WWE Does Double Tapings; TNA Continues to Lack Sense
It was a solid non-PPV in the wrestling world.
WWE taped two episodes each of RAW and Smackdown! But for the purposes of this wrap, we will just focus on the TV from last week and focus on the round next week.
TNA Impact! has slowly become a sleep aid for me. I think because of their odd taping schedules, the show suffers from not always knowing which way it wants to go and then having to wait two, sometimes three, weeks to change things.
WWE
The WWE world got a big shake up on Monday night when Vince McMahon announced that Donald Trump had executed a 15-superstar trade between RAW, ECW and Smackdown!
Monday night’s show got a big boost with the addition of Jack Swagger to the mix, as he’s clearly ready for the elevation to the bigger spotlight.
The additions of Evan Bourne and Mark Henry should also help spice up some things and give us some solid feuds.
As for the show itself, it’s nice to see Legacy actually participating as a tag team because they are probably the best one in the WWE right now. With the recent injury to Edge, it’s likely Legacy will get a run with the tag titles some time soon.
It’s a shame that Edge looks to be out quite a while, because the ability to put him and Chris Jericho on all WWE television really gave the writers a chance to be creative and keep high star-power on all shows at all times.
As for the WWE Championship scene, it pretty much is boring. John Cena faces Triple H tonight for the right to face Randy Orton at Night of Champions.
Is anyone really looking forward to this match? I think they are making the right move putting Cena into the main event mix because he simply has to be there, but Trips vs. RKO has been beaten to death.
I liked the feud pre-Wrestlemania, but it lost all of its luster the second Triple H got the pin at the Granddaddy.
I know how the tapings play out already, but will sit through this episode of RAW anyway.
As for the rest of the week, ECW really got hit by losing Swagger and Bourne to RAW and the Hart Dynasty and Finlay to Smackdown!, but I think that they did alright by getting Shelton Benjamin back.
Benjamin opened the show pretty solid and I like his work on the stick. I am curious to see if they push him heavily into the mix with Tommy Dreamer and Christian at the top of the card.
Smackdown! continues to be the most intriguing show as CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy is still the top feud in the business.
I continue to like the slow turn of Punk and like how Hardy is playing up the fact that he does not buy any of the good guy act.
I have said it before, but it is worth repeating: WWE must figure out a way to get Jeff Hardy to sign a contract in order to stay on board.
He is flat out the top guy in the company right now and is a money-making machine.
As for the rest of the show, it’s very nice to see tag team wrestling making a little bit of a comeback in the WWE.
I personally find Cryme Tyme entertaining and The Hart Dynasty to be one of the best young groups in years. It’s a shame that Jericho and Edge will have to drop the straps because they really would have been able to help elevate these groups.
Friday nights are also made solid by an extremely strong mid-card.
I love Rey Mysterio as the Intercontinental Champion and think he could help elevate stars like Dolph Ziggler.
I also think that John Morrison is closer to really making the leap to upper-card status.
It’s definitely fun to watch on Friday’s right now.
TNA
As for Thursday nights, TNA is almost a chore to watch at this point.
The Main Event Mafia is boring as hell now without Sting. I guess we are basically getting the nWo Wolfpack spinoff as Sting will try and form his own group to try and battle the MEM.
Throughout all of this, AJ Styles and Daniels continue to be buried, while Jay Lethal continues to be running around in a ridiculous gimmick. The show continues to lack ANY continuity at all.
It’s clear that Kurt Angle, Booker T., and Jeff Jarrett still have the skills and the chops to be featured in main events, but the rest of the top tier is getting more and more difficult to watch.
If Booker T. and Scott Steiner go over Beer Money, Inc. clean for the TNA Tag Team titles, I might just be done with TNA.
I love the storyline of getting Main Event Mafia more involved in winning titles, but they need to make sure that it’s all done through dirty tactics.
I have no problem with the group holding the World Title, Legends Title, and Tag Titles, but if Nash tops Styles straight up, then Styles might as well pack his bags because he has no reason to be at TNA anymore.
This week Mick Foley is supposed to return. This could be interesting. He still is a magician on the stick and cuts some of the most ridiculous promos in the business. But his ring work is scary at best and downright dangerous at worst.
I will keep my fingers crossed that this company can somehow make me care about it again.
Weekly Rankings
With nothing going on this week, there are not many changes here.
WWE—1. Jeff Hardy 2. CM Punk (WHC) 3. Randy Orton (WWE) 4. Chris Jericho 5. Edge 6. John Cena 7. Triple H 8. Rey Mysterio (IC Champ) 9. Tommy Dreamer (ECW) 10. Christian
TNA—1. Kurt Angle (TNA Champ) 2. AJ Styles (Legends Champ) 3. Sting 4. Samoa Joe 5. Jeff Jarrett 6. Suicide (XD Champ) 7. Booker T. 8. Beer Money Inc. (TNA Tag Champs) 9. Daniels 10. Alex Shelley
Tag Team—1. Beer Money Inc. 2. Team 3D 3. The Hart Dynasty 4. Edge and Chris Jericho (WWE Champs) 5. Motor City Machine Guns
Overall—1. Jeff Hardy 2. CM Punk 3. Randy Orton 4. Kurt Angle 5. Chris Jericho 6. AJ Styles 7. Edge 8. John Cena 9. Austin Aries (ROH Champ) 10. Samoa Joe