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20 Terrible TNA Pay-Per-View matches, In Chronological Order.
Impact Wrestling has been in business since 2002. The promotion (then TNA) proved to make upcoming stars that we see today. Stars such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Homicide, and Jay Lethal all had their first big break over there. TNA also reinvented careers of former WWE and WCW superstars, and introduced us to their women’s division called the Knockouts Division. With that, along with unique match stipulations, TNA was something of an alternative at the time when they launched.
But over the years and to this day, there is at least one terrible match per year that gives Impact the “LOLTNA” reputation that the internet wrestling community coined. Today, I will list those very bad matches from that promotion in the order of when it happened that year.
Hair vs. Hair: Raven vs. Larry Zbyszko
Victory Road 2006
Watch Raven try to carry a 54-year-old, broken old man for 4 minutes, and fail spectacularly. No one should be wrestling at this guy’s age. See also: Larry Z’s Loser Leaves match with Eric Young at BFG of the same year.
Jay Lethal vs. Petey Williams
No Surrender 2006
Jay Lethal had been turned into a Jackass fanboy in one of the worst pieces of cross-promotion ever (see also: JWoww in TNA). But even with bad build, how could these two great workers produce such a terrible match? Hint: it involves laxatives.
Tuxedo Match: Christy Hemme vs. The Big Fat Oily Guy
Against All Odds 2007
Yes, that’s right, Christy Hemme once feuded with a nameless Big Dick Johnson ripoff, which culminated in one of the regular worst match stipulations, a rip-off-the-clothes match.
Elevation X: AJ Styles vs. Rhino
Destination X 2007
Wonder why no one does scaffold matches anymore? They’re ridiculously dangerous and impossible to have a good match on. But substituting the single scaffold for 2 scaffolds in an X-shape… yeah, no, it doesn’t make it any less unsafe or unwatchable.
Blindfold Cage Match: James Storm vs. Chris Harris
Lockdown 2007
Thank heaven the “Eye for an Eye” fiasco didn’t include a blindfold match at some point. They’re almost always awful, good only for a couple of cold-warm-hot spots with the crowd. This didn’t even have that.
Electrified Cage Match for the Tag Team Titles: LAX (c) vs. Team 3D
Lockdown 2007
Sure, it’s electrified. If by “electrified” you mean “completely normal, but the wrestlers convulse when they hit the cage while the lights flash and a joy buzzer sound effect plays”.
Reverse Battle Royal
Bound for Glory 2007
Yes, REVERSE Battle Royal. Sixteen men fighting to get INSIDE the ring, at which they suddenly struggle immensely despite being okay with it the rest of their careers. This was on their biggest show of the year, somehow.
MMA Match: AJ Styles vs. Frank Trigg
No Surrender 2008
Faux-shoot matches (e.g. the Mr. T/Piper boxing match) are never good. Styles can’t even pretend to play a legit fighter, and Trigg is a fish out of water in the scripted world of wrestling. Also, it ends in shenanigans.
Number 1 Contender for the Knockouts Title: ODB/Roxxi/Taylor Wilde vs. The Kongtourage
Genesis 2009
Three actual good women’s wrestlers try to make sense of the hopeless Rhaka Khan and Sojo Bolt, as well as Cheerleader Melissa in a burqa. The “one who wins the pinfall gets a title shot” stipulation rears its ugly head, leading to obvious shenanigans.
Jenna Morasca vs. Sharmell
Victory Road 2009
When wrestling fans think “bad TNA match”, all too often they’re thinking of this, and it’s not hard to see why. A valet against a no-name Survivor contestant – with ACTUAL WRESTLER Awesome Kong at ringside – produces a legendary piece of **** of a match.
Abyss vs. Mr. Anderson
Genesis 2010
A hardcore wrestler working a four-sided ring for the first time in forever vs. a guy wrestling the “generic mid-2000s WWE” style. That clash of styles isn’t exactly going to result in anything good. The crowd, who weren’t exactly happy as it was, HATED this.
for the Global Title: Rob Terry vs. Orlando Jordan
Sacrifice 2010
See Genesis 2010, but substitute Abyss’s description for “Rob Terry, a man who has never been able to wrestle at all”. Eight minutes that feel like eight years.
For the Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Winter/Angelina Love vs. Mexican America
Victory Road 2011
Featuring a notable botch where the future Zelina Vega has to hold Winter down in a roll-up pinfall for a good 20 seconds because Velvet Sky missed her cue. If that sounds good to you, you’ll love this match! Sarita deserved better.
First Blood: Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez
Victory Road 2011
A finish to a feud that had been on hold for years, featuring no end to end action, no good wrestling (because Matt Morgan) and a stupid, screwy finish. I could put all of Victory Road ’11 on here actually. They managed to make an Ultimate X match suck! How?!
No Disqualification Match for the World Title: Sting (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Victory Road 2011
There’s not much of a match here, as Hardy going out while completely off his face on drugs curtailed the action to 89 sad, sad seconds. Instead, admire the efforts of the referee, Sting, and Eric Bischoff to ensure that no one came out of this night hurt.
Crimson vs. Rob Van Dam
Hardcore Justice 2011
I could put Crimson’s entire “winning streak” on here. Repeated DQ wins and generally looking like shit for an “undefeatable” wrestler will do that to you. This match’s ending is one of the dumbest you will ever see, especially considering what it’s meant to build to.
Robbie E vs. Robbie T
Lockdown 2013
Robbie E was always best when he was outside of the right, whereas Rob Terry… wasn’t best anywhere. This was the peak of a feud based around “bro-offs”, featuring everyone trying to pretend this massive Welsh man can dance.
Knockouts Gauntlet Battle Royal
One Night Only: Live! 1
This got -2.5 stars from Meltzer, which is somehow the third-worst rated TNA match ever. A slow and heatless mini-Rumble featuring a young Deonna Purrazzo, who will want to forget she was even at this show.
Monster’s Ball: Abyss vs. Grado
One Night Only: Live! 1
A hardcore bout with barely any hardcore and Grado fucking about, described by one commentator on Cagematch as “XPW with higher production values”. If you want to see Grado actually work the stipulation, watch Bound for Glory 2017 instead.
Rebel vs. Shelly Martinez
One Night Only: Knockouts Knockdown 4
Just when you thought Jenna/Sharmell was the worst women’s match ever, here is this disaster, featuring offense that targets the vagina. Not even kidding.
These 20 matches really stand out to me. It is because it pinpoints the worst time to be a fan of Impact Wrestling. I hope within the next decade, I will not have to do a top 40.
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Details and Episode Titles of The Walking Dead’s Extra 6 Episodes Has Been Revealed
The Walking Dead’s tenth season is not over yet. A few months ago, the unfortunate news of the final season went viral. What also came with that news, is the extended episodes for the tenth season. Today, AMC has revealed the episode titles of the extra six episodes and their release dates.
Those episodes will premiere on Feburary 28th, 2021. That is not too far as it will be only two and a half months away. The bonus episode’s descriptions are the following:
EPISODE 1017 – “Home Sweet Home”
Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has returned with a story she is not ready to share, even when her past catches up to her. Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan,) safety is at stake again. Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Maggie fight an unseen and unknown threat.
EPISODE 1018 – “Find Me”
An adventure for Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) turns sideways when they come across an old cabin. It takes Daryl back to the years when he left the group after Rick disappeared as he relives a time that only the apocalypse could manifest.
EPISODE 1019 – “One More”
Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) search for food and supplies to bring back to Alexandria. Small tragedies lead to bigger tragedies as faith is broken and optimism is fragmented when they are put to the ultimate test.
EPISODE 1020 – “Splinter”
Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Princess (Paola Lázaro) are captured and separated. Princess struggles with memories of her traumatic past and tries to escape one way or another with the help of Ezekiel.
EPISODE 1021 – “Diverged”
Daryl and Carol come to a fork in the road and head their separate ways. Each going into their own type of survival mode, the easiest of challenges become much harder. Will their individual journeys be the tipping point needed to mend their friendship or is the distance between them permanent?
EPISODE 1022 – “Here’s Negan”
Carol takes Negan on a journey, hoping to minimize the increasing tension. Negan reflects on the events that led him to this point and comes to a conclusion about his future.
From the look of it, the 22nd episode will be Negan’s backstory from the comic of the same name. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s wife Hilarie Burton Morgan will play as Lucille.
For overseas viewers, The Walking Dead will return on Monday March 1st!
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I Watched The First Few Episodes of The Saved By The Bell Reboot and it is Good!
When I first heard that there will be a reboot of “Saved By The Bell”, I did not react to it that well. The general thought in my mind was that it was going to be another 90’s reboot that did not need to be revived. My curious mind opened up to the idea of the reboot. And I must say, it is one of the better reboots.
The original stars Mario Lopez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren are heavily featured on the first few episodes. But not to the point where they all have more screentime than the new cast. Even the Tiffani Thiessen cameo worked and told a brief story as Kelly and Zach Morris are now married. Zach is now the governor of California, and his son Mac (Mitchell Hoog) attends Bayside High School.
Mac is very similar to his father. In fact, Jamie Spano (Belmont Cameli) is similar to A.C Slater on the original show. When they appear on screen, the duo can be compared to the original characters. Whether if it is the dialouge, or their pranks, much of Zack Morris and A.C Slater’s personalities are passed down to these two. But the rest of the cast, are their own characters.
Haskiri Velazquez, the lead actress of Peacock’s Saved By The Bell, plays as Daisy. Daisy and her friends Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pena) and Devante (Dexter Darden) were from a different school. The three were transferred to Bayside High and it is a surreal experience for them. What they were used to in their past high school, will not be the same anymore. This really hit hard for the three as they struggle to adjust to the new changes.
On the first episode, Daisy and Max’s chemistry is a highlight for the episode. Daisy’s bubbly and straight forward personality really stretched out the flow of “Saved By The Bell”. She actually became my favorite character during my time watching. There were really good moments that made me giggle and also feel for the character too.
There are also key features and easter eggs that pay homage to the original Saved By The Bell. Such as Daisy breaking the fourth wall, “time out”, the silly tricks and pranks, and even The Max. I found it quite amusing that the characters questioned why everyone eats at The Max every day since the food is expensive. It not only ads to the culture shock these characters go through, but it also addresses real world millennial problems not only in tyhat scene, but other scenes as well.
The characters are really enjoyable. Other than Mac and Jamie, the characters do not feel like they are copycats of the originals. There is a lot to know about them and it is surprising to know what their backstories are and what is in their minds.
Peacock’s “Saved By The Bell” is a nice way to revive the franchise. After the first episode, you will see that it is a completly different show than the original. The comparisons to the original is only by structure. But within that structure, there is a good balance of substance that will keep you engaged. I can easily say that Saved By The Bell is back and better than ever.
Peacock’s Saved By The Bell premieres on November 25th, 2020.
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My Visit on the Set of The Walking Dead World Beyond
The Walking Dead World Beyond kicked off their first season in October 2020. While the reception has been mixed so far, World Beyond will be a mainstay for the next year. At November 2019, I was invited to attend their set to meet the cast and to see what was being filmed. I will break down what my entire experience was like!
After the travel arrangements were made, I went to bed that Thursday night looking forward to the next day. On Friday morning while I was at the JFK Airport, I made a last minute order for a cab service to the hotel. The airplane was a little late to depart since the engine needed to be changed. But I got there at Virginia safe. After the plane landed, my cab service was there. It was surreal since the driver had my name on a paper on the window. Do not mind me, I never experienced that before.
I am then dropped off at the hotel. It was actually a great hotel and it was a studio suite. After I dropped off my things, I had to prepare for my interview with Josh McDermitt since that was scheduled before the tour. I then plugged in my Nintendo Switch on the television to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for 20 minutes and placed my MacBook on the charger. After that, I went to the lobby to be picked up.
But I was not the only one there. There were five other reporters there. One of them I know is Kirsten Acuna of Insider. We all talked about what could happen on World Beyond at the time on our way to the set. I also have to note that at the time, World Beyond did not have a title yet. It was only known as “TWD3” and not even the cast or crew knew the name of the show yet.
We arrive on the set which was about 20 minutes away from the hotel. I remember the weather being very cold that day. The cold weather was so brutal, that the tents had heaters. We were all greeted by production assistants, publicists, and representives of AMC. The look of the set is massive. It really felt like it was a real apoclapse in that area. And for some reason, a tall rocket was there.
Next, we were all guided to the tents where the interviews took place. One by one during the afternoon, cast members arived in between breaks of when they filmed scenes. The interviews that took place at the time were with Nicolas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Annet Mahendru, and Hal Cumpston. Nicolas’ mother and dog were also present during these interviews as well. It is here, that we learned more about the characters and plot of World Beyond. There were also questions to how this show will tie in to the status of Rick Grimes.
We did not know until we got there that Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead’s Abraham) directed the episode that we were there for the tour. I actually ran into him while I was getting hot chocolate for the second time and we both joked about the cold weather for a brief second. He was not available for interviews since he was busy with the directing. But later towards the night, we all sat on the directors chairs outside to look at a scene being filmed.
I thought it was interesting to see how one of those scenes were being filmed in different angles and shots. It also gave me insight on the directors point of view of what looks good, and what does not. After the scenes were shot, we all had dinner. I must say, that the food options and catering was really. I also seen the talent and crew all together during dinner and they all seemed happy and excited from what I seen. Let’s say that the family vibe with all of them together was on full display.
After dinner, the interviews with Aliyah Royale and Alexa Mansour took place. In fact, these interviews took place inside the set in different rooms instead of the tent.
After these interviews took place, we talked with the publicists and representives of AMC about World Beyond. They also talked about how they handle large crowds when it comes to the stars of the main show doing public appearences. It was really interesting to hear them talk about that since I can imagine how insane it is. The conversation then shifted to how great the set tour was. Even one reporter said that this was better than the IT: Chapter 2 set tour that he attened since he and four others were in one room the entire day.
The set tour concluded at around 10:00pm. We were escorted back to the hotel. It was a blast and we all talked about our experience during the ride and said our goodbyes to eachother. I had a great time. I will add this because it was strange. About 10 minutes after I got back into my room to start playing my Switch again, a fire alarm went off. This lasted for about 20 minutes as I thought that there was a fire. The fire department even showed up. But there was no fire.
That did not ruin my experience, But I was sure scared. The set tour was awesome and I will always thank AMC for allowing me to visit!
(Editor’s Note: The episode that I was there for the set tour was for 1.07 and the set is also re-used for 1.08)
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The Walking Dead World Beyond Season 1, Episode 7 “Truth or Dare” Review
Things got dark really quick on “Truth or Dare.” World Beyong finally showcased how cruel the outside world is for the group. The tone comparison to the previous six episodes are night and day.
Not only that “Truth or Dare” ended with a strong cliffhanger, we also got a glimpse of Huck’s backstory. To me, Huck’s flashback scenes are the most essential flashbacks World Beyond has had yet. Finding out the reason Huck has the pernament scar on her face and her real name being Jennifer is eye opening. Also during her flashbacks, there were questions on the universe of The Walking Dead that were addressed. What is revealed, is why the military did what they did on the first seasons of The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead. I always wanted to see the military’s point of view during the beginning of the apocalypse and I am happy that it was brought up.
I will have to give a high praise to Annet Mahendru. Her performance on this episode is outstanding and I believe this is also her best episode. Her potential was there at the start, but it blossomed on “Truth or Dare” the entire time. Huck did what she had to do when she was in the military. There was no way that she would allow a group of innocent people to be massacred by the military.
As far as the structure of the episode, there were no moments at all that made me roll my eyes or cringe. There was nothing silly at all as it got real. What was also missing about World Beyond since the start, is the suspension of disbelief. We watch the characters not realistically handle dangerous situations. But this time around, I felt it was realistic. They learned real quick that not everyone is good on the outside. Hope in particular, got into that situation where she could have been killed. That was until Huck saved the day.
That scene is effective because it displayed the true horrors of the world. Do not ever trust anyone 100% when it comes to encountering people. But the end of the episode is something I did not expect. Whether if Silas killed Tony or not, will be up in the air until next week. But the fact that Percy is not there tooo makes me question if he did it instead of Silas.
I also believe that everyone will talk about the Mountain Dew product placement. I had no problem with the spot. But it looked out of place from a visual standpoint. But at least the bottle looked like it did in 2010 (editor’s note: I did actually researched what the bottles’ appearence was like in 2010 and it is the same as that scene). I am a stickler for attention to detail when it comes to spots like that. If there was a bottle that looked like it is manufactured in 2020, then it would be inconsistent. Now I can picture a thirty second ad of Mountain Dew during the commercial break of any of TWD universe shows.
Another good thing about this episode, is how CRM is used for the plot. Instead of a post credit scene, a CRM map is featured. Everyone put the pieces together to figure out the fueling stations on that map and where could Hope and Iris’ father be. A quick inspection of that map also showed a fueling station in Virginia. Which means that the station at that location, could have been close to Jadis’ junkyard on The Walking Dead.
Even the game of truth or dare itself added to the episode in a good way. Percy knows that Hope knows that she killed Elton’s mom. That game was about to bring that revelation out. I thought it was going to happen here, but I now predict that it will happen in the finale.
With a heavy plot, dark tone, and no nonsense approach, “Truth or Dare” is the strongest episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
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