TNA Vacates TV Title; Samoa Joe Crowned New Champion

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Do you realize what you wrote here? If anything, having Anderson flop around the ring for close to five minutes makes Joe look WEAK; not dominant. It basically means that he doesn't know how to apply a rear-naked choke properly. And considering that TNA is trying to blend the boundaries between their brand of pro-wrestling and legitimate fighting, this looks completely stupid.

Listen, I get it... Anderson wanted to look strong, even during a big loss like that. But let's face facts here; he must have been on some kind of an ego boost to think that battling a rear-naked choke for close to FIVE minutes gives credibility to both him AND Samoe Joe. Anderson made Joe look like shit, period.

I have to agree with you on that point. You have to suspend disbelief in some cases when it comes to wrestling, but I just couldn't buy Anderson being in that submission for as long as he did. It instantly reminded me of Kurt Angle vs. Shawn at Wrestlemania. Shawn was in the Ankle Lock for a couple of minutes and like 40 seconds when Angle does his "grapevine" thing or whatever you call it. Honestly, I'm surprised that Joe/Anderson didn't go longer and the match just fell flat in the end.

 

[UFOcalling]

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about this whole situation when it was first announced. Having four wrestlers "state their case" in front of Hogan just seemed silly to me. Why not have all four wrestlers wrestle for the belt in a fatal-four way, or whatever? They also could have gone with a "mini" tournament, and had three matches last night; ie: Anderson (w) vs. Bischoff, Joe (w) vs. Magnus, and then make the Main Event Anderson vs. Joe (w).

Wrestlers pleading their cases for a shot at a title works well in a #1 contender situation (like TNA has proved before with the Tag Titles & the World Title), but not in the case of a vacated title. If they're not going to make these four guys wrestle for a shot at the belt, then a decision like this should have been made before Impact even started. I know it's all kayfabe, and I don't believe the decision was actually made during Impact's live broadcast...but you know what I mean. TNA has been all about "reality" lately, but this seemed really fake...even more so than all the other "reality" angles they've been doing lately. The way the TV Title situation unfolded last night just furthered the fact that TNA doesn't give a shit about the TV Title. They could have done so much more to make us care about it. If TNA shows time and time again that they don't put any stock in the TV Title, then why should they expect the fans to care about it? It seems that the wrestlers don't give a shit about it either, and IMO that's due to the way TNA has handled the belt in the first place. The TV title has been treated like a joke since EY's last run (IMO), and it will continue to be treated like a joke (by the fans & the wrestlers competing for it) until TNA wises up and at least try to make us care about it.

IMHO, making the TV Title match the Main Event would have given the title a little more credibility. I suppose I understand why TNA wanted to put Aries & Hardy in the Main Event last night, but making the match the main event wasn't completely necessary. There is still three weeks until BFG, and plenty of time to get the World Title match over. Besides, the tag match that ended Impact last night could have easily been placed at the top of Impact's second hour (at 9pm) instead, and that would have left room for a 20 minute match between Joe & Anderson. Instead, we were treated to a five minute TV Title match, with Anderson in a choke hold for half of it (literally). That really made me care about the TV title, such prestige involved with that Championship. Pshaw.

I feel that TNA made the right choice last night by putting the strap around Joe's waist. I'm also glad that Garrett was eliminated from the running (like everyone else, universally), but I'm surprised that Magnus was the first to go. I think Hogan's logic was that Magnus has been too "hot" lately (I think Hogan used the word "hot"), referring to the anger Magnus has been exhibiting in the ring lately. I understand Hogan's (kayfabe) logic in getting rid of Magnus, but I'm just surprised that he didn't get rid of Garrett first. Just like it's been said several times already, Garrett shouldn't have been in the running for the belt in the first place. Hogan's logic last night was that since Devon gave Garrett a shot at the strap in the past, he "deserved" another. Pretty dumb IMO, and TNA could have easily put another guy in that spot. As it turns out, it didn't matter at all though - since everyone but Joe & Anderson were eliminated.

All in all, the match was disappointing in my humble opinion. It seems that TNA is putting the same amount of effort they always have into the TV Title, and that's very little. They're treating the belt as (almost literally) a joke, so how can they expect the wrestlers to treat it with any respect? Hopefully Joe will actually wrestle every week, like Hogan had said upon his last return. When it was first said that the TV title would be defended every week, Devon actually did wrestle each week. Then it kind of fell off, but I'm guessing that had more to do with his contract negotiations. If Joe is able to elevate the TV title's prestige, it will take a while before the fans think of it as a title that's anywhere close to the X Division strap. Hopefully Joe's run with the TV title won't be another joke, but his match last night with Anderson wasn't the greatest start (IMHO).

 

[MB1025]

Do you realize what you wrote here? If anything, having Anderson flop around the ring for close to five minutes makes Joe look WEAK; not dominant. It basically means that he doesn't know how to apply a rear-naked choke properly. And considering that TNA is trying to blend the boundaries between their brand of pro-wrestling and legitimate fighting, this looks completely stupid.

Listen, I get it... Anderson wanted to look strong, even during a big loss like that. But let's face facts here; he must have been on some kind of an ego boost to think that battling a rear-naked choke for close to FIVE minutes gives credibility to both him AND Samoe Joe. Anderson made Joe look like shit, period.

The entire match itself was less than 5 minutes. He was in the rear naked choke for a little over a minute.

 

[MB1025]

Does Devon still have physical possession of the only copy of the TV Title? That sounds practically foolish to me. First, as we saw when the TNA World titles were stolen a couple of months back, there should be a couple of copies. Shit happens, things get lost, and there's nothing wrong with having a knockoff version to cover your ass for when shit does happen. On that note, since when were promotions letting their performers leave the event with the physical belts? I thought major promotions had stopped doing that all the way back when Alundra Blayze/Madusa left the WWF with the Women's Title, and the lesson was repeated when WCW paid Mike Awesome to try and appear on WCW television with the ECW title. (How'd that work out, Mike? Did you.... hang around in WCW for long?) It sounds a bit implausible to me that Devon could leave contract with the only existing copy of a title in his physical possession, and sounds more like an attempt at rebranding. If that is the case.... jeeeeeeesus. What a foolish and easily preventable move.

On to the match- thank you, TNA, for not putting Garret Bischoff anywhere near this thing, first off. Shane McMahon he is not. Joe and Kenderson was a good match, botched spots aside- but that ending.... ugh. If you've got a rear naked choke in for as long as Joe did, you're doing something wrong. It's not a hold which works through overstretching a muscle or manipulating a joint, but a hold which works by preventing the flow of oxygen to the brain. Fifteen seconds is about all it takes. (It's not oxygen debt itself that causes unconsciousness, but the sudden change in the amount of oxygen reaching the brain.) Outside of the Impact Zone, TNA fans tend to be a bit more knowledgeable, and that's something people have picked up on. If you want to do the "I won't give up" option, it doesn't work as well if your audience knows what the jig is.

Also, Impact Zone fans are easily the worst fans in all of professional wrestling, and I'm including the "Super Dragon!" guy. Apparently TNA can't afford to be doing a road tour, but go to a two-minute tape delay and dub in some canned heat, if anything. Those fans absolutely kill great matches.

The real TNA World Title wasn't stolen.

http://shoptna.com/belts.aspx

At their live events they take at least one of each of belts at the link I provided and try to sell them. It was taken from their truck.

 

[D-Man]

The entire match itself was less than 5 minutes. He was in the rear naked choke for a little over a minute.

Oh, I see. So a title match lasted less than five minutes and 1/5 of it had us staring at Anderson flopping around the ring in what is (supposedly) Samoe Joe's finishing maneuver? This basically reinforces my point about how the match ended up being completely not believable and, more or less, a joke.