Here are a collection of opinions regarding various topics coming out of the TNA Against All Odds 2011 PPV.
Going in order, Generation Me missed their three-way match, by default making Robbie E the new #1 Contender for the X-Division title. I was actually somewhat pleased by this unfortunate turn of events, because the all-heel Max vs Jeremy vs Robbie E match-up didn't really stimulate me from a conceptual standpoint. Plus, we got to see Kazarian in action tonight! Kaz made a strong point in his pre-match promo when he called the Jersey Shore rip-off "cheap."
I'm sympathetic towards Rob Strauss, the guy playing the Robbie E character. As far as professional wrestlers go, he has the physique and he seems capable on the mic and between the ropes. Unfortunately, his character is a dead-end. It's a one-note, static device ripping off a bad pop-culture fad. There is no room for this character to develop, and the performer is trapped in the confines of the parody. The quicker they drop the Jersey Shore related bits of this character, the sooner Rob Strauss can show us what he's really capable of.
Scott Steiner gave one of his all-time classic, completely incomprehensible promos before the match. Take note, Pope, this is the way to be unintelligible and still be awesome! There's not much to say about the match, other than I'm not sure why a couple of security guards and Rob Terry are the wrestling representatives for the Immortal faction. Jeff and Matt Hardy are at least famous in their own right. Jeff Jarrett? Well, he did found TNA, so he too seems like an appropriate additions to a faction where membership ought to be somewhat prestigious. But Gunner and Murphy? Rob Terry? I see that they are willing to fulfill Hogan and Bischoff's every command, but at some point they are going to need to establish credibility on their own.
Samoa Joe is awesome and continues to be awesome. Let's put him back in the main event. Next match.
Madison Rayne is doing a great job of making me hate her, but I do have a slight problem with her loaded glove gimmick. If there is one thing that I require in regards to creative direction it is internal consistency of logic. Obvious plot holes just bug the hell out of me. In the current storyline, Madison Rayne has a glove that is loaded with a steel plate or brass knuckles or some sort of illegal object, whatever. Everyone knows this glove is loaded. The other wrestlers know it, the announcers know, the audience knows it- Why doesn't Mickie just ask the Ref to check out Madison's glove before the match? It's certainly within her right to do so. Hell, remember back in the day when Ref's would do a quick pat down of the combatants just prior to the match? Check their boots and wrist wraps for foreign objects and the like? I'm fairly sure if someone were to specifically request such a check this entire loaded glove gimmick could be resolved by a single thirty second pat down. I understand that heels have always done things like this, with Cowboy Bob Orton perhaps being the most famous example. The genius thing about Cowboy Bob was that his weapon was a cast. Sure, Cowboy Bob had it on there for like two years, but at least the cast was an object that the ref had some reasonable justification in letting him keep.
Not much to say about Matt Hardy or RVD. I like both of these guys and this was a solid match. I don't really recall any build up to it though. I know RVD really wants his rematch against Jeff Hardy and I guess Matt is running a diversion for his brother, but I can't specifically recall and real build to this specific feud. A side effect of the giant overarching Immortal angle that's been running for months now, I suppose.
Speaking of internal consistency of logic, remember last week on Impact when like 20 security guards came into the ring to seperate Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett, two full-grown professional athletes, during a contract signing? Guess TNA didn't feel the need to send those same security guards to the ring while Bully Ray was busy beating the crap out of Devon's kids. TNA: Supporting Child Abuse Since 2011.
Kurt Angle vs Jeff Jarrett... this angle still makes me uncomfortable and wrestling for custody of children is ridiculous. There is nothing fun about this angle for me. Also, why the hell didn't the Ref send Karen Angle to the back after the first 5,000 times she physically interfered in the match. At one point Karen GOT IN THE RING and HELD THE REF so that he COULDN'T PHYSICALLY MOVE but somehow the Ref never thought she was interfering enough to ban her from ringside. I try not to be too critical because I really, really do love wrestling, but writing with these types of oversights just aren't satisfying. I can only hope that sooner or later it will be revealed that the Refs are all in Immortal's pocket. It's the only explanation that makes any sense.
As for the final match-up, I was sorry to see Anderson lose the title so soon; I would have liked to have seen a longer title reign. But hey, Hardy won his specialty match and looked pretty spectacular while doing it. Lots of innovative action in this one, and again it makes sense to put Hardy over in his match. I can't wait to see where the Heavyweight division goes from here! Does Anderson stay in the picture? Will RVD finally get his rematch? I guess we'll find out on Thursday in the Impact Zone!
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