Half of TNA’s booking makes total sense to me right now – the other half is total garbage. To be fair, I’m enjoying the weekly show despite half the feuds going into Turning Point being thrown together with little regard to plot or build. But that’s the world we often live in; way too many PPV’s in a year means less time to build to the next event, and a whole lot more sloppy decisions that leave you scratching your heard. For instance…
(1) Rob Van Dam vs. Christopher Daniels
Last month Daniels and AJ Styles had a great feud culminating in a ‘meh’ match at TNA’s biggest event of the year. Styles would win the match via an “I Quit” stipulation, but Daniels ultimately stood tall at the end of the night, which you would think allows TNA to further a hot feud that just never gets old. WRONG! Enter Rob Van Dam, the only guy who can switch between heel and face for the sake of a throw-away feud without the audience batting an eyelash. I have a hunch that’s because RVD’s promos are so bland and unintelligible, and his ring work so mechanical that the crowd mistakes him for a dope-powered robot. And not the witty, self-preserving kind you eventually grow to love and appreciate (Wall-E, GlaDOS, Hal, etc.)… I don’t really know why this match is taking place, and to tell you the truth I have no desire to go back and watch a month of programming in order to find out.
Prediction: Daniels may or may not actually “win” the match, but he’ll be the one to walk out victorious…again. I could of course be mistaken, but Daniels is a much more relevant, involved talent than RVD right now. I’m really hoping it stays that way too. If they go the route I’m seeing in my head, and Van Dam fills the hole Bobby Roode left in Fortune, I might just hand the TNA analysis off to another writer for awhile…
(2) Scott Steiner & Bully Ray vs. Abyss & Mr. Anderson
So, Steiner and Bully Ray are still a part of Immortal, which apparently still exists but has yet to make any statement about the loss of Hogan or addressed their future in any way. And Abyss and Mr. Anderson are fighting them, because…that’s what you do in TNA – you fight the evil faction, regardless of who was a heel or face just 2 weeks ago. Never mind that both Abyss and Anderson were at one point a part of the group… I suppose you can make a case that it adds to the drama, but apart from my mild interest in Bully Ray as a heel I’ve got no investment into this match.
Prediction: Abyss and Anderson have this one. Immortal are on their way down, and Abyss is on his way up again, because for whatever reason Hogan loves the guy. The potential plus is that Anderson may receive an unintentional rub in the process.
(3) Austin Airies vs. Kid Kash vs. Jesse Sorensen — X-Division Championship
Two “big things” in independent wrestling who are arrogantly making more out of their careers than they should, and an up-and-comer who wants a shot at the title. Very little build required here, and as per usual in TNA the X-Division title match will be anticipated, fun to behold, and will probably kick off the night. I worry that because they spend so little time on the division, mainly because they don’t have to for it to remain interesting, the X-Division championship will go the way of the Cruiserweight title.
Prediction: There’s going to be an interesting dichotomy in this one, with two very arrogant heels who will eventually be forced to face each other. My money is on Austin Aries retaining.
