now, whipped your dicky out and told me that you'd piss in my mouth unless I name the last good match I saw on RAW I'd be chugging on piss like a son of a bitch because I just can't remember a good match RAW had in the last 3-4 months. I remember matches that weren't bad, they were decent, but that's about it.

People twist this whole "Wrestling Matters" thing so much. I'm sure you've been told this many times by other TNA marks such as yours truly, but by wrestling they don't mean 30 minute spotfests. They mean PRO wrestling which is everything from a backstage promo to a bell to bell PRO WRESTLING match. In this case, a Sting-Hogan feud would pretty much do the "Wrestling Matters" schtick a justice.

 

[Brian in Austin]

Actually all I'm saying is that if what Sting v. Hogan delivers is a 5 minute matfest because Hogan can't move, it will be a HUGE disappointment and overall will be seen as a failure.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Actually all I'm saying is that if what Sting v. Hogan delivers is a 5 minute matfest because Hogan can't move, it will be a HUGE disappointment and overall will be seen as a failure.

It can't be 5 minutes long. Let's review.

Sting Entrance - 45 seconds
Hogan Entrance - 16 minutes
Hogan bounces off the ropes - 4 minutes
Hogan sells a punch - 0 seconds [he does it so fast it looks like he's not doing it]
Hogan Hulks up - 7 minutes [previously 21 minutes, but his back is running on 8 gigs of RAM now instead of 512]
Overall - 27 minutes and 45 seconds

Seeing RAW's Laptop GM wobble down the ramp, mourning the loss of his wife (Hogan's artificial spine) - priceless.

 

[Brian in Austin]

It can't be 5 minutes long. Let's review.

Sting Entrance - 45 seconds
Hogan Entrance - 16 minutes
Hogan bounces off the ropes - 4 minutes
Hogan sells a punch - 0 seconds [he does it so fast it looks like he's not doing it]
Hogan Hulks up - 7 minutes [previously 21 minutes, but his back is running on 8 gigs of RAM now instead of 512]
Overall - 27 minutes and 45 seconds

Seeing RAW's Laptop GM wobble down the ramp, mourning the loss of his wife (Hogan's artificial spine) - priceless.

Wow! What a mature response. And people wonder why fans of TNA don't get always get taken seriously.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Wow! What a mature response. And people wonder why fans of TNA don't get always get taken seriously.

Here's your mature response:

Even if the match lasts 5 minutes, it doesn't mean that it's going to be considered a failure. Maybe by the minority of the IWC - but then again, they consider everything TNA related to be a failure, even when it's nowhere close to it.

Look, sometimes I feel like I'm speaking to a wall. Write this on your hand if you can't use your head. When it comes to wrestling matches, the TIME spent in the ring doesn't really matter, it's what happens in the ring that counts. Now, I'm not saying that a two minute match is going to suffice. It's not. But if, and that's a big if, somehow, someway Sting vs Hogan ends up lasting five minutes, the match will only be a true failure (not IWC failure) if in reality it didn't tell a proper story, didn't have a suitable finish and was full of horrible botches.

When a match is good, you lose track of time. A perfect example is the three way between Aries, Rave and Kash last Thursday. I didn't know it was five minutes long until I read about it. Didn't really care because the match served its purpose. It showcased all three men properly, it was filled with the usual high-octane action the X-Division is known about, and had a great finish. That's what they were out to do, and they did it.

One thing the IWC never seemed to realize is that all wrestling matches don't follow just ONE pattern. Different matches serve different purposes. Some matches are squashes, some further a storyline, others end a storyline, the list goes on and on. When that particular purpose is accomplished, and the match does its job, it's anything but a failure. But we have the moronic minority here thinking that every match should be at least 10 minutes long, it should have a lot of bumping and a lot of spots and a lot of crazy shit, and if it does, it's great. It doesn't work that way. It never did and it never will.

That 5 minutes bullshit was just a theoretical situation. The match will only last 5 minutes if Hogan dies at 4:59. Usually PPV matches last less than 5 minutes if something went terribly wrong in the ring. It won't be booked to be 5 minutes long, so you have nothing to worry about. I realize that you want to hate this so much that you fabricate things that didn't even happen (and probably won't happen), but put that crap aside and remember if you and all the other wrestling fans really gave a damn about match time and age during the Monday Night Wars or in the 80's if you were alive then. Tell that garbage to every fan who chanted "Woo" every single time Flair came out. People still do it and will continue to do it until Naitch kicks the bucket. Yet he's old. How does that happen?

 

[Brian in Austin]

Here's your mature response:

Even if the match lasts 5 minutes, it doesn't mean that it's going to be considered a failure. Maybe by the minority of the IWC - but then again, they consider everything TNA related to be a failure, even when it's nowhere close to it.

Look, sometimes I feel like I'm speaking to a wall. Write this on your hand if you can't use your head. When it comes to wrestling matches, the TIME spent in the ring doesn't really matter, it's what happens in the ring that counts. Now, I'm not saying that a two minute match is going to suffice. It's not. But if, and that's a big if, somehow, someway Sting vs Hogan ends up lasting five minutes, the match will only be a true failure (not IWC failure) if in reality it didn't tell a proper story, didn't have a suitable finish and was full of horrible botches.

When a match is good, you lose track of time. A perfect example is the three way between Aries, Rave and Kash last Thursday. I didn't know it was five minutes long until I read about it. Didn't really care because the match served its purpose. It showcased all three men properly, it was filled with the usual high-octane action the X-Division is known about, and had a great finish. That's what they were out to do, and they did it.

One thing the IWC never seemed to realize is that all wrestling matches don't follow just ONE pattern. Different matches serve different purposes. Some matches are squashes, some further a storyline, others end a storyline, the list goes on and on. When that particular purpose is accomplished, and the match does its job, it's anything but a failure. But we have the moronic minority here thinking that every match should be at least 10 minutes long, it should have a lot of bumping and a lot of spots and a lot of crazy shit, and if it does, it's great. It doesn't work that way. It never did and it never will.

That 5 minutes bullshit was just a theoretical situation. The match will only last 5 minutes if Hogan dies at 4:59. Usually PPV matches last less than 5 minutes if something went terribly wrong in the ring. It won't be booked to be 5 minutes long, so you have nothing to worry about. I realize that you want to hate this so much that you fabricate things that didn't even happen (and probably won't happen), but put that crap aside and remember if you and all the other wrestling fans really gave a damn about match time and age during the Monday Night Wars or in the 80's if you were alive then. Tell that garbage to every fan who chanted "Woo" every single time Flair came out. People still do it and will continue to do it until Naitch kicks the bucket. Yet he's old. How does that happen?

I agree with your premise here, but let's put our cards on the table and establish some things.

1. I am a big fan of Sting and Hulk Hogan. Have been for at least 15-20 years.

2. I am hopeful that TNA continues to improve their product. I like the direction they've gone in the last 3-4 weeks of tv now and while I'm not sold on this new Sting gimmick, I hope it works out.

3. Clearly, they are prepping for some sort of Sting v. Hogan showdown.

With that said, I am very skeptical about the ability of Hogan to be able to physically tell a story anymore. Not because I doubt his ability, but because I doubt his physical health now. The man is no longer healthy. He has issues which cannot be ignored. If we forget for the moment that even Sting is 50+ years of age, we can't ignore that Hogan has massive back and if memory serves, hip issues as well. I believe I also remember him mentioning knee issues. You mentioned the Austin Aries match being only 5 minute long but you also mentioned all the spots. That's just it. The length didn't matter because of the spots. If we get neither from Hogan v. Sting, then it will be a failure as fans show up to see action in the ring, not old men trying not to hurt each other. I like both these guys and would hate for anything serious to happen to either one of them. But as I've said before, they are both long past their respective primes and need to retire. I for one would rather remember them for the great things they've both done for this business, rather than for an ill-booked 'one last dance' match.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I agree with your premise here, but let's put our cards on the table and establish some things.

1. I am a big fan of Sting and Hulk Hogan. Have been for at least 15-20 years.

2. I am hopeful that TNA continues to improve their product. I like the direction they've gone in the last 3-4 weeks of tv now and while I'm not sold on this new Sting gimmick, I hope it works out.

3. Clearly, they are prepping for some sort of Sting v. Hogan showdown.

With that said, I am very skeptical about the ability of Hogan to be able to physically tell a story anymore. Not because I doubt his ability, but because I doubt his physical health now. The man is no longer healthy. He has issues which cannot be ignored. If we forget for the moment that even Sting is 50+ years of age, we can't ignore that Hogan has massive back and if memory serves, hip issues as well. I believe I also remember him mentioning knee issues. You mentioned the Austin Aries match being only 5 minute long but you also mentioned all the spots. That's just it. The length didn't matter because of the spots. If we get neither from Hogan v. Sting, then it will be a failure as fans show up to see action in the ring, not old men trying not to hurt each other. I like both these guys and would hate for anything serious to happen to either one of them. But as I've said before, they are both long past their respective primes and need to retire. I for one would rather remember them for the great things they've both done for this business, rather than for an ill-booked 'one last dance' match.

Well, what you seem to forget is that Hogan is not feeling any pain right now and hasn't since his last surgery. His only concern is if that C3PO in his back will hold up when he bumps. That's about it. In terms of mobility he's not much worse than Undertaker, and Taker used to wrestle once a month. If anything, Hogan's fresh and hasn't strained his back with anything but walking and working out. 'Taker was working through all kinds of nagging injuries. Neck problems, knee problems, back problems.

Like Hogan said in an interview, he can take bumps. He just has to watch out and land on his shoulders and avoid putting much pressure on his spine and lower back. He's a wrestler, he knows how to bump. He can land on his side, on his shoulders. And it's not like Hogan takes more than 10 bumps a match. He's a big guy, they don't fall a lot. Especially Hogan, so I think "Can Hogan do it?" is pretty much out of the picture. He can do it, but it's not gonna be pretty.

And here's what we're missing. I think we could be reading too much into this. The premise of this confrontation is Sting trying to wake Hulk up and they're hinting a Hogan face turn. If Hogan turns face, he won't face Sting. They're both faces. How is this going to work? Is Hogan going to challenge Sting to a match at BFG, beat him/lose to him and THEN turn face? Perhaps - and that'll be a pretty sweet deal. There's your story. Hulk is battling not only with Sting in that match, but himself too. He stops his offense during the match, restarts it, shows signs of mercy, then gets more violent. Maybe Sting will beat Hogan, Bischoff comes down to help him, hands him a steel chair and Hogan has a choice to make. Cut the cancer out or fuck Sting up? He KO's Bischoff, whoo-pe-doo.

There are a lot of ways to pull this off and make it great and not sad. Besides, Hogan needs a real last match. If this doesn't happen then his last match would've been his tag with Abyss against Flair and AJ I believe. That's just wrong.

 

[Brian in Austin]

ZZ: I agree that he needs a proper send-off and it would be great, given their history and since the passing of MM, that it would be Sting. Now, that said, I more or less already stated that the match could be one where Sting goes over HH and Hogan turns face after the match or during the next Impact taping. But as for the match, I still have concerns, albeit small ones, that this match can be anything but sub-par. Yes, he knows how to take a bump, but he's no Undertaker. Let's remember the last couple of matches Taker had with Shawn Michaels. The man was diving over the ropes out to the floor, taking bumps on the ring apron, and getting tombstoned by HHH in his last match. There's no WAY Hogan is doing ANY of that. So while Hogan has the knowledge, (i.e. his head and heart are in the right place) his body, I do not believe, would respond. I think what we'll likely see is a very tamed down version of their animosity. Will there be arenaline (as Hogan mentioned during his The Voice interview)? Yes. Will that be enough to get him through a match that fans see as entertaining? I'm not so sure of that.

 

[xXBigEXx]

I thoroughly believe Hogan and Sting would work. If their most recent promo is any indication as to how good the feud will be, then it's going to work better than a lot of people think it would. Promo wise, I think we'll see some awesome stuff. Athleticism wise, I doubt we'll see anything grand.


That's every Cena match. Especially against The Miz. If you take a good look at it, you'll realize that the only advantage a Cena and Miz feud has (why the fuck are we discussing them anyhow?), is that both participants are younger and quicker. That's just about it.

Hogan and Sting are both bigger legends and bigger names than Cena and Miz. Both Hogan and Sting can carry a better feud than Cena and Miz promo wise. Both Hogan and Sting can work the mic better than Cena or Miz, or both. Both Hogan and Sting can have better ring psychology than Cena or The Miz. Both Hogan and Sting can get the fans EMOTIONALLY INVESTED in their feud than Cena or The Miz.

In other words - Sting and Hogan, despite their age and physical limiations have the key factors to produce a great feud. Saying that this feud will be a dreck to watch just because Sting and Hogan are older now is the most moronic thing you could say. If wrestlers' quality as performers was determined by their age, young automatically being better and old automatically being worse, would mean that the nWo, which consisted of a bunch of people close or over 40, was by far the worst group of wrestlers on the planet.

If age and physical condition automatically made a match or a feud horrible, then Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker's two feuds were a huge waste of time and money. You can't tell me that The Undertaker's condition is much better than Hogan's, and Sting's condition is far worse than HBK's. Sting is older than Michaels, heavier and taller than Michaels, and he moves just fine. To me, Sting and Hogan are in the same position as Michaels and Undertaker. A little booking can do miracles.


The moment people start doing this, is the moment I stop caring for you as a wrestling fan and - honestly - a human being with any spark of common sense.

Yes, really.


So Cena-Miz is a better match because they can take bumps. You're a special type of blockhead if you think that a good wrestling match is all about "bumping". Yes, they can bump, but they're both incredibly boring in the ring. There's no psychology other than "Cena takes punishment, Cena ignores everything his body went through and wins in 2 minutes, or preferably 10 seconds". That's not a story. That's lazy booking.

Cena and Miz can have a better match in terms of pace, but if pace is all that mattered, if bumps were all that mattered, then go ahead and scratch any legendary classic match as a good contest. The greatest matches ever known to pro wrestling fans are the ones that got them emotionally invested and told a deep story, regardless of how quick or young the people in them were. Not saying that Sting and Hogan will 100% deliver that, but I've seen Sting-Hogan feuds and matches before, and I've seen Cena-Miz feuds before, and judging both feuds - Sting and Hogan's chances of having that are much bigger.

You could say that they had those in the past, but when it comes to telling a story, cutting promos, building an event up and making the match mean something, age is completely irrelevant. As a pro wrestling fan I am willing to ignore the lack of spectacular offense and selling by Hogan in particular if in return I get a great feud filled with passion and emotion, and a match that tells a fitting story. If I gave a shit about only what happens in the ring, I'd be a ROH fan. I care about the whole package, and Sting vs Hogan offers a lot of things that very few feuds out there do these days.

P.S: Please, for the love of whatever made us, don't ever compare Cena and The Miz with Sting and Hulk Hogan in any capacity.

First of all it was not me who made anyone compare Hogan/Sting and Cena/Miz.

You think they would make us emotionally invested? Haha, no. I would only be invested to hopefully have Hogan come out alive. I'm sorry promo work does get people connected but a match comes down to the moves and selling not your promo work.

The fact you think that I'm saying that this is all age based and not health based means you didn't understand what I said. I never said it was age, Hogan is not healthy enough to be better than Miz or Cena.

Cena having all the bumps is booking based not health related like Hogan and Sting would be. WWE book this shit and you think it's the wrestlers fault.

I'm talking about in the ring not all the talking. Fuck Hogan and Sting can cut mad shit on the mic but so can Piper. Do you believe for one second Piper can have a match (not that shit we saw on Raw this week)? Fuck no and I lump Hogan with him.

And finally Trips/Taker Taker/HBK seriously? They were awesome and they're not as old or in as bad of health as Hogan. In no way are Hogan/Sting would even be in the same league no matter how the mic work goes.

Really? Really? REALLY?

I lose credit as a human? You sir have failed. It's called an intentional joke so get over it.

 

[Karilas]

ZZ: I agree that he needs a proper send-off and it would be great, given their history and since the passing of MM, that it would be Sting. Now, that said, I more or less already stated that the match could be one where Sting goes over HH and Hogan turns face after the match or during the next Impact taping. But as for the match, I still have concerns, albeit small ones, that this match can be anything but sub-par. Yes, he knows how to take a bump, but he's no Undertaker. Let's remember the last couple of matches Taker had with Shawn Michaels. The man was diving over the ropes out to the floor, taking bumps on the ring apron, and getting tombstoned by HHH in his last match. There's no WAY Hogan is doing ANY of that. So while Hogan has the knowledge, (i.e. his head and heart are in the right place) his body, I do not believe, would respond. I think what we'll likely see is a very tamed down version of their animosity. Will there be arenaline (as Hogan mentioned during his The Voice interview)? Yes. Will that be enough to get him through a match that fans see as entertaining? I'm not so sure of that.

Granted I too am insanely sceptical about Hogan's mobility, last few times he wrestled he said himself he couldn't raise his leg for the big boot, or pull off the leg drop. Hopefully his flexibility has improved since his surgeries. Regardless, I see this match involving several minutes of Hulk and Sting beating each other's heads into the guard-rail, ring apron and, posts and steps. Hogan may not have to take a bump to the outside, he could always dodge a stinger splash, send Sting over and roll out to capitalise.

I agree it won't be pretty, mind, but there'll be plenty of fire.

 

[GrandSword]

First of all about the segment... I wish it was done in the ring rather than backstage...

The reason is for the last few months Hogan and Sting have kept their distance, it is like Sting can't get to Hogan because he has this army (Immortal) protecting him, and Hogan ahsn't gotten to Sting because he was the Champion and an unstoppable force. The Stinger is a wrestling super-power. (No sarcasm there, wrestling is all about larger than life characters).

Now whenever Sting and Hogan spoke before this segment it was like two generals riding up before the battle began to talk terms (think Braveheart or soemthing like that). Sting, Hogan's enemy should not have easy access to his mortal enemy, especially just be able to walk into his office like the way he did on Impact Wrestling. It seemed weird that Hogan would allow this especially since his partner just screwed him out of the title. Hogan should have been on high alert in case Sting attacked him, which he sort of did...

So I wish this was done in the ring rather than by the peep-show cam segment. It would have made it more (since people are using this word alot in this thread "epic".

Going on to a match between Sting and Hogan. I don't think Hogan can wrestle anymore and I don't think that's where this storyline is leading to be honest. Sting has said he wants Hogan out of TNA OR the old Hulk Hogan. For Sting to win and for this story to finish (TNA usually do end things 10.10.10 or MEM etc. after a year) and with Hogan likely not going anywhere, it will be possibly Bischoff's Gunner vs. Sting at BFG for Hogan's soul or something along those lines. Hogan will be the referee or enforcer etc. and like Darth Vader will come good in the end. Help Sting win the day and bring Hulk Hogan back to the light sdie of the wrestling force.

Gunner's being pushed hard and Bischoff was with him so I think it will be this rather than Hogan in the ring.

Cheers

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

First of all about the segment... I wish it was done in the ring rather than backstage...

The reason is for the last few months Hogan and Sting have kept their distance, it is like Sting can't get to Hogan because he has this army (Immortal) protecting him, and Hogan ahsn't gotten to Sting because he was the Champion and an unstoppable force. The Stinger is a wrestling super-power. (No sarcasm there, wrestling is all about larger than life characters).

Now whenever Sting and Hogan spoke before this segment it was like two generals riding up before the battle began to talk terms (think Braveheart or soemthing like that). Sting, Hogan's enemy should not have easy access to his mortal enemy, especially just be able to walk into his office like the way he did on Impact Wrestling. It seemed weird that Hogan would allow this especially since his partner just screwed him out of the title. Hogan should have been on high alert in case Sting attacked him, which he sort of did...

So I wish this was done in the ring rather than by the peep-show cam segment. It would have made it more (since people are using this word alot in this thread "epic".

Going on to a match between Sting and Hogan. I don't think Hogan can wrestle anymore and I don't think that's where this storyline is leading to be honest. Sting has said he wants Hogan out of TNA OR the old Hulk Hogan. For Sting to win and for this story to finish (TNA usually do end things 10.10.10 or MEM etc. after a year) and with Hogan likely not going anywhere, it will be possibly Bischoff's Gunner vs. Sting at BFG for Hogan's soul or something along those lines. Hogan will be the referee or enforcer etc. and like Darth Vader will come good in the end. Help Sting win the day and bring Hulk Hogan back to the light sdie of the wrestling force.

Gunner's being pushed hard and Bischoff was with him so I think it will be this rather than Hogan in the ring.

Cheers

I understand what you're getting at with the argument that it should have been an interaction in the ring, but allow me to counter-argue.

For one, with the entrances and exits to and from the ring, it would have taken up more time and perhaps slowed down the momentum of the show rather than just cutting to and then away from it once it was done and dusted.

For two, the peep-show element hid what Sting was doing to Hogan because it was out of sight and Hogan was pinned in the corner of the room unable to escape. If it had been done in the ring, the surprise and reveal of what Sting was/had done wouldn't have been the same and Hogan could have slithered out between the ropes.

For three, Hogan was a second late to bang his hands down on the desk and it reminded me of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Hah, repeat offender, but balls to it as I can't be bothered waiting for someone else to comment.

Just watched Impact, and I know the general consensus seems to be that he's adopting a Joker-esque persona, but I don't think we should be overlooking 'The Crow' as an inspiration, primarily the comic book representation as the guys quite maniacal in that.

Either way, still loving this tweak in character that has made him the most interesting he's been in a few years, to me anyway. Sure his stint in MEM briefly brought about a conflict in his character but this new twist not only changes Sting, it's rippling out and affecting Hogan, Bischoff and Anderson to an extent. Good times

 

[Calderownz]

Do you like Sting's new edge?

What will be the pay off? Will Hogan turn on Bischoff and bring the red and yellow to TNA? Or will we see Sting vs Hogan?

Other thoughts?

1. It's different. To an extent, he plays it a bit big for my liking. But, it's new and he'll find his stride. It's sort of how he started with the black and white Sting. It was a bit too lifeless at first, but then he livened it up and gave it some dimensions. I think he has it in him to get this done right. It'll only help out the last stretch of his career.

2. Perhaps something in between. Maybe Sting and Hogan continue to feud, but Hogan and Bischoff get torn apart because of the situation. Might be some sort of triangle feud. I don't mind that, so long as the lines are carefully and clearly drawn.

3. I noticed this happening for a couple of weeks like the rest of you guys. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Well, the payoff will probably be nothing, IE not exist. This is TNA after all.


Fucking cool character though, very entertaining development to a character that hasnt had much updating in about 15 fucking years. Love the new direction, lets hope it doesnt end in a SWERVE ZOMG FUCKING SWERVE or just, nothing in general

 

[Shadow of Darkness]

Hell Yah!

agreed!

he is now the "merchandise of TNA"

 

[jccool420]

This past Thursday the Joker Sting was in full effect...

I really like him smearing the face paint on his enimies faces... It's almost like when nWo used to spray paint on people... Not really the same, but it reminds me of that sort of thing... like leaving your mark on you opposition...

He seemed more like the Joker in his promo against Bischoff than any other... Did he seem too over the top?

Personally, his segment once again had my complete attention... I was on the edge of my seat watching a wrestling promo for the first time in years and I liked it...

Any other thoughts?

Edit: Still trying to get someone to make me a cool ass sig with Sting's new look... Help?

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I really like him smearing the face paint on his enimies faces... It's almost like when nWo used to spray paint on people... Not really the same, but it reminds me of that sort of thing... like leaving your mark on you opposition...

Yeh I think that's fantastically ironic when one considers the history of what happened with the nWo and that Hogan was the first paint-smeared victim. When Sting first came out the first thing that struck me was how shabby the face-paint seemed, in that its not as distinctly separated as it was just a few weeks ago so I'm expecting that trend to continue because it's a subtle sign that he's not the usual Sting.

One slight drawback is Taz and Tenay's commentating on the situation, they're saying the right kind of things but the delivery just seems a bit off. However this is perhaps just reflecting that Sting's change has caught them off guard and was the only flaw I had with the segment, and thats being picky.

Final thing I enjoyed was that when Sting was beating up Eric, it was slower and more deliberative than I expected which worked well in the sense he was dragging out Bischoff's punishment so it wouldn't be over quickly.

If this is Sting's last year, man oh man is he going out in a blaze of glory with this character tweak!

 

[Monkey_Mania]

My answer...HELL FUCKING YES!

The man is 52 years old, could have just played out the same character he's been playing since after he started talking again in 98 and STILL be as over as anyone on the roster. BUT....he didn't, whether it was him or creative or both they have rejuvenated his career with this little tweak to his gimmick. It's entertaining, interesting, and a breath of fresh air for Sting. Like NorCal said though, I hope they don't kind of drop it without a bang of an ending either.

 

[UnBEARaBULLfan]

I found it entertaining how he was beating Abyss in the head with the barbwire glove slow and methodically while starring down Anderson daring him to come get some, as a long time Stinger fan I love the work he is doing this late in his career, and not being afraid to tweek his gimmick. I'm interested to see how dark of a character they are going to let him become.

 

[Loganity]

Personally I have no clue where this Sting is heading and thats not a bad thing. I like the unpredictability of his character. I also hope this causes a split between Hogan& Bischoff.

 

[nwogiant33]

The segment with Bischoff was a little weird, but good. The ending beatdown of Abyss though, was perfect.

 

[Karilas]

Gotta join in the big ol' Borden love-fest here,he's been hitin' 'em outta the ball park for a good few months now and this thing just keeps getting better. I love how's he's playing it slightly comical, yet serious at the same time, y'know?