Discovery Networks' Destination America channel finally debuted on Time Warner Cable in my area recently. I was tipped to this by my brother in time for this week's episode of Impact, taped in Scotland. If I were Dixie Carter, I'd stop this trainwreck now before TNA does go under.
The biggest problem is that TNA's creative staff made no secret of the fact that announcers Josh Mathews & Taz are now operating out of a studio miles away from the action, and watching everything unfold on tape. We would get a split screen cutaway once in a while to illustrate this point. I get that TNA has gotten bargain basement cheap lately, but this is beyond ridiculous.
Just as ridiculous was the finish to the #1 contender's gauntlet battle royal, a glorified Royal Rumble, if you will, that served as the main event. The Beat Down Clan went over, but should not be. How, you ask? Well, let me illustrate that for you.
Closing moments of the match. Kurt Angle has eliminated Samoa Joe, Low-Ki, & Kenny King, in that order. Those three refused to leave the arena, and King interfered, right in front of the refs, enabling MVP to steal a title shot at former pal Bobby Lashley. Sorry, but that's the wrong finish.
What TNA is lacking, since Angle was reinstated to the active roster last month, is a babyface authority figure to offset the rampant, out of control heel beatdowns and shortcuts. This is where we change the story.
On Impact Unlocked, airing today and replaying prior to the next Impact, we get "breaking news" from host Mike Tenay, who announces to the audience, small as it is, that "TNA officials have reviewed the tape, and disqualified MVP for interference", awarding the title match opportunity to Angle, who made no secret of the fact that he & Lashley never faced each other before, even during Lashley's aborted 1st run in TNA or before Angle left WWE.
You would then edit out the Lashley-MVP match from the 2/27 broadcast, and insert a live match between MVP & Angle, taped in either Orlando, Nashville, or even New York. Samoa Joe has since quit TNA since the tapings, so the BDC is now down to three members. You ban King & Low-Ki from ringside under penalty of 1) suspension, and 2) in Low-Ki's case, forfeiture of the X title. Angle goes over, and goes on to face Lashley.
Basically, what I'm saying is this. Dominating heel stables are passe. The BDC are charismatically challenged, even more so with Joe gone. Time to depush this group of clowns, and even the scales in the booking, so to speak. If you've read the spoilers, you know how this story ultimately ends, but this illustrates TNA's bad decision making in taping too far in advance. ROH & Lucha Underground tape in advance, too, but you don't see too many spoilers for either one, which helps rebuild the suspense factor.
By the same token, of course, WWE needs to end nearly 2 decades of heel authority figures running amok without penalty. I would strip Seth Rollins of the Money in the Bank briefcase for abuse of priveleges and repeated interference in matches he's not booked in. You need to have balance in the booking. WWE doesn't have it. TNA doesn't have it. That's about all they have in common, since one copies the other all the time. It has to end.
Down the line, I'll create a scenario that ends the Authority in a surprising manner.
